International
The Kremlin accuses the United States of throwing “firewood” by authorizing Ukraine to use long-range missiles
The Kremlin today accused the United States of “adding fuel to the fire” of the war in Ukraine by authorizing, according to the Western press, long-range missile attacks against Russian territory by Kiev.
“It is evident that the outgoing Administration in the United States intends to continue to add fuel to the fire and continue to cause an escalation of tension around this conflict,” said Dmitri Peskov, Kremlin spokesman, in his daily telephone press conference.
The spokesman stressed that if it is confirmed that the West has given the green light to Kiev, it will mean “qualitatively a new phase of tension and a new situation regarding the involvement of the United States.”
The authorized weapons are, specifically, guided supersonic missiles called ATACMS that can carry conventional or cluster heads and have a range of about 300 kilometers.
Biden authorized the use of missiles only in the Russian region of Kursk
US President Joe Biden has authorized Ukraine to use limited long-range missiles, for the moment, to defend its offensive positions in the Russian region of Kursk, where the Moscow army receives the help of thousands of soldiers from North Korea.
CNN and The New York Times report this unprecedented decision by the Biden administration, which will end its mandate on January 20, and which occurs when Moscow has deployed almost 50,000 troops in Kursk, the southern region of Russia where Kiev launched its surprise counteroffensive last summer.
The American network, which cites two officials from the country as sources, assures that the weapons are intended to be used, for the moment and mainly, in Kursk.
For its part, the newspaper highlights that Biden’s decision is an important change in American politics and has divided his advisors, since the measure occurs two months before his successor, the president-elect, Republican Donald J. Trump, takes office, after having promised that he will limit support for Ukraine.
Zelenski on missiles: “Those things are not announced”
Washington had refused to provide ATACMS to Ukraine during the first two years of the war, partly due to concerns about its manufacture, since the powerful missiles require time and complex components to produce them.
But Biden secretly approved the transfer of those missiles in February for use within Ukrainian territory. The United States delivered them in April, and has now allowed them to be used against Russian territory.
In his usual nightly voiceover, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, spoke about the information that appeared in US media about the authorization of the White House.
“The plan to strengthen Ukraine is the ‘Victory Plan’ that I have presented to our partners. One of the key points is about the long-range capabilities of our Army. Today there has been a lot of talk in the media that we would have received permission for these actions. But attacks are not done with words. These things are not announced. The missiles speak for themselves and there is no doubt that they will,” Zelenski said.
International
Israel says 136 food aid boxes airdropped into Gaza by six nations
The Israeli military announced on Sunday that 136 boxes of food aid were airdropped into Gaza by the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Egypt, Germany, and Belgium.
“In recent hours, six countries conducted air drops of 136 aid packages containing food for residents in the southern and northern Gaza Strip,” read the statement, which added that the operation was coordinated by COGAT, the Israeli defense body overseeing civil affairs in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The Israeli military emphasized that they will “continue working to improve the humanitarian response alongside the international community” and reiterated their stance to “refute false allegations of deliberate famine in Gaza.”
The announcement comes as UN agencies warn Gaza faces an imminent risk of famine. More than one in three residents go days without eating, and other nutrition indicators have dropped to their worst levels since the conflict began.
The agencies also noted the difficulty of “collecting reliable data in current conditions, as Gaza’s health systems —already devastated by nearly three years of conflict— are collapsing.”
Meanwhile, Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry reported on Sunday that hospitals in the enclave recorded six deaths from hunger and malnutrition on Saturday, all of them adults.
International
Seven inmates dead, 11 injured after violent riot in Veracruz prison
Seven inmates were killed and eleven others injured in a violent riot and clash inside a penitentiary in the Mexican state of Veracruz, local authorities reported on Sunday.
The disturbance began on Saturday afternoon at the Social Reintegration Center in the port city of Tuxpan, in northern Veracruz, when inmates staged a protest over extortion and assaults allegedly carried out by members of the criminal group known as Grupo Sombra.
The protesting prisoners clashed with another group of inmates and set fires inside and outside the facility, seizing control of the prison for more than 12 hours.
During the takeover, the rioters released several videos, including one showing four prisoners —believed to be members of Grupo Sombra— accusing them of being behind the violence and extortion inside the prison.
It wasn’t until Sunday morning that elements of the Mexican Army, the National Guard, and local police forces managed to enter the prison and regain control. The state’s Public Security Secretariat confirmed that around 9:00 a.m. local time a coordinated operation restored full order and reestablished control of the facility.
Authorities also reported that the fires set by inmates were fully extinguished.
Official figures confirmed the “tragic” deaths of seven inmates and injuries to eleven people, who are now receiving medical treatment in various regional hospitals.
This is the second deadliest riot in Veracruz in the past eight years. In 2018, a violent uprising at the La Toma medium-security prison left seven people dead (six police officers and one unidentified man) and at least 22 injured (15 officers and seven inmates).
The riot follows the kidnapping and killing of retired teacher and taxi driver Irma Hernández, a case that shocked the entire country and was attributed to Grupo Sombra. Images of Hernández kneeling, surrounded by armed men in the municipality of Álamo, sparked nationwide outrage. She was murdered after refusing to pay extortion demands from the criminal organization.
Despite these incidents, Veracruz has not seen a spike in the daily homicide average. In fact, there has been a 1.6% decrease in homicides in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, according to the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System.
In 2023, the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) reported 3,094 incidents in Mexican prisons —an 18.5% increase from the previous year— resulting in 100 deaths and 892 injuries.
International
Study finds COVID-19 vaccines prevented 2.5 million deaths worldwide
COVID-19 vaccines prevented an estimated 2,533,000 deaths worldwide between 2020 and 2024, according to an international study led by Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Italy and Stanford University in the United States, published in the journal JAMA Health Forum. Researchers calculated that one death was prevented for every 5,400 doses administered.
The analysis also found that the vaccines saved 14.8 million years of life, equivalent to one year of life gained for every 900 doses given.
The study, coordinated by Professor Stefania Boccia, revealed that 82% of the lives saved were people vaccinated before becoming infected with the virus, and 57% of deaths avoided occurred during the Omicron wave. In addition, 90% of the beneficiaries were adults over 60 years old.
“This is the most comprehensive analysis to date, based on global data and fewer assumptions about the evolution of the pandemic,” explained Boccia and researcher Angelo Maria Pezzullo.
Israel says 136 food aid boxes airdropped into Gaza by six nations
Seven inmates dead, 11 injured after violent riot in Veracruz prison
Study finds COVID-19 vaccines prevented 2.5 million deaths worldwide
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