WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Russian missile strike kills one, injures three in Kyiv, Ukraine says

A Russian missile attack on Kyiv killed one man and injured three other people overnight, causing damage and fires in several districts in the biggest such attack on Ukraine for weeks, Ukrainian officials said on Sunday.

The strike was the first large-scale attack using missiles and drones since the U.S. said late last month it had negotiated two ceasefire accords with Russia and Ukraine, including one that would on each other's energy infrastructure.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said ongoing attacks showed Russia did not want to end the three-year-old war.

"Such attacks are Putin's response to all international diplomatic efforts. Each of our partners - America, the whole of Europe, the whole world - has seen that Russia is going to continue to fight and kill," he said on the Telegram messaging app.

In a separate statement he said that he had instructed the defence and foreign ministers to intensify talks with partners, especially the U.S., on the supply of air defence equipment.

Russian forces used ballistic and cruise missiles launched from both strategic bombers and naval fleets, as well as drones, during the overnight attack, Ukraine's air force said.

Zelenskiy called for increased manufacturing of air defence systems and missiles, suggesting that such production should be established in Ukraine.

Andriy Yermak, Zelenskiy's chief of staff, posted a video of firefighters trying to put out fires at badly damaged buildings.

Zelenskiy said that over the past week, Russia had launched more than 1,460 guided aerial bombs, nearly 670 attack drones and more than 30 missiles of various types against Ukraine.

He said Kyiv was waiting for U.S. reaction to Putin's refusal to agree to Washington's proposal to establish a full ceasefire, which Ukraine had previously agreed to.

POLAND ON HIGH ALERT

Warnings from the air force of an attack including regions bordering Poland forced the neighbouring NATO-member country to scramble aircraft to ensure air safety.

Poland has been on high alert for objects entering its airspace since a stray Ukrainian missile struck the southern Polish village of Przewodow in 2022, killing two people.

In Kyiv, several loud explosions were heard overnight.

Fires broke out in at least three districts of Kyiv, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said in a Telegram post.

"The body of a man killed in an enemy attack was found in Darnytskiy district (of Kyiv). He was on the street, near the epicentre of the explosion," Klitschko said.

The Sunday strikes on Kyiv came after officials in the southern region of Mykolaiv reported three people had been injured in Russian strikes. A day earlier, a Russian attack killed at least 19 people including nine children in the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih.

There was no immediate comment from Russia. Both sides deny targeting civilians in the war that Russia started with a full-scale invasion of its smaller neighbour. Thousands of civilians have died in the conflict, the vast majority of them Ukrainian.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who took office in January after pledging he would end the war in 24 hours, has sought to broker an end to the conflict.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Russian army liberates Basovka in Sumy Region — top brass

The Russian army has liberated Basovka in the Sumy Region in the past day, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

"Units of the Battlegroup North liberated Basovka in the Sumy Region during their offensive," the ministry said.

Moreover, they defeated formations of a mechanized brigade, a tank brigade, three airborne assault brigades and a territorial defense brigade of Ukraine near the settlements of Gornal, Guyevo and Oleshnya in the Kursk Region.

Strikes by operational-tactical, army aircraft and artillery fire struck enemy personnel and equipment near the settlements of Gornal, Guyevo, Oleshnya in the Kursk Region, as well as Basovka, Belovody, Budivelnoye, Vladimirovka, Vodolagi, Zhuravka, Loknya, Miropolskoye, Sadki, Shalygino, Yunakovka and Yablonovka in the Sumy Region.

In the past day, Ukraine lost more than 170 servicemen, two armored combat vehicles, 12 automobiles, as well as three UAV control points and an ammunition depot in the Kursk direction. The operation to destroy Ukrainian formations continues.

Reuters/RT

As he settled in to deliver the judgment of the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal on 2 April, presiding judge, Wilfred Kpochi, felt obliged to get one ritual out of the way. Glancing left and right, he asked each of his two colleagues on the three-person tribunal to confirm that the judgment he was about to deliver was unanimous. Justice Kpochi only proceeded after each, one to his left and the other to his right, nodded their affirmation.

The judge had good reason for this preliminary ritual. About 48 hours before it was due, a leaked document purporting to be the judgment of the tribunal went into circulation. Ahead of the judgment day, both leading parties in the electoral contest, which had inexorably mutated into a judicial one – the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) – felt compelled to issue duelling statements denouncing the leak and blaming the other for it. The APC claimed that “the PDP leaked a fake judgment, knowing they would lose”, while the PDP “accused the APC of using the leaked fake document to gauge public reaction.”

The leaked document suggested that the tribunal would deliver a split verdict, with one of the three judges dissenting from the majority of two who were supposed to decide against the petition of the PDP and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo. When, therefore, the presiding judge asked his colleagues to affirm that the judgment was unanimous, he sought to telegraph that tales of the leak of their judgment were unfounded or, in any case, had mis-described the decision of the tribunal. Instead of a split decision suggested by the leak, this was a unanimous court.

This was far from the first time that the decision of an election petition tribunal in Nigeria would be foreshadowed by suggestions or allegations of a leak ahead of its delivery.

At the onset of presidentialism in Nigeria in 1979, the contest between Shehu Shagari of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) and Obafemi Awolowo of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) ended up before the presidential election tribunal. On 20 August 1979, Obafemi Awolowo filed his petition against the declaration of Shehu Shagari as the winner of the election. The following day, military ruler, General Olusegun Obasanjo, invited Atanda Fatayi Williams to the Dodan Barracks (as the seat of government then in Lagos was called) and offered him the office of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).

Fatayi Williams’ first task was to adjudicate Awolowo’s petition. The military had committed to handing over power on 1 October, a mere 40 days later. General Obasanjo, who was overseeing arrangements for a high profile handover to an elected successor, was anxious to know that the Supreme Court would not torpedo his plans. It was credibly suspected that he received the necessary assurances from his hand-picked CJN well ahead of the judgment.

In March 2008, Action Congress (AC), the party then led by Bola Tinubu, vigorously alleged that the outcome of the presidential election petition challenging the announcement of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua of the PDP as the winner of the 2007 presidential election, had leaked. Lai Mohammed, the spokesperson of the party at the time, denounced the leak, proclaiming that the judgment would “not stand the test of time.”

15 years later, as the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal issued a 48-hour notice of the delivery of its judgment on 4 September 2023, Tinubu, the candidate of the APC, whose announcement on 1 March as the winner of the presidential election was under challenge, departed for New Delhi, India, to attend the G-20 Summit. He arrived India on 5 September, the day before the judgment, guaranteeing that he was going to be outside the country when the tribunal delivered its judgment. Many people believed that Tinubu traveled to India with the confidence of a man who had been assured ahead of schedule of the outcome that the tribunal would announce the day after he landed in India.

Whether these allegations were true in any specific case is a subject for another day. Far from diminishing over the years, however, credible suspicions of breach of the deliberative confidentiality of judicial decision-making in election disputes and political cases in Nigeria have grown. They enjoy high credulity with the public, an indication of a deep-seated deficit of credibility that now clearly afflicts the business of what judges do in political and electoral disputes in Nigeria.

At the valedictory session of the 9th Senate in June 2023, Adamu Bulkachuwa, the senator for Bauchi North, confirmed suspicions of unconscionably intimate dalliances between judges and politicians when he appreciated his colleagues “whom (sic) have come to me and sought for my help when my wife was the President of the Court of Appeal.”

Bulkachuwa did not forget to thank his wife “whose freedom and independence I encroached upon while she was in office…. She has been very tolerant and accepted my encroachment and extended her help to my colleagues.” His wife, Zainab, was president of the Court of Appeal from 2014 to 2020.

For insisting on calling attention to this kind of criminal acccessorisation of judges, Nyesom Wike, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory who is also a member of Nigeria’s Body of Benchers (BoB), invited the grandees of the BoB who visited him in his office at the end of last month to dispense with basic niceties of process and “punish” me. His 36 minute-long harangue to the old men and women of the BoB, who were his guests, was occasionally punctuated with enthusiastic applause belying the average age of the group, as well as the kind of undisguised ridicule which they had to endure for both themselves and the institutions of the judicial process in Nigeria. Such cravenness from the leadership of the self-described “body of practitioners of the highest distinction in the legal profession in Nigeria”, bodes ill for judicial credibility and independence.

As Wike was busy advertising his undisguised contempt for them and telling the leaders of Nigeria’s legal profession that they were no better than deodorised sex workers with an inflated price-tag, an advocate who had spent his life campaigning against that tendency took a characteristically unpretentious leave.

Raised in Agbor, Delta State, by a father who was a high school teacher from Imo State, Joseph Otteh was one of the first two colleagues whom I engaged in the legal directorate of the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) in Lagos in 1991. He brought tremendous integrity, intellect, and industry to the role, and had remarkable reserves of empathy.

In 1999, Joe founded the group Access to Justice “to work towards rebuilding the institutional credibility of the Nigerian legal and justice system, restoring public faith in its institutions.” He approached that task with both courage and single-mindedness, doing a lot of good along the way.

Joe epitomised the lawyer as a gentleman and professional of civic virtue. On 28 March, he succumbed reportedly to complications from diabetes, leaving behind an aged mother, wife and three children.

30 years ago, in 1995, Joe authored a defining study of the customary court system in the 17 states of southern Nigeria under the title, The Fading Lights of Justice. As an advocate, Otteh did his utmost to ensure that those lights were kept aflame. That title could only have come from a man who was well ahead of his time and had the acuity to see the future. The Heavens will be enriched by the acquisition of this incredible angel.

** Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, a professor of law, teaches at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and can be reached through This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Kathy and Ross Petras

We all want people to take us seriously. But so many of us, in trying to earn that respect from others, say things that we think will make us sound smart — only to fall on our faces.

As psychologist Paul Penn put it, “Trying to sound clever is a good way of sounding stupid.” 

But there’s a way around this. Want to sound smart and well-spoken? As language and communication experts, we’ve come across some simple and effective strategies that actually work.

1. Be intentional about your word choice

Behavioral studies have found that theoretically “smart” language winds up turning people off instead of impressing them. You want to sound natural and not clinical.

So while it’s tempting to want to dazzle people with complicated or multisyllabic words, you’re better off sticking with simpler choices.

For example, use “begin” instead of “commence,” “method” instead of “methodology,” “use” instead of “utilize,” and “help” or “assist” instead of “facilitate.” 

2. Don’t try to be someone you’re not

Adding new words or phrases to your vocabulary just to sound more intelligent for a specific situation is a bad idea. If it’s not natural to you, it comes off as artificial and unconvincing.

Also, make sure that you know what a word means before you use it. For example, people often use the word “simplistic” thinking it’s a more upscale way of saying “simple.” But it isn’t. It has a completely different, and negative, meaning. When you describe something as simplistic, you’re saying that someone took a complex concept and oversimplified it. In effect, they dumbed it down. 

So if you call someone’s idea simplistic, it’s not a compliment at all.

3. Use an active voice

You might think you are adding a flourish to your speech by using complicated sentence structures in the passive voice, but it only alienates people. So opt for active phrases.

For example, instead of saying: “Sales have continued to maintain their upward trajectory in the current quarter,” say, “Sales increased this quarter.”

4. Get straight to the point

Be clear about your topic. Focus on what you’re trying to get across and make it easy for others to really understand your points. 

Research shows that when people can easily understand what you’re talking about and can process it without trouble, they tend to think of you as more capable and intelligent.

5. When possible, say it, don’t write it

We often think that the written word can make us seem more intelligent than the spoken. After all, there are no “ums” or other filler words when you write, and you can choose more complicated ways of expressing yourself.

But that’s not the case. People often react more positively to someone’s voice and assess the speaker as smarter.

6. Steer clear of jargon

Managers repeatedly say that overuse of jargon is an immediate turn-off. In many cases, it can be the difference between landing that job or not or getting that promotion you want or not.

Along these lines, it’s a good idea to avoid throwing in popular but tired jargon words like “leverage,” “synergy,” “transformative” and the like. They’re vague, they’re cliched, and they’re usually unnecessary. 

7. Say nothing

That’s right. Staying silent for a few seconds can make people think of you as smart. Studies have found that if you pause between words while you’re speaking, people often think you’re more articulate and educated. 

