live Ceasefire strains as Israel intensifies attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon killing hundreds - Thursday 9 April
Iran suggested it would be "unreasonable" to proceed with talks to forge a permanent peace d...
NATO has launched a new operation, Eastern Sentry, to strengthen defenses along its eastern flank following Russian drone incursions into Polish airspace earlier this week.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte announced the launch of Eastern Sentry on Friday, describing it as a mission to demonstrate the Alliance’s determination to defend its territory after drones entered Polish airspace and were shot down by NATO and Polish forces.
“We must, as NATO, make clear our resolve and our ability to defend our territory, and that is exactly what Eastern Sentry is designed to do,” Rutte said at NATO headquarters in Brussels.
The operation will begin in the coming days and will draw on contributions from Denmark, France, the United Kingdom, Germany and other allies. Assets announced so far include two Danish F-16s and a frigate, three French Rafales, and four German Eurofighters.
Standing beside NATO’s top commander, U.S. Air Force General Alexus Grynkewich, Rutte condemned the drone incursions as “reckless and unacceptable,” regardless of Russia’s intent.
Moscow claimed the drones were aimed at Ukraine and not intended for Polish territory. Warsaw dismissed that explanation, insisting the incursion was deliberate.
Grynkewich said Eastern Sentry would not just increase troop numbers but also adopt a more flexible and integrated posture along NATO’s eastern flank, stretching from the Baltics to the Black Sea.
“Across the eastern flank, we will constantly adjust and change our posture in a manner that keeps the adversary off guard, but also responds to specific threats as we see them emerging,” he said.
The launch marks the first time NATO has engaged directly against Russian aerial activity since the Ukraine - Russia war, underscoring heightened tensions on the Alliance’s frontier.
China and Russia vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution on Tuesday aimed at coordinating defensive efforts to protect commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, leaving no agreed international framework for securing the vital route.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah said it had stopped firing on northern Israel and Israeli forces on Wednesday as part of a two-week ceasefire in the Middle East brokered between the United States and Iran. However, a Hezbollah lawmaker warned that the pause could collapse if Tel Aviv does not adhere to it.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Iran and the United States, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate two-week ceasefire covering all areas, but Israel says the deal excludes Lebanon. Tel Aviv says the U.S. is committed to achieving shared goals in upcoming negotiations.
Recent U.S. complaints about NATO allies and threats to quit the alliance are pushing European countries to seek alternative security arrangements, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said on Tuesday.
Construction has begun on a major new solar power project in Xizang, as China continues to expand its renewable energy capacity and push towards a greener future.
A barrage of Russian drones targeted and damaged a critical power substation in Ukraine's southern Odesa region on Wednesday, Ukrainian officials confirmed.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 9 April, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Greece will ban access to social media for children under 15 from 1 January 2027, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Wednesday, citing rising anxiety, sleep problems and the addictive design of online platforms.
Trade discussions between China and the U.S. are expected to remain virtual for now, with no major investment initiatives planned before a potential meeting between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump, according to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
The Russian T-90M tank is worth an estimated $4.5 million and was designed to dominate the battlefield. Yet this steel giant has repeatedly been destroyed by something far smaller, faster and thousands of times cheaper: the drone.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment