LONDON, April 13, 2024 (AFP) – The UK government said Saturday it was sending additional fighter jets to the Middle East and would intercept airborne attacks as needed after Iran launched strikes on Israel. Tehran’s unprecedented drone and missile attack marked a major escalation of the long-running covert war between the regional foes. Iran had repeatedly threatened to retaliate against Israel for a deadly April 1 air strike on its Damascus consular annexe, and Washington […]
Tag: US
Ukraine starts building first US-design nuclear reactors
NETISHYN, Ukraine, April 13, 2024 (AFP) – Ukraine has started constructing two US-designed reactors at a nuclear power plant in the west of the country following devastating Russian attacks on its energy network. Workers at Khmelnytskyi nuclear power station on Thursday poured a symbolic cubic metre of concrete for the reactors, which will use US technology and fuel, as Ukrainian and US flags fluttered. The project is aimed at increasing Ukraine’s energy security and reducing […]
Biden says expecting Iranian attack on Israel ‘sooner than later’
WASHINGTON, April 12, 2024 (AFP) – US President Joe Biden said Friday he was expecting Iran to attempt to strike Israel in the short term in retaliation for a strike in Syria but warned the clerical state not to attack. “I don’t want to get into secure information but my expectation is sooner than later,” Biden told reporters after an event. Asked what his message was to Iran on striking Israel, Biden said, “Don’t.” “We […]
Defense minister says Israel ‘shoulder to shoulder’ with US on Iran
JERUSALEM, April 12, 2024 (AFP) – Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said Friday that Israel and the United States were “shoulder to shoulder” in facing the threat from Iran, after talks with US Central Command chief Michael Kurilla. “Our enemies think that they can pull apart Israel and the United States, but the opposite is true — they are bringing us together and strengthening our ties”, Gallant said, after the two discussed Iran’s threats of retaliation […]
Iranian threat to Israel ‘real’: White House
WASHINGTON, April 12, 2024 (AFP) – Iran’s threats of reprisals against Israel after a strike in Syria this month that killed two Iranian generals remain “real,” the White House said on Friday. “We still deem the potential threat by Iran here to be real, to be viable,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told journalists. Kirby would not confirm reports that US officials considered an Iranian attack “imminent” or comment on whether the United States […]
US sent seized Iran weapons, ammo to Ukraine
By W.G. DUNLOP WASHINGTON, April 9, 2024 (AFP) – Washington has given Ukraine small arms and ammunition that were seized while being sent from Iranian forces to Tehran-backed rebels in Yemen, the US military said Tuesday. The transfer last week came as Ukraine suffers from significant shortages of ammunition and US Republican lawmakers block new aid, but it does not address Kyiv’s need for key items such as artillery and air defense munitions. “The US […]
US says ‘very, very concerned’ about Chinese actions in disputed sea
SYDNEY, April 9, 2024 (AFP) – The top US military officer in the Pacific on Tuesday said Washington was “very, very concerned” about Beijing’s recent “dangerous” actions in the disputed South China Sea, after confrontations with Philippine vessels. Speaking in Sydney, United States Indo-Pacific Command head Admiral John Aquilino referenced recent encounters between Chinese and Philippine boats around a remote shoal in the Spratly Islands. “I’m very concerned about what’s happening at the Second Thomas […]
Boeing plane makes emergency landing after engine cover falls off
LOS ANGELES, April 8, 2024 (AFP) – A Southwest Airlines flight returned to Denver after an engine cowling fell off during takeoff on Sunday, the Federal Aviation Administration said, the latest in a spate of safety incidents involving Boeing planes. The FAA said in a statement that Southwest Airlines Flight 3695, a Boeing 737-800 passenger jet, landed back at Denver International Airport “after the crew reported the engine cowling fell off during takeoff and […]
JPMorgan Chase CEO warns inflation could stay high
NEW YORK, April 8, 2024 (AFP) – Inflation could remain elevated for longer than expected, posing a risk to the US economy’s near-term health, JPMorgan Chase Chief Executive Jamie Dimon said Monday. In his annual letter to shareholders, Dimon pointed to “persistent inflationary pressures” that belie the stock market’s confidence about the outlook and could result in even higher interest rates. “Equity values, by most measures, are at the high end of the valuation range,” […]
China conducts ‘combat patrols’ as US holds drills with allies in disputed waters
China conducted “combat patrols” Sunday in the South China Sea, its army said, the same day the Philippines, the United States, Japan and Australia held their first joint drills in the disputed waters. The maritime activities took place days before US President Joe Biden was due to hold the first trilateral summit with the leaders of the Philippines and Japan, with growing tensions over the hotly contested South China Sea on the agenda. Beijing’s People’s […]
Israeli withdrawal from southern Gaza likely just troop ‘refit’: W.House
WASHINGTON, April 7, 2024 (AFP) – Israel’s partial withdrawal from the southern Gaza Strip is likely so its troops can “rest and refit,” rather than a move towards a new operation, the White House said on Sunday. “They’ve been on the ground for four months, the word we’re getting is they’re tired, they need to be refit,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told ABC’s “This Week,” though he stressed that it was “hard to […]
‘I am still fine’: New York rattled by small earthquake, aftershock
UN Security Council diplomats were shaken in their chairs, planes got briefly grounded, and furniture rattled across New York Friday when an earthquake jolted the city that never sleeps. No one was hurt, though, and New York’s iconic skyline remained intact. “I AM FINE,” reported the Empire State Building on its X account. The tremor had a 4.8 magnitude, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Near the epicenter in Lebanon, New Jersey, Dominika […]





