Didn't give up anything to Putin in Helsinki: Trump
Washington, July 24 : US President Donald Trump has emphasised that he did not make any concessions to his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, a week after their controversial summit in Helsinki.
"When you hear the Fake News talking negatively about my meeting with President Putin, and all that I gave up, remember, I gave up NOTHING, we merely talked about future benefits for both countries," Trump tweeted on Monday, Efe news reported.
"Also, we got along very well, which is a good thing, except for the Corrupt Media!" the President added in the same tweet, referring to himself and Putin.
Trump received a landslide of criticism in the US - from Democrats and some Republicans -- after the Helsinki summit last week in which he stated that he believed Putin's denial of Kremlin interference in the 2016 US presidential vote.
Later, the President backtracked by affirming that he had "misspoken" and said he believed the reports of the US intelligence agencies, including the FBI and the CIA, that Moscow tried to interfere in the 2016 presidential election in which he defeated his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton.
However, a few days later, US public opinion moved against Trump again when the news emerged that he had invited Putin to a second summit in Washington in the autumn.
That invitation opens up the possibility that the Russian leader may visit Washington just before or after the US mid-term elections, scheduled for November 6, despite fears that Russian intelligence agencies are trying -- or may try -- to interfere in those contests, as they presumably did in 2016.
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Lebanon: Israeli airstrikes kill 29 in Beirut as Israel intensifies attacks
Beirut: A new wave of Israeli airstrikes targeted Beirut and its southern suburbs, escalating the ongoing conflict with Hezbollah. The attacks follow a deadly assault the previous day that left 29 dead and 66 injured in the Lebanese capital.
On Sunday, the Israeli military announced that it had carried out "intelligence-based strikes" against Hezbollah command centers in Beirut's southern neighborhoods, including Haret Hreik, Burj Barajneh, and Hadath, as reported by Xinhua news agency. Within just 30 minutes, local TV station al-Jadeed documented 12 airstrikes in the area.
Videos shared online captured plumes of dense black smoke rising from the targeted suburbs, indicating the intensity of the bombardment. Prior to the strikes, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee used social media to warn residents to evacuate several buildings in the southern part of the city.
The fresh wave of airstrikes follows a Saturday attack on an eight-storey residential building in Beirut’s Basta Fawka neighborhood. While Israeli reports suggested the target was a senior Hezbollah official, Lebanese lawmaker and Hezbollah member Amin Sherri denied any political or military figures were present in the building during the assault.
In retaliation, Hezbollah declared it had destroyed five Israeli Merkava tanks in southern Lebanon using guided missiles on Sunday. The group also claimed to have launched attacks on several locations in northern Israel, including Kerem ben Zimra and Kfar Blum.
The hostilities have intensified since September 23, with Israeli forces increasing airstrikes on Lebanon and launching a ground offensive across the northern border in early October.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry released figures on Sunday indicating that Israeli airstrikes have resulted in 3,754 deaths and 15,626 injuries since the conflict reignited on October 8, 2023.
