Author: Prima News

The United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Saturday, plunging the Middle East into a new conflict that President Donald Trump said would end a security threat to the United States and offer Iranians a chance to topple their rulers. Iran launched missiles towards Israel, Israel’s military said, and the Pentagon said the U.S. strikes against Iran were named “OPERATION EPIC FURY.” The renewed confrontation between Iran and its long-time foes threatened to further dim hopes for a diplomatic solution to Tehran’s nuclear dispute with the West. TRUMP CITES 1979 HOSTAGE CRISIS In a video message published on social media, Trump cited…

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States had begun “major combat operations” in Iran, warning that there may be U.S. casualties. The strikes, which Trump said were aimed at destroying Iranian missiles and annihilating its navy, follow repeated U.S.-Israeli warnings that they would strike Iran again if it pressed ahead with its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. “I do not make this statement lightly. The Iranian regime seeks to kill,” Trump said in a video shared on Truth Social. “The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost and we may have casualties that often happens in war, but we’re…

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Saturday said he would not accept anyone dragging “the country into adventures that threaten its security and unity”, in an indirect message to the Iran-backed Lebanese armed group Hezbollah. In a statement released after Israel and the United States launched strikes on Iran, Salam noted the “serious developments” in the region and called on “all Lebanese to act with wisdom and patriotism, placing Lebanon and the Lebanese people’s interests above any other consideration”. Hezbollah has fought numerous conflicts with Israel since it was established by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in 1982. Reuters reported on Tuesday that Israel…

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has presented new sniper rifles as ceremonial gifts to party and military officials, calling them a “wonderful weapon” and a sign of his trust, state media KCNA news agency said on Saturday. KCNA reported Kim met leading cadres and commanding officers at the headquarters of the Workers’ Party of Korea on Friday and handed each a new-generation rifle developed by the country’s Academy of Defence Science. “As was already made public, this new-generation sniper’s rifle our Academy of Defence Science developed and produced is really a wonderful weapon,” Kim was quoted as saying. The…

Fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban military entered its third day on Saturday, following overnight clashes as the international community expressed increasing concern about the conflict and called for urgent talks. Pakistan’s strikes on Friday hit Taliban military installations and posts, including in Kabul and Kandahar, in one of the deepest Pakistani incursions into its western neighbour in years, officials said. Islamabad accuses the Taliban of harbouring Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants, who it claims are waging an insurgency inside Pakistan, a charge the Taliban denies. Pakistan described its actions as a response to cross-border assaults, while Kabul denounced them as a breach of its…

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concern over reports of cross-border clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan, his spokesman said Thursday. Guterres “is following with concern the reports of cross-border clashes between the de facto security forces in Afghanistan and Pakistani security forces,” said Stephane Dujarric. “He urges the relevant parties to comply with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law, and to ensure the protection of civilians,” Dujarric added. Commending mediation efforts by several member states in recent months, Dujarric said Guterres also urges the parties to continue to seek to resolve any differences through diplomacy.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Friday presented his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic with the country’s highest state award for his “significant contribution to strengthening ties between the two countries.” Tokayev gave the Order of the Golden Eagle to his Serbian counterpart during a ceremony following bilateral talks in the Kazakh capital Astana which addressed trade relations and cooperation in the defense industry and artificial intelligence, according to the country’s presidential press service Akorda. The Kazakh statement said Tokayev described Serbia as a “very important strategic partner in Europe” and highlighted efforts to strengthen cooperation in the economy, as well as…

Global central banks are facing a packed schedule in March amid efforts to balance geopolitical tensions, employment risks, and the ongoing fight against inflation. Financial markets are closely monitoring future guidance that will shape the economic trajectory for the rest of the year, as central banks are expected to come out with a mix of rate cuts, holds, and potential hikes next month. The Fed is widely expected to maintain its policy rate at its March 18 meeting. Investors will be on the lookout for policy statements and verbal guidance from Fed Chair Jerome Powell, especially as a June rate…

Susan Sarandon said Friday that she was blocked from television and film work after “speaking out” about the situation in the Gaza Strip. The award-winning American actress described the professional fallout she faced after she stood up against the atrocities happening in Gaza since October 2023. “In the very first November, I was fired by my agency, specifically for marching and speaking out about Gaza for asking for a ceasefire,” she said at the Spanish Film Academy’s 2026 International Goya in Madrid, stressing that “it became impossible for me to even be on television.” She said that she eventually found…

“This situation calls for urgent political dialogue, rather than escalating the use of force,” said the High Commissioner for Human Rights, following a sharp increase in civilian casualties in cross-border clashes with Pakistani military forces, who have been reportedly targeting armed militants sheltering in Afghanistan. According to the UN Mission in Afghanistan, UNAMA, 70 civilians were killed and 478 were injured in Afghanistan in the last three months of 2025. “There were further casualties earlier this week, when 13 civilians were killed and several more injured following airstrikes by Pakistani forces,” Mr. Türk said. Deadly decreesThe latest batch of Taliban decrees…