Press TV's news headlines

Saudi decision slammed 

Lebanon’s resistance movement Hezbollah has censured Saudi Arabia for opening its airspace to all flights to and from the Israeli-occupied territories. The deputy head of Hezbollah’s executive council says the decision is a 'grave insult' to all Muslims worldwide and is seen as a provocative act against them. Sheikh Nabil Qaouk says security and military cooperation with Israel will make Saudi Arabia a partner in the regime’s aggression against Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine. He said this is a betrayal of the entire Islamic community. On Friday, ahead of a controversial visit by US President Biden, Saudi Arabia opened its airspace to all airlines, including those from Israel. That is seen as a step toward normalization of relations between Riyadh and Tel Aviv. In a US-backed move, some Arab countries, including Bahrain and the UAE, restored ties with Israel in 2020. The normalization triggered strong protests across the Muslim world with the Palestinians complaining they had been stabbed in the back.

Russia-Ukraine war 

As fighting rages in eastern Ukraine, Russia says it has shot down a Ukrainian MI-17 helicopter near the town of Sloviansk. This comes after Moscow said it would step up its military activities in all operational areas. Russia’s defense minister says the army has destroyed a depot in an industrial zone in the southern city of Odesa using long-range air-based missiles. The depot is said to have stored Harpoon anti-ship missiles delivered to Ukraine by NATO. In recent days, Russia has focused its attacks on Sloviansk, which is a symbolically important city in the eastern region of Donetsk. Kiev says dozens of people have been killed in Russian shelling of urban areas in the past three days. Moscow says its targets do not include civilian spots.

Europe wildfires 

Firefighters struggle to contain wildfires as devastating flames sweep across southwestern Europe with no signs of abating. Blazes raging in France, Greece, Portugal, and Spain have destroyed thousands of hectares of land. Scores of people have been forced to evacuate their homes. Since last week, several emergency personnel have lost their lives. In Portugal, almost the entire country is on high alert. The fire has been triggered by an unprecedented heat wave in parts of the continent. In Britain, the weather office has issued a first-ever red warning for extreme heat, cautioning that there is a risk to life. Scientists blame climate change and warn that further frequent and intense episodes of extreme weather are in prospect.

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