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Russia bombs Ukrainian energy facilities with missile

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Russia bombs Ukrainian energy facilities with missile

Russian forces have launched a barrage of missiles and drones across Ukraine that damaged energy infrastructure in five regions, according to Ukrainian officials.

Ukraine’s national grid operator Ukrenergo said on Saturday the attacks struck facilities in the eastern Donetsk, southeastern Zaporizhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions, as well as the Kirovohrad and Ivano-Frankivsk region in the centre and west of the country, respectively.

“Today morning the Russians launched another strike on Ukrainian energy facilities. Since March it is already the sixth massive, complex, missile and drone attack against the civilian energy infrastructure,” Ukrenergo said.

Ukrainian air defence shot down 35 of 53 Russian missiles and 46 of 47 Russian drones, the air force commander said.

The defence ministry of Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of neighbouring Ukraine in February 2022, said later on Saturday that its forced that Russia had launched retaliatory strikes with high-precision weapons on Ukraine’s energy facilities operating for its military industrial complex, as well as depots with weapons supplied from Western countries.

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Since March, Russia has stepped up its bombardments of the Ukrainian power infrastructure, knocking out the bulk of the thermal and hydropower generation, causing blackouts, and pushing electricity imports to record highs.

DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy-generating company, said its two thermal power plants had been hit and equipment “seriously damaged”.

Regional officials reported that firefighters were extinguishing fires on several sites following the strikes. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

US eases rules on use of weapons

The latest missile and drone assault came a day after the US announced the easing of a ban on Ukraine using its weapons inside Russian territory to help the country defend its northeastern Kharkiv region from attacks.

The move came as France and other European countries also indicated that Ukraine would be allowed to use their weapons on military targets inside Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been urging his country’s allies to allow it to use their longer-range weaponry to hit targets on Russian soil amid a surge in attacks this month, particularly on Kharkiv.

Local officials in Kharkiv said early on Friday that a Russian attack at approximately midnight (21:00 GMT) had killed at least three people and wounded 16 after a missile hit an apartment block in the city, Ukraine’s second largest.

Last week, officials said 19 people were killed after a Russian attack on a hardware superstore.

Russia bombs Ukrainian energy facilities with missile

SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES/AJ

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International

Iran Unveils ‘We Will Kill Trump’ Billboard in Tehran Amid Rising Tensions With US

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Iran Unveils ‘We Will Kill Trump’ Billboard in Tehran
Iran Unveils ‘We Will Kill Trump’ Billboard in Tehran Amid Rising Tensions With US

Iran has unveiled a massive billboard in its capital, Tehran, bearing the threatening message “We Will Kill Trump”, in an escalation of anti-American rhetoric amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington.

The billboard, displayed above the busy Enghelab Square on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, depicts US President Donald Trump behind prison bars with his head bowed beneath the threatening inscription.

The development comes as the conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel continues to generate tensions across the Middle East, despite renewed diplomatic efforts to prevent a fresh escalation of hostilities.

According to reports by the Agence France-Presse (AFP), another billboard displayed nearby features Trump, US Vice-President JD Vance, American special envoy Steve Witkoff and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with bloodied faces and torn suits against the backdrop of damaged American and Israeli flags.

Iran Unveils ‘We Will Kill Trump’ Billboard in Tehran Amid Rising Tensions With US

Iran Unveils ‘We Will Kill Trump’ Billboard in Tehran Amid Rising Tensions With US

Dozens of people gathered around Enghelab Square, waving red flags and carrying banners bearing messages such as “There Will Be Blood”.

The gathering also featured calls for revenge over the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in US-Israeli attacks on February 28, 2026, which triggered the current regional conflict.

The latest displays are part of a series of anti-American and anti-Israeli messages that have appeared across Tehran since the outbreak of the war.

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In recent days, an open-air exhibition at Tajrish Square in northern Tehran has also featured paintings portraying Trump in humiliating situations.

One of the artworks depicts the US President lying bloodied on the ground with a foot pressing against his head, while another shows a bomb obscuring his face.

A life-sized replica of a prison cell has also been installed at the exhibition, with an actor impersonating Trump sitting inside. A nearby screen reportedly displays images of destruction caused by US military strikes in Iran.

Iranian authorities have accused Trump of deliberately targeting civilian facilities during the conflict, including a school and a wedding ceremony, allegedly killing dozens of people.

The billboard campaign comes amid renewed diplomatic efforts to bring Washington and Tehran back to negotiations and prevent fighting from resuming across the region.

Trump, speaking ahead of the November 3 US midterm elections, has indicated that an agreement with Iran remains possible, saying a deal “could happen”.

The conflict has also contributed to rising global economic uncertainty, particularly in energy markets, amid concerns over disruptions to oil supplies and shipping routes.

Iran has a long history of using state-sponsored murals, billboards and public exhibitions to communicate political messages, celebrate military figures and express opposition to foreign governments, particularly the United States and Israel.

The latest billboard, however, stands out for its explicit threat against the American President at a time when diplomatic efforts are continuing to prevent another escalation of the conflict.

Iran Unveils ‘We Will Kill Trump’ Billboard in Tehran Amid Rising Tensions With US

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Tourist Killed, Three Injured as Two Helicopters Collide Near Mount Everest in Nepal

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Tourist Killed, Three Injured as Two Helicopters Collide Near Mount Everest in Nepal
Tourist Killed, Three Injured as Two Helicopters Collide Near Mount Everest in Nepal

A 47-year-old Indian tourist has been killed and three other people injured after two helicopters collided while attempting to land in Nepal’s Mount Everest region.

