Monday, May 26, 2025

Russia sent a record number of drones into Ukraine as Trump says Putin has 'gone crazy'New Foto - Russia sent a record number of drones into Ukraine as Trump says Putin has 'gone crazy'

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia overnight launched the biggest drone attack on Ukraine in themore than three-year war,a Ukrainian official said Monday. U.S. PresidentDonald Trumpsaid Russian leader Vladimir Putinhas gone "crazy" by stepping up the bombing of Ukrainewhile the U.S. tries to broker peace. The Russian bombardment on Sunday night included 355 drones, Yuriy Ihnat, head of the Ukrainian air force's communications department, told The Associated Press. Russia also fired nine cruise missiles during the attack, Ukrainian authorities said. Officials reported some civilians were injured. No deaths were immediately reported. On Saturday night, the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and other regions came under amassive Russian combineddrone-and-missile attack that killed at least 12 people and injured dozens. Ukrainian officials described that bombardment as Russia's largest aerial assault during the conflict, using 69 missiles of various types and 298 drones. The numbers could not be independently verified, and there was no immediate comment from Russian authorities. The U.S., backed by European leaders, has pushed to stop the fighting, but without making a breakthrough. Efforts to broker a ceasefire and engage both sides in efforts to reach a peaceful settlement have shown few results. Trump made it clear he is losing patience with Putin. "I've always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY!" Trump wrote in a social media post on Sunday night. Trump said Putin is "needlessly killing a lot of people," pointing out that "missiles and drones are being shot into Cities in Ukraine, for no reason whatsoever." The U.S. president warned that if Putin wants to conquer all of Ukraine, it will "lead to the downfall of Russia!" But Trump expressed frustration with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as well, saying that he is "doing his Country no favors by talking the way he does." Russia and Ukraine swapped hundreds more prisonersSunday in the third and last part of a major exchange that was a rare moment of cooperation Russia's Defense Ministry said each side exchanged 303 soldiers, following the release of 307 combatants and civilians each on Saturday, and 390 on Friday — the biggest total swap of the war. Intalks held in Istanbul earlier this month— the first time the two sides met face to face for peace talks — Kyiv and Moscow agreed to swap 1,000 prisoners of war and civilian detainees each. The exchange has been the only tangible outcome from the talks. ___ Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine athttps://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Russia sent a record number of drones into Ukraine as Trump says Putin has 'gone crazy'

Russia sent a record number of drones into Ukraine as Trump says Putin has 'gone crazy' KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia overnight launch...
Iran summons French diplomat over praise of Palme d'Or-winning filmNew Foto - Iran summons French diplomat over praise of Palme d'Or-winning film

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran has summoned France's representative in protest after the French foreign minister praised a prize-winning Iranian film as "a gesture of resistance against the Iranian regime's oppression." Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot had praised"It Was Just an Accident"after itwon the prestigious Palme d'Or awardat the Cannes Film Festival. The Iranian film centers on a man who abducts his suspected captor after being tortured in prison. Iran's Foreign Ministry said the French charge d'affaires was summoned over the minister's "interventionist, irresponsible and instigative allegations," the state-run IRNA news agency reported. "Spare us Iranians the lectures. You have no moral authority whatsoever," Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on "X," citing France's approach to Israel's ongoing war in Gaza.France last week threatened "concrete action"against Israel if the country didn't halt the offensive in Gaza and lift restrictions on humanitarian aid, but the statement was mostly dismissed as empty threats. Immediately following the award's announcement, the Iranian state news agency had announced a more muted celebration of the award, crediting the country's film industry for winning a second Palme d'Or after Abbas Kiarostami's 1997 drama, "Taste of Cherry." In Iran, film productions need to receive script approval from the government to shoot in public. Dissident filmmaker Jafar Panahi refuses to do that, knowing they won't allow him to make the films he wants to, and "It Was Just an Accident" was filmed without cooperation. Iranian state TV called the film a mixture of "lie and smearing" as well as an "underground" film produced without required permits in Iran. State TV also chastised Panahi for not mentioning the plight of the Palestinians in his acceptance speech. The film follows a man named Vahid, played by Vahid Mobasser, who believes he sees his former captor, who tortured him in prison and ruined his life. He abducts him, takes him to the desert and begins to bury him in the ground. But to satisfy pangs of doubt, Vahid decides to confirm his suspicion by bringing the man, locked in his van, to other former prisoners for identification. In a strange and emotional journey, they are all forced to grapple with revenge and forgiveness. Panahi drew on the experiences from his own imprisonment as well as the stories of detainees around him. Other state media were more critical of the win. The Mizan news agency, an arm of the country's judiciary, reported on the win as part of the "Political Cannes Film Festival," suggesting that the prize was given to Panahi because of his political leanings. Pro-reform media outlets and activists praised Panahi. "This victory is no accident — it is the result of a tireless dedication to exploring humanistic values and human rights," saidNobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, who was also previously imprisoned at Tehran's notorious Evin Prison. Inmates at the prison include those with Western ties and political prisoners. Panahi, one of the leading international directors, was banned from traveling out of Iran in 2009 for attending the funeral of a student killed in anti-government protests, a judgment later extended to two decades. But even when placed under house arrest, Panahi kept making movies, many of which are among the most lauded of the century. He made 2011's "This Is Not a Film" on an iPhone in his living room. "Taxi" (2015) was clandestinely shot almost entirely within a car. Panahi was arrested in 2022when he went to the Tehran prosecutor's office to inquire about the arrests of two other Iranian filmmakers. A judge later ruled that he must serve six years for an earlier sentence on charges of propagandizing against the government from 2011 that had never been enforced. In early 2023, Panahiwent on a hunger strikeand was released from Evin Prison. Panahi said he would not seek asylum in another country, despite the risks of additional imprisonment. "It's simple. I'm unable to live here," he said last week from the Cannes festival. "I have no ability to adapt to a new country, a new culture. Some people have this ability, this strength. I don't." On Monday, Panahi landed in Tehran to cheers and applause from fans. — Associated Press Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran, and Jake Coyle in Cannes, France, contributed.

