Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin discussed security issues and the "involvement of external forces" in Serbia with Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu in Moscow, the Serbian government said on August 13.

Vulin thanked the Russian security agencies that "warned Serbian leadership about preparations for mass unrest and an attempted coup," a government statement said.

Vulin, who has been designated by the United States for sanctions due to his close ties to the Kremlin, met with Shoigu after a mass environmental protest over the weekend in Belgrade in which thousands of citizens demanded a ban on lithium mining. Three activists were jailed and several were questioned by police.

The Serbian government accused organizers and participants in the protests, which have been ongoing for weeks across Serbia, of attempting to violently overthrow Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

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U.S. Ambassador Says Partnership With Kosovo 'Not What We Would Hope'

Vucic said last week that Russian security services "warned that mass unrest was being prepared in Serbia, with the ultimate goal of a coup and the overthrow of the country's leadership."

Foreign policy analyst Bosko Jaksic told RFE/RL this was "a colossal manipulation" and considers Vucic's statements "part of a multiyear game of swinging between East and West."

He said the Russians "use every situation everywhere in the world" to destabilize and "turn countries and politicians against the West."

Vulin, who is on an official visit to Russia, reiterated on August 12 that Serbia would not impose sanctions on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine. Serbia justifies its refusal citing friendly relations with Russia and the support it receives from Moscow.

The protesters demand a halt to Anglo-Australian metals and mining giant Rio Tinto's lithium project in Jadar in western Serbia over fears it could pollute nearby land and water.

The organizers of the most recent mass protest demand the release of the three activists -- Ivan Bjelic, Nikola Ristic and Jevdenije Julijan Dimitrijevic.

SEE ALSO:

Serbian Police Disperse Protesters Opposed To Lithium Mining

Their lawyer, Marko Pantic, told RFE/RL they were charged with violating the Law on Public Order and Peace and released on August 13.

Pantic had filed an appeal against verdicts issued by the Misdemeanor Court, which told RFE/EL the three activists were convicted in the first instance for "indecent, insolent and reckless behavior."

The article referred to by the court provides for a sentence of 30 to 60 days in prison for those who "disturb public order and peace or endanger property or insult the morale of citizens by indecent, insolent or reckless behavior."

The court declined to answer RFE/RL’s inquiry on the specific allegations against the three activists.

Pantic told RFE/RL all three allegedly approached a journalist from a pro-government newspaper, surrounded her, obstructed her work, and yelled at her. In addition, Bjelic is charged with waving a sandwich in the journalist’s face and pushing it into her mouth.

"We hope and believe that the verdict will be quashed and that all three defendants will be released," Pantic said.

Olympic javelin gold medalist Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan received $359,000 from the government on August 13 as the country continues to celebrate his record-breaking throw at the Paris Games. Punjab's chief minister Mariam Nawaz visited Nadeem’s house in a village in the Mian Channu district and presented him with the check to commemorate his throw of 92.97 meters, an Olympic record. Nadeem's throw easily surpassed the previous Olympic mark of 90.57 set in 2008 by Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway. "Arshad Nadeem has brought unprecedented happiness to the nation," Nawaz said in a statement. Nadeem's medal is Pakistan's first Olympic gold in 40 years.

Bulgarian national Milan Dimitrov has been extradited to the United States where he is charged with participating in a scheme to illegally export sensitive microelectronics to Russia. The indictment alleges that between at least May 2014 and May 2018 Dimitrov, 50, together with another Bulgarian national and a Russian national, used a Bulgarian company to receive export-controlled items from the United States and ship them to Russia without the required licenses. Dimitrov made his initial appearance in a federal court in San Antonio, Texas, after being extradited from Greece on August 12, the U.S. Department of Justice said.

PRISTINA -- The U.S. ambassador to Pristina has expressed concerns about the partnership between the United States and Kosovo, especially regarding the government's handling of issues related to the country's Serb minority.

In an interview with RFE/RL's Kosovo Service, the ambassador, Jeffrey Hovenier, said "the quality of our partnership is not what we would hope it would be on some of these issues" and that the U.S. administration had been "challenged" by Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti and his government.

In recent weeks there has been an uptick of tensions in the Serb-majority north of the country, with ethnic Serbs protesting against the government's plan to reopen a controversial bridge and the closure of Serbian post office branches.

Ethic Serbs are protesting the government's plan to reopen to vehicular traffic a bridge in the northern city of Mitrovica, which separates ethnic Serb and Albanian communities and has been a flashpoint for violence in the past.

While the Kosovar government has said reopening the bridge can better integrate the Serbian population and boost the regional economy, locals Serbs are concerned that the move would increase ethnic tensions and impact their safety.

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Proposed Bridge Opening Raises Tensions With Kosovo Serbs

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Ambassador Hovenier said that, while the United States believes the bridge should ultimately be open to vehicles, "this is not the time" due to security concerns.

"We believe there's real risk associated with taking this action right now," he said, citing potential violence and threats to NATO soldiers, including Americans.

NATO forces have been operating in Kosovo to maintain peace and stability since 1999, when the military alliance intervened to stop escalating violence being perpetrated by Serbian forces against ethnic Albanians.

Before the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, Kosovo was an autonomous province within Serbia, which was itself a constituent republic of Yugoslavia.

While acknowledging areas of positive cooperation between the United States and Kosovo, particularly in economic development and strengthening government institutions, Hovenier said Washington had been "challenged by the prime minister and by his government" regarding its handling of issues pertaining to the Serb minority.

Last week, the Kosovar authorities closed down nine branches of the Serbian post office in the north after determining that they were operating illegally and without a license, a move that was criticized by the United States and the EU, which has mediated Serbia-Kosovo relations for over a decade.

There are an estimated 120,000 ethnic Serbs living in Kosovo, mostly in the north, and many still receive benefits or pensions from Serbia, which has never recognized Kosovo's 2008 declaration of independence.

Jeffrey Hovenier Speaks To RFE/RL

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Kosovo's Serbs have protested against Pristina's authority in areas such as health care, pensions, education, and customs controls.

In the interview, the U.S. ambassador expressed concern that Kosovo's drive for EU accession could be "negatively affected" by the government's actions.

As Kosovo seeks participation in international organizations such as NATO, the Council of Europe, and the EU, Hovenier stressed that the government's recent moves "reduce the appetite and reduce...the enthusiasm for supporting Kosovo on these paths."

"I have not seen a lot of enthusiasm in support of this government's efforts right now for new memberships in international organizations," he said.

Hovenier also emphasized how important it was for Kosovo to secure the support of existing members of international organizations, especially as "certain countries in those institutions...don't recognize Kosovo the way we do as a sovereign, independent state."

The United States and all but five EU members are among the more than 100 nations who acknowledge Kosovo's independence.

Hovenier urged the Kosovo government to take into account U.S. concerns, saying the U.S. requests were "heartfelt" and "humble."

A Romanian man accused of stabbing an 11-year-old girl in London’s bustling theater district was charged on August 13 with attempted murder. The day before, Ioan Pintaru had put the girl into a headlock and stabbed her eight times, seriously wounding her, prosecutors said. The girl was hospitalized and required plastic surgery for wounds to her face, shoulder, wrist, and neck, prosecutor David Burns said. Authorities haven't offered a motive for the attack, but police said there was no suggestion the stabbing was terror-related and they don't believe the suspect knew the girl or her mother, who was also stabbed during the attack. Pintaru, 32, a Romanian citizen, was held in custody.

Kyrgyzstan's Interior Ministry on August 13 rejected a statement by Bulgarian authorities saying that hundreds of kilograms of heroin seized in Bulgaria had come from Kyrgyzstan. The ministry said it was in contact with the Bulgarian authorities to monitor developments. The day before, Bulgarian port officials said that 436 kilograms of heroin estimated to be worth nearly $38 million was seized at the Black Sea port of Burgas in a trailer that had arrived at the end of July on a land route from Kyrgyzstan to the Georgian Black Sea port of Batumi. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service, click here.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on August 13 that his country had received another 4.2 billion euros ($4.6 billion) from the European Union's Ukraine Facility program. Shmyhal stressed that the money will be spent to support Ukraine's social and humanitarian sectors as part of the country's efforts to resist Russia's ongoing invasion launched in February 2022. The prime minister added that his cabinet expects to get one more tranche from the EU's four-year program by the end of 2024. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, click here.

Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated Moscow’s support for Palestinian statehood at the start of talks with Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas in Novo-Ogaryovo near Moscow on August 13. Putin stressed that Russia is closely following developments in Gaza. "We think for establishing a long, reliable, and stable peace in the region, all the UN decisions must be carried out, and first of all, a full-fledged state of Palestine must be established," Putin said at the beginning of the talks. Abbas expressed thanks to Russia for supporting Palestine.

Russian troops fighting in Ukraine are likely suffering from a shortage of drinking water because of the damage inflicted by Moscow's strikes on Ukraine's infrastructure and compounded by high temperatures, British intelligence said in its daily report on August 13. It mentioned a Russian military blogger's claim on July 23 that water rations for Russian pilots had been limited to 1 liter per day -- a quarter of the minimum intake recommended for working in high temperatures. Some Russian units have been forced to drink water filtrated from stagnant puddles, thus increasing the risk of waterborne diseases, it said.

Romania's navy on August 13 carried out a controlled explosion of a mine that had drifted to its Black Sea coast, the Defense Ministry said. The navy was alerted by local officials earlier about an unidentified object that had washed up on the shore near Grindul Chituc, in the Danube Delta, which Romania shares with Ukraine. Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey have a joint task force to defuse stray mines, which began floating in the Black Sea after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Since the war started, more than 100 drifting mines have been discovered and destroyed. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Romanian Service, click here.

Moldova has suspended the activity of three companies -- Airrock Solutions, Aerostage Services, and Maxjet Service -- that had brokered airplane-parts sales to Russia. The decision was made during an August 7 meeting of the Council for the Promotion of Investment Projects, headed by Prime Minister Dorin Recean. In February, an investigation by RFE/RL's Moldovan Service found that the three companies had brokered airplane-parts sales worth more than $15 million to Russian firms in 2022-23. The sales did not violate Moldovan law but were made after Brussels adopted sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Moldovan Service, click here.

The Council of Europe commissioner for human rights, Michael O'Flaherty, has called on Bulgarian president Rumen Radev not to sign a law banning LGBT "promotion" in schools. "Authorities should tackle discrimination and hostile rhetoric against LGBTI people including in the run-up to elections," O'Flaherty said in a post on X on August 12, adding that he was "deeply concerned" by the amendments adopted by Bulgarian lawmakers on August 7 that would ban the "propaganda, promotion, or incitement" in the education system of "ideas and views related to nontraditional sexual orientation." Activists have called on Radev to veto the law, but he has not yet commented on his intentions. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Bulgarian Service, click here.

Five Iranian women's rights activists were sentenced cumulatively to more than 20 years in prison, sources told RFE/RL. Nina Golestani, Anahita Hejazi, Anahita Dostdar, Rosita Rajaei, and Nagin Adalatkhah were arrested in the northern city of Rasht in November alongside other women activists. They were sentenced to three years and six months each for "assembly and collusion" and seven months and 16 days each for "propaganda against the regime." Rasht witnessed widespread protests during the "Women, Life, Freedom" demonstrations following the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini in September 2022, who was arrested for allegedly wearing her head scarf improperly. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, click here.

A Moscow court has ordered the Telegram messaging app to pay a 4 million-ruble ($44,130) fine for failure to delete "banned information." The Taganka district court in the Russian capital pronounced its ruling on August 13 without saying what information Telegram failed to delete. The information about the court ruling appeared on the Telegram channel of the press service of Moscow's courts of common jurisdiction.

Russian film director Ivan Vyrypayev has been retried and sentenced to 7 1/2 years in prison in absentia on the charge of "discrediting the Russian armed forces." The Basmanny district court in Moscow pronounced the ruling on August 13. Vyrypayev was initially sentenced to eight years in prison on the same charge in December 2023, but that court ruling was canceled earlier this year. Vyrypayev has publicly condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine and he renounced his Russian citizenship in May 2022 and obtained a Polish passport. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Siberia.Realities, click here.

