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Straits Times
18 minutes ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Ukraine army chief vows to expand strikes on Russia
Colonel general Oleksandr Syrskyi vowed to increase the 'scale and depth' of strikes on Russia in remarks made public on June 22. PHOTO: REUTERS KYIV - Ukraine's top military commander vowed to increase the 'scale and depth' of strikes on Russia in remarks made public on June 22. He said the strikes were proving effective and that Kyiv would attack only military targets. 'Of course, we will continue. We will increase the scale and depth,' Ukrainian commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky told reporters, including AFP. His comments came amid a lull in diplomatic efforts to end the three-year war. The last direct meeting between the two sides was almost three weeks ago and no follow-up talks have been scheduled. 'We will not just sit in defence. Because this brings nothing and eventually leads to the fact that we still retreat, lose people and territories,' Mr Syrsky said. In wide-ranging remarks, Mr Syrsky also conceded Russia had some advantages in drone warfare, particularly in making fibre-optic drones which are tethered and difficult to jam. 'Here, unfortunately, they have an advantage in both the number and range of their use,' he said. He also claimed Ukraine still held 90 square km in Russia's Kursk region, where Kyiv launched an audacious cross-border incursion in August 2024. 'These are our preemptive actions in response to a possible enemy offensive,' he said. Russia said in April it had gained full control of the Kursk region and denies Kyiv has a presence there. Moscow currently occupies around a fifth of Ukraine and has claimed four Ukrainian regions as its own since launching its invasion in 2022, in addition to Crimea, which it captured in 2014. Kyiv has accused Moscow of deliberately sabotaging a peace deal to prolong its full-scale offensive on the country and seize more territory. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Irish Sun
33 minutes ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Boxing's highest-paid star Canelo Alvarez once sold ice creams on the street… now he is on verge of his sweetest win
CANELO ALVAREZ went from selling ice creams as a teen to boxing's highest-paid star - now he is on the verge of his sweetest victory of all. The Mexican great 6 Canelo Alvarez used to sell ice creams for his dad 6 Now he is boxing's highest-paid star 6 He is even on track to become a billionaire 6 Canelo faces off with Terence Crawford Credit: AFP He told SunSport in Riyadh: "I was very happy selling ice creams and looking for my dream. "I was very happy too and right now being in this situation, my dad and my family keep selling ice cream. "So I'm very happy to do what I did and what I do right now and I'm just blessed. READ MORE IN boxing "My dad showed me how to work, how to respect work, how to be honest, so that made me the man I am today." Now he reigns as the undisputed 168lb super-middleweight champion and Crawford sits atop the mythical boxing pound-for-pound rankings - undefeated in his 41 fights with world championships in four weights. Most read in Boxing 6 CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS He steps up two divisions and one STONE on September 13 at the Las Vegas Raiders' 65,000-seat stadium - So it would mark one of the tastiest victories of Canelo's career should he hand Crawford his first-ever loss. Canelo Alvarez reveals why Terence Crawford is BETTER than Floyd Mayweather... but vows to learn from infamous loss The former ice cream scooper said: "He's going to be one of the best wins of my career for sure." Crawford protects the prized zero on his record but Canelo said: "If we're looking at this point at this weight the pressure is always with me. "If I'm moving up two weight classes or light-heavyweight or this the pressure is always in my side but I've been in this situation a lot of times and I'm just calm. "I'm gonna put my best boxing IQ and my experience, my best in the training camp and put and just go there and win." Canelo - whose business partner Richard Schaefer says is set to be a billionaire - is not phased by the magnitude of the fight. In fact, it is what he thrives off. The father-of-three said: "This is not new for me obviously, I've been in big fights for a lot of time. "But you know, this kind of situation motivates myself because my goal was always make history and this kind of big fight put me in there so I'm glad to be here." 6 Canelo faces Crawford on September 13 Credit: Reuters
Scottish Sun
34 minutes ago
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Boxing's highest-paid star Canelo Alvarez once sold ice creams on the street… now he is on verge of his sweetest win
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) CANELO ALVAREZ went from selling ice creams as a teen to boxing's highest-paid star - now he is on the verge of his sweetest victory of all. The Mexican great worked at his father's parlour as young as 13 - before turning professional in the ring just two years later. 6 Canelo Alvarez used to sell ice creams for his dad 6 Now he is boxing's highest-paid star 6 He is even on track to become a billionaire 6 Canelo faces off with Terence Crawford Credit: AFP Now he is the sport's top earner - on track to becoming a billionaire - and credits his dad Santos for shaping him into the fighter he is today. He told SunSport in Riyadh: "I was very happy selling ice creams and looking for my dream. "I was very happy too and right now being in this situation, my dad and my family keep selling ice cream. "So I'm very happy to do what I did and what I do right now and I'm just blessed. READ MORE IN boxing CAN DO ATTITUDE Canelo says Crawford is BETTER than Mayweather and vows to learn from loss "My dad showed me how to work, how to respect work, how to be honest, so that made me the man I am today." Canelo has won titles in FOUR weight classes, from the 154lb light-middleweight limit all the way to light-heavyweight at 175lb. Now he reigns as the undisputed 168lb super-middleweight champion and defends that throne against American Terence Crawford. Crawford sits atop the mythical boxing pound-for-pound rankings - undefeated in his 41 fights with world championships in four weights. 6 CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS He steps up two divisions and one STONE on September 13 at the Las Vegas Raiders' 65,000-seat stadium - live on streaming giants Netflix. So it would mark one of the tastiest victories of Canelo's career should he hand Crawford his first-ever loss. Canelo Alvarez reveals why Terence Crawford is BETTER than Floyd Mayweather... but vows to learn from infamous loss The former ice cream scooper said: "He's going to be one of the best wins of my career for sure." Crawford protects the prized zero on his record but Canelo said: "If we're looking at this point at this weight the pressure is always with me. "If I'm moving up two weight classes or light-heavyweight or this the pressure is always in my side but I've been in this situation a lot of times and I'm just calm. "I'm gonna put my best boxing IQ and my experience, my best in the training camp and put and just go there and win." Canelo - whose business partner Richard Schaefer says is set to be a billionaire - is not phased by the magnitude of the fight. In fact, it is what he thrives off. The father-of-three said: "This is not new for me obviously, I've been in big fights for a lot of time. "But you know, this kind of situation motivates myself because my goal was always make history and this kind of big fight put me in there so I'm glad to be here."