That break in your speech when there’s no punctuation reason for it, like a period, is technically called an “unfilled pause,” but we like to call it “smart silence.”

CNBC

Nigeria's total public debt reached N144.67 trillion ($94.23 billion) by December 31, 2024, marking a dramatic 48.58% increase from the N97.34 trillion ($108.23 billion) recorded at the end of 2023, according to the latest report from the Debt Management Office (DMO).

The debt burden continued its upward trajectory with a 1.65% quarter-on-quarter increase from N142.32 trillion in September 2024, reflecting persistent fiscal pressures in the final months of the year.

External and Domestic Debt Components

The substantial rise was driven by increases in both external and domestic borrowings:

- External debt surged by 83.89% to N70.29 trillion ($45.78 billion) from N38.22 trillion a year earlier, influenced by new foreign loans and naira depreciation that inflated the local currency value of dollar-denominated obligations.

- Domestic debt grew by 25.77% to N74.38 trillion ($48.44 billion), with the Federal Government's portion increasing by 32.19% to N70.41 trillion.

Interestingly, states and the Federal Capital Territory reduced their domestic debt burden by 32.27%, from N5.86 trillion to N3.97 trillion, suggesting a more conservative approach to borrowing at the subnational level.

Debt Structure and Future Projections

As of December 2024, Nigeria's debt profile shows a relatively balanced structure with external debt comprising 48.59% and domestic debt accounting for 51.41% of the total.

The country's debt is projected to exceed N157 trillion by the end of 2025, as the government plans to borrow an additional N13 trillion to finance the 2025 budget deficit.

A detailed breakdown reveals that the Federal Government holds N62.92 trillion in external debt and N70.41 trillion in domestic obligations, while states and the FCT account for N7.37 trillion in external and N3.97 trillion in domestic debt.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Gunmen have killed two Chinese nationals and a police inspector in Uturu, a community in Isuikwuato Local Government Area of Abia State, Nigeria’s violence-plagued South-east region.

The attack, which occurred around 5:30 p.m. on Friday, saw the assailants ambush a convoy transporting the Chinese expatriates, killing Inspector Audu Saidu and abducting two other police officers along with four Chinese workers.

Sources confirmed that the victims were en route to a company owned by the Chinese nationals in Agukwu-Amaya, Ndundu Community, when they were attacked.

Abia State Police spokesperson Maureen Chinaka, a deputy superintendent of police, identified the slain Chinese nationals as Mr. Quan and Mr. Cai. She stated that the attackers also seized the inspector’s rifle before fleeing.

Following a distress call, a joint security team—comprising police, military, and other agencies—engaged the gunmen in a shootout, leading to the deaths of the victims. However, the abducted officers and four Chinese nationals were later rescued.

“Three Chinese expatriates were rescued unhurt, while one sustained injuries,” Chinaka said. “Inspector Uba Ahmed was rescued with a gunshot wound to his leg, and Inspector Ijeagwa Friday was later found unharmed through collaborative efforts with the military and local community.”

The injured are currently receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.

Abia’s Commissioner of Police, Danladi Isa, vowed that the perpetrators would be apprehended and urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities.

Deteriorating Security in Nigeria’s South-East

The attack highlights the deepening insecurity in Nigeria’s South-east, where armed groups frequently target security personnel, government facilities, and foreign workers. While no group has claimed responsibility for the latest violence, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)—a secessionist movement—has been accused of involvement in past attacks, though it denies these allegations.

This incident adds to growing concerns over Nigeria’s security crisis, with rising kidnappings, armed assaults, and communal clashes undermining stability across multiple regions. The government faces mounting pressure to curb the violence, particularly as attacks on foreign nationals threaten economic partnerships and investor confidence.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday announced the U.S. will revoke visas held by South Sudanese passport holders and no others will be issued, effective immediately.

Rubio attributed the change to "the failure of South Sudan's transitional government to accept the return of its repatriated citizens in a timely manner," according to a statement posted on X.

The U.S. Department of State on Saturday wrote in a statement that it is time for the transitional government of South Sudan to "stop taking advantage" of the U.S.

