🇮🇷 Iran unveils new missile with a 1,200 km range that can defeat US’s best defenses

The Qassem Basir is a solid fuel ballistic missile with the ability to maneuver, and can evade top US and Israeli air and missile defense systems including THAAD and Patriot, Defense Minister Nasirzadeh said.

◻️ The missile was successfully test-fired on April 17, with footage of the test airing on Iranian television for the first time on Sunday.

◻️ Nasirzadeh said development of Qassem Basir incorporated experience gained during Iran’s True Promise series of retaliatory missile and drone strikes on Israel in 2024.

◻️ He warned that Iran will not hesitate to target American bases in the region in the event of US aggression.

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🔸 ‘I think about it all the time’ – Putin on his successor

🔸 Putin explains why Russia did not start its special op in Ukraine earlier

🔸 What is Trump’s red line in Ukraine peace push?

🔸 ‘There will be many bangs’, Netanyahu warns after Houthi missile strikes airport

🔸 Barely afloat? UK Navy's SHRINKING fleet amid Russia's naval surge

🔸 US’ Indo-Pacific playbook: Muscle-flexing on China's doorstep amid regional tensions

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💥 The IDF admits a technical problem with the interceptor caused the missile strike on Ben Gurion Airport.

Meanwhile, major airlines such as Lufthansa, Air France, Delta, Air India suspend flights to Tel Aviv.

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🇷🇴🗳 George Simion leads in Romania's preliminary election results

According to CEC data, with 80.01% of the votes counted, the leader of the opposition party Alliance for the Unification of Romania (AUR) has 40.78% of the votes, while the candidate of the ruling coalition, Crin Antonescu, has 21.32% of the votes.

One of them will become president based on the results of the second round to be held on May 18, unless the authorities cancel the vote again.

UPD. Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan overtook ruling coalition candidate Crin Antonescu in the race for second place with 98.90% of the votes counted.

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🚨 Houthis impose AIR BLOCKADE on Israel

Yemen's Ansar Allah movement called on all international airlines to comply and cancel their flights to Israel in order to "ensure the safety of their planes and passengers."

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❗️ Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan overtook ruling coalition candidate Crin Antonescu in the race for second place with 98.90% of the votes counted.

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🚨 Trump reveals goal of US-Iran talks

"Total dismantlement. That's all I would accept," said the US president on the issue of Iran's nuclear program.

"I just don't want them to have nuclear weapon. Because the world will be destroyed," he added.

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❗️Russian air defenses shot down four Ukrainian drones approaching Moscow, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin stated.

Specialists are working at the site of the debris, no damage or casualties, he added.

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🔥 WSJ reporter: Are there any updates in talks with Vladimir Putin?

Donald Trump: "I wouldn't tell the Wall Street Journal because it'd be WASTING MY TIME."

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🎬 Trump announces 100% tariffs on movies

"Hollywood, and many other areas within the USA, are being devastated. This is a concerted effort by other nations and, therefore, a national security threat," he wrote on Truth Social.

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🚨 New Zealand plans to modernize navy amid 'global tensions'

Defense Minister Judith Collins announced plans to replace navy helicopters and invest in missiles, cybersecurity and drones over 10 years.

This will more than double New Zealand's defense spending, she emphasized.

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🇲🇽 Trump doubles down on US troops in Mexico

"If Mexico wanted help with the cartels, we would be honored to go in and do it," the US president told reporters.

He added that President Sheinbaum rejected the proposal because "she is so afraid of the cartels, she cannot think straight."

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😈 White House portrays Trump as a bad guy?

The White House's X account made a post celebrating Star Wars Day, apparently asking the AI to depict the US president as a movie character.

Little did they know that red lightsabers are used by villains in the film's universe.

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🪖Israel to expand ground operation in Gaza after Trump's Middle East trip

Israel's Security Cabinet has unanimously approved such plans by the IDF, Axios journalist Barak Ravid reported, citing sources.

Trump completes his trip to the Middle East in two weeks, and until then, efforts to achieve a truce will continue, the journalist said on X.

Earlier, Israeli state broadcaster Kan reported that the IDF were preparing to mobilize tens of thousands of reservists in the next two days in order to expand the ground operation in Gaza.

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⚠️Hackers BROKE INTO Signal-like app used by Trump’s ex-national security adviser

TeleMessage's backend infrastructure and some of its users' messages were compromised following the hack, according to the Media 404 tech website.

Then-National Security Advisor Mike Waltz was photographed using TeleMessage during last Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting.

Shortly after, Trump announced the dismissal of Waltz, the main figure in the scandal with the leak of classified information through the Signal messenger.

On March 24, Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg said he was accidentally added by Waltz to a private Signal chat about planned strikes on the Houthis, which included top officials like Defense Secretary Hegseth, Secretary of State Rubio, and Vice President Vance.

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🇲🇳🇷🇺Mongolian leader to take part in celebration of 80th anniversary of victory in Moscow

Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh will take part in the events at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Montsame news agency reported.

As part of the visit, the two leaders will hold an official meeting and exchange views on the cooperation between the two countries.

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🇱🇹Lithuania announces Alternative for Germany-like party

The Alternative for Lithuania “will struggle for CHRISTIAN VALUES, family, children, and demography, and fight against migrants," former Lithuanian Commander-in-Chief Valdas Tutkus pledged.

He stressed that the new party’s slogan will be "It takes courage to tell the truth."

Tutkus is known for opposing Brussels’ policies. He earlier urged Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda to refrain from sending the country’s troops to Ukraine as part of the European coalition.

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📊Romanian opposition candidate Simion wins. Period

Leader of the opposition Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) party, George Simion, is leading in the presidential election in Romania with 41% of the votes after 100% of the ballots from the polling stations in the country and abroad are counted, according to the Central Electoral Bureau.

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