By ILLIA NOVIKOV and DASHA LITVINOVA Associated Press
A new round of U.S.-brokered talks on ending Russia's war on Ukraine is set to go ahead this week. A senior Kremlin official said Monday that negotiations will take place Wednesday and Thursday in Abu Dhabi. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed he would send a delegation. The talks reportedly were postponed due to scheduling conflicts. The Trump administration has pushed for compromises, but key issues remain unresolved. Russia wants to keep occupied Ukrainian territories, while its drones and missiles continue to bombard civilian areas. Ukraine is taking steps to prevent Russia from using Starlink satellite services to steer its drones.
By JON GAMBRELL and FARNOUSH AMIRI Associated Press
Iranian officials signaled that fast trials and executions lay ahead for suspects detained in nationwide protests while the Islamic Republic promised a "decisive response" if the U.S. or Israel intervene in the domestic unrest. The threats emerged Wednesday as some personnel at a key U.S. military base in Qatar were advised to evacuate following President Donald Trump's escalated warnings of potential military action over the killing of peaceful demonstrators. Mohammad Pakpour is the commander of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. He reiterated Iranian claims that the U.S. and Israel have instigated the protests but did not provide evidence. That's according to Iran's semiofficial Tasnim news agency.
NATO-nation intelligence services believe Russia is developing a weapon to target Starlink satellites. Intelligence findings seen by The Associated Press say the weapon could release pellets to disable multiple satellites. Analysts have doubts, saying such a weapon could create chaos in space and risk other vital orbiting systems. But a Canadian space commander told the AP that such a weapon is "not implausible." Starlink's services are used by Ukraine. Russia views the constellation as a threat. The intelligence findings say the destructive pellets could be small enough to evade detection. Analysts say Russia might want to have such a weapon only as a deterrent or it may be no more than a research project for now.
President Donald Trump is threatening to cut Elon Musk's government contracts as their fractured alliance rapidly escalated into a public feud. Hours after Trump lamented his breakup with Musk and said Thursday that he was "disappointed" in his former backer and adviser and Musk responded on social media, Trump then escalated the feud by threatening to use the U.S. government to hurt Musk's bottom line.
