KYIV: Russia admitted two years into its invasion of Ukraine on Friday that it was “in a state of war,” as it launched a massive wave of missile and drone attacks on its neighbour’s territory.

Russia fired almost 90 missiles and more than 60 Iranian-designed kamikaze drones, damaging dozens of energy facilities including power stations, in what Ukrainian officials said was an attempt to cripple the country’s electricity and heating supply.

Russia said the wave of strikes was retaliation for a series of Ukrainian attacks on its border regions in recent weeks.

At least five people were killed and more than 20 injured, according to Ukraine’s interior ministry and local officials.

“We are in a state of war,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview to a pro-Kremlin newspaper, published on Friday.

Fires 90 missiles, 60 drones, damages energy facilities

The admission marks an escalation in official language used to describe the conflict, which the Kremlin initially referred to as a “special military operation”.

“Yes, it started as a special military operation, but as soon as this bunch was formed there, when the collective West became a participant on Ukraine’s side, for us it already became a war,” Peskov said.

“De jure (legally) it is a special military operation. But de facto it has turned into a war,” he added.

Moscow often accuses the West of direct participation in the conflict by supplying Ukraine with weapons.

Calling Friday’s strikes “retaliation” for recent Ukrainian attacks, Moscow’s defence ministry said it had targeted Ukraine’s “energy sites, military-industrial complex, railway hubs and arsenals.” “All of the objectives of the massive strike were achieved,” it said.

‘Largest on record’

Ukraine’s state-run power grid, Ukrenergo, said the attack on the energy network was the “largest on record.” It said “dozens of power system facilities have been damaged,” including thermal and hydroelectric power plants.

More than 1.5 million people were left without power across at least eight regions, the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appealed once again on Friday for more Western arms, blasting political “indecision” that he said was costing Ukrainian lives.

Ukraine has struggled with shortages of both air defences to protect its skies and ammunition on the ground, as a vital $60 billion military aid package is currently held up in the US Congress.

“Russian missiles do not have delays, as do aid packages to our country. The ‘Shahed’ (drones) have no indecision, like some politicians. It is important to understand the cost of delays and postponed decisions,” he said.

“We need air defence to protect people, infrastructure, homes and dams. Our partners know exactly what is needed. They can definitely support us... Life must be protected from these non-humans from Moscow.”

Ukraine’s air force said it shot down 37 of the 88 missiles fired overnight and 55 of 63 drones.

Camouflage-clad gunmen opened fire at concertgoers with automatic weapons on Friday, killing at least 60 people and injuring 145 more in an attack claimed by Islamic State militants.

In the deadliest attack in Russia since the 2004 Beslan school siege, gunmen sprayed civilians with bullets just before Soviet-era rock group “Picnic” was to perform to a full house at the 6,200-seat the Crocus City Hall just west of Moscow.

Verified video showed people taking their seats in the hall, then rushing for the exits as repeated gunfire echoed above screams. Other video showed men shooting at groups of people. Some victims lay motionless in pools of blood.

“Suddenly there were bangs behind us — shots. A burst of firing — I do not know what,” one witness, who asked not to be identified by name, told Reuters.

“A stampede began. Everyone ran to the escalator,” the witness said.

“Everyone was screaming; everyone was running.”

Russian investigators said the death toll was more than 60. Health officials said about 145 people were wounded, of which about 60 were in critical condition.

In the 2004 Beslan school siege, Islamist militants took more than 1,000 people, including hundreds of children, hostage.

Russian President Vladimir Putin was being updated by security chiefs about the situation, including from Alexander Bortnikov, the head of the Federal Security Service (FSB), the Kremlin said.

Russian investigators published pictures of a Kalashnikov automatic weapon, vests with multiple spare magazines and bags of spent bullet casings.

Islamic State
Islamic State, the militant group that once sought control over swathes of Iraq and Syria, claimed responsibility for the attack, the group’s Amaq agency said on Telegram.

A grainy picture was published by some Russian media of two of the alleged attackers in a white car.

The fate of the attackers was unclear as firefighters battled a massive blaze and emergency services evacuated hundreds of people while parts of the venue’s roof collapsed.

