Upcoming vote puts Armenia's European future to the test
When Armenians vote on 7 June, they will be voting in an election shaped by months of political change and a rapidly deepening relationship with the E...
Iran has launched long-range and intermediate-range ballistic missiles towards the joint U.S.-UK military base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, in what Israeli officials said was a major escalation in the war.
The strikes, alongside missile attacks on southern Israel, have widened the scope of the conflict beyond the Middle East.
The UK Ministry of Defence condemned the strikes as “reckless attacks across the region” and warned they posed a threat to British interests and allies. Israeli officials said the launches were Iran’s first use of missiles of this range in the conflict, extending the potential threat well beyond the Middle East.
According to Israel Defence Forces Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, Iran fired two ballistic missiles with a range of about 4,000km at the U.S.-UK base on Diego Garcia. “These missiles are not intended to strike Israel,” Zamir said, noting that European capitals such as Berlin, Paris, and Rome are within range.
The attack came before the British government gave specific authorisation for the U.S. to use UK bases in strikes on Iranian missile sites, according to a Ministry of Defence source.
Late on Saturday, Iranian missiles hit southern Israeli cities, including Dimona and Arad, injuring dozens, among them children. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the strikes targeted “military installations” and security centres. Israeli air defences were reported to be functioning but did not intercept the missiles.
Israel’s nuclear facility is about 13 kilometres southeast of Dimona. Both cities are near several military installations, including Nevatim Air Base, one of Israel’s largest.
“This has been a very difficult evening in the battle for our future,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “We are determined to continue striking our enemies on all fronts.”
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to “obliterate” Iranian power plants if Tehran did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours. Iran responded, warning it would target U.S. infrastructure, including energy facilities in the Gulf.
The war, now in its fourth week, has killed more than 2,000 people in Iran and 15 people in Israel, while global markets have reacted sharply to disruptions in energy supplies. In the United States, public opinion is divided, with a recent poll showing that 59% of Americans disapprove of military strikes against Iran.
The conflict has become a political and economic challenge worldwide, with rising energy prices fuelling inflation and heightening tensions across the region.
U.S. rapper Kanye West, now known as Ye, performed to a crowd of 118,000 people in Istanbul on Saturday night, marking his first concert in Europe in more than a decade, despite being barred from performing in several countries over past antisemitic remarks.
Okinawa lost transport links and suffered widespread power outages on Monday (1 June) as Severe Tropical Storm Jangmi brought destructive winds and heavy rain to Japan's south-western islands.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has held talks with Lebanese President and Israeli Prime Minister on efforts to ease tensions between Israel and Lebanon. According to a U.S. official, Washington has proposed a plan aimed at achieving a gradual de-escalation of hostilities.
The World Health Organisation’s designation of the Bundibugyo Ebola virus outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) is a stark reminder that Ebola remains a persistent global health threat rather than a disease of the past.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) says the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda is continuing to spread, with 263 confirmed cases and 43 deaths reported as of 30 May.
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, newly independent Armenia emerged with the promise of democracy. But in the years that followed conflicts and political assassinations sidetracked politics in the country, until a 2018 revolution restored momentum to the promise.
When Armenians vote on 7 June, they will be voting in an election shaped by months of political change and a rapidly deepening relationship with the European Union. The result may not only determine who governs Armenia but also the future direction of the country's geopolitical alignment.
The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway is resuming operations on 2 June after extensive modernisation works. Officials from Azerbaijan, Georgia and Türkiye are set to gather in Akhalkalaki for a launch event marking the reopening of one of the Middle Corridor's most important transport links.
Kazakhstan is open to expanding its oil export routes through Azerbaijan and advancing joint energy infrastructure projects across the Caspian region, Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov told AnewZ in an exclusive interview in Baku.
Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova praised Georgia for resisting Western pressure (30 May), defending its national interests and pursuing a "multi-vector foreign policy" - language that closely mirrors the rhetoric of the ruling Georgian Dream party.
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