Lloyd Austin

The Israeli army on Monday ordered tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza's southern city of Rafah to start evacuating from the area, signaling that a long-promised ground invasion there could be imminent.

Ukraine finds itself once again under fire from Russian missiles, marking a new wave of violence in the region. The onslaught follows swiftly on the heels of an announcement by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, pledging an additional 6 billion USD in arms orders to bolster Ukraine's defense capabilities.

Ukraine warned Friday that Moscow was ramping up attacks on railways in a bid to disrupt military supplies ahead of a fresh Russian offensive while Kiev waits for new U.S. weapon deliveries.

Kiev fears Russia is seeking to press its advantage on the battlefield ahead of symbolic May 9 Victory Day celebrations, as both sides continued to launch deadly cross-border strikes.

Defence Minister Nikos Dendias discussed Ukraine, Greek contributions to security in the Red Sea, and bilateral relations in a call with US counterpart Lloyd Austin on Tuesday. 

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun via video teleconference Tuesday, in the first substantive talks between the superpowers' defense chiefs in nearly 18 months.

President Joe Biden on Saturday lauded American forces who helped Israel down "nearly all" of the drones and missiles fired by Iran and vowed to coordinate a global response to Tehran's unprecedented attack. And the Pentagon said its forces intercepted "dozens of missiles" and drones launched from Iran, Iraq, Syria and Yemen that were headed toward Israel.

Germany has vehemently refuted accusations of aiding in genocide in Gaza, as presented in a lawsuit brought before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) by Nicaragua. Tania von Uslar-Gleichen, legal adviser for the German Foreign Ministry, dismissed Nicaragua's claims as rushed and lacking substantial evidence during proceedings at the ICJ.

Amid ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, negotiations aimed at securing a ceasefire brokered by Qatar have hit a roadblock, with Israeli negotiators withdrawing from talks in Doha. The move comes as Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant meets with US officials, underlining the complex diplomatic landscape surrounding the conflict.

In a show of solidarity with Ukraine, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin affirmed today that the United States stands firm in its commitment to bolster Ukraine's defenses, despite ongoing aid obstacles and ammunition shortages, as reported by AFP.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin promised Tuesday that the United States will not let Ukraine fail, even as further aid remains stalled in Congress and Kiev's forces face shortages of munitions.