Russia's Pervy Otdel rights group said on August 13 that Darya Trepova, who was sentenced to 27 years in prison for her role in the killing of pro-Kremlin blogger Vladlen Tatarsky (aka Maksim Fomin), was transferred to a prison hospital for unspecified reasons. The rights group's statement was based on information provided by Trepova's husband. Trepova was sentenced in January on charges of terrorism and document forgery. She was arrested after a souvenir she presented to Tatarsky at an event in St. Petersburg in April 2023 exploded and killed the fervent proponent of Russia's aggression against Ukraine. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.

Iran on August 13 rejected Western calls to renounce its threat to retaliate against Israel following the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of the EU- and U.S.-designated Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.

Haniyeh was killed along with his personal bodyguard in Tehran on July 31 as he visited the Iranian capital for the swearing-in of President Masud Pezeshkian.

Israel hasn't confirmed or denied carrying out the attack.

Iran, Hamas's main backer, blames Israel for the killing of Haniyeh and has vowed revenge, raising fears of a wider war in the region.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said in a statement that "such a request lacks political logic, flies in the face of the principles and rules of international law, and constitutes public and practical support" for Israel.

Reuters quoted on August 13 three senior Iranian officials as saying that only a cease-fire deal in Gaza stemming from talks expected to take place in the coming days would hold Iran back from direct retaliation against Israel.

Israel started an air and ground offensive in Gaza after Hamas fighters surged across the border into southern Israel on October 7, killing some 1,200 people and taking more than 250 people hostage. Israel’s action has killed more than 38,900 people in the Gaza Strip, according to health officials from Hamas.

According to one of the officials who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, Iran, along with allies such as Hizballah, would launch a direct attack if the Gaza talks, which are due to begin on August 15 in either Egypt or Qatar, fail or if it perceives Israel is dragging out negotiations. A cease-fire in Gaza, on the other hand, would give Iran cover for a smaller "symbolic" response, one of Reuters' sources said.

His statement came after the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy called on Iran on August 12 to "stand down its ongoing threats of a military attack against Israel."

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also held phone calls with Pezeshkian the same day.

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Prospect Of Iran-Israel War Brings Region To 'Most Dangerous Moment' In Years

Starmer asked Pezeshkian to refrain from attacking Israel and said that war was not in anyone's interest, his office said. Starmer told Pezeshkian he was deeply concerned by the situation in the Middle East and called on all parties to de-escalate to avoid further regional confrontation.

"There was a serious risk of miscalculation and now was the time for calm and careful consideration," Starmer was quoted as saying, adding that he had underlined his commitment to an immediate cease-fire, the release of all hostages, and increasing humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Following the call with Starmer, the Iranian president was quoted by the official IRNA news agency as saying that war anywhere in the world was in no one's interest but that states had the right to "punitive responses against an aggressor."

Scholz also called on Pezeshkian to prevent further military escalation in the Middle East. "The spiral of violence in the Middle East must now be broken," Scholz told Pezeshkian, according to a German government statement.

The United States on August 12 said it agreed with intelligence assessments that Iran and/or its proxies in the Middle East could "attack Israel as early as this week." U.S. national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters that President Joe Biden had spoken to leaders of key Western allies to discuss the situation.

SEE ALSO:

U.S. Says Iran Attack On Israel Could Come 'This Week,' Warns Tehran To 'Stand Down'

Western diplomats have scrambled to avert a major conflagration in the Middle East, where tensions were already high due to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

Israel's air and ground offensive has killed more than 38,900 people in the Gaza Strip, according to health officials from Hamas.

Israel launched its action after Hamas fighters surged across the border into southern Israel on October 7, killing some 1,200 people and taking more than 250 people hostage.

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and dpa

Three Afghan civilians were killed during a clash between Afghan and Pakistani border troops near the Torkham border crossing, a spokesman for the de facto Taliban government in Kabul said on August 13. The clash occurred late on August 12, with Pakistani troops opening fire on Afghan forces, a spokesman for the Taliban Interior Ministry said, adding that a woman and two children were killed in the incident. Pakistan has not commented on the incident. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi, click here.

