Global night of turmoil: Missile strikes, diplomatic moves, and UN disputes

While you were sleeping, world agencies reported significant developments from Thursday night into Friday morning. Here are the key updates:

Explosions echoed through Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa, marking another episode in the ongoing conflict. The first explosion in Dnipropetrovsk, a city in central-eastern Ukraine, occurred at 11:10 PM Eastern Time (Thursday), as the Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform reported, citing public broadcaster Suspilne's Telegram channel. Ukrainian media outlets have confirmed at least two fatalities from the attack. Shortly after, a second blast followed. Minutes before, the Air Force had issued warnings about incoming missiles. At 11:25 PM Eastern Time (Thursday), Serhii Lysak, the regional military administration head, confirmed that air defenses were engaging threats near Dnipropetrovsk. In a related event, Odesa experienced explosions at 11:17 PM Eastern Time (Thursday) after military personnel detected a missile launched from the Black Sea region.

In the early hours, Iran was rocked by explosions. Israeli media have reported an offensive, which an Iranian official denied in a discussion with Reuters, who attributed the blasts to air defense activities. The defense systems were activated across various Iranian regions, including Isfahan and Tabriz. Consequently, flight operations at Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz, and other western airports were halted. The Khomeini airport in Tehran evacuated its premises, leading to the cancellation of all inbound flights, with at least eight aircraft rerouted.

In Pyongyang, Deputy Foreign Ministers from North Korea and Belarus convened, as reported by Reuters, citing KCNA, North Korea's state news agency. Yevgeny Shestakov of Belarus and his North Korean counterpart, Lim Chun Il, discussed bolstering economic and cultural cooperation and mutual support on the international stage. This meeting follows recent North Korean outreach, including delegations to China and Vietnam, as well as hosting representatives from Russia and China.

The United States exercised its veto power against a UN resolution concerning Palestine on Thursday. The vetoed resolution sought the General Assembly's action to include a larger group of member states in voting to grant Palestine full UN membership status. In the Security Council, the resolution garnered support from 12 countries, with the United Kingdom and Switzerland abstaining. Robert Wood, the US Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, referenced a committee report indicating a lack of consensus on Palestine meeting the membership criteria outlined in Article IV of the United Nations Charter.

The US Congress’s delay in approving military aid for Ukraine prompts unsettling comments from Republican Don Bacon. Speaking on C-SPAN on Thursday, Bacon expressed concern over the lack of artillery for Ukraine, stating, "If we don't do this, the Russians will enter Kyiv." He highlighted a disturbing perspective among some of his colleagues, who prefer a Russian victory in the conflict. Bacon criticized this mentality as harmful and extended a plea for essential support to Ukraine in its struggle against Russian aggression.