Paul Pogba returns from doping ban for Monaco debut in Ligue 1

Israeli jets bomb villages across Lebanon despite ceasefire

NewsFeed

At least two people were killed and several others were hurt when Israeli fighter jets bombed villages in Lebanon, starting in the east of the Bekaa Valley and continuing to the south of the country. Israel has attacked Lebanon nearly daily since agreeing to a ceasefire a year ago, claiming that it is attacking Hezbollah positions.

Ukraine, E3 to start Geneva talks; Rubio rejects Russia ‘wish list’ claim

As ambiguity and deep-seated doubts abound over the success of Washington’s 28-point plan to end the war with Russia, senior Ukrainian, European, British, and American officials will soon begin discussions in Geneva.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will serve as President Donald Trump’s top representative at the talks, giving his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy until Thursday to accept the deal.

Recommended Stories

list of 3 itemsend of list

Before taking off for Switzerland, Rubio made it clear in a Sunday post on X that the US had written the proposal.

He wrote, “It is provided as a strong framework for ongoing negotiations.” It is based on input from Russia, the author says. However, it also draws on Ukraine’s ongoing and previous input.

The comments were in opposition to a claim made by a panel of veteran US senators who were most concerned with foreign policy that the plan was a Russian “wish list” rather than the actual proposal offering Washington’s positions.

Republican Mike Rounds from South Dakota claimed that the current form of this release, which “looked more like it was written in Russian”

The claim was called “blatantly false,” according to State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott.

The senators earlier on Saturday warned other leaders who had threatened their neighbors that the plan would only “reward aggression” by Moscow.

The plan’s critics claim that it heavily reflects the Kremlin’s frequent demands and war narrative.

The plan also includes reducing Ukraine’s military size and promoting its sovereignty, as well as laying out a security guarantee that it won’t be attacked in the future.

Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, welcomed the proposal late on Friday, saying it “could form the foundation of a final peace agreement” if Washington can appoint Ukraine and its allies in Europe.

Zelenskyy promises to “work calmly” with the US and his Western allies to get through what he calls “truly one of the most difficult moments in our history,” despite the country’s cautious attitude toward its rhetoric.

Further discussions are required, according to Ukraine’s European allies, who claim that the military restrictions would make it “vulnerable to future attack” .

National security advisors will be present at the Geneva discussions in France, the UK, and Germany, also known as the E3.

As fierce fighting persuades the US-led diplomatic efforts, the conflict is getting worse.

Verstappen wins Las Vegas F1 GP while Norris extends championship lead

Northern Australia assesses damage after Tropical Cyclone Fina

Death toll from Vietnam floods rises to 90, several still missing

The death toll from severe floods in south and central Vietnam has risen to 90, authorities said, as the Southeast Asian country continues to assess the damage after days of relentless rain.

In a statement on Sunday, the Vietnamese Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment said some 63 of the deaths since November 16 were recorded in the mountainous central Dak Lak province, where tens of thousands of homes were flooded.

Recommended Stories

list of 3 itemsend of list

It said at least 12 people were still missing in the region.

While the floodwaters have begun to recede in hard-hit Dak Lak, several communities remain inundated and hundreds of families are still affected, the VnExpress news website reported.

Mach Van Si, a 61-year-old farmer in Dak Lak, said the floodwaters left him and his wife stranded on their sheet-metal rooftop for two nights.

“Our neighbourhood was completely destroyed. Nothing was left. Everything was covered in mud,” he told the AFP news agency on Sunday.

By the time they climbed a ladder to their roof, Si said he was no longer scared. “I just thought we were going to die because there was no way out,” he said.

Relentless rain has lashed south-central Vietnam since late October, hitting popular holiday destinations with several rounds of flooding. Whole city blocks were inundated last week in coastal Nha Trang, while deadly landslides struck highland passes around the Da Lat tourist hub.

More than 80,000 hectares (200,000 acres) of rice and other crops across Dak Lak and four other provinces were damaged in the last week, with more than 3.2 million livestock or poultry dead or washed away by floodwaters.

Authorities have used helicopters to airdrop aid to communities cut off by flooding and landslides, with the government deploying tens of thousands of personnel to deliver clothing, water purification tablets, instant noodles and other supplies to affected areas, state outlet Tuoi Tre News said.

Severe flooding in southern coastal Khanh Hoa province washed away two suspension bridges last week, leaving many households isolated, the outlet said, quoting officials.

Several locations on national highways remained blocked on Sunday due to flooding or landslides, according to the Environment Ministry, and some sections of railways were still suspended.

More than 129,000 customers remained without electricity, after more than a million were without power last week.

The Environment Ministry on Sunday estimated economic losses of $343m across five provinces due to the floods.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has ordered authorities to provide Dak Lak with 500 billion Vietnamese dollars ($19m) to help residents rebuild homes and “restore public assets”, the Vietnam News outlet reported.

He ordered a further 300 billion Vietnamese dollars ($11.4m) for Lam Dong, and 150 billion Vietnamese dollars ($5.7bn) each for Gia Lai and Khanh Hoa provinces.

He also ordered authorities to help affected residents to support and complete the repair of homes before November 20 and to build houses for people who lost their homes by the end of January, for the Lunar New Year holiday.

Natural disasters have left 279 people dead or missing in Vietnam and caused more than $2bn in damage between January and October, according to the national statistics office.