Israeli military says missile launched from Yemen was intercepted
Israeli military said late on Friday that it intercepted a missile launched from Yemen after air raid sirens sounded in several areas across Israel.
The Iran-aligned Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen, have been firing at Israel and attacking shipping lanes.
Houthis have repeatedly said that their attacks are an act of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel's military assault since late 2023 has killed more than 58,000 people, Gaza authorities say.
Most of the dozens of missiles and drones they have launched have been intercepted or fallen short. Israel has carried out a series of retaliatory strikes. REUTERS

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Trump, Xi might meet ahead of or during October APEC summit in South Korea, SCMP reports
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping pose for a photo ahead of their bilateral meeting during the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo U.S. President Donald Trump might visit China before going to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit between October 30 and November 1, or he could meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the APEC event in South Korea, the South China Morning Post reported on Sunday citing multiple sources. The two countries have been trying to negotiate an end to an escalating tit-for-tat tariff war that has upended global trade and supply chains. Trump has sought to impose tariffs on U.S. importers for virtually all foreign goods, which he says will stimulate domestic manufacturing and which critics say will instead make many consumer goods more expensive for Americans. He has called for a universal base tariff rate of 10% on goods imported from all countries, with higher rates for imports from the most "problematic" ones, including China: imports from there now have the highest tariff rate of 55%. Trump has set a deadline of August 12 for the U.S. and China to reach a durable tariffs agreement. A spokesperson for Trump did not respond to a request for comment about the reported plans for a meeting with Xi in the fall. REUTERS

Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Polls show falling US support for Trump's deportations
Find out what's new on ST website and app. More than half of Americans polled by CBS News found that US President Donald Trump's administration was targeting migrants who do not threaten public safety. Polls released on July 20 showed falling support among Americans for US President Donald Trump's hardline measures against illegal immigration, as the Republican president celebrated six months back in power. Mr Trump won last year's election in part with promises to launch a historic deportation drive , riling up his base with exaggerated claims of mass violence committed by undocumented migrants, whom he referred to as 'savages' and 'animals.' Polls from both CNN and CBS show that he has lost majority support for his deportation approach. 55 per cent of respondents feel the raids – frequently seen online in viral videos of masked, unidentified agents seizing people off the street – have gone too far, CNN said. This was up 10 per cent from a similar poll in February, shortly after Mr Trump took office. A majority – 57 per cent – said they oppose plans for construction of mass detention facilities, with only 26 pe cent supporting the idea, CNN said. A CBS News poll found that 56 per cent of Americans believe Mr Trump's administration is targeting migrants who do not represent a threat to public safety, up from 47 per cent last month. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Priority for singles, higher quota for second-timer families to kick in from HDB's July BTO exercise Singapore Bukit Panjang LRT disruptions in July both linked to newly installed power system: SMRT Singapore 1 in 3 vapes here laced with etomidate; MOH working with MHA to list it as illegal drug: Ong Ye Kung Asia Johor Bahru collision claims lives of e-hailing driver and Singapore passenger Sport Arsenal arrive in Singapore for pre-season matches with AC Milan and Newcastle Business Crypto exchange Tokenize to shut down Singapore operations Singapore More initiatives and support for migrant community announced at Racial Harmony Day event Singapore ComfortDelGro to discipline driver who flung relative's wheelchair out of taxi According to the poll, only 49 per cent of Americans approve of Mr Trump's immigration policies, down from 54 per cent last month and 59 per cent in February. Support remains nearly universal among Republicans, however, with 91 per cent in favor of the deportations. Opposition among independents is nonetheless at 59 per cent and among Democrats at 86 per cent. Mr Trump marked the six-month mark of his second presidency by heading out to his golf club in Virginia, near Washington, and posting on social media that the period was 'being hailed as one of the most consequential periods of any President.' 'Six months is not a long time to have totally revived a major Country,' he wrote on Truth Social. 'One year ago our Country was DEAD, with almost no hope of revival,' he said, adding that now the US was the 'most respected Country anywhere in the World.' In keeping with other surveys, the CBS News poll found Mr Trump's overall approval rating is underwater. Currently only 42 per cent of Americans approve of his job, compared to 53 per cent in February. AFP

Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Western aid cuts cede ground to China in South-east Asia: Study
Find out what's new on ST website and app. US President Donald Trump has halted about US$60 billion in development assistance – most of the US' overseas aid programme. SYDNEY - China is set to expand its influence over South-east Asia's development as the Trump administration and other Western donors slash aid, a study by an Australian think-tank said on July 20. The region is in an 'uncertain moment', facing cuts in official development finance from the West as well as 'especially punitive' US trade tariffs, the Sydney-based Lowy Institute said. 'Declining Western aid risks ceding a greater role to China, though other Asian donors will also gain in importance,' it said. Total official development finance to South-east Asia – including grants, low-rate loans and other loans – grew 'modestly' to US$29 billion (S$37 billion) in 2023, the annual report said. But US President Donald Trump has since halted about US$60 billion in development assistance – most of the United States' overseas aid programme. Seven European countries – including France and Germany – and the European Union have announced US$17.2 billion in aid cuts to be implemented between 2025 and 2029, it said. And the United Kingdom has said it is reducing annual aid by US$7.6 billion, redirecting government money towards defence. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Priority for singles, higher quota for second-timer families to kick in from HDB's July BTO exercise Singapore 1 in 3 vapes here laced with etomidate; MOH working with MHA to list it as illegal drug: Ong Ye Kung Asia Johor Bahru collision claims lives of e-hailing driver and Singapore passenger Sport Arsenal arrive in Singapore for pre-season matches with AC Milan and Newcastle Business Crypto exchange Tokenize to shut down Singapore operations Singapore 2-in-1 airport police robot on trial can patrol and serve as PMD with ride-hailing feature Singapore ComfortDelGro to discipline driver who flung relative's wheelchair out of taxi Singapore Minor Issues: Why I didn't send my daughters to my brand-name primary school Based on recent announcements, overall official development finance to South-east Asia will fall by more than US$2 billion by 2026, the study projected. 'These cuts will hit South-east Asia hard,' it said. 'Poorer countries and social sector priorities such as health, education, and civil society support that rely on bilateral aid funding are likely to lose out the most.' Higher-income countries already capture most of the region's official development finance, said the institute's South-east Asia Aid Map report. Poorer countries such as East Timor, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar are being left behind, creating a deepening divide that could undermine long-term stability, equity and resilience, it warned. Despite substantial economic development across most of South-east Asia, around 86 million people still live on less than US$3.65 a day, it said. 'Global concern' 'The centre of gravity in South-east Asia's development finance landscape looks set to drift East, notably to Beijing but also Tokyo and Seoul,' the study said. As trade ties with the United States have weakened, South-east Asian countries' development options could shrink, it said, leaving them with less leverage to negotiate favourable terms with Beijing. 'China's relative importance as a development actor in the region will rise as Western development support recedes,' it said. Beijing's development finance to the region rose by US$1.6 billion to US$4.9 billion in 2023 – mostly through big infrastructure projects such as rail links in Indonesia and Malaysia, the report said. At the same time, China's infrastructure commitments to South-east Asia surged fourfold to almost US$10 billion, largely due to the revival of the Kyaukphyu Deep Sea Port project in Myanmar. By contrast, Western alternative infrastructure projects had failed to materialise in recent years, the study said. 'Similarly, Western promises to support the region's clean energy transition have yet to translate into more projects on the ground – of global concern given coal-dependent South-east Asia is a major source of rapidly growing carbon emissions.' AFP