UKRAINE - Expensive American M1 Abrams tanks delivered to Ukraine are increasingly falling prey to Russian drones that cost only a fraction as much, the New York Times reported on Saturday. Even “one of the most powerful symbols of American military might” is not invulnerable to the attacks, it said. At least five US-supplied tanks out of the 31 provided by Washington have already been destroyed by Russia, the media outlet said, adding that three others were “moderately damaged.” In most cases, the tanks have been destroyed by first-person-view (FPV) kamikaze drones, also known as loitering munitions. These drones are capable of maneuvering before hitting their targets.

UK - The West needs a Reagan-Thatcher style leadership pairing to confront Tehran because the current policy of appeasement has failed, Iran’s exiled crown prince told The Telegraph. Reza Pahlavi, the eldest son of the late last Shah of Iran, is the founder and former leader of the National Council of Iran, an exiled opposition group he left in 2017, and a prominent critic of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s Islamic regime. He said there had been a “weak approach” by Western leaders “on both sides of the Atlantic” towards the Islamic Republic and called for a “reset” of Europe’s relationship with Tehran, starting with proscribing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terror organisation.

UK - Lethal synthetic opioids linked to more than two deaths a week in the UK have been advertised for sale in thousands of posts on social media, an investigation has found. Suppliers boasted to undercover BBC reporters posing as dealers about how easy it was to use social media to promote nitazenes, an illegal group of drugs several times more powerful than heroin. The investigation found almost 3,000 posts on the music sharing site SoundCloud giving audio clips advertising the drugs, with contact details of suppliers shown in track titles. It also found adverts for the drugs in 700 posts on X, including some that had been on the site for 18 months.

RUSSIA - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has given a wide-ranging 90-minute interview to Sputnik, Moscow Speaks, and Komsomolskaya Pravda. The conversation centered on the Ukraine conflict, talks with Kiev in the spring of 2022, and tensions between Iran and Israel. Here's a synopsis of what Russia's top diplomat had to say. He stressed that while Moscow is ready to negotiate, it will not allow the situation of spring 2022 to be repeated, when both sides appeared to make progress during talks in Istanbul, with Russian forces withdrawing from the outskirts of Kiev as a goodwill gesture.

UNITED NATIONS - The US has vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that would have paved the way for Palestine to become a member of the world body. Palestine is currently a “permanent observer state” at the UN that participates in meetings but does not have voting rights. The draft resolution debated on Thursday contained a recommendation to the UN General Assembly to hold a vote on updating Palestine’s status within the organization. The document was rejected with 12 votes in favor, one against, and two abstentions. Washington continues to support for the two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, Wood stressed.

MIDDLE EAST - Israel’s retaliation attack on Iran has pushed the world to the brink of WW3 according to a range of conflict experts. Shadowy Iranian backed proxy forces are now said to be “primed and ready” to invade Gaza and ramp up the war in the Middle East to a whole new level. The Israeli missile hit Iran early on Friday morning, according to US officials, and blasts were heard in the central province of Isfahan, which is home to nuclear facilities, a large airbase and a major missile production complex. Now Middle East analysts said that as a result of the retaliation from Israel we could see a fresh war in Gaza or even a worldwide conflict. Intelligence expert Professor Anthony Glees said that “Iranian backed Hezbollah forces are said to be primed and ready to go” in northern Gaza, reports the Sun.

IRAN - Iran activated its air defence systems overnight after reports of an explosion near the central city of Isfahan, which is home to one of the country's top nuclear facilities. Iran warned it would revise its nuclear doctrine should Israel threaten its nuclear facilities, noting Tehran would "no longer stick" to its pledges in such a scenario. The warning came only hours before US officials claimed Israel had launched a missile strike against an unidentified site near the city of Isfahan. Iran confirmed it had deployed air defence batteries to bring down a "suspicious object" but did not expand on whether a full-on attack had taken place. Isfahan and the surrounding region are home to several military facilities, including nuclear facilities and a major airbase.

IRAN - Ebrahim Raisi, the Iranian president, has warned that the “tiniest invasion” of his country by Israel would set off a “massive and harsh response”. A senior Iranian military commander has warned that Tehran could reconsider its nuclear strategy amid warnings of a “massive and harsh response” to any Israeli attack. The statement by Ahmed Haghtalab, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander in charge of nuclear security, is a rare admission that Iran could use its stock of enriched uranium to make nuclear bombs.

VANUATU - Every day, the finest fruit and vegetables Vanuatu has to offer are sold at the bustling Port Vila market on the island of Efate. There are golden yellow bananas fanned out among floral-patterned tablecloths, giant grapefruits organised in long rows, and muddy brown yams laid out in front of the stalls. It’s a spread that is as healthy as it is colourful. Yet the high costs of such foods means that the local people of Efate, one of 83 tropical islands that make up the Pacific nation of Vanuatu, are more likely to eat processed foods, like noodles and canned meat, imported from the West. The mass consumption of these products, experts say, has driven a rise in obesity rates across the country. Almost a third of the population is obese, according to the Global Nutrition Report, while many more are considered overweight.

MIDDLE EAST - Israel has conducted strikes in Iran in retaliation for Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault earlier this week, defying US President Joe Biden's warning that more attacks could plunge the Middle East further into conflict. The city of Isfahan in central Iran was struck at 5am local time, with Israeli projectiles reported to have targeted an Air Force base near Isfahan which long has been home to Iran's fleet of American-made F-14 Tomcats - purchased before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.