Ukraine's top military commander on August 13 said Ukrainian forces have taken control of 74 settlements in Russia's Kursk region as Ukrainian forces continued to make headway.

Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskiy briefed President Volodymyr Zelenskiy by video link, telling him Kyiv's military had advanced in different directions by up to 3 kilometers over the past 24 hours and had seized 40 square kilometers of new territory.

Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine

RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.

Zelesnskiy said on Telegram that he is constantly in touch with Syrskiy to receive reports on the front and the operation in the Kursk region. Despite the difficult, intense battles the advance continues, he said.

"I am grateful to our soldiers for their heroic service," he said.

Zelenskiy said later in a video message that hundreds of Russian soldiers surrendered to Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region and all of them are guaranteed humane treatment.

In a separate post on Telegram, Zelenskiy said he met in Kyiv with Lithuanian Defense Minister Laurynas Kasciunas, who told him Russia is moving troops from its Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad to the Kursk region.

Some military analysts have said Ukraine may have launched the incursion to draw the Kremlin's forces away from the front line to defend Kursk and other border areas. But Ukraine's General Staff said Kremlin forces had intensified their attacks in eastern Ukraine. In its assessment late on August 13, the General Staff said in the previous 24 hours Russian troops launched 52 assaults in the area of Pokrovsk, a town in Ukraine's Donetsk region that is close to the front line. That's roughly double the number of daily attacks there a week ago.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on August 13 he had informed EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell about Kyiv's operation in the Kursk region. Kuleba said on X that during his call with Borrell, weapons manufacturing and deliveries were also discussed.

Ukrainian forces launched a surprise incursion into the Kursk region on August 6 and have occupied about 1,000 square kilometers and numerous population centers.

It is not possible to verify battlefield claims, although some reports have suggested deeper incursions by Ukrainian forces.

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhiy Tykhy said on August 13 that "Ukraine is not interested in taking over the territory of the Kursk region."

He said Russia had launched more than 2,000 strikes from the Kursk region in recent months using antiaircraft missiles, artillery, mortars, drones, 255 glide bombs, and more than 100 missiles.

"The purpose of this operation is to preserve the lives of our children, to protect the territory of Ukraine from Russian strikes," he said. "These Ukrainian actions are absolutely legitimate."

The Kursk region's acting governor, Aleksei Smirnov, reported to President Vladimir Putin on August 12 that 28 settlements were "under enemy control."

"The depth of the penetration into the territory of the Kursk region is 12 kilometers, the width of the front is 40 kilometers," he said.

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As Fighting Continues In Kursk Region, Kyiv Says Its Forces Have Advanced Deeper Into Russia

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Repeating a Russian government talking point and without providing evidence, Russian Major General Apty Alaudinov, who is commander of the Akhmat special forces unit, said on Russian state TV that "the headquarters of the NATO bloc certainly took part in the development of the operation."

U.S. State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters on August 13 that the United States is not engaged in any aspect, planning, or preparation of Ukraine's incursion into Russia.

White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre also said the United States had no advance notice from Ukraine that it planned the military incursion and had no involvement in it. U.S. officials have been seeking clarification from Ukraine about its objectives, she added.

Nearly the entire civilian population of the Krasnoyaruzh district of Russia's Belgorod region, located to the southeast of the Kursk region, has been evacuated, the region's governor said earlier.

"More than 11,000 people have left," Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov wrote on Telegram early on August 13. "At present, about 1,000 people are in temporary housing."

The district's prewar population was about 14,000 people.

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Kremlin-Aligned Russian Media Minimize Ukraine's Kursk Incursion, Attempt To Check Panic

The governor announced the evacuation of the district on August 12 and closed off access to the area. The district head, Andrei Miskov, said the 500 people remaining in the area were mostly officials, emergency workers, and key specialists.

The Krasnoyaruzh district borders Ukraine to the west and the Kursk region's embattled Belov district to the north.

