
Russia says any use of tactical nuclear weapons by US in Iran would be catastrophic, TASS reports
MOSCOW: Potential use of tactical nuclear weapons by the United States in Iran would be a catastrophic development, Russian state news agency TASS quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying on Friday.
Iran held direct talks with US?
Peskov was commenting on what he called speculative media reports about that possibility. Reuters

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UN blacklists Israeli forces for grave violations against children in Gaza
A girl stands in the ruins of the school building in Gaza City that was hit by an air strike Photo: Reuters Listen to article Israeli armed and security forces have once again been included in the United Nations Secretary-General's annual list of parties committing grave violations against children, according to the Children and Armed Conflict report released Thursday. The listing comes amid what the report describes as 'an alarming rise' in violations against children in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly in Gaza. The UN verified 8,554 grave violations against 2,959 children in 2023, of which 7,188 were attributed to Israeli forces. Among the verified violations were the killings of 1,259 Palestinian children in Gaza, mostly due to Israeli air strikes and the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. In the Occupied West Bank, 97 Palestinian children were killed, the majority by live ammunition fired by Israeli forces. Additionally, 1,561 Palestinian children were maimed—many by Israeli air strikes, live ammunition, and tear gas. Read more: Gaza rescuers say 33 killed by Israel fire The report noted the use of 27 Palestinian boys as human shields by Israeli forces, along with attacks on 502 schools and hospitals. It also cited the detention of 951 Palestinian children, with 112 held under administrative detention without trial. 'I am deeply alarmed by the continued increase in grave violations against children perpetrated by Israeli armed and security forces,' Secretary-General António Guterres wrote. He called on Israel to 'abide by international humanitarian and human rights law,' and to cease the use of explosive weapons in densely populated areas. The UN also reported 2,263 denials of humanitarian access in Gaza and verified the deaths of at least 280 UN personnel since 7 October 2023 during Israeli military operations. Read more: Israel kills at least 72 in Gaza strikes, including 21 near aid sites The Secretary-General urged Israel to develop and sign an action plan with the UN to end and prevent such violations. He also condemned attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups, including the use of hostages, indiscriminate rocket fire, and the use of schools and hospitals for military purposes. While calling on Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hezbullah, Yemen's Houthis, and Iran to cease attacks affecting civilians, the report squarely places the majority of verified grave violations in 2023 on Israeli forces. Israel's inclusion on the UN 'list of shame' comes despite international debate in recent years over the Secretary-General's discretion in naming state actors. This marks the second consecutive year Israel has appeared on the list, reflecting mounting global concern over its military conduct in the occupied territories. Globally, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Nigeria, Haiti, and the Occupied Palestinian Territory were highlighted as regions with the highest violations. Lebanon, Mozambique, Haiti, Ethiopia, and Ukraine saw the sharpest percentage increases. Russian security forces remain on the list, with 1,914 violations documented in Ukraine. The report states that non-state actors accounted for 50% of all violations, while government forces were primarily responsible for child deaths and injuries.


