Israel strikes Syria as reporter is on-air
Israel strikes Syria as reporter is on-air
July 16, 2025 | 3:04 PM GMT
An Al Jazeera reporter was on air the moment Israel carried out strikes against Syria's Defense Ministry in Damascus on July 16.
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Los Angeles Times
13 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
Russian missiles hit a Ukrainian army training ground, killing at least 3 soldiers
KYIV, Ukraine — Russian missiles hit a Ukrainian army training ground, killing three soldiers and wounding 18 others, authorities said, targeting Ukraine's efforts to make up a severe manpower shortage in the nearly 3½-year war. The Russian Defense Ministry asserted that the strike killed or wounded about 200 Ukrainian troops. The ministry said Ukraine's 169th training center near Honcharivske in the Chernihiv region was hit with two Iskander missiles, one armed with multiple submunitions and another with high explosives. Meanwhile, Russia continued its stepped-up aerial campaign against Ukrainian civilian targets, launching 78 attack drones overnight, including up to eight newly developed jet-powered drones, Ukraine's air force said. At least five people were wounded. The U.N. mission in Ukraine notes a worsening trend in civilian casualties from Russian attacks this year, with 6,754 civilians killed or injured in the first half of 2025 — a 54% increase from the same period in 2024. Since Russia launched an all-out invasion of neighboring Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, at least 13,580 Ukrainian civilians, including 716 children, have been killed, according to the U.N. U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday he's giving Russian President Vladimir Putin a shorter deadline — until Aug. 8 — for peace efforts to make progress or Washington will impose punitive sanctions and tariffs. Western leaders have accused Putin of dragging his feet in U.S.-led peace efforts in an attempt to capture more Ukrainian land. Ukrainian forces are mostly hanging on against a grinding summer push by Russia's bigger army, though the Russian Defense Ministry has claimed recent small advances along the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line. Ukrainian ground forces acknowledged the Russian strike on a military training ground in the Chernihiv region of northern Ukraine, but its casualty report differed widely from Moscow's. A Russian Defense Ministry video showed multiple small explosions apparently caused by a missile with a shrapnel warhead, followed by one big blast, apparently from the other one armed with a high-explosive warhead. A similar Russian strike occurred last September, when two ballistic missiles blasted a Ukrainian military academy and nearby hospital, killing more than 50 people and wounding more than 200 others. Ukrainian authorities said a commission led by the head of the Military Law Enforcement Service has been formed to determine whether negligence or misconduct by officials contributed to the casualties in Chernihiv. The attack was the fourth deadly strike in five months on Ukrainian military facilities. The previous three killed at least 46 soldiers and wounded more than 160, according to official reports. Russia also has been trying disrupt Ukrainian military recruitment by hitting regional buildings coordinating the call-up. On Wednesday, Russian forces targeted a regional military administration building in the northern Sumy region, injuring a 75-year-old woman, the administration said. It said they struck the same building with drones last Friday and Saturday. Though Ukraine has more than 1 million people in uniform, including the National Guard and other units, it badly needs more. There have been questions about how Kyiv is managing the war, from a flawed mobilization drive to the overstretching and hollowing-out of front-line units through soldiers going AWOL. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a bill Tuesday that allows Ukrainian men over the age of 60 to voluntarily sign contracts with the armed forces. The law allows those who want to contribute their experience and skills, particularly in noncombat or specialized roles. In February, Ukraine's Defense Ministry began offering new financial and other benefits that it hopes will attract men between the ages of 18 and 24 to military service. Men in that age group are exempt from the country's draft, which covers men between 25 and 60 years old. Ukraine has lowered its conscription age from 27 to 25, but that has failed to replenish ranks or replace battlefield losses. Novikov writes for the Associated Press.
Newsweek
14 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Chinese Special Forces Train With New Ally in Europe
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Photos released on Tuesday show China and Serbia—Beijing's new "friend" in Europe—conducting joint military exercises between their special forces in the East Asian country. The event, code-named Peace Guardian 2025, took place in Hebei Province, near China's capital city, in the second half of July, the Chinese military previously announced. Newsweek reached out to the Chinese Defense Ministry for comment via email. Why It Matters China, a quasi-ally of Russia, has maintained close ties with Serbia, with the Balkan nation's leader, President Aleksandar Vučić, describing Beijing as his country's "most precious friend" during a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Moscow in May. While Serbia adopts a policy of military neutrality, refraining from joining collective defense organizations, it focuses on developing cooperation with individual partners, having acquired Chinese weapons, including drones and surface-to-air missile systems. The deepening ties between China and Serbia have raised concerns in the European Union about Belgrade's path toward European integration. Serbia has been a candidate country for EU membership since 2012 and is obliged to align its foreign policy with that of the EU. What To Know According to the Serbian Defense Ministry, the country's 72nd Special Operations Brigade conducted joint training with a Chinese military special operations unit from July 19 to 28. Officially released photos show participating soldiers engaged in a range of activities during Peace Guardian 2025, including shooting drills, indoor and outdoor maneuvers, and the use of unmanned ground and aerial vehicles at an undisclosed location in Hebei Province. "During the ten-day training, mixed combat teams carried out tactical tasks in urban and rural areas with support from unmanned platforms," the Serbian Defense Ministry said, adding that the event focused on the use of drones in the execution of special forces tasks. The joint training served as an opportunity to exchange experiences, compare knowledge, and improve skills in tactics, techniques, and procedures, according to Belgrade, which said the Chinese side "showed an exceptional level of organization and professionalism." The Serbian Foreign Ministry said the joint military activity boosted military cooperation and enhanced coordination in conducting missions alongside foreign militaries and in international environments, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported on Wednesday. Vuk Vuksanovic, a researcher at the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy, told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that Serbia's cooperation with China aligns with Belgrade's foreign policy, which aims to maximize its independence by partnering with various global actors. What People Are Saying The Serbian Defense Ministry, in a press release on Tuesday: "The training in China was the first joint training of the armies of the two countries. Its successful implementation has given an impetus to the strengthening of military-military cooperation and improved mutual understanding and the ability of combat teams to carry out tasks with foreign armed forces and in the international environment." Senior Colonel Jiang Bin, spokesperson for China's Defense Ministry, announced on July 14: "[Peace Guardian 2025] will be the first joint training between Chinese and Serbian militaries. It will help strengthen combat capabilities of participating troops and deepen cooperation between the two militaries." What Happens Next It remains to be seen whether China will conduct joint military activities with Serbia regularly in the future. China previously deployed troops to Belarus for combat training.
Fox News
14 minutes ago
- Fox News
Mark Levin: I'm 'sick and tired' of lectures from Europe
'Life, Liberty & Levin' host Mark Levin discusses U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer's threat to recognize Palestine as a state if Israel doesn't agree to a ceasefire and the NY Times' correction on child malnutrition.
