Lithuania notifies UN of withdrawal from landmine ban treaty
VILNIUS (Reuters) -Lithuania has notified the United Nations it is leaving the treaty banning anti-personnel landmines, its foreign minister posted on X on Friday.
The country will no longer be bound by the treaty six months after the notification.
Parliaments of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland and Poland - all NATO and EU members bordering Russia - have approved withdrawal of their countries from the treaty, citing the increased military danger from their neighbour.
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CNN
4 hours ago
- CNN
5 things to know for June 27: US-Iran, Trump threatens media, Planned Parenthood, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, Minnesota shooting
5 Things The Middle East Donald Trump Health care policyFacebookTweetLink Follow If you live in the Southeast, you may have seen or heard something unusual on Thursday. A daytime fireball that was possibly dropped by a meteor was clearly visible in the sky — and it created a sonic boom. Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day. The Pentagon released new details about the US attack on Iran's nuclear facilities last weekend, including how the military prepared for the mission, the crews who carried out the raid and how Iran tried to fortify one of the sites in advance of the bombing. However, Thursday's briefing did not provide new intelligence supporting President Donald Trump's assertion that the strikes 'obliterated' Iran's nuclear program. Both Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth referred questions about that to the intelligence agencies. Until all of the intel is gathered, the full extent of damage at the facilities remains unclear. A lawyer representing President Trump has sent letters to CNN and The New York Times threatening legal action over their reporting on the US attack on Iran. Attorney Alejandro Brito alleged that the stories published on June 24 describing an early US intelligence assessment of the strikes were false and defamatory. Both media outlets rejected that claim. Trump has insisted that Iran's nuclear enrichment sites were 'completely and totally obliterated,' but the preliminary assessment from the Pentagon's intelligence arm suggested the bombings did not destroy the core components of Iran's nuclear program. Administration officials confirmed the existence of the intel and Trump said that anyone who leaked it to the press 'should be prosecuted.' The president also described both media outlets as 'fake news' and called for one of the three CNN reporters who broke the story to be fired. CNN replied: 'We stand 100% behind Natasha Bertrand's journalism and specifically her and her colleagues' reporting' about the assessment. The Supreme Court on Thursday blocked Planned Parenthood from suing South Carolina over the state's decision to pull its Medicaid funding because the organization also provides abortions. At issue was an executive order signed by Gov. Henry McMaster in 2018 that pulled Medicaid funding from the state's two Planned Parenthood clinics because he claimed it would amount to a taxpayer subsidy for abortion. That order also blocked Medicaid patients from receiving other services at Planned Parenthood, including contraception, breast exams and testing for sexually transmitted diseases. The high court's decision could prompt other red states to target Planned Parenthood and make it harder for Medicaid beneficiaries to choose their doctor. Today is the final day of the term and the Supreme Court is expected to hand down six rulings, including those dealing with Trump's birthright citizenship order, a challenge from religious parents who want to opt their children out of reading LGBTQ books in school and a First Amendment suit over a Texas law that requires people to verify their age before accessing porn online. Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland man who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador, jailed in the country's notorious CECOT prison and returned to the US months later, is currently being detained in Tennessee. During a court hearing on Thursday, a Justice Department lawyer told the judge that the Trump administration plans to send Abrego Garcia to a 'third country' but wouldn't specify a timeline for the deportation. While the administration's original deportation of Abrego Garcia violated a 2019 order from an immigration judge that said he could not be deported to his home country due to fears that he would face gang violence, that order did not preclude his deportation to another country. The wife of the man accused of shooting two Minnesota state lawmakers and their spouses on June 14 said she was 'absolutely shocked, heartbroken and completely blindsided' by the attack. Vance Boelter is accused of killing Melissa Hortman, a member of the Minnesota House, and her husband, Mark, as well as injuring John Hoffman, a member of the Minnesota Senate, and his wife in a separate shooting. Boelter is facing numerous state and federal charges, including murder, firearms offenses and stalking. In a statement through her lawyer, Jenny Boelter offered her 'deepest sympathies' to the victims' families, and said her family had fully cooperated with authorities. The Hortmans will lie in state at the Minnesota Capitol today. Get '5 Things' in your inbox If your day doesn't start until you're up to speed on the latest headlines, then let us introduce you to your new favorite morning fix. Sign up here for the '5 Things' longer 'Made in the USA'?Trump Mobile, the wireless service provider and phone company launched this month by the Trump Organization, has changed the language describing the origins of the T1 8002 phone on its website. 'It's a sad day for us'A foreshadowed death on 'The Simpsons' has freaked out fans of the animated family. B&E at Brad's placeA Los Angeles home owned by movie star Brad Pitt was reportedly burglarized this week. Pitt was away on a promotional tour for his new film, 'F1: The Movie,' during the incident. Star-filled nuptialsSeveral A-list celebrities, including Oprah and Mick Jagger, have traveled to Venice for the lavish Bezos wedding this weekend. From 'Dune' to 007Oscar-winning director Denis Villeneuve has been tapped to helm the next movie in the James Bond franchise. 'This is a massive responsibility, but also, incredibly exciting for me and a huge honor,' he said. Journalist Bill Moyers dies at 91The former press secretary to President Lyndon B. Johnson spent five decades on the air working as a journalist, political commentator and champion of public media. Walter Cronkite once described Moyers as 'the conscience' of the country. Which team won the NBA championship this week?A. Indiana PacersB. Oklahoma City ThunderC. New York KnicksD. Minnesota Timberwolves Take me to the quiz! 41,000+That's how many retirement-age Americans died from falls in 2023. More than half of those deaths were people 85 and older, the CDC reported. 'This is not a luxury. I do not have my daughter enrolled on Medicaid so we can have fancy things. I have my daughter enrolled in Medicaid so we can keep her alive and keep her at home, which I think is the best option for her.' — Missouri parent Courtney Leader, on the GOP's proposed cuts to Medicaid. Check your local forecast here>>> So much natural beauty!See why this place was named CNN's best town to visit for 2025. 5 Things AM is edited by CNN's Andrew Torgan.
