UN chief arrives in Kyiv after Moscow stop; Russia releases U.S. Marine veteran Trevor Reed.Russia's gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria were halted Wednesday with Moscow's state gas giant Gazprom telling them that supplies would only resume if and when they paid for the gas in Russian rubles. Gas prices in Europe have risen as a result and the euro has fallen against the dollar.The move comes as tensions remain high between Western allies and Russia after Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday said the threat of a nuclear war is very significant and the risks should not be underestimated.U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who visited Kyiv last weekend, responded to those comments Tuesday, calling the nuclear war rhetoric "very dangerous and unhelpful."The U.S. also said it plans to se
Israel said it launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran in coordination with the United States on Saturday (Feb 28), pushing the Middle East into a renewed military confrontation and further dimming hopes for a diplomatic solution to Tehran's long-running nuclear dispute with the West. Explosions were heard in Tehran on Saturday, Iranian media reported, and sirens sounded across Israel at around 8.15am local time in what the military said was a proactive alert to prepare the public for the possibility of an incoming missile strike. The Israeli military announced the closure of schools and workplaces, with exceptions for essential sectors, and a ban on public airspace. Israel closed its airspace to civilian flights, and the airports authority asked the public not to go to any of the count