Ukrainian forces posted a video on August 12 that has been geolocated to the center of the Kursk region town of Sudzha. The exact date of the video is unclear, but Ukrainian soldiers can be heard saying that they had not yet encountered any Russian forces.

Russian military vloggers have reported that Sudzha, about 10 kilometers from the border with a prewar population of more than 5,000 people, was under Ukrainian control.

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Russia Steps Up Evacuations In Kursk Region, Says Ukraine In Control Of Dozens Of Settlements

Russia's Defense Ministry said 12 Ukrainian drones had been "destroyed" overnight over the Kursk region and one each over the Belgorod and Voronezh regions.

Across the border in Ukraine's Sumy region, the Russian military carried out overnight strikes that damaged civilian energy infrastructure and several private cars, the region's military administration reported.

One civilian was reportedly wounded.

Ukraine's General Staff announced restrictions on the movement of civilians in the Sumy region within 20 kilometers of the border with Russia, citing the "increasing intensity of hostilities."

With reporting by AP

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation said on August 12 that it was investigating a hack of Donald Trump's presidential campaign. The Trump campaign has blamed Iran for the hack, which the Iranian government has denied. "We can confirm the FBI is investigating this matter,” the law enforcement agency said in a brief statement. On August 9, Microsoft issued a report stating that Iranian hackers tried to penetrate the account of an official with one of the presidential campaigns. Trump’s campaign on August 10 said it had been the victim of a foreign hack after the campaign received questions from news organizations about a vetting document on Senator J.D. Vance -- Trump's nominee for vice president -- that had been sent to the outlets.

The United States on August 12 said it agrees with intelligence assessments that Iran and/or its proxies in the Middle East could “attack Israel as early as this week” and it urged Tehran to “stand down” with regard its ongoing threats.

U.S. national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters that President Joe Biden had spoken to leaders of key Western allies to discuss the situation and said Washington takes seriously reports that Iran could soon attack Israel in retaliation for the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of the EU- and U.S.-designated Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, in Tehran on July 31.

Iran blames Israel for the killing of Haniyeh and has vowed revenge, raising fears of a wider war in the region.

“We have to be prepared for what could be a significant set of attacks, which is why, again, we have increased our force posture capabilities in the region even in just the last few days,” Kirby said.

“We've got significant force capabilities in the region. We've changed some of that posture in just the last few days. The president is confident that we have the capability available to us to help defend Israel,” Kirby added.

SEE ALSO:

Prospect Of Iran-Israel War Brings Region To 'Most Dangerous Moment' In Years

The Pentagon has bolstered its forces in the Middle East amid the mounting tensions as Washington reiterated its support for long-standing ally Israel.

In a joint statement later with Britain, France, Germany, and Italy, the White House said: “We expressed our support for the defense of Israel against Iranian aggression and against attacks by Iran-backed terrorist groups."

“We called on Iran to stand down its ongoing threats of a military attack against Israel and discussed the serious consequences for regional security should such an attack take place,” the statement added.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian in separate phone calls to avoid escalation of military tensions in the region, their offices said. Washington does not have diplomatic relations with Tehran.

Following the call with Scholz, the Iranian president was quoted by the official IRNA news agency as saying that, "while Iran welcomes the expansion of interactions with all countries and stresses the need for resolving problems through negotiations, it will not give in to pressure, sanctions, bullying, and aggression."

"Rather," he added, "it considers it a right to respond to aggressors based on international rules."

The Western allies' joint statement also said they “expressed our full support for ongoing efforts to de-escalate tensions and reach a cease-fire and hostage release deal in Gaza."

It said the group endorsed the joint call by Biden, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and Amir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani of Qatar “to renew talks later this week with an aim to concluding the deal as soon as possible, and stressed there is no further time to lose.”

“All parties must live up to their responsibilities. In addition, unfettered delivery and distribution of aid is needed,” it said.

Israel's air and ground offensive has killed more than 38,900 people in the Gaza Strip, according to health officials from Hamas.

Israel launched its action after Hamas extremists surged across the border into southern Israel on October 7, killing some 1,200 people and taking more than 250 people hostage.