"Enforcing our nation’s immigration laws is critically important to the national security and public safety of the United States," according to the statement. "Every country must accept the return of its citizens in a timely manner when another country, including the United States, seeks to remove them. "

The department said it "will be prepared to review these actions when South Sudan is in full cooperation."

The East African country is on the verge of civil war, with escalating armed conflict, mass displacement and severe food insecurity.

Previously, the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum,Sudan, suspended its operations to include visa, passport and other routine consular services on April 22, 2023.

The Trump administration has deported more than 100,000 illegal migrants since taking office, according to a New York Post report citing a DHS official.

Fox News

The mobile payment app Zelle no longer allows users to send and receive money transfers. However, the platform's services remain available.

The ability to transfer money through the Zelle mobile app became unavailable on Tuesday, as announced by the company in October 2024. Now, Zelle is only available through "more than 2,200 banks and credit unions" in the U.S. that offer the platform through their websites or mobile apps, according to the Zelle website.

The decision came as only about 2% of Zelle transactions were made through the standalone Zelle app, the company reported last year.

In December 2024, the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau filed a lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Wells Fargo for failing to protect consumers from alleged "widespread fraud" through Zelle. Customers named in the lawsuit reported losing more than $870 million over a seven-year period.

The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau claimed that the banks violated federal law by allowing scammers and repeat offenders to hop between banks, ignoring the red flags that could have prevented fraud.

In response, Zelle claimed that the "attacks" on the company were "legally and factually flawed," and would strengthen criminals, cost consumers more in fees, stifle small businesses and make it harder for thousands of community banks and credit unions to compete." The lawsuit was dropped in early March.

Here's what to know about the Zelle change and how it affects users.

What is Zelle?

Founded in 2017, Zelle is a digital payment network that allows users to send and receive money from their bank accounts, even if the two users don't use the same bank.

How can you continue to use Zelle, without the app?

To use Zelle, users must now enroll in one of the more than 2,200 banks or credit unions that offer Zelle through their mobile apps or websites. If already using Zelle through a partnering financial institution, the user doesn't need to do anything different.

Users of the Zelle app had been receiving emails and in-app notifications about the change to ensure all money inside the app was properly transferred.

What banks and credit unions offer Zelle?

The Zelle app is still available to download. What does it do now?

The Zelle app is still accessible to users who have already downloaded it and the app remains available to download from app stores. However, its function has changed, as money can no longer be transferred through the standalone app.

The app is now "dedicated to consumer education about scams and fraud," a news release states. The list of financial institutions that offer Zelle is also available on the app.

USA Today

Yesterday, I was summoned to the multi-billion Naira construction site of the Ekiti State Internal Revenue House by the contractor, who breathlessly informed me that VIPs were en route to inspect the project. After reviewing the progress, we stood like sentinels at Jesus' tomb, waiting for the VIPs.  Time ticked on, and as our legs grew weary, the site supervisor — a man pushing 70 — politely asked a young artisan, likely in his late twenties, to fetch three chairs for us to rest.

What followed left us stunned like an immaculately dressed party who had just been baptised with sprinkles of red oil.

“I am busy,” came the curt reply. The words hung in the air like a dirty slap. We all turned like a swivel chair in the hand of a hairdresser, wide-eyed, in disbelief. We were well dressed and didn’t expect to be so addressed. Anyone with eyes could tell we were not people of mean means. More than that, each of us standing could have easily been this young man’s father.

I asked him, “Do you know who is asking you to bring the chairs?” He replied again, even more defiantly, “But I told you I’m busy! Can’t you see I’m working?”

Sincerely, if my police escorts had not been a bit far from the scene, they would have needed some caution to resist the temptation to lay hands on him — not for prayer but to teach him the lessons Rehoboam missed in 1 Kings 12:13-14. But the elderly man, who engaged the mason the young man was working for, simply called a senior artisan. That one bolted downstairs and returned in less than three minutes with the chairs.

Like a fully loaded and working washing machine, I kept turning the scene over in my mind. What could breed such insolence in someone so young? Even if he didn’t know who we were, why could he not take cognizance of the fact that the site engineers paid obeisance duly on our arrival? Must respect be earned only by familiarity, not reverence for age? This was a case of the piper insisting on the tune he’d dictated to the employer.