Islamic State said its fighters attacked on the outskirts of Moscow, “killing and wounding hundreds and causing great destruction to the place before they withdrew to their bases safely.” The statement gave no further detail.

The United States has intelligence confirming Islamic State’s claim of responsibility for the shooting, a US official said on Friday. The official said Washington had warned Moscow in recent weeks of the possibility of an attack.

“We did warn the Russians appropriately,” said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity, without providing any additional details.

Russia has yet to say who it thinks is responsible.

The attack on Crocus City Hall, about 20 km from the Kremlin, comes just two weeks after the US embassy in Russia warned that “extremists” had imminent plans for an attack in Moscow.

Hours before the embassy warning, the FSB said it had foiled an attack on a Moscow synagogue by Islamic State’s affiliate in Afghanistan, known as ISIS-Khorasan or ISIS-K, and seeks a caliphate across Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Iran.

Putin changed the course of the Syrian civil war by intervening in 2015, supporting President Bashar al-Assad against the opposition and Islamic State.

“ISIS-K has been fixated on Russia for the past two years, frequently criticising Putin in its propaganda,” said Colin Clarke of the Soufan Center.

The broader Islamic State group has claimed deadly attacks across the Middle East, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Europe, the Philippines and Sri Lanka.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said it was a “bloody terrorist attack” that the entire world should condemn.

The United States, European and Arab powers and many former Soviet republics expressed shock and sent their condolences. Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak denied any Ukrainian involvement.

The United Nations Security Council condemned what it called a “heinous and cowardly terrorist attack.”

Security tightened
Russia tightened security at airports, transport hubs and across the capital — a vast urban area of over 21 million people. All large-scale public events were cancelled across the country.

Putin, who was on Sunday re-elected for a new six-year term, sent thousands of troops into Ukraine in 2022 and has repeatedly warned that various powers — including countries in the West — are seeking to sow chaos inside Russia.

Putin was informed in the first minutes of the attack and is regularly being updated, the Kremlin said.

“The president constantly receives information about what is happening and about the measures being taken through all relevant services. The head of state gave all the necessary instructions,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.

At Crocus City Hall, flames leapt into the sky, and plumes of black smoke rose above the venue as hundreds of blue lights from emergency vehicles flashed in the night.

Helicopters sought to douse flames that engulfed the large building. The roof of the venue was collapsing, state news agency RIA said.

“A terrible tragedy occurred in the shopping centre Crocus City today,” Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. “I am sorry for the loved ones of the victims.”

US had warned Russia of possible terror attack on ‘large gatherings’: White House
The United States warned Russian authorities earlier in March about a terrorist attack possibly targeting “large gatherings” in Moscow, the White House said hours after the mass shooting.

“Earlier this month, the US government had information about a planned terrorist attack in Moscow — potentially targeting large gatherings, to include concerts” and Washington “shared this information with Russian authorities,” National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said.

Watson said the administration of US President Joe Biden was complying with a long-standing “duty to warn” policy, in which the United States alerts nations or groups when it receives intelligence of specific threats to kidnap or kill multiple victims.

Condemnations
Pakistan has condemned the attack and expressed its deepest sympathies with families of the victims.

“We strongly condemn the horrendous attack carried out at a concert hall in Moscow,” the Foreign Office shared in a statement on X.

“At this difficult hour, we stand in solidarity with the people and Government of the Russian Federation.”

Separately, state-run PTV posted on X that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the dastardly terrorist attack in Russia. “Our prayers are with the families of the bereaved in their hour of grief.”

Chinese President Xi Jinping sent his “condolences” to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

Xi “stressed that China opposes all form of terrorism, strongly condemns the terrorist attack and firmly supports the Russian government’s efforts to safeguard its national security and stability,” state-run news agency Xinhua reported.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also condemned the “heinous terrorist attack”.

“We strongly condemn the heinous terrorist attack in Moscow,” Modi said in a social media post on X, formerly Twitter.

“India stands in solidarity with the government and the people of the Russian Federation in this hour of grief.”

WASHINGTON: More than a third of the US Senate’s Democrats called on President Joe Biden’s administration on Wednesday to take “bold” action towards establishing a Palestinian state, in the latest pushback against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The letter to Biden comes days after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the country’s highest-ranking Jewish elected leader and longtime advocate for Israel, sent shock waves with a speech criticising Netanyahu’s conduct of the Gaza war and urging new Israeli elections.

