The US is providing Ukraine with a new $2.2 billion military aid package that includes air-defense and other munitions, the US Defense Department said.

The $2.2 billion package in Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) funds comes in addition to $150 million in Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), the Pentagon said in a statement.

The USAI funds will be used to purchase interceptors for PATRIOT and NASAMS air defense systems, the statement said, adding that the PDA package will include missiles for HAWK air defense systems, ammunition for HIMARS, artillery rounds, Javelin anti-armor systems and TOW missiles, among other equipment.

Moscow has repeatedly warned NATO countries that by supplying arms to Ukraine, they are both prolonging the conflict and dangerously escalating it.

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BRICS calling shots in economic growth while G7 loses steam and prestige

By the end of 2023, the share of the BRICS countries in global gross domestic product (GDP) based on purchasing power parity (PPP) reached a record 35.7 percent, surpassing the G7's 29 percent, judging from the World Bank data.

How has BRICS risen to prominence?

▪️BRICS, an acronym for five major emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, now encompasses nine members after the admission of Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the group in January 2024.

▪️ BRICS+ now comprises almost 46 percent of the world's population and around 36 percent of global GDP. The group is expected to grow further with over 40 countries expressing interest in joining and 22 formally submitting their applications last year.

▪️ The G7 is a group of seven industrialized nations: the US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the UK. It accounts for almost 10 percent of the world population but around 30 percent of global GDP.

▪️ IMF and World Bank data on GDP — measured in PPP terms — has over the years demonstrated a steady decline in the share of the G7 in global wealth. In 1982 the G7 accounted for 50.4 percent of the world's GDP in PPP terms, but shrank to 30.3 percent in 2022. At the end of the last year this figure fell to 29 percent and is projected to drop to 27.8 percent by 2028.

▪️ In contrast, the share of GDP in PPP terms of BRICS nations increased from 10.66 percent in 1982 (excluding Russia, then part of the USSR) to 31.5 percent in 2022. In 2023, the share of the BRICS countries increased by 0.6 percentage points over the year, reaching 35.7 percent.

The G7's global influence has likewise diminished, while the power and the prestige of platforms represented by major developing economies is steadily growing, according to US think-tank the Council on Foreign Relations.

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An Arkansas weapons facility suffered an explosion which injured two and left another person unaccounted for, the Associated Press reported.

The explosion occurred at a General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems defense facility in the US state of Arkansas.

"At this time, we are working with first responders and can confirm the incident resulted in at least two injuries and one missing individual," Berkley Whaley with General Dynamics said in a statement.

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Yemen's internationally recognized government and the Ansar Allah rebel movement have reached a tentative deal that will ensure the release of dozens of Houthi rebels in exchange for the leader of the second-largest Yemeni party, a source close to the talks told Sputnik.

"The government and Ansar Allah [the Houthis] have reached a preliminary agreement to release the leader of Yemen's Islah Party, Muhammad Qahtan, in exchange for 50 Ansar Allah prisoners and information on dozens of captives," the source said.

The Saudi-backed Yemeni government and Houthi rebels, who control the country's north, exchanged lists totaling hundreds of prisoners that will be approved in the coming days. The rivals plans to eventually free some 1,400 prisoners under a deal reached in March 2022, the source said.

The power struggle between the internationally recognized government and Houthis has continued in Yemen for more than nine years, leading to a deep economic and social crisis. About 4.5 million people have been displaced by the war, while two-thirds of the population are in dire need of relief aid, the UN estimates.

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Congressman Raul Grijalva has become the second fellow sitting Democrat to call on US President Joe Biden to leave the presidential race following his weak performance in the first debate against Donald Trump, The New York Times reported.

Grijalva follows Congressman Lloyd Doggett, who called on Biden to step down earlier this week in the first instance of a fellow party member to do so.

“If he’s the candidate, I’m going to support him, but I think that this is an opportunity to look elsewhere,” the report quoted Grijalva as saying in an interview about Biden. “What he needs to do is shoulder the responsibility for keeping that seat — and part of that responsibility is to get out of this race.”

Discussions on how soon Biden may either resign or be forced to step down for medical reasons erupted even in mainstream US media following the president's poor performance in his Thursday night debate with former President Donald Trump.

However, the Biden campaign said that it had not held any discussions about replacing Biden with an alternative nominee for the presidency.

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US military forces destroyed two Houthi radar sites in Yemen and two uncrewed surface vessels (USV) in the Red Sea, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said.

“In the past 24 hours, U.S. Central Command forces successfully destroyed two Iranian-backed Houthi radar sites in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and two uncrewed surface vessels (USV) in the Red Sea,” CENTCOM said in a statement.

US authorities determined that the radar sites and USVs presented imminent threats to US coalition forces and merchant vessels in the region, it added.

Yemen's Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis, have controlled much of northern Yemen since 2016. The group vowed in November 2023 to attack any ships linked to Israel until the country halts military action in Gaza.

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❗️ US journalist Tucker Carlson will interview Volodymyr Zelensky, the commentator announced on the X social media platform.

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US Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green asked journalist Tucker Carlson to inquire about US money being sent to Ukraine during his upcoming interview with Volodymyr Zelensky.

“Ask Zelensky where our money is,” the Congresswoman posted on X.

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