Straits Times
34 minutes ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
EU urges ‘all sides to step back, prevent further escalation' after US strikes Iran
The EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas said Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon but stressed that Brussels remained committed to diplomacy. PHOTO: AFP EU urges 'all sides to step back, prevent further escalation' after US strikes Iran Follow our live coverage here. BRUSSELS – The European Union's top diplomat Kaja Kallas on June 22 called for de-escalation and a return to negotiations after the United States joined Israel's war with Iran by striking the country's nuclear sites. Ms Kallas said that Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, describing the possibility as 'a threat to international security' – but stressed that Brussels remained committed to diplomacy, at a flashpoint moment for the Middle East. 'I urge all sides to step back, return to the negotiating table and prevent further escalation,' Ms Kallas wrote on X, adding that EU foreign ministers will discuss the situation on June 23 . Top diplomats from the bloc's 27 nations were already due to gather in Brussels for talks on a range of issues, from Russia's war in Ukraine to Gaza, but Iran is now expected to dominate the agenda. Ms Kallas's appeal came after she joined top diplomats from France, Germany and Britain for talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Geneva on June 20 . The European powers had urged Tehran to revive diplomatic efforts with the United States to find a solution in the standoff over its nuclear programme. But Iran had retorted that it could only consider diplomacy once Israel halted its bombardment of the Islamic republic. Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign on Iran on June 13. Tehran has responded by firing missiles at Israel, and had vowed to retaliate if Washington joined in. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Ya Libnan
43 minutes ago
- Politics
- Ya Libnan
Israel-Iran War Day 10 updates
US President Donald Trump on Saturday said that a 'very successful attack' on three nuclear sites in Iran had been successfully carried out, including at Fordow. In a posting on Truth Social, Trump added, 'All planes are safely on their way home' and he congratulated 'our great American Warriors.' here are the most recent developments Iran's foreign ministry said the US attacks Sunday on nuclear facilities showed that Washington 'will stop at no illegality or crime' to support Israel. 'It has now become abundantly clear to all that the very regime which enjoys permanent membership in the Security Council is beholden to no principle or morality and will stop at no illegality or crime to serve the aims of a genocidal, occupying regime,' the ministry said in a statement, referring to the United States and Israel respectively. More personnel from the United States diplomatic mission departed Iraq over the weekend as part of ongoing efforts to reduce embassy staffing amid 'regional tensions', a US official said Sunday after Washington attacked Iranian nuclear sites. 'As part of our ongoing effort to streamline operations, additional personnel departed Iraq on June 21 and 22,' the US official told AFP. Iraq warned on Sunday that the US attacks on its neighbour Iran's nuclear facilities threaten peace and stability in the Middle East. Iraq 'expresses its deep concern and strong condemnation of the targeting of nuclear facilities' in Iran, government spokesperson Basim Alawadi said. 'This military escalation constitutes a grave threat to peace and security in the Middle East and poses serious risks to regional stability,' he added The US has changed the course of the conflict . Will this be the end of the war? PM Netanyahu has spent much of the last 15 years attempting to persuade his American allies that only military action (and only American munitions) could destroy Iran's nuclear weapons programme. Throughout this conflict, which began just 10 days ago, Israel's government and military have insisted that Israel had the capacity to deal with the Iranian threat on its own. But it was no secret that only America possessed the massive ordnance capable of dealing with the strongest levels of protection around Iran's nuclear facilities, particularly at Fordo, built deep inside a mountain . If the nuclear sites bombed last night are now indeed out of use then Israel's prime minister will be able to declare his main war aim complete, perhaps bringing this conflict closer to an end. (France 24)