The accident occurred at approximately 8:11 a.m. local time on Tuesday at the helipad in Pheriche, Solukhumbu district, when helicopters operated by Fishtail Air and Air Dynasty collided during their landing approach.

The deceased was identified as Vasanth Kumar Balaramaramudu, an Indian national from Tamil Nadu, who was travelling aboard the Fishtail Air helicopter.

Three other people, including the pilots of both aircraft, sustained injuries in the collision.

They were identified as Shailesh Krishna Patel, a 49-year-old New Zealand citizen of Indian origin, and the two pilots, Rabindra Prajapati and Prajal KC.

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According to local authorities, the injured passenger and one of the pilots were airlifted to Mediciti Hospital in Kathmandu for treatment, while the other pilot received medical attention in Lukla.

The body of the deceased tourist was also transported to Lukla following the accident.

Reports indicated that the helicopters were attempting to land at the same helipad when their rotor blades struck each other, causing the collision.

The Fishtail Air helicopter was carrying tourists who had been rescued from the Everest region, while the Air Dynasty aircraft was reportedly transporting cargo and had no passengers aboard.

The incident has drawn attention to aviation safety in Nepal, where helicopters play a crucial role in transporting tourists, climbers and supplies across the mountainous Himalayan region.

Pheriche is a major stop for trekkers and mountaineers travelling towards Mount Everest Base Camp. The area is particularly dependent on helicopter services because of its difficult terrain and limited road access.

Helicopters are frequently used to evacuate climbers and trekkers who become ill, exhausted or stranded at high altitudes, as well as to transport essential supplies.

The accident occurred during Nepal’s peak trekking season, when thousands of visitors travel to the Everest region.

Authorities have commenced investigations to establish the circumstances surrounding the collision and determine what led to the two helicopters making contact during their landing manoeuvres.

 

Tourist Killed, Three Injured as Two Helicopters Collide Near Mount Everest in Nepal

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US Strikes Iran’s Qeshm Island as Tensions Escalate Around Strait of Hormuz

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US Strikes Iran’s Qeshm Island as Tensions Escalate Around Strait of Hormuz

US Strikes Iran’s Qeshm Island as Tensions Escalate Around Strait of Hormuz

The United States has carried out fresh military strikes on Iran’s strategically important Qeshm Island, raising fears of renewed escalation in the conflict between Washington and Tehran amid mounting tensions around the Strait of Hormuz.

The strikes, conducted on Monday, November 2, 2026, reportedly targeted Iranian military installations, including missile launchers and radar systems, according to US officials cited by international media.

The operation was described by American officials as a limited defensive action intended to prevent Iranian forces from threatening US military assets and commercial vessels navigating the strategic waterway.

According to reports by Reuters and The Wall Street Journal, the strikes followed an incident in which Iranian forces allegedly fired surface-to-air missiles at an American aircraft operating in the region.

A US official also said American forces intercepted another Iranian missile launched from Qeshm Island towards commercial shipping.

The Pentagon referred enquiries about the operation to the US Central Command, which had not publicly provided details of the strikes as of Tuesday.

Iranian state media subsequently reported several explosions on Qeshm Island and in the nearby coastal city of Bandar Lengeh.

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The Iranian state news agency, IRNA, reported that the explosions occurred late Monday, with witnesses claiming to have seen aircraft flying over the island.

However, Iranian authorities had not provided a confirmed account of the extent of the damage or possible casualties.

The latest military operation comes after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed to have intercepted three American drones operating near the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian state media reported that two reconnaissance drones were brought down south of Qeshm Island using electronic warfare systems, while another MQ-9 drone was allegedly destroyed east of the strait.

The claims had not been independently verified, and the US military had not publicly confirmed the alleged losses.

Qeshm Island occupies a strategic position near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important maritime routes for crude oil and natural gas shipments.

The waterway connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, making it a critical passage for international energy supplies.

Before the conflict, approximately one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies passed through the strait.

Military confrontations around the area have already disrupted commercial shipping, raising concerns about the security of oil tankers and the potential consequences for global energy markets.

The latest strikes also come against the backdrop of diplomatic efforts to end the conflict, which began in late February 2026.

Despite the military developments, US President Donald Trump has played down the possibility of renewed large-scale fighting, suggesting that a diplomatic agreement with Tehran could be within reach.

Trump said on Monday that Iran wanted a settlement and expressed optimism that negotiations could produce an agreement.

Vice-President JD Vance also indicated that Washington believed progress was being made towards a possible negotiated settlement.

Iran, however, has maintained that any agreement must address the American naval blockade of its ports and guarantee an end to hostilities.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran had communicated its conditions to Washington, adding that the United States must respond to its proposals.

Iran also indicated that its proposal for reopening the Strait of Hormuz could be implemented within two days if Washington met its conditions.

The latest strikes have nevertheless exposed the fragile nature of the diplomatic efforts, with military confrontations continuing even as both sides signal interest in negotiations.

The development has also unsettled international oil markets, with crude prices rising in early Asian trading on Tuesday following reports of the American operation.

Brent crude futures rose by 0.5 per cent to $105.25 per barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude increased by 0.5 per cent to $96.93 per barrel, according to Reuters.

Analysts warned that further military escalation around the Strait of Hormuz could increase the risk premium on oil prices and prolong disruptions to global energy supplies.

With Washington describing its latest operation as defensive and Tehran maintaining its military posture, uncertainty remains over whether diplomatic negotiations will prevent another round of direct confrontation.

US Strikes Iran’s Qeshm Island as Tensions Escalate Around Strait of Hormuz

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