Later, when my junior colleagues arrived and I recounted the tale, the ladies sank to their knees, and the young man among them prostrated, pleading mercy for the boy, who stood unmoved—a statue of apathy. I blinked, half-expecting the scene to dissolve like a mirage. I had to blink to be sure I wasn’t in a Nollywood production.

The contractor simply sighed and advised, “Leave him. He probably took something... some substance.” When a man feels a dozen feet tall, everyone else becomes a dwarf. Effects of the mockers called substance (be it alcohol or drugs) in our days are confirmations of Proverbs 20:1.

This morning, as I rose, the thought still clung to me like a stubborn Arabic perfume on cloth. And then came a divine whisper that shook me to my bones:

“When I, the Almighty, make a request — how many of you who call yourselves My people respond? Must you see Me physically before you honour Me as your Creator?”

“You ask for platforms, for promotions, for power. And when I give them, you become intoxicated with the blessings — so much so that I, the Giver, fade into insignificance. Don’t you swell like Jeshurun, forgetting your source (Deut 32:15) boasting, ‘I am self-made,’ forgetting that without me, you’re not better than a worm?

“When I anoint young men and women with evangelistic fire, they often settle for comfort. They trade the call for a career and pretend deaf to the dying crying for help.  Instead of reaching the perishing world by obeying Jer 6:16, they build empires and congregations — content to fish in aquariums while the ocean teems with souls. When they neglect the call, I send my ageing, faithful labourers again — the ones who still know My voice. Ironically, these elders are often criticised for not 'handing over.’”

“The ones who truly know Me don’t chase after what I hold in my hands but seek My face (Psalm 27:8). They can read my expressions and obey my instructions without argument even when they don’t fully understand what the outcome would be. They walk the narrow path of holiness and faith, even when it hurts. They understand My ways, not just My acts (Psalm 103:7). Therefore, I anoint the aged sage for greater exploits while the virile younger folks gerrymander for functions without unction!

The tech age is very transactional. If I delay in answering them — that they might learn patience — they grumble. If I answer too quickly, they squander the capital of grace and run bankrupt before remembering their Source. They trade My presence for pennies, feasting on blessings until their souls starve (Malachi 3:14).”

“Olaniran, I allowed you to witness that moment — not just for indignation, but for introspection. The scene was your mirror. Look closely at your own life. Are there no areas of delayed obedience? What of disobedience masked as ‘busyness’? Do you realise it is the intercession of Jesus and a few faithful saints that have stayed My judgement over you? If people like you have done enough evangelism and outreach towards many of these young folks and influenced them positively, would they still be wearing diapers as adults?”

“I need you to sound the alarm. Warn the young not to be carried away by appearance, ambition, or applause. Let them hunger for depth — not just display. And while you’re at it, intercede for them. They need it.”

And so, here I am — in His presence still. Before I can remove the specks in others’ eyes, I must first deal with the logs in mine (Matthew 7:5). I have been sober since, reflecting on how to be a better example. Even if your log is smaller than mine, you still need to pluck it out to see better. I pray you allow this testimony to be a refiner fire and draw you back to your first love. If you’re fired by this, can you let the fire ignite others to respect and obey the Creator before they conclude that Gen Z is rude and crude?

Let others hear. Let others see.

US sending Israel 20,000 assault rifles that Biden had delayed, say sources

The Trump administration moved forward with the sale of more than 20,000 U.S.-made assault rifles to Israel last month, according to a document seen by Reuters and a source familiar with the matter, pushing ahead with a sale that the administration of former president Joe Biden delayed over concerns they could be used by extremist Israeli settlers.

The State Department sent a notification to Congress on March 6 of the $24 million sale of the Colt Carbine 5.56 mm caliber fully automatic rifles, saying the end user would be the Israeli National Police, according to the document.

The rifle sale is a small transaction next to the billions of dollars worth of weapons that Washington supplies to Israel. But it drew attention when the Biden administration delayedthe sale over concerns that the weapons could end up in the hands of Israeli settlers, some of whom have attacked Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

The Biden administration had imposed sanctions on individuals and entities accused of committing violence in the West Bank, which has seen a rise in settler attacks on Palestinians.

