International
Netanyahu to Iran: “Whoever hurts us, we will hurt him”
The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, issued a message to Iran on Thursday: “Whoever hurts us, we will hurt him.”
“We will know how to defend ourselves and we will act accordingly,” the prime minister said at the beginning of a war cabinet meeting to address, among other things, the threat from Iran, which could retaliate after the attack attributed to Israel in the Iranian consulate in Damascus.
In one that the Jewish State has admitted in a veiled way against the Iranian consulate in Damascus, thirteen people died, including seven Iranian revolutionary guards, in parallel to the war in the Gaza Strip.
“For years, Iran has gone against us directly and through its emissaries, and therefore, Israel has gone against Iran and its emissaries, defensively and offensively,” Netanyahu said.
Israeli media point out that Israel is closing embassies around the world for fear of Iranian reprisals. According to the newspaper Maariv, some employees have been asked not to go to work in the next few days.
The Israeli Army suspended vacation permits to all troops “after a new security assessment,” the same argument with which yesterday increased the personnel and number of reservists serving in the air forces, in “maximum alert” before the possibility of attacks with missiles or drones from Iran or some of its pro-Irani satellite militias in the region, such as Hizbulah in Lebanon.
“The Israel Defense Forces are at war and the issue of the deployment of forces is constantly reviewed as necessary,” said a military statement about these decisions that have aroused concern among Israelis.
“His responsible behavior on the internal front saves lives. My only recommendation is to be alert and attentive to updates,” said the spokesman for the Israeli Army, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, although he warned that at the moment there are no changes in the instructions for civilians.
The president of Iran, Ibrahim Raisi, yesterday launched a serious threat to Israel, after the attack attributed to this country, in which senior Iranian officials were killed, including Mohamed Reza Zahedi, commander of the Quds Force of Syria and Lebanon.
“The attack will not go unanswered. Zionists must know that they will never achieve their evil goals through such inhumane actions,” he said.
He was joined by the supreme leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, who even promised to take revenge on Israel for the attack on Damascus, pointing out that Israel “will regret it,” while Iran’s ambassador to Syria stressed that “Israel crossed the red lines.”
Israel’s attack on Monday in Damascus is the worst blow to the elite military corps after the death of Qasem Soleimani, an Iranian general who led the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guard until he was eliminated by the United States in 2020 in a bombing in Iraq.
International
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.
All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.
The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.
The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.
“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.
International
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.
“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.
Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.
According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.
International
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.
The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.
Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.
Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.
The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.
Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.
Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.
In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.
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