Kazakhstan deploys third peacekeeping contingent to Golan Heights
The third peacekeeping contingent of Kazakhstan's armed forces is being deployed to the Golan Heights, southwestern Syria, as part of the UN Disengagement Observer Force, the country's Defense Ministry said Tuesday.
A total of 139 servicemen are being deployed under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Ilyas Almatov, the ministry said.
More than 150 Kazakh peacekeepers are currently serving in seven UN missions across the Middle East and Africa as military observers, staff officers and members of a national contingent in the Golan Heights, it added.
Trump says U.S. may hit Iran again
U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday the United States may need to strike Iran again, adding that he was only an hour away from deciding on an attack before postponing it.
Speaking at the White House, Trump said Iran's leaders were "begging" to make a deal, but warned that a new U.S. attack could take place in the coming days if no agreement is reached.
He said the timeline could be Friday, the weekend or early next week, stressing that Washington "can't let them have a new nuclear weapon."
WHO chief voices concern over "scale and speed" of Ebola outbreak
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Tuesday expressed deep concern over the "scale and speed" of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, saying an emergency committee would meet later in the day to issue temporary recommendations.
Addressing the 79th World Health Assembly, Tedros said he had declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern for the Ebola outbreak in the two countries on Sunday, marking the first time a WHO chief had done so without first convening an emergency committee.
"I did not do this lightly," Tedros said, noting the decision was made under Article 12 of the International Health Regulations after consultations with the health ministers of both countries. "I am deeply concerned about the scale and the speed of the epidemic."
Putin says Russian-Chinese ties reach "truly unprecedented level"
Russia-China relations have reached "a truly unprecedented level," Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday in a video address delivered before his state visit to China.
The president noted that "regular mutual visits and Russia-China top-level talks are an important and integral part of our joint efforts to promote the entire range of relations between our two countries and unlock their truly limitless potential."
The special nature of Russia-China relations is reflected in the atmosphere of mutual understanding and trust, a commitment to pursuing win-win and equitable cooperation, conducting respectful dialogue, and supporting each other on matters affecting the core interests of both countries, including protection of sovereignty and state unity, he said.■
