Trump vows to hit Iran ‘hard’, impose Hormuz transit fees
US President Donald Trump on July 13 said the United States would again strike Iran “hard,” as the military launched a fresh salvo of attacks for the third night in a row and reimposed a blockade on Iranian ports.
“We’re going to hit them very hard tonight, and we’re going to hit them hard tomorrow,” Trump said at the White House on July 13.
Shortly after, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said strikes had begun at 8.45pm GMT, adding that they would “continue imposing a heavy cost on Iranian forces and degrade their ability to attack innocent civilians and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz”.
Trump also threatened to destroy Pickaxe Mountain, a deeply buried nuclear site near Natanz where Western intelligence suspects Iran is building an undeclared enrichment facility.
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Ukraine to produce French missiles, orders war planes
PHOTO: REUTERS
President Emmanuel Macron said on July 13 that France would allow Ukraine to produce French-made cruise missiles, precision guided bombs and air defence interceptor missiles after Kyiv ordered next generation Franco-Italian air defence systems and Rafale fighter jets.
“Earlier this afternoon President (Volodymyr) Zelensky and I agreed on a roadmap between our two countries, implementing what had been agreed in principle last November regarding our bilateral defence cooperation,” Macron said at a news conference following a meeting of some 25 leaders in Paris.
Macron’s announcement marked the first time France has agreed to licence production to Ukraine, a move that would enable it to ramp up stocks at a time when Russia is intensifying strikes on the country.
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EU says donors offering $1.3b to help Gaza ‘early recovery’
PHOTO: REUTERS
The EU said on July 13 that European donors had put some US$1 billion (S$1.3 billion) on the table to help initial recovery efforts in war-torn Gaza.
EU commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Suica announced the headline figure of “almost 900 million euros or one billion dollars” at the start of a donor meeting in Brussels.
“We now need the conditions on the ground that will allow the support to reach the people in Gaza,” Suica said.
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China detains US seismologist who has studied North Korean nuclear tests
PHOTO: REUTERS
A Chinese-born American seismologist who has published US-funded work on detecting North Korean nuclear tests has been detained in China for nearly two years and faces trial on spying charges, according to his wife, US lawmakers and two hostage advocacy groups.
The case of Youlin Chen, reported here for the first time, adds an irritant to the tense relationship between the nuclear-armed rivals and comes as President Donald Trump seeks to keep the relationship steady following the trade war in 2025.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on March 19 designated Chen, 54, as “wrongfully detained,” making his release a top US priority.
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Norway receive heroes’ welcome in Oslo after World Cup exit
Around 90,000 people welcomed back Norway’s players to Oslo on July 13 after they returned home from making a historic run to the World Cup quarter-finals.
Erling Haaland’s side were knocked out of the tournament on July 11 after losing 2-1 to England in extra-time in the last eight in Miami, their best result in the competition.
The crowd packed the square in front of the royal palace in Norway’s capital city as the squad arrived around, and performed the now famous “Viking Row”.
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