Zaporizhzhia aid centre toll hits 42 as Paraguay's president resigns and Iran tensions rise
Officials said the toll from a Russian strike on an aid distribution point in Zaporizhzhia region reached 42, with dozens missing, while Paraguay's president resigned after a bank collapse. Tensions over Iran rose as Trump said the US may have to destroy the rest of Iran and Iran reported tanker fires in the Strait of Hormuz.
Officials said on Thursday the death toll from Monday's Russian bombing of an aid distribution point has reached 42, with dozens still missing. Overnight, Russia and Ukraine traded drone strikes, with Russia saying it hit a postal hub and a ship and Ukraine striking Russia's Ryazan region. The strike came before planned talks in Abu Dhabi.
Trump said the US may have to destroy the rest of Iran and that people will 'know soon enough'. Iranian forces said five oil tankers and a tugboat caught fire in separate incidents in the Strait of Hormuz, amid fears of a new US attack. One report says Iran is reviewing 'concrete proposals' on its nuclear programme, and Iraq's prime minister spoke with Trump as Baghdad tries to stay out of the conflict.
Turkey's parliament approved the Mecca defence agreement, which lays the groundwork for further Turkish involvement in Saudi Arabia's conflict with the Houthis. The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted a Houthi ballistic missile aimed at Medina. Yemen's government dismissed ministers and officers after its counteroffensive failed, with thousands dead on both sides and Taiz under a four-week siege.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called efforts in Congress to impeach him a sham and described the Iran war as courageous and historic. The White House denied reports that he and Secretary of State Rubio are set to leave. Democrats take control of both chambers in January, and conviction in the Senate would need Republican votes.
Shares in Musk's SpaceX fell sharply as tech and AI stocks declined on possible tougher scrutiny of data centre construction and the AI industry. Tech shares then dropped sharply in Seoul and Tokyo as investors feared tighter AI rules after the Democratic midterm win.
Indonesia is sending thousands of troops into Jakarta as an alleged wiretapping scandal targeting the president unfolds. This follows the dismissal and arrest of the president's chief of staff.