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NATO: Ukraine Still Receiving Arms Despite Mideast War

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte via Reuters/File
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte via Reuters/File
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NATO: Ukraine Still Receiving Arms Despite Mideast War

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte via Reuters/File
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte via Reuters/File

Ukraine is still getting essential defense equipment despite the war in the Middle East, which is depleting stockpiles in Europe and the United States, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Thursday.

"The good news is that essential equipment into Ukraine continues to flow," he told reporters. That included American-made Patriot missile interceptors, which Ukraine desperately needs, he added, AFP reported.

The PURL program, launched last year, allows Ukraine to receive US equipment financed by European countries.

Some 75 percent of the missiles used by Patriot batteries in Ukraine have been supplied through the program, and 90 percent of the munitions used by other air-defense systems, Rutte added.

Rutte called on European countries to increase their own production capacity.

"They need to produce more extra production lines, extra shifts, opening new factories. The money is there," he said.

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World

Germany FM Says 'Encouraging' if US Speaking Directly to Iran

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul. (Reuters: File Photo)
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul. (Reuters: File Photo)
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Germany FM Says 'Encouraging' if US Speaking Directly to Iran

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul. (Reuters: File Photo)
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul. (Reuters: File Photo)

Germany's foreign minister Thursday said it was encouraging if the United States was talking directly to Iran to end the war in the Middle East, but Washington should make its intentions clear.

"I hear that there are signs that the US is speaking directly to Iran. I think that this is encouraging and this is welcome," