JERUSALEM: Israel will reduce its military imports from France &quot;to zero&quot; in retaliation for French policies it deems hostile towards its interests, a defense ministry spokeswoman told AFP on Tuesday.&nbsp;&quot;The Director General of the Ministry of Defense, Amir Baram, has decided to reduce defense procurement from France to zero, diverting those funds to &#39;Blue and White&#39; (Israeli) procurement or to allied nations&quot;, the spokeswoman said.&nbsp;According to the French parliament, Paris does not export weapons to Israel, but components to be used in defense systems or to be re-exported to third countries.&nbsp;Israeli armament procurement from French defense companies totaled around $260 million between 2015 and 2024, according to the most recent French parliamentary report on military exports, which said global sales in 2024 topped $25 billion.&nbsp;The Israeli spokeswoman added that the decision was in retaliation for several French government steps perceived as hostile to Israel.&nbsp;Those were recognizing a Palestinian state, Israel&#39;s exclusion from defense shows in France and &quot;the recent ban on Israeli aircraft carrying munitions intended for the war against Iran from transiting French airspace&quot;.&nbsp;The Israeli announcement came as the French government said on Tuesday that it was surprised US President Donald Trump had accused France of being &quot;very unhelpful&quot; for not allowing Israel-bound planes carrying military equipment to use its airspace during the Iran war.&nbsp;The French presidency said in a statement that the decision was &quot;consistent with French policy since the start of this conflict&quot;.&nbsp;Israel&#39;s defence ministry accused France of &quot;harming Israel&#39;s defense activities and the strategic cooperation between the two countries,&quot; adding it viewed the moves &quot;with great severity&quot;.&nbsp;&quot;The French ban was imposed despite prior coordination, despite explanations that the munitions were intended solely for use against Iran, and despite the understanding that this effort serves the security of Europe&quot;, the spokeswoman said.&nbsp;On February 28, the US and Israel launched a massive military campaign against the Islamic republic, which has spiralled into a regional war.

Middle East

Israel says it will cut French defense imports to zero, citing hostile policies including recognizing Palestine, airspace restrictions, and exclusions from defense events, amid tensions during the Iran conflict and strain in bilateral military cooperation.

Israel says will reduce French defense imports 'to zero'

Pakistan TV Satellite

ISLAMABAD: Prominent Chinese scholar Professor Vitor Gao has underscored the pivotal role that Pakistan is playing in de-escalating ongoing tensions involving Iran, the United States, and Israel. In an exclusive interview with Pakistan TV, Professor Victor Gao of Soochow University praised Pakistan&rsquo;s diplomatic efforts, describing them as &ldquo;constructive and positive&rdquo; in working towards ending what he termed a war of aggression against Iran. He noted that Pakistan remains among a limited number of countries capable of engaging all sides and facilitating dialogue during a highly volatile period. Professor Gao emphasised that from China&rsquo;s perspective, the continuation or escalation of the conflict could trigger far-reaching consequences, including an energy crisis, economic instability, and a potential global financial downturn. He warned that failure to halt hostilities could have repercussions not only for the region but for the entire world. Referring to recent engagements between Pakistan and China, including discussions between their foreign ministers, he said both countries share a common position advocating cessation of hostilities, adherence to the United Nations Charter, and a return to peaceful negotiations. Highlighting Pakistan&rsquo;s diplomatic standing, the Chinese scholar remarked that successful mediation by Islamabad could elevate its status as a key global peace actor. &ldquo;If Pakistan succeeds in bringing the parties to the negotiating table, it will be recognised [for] playing a critical role in defending international peace,&rdquo; he stated. The scholar also pointed to the importance of careful diplomacy in managing differing interests, adding that global stability depends on rational decision-making by all parties.

The Newsroom

Professor Victor Gao highlights Islamabad’s growing diplomatic significance and urges trust-building to avert global crisis and potentially becoming a key international peace actor through successful mediation.

Pakistan’s role in de-escalating Iran conflict crucial: Chinese Scholar

MOSCOW:&nbsp;A Russian Antonov-26 military plane crashed while flying over the Crimean peninsula, killing 29 people, the TASS news agency reported Wednesday, quoting Russia&#39;s defence ministry.&nbsp;&quot;On 31 March at around 18:00 Moscow time, contact was lost with the An-26 military transport aircraft whilst it was on a scheduled flight over the Crimean Peninsula,&quot; the defence ministry said.&nbsp;&quot;The search and rescue team has located the crash site of the An-26 aircraft. According to reports from the scene, the six crew members and 23 passengers on board were killed,&quot; the ministry said.&nbsp;No signs of external impact were found on the aircraft&rsquo;s wreckage, according to the same source, which indicated at this stage that technical failure likely caused the crash.

Europe

A Russian An-26 military plane crashed over Crimea, killing all 29 people onboard, including six crew and 23 passengers, after losing contact during a scheduled flight, authorities reported.

Russian military plane crashes in Crimea, 29 dead: TASS

MATANZAS: A Russian oil tanker docked in a Cuban port on Tuesday to deliver the first crude shipment to the crisis-hit island since January after Washington gave a reprieve from its fuel blockade.&nbsp;The Anatoly Kolodkin, a tanker under US sanctions, entered the port of Matanzas, east of Havana, after sunrise to bring 730,000 barrels of crude following a three-week journey from Russia.&nbsp;US President Donald Trump&#39;s decision to let Russia deliver the oil avoids a confrontation with Moscow and provides temporary relief to a country that has endured blackouts, fuel rationing and dwindling public transportation.&nbsp;&quot;It&#39;s great that the country is receiving oil because we need it for the crisis we are facing,&quot; Yoanna Rivero, a 49-year-old pharmacy worker who was exercising near the port, told AFP.&nbsp;Felipe Serrano, a 76-year-old security guard, was waiting for the Russian ship to arrive.&nbsp;&quot;This is crucial for us to be able to survive because the country is paralyzed,&quot; he said.&nbsp;Analysts, however, said the shipment would give Cuba only a brief respite.&nbsp;&quot;It can offer temporary breathing room, but it does not come close to resolving the scale of the deficit the country is facing,&quot; Ricardo Torres, a Cuban economist at American University in Washington, told AFP.&nbsp;&quot;It is clearly not enough,&quot; he said, noting Cuba&#39;s power problems are &quot;structural rather than episodic.&quot;&nbsp;The Russian crude will be refined to produce gasoline for transportation as well as diesel and fuel oil for backup power generators, Irenaldo Perez, deputy director of the state-run oil firm CUPET, told official media.&nbsp;Analysts say it could take around three weeks to refine and distribute.&nbsp;The Cuban foreign ministry thanked Russia for its solidarity, saying on X &quot;this valuable assistance arrives amid the energy blockade imposed by the United States, which is trying to strangle the Cuban people.&quot;&nbsp;The Russian embassy in Cuba said on X it was its &quot;duty to help our Cuban brothers under these difficult conditions!&quot;

Americas

A Russian tanker delivered 730,000 barrels of crude to Cuba after US eased blockade. The shipment offers temporary relief from fuel shortages and blackouts, but analysts say it is insufficient to solve Cuba’s ongoing energy crisis.

Russian oil tanker docks in Cuba after US blockade relief

ANTALYA: FIFA president Gianni Infantino told AFP Tuesday that Iran &quot;will be at the World Cup&quot; and will play their group matches in the United States as scheduled, despite the Middle East war. &quot;Iran will be at the World Cup,&quot; Infantino said at half-time as Iran beat Costa Rica 5-0 in a friendly in southern Turkey. &quot;That&#39;s why we&#39;re here. We&#39;re delighted because they&#39;re a very, very strong team, I&#39;m very happy.&quot; &quot;I&#39;ve seen the team, I&#39;ve spoken to the players and the coach, so everything is fine,&quot; added Infantino, whose attendance at Tuesday&#39;s game was unannounced. Infantino went on to stress that Iran&#39;s &quot;matches will be played where they are supposed to be, according to the draw.&quot; The World Cup, being hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, starts on June 11. Iran are set to play their first Group G game against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15. They are then scheduled to play Belgium in Los Angeles on June 21 and Egypt in Seattle on June 26. Iran&#39;s participation had been thrown into doubt by the war with the US and Israel that broke out on February 28. &quot;For us, what matters most are FIFA&#39;s rules and regulations. We will comply with whatever FIFA decides. Every host country has made commitments to FIFA and must honour them,&quot; Mehdi Mohammad Nabi, the vice president of the Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI), told AFP at the match. The FFIRI had said earlier this month it was &quot;negotiating&quot; with FIFA to relocate the country&#39;s World Cup matches from the United States to Mexico. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum also said that her country is prepared to host Iran&#39;s first-round matches at the tournament if needed. &#39;Fruitful discussion&#39;Infantino initially said that US President Donald Trump had given assurances that the Iranian team would still be welcome. But Trump then stated that Iran&#39;s team should not travel to the tournament &quot;for their own life and safety.&quot; Iran hit back at Trump&#39;s comments, saying that &quot;no one can exclude Iran&#39;s national team from the World Cup.&quot; On Tuesday, Mohammad Nabi said Infantino had been en route from Mexico to Qatar. &quot;Having learnt that we were organising friendly matches here, he came to see us in person, and we had a fruitful discussion,&quot; Mohammad Nabi said. &quot;Given our history in this competition, it is only natural that FIFA should support the Iranian team. Mr Infantino is providing the necessary support to our national team and has given our players a great boost.&quot; Asked before the game if Iran would be at the World Cup, backup striker Dennis Eckert Ayensa told AFP, &quot;Inshallah&quot; (god willing). Iran, who also played a friendly against Nigeria in the Turkish town of Belek last Friday, crushed Costa Rica, who have not qualified for the World Cup, 5-0 on Tuesday. Skipper Mehdi Taremi, with two penalties, Ali Gholizadeh and Mohammad Mohebbi put Iran four goals up by the break. Half-time substitute Mehdi Ghayedi added a fifth in the 51st minute, by which time coach Amir Ghalenoei had started to empty his bench. Before the game, Iran&#39;s&nbsp;players wore black armbands and posed with photos of what officials said were young victims of the war, including those killed in an airstrike on a primary school in Iran on the first day of the conflict. The airstrike on the school in the southern Iranian city of Minab on February 28 killed at least 170 people, including students and teachers. The New York Times has reported that the preliminary findings of a US military investigation indicate that a US Tomahawk cruise missile hit the school due to a targeting mistake.&nbsp;

Football

FIFA president Gianni Infantino told AFP Tuesday that Iran "will be at the World Cup" and will play their group matches in the United States as scheduled, despite the Middle East war

'Iran will be at World Cup' and play in US: FIFA Infantino

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Federal Minister for Petroleum, Ali Pervaiz Malik, met with French Ambassador to Pakistan Nicolas Galey on Tuesday to discuss the evolving regional and energy situation, according to an official statement.&nbsp;&nbsp;During the meeting, Galey reaffirmed Pakistan&rsquo;s strong bilateral ties with France, noting that energy cooperation between the two countries had expanded in recent years.&nbsp;According to the statement, the ambassador said that French companies have expressed growing interest in Pakistan&rsquo;s mining sector.&nbsp;He&nbsp;said&nbsp;that French firms would actively participate in the upcoming Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum,&nbsp;scheduled for November.&nbsp;The French ambassador&nbsp;lauded Pakistan&rsquo;s effective handling of the petroleum supply challenges, remarking that there had not been even one hour of panic in Pakistan in contrast to other South Asian nations.&nbsp;Ali Pervaiz&nbsp;Malik&nbsp;said&nbsp;that the diplomatic efforts led by the military and civilian leadership helped secure petroleum supplies through alternate channels at critical moments.&nbsp;The government is&nbsp;working on measures to provide targeted subsidies to protect vulnerable segments of society, he added.&nbsp;Both sides reiterated their commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation and exploring new opportunities for collaboration in energy security, mineral development, and sustainable economic growth, the statement said.

Foreign Affairs

Ali Pervaiz Malik and Nicolas Galey discuss expanding Pakistan and France's energy and mining cooperation, with French firms showing interest in investment and both sides pledging deeper economic collaboration.