On his first day in office on January 20, Trump issued an executive order rescinding the sanctions on the settlers in a reversal of U.S. policy. Since then, his administration has approved the sale of billions of dollars worth of weapons to Israel.

The March 6 congressional notification said the U.S. government had taken into account "political, military, economic, human rights, and arms control considerations."

The State Department did not provide comment when asked whether the administration sought assurances from Israel on the use of the weapons.

CLOSE TIES

Since a 1967 Middle East war, Israel has occupied the West Bank, which Palestinians want as the core of an independent state, and has built settlements that most countries deem illegal. Israel disputes this, citing historical and biblical ties to the land.

Settler violence had been on the rise prior to the eruption of the Gaza war, and has worsened since the conflict began over a year ago.

Trump has forged close ties with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, pledging to back Israel in its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. His administration has in some cases pushed ahead with Israel arms sales despite requests from Democratic U.S. lawmakers that the sales be paused until they received more information.

The U.S. Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly rejected a bid to block $8.8 billion in arms sales to Israel over human rights concerns, voting 82-15 and 83-15 to reject two resolutions of disapproval over sales of massive bombs and other offensive military equipment.

The resolutions were offered by Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an independent who caucuses with Democrats.

The rifle sale had been put on hold after Democratic lawmakers objected and sought information on how Israel planned to use them. The congressional committees eventually cleared the sale but the Biden administration kept the hold in place.

The latest episode in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict began with a Hamas attack on Israeli communities on October 7, 2023 with gunmen killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's campaign has so far killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, Gaza health authorities say.

Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a far-right member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, oversees the Israeli police force. The Times of Israel newspaper reported in November 2023 that his ministry put "a heavy emphasis on arming civilian security squads" in the aftermath of October 7 attacks.

Reuters

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Russia launches air attack on Kyiv, Ukraine's military says

Russia launched an overnight air strike on Kyiv, with the city's air defence forces trying to repel the attack, the military administration and the mayor of the Ukrainian capital said on Sunday.

"Explosions in the capital. Air defences are working. Stay in shelters!" Mayor Vitali Klitschko said in a post on the Telegram messaging app.

Reuters' witnesses heard blasts in what sounded like air defence units in operation.

** Three injured in Russia's overnight attack on Mykolaiv, Ukraine says

Three women were injured and several fires broke out in a Russian air attack on the southern Ukrainian region of Mykolaiv late on Saturday, Ukraine's officials said.

The attack - a day after least 19 people, including nine children, were killedin strikes on the city of Kryvyi Rih - also damaged several houses, Mykolaiv Governor Vitaly Kim posted on the Telegram messaging app.

One of the women was hospitalised, and the other two were treated on outpatient basis, Ukraine's State Emergency Service said. It posted photos and videos of firefighters battling flames in a house at night.

There was no immediate comment from Russia. Both sides deny targeting civilians in the war that Russia started with a full-scale invasion on its smaller neighbour three years ago. Thousands of civilians have died in the conflict, the vast majority of them Ukrainian.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who took office in January after pledging he would end the war in 24 hours, has sought to broker an end to the conflict. The U.S. last week late last month it had agreed with Russia and Ukraine two ceasefire accords, including one that would on each other's energy infrastructure.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Kiev forces lost up to 430 personnel in Battlegroup Center’s zone of responsibility

Ukrainian forces lost up to 430 personnel in the Battlegroup Center’s responsibility area in a day, the group's press center chief, Alexander Savchuk, told reporters.

"The losses of Ukrainian armed formations totaled 430 servicemen, a Leopard tank, seven vehicles and six artillery pieces, including two Western-made ones. An electronic warfare station was destroyed," he said.

According to him, the Battlegroup Center continues to advance deep into the enemy's defenses and liberated the settlement of Uspenovka of the Donetsk People's Republic.

"We inflicted damage on the manpower and equipment of two mechanized, ranger, airborne assault brigades, and an unmanned systems brigade of the assault regiment of the Ukrainian armed forces in the areas of Zverevo, Novy Ekonomichesky, Bogdanovka, Yelizavetovka, Krasnoarmeysk, Kotlino, Lenino, Udachny and Alekseyevka," he said.

Reuters/RT