Politics
Any aggression will be met with ‘decisive response’
- Russia’s top diplomat addresses UN amid rising Europe tension.
- He warns of militaristic rhetoric, plays down drone incursions.
- US military action near Venezuela “alarming,” he says.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told the West on Saturday that any aggression against Moscow would face a “decisive response,” warning against attempts to down aircraft in Russian airspace and accusing Germany of militaristic rhetoric.
As Russia’s war rages in Ukraine, tensions have mounted along NATO’s eastern flank in recent weeks as Estonia said Moscow sent three fighter jets into its airspace and NATO warplanes shot down Russian drones over Poland.
“Any aggression against my country will be met with a decisive response. There should be no doubt about this among those in NATO and the EU who … are telling their voters that war with Russia is inevitable,” he told the United Nations General Assembly.
The spate of airspace incursions linked to Russia has unnerved countries in eastern Europe, where Russia is seen as the biggest threat since the end of the Cold War. Hopes have dimmed of any imminent end to Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
US President Donald Trump said this week that he endorsed the idea of shooting down Russian jets that violate NATO airspace, part of a rhetorical shift that saw him mock Russia’s military performance in Ukraine and call it a paper tiger.
Lavrov brushed off Trump’s most recent remarks during a press conference that followed his General Assembly speech, but issued a warning about any moves against aircraft inside Russia.
“If there are attempts to down any flying object, any object… in our airspace, then I think people will very much regret undertaking such an egregious violation of our territorial integrity and sovereignty,” he said.
He said that only the “politically blind” would expect Ukraine to one day return to the borders it had before Russia invaded in February 2022, an indirect response to Trump’s assertion that Kyiv could retake all its occupied land from Russia.
Lavrov also singled out German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, referring to what he said was “militaristic rhetoric” and said Moscow was alarmed by remarks by politicians in EU and NATO capitals of a looming World War III as a “likely scenario.”
Russia hopes for ‘frank dialogue’
Despite taking aim at NATO and the European Union, Lavrov made clear Moscow remained hopeful of “frank dialogue” with the United States under Trump despite the US president’s recent shifting stance.
The US and Russia, he said, will hold a third round of talks in the coming months aimed at improving each other’s embassy operations, which have been severely curtailed by a decade of tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions and other curbs.
Lavrov met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday on the sidelines of the annual gathering of world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly.
Lavrov said he did not see economic relations between Russia and India as under threat, as Trump has placed tariffs on products from India, calling on it and China to stop purchasing Russian oil.
Russia concerned over US buildup near Venezuela
Despite his cautious tone on Trump, Lavrov voiced alarm over a US naval build-up and military action in international waters around Venezuela to combat drug cartels, describing the situation as “very serious.”
Without naming the US, Lavrov questioned whether “certain creative actors” could try to use a proposed draft UN Security Council resolution to create a larger international force to fight gangs in Haiti to justify an attack within Venezuela.
The draft text being considered by the 15-member body has been put forward by the US and Panama. It needs at least nine votes and no vetoes by Russia, China, the US, France or Britain to pass.
“I cannot rule out that certain creative actors could think of getting a mandate at the Security Council and later say that there are gangs from Haiti harboured in Venezuela. I cannot rule that out,” said Lavrov.
Two women, both Somalis, died Saturday while trying to cross the Channel to Britain, French authorities said, adding that the body of another migrant had been found in a canal.
Some 60 other migrants were rescued in the incident in which the two women died, when around 100 people got on to a makeshift boat south of the beaches of Neufchatel-Hardelot at around 3:15 am (0115 GMT) in a bid to get to the UK.
Their overloaded boat returned to shore an hour later, after its motor failed to start, the local prefecture said in a statement.
Civil protection workers took in 60 people for care, while others who had been on the boat ran away when rescuers turned up, said Isabelle Fradin-Thirode, an official in nearby Montreuil-sur-Mer.
A couple and their child suffering from moderate hypothermia were rushed to a hospital in Boulogne, she said.
The body — that of a man in his late 20s or early 30s — was recovered from a canal in the town of Gravelines, next to Dunkirk, said the prefecture and AFP journalists at the scene.
These latest incidents bring the number of Channel crossing deaths to at least 26 this year, according to an AFP tally based on official data.
Since January, a record 32,000 migrants have arrived in Britain by crossing the Channel in small boats.
Franco-British deal
Under a recent Franco-British scheme, the UK can return them after arrival if they are deemed ineligible for asylum, including those who have passed through a “safe country” to reach UK shores.
In return, London will accept an equal number of migrants from France who are likely to have their asylum claims granted.
This agreement does not appear to have discouraged migrants from making the perilous crossing.
On Friday, an AFP team in the Gravelines area saw hundreds of migrants preparing to cross the Channel from different points on the beach whenever the weather turned favourable.
AFP reporters interviewed several migrants at a makeshift camp at Loon-Plage near Dunkirk earlier this week.
Some told reporters that they had already suffered acute hardship and dangers to come so near their ultimate goal.
Taking a small boat across the channel, “you aren’t sure you’ll survive,” he said.
“But that’s OK, we still have to try our luck.”
DUBAI: Dubai International Airport has launched the world’s first AI-powered Smart Red Carpet Corridor, enabling passengers to complete immigration formalities within seconds.
The advanced system eliminates the need for passports or boarding passes, allowing up to 10 travellers to pass through simultaneously. Currently available at Terminal 3’s Business Class Departure Hall, the facility is expected to revolutionise the passenger experience.
Authorities say the Smart Corridor is particularly beneficial for families, as it saves time while making immigration smoother and more efficient.
According to the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) Dubai: “The Smart Red Carpet Corridor is a groundbreaking service that completes immigration procedures in just seconds. There are plans to expand this facility across all terminals in the future. Our goal is to enhance Dubai Airport with more digital services.”
The initiative underscores Dubai’s commitment to positioning itself among the world’s leading destinations by harnessing digital technology and artificial intelligence to improve travel convenience.
At least 31 people were killed and more than 50 injured on Saturday at a rally held by Tamil actor Vijay, who is campaigning for election, state officials said.
“Thirty-one people died with more than 50 people now hospitalised,” said V Selvaraj, a senior police official in the district of Karur in Tamil Nadu, where the incident occurred.
Large crowds had gathered for the meeting, part of Vijay’s ongoing state tour for his political party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam.
Vijay, who is a well-known actor and goes by only one name, launched a political party last year and began campaigning this month ahead of state elections that are to be held early next year.
State lawmaker Senthil Balaji told reporters that 58 people were hospitalised after what he said was a stampede. He added that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin will visit the area on Sunday.
“The unfortunate incident during a political rally in Karur, Tamil Nadu, is deeply saddening,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post on X.
Calls to Tamil Nadu state’s health ministry and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin’s office went unanswered.
“The news coming from Karur is worrying,” Stalin said in an X post, adding that he had directed ministers and officials to provide urgent medical aid to those who collapsed at the Karur rally and ordered additional assistance from nearby Tiruchirappalli.
At least 44 doctors from the nearby districts of Tiruchirappalli and Salem were sent to Karur, media reports said.
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