On India's Independence Day, Modi vows to punish Pakistan for future attacks
Modi's remarks Friday come three months after nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan engaged in four days of intense fighting , their worst clash in decades.
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New York Times
25 minutes ago
- New York Times
Mali's Junta Accuses Frenchman of Plot to Overthrow the Military Government
The junta that governs Mali said Thursday that it had foiled an attempted coup and arrested several individuals, including Malian military personnel and a French national it accused of organizing the plot. Mali, a landlocked country in Western Africa, has typified the turmoil that has rocked countries across the Sahel for more than a decade, including Islamist insurgencies, political instability, military takeovers and a decline in their relationship with France, a former colonizer. Among those arrested was a man the government identified as Yann Vezilier, a French citizen whom it accused of being a spy. In a statement broadcast by state television on Thursday, Gen. Daoud Aly Mohammedine, Mali's minister of security, accused Mr. Vezilier of working 'on behalf of the French intelligence service, which mobilized political leaders, civil society actors and military personnel.' The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to a request for comment or even confirm Mr. Vezilier's nationality. Several other civilians and Malian military officials were also arrested for 'criminal offenses' related to a plot that General Mohammedine said began on Aug. 1. The general released scant other details about the nature or extent of the crimes. Mali has been ruled by a military government since August 2020, when the military exploited widespread public anger over a disputed parliamentary election. A second coup followed just nine months later. France maintained a contingent of troops in the country from 2013 until August 2022, when the junta expelled the forces in exchange for Russian mercenaries. That coup set into action a chain of similar military takeovers across the region, with soldiers seizing power across a belt of countries nine times between 2020 and 2023. Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger — all ruled by military governments — officially withdrew from the West African alliance known as ECOWAS in January after the bloc pressured them to restore civilian leadership. Since Mali's government came to power, human rights groups have accused it of cracking down on dissent and political opposition.
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Ukraine Sinks Russian Cargo Ship In Caspian Sea
Ukraine has carried out an audacious drone strike on the Caspian Sea port of Olya, in Russia's Astrakhan region, hitting one cargo vessel that Kyiv says was being used to transport arms from Iran. U.K.-based maritime security firm Ambrey confirmed to TWZ that this is the first time that a direct attack of this kind had been made on Olya and that it had resulted in one ship sunk. It also appears to be the first time that Ukraine has successfully targeted any kind of vessel in the Caspian Sea area. According to the Ukrainian military, the attack on Olya yesterday was carried out by units of the country's special operations forces, in coordination with other branches of the armed forces. The cargo vessel that was hit was the 400-foot-long, 4,900-gross-ton Port Olya-4, and imagery from the port shows the ship partially submerged, while it was alongside at anchor. Extensive scorch marks on the bridge and superstructure of the Russia-flagged vessel suggest that this was the likely point of impact. Unconfirmed reports, relayed by Ambrey, suggested that all of the crew had been rescued. The Ukrainian Special Operations Forces and other AFU units "struck" the Caspian Sea port of Olya sinking the general cargo ship, "Port Olya 4." The ship was reportedly carrying components for Shaheds and ammunition from Iran. Imagery of the sunken vessel shows extensive fire… — OSINT Intuit (@UKikaski) August 15, 2025 The Ukrainian military said the Port Olya-4 was being used to carry drone components and ammunition from Iran. The drone components reportedly included parts for the Shahed-type drones that Russia has employed heavily in its regular strikes on Ukraine. Russia is now building more than 2,000 of these long-range one-way attack drones each month, with that number only expected to grow in the coming months. While the precise nature of the cargo cannot be confirmed at this point, both the U.S. Treasury Department and Ukrainian military intelligence report that the vessel regularly transits the Caspian Sea, bringing cargo between Iran and Russia. Ukrainian Armed Forces bombed a Russian cargo ship carrying 'Shaheds' in the Astrakhan port The ship Port Olya 4 was transporting Shahed-type UAVs and Iranian ammunition, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported. The strike took place on August 14. The… — NEXTA (@nexta_tv) August 15, 2025 Last September, the U.S. Treasury and State Department imposed sanctions on ships and shipping firms it said were involved in supplying Russia with Iranian weapons. It's unclear what kind of drone Ukraine used to target the port, with no clarification from the Ukrainian military on this point. Kyiv has relied heavily on drones for long-range attacks against targets in Russia and occupied Crimea. The Russian Ministry of Defense said it had shot down an undisclosed number of Ukrainian drones over nine regions, although it did not mention that any were brought down over the Astrakhan region. However, the Russian defense ministry did say that one Ukrainian drone was downed over neighboring Kalmykia. Subsequently, Russian authorities confirmed a drone attack on Olya. The governor of the Astrakhan region stated that all the drones had been 'suppressed by electronic warfare or destroyed [and] no damage was caused to the port infrastructure… [but] a ship was damaged by debris from a downed UAV.' This year, Ukraine has maintained a steady tempo of long-range drone strikes against Russia, with a particular focus on oil refineries and other energy infrastructure. However, ports have also been important targets. According to the Ukrainian military, ports and terminals account for seven percent of its successful strikes on Russian territory since the start of the year. As well as the port of Olya, Ukrainian forces also struck the Syzran oil refinery in Russia's Samara region overnight, which produces a range of fuels and belongs to oil company Rosneft. Multiple strikes hit Russia overnight, damaging the Syzran oil refinery — one of the largest in Rosneft's system, according to Russian media. Its shutdown or damage could cause a regional fuel shortage. — NOELREPORTS (@NOELreports) August 15, 2025 In a statement on the