Nineteen Democratic senators led by Tom Carper, a longtime ally of Biden from his home state of Delaware, in the letter said that the Middle East crisis had “reached an inflection point” that required US leadership beyond past “facilitation” of Israeli-Palestinian talks.

“As such, we request the Biden administration promptly establish a bold, public framework outlining the steps necessary” to establish a Palestinian state over both the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the senators wrote.

In a letter to President Biden, 19 senators call for a ‘regional peace initiative’

The senators said an independent Palestinian state would be “non-militarised” — a terminology embraced by former president Bill Clinton in his peace push two decades ago — and would both recognise Israel and renounce Hamas, whose bloody October 7 attack in Israel triggered the massive military operation.

The senators called for a “regional peace initiative” that would integrate Israel — an allusion to ongoing attempts to persuade Saudi Arabia to offer normalisation with Israel, the focus of the latest visit to the kingdom by Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Biden and Blinken have repeatedly voiced support for a two-state solution but did little to advance it before the crisis, aware that Netanyahu and his hard-right government are firmly against the idea.

The senators said they have been “particularly disappointed” by Netanyahu’s “refusal to engage on a path to a Palestinian state.” “The diplomatic steps that you and your administration have taken have been of utmost importance, and we urge you to do even more,” the senators wrote to Biden.

House speaker embraces Netanyahu

Other senators signing the letter included Dick Durbin, the Democrats’ number two, and Chris Coons, the other senator from Delaware and a Biden confidant. Schumer’s name was not on the letter but he also voiced support for a two-state solution in his speech.

Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, has built close relations with the rival Republican Party, whose presumptive nominee to challenge Biden in November, Donald Trump, staunchly backed Israeli positions during his time as president.

Speaker Mike Johnson, the top elected US Republican, said he spoke with Netanyahu at length by telephone on Wednesday and expressed “strong disagreement” with Schumer’s speech.

“We think it is not only foolhardy, it’s dangerous for him to be trying to suggest how Israel should run its domestic affairs in the midst of their conflict,” Johnson told reporters afterward.

Netanyahu in a CNN interview on Sunday called Schumer’s speech “totally inappropriate,” saying Israel was not a “banana republic.”

The United Kingdom and Australia inked a new defence agreement in Canberra on Thursday, as they try to boost a fledgling nuclear-powered submarine programme with the United States.

UK defence minister Grant Shapps signed the agreement in Canberra with his counterpart Richard Marles, establishing a legal framework that makes it easier to host troops and share military intelligence.

The agreement stops short of a full mutual defence pact, which would bind one side to intervene if the other was attacked.

But it does include a “commitment to consult” about emerging threats and establishes a “status of forces agreement”, which makes it easier to host soldiers from the other nation.

“It is extraordinary, actually, the United Kingdom and Australia didn’t already have a defence cooperation treaty in place,” Shapps said after the signing ceremony.

Alongside the United States, Australia and the UK are members of the fledgling AUKUS defence alliance — a landmark pact aimed at curbing Chinese military expansion in the Asia-Pacific.

Barely two years old, there are already signs the AUKUS programme is under threat — and some fear Donald Trump could scrap it completely if he returns to power next year.

Australian National University security analyst David Andrews said Thursday’s agreement gave the stalling AUKUS plan some much-needed momentum.

“If there was a Trump administration at end of year, and for whatever reason they were not interested in pursuing the agreement, or not in the same way it is envisioned now, there is potential for a heavier bilateral pathway,” Andrews told AFP.

A major pillar of the AUKUS pact is a promise to help Australia build and acquire a fleet of potent nuclear-powered submarines, one of its biggest-ever military upgrades.

Thursday’s agreement would make it easier, for example, for Australian sailors to train on the UK’s nuclear subs, or for British crews to be based in Australia.

“This is a reflection of increased engagement between our two defence forces,” said Australian defence minister Marles.

“And it will greatly streamline the ability for us to work together.”

Consult on threats
London and Canberra have pledged to consult each other if looming regional threats start veering towards conflict.

“I think one of the most important elements is it describes a mechanism by which we consult when either of our countries are under threat,” said Shapps.