Pakistan, France deepen energy and mining cooperation

ISLAMABAD: The Pentagon is preparing plans for weeks of ground operations in Iran, though President Donald Trump has not yet approved any deployment, AFP reported earlier this week, citing the Washington Post.&nbsp; There is no confirmed presence of US ground forces inside Iran at this stage. However, any ground operation would stop short of a full-scale invasion, instead involving raids by special operations forces and conventional infantry troops, the Post said, citing unnamed officials. Troops on groundAFP said Saturday the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli had arrived in the Middle East, citing US Central Command, with 3,500 Marines and sailors aboard, while an estimated 2,000 to 4,000 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division are deploying. The ship, which is usually based in Japan, arrived in the region on Friday, Centcom said in a post on X. The group also includes &quot;transport and strike fighter aircraft, as well as amphibious assault and tactical assets,&quot; it said. The Council on Foreign Relations reports that the United States maintains a vast network of both temporary and permanent military installations in at least 19 locations throughout the region. Eight of them are said to be permanent bases spread among Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. Troops already stationed in the regionEven before the latest escalation, the United States maintained a substantial military presence in the Middle East. According to Al Jazeera, between 40,000 and 50,000 troops are stationed across countries, including Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.&nbsp; While exact deployment locations have not been officially disclosed, US forces are believed to be stationed at key bases, including Al Udeid Air Base, Naval Support Activity Bahrain, Camp Arifjan, and Al Dhafra Air Base, placing them within operational range of Iran. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, Washington operates at least 19 military sites in the region, including 8 permanent bases. Washington can achieve its objectives &#39;without ground troops&#39;As of now, Trump has not approved any deployment and has kept a vague stance on the issue for weeks. According to AFP, several US media outlets have reported that he is mulling the idea of sending at least 10,000 troops to the Middle East soon.&nbsp; The deployment would mark a significant boost to Washington&#39;s military presence in the region, despite US President Donald Trump insisting that Tehran was taking part in peace talks with Washington to end the war. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington can achieve its objectives &ldquo;without ground troops,&rdquo; while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth -- who revealed he had visited US troops in the Middle East over the weekend -- warned Tuesday that the coming days would be &ldquo;decisive.&rdquo;&nbsp; On the Iranian side, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said any deployment of US ground forces would mark a major escalation and would be met with widespread retaliation. &quot;It is unclear where precisely forces will go in the Middle East, but they will likely be within striking distance of Iran and Kharg Island, a crucial oil export hub off Iran&rsquo;s coast,&quot; The Wall Street Journal said. Middle East war &#39;far worse&#39; than IraqAccording to The New York Times, the US-led coalition that invaded Iraq in 2003 had about 250,000 members at first, with Al Jazeera reporting that the Baghdad morgue estimated it received 6,000 corpses. According to AFP, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez warned on March 25 that the Middle East war presented a &quot;far worse&quot; scenario than the invasion of Iraq in 2003. &quot;This is not the same scenario as the illegal war in Iraq. We are facing something far worse. Much worse. With a potential impact that is far broader and far deeper,&quot; he told parliament. &quot;This time, it&#39;s an absurd and illegal war. A cruel one that sets us back from achieving our economic, social, and environmental goals.&quot;

The deployment adds to an existing US force of up to 50,000 in the Middle East, as the Pentagon advances plans for a limited ground action against Iran, though President Donald Trump has not yet approved any action.

US weighs Iran ground operation as 3,500 Marines arrive in region

Muhammad Usman Amin

ISLAMABAD: Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has issued an alert to five sensitive districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa of risk of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF). Due to the current heavy rains in the last few days and snowfall in the northern regions of Pakistan, there is a possibility of glaciers melting in Upper Chitral, Lower Chitral, Upper Dir, Swat and Upper Kohistan.&nbsp;&nbsp;All five districts are heavily mountainous and difficult to reach in case of any disaster. The heavy rains in many regions of Pakistan, especially in the north west may lead to glacial lakes to burst, resulting in flash floods and land sliding, the Authority warned.&nbsp;&nbsp;This alert came in the wake of severe rainfall which has, as of March 31, resulted in the deaths of at least 18 people and 72 people have been injured in Pakistan&rsquo;s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province since March 25. The recent casualties are attributed to roof and wall collapse in rural areas, with children making up a significant portion of the victims.&nbsp;&nbsp;PDMA in this recent alert, has issued instructions to relevant district administrations to take emergency measures and to make advance preparations. District administrations are directed to ensure continuous monitoring of sensitive sites and to keep early warning systems active.&nbsp;&nbsp;Relevant institutions and administrations have been instructed to conduct evacuation drills in areas considered high-risk. Emphasis has been placed on keeping evacuation centers in safe locations fully functional and equipped with necessary facilities.&nbsp;Residents of low-lying areas are directed to remain immediately alert. PDMA has also issued Instructions to inform local populations regarding potential risks.&nbsp;Rescue and emergency services personnel have been directed to remain ready at all times. Instructions have also been given to pre-position necessary machinery and equipment to deal with any emergency situation.&nbsp;&nbsp;The public is advised to avoid unnecessary movement near streams, drains and rivers. Citizens are warned about the risk of vehicles being swept away in fast-flowing water. Tourists and travelers have been advised to avoid unnecessary travel toward sensitive regions.&nbsp;&nbsp;In case of road closures or damage, instructions are given to maintain immediate contact with National Highway Authority (NHA) and other relevant authorities.&nbsp;&nbsp;Directions issued to monitor the controlled discharge of glacial lakes in case of extreme danger. The PDMA Emergency Operations Center is fully functional; the public can contact the PDMA Helpline at 1700 in case of any emergency.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Climate & Environment

Pakistan Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has issued an alert to five sensitive districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa of risk of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF). Due to the current heavy rains in the last few days and snowfall in the northern regions of Pakistan, there is a possibility of glaciers melting in Upper Chitral, Lower Chitral, Upper Dir, Swat and Upper Kohistan. 
Pakistan Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has issued an alert to five sensitive districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa of risk of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF). Due to the current heavy rains in the last few days and snowfall in the northern regions of Pakistan, there is a possibility of glaciers melting in Upper Chitral, Lower Chitral, Upper Dir, Swat and Upper Kohistan. 



North-West Pakistan under high alert: PDMA warns of glacial lake outbursts in 5 districts

LONDON: Novels by women writers about a family exiled from Iran, a suburban French witch, and an Albanian sworn virgin have made the shortlist for the International Booker Prize, organizers announced Tuesday. The prestigious award, to be handed out at a ceremony at London&#39;s Tate Modern gallery on May 19, recognizes works of fiction from around the world that have been translated into English. The &pound;50,000 ($62,000) prize is split equally between the author and the translator. This is the tenth year that the prize has been awarded in its current form. Organizers say the award gives the authors a significant boost in profile and sales. Four winners have gone on to become Nobel laureates. The books on this year&#39;s list feature &quot;unforgettable characters&quot; and &quot;reverberate with history&quot;, said the chair of the judges, British novelist Natasha Brown. The shortlist includes several established authors. &quot;The Director&quot;, set in the Nazi-controlled film industry, is by bestselling German-Austrian writer Daniel Kehlmann, who is known for darkly funny historical novels and is the only male author on the list. Another prominent figure is French novelist and playwright Marie NDiaye, winner of the country&#39;s top Goncourt prize, whose books have been widely translated. Her novel &quot;The Witch&quot; is about a woman living in the suburbs in the 1990s who passes magical powers on to her daughters. Brazilian Ana Paula Maia is author of seven novels and has been selected for &quot;On Earth As It Is Beneath&quot;, a horrifying tale of a brutal prison colony in a remote wilderness. The shortlist also features two debut novels. &quot;The Nights Are Quiet In Tehran&quot;, a saga by German writer Shida Bazyar, is about a family fleeing Iran and then returning decades later. The other is &quot;She Who Remains&quot; by award-winning Bulgarian poet and writer Rene Karabash, about a woman who opts to become a &quot;sworn virgin&quot; &ndash; a vanishing Albanian tradition under which a woman renounces marriage and lives as a man.