Telegram messaging app, the Ukrainian Armed Forces said the attack on the Syzran refinery led to a fire and explosions. Samara's regional governor confirmed that a drone attack caused a fire at an unspecified 'industrial enterprise' in his region, but claimed that it had been put out quickly. The timing of these latest strikes is notable, coming hours before the summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Alaska. The two leaders will be discussing the war in Ukraine, but Ukrainian officials have not been invited. As for the latest attack on Olya, it is also significant for the apparent targeting of a single vessel, a comparatively very rare direct Ukrainian attack on a merchant ship. It appears that Ukraine attacked a particular ship known to be carrying drone parts, making it a very high-priority target and reflecting the reality that, as of now, the Shahed series is by far the most important method by which Russia launches long-range strikes into Ukraine. It had long been expected that Ukraine might start to target vessels running arms deliveries from Iran to Russia, and this has now become a reality. Together with expanded long-range drone technology, we may now see a systemic interdiction campaign against these vessels. Also important is the fact that this is the first known instance of Ukraine sinking a vessel in the Caspian Sea, extending its operations into a new area. Regardless, the operation underscores Ukrainian efforts to undermine Russia's devastating long-range drone strikes, which now include prosecuting key logistics hubs used for importing military supplies from Iran. Contact the author: thomas@ Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Britain urged to follow Norway as it restarts North Sea drilling licences
Britain must follow Norway's lead and lift an embargo on drilling licences, opposition parties have urged, after the oil-rich nation reopened exploration licences in the North Sea. The Conservatives and Reform UK said Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary, should rethink a ban on new oil and gas licences as Norway opens the basin to exploration for the first time since 2021. Norway became Britain's primary source of gas last year as UK output shrank in the wake of the windfall tax and a ban on new licences. The latest move is likely to see Norway sell even more supplies to the UK after its energy minister, Terje Aasland, said new licences would allow it to be 'a long-term supplier of oil and gas to Europe'. Announcing the licencing round – which will cover the northernmost Barents Sea, the Norwegian Sea and the North Sea – Mr Aasland said: 'The Norwegian continental shelf will continue to create value and jobs for our country. 'The oil and gas industry is knowledge, expertise and technology intensive. Increased activity in this industry also has positive effects on other industries and parts of our society. 'It means oil and gas are the engine of the Norwegian economy, and I am convinced that the Norwegian continental shelf has a bright future. There are many exciting development projects underway and there is great interest in the licencing rounds. This contributes to new investment opportunities and profitable jobs.' The decision represents a reversal of the oil-rich nation's previous policy of pausing new exploration in frontier regions. These will be its first new licences in such locations since 2021. The Norwegian ministry of energy said it was now consulting with energy companies on which 'frontier' areas would be opened for exploration. Under the scheme, companies which already have licensees will be allowed to nominate new exploration areas anywhere on the Norwegian continental shelf – including the North Sea, only excluding areas already in production. Andrew Griffith, the shadow business secretary, said the Government must follow its Nordic neighbour to boost the economy, bring down bills and create more jobs. He said: 'The UK is missing a massive economic trick with the self-harm of not exploiting our North Sea reserves. 'It's not as if the economy is growing so fast we don't need the cheaper energy or jobs that this would bring. We should follow Norway's lead and relaunch new exploration and drilling projects now.' Richard Tice, Reform UK's energy spokesman, said Britain should go further, opening up drilling for shale gas onshore as well as restarting exploration in the North Sea. 'Not only should we be scrapping net zero, we should be opening up as many oil and gas licences, for exploration and drilling, as possible, both offshore and onshore with shale gas. We should be taking advantage of our energy treasure,' he said. 'It is criminally financially negligent not to do so. We have got hundreds of billions of pounds worth of this energy treasure that this government and the previous Tory administration wanted to leave untouched.' He said the Government should take a stake in new projects to provide a boost to the public finances, seeking to emulate Norway's success in building a wealth fund from its energy sector's profits. Mr Miliband last year banned the issuing of new licences to expand fossil fuel production, with around 180 of the UK's 280 current oil and gas fields expected to shut down in the next five years. Britain's energy industry called on the Government to 'choose home-grown energy over imports' with the combination of oil, gas and renewables crucial to creating jobs and a secure supply. David Whitehouse, the chief executive of Offshore Energies UK, said: 'Norway's decision to press ahead with a new licensing round underlines its commitment to long-term, secure supplies for Europe alongside growth in renewable energy. 'With supportive government policies, domestically we could produce half of the oil and gas that will be required to reach net zero by 2050 from UK waters, yet we are becoming increasingly reliant on imports to fill the gap between what we produce and what we consume.' Oil currently trades for around $67 per barrel. The household energy price cap, set by Ofgem, stands at £1,720 for the average British household. That is up from £1,319 before Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The Government has argued that there is too little left in the North Sea to be worth restarting exploration and the drilling of new supplies. A spokesman for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said: 'We will not issue new licences to explore new fields because they will not take a penny off bills, cannot make us energy secure, and will only accelerate the worsening climate crisis. 'Through the rapid steps we have already taken, we are delivering a fair and orderly transition in the North Sea, with the biggest ever investment in offshore wind and the first of a kind carbon capture and storage clusters.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