Bulgarian authorities seized some 436 kilograms of heroin at the Black Sea port of Burgas, the district prosecutor’s office said on August 12. The heroin was stashed in 434 packages hidden inside officially declared cargo in a trailer. The drug haul's value is estimated at nearly $38 million. The trailer had arrived at the end of July on a land route from Kyrgyzstan to the Georgian Black Sea port of Batumi, from where it crossed to Burgas. From Bulgaria, it was supposed to continue to Alexandroupolis in Greece. Bulgaria, which lies on a drug route from the Middle East to Western Europe, has taken major steps in recent years to combat drug trafficking.

Washington has warned Tehran of “swift and severe” consequences if reports that it is planning to send hundreds of ballistic missiles to Russia are confirmed.

We are prepared to deliver a swift and severe response if Iran were to move forward with the transfer of ballistic missiles, which would, in our view, represent a dramatic escalation in Iran's support for Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine," State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters on August 12.

The warning matches one issued by the United States earlier this year after Reuters -- citing six unidentified sources -- reported that Iran had shipped a “large number” of powerful surface-to-surface ballistic weapons to Russia.

The United States and the European Union have imposed sanctions on Iran's ballistic missile program over concerns Tehran could send such weapons to its Middle East allies and proxies and to Russia for use in Ukraine.

Russia has suffered from weapons shortages as its full-scale invasion of Ukraine – launched in February 2022 – has dragged on with heavy losses of troops and military hardware, leaving it to look to allies such as Iran and North Korea to replenish its arms stock.

SEE ALSO:

U.S. Announces New Sanctions On Tehran After Iranian President Sworn In

On February 22, the U.S. administration also warned Iran of a "swift and severe" response from the international community if Tehran provided ballistic missiles to Russia,

National-security spokesman John Kirby said at the time that Washington had yet to confirm the missiles had been transferred by Iran to Russia, but he said the move appeared likely.

"In this press reporting, the Iranians are clearly indicating that they will ship ballistic missiles to Russia, and we have no reason to believe they will not follow through," Kirby said.

Tehran has been providing Russia with unmanned aerial vehicles or drones, guided aerial bombs, and artillery ammunition, according to U.S. and Ukrainian officials following widespread evidence of Iran-made Shahed drones causing damage and casualties in Ukraine, leading to additional Western sanctions.

"Iranian officials also continue to deny providing any UAVs [unmanned arial systems] to Russia when evidence is plain for the world to see that Russia has used these UAVs in relentless attacks against the civilian population in Ukraine, against civilian infrastructure," Patel told reporters.

Newly elected Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian, considered by many to be a reformist leader, has spoken of hopes of improving relations with the West, but Patel expressed skepticism.

"This duplicity is only the latest reminder to the international community that the Iranian regime lacks in credibility," he said.

In January, the State Department issued a similar warning against North Korea in a joint statement with the European Union and dozens of others countries, including many in Asia.

“The transfer of these weapons increases the suffering of the Ukrainian people, supports Russia’s war of aggression, and undermines the global non-proliferation regime,” it said on January 9.

With reporting by AFP and Reuters

A court in the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod on August 12 handed a suspended four-year prison term to activist Gleb Kalinychev for sending 1,899 rubles ($21.50) to late opposition leader Aleksei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) in 2021-22. Kalinychev was arrested in September on a charge of financing extremist activities. He pleaded not guilty. Russia declared all of Navalny's organizations extremist and banned them in 2021, after which many Navalny supporters fled Russia. Some former Navalny associates and supporters have since been handed lengthy prison terms on extremism charges. Navalny died in a remote Russian prison on February 16. To read the original story by Current Time, click here.

Authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka, who has run Belarus with an iron first for 30 years, has proposed amendments to the country's Criminal Code that would allow punishment for violence and threats against current and former presidents. The proposal published on the state website on August 12 establishes up to eight years in prison for violence and threats against presidents in office and former presidents of Belarus. Currently, the Criminal Code has articles that allow for sentences of up to several years for threats to an official or insults or slander against a president. To read the original story by Current Time, click here.