Iran summons French diplomat over praise of Palme d'Or-winning film

Iran summons French diplomat over praise of Palme d'Or-winning film DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran has summoned France's re...
France's Macron on a visit to Vietnam urges for greater cooperation in defense and tradeNew Foto - France's Macron on a visit to Vietnam urges for greater cooperation in defense and trade

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — French PresidentEmmanuel Macroncalled on Monday for closer cooperation between Vietnam and France in an increasingly unstable global landscape as he visited Hanoi as part of a Southeast Asia tour focused on strengthening regional ties. Macron emphasized the need for "an order based on law" at a time of "both great imbalance and a return to power-driven rhetoric and intimidation." He next heads to Indonesia and Singapore. The visit comes amid trade tensions, with the U.S.threatening steep tariffson goods from Europe. Vietnamese imports to the United States were hit with 46% tariffs — among the highest rates applied to any country — in April. Macron signed more than a dozen agreements on defense, nuclear power and trade, including one with the Vietnamese budget airline company VietJet and Airbus to buy 20 A330-900 planes. He paid tribute at a Hanoi war memorial to those who fought the French colonial rulers and met with his counterpart Luong Cuong, as well as Communist Party general secretary To Lam. Macron also visited the 11th century Temple of Literature in the heart of the Vietnamese capital. France and Vietnam's "sovereignty partnership" could be the central axis of France's approach in the Indo-Pacific, Macron said. France has demonstrated its "desire to defend international maritime law" when it deployed the French carrier strike group in the South China Sea in early 2025, Macron said. China and Vietnam have long had a maritime agreement governing the Gulf of Tonkin, but have been locked in competing claims in theSouth China Seaover the Spratly and Paracel Islands and maritime areas. Macron said France would also support Vietnam in key sectors, including critical minerals, high-speed rail, civil nuclear energy and aerospace, and focus on partnering with the Asian nation to help it transition away from dirty coal power while adding new capacity in renewable energy and civil nuclear power. This is Macron's first trip to Vietnam since he took office in 2017. France and Vietnam share a comprehensive strategic partnership, Vietnam's highest diplomatic status, also held with Russia, China, and the U.S.

France's Macron on a visit to Vietnam urges for greater cooperation in defense and trade

France's Macron on a visit to Vietnam urges for greater cooperation in defense and trade HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — French PresidentEmmanuel ...
Kremlin on Trump's remark about Putin being 'crazy': there is some emotional overloadNew Foto - Kremlin on Trump's remark about Putin being 'crazy': there is some emotional overload

MOSCOW (Reuters) -The Kremlin on Monday said that U.S. President Donald Trump's claim that Vladimir Putin had "gone absolutely CRAZY" might be due to emotional overload, but thanked the U.S. leader for his assistance in launching Ukraine peace negotiations. Trump said Putin had "gone absolutely CRAZY" by unleashing the largest aerial attack of the war on Ukraine and said he was weighing new sanctions on Moscow, though he also scolded Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. "We are really grateful to the Americans and to President Trump personally for their assistance in organising and launching this negotiation process," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when asked about the Trump remarks about Putin. "Of course, at the same time, this is a very crucial moment, which is associated, of course, with the emotional overload of everyone absolutely and with emotional reactions." (Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Gleb Stolyarov; Editing by Guy Faulconbridge)

Kremlin on Trump's remark about Putin being 'crazy': there is some emotional overload

Kremlin on Trump's remark about Putin being 'crazy': there is some emotional overload MOSCOW (Reuters) -The Kremlin on Monday sa...
Iran rejects temporary halt on uranium enrichment to secure US nuclear dealNew Foto - Iran rejects temporary halt on uranium enrichment to secure US nuclear deal

DUBAI (Reuters) -Iran will not consider temporarily suspending uranium enrichment to secure a nuclear deal with the U.S., a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday, adding that no date had yet been set for a sixth round of talks with Washington. The negotiations between Washington and Tehran aim to resolve a decades-long dispute over Iran's nuclear ambitions, and both sides have taken a tough stance in public over the issue of Iran's uranium enrichment. Asked about reports that Iran could freeze enrichment for three years to reach an agreement, spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told a press conference: "Iran will never accept that." Baghaei also ruled out the possibility of an interim nuclear deal with the U.S., dismissing media reports that a provisional agreement was being considered as a temporary step towards a final deal. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that U.S. negotiators had "very good" talks with an Iranian delegation over the weekend. Iran is waiting for further details from mediator Oman regarding the timing of the next round of talks, Baghaei said. "If there is goodwill from the American side, we are also optimistic, but if talks are aimed at curbing Iran's rights then talks will get nowhere," he added. The stakes are high for both sides. Trump wants to curtail Tehran's potential to produce a nuclear weapon that could trigger a regional nuclear arms race and perhaps threaten Israel. Iran, for its part, maintains its nuclear programme is exclusively for civilian purposes and wants to be rid of devastating sanctions on its oil-based economy. (Reporting by Dubai Newsroom;Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Helen Popper)

Iran rejects temporary halt on uranium enrichment to secure US nuclear deal

Iran rejects temporary halt on uranium enrichment to secure US nuclear deal DUBAI (Reuters) -Iran will not consider temporarily suspending u...

 

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