Bloomberg
4 hours ago
- Bloomberg
Putin Says Russia to Seek Defense Cuts; How Much Depends on War
President Vladimir Putin said Russia plans to cut defense spending, acknowledging growing strains on the budget even as he insisted that reductions would depend on winning his war in Ukraine. Russia is spending 6.3% of gross domestic product on defense this year and 'that's a lot,' Putin told reporters in Minsk, Belarus, on Friday. 'It's one of the problems, including for the budget, that we have to resolve,' and Russia paid a price in inflation from the increased expenditure, he said.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
The dollar sees a rebound after US strikes Iran, but can it continue?
The dollar rose on Monday as uncertainty over the Israel Iran conflict persisted following US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend. By around 2.45 CEST, the Dollar Index had risen 0.61% in daily trading to 99.31. Over the month, it showed a 0.19% increase, although its year-to-date value was still down almost 9%, failing to win back losses linked to erratic policies from the Trump administration. US President Donald Trump said that the weekend strikes had caused 'monumental damage', although some Iranian officials downplayed the impact. The full extent of the damage could not immediately be determined by the UN's nuclear watchdog. Israel — meanwhile — continued with its strikes on Iran on Monday, while Tehran vowed that it would 'never surrender to bullying and oppression'. Several nations warned Iran against a retaliatory closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a shipping lane responsible for around 20% of global oil and gas flows. 'In this morning's trading session, the dollar staged an expected rebound. The demonstration of US military strength, as well as the fear of higher oil prices, weakened the euro,' said ING economists in a note. Higher oil prices would likely drive up inflation and discourage the US Federal Reserve from cutting rates in the near future. This would spell bad news for US consumers but would simultaneously increase the dollar's attractiveness to investors. 'Looking ahead, one of the key questions is whether US involvement in the conflict could restore the dollar's safe-haven appeal. Here, a crucial factor will be the duration of any potential Strait of Hormuz blockade. The longer such a blockade lasts, the higher the likelihood that the value of safe-haven alternatives like the euro and yen is eroded, and the dollar can enjoy a decent recovery,' said ING economists. Related Energy in Europe is also at stake as Israel-Iran conflict escalates Is Trump destroying the dollar - and what does it mean for the euro? The greenback's value has dropped significantly this year as policies from the Trump administration have spooked investors, damaging the currency's status as a safe-haven asset. Signals worrying investors are not solely linked to trade policy, but also include a high US deficit, the cost-slashing bureau DOGE, sudden cuts to foreign aid, withdrawals from international treaties, and the prospect of financial deregulation. Greg Hirt, chief investment officer with Allianz Global Investors, told Euronews that 'structural issues around a twin deficit and the Trump administration's volatile handling of tariffs should continue to weigh on an overvalued US dollar'. Even so, he noted that the 'short term potential for higher oil prices will likely affect the Chinese and European economies to a greater extent, as they are more dependent on oil imports than the US'. Ryan Sweet, chief US economist at Oxford Economics, reiterated this point, noting that 'the US economy is essentially energy independent but others are not, including Japan as it imports most of its oil from the Middle East'. Sweet told Euronews that dollar gains are positive but still muted as 'currency markets are in a wait and see mode'. There is also significant uncertainty around President Trump's tariff deadline, with a 90-day pause on so-called 'reciprocal' duties set to expire on 9 July. Sign in to access your portfolio
