Iran’s interior minister on Monday blamed “negligence” for a massive explosion that killed 70 people at the country’s largest commercial port, with firefighters still battling a blaze at the facility two days later.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday branded a three-day truce announced by his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin as an “attempt at manipulation”.

Global military spending surged to a record $2.718 trillion in 2024, marking the steepest increase since the Cold War. India ranks as the fifth-largest military spender, allocating $86 billion, but faces challenges from China and Pakistan.