Spain to send frigate to Cyprus after drone strike by Iran
The Straits Times
The frigate will head for the Mediterranean after a mission in the Baltic Sea. Read more at straitstimes.com.
MADRID – Spain will send its most advanced frigate to protect Cyprus after a drone strike on a British base on the Mediterranean island sucked it into the Middle East war, the defence ministry said on March 5.
The announcement comes as Madrid faces intense US pressure for refusing to allow Washington to use its bases against Iran, triggering threats of trade reprisals from US President Donald Trump.
On March 4, the White House said Spain had agreed to “cooperate with the US military”, only for Spain to reaffirm its stance on its bases and its opposition to the war.
Spain’s Cristobal Colon frigate will join French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and Greek navy ships to “offer protection and aerial defence” and “support any evacuation of civilians”, said a defence ministry statement.
The frigate will head for the Mediterranean after a mission with the Charles de Gaulle in the Baltic Sea and is scheduled to arrive at the Greek island of Crete around March 10, the ministry said.
France, Britain, Italy and Greece have also announced the deployment of sea and air resources to EU member Cyprus after the runway of the Akrotiri airbase was attacked by an Iranian drone on March 2. AFP
It would serve as a way to formalise the kinds of things the US should be importing from and exporting to China. Read more at straitstimes.com.
BBC argued that Donald Trump's subsequent re-election showed it did not harm his reputation. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Upgrades include better active noise cancellation and an improved microphone system. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Some 350 oil tankers, some loaded and some empty, are currently stranded in the area. Read more at straitstimes.com.
GENEVA, March 16 - The head of a U.N. investigation said on Monday that an Israeli air strike on a prison last year was a war crime, and warned of risks of further repression following the current U.S.-Israeli bombings. Read more at straitstimes.com.
The negotiations were held over the weekend and concluded on March 16. Read more at straitstimes.com.
BERLIN/BRUSSELS/LONDON, March 16 - U.S. allies said they had no immediate plans to send ships to unblock the Strait of Hormuz, rebuffing a request by President Donald Trump for military support to keep the vital waterway open. Read more at straitstimes.com.
VATICAN CITY, March 16 - Pope Leo met on Monday with an investigative journalist who alleges that a prominent Catholic organisation with ties to right-wing politicians in the U.S. and other countries covered up sexual and financial crimes, which the group firmly denies. Read more at straitstimes.com.
China urged an immediate ceasefire after deadly cross-border clashes flared. Read more at straitstimes.com.
DEBRECEN, Hungary, March 16 - Istvan Hollo, a 76-year-old supporter of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, spends up to an hour daily on Facebook promoting the right-wing leader's messages to bolster his chances in an April 12 parliamentary election. Read more at straitstimes.com.
The two former ministers are set to return to the fold as UMNO seeks to strengthen its position ahead of upcoming state and federal elections. Read more at straitstimes.com.
The phone will debut alongside an Oppo AI Pen accessory. Read more at straitstimes.com.
MADRID, March 16 - Spain will not take part in any military mission in the Strait of Hormuz because it considers the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran to be illegal, Madrid's defence and foreign affairs ministers said on Monday. Read more at straitstimes.com.