Women authors dominate the International Booker Prize shortlist with novels about an exiled Iranian family, a French suburban witch and an Albanian sworn virgin. (The Brooker Prizes)

Entertainment

The International Booker Prize shortlist features novels by women authors, including stories of an exiled Iranian family, a French witch, and an Albanian sworn virgin, all translated into English for international readers.

Exile, witchcraft, virginity: Women authors dominate International Booker shortlist

ISLAMABAD: For a woman who clerked for a US Supreme Court Chief Justice, argued cases at one of America&#39;s top law firms, and graduated from Yale Law School, Usha Vance has spent a surprising amount of the last year being discussed as if she were a decorative part of her husband&#39;s political career. On Tuesday, with the calm efficiency of someone who has cross-examined tougher rooms, she set the record straight.&nbsp; In a sit-down with NBC News, the Second Lady confirmed what her CV had been quietly suggesting all along: she has opinions, they are her own, and they do not always match those of Vice President JD Vance. &ldquo;Groundbreaking stuff,&rdquo; as reported by The Telegraph. She told NBC that some of her views fit neatly into one side of the political spectrum, while others were &quot;way more idiosyncratic,&quot; according to the interview. There was, she noted with the serenity of someone entirely unbothered, &quot;no expectation&quot; the two would &quot;see eye to eye on everything.&quot; When they disagreed, she said, it was &quot;always very productive.&quot; One can only imagine. On whether anyone had pressurized her to think more like her husband, she was succinct. &quot;I was myself in 2014. I can be myself today.&quot; Case closed. No further questions. The interview was not random. It arrives after a year in which the Vance marriage became Washington&#39;s most reliably dramatic subplot. It kicked off in late 2024 when Vance was photographed in what critics generously described as an enthusiastic embrace with Erika Kirk, widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, at a Turning Point USA event, as reported by CNN. The internet filed its theories accordingly. Matters were not helped in November 2025 when Usha turned up to a public event, alongside First Lady Melania Trump, no less, without her wedding ring. The White House handled this with some asperity, explaining that she was a busy mother of three who simply &quot;forgets her ring sometimes,&quot; according to The Telegraph. Vance went on CNN in December to confirm the marriage was &quot;as strong as it&#39;s ever been.&quot; The audience noted his wife was not present for the announcement. Religion, meanwhile, had been doing its own work. At a Turning Point USA event, JD Vance publicly shared his hope that his Hindu wife would eventually convert to Christianity. He defended the comment on X, then deleted the post. Far-right US figures, apparently inspired, began targeting Usha&#39;s Indian heritage directly. Vance issued a furious public defense of his wife, according to the BBC, a defense that required him to denounce the very online ecosystem he had spent years carefully nurturing. The irony was not lost on observers. Neither was this: in March 2025, JD Vance told a crowd in Michigan that because cameras were on, Usha &quot;has to smile and laugh and celebrate&quot; whatever he said, &quot;no matter how crazy,&quot; according to The New York Times. The remark was called sexist by critics. The Vances declined to respond. Usha smiled. She was, it now appears, composing her NBC statement. A registered Democrat until 2014, Usha switched to the Republican Party in 2022 when Vance ran for a US Senate seat in Ohio, according to The Telegraph. She is expecting the couple&#39;s fourth child and will be the first Second Lady to give birth in office since 1870. Netizens spent a year wondering what Usha Vance really thought. On Tuesday, she told them. It was, by all accounts, &quot;very productive.&rdquo;

US Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance exit Air Force Two at Oakland County International Airport in Waterford Township, Michigan, on March 18, 2026. (AFP)

Viral

The Yale-trained lawyer went viral after telling NBC News her opinions are her own, pushing back on speculation and proving she’s more than just a 'political spouse.'

Israel says will reduce French defense imports 'to zero'

Latest News

Pakistan’s role in de-escalating Iran conflict crucial: Chinese Scholar

Russian military plane crashes in Crimea, 29 dead: TASS

Russian oil tanker docks in Cuba after US blockade relief

Israel says will reduce French defense imports 'to zero'

'Iran will be at World Cup' and play in US: FIFA Infantino