Australia is deeply involved in US-led efforts to counter China’s increasingly assertive behaviour in the Asia-Pacific.

Among a host of other initiatives included in the deal is “closer collaboration on undersea warfare”, and greater UK contribution to Australian-hosted joint military exercises.

Australia has also agreed to join a coalition with the UK and Latvia that aims to supply drones for the Ukrainian war effort.

The UK has been a major backer of Ukraine in its grinding war against invading Russian forces.

High-level talks are slated to continue on Friday, when UK foreign secretary David Cameron meets Australian foreign minister Penny Wong in Adelaide.

Earlier this week Australia played host to Beijing’s top diplomat Wang Yi, who returned to the country for the first time since 2017.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s key diplomatic allies have begun discussions with the new government’s economic team to foster bilateral and multilateral economic and financial cooperation.

European Union Ambassador to Pakistan Dr Riina Kionka, US and China’s envoys Donald Blome and Jiang Zaidong met Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb in the last four days.

The three envoys met the finance minister at a time when Pakistan was busy reaching a Staff-Level Agreement with the International Monetary Fund to secure the release of the final tranche of $1.1 billion under the current $3bn Stand-By Arrangement (SBA).

Official announcements issued after the meetings confirmed support from the three countries in various areas.

The ambassadors welcomed the appointment of Mr Aurangzeb as finance minister and assured their country’s support in financial and economic relations.

Meanwhile, the European Union’s delegation in Islamabad had earlier clarified that it had not received any formal communication from the PTI regarding the GSP+ status currently held by Pakistan. The PML-N government accused the PTI of writing a letter to the EU to change Pakistan’s status of GSP+. This accusation was also rejected by the PTI.

In this context, the meeting of the EU ambassador with the finance minister was a crucial step towards dispelling the negative impression left by the PMLN leader on the GSP+ status.

At the same time, the meeting with US Ambassador Donald Blome is extremely significant. Pakistan might require US assistance for the next long-term loan arrangement with the IMF. The government is concerned that the PTI has issued a letter to the IMF, which may cause difficulties for the government in entering the accord.

Mr Aurangzeb in a meeting with the US ambassador reiterated his government’s commitment to completing the ongoing IMF programme and continuing the economic reform process initiated under the Extended Fund Facility 2019 and the SBA, with a focus on achieving fiscal and debt sustainability, social protection, and rebuilding foreign exchange reserves.

He outlined the government’s foremost priority of bringing reforms in the Federal Board of Revenue to prevent revenue leakages through end-to-end digitisation, enhancing the state-owned enterprise reforms, strengthening social protection measures, improving public financial management, implementing energy sector reforms, removing distortionary subsidies, and fostering private sector-led economic growth.

During a meeting with the Chinese ambassador, the finance minister expressed gratitude to the Chinese leadership for their invaluable assistance to Pakistan in a variety of sectors, highlighting the rollover of SAFE deposits and the refinancing of commercial loans, which have significantly contributed to Pakistan’s economic stability.

UAE’s ambassador to Pakistan Hamad Obaid Ibrahim Salim Alzaabi also met Mr Aurangzeb and discussed matters regarding bilateral relations and economic cooperation between Pakistan and the UAE.

RIYADH: King Saud University (KSU) has achieved a new global milestone by entering the Guinness World Record for the largest dental hospital in the world, with a total area of 37,165 square meters.

This achievement confirms the university's commitment to providing healthcare services, supporting medical education, training programs, and scientific research, in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.

The university's medical city provides treatment services through its three campus hospitals and eight affiliated centers of excellence. The development programs of the university's medical city and the expansion of its healthcare network have contributed to meeting the needs of patients and the local community.

This achievement comes after the university's medical city obtained an advanced position in the global ranking of the top 250 hospitals in the world. According to the FINANCE BRAND ranking this year, it was ranked 64th globally and third locally.

The university's dental hospital is one of the leading dental hospitals in the world, providing comprehensive educational, training, surgical, and consultative services in various specialties, such as cleft lip and palate clinics, dentistry for patients with special needs and autism, and oral and maxillofacial pain clinics, in addition to the pathology laboratory for diseases of the mouth, face, and jaws.