Asia Government
Russia says more than 600 drones targeted Moscow region
Is the war entering a new phase? Russian officials have reported more than 620 overnight drones targeting Moscow, in what appears to be one of Ukraine's largest attacks on the Russian capital in years. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Russian defences shot down 180 drones over the capital region between Monday evening and 5am (02:00 GMT) on Tuesday. He said 17 more drones were shot down en route to the capital later. The drone attack wounded three people, including a 10-year-old girl, Moscow region's Governor Andrey Vorobyov said on Telegram.
Russia warns UK over supplying drones to Ukraine
Russia has accused the UK of deliberately opting for an escalation of the Ukraine crisis following confirmation that British-made drones had been used in strikes on targets in Russia. In doing so, the United Kingdom is acting as an accomplice and co-perpetrator of the bloody crimes and terrorist attacks, the Russian Embassy to the UK wrote in a statement. London's actions will inevitably carry consequences for which it will have to answer, it said, adding that the deeper its involvement in the conflict, the higher the price it will pay. In response, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) told BBC News that Britain stood shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine. Russia should be in no doubt about the resolve of this Government to stand against Russian aggression, in Ukraine and against the UK and our allies, said the spokesperson in a statement.
Yemen's drone war: Rivals flex growing aerial muscle
After the Houthi armed group in Yemen launched attacks on government military camps and gatherings last week using one-way attack drones, it killed and injured dozens of government soldiers. But the internationally recognised Yemeni government was quick to retaliate by employing remotely operated drones to attack Houthi fighters on the front lines. That development is significant in Yemen's decadelong conflict because it highlights the growing use of drones on the battlefield. Government military units have repeatedly broadcast video footage showing drones tracking their targets, dropping bombs, killing fighters, destroying armoured vehicles and damaging hideouts. "The government side is now acquiring a potentially important tactical capability of its own," said Marius Bales, a doctoral researcher at the Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies.
Iraqi Kurdish PM Barzani's office targeted in drone attack
Iraqi Kurdish PM Barzani's office targeted in drone attack The office of the prime minister of Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has been targeted in a drone attack, the region's security agency said, adding that there were no reports of casualties. The statement said the home of the head of the semi-autonomous Iraqi region's security and intelligence agency had also been targeted by drones early on Monday. "Two Hadid-110 drones targeted the private office of the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government and the residence of the Security Directorate", the Kurdistan Counter-Terrorism Service said in a statement cited by Iraq's state news agency. The statement confirmed that no casualties were reported. In a post on X, KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani condemned the attack as "illegitimate and unacceptable".
At least six people killed in Ukrainian missile attack on Russia's Belgorod
Is the war entering a new phase? At least six people killed in Ukrainian missile attack on Russia's Belgorod At least six people have been killed and four others, including a 14-year-old, have been wounded in a Ukrainian missile strike on western Russia's Belgorod region. The Ukrainian attack on Monday hit the village of Koloskovo in the Valuysky district, acting Belgorod Governor Alexander Shuvaev said on the state-backed MAX platform. Shuvaev said a structure was "burned" and a vehicle damaged in the attack. At the same time, Russian forces launched missile and drone attacks across Ukraine, killing at least four people and wounding 19. At least two people were killed and four injured in a Russian attack on the southeastern region of Zaporizhia.
Modi threatens to target 'intellectual Naxals' in Independence Day speech
Modi threatens to target'intellectual Naxals' in Independence Day speech India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said the country has largely eliminated a Maoist rebellion which it battled for decades but still faces a threat from the movement's ideological backers. Speaking on India's Independence Day on Saturday, Modi said India had succeeded in "getting rid of armed Naxals" - referring to members of the Maoist-influenced Naxalite movement that challenged state authority across swaths of central and eastern India. The phrase "dimagi Naxal" echoes the politically charged label "urban Naxal," a term Modi and leaders of his Bharatiya Janata Party have previously used for activists, academics, intellectuals and other government critics. The remarks come weeks after a youth-led protest movement, the Cockroach Janta Party, emerged as a rare challenge to Modi's government and helped force the resignation of his education minister . While Modi did not mention the protests, he repeatedly highlighted initiatives aimed at young Indians, including AI skills training and free online coaching for competitive exams.
Activists try to deliver aid to Palestinians in homes besieged by Israeli settlers
Activists have tried to delivered supplies to Palestinians whose homes in the occupied West Bank have been besieged for days by Israeli settlers. The group left water and food near one of the houses in Qusra where two Palestinian families have been trapped since Sunday, with their power and water supplies cut off. Two of the residents said Israeli forces had prevented the activists from delivering the aid directly to them, and the supplies had to be left outside. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) denied this. Also on Friday, a number of settlers returned to set up a tent near the site - a day after an operation to disperse them from the area.