Express Tribune
an hour ago
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US appeals court rules Trump retains control of California National Guard
demonstrator raises his hand holding flowers as members of the National Guard stand in formation outside a federal building during the No Kings protest against U.S. President Donald Trump's policies, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., June 14, 2025. Photo; REUTERS/ Listen to article A US appeals court let Donald Trump retain control on Thursday of California's National Guard while the state's Democratic governor proceeds with a lawsuit challenging the Republican president's use of the troops to quell protests in Los Angeles. Trump's decision to send troops into Los Angeles prompted a national debate about the use of the military on US soil and inflamed political tension in the country's second most populous city. On Thursday, a three-judge panel of the San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals extended its pause on US District Judge Charles Breyer's June 12 ruling that Trump had unlawfully called the National Guard into federal service. Trump probably acted within his authority, the panel said, adding that his administration probably complied with the requirement to coordinate with Governor Gavin Newsom, and even if it did not, he had no authority to veto Trump's directive. "And although we hold that the president likely has authority to federalize the National Guard, nothing in our decision addresses the nature of the activities in which the federalized National Guard may engage," it wrote in its opinion. Newsom could still challenge the use of the National Guard and US Marines under other laws, including the bar on using troops in domestic law enforcement, it added. The governor could raise those issues at a court hearing on Friday in front of Breyer, it said. In a post on X after the decision, Newsom vowed to pursue his challenge. This fight doesn't end here. — Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) June 20, 2025 "The president is not a king and is not above the law," he said. "We will press forward with our challenge to President Trump's authoritarian use of US military soldiers against our citizens." Trump hailed the decision in a post on Truth Social. "This is a great decision for our country and we will continue to protect and defend law-abiding Americans," he said. "This is much bigger than Gavin, because all over the United States, if our cities, and our people, need protection, we are the ones to give it to them should state and local police be unable, for whatever reason, to get the job done." Breyer's ruling was issued in a lawsuit against Trump's action brought by Newsom. Breyer ruled that Trump violated a US law governing a president's ability to take control of a state's National Guard by failing to coordinate with the governor. It also found that the conditions set out under the statute to allow this move, such as a rebellion against federal authority, did not exist. Breyer ordered Trump to return control of California's National Guard to Newsom. Hours after Breyer acted, the 9th Circuit panel had put the judge's move on hold temporarily. Amid protests and turmoil in Los Angeles over Trump's immigration raids, the president on June 7 took control of California's National Guard and deployed 4,000 troops against Newsom's wishes. Trump also ordered 700 US Marines to the city after sending in the National Guard. Breyer has not yet ruled on the legality of the Marine Corps mobilization. At a court hearing on Tuesday on whether to extend the pause on Breyer's decision, members of the 9th Circuit panel questioned lawyers for California and the Trump administration on what role, if any, courts should have in reviewing Trump's authority to deploy the troops. The law sets out three conditions by which a president can federalize state National Guard forces, including an invasion, a "rebellion or danger of a rebellion" against the government or a situation in which the U.S. government is unable with regular forces to execute the country's laws. The appeals court said the final condition had probably been met because protesters hurled items at immigration authorities' vehicles, used trash dumpster as battering rams, threw Molotov cocktails and vandalized property, frustrating law enforcement. The Justice Department has said once the president determines that an emergency exists that warrants the use of the National Guard, no court or state governor can review that decision. The appeals court rejected that argument. The protests in Los Angeles ran for more than a week before they ebbed, leading Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass to lift a curfew she had imposed. In its June 9 lawsuit California said Trump's deployment of the National Guard and the Marines violated the state's sovereignty and US laws that forbid federal troops from participating in civilian law enforcement. The Trump administration has denied that troops are engaging in law enforcement, saying they are instead protecting federal buildings and personnel, including US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. The 9th Circuit panel is comprised of two judges appointed by Trump during his first term and one appointee of Democratic former President Joe Biden.


Express Tribune
an hour ago
- Express Tribune
One killed, 14 injured in Ukraine's Odesa region
A firefighter works at the site of a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Odesa, Ukraine June 20, 2025. Photo:REUTER Listen to article One person was killed and at least 14 were injured when Russian drones attacked the Ukrainian Black Sea city of Odesa overnight, damaging high-rise buildings and railway infrastructure, local authorities and prosecutors said on Friday. Odesa is Ukraine's largest Black Sea port, key for imports and exports, and has been under constant missile and drone attacks by Russia since the war began. "Despite the active work of air defence forces, there is damage to civilian infrastructure, including residential buildings, a higher education institution, a gas pipeline and private cars," local governor Oleh Kiper said on Telegram messenger. Kiper released photos of burning houses and charred high-rise buildings. Local emergencies service said that during the attack there were at least 10 drone strikes on residential buildings, causing massive fires. Ukraine's air force said on Friday that Russia had launched 86 drones on Ukraine overnight. The military noted its air defence units shot down 34 drones while another 36 drones were lost - in reference to the Ukrainian military using electronic warfare to redirect them - or they were drone simulators that did not carry warheads. However, the military reported that drones hit 8 locations. Ukrainian state railways Ukrzaliznytsia reported that Odesa railway station was damaged during the attack, with power wires and rails damaged. Russian drones also attacked Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine overnight, damaging several private and multi-storey houses, Kharkiv officials said. Read: Russian strikes kill 14 in Kyiv Previously, Russia launched dozens of drones and missiles at Kyiv in the early hours of June 17, killing at least 14 people and wounding dozens of others, as negotiations faltered between Kyiv and Moscow. President Volodymyr Zelensky described the latest overnight barrage as "one of the most horrific attacks" on Kyiv since the Kremlin launched its brutal invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago. Last night, the Russians launched massive attacks on Odesa, Kharkiv, and their outskirts using more than twenty strike drones. Around 20 people were injured, including 2 children – girls aged 12 and 17 – and 3 State Emergency Service workers who had arrived at the scene of the… — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 20, 2025 Zelensky said a total of 440 drones and 32 missiles were launched in the strikes nationwide and urged the international community not to "turn a blind eye". "Our families had a very difficult night. One of the biggest attacks from the very beginning of the war," Zelensky said at the G7 summit in Canada. "We need support from our allies," he added. AFP journalists saw smoke billowing over the capital's skyline at dawn and a multiple-storey housing block gutted by the attack. Rescue workers were scrambling to find any survivors buried beneath the rubble. "It was probably the most hellish night in my memory for our neighbourhood," 20-year-old student Alina Shtompel told AFP. "It is indescribably painful that our people are going through this right now." More than three years into its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has stepped up attacks despite efforts by the United States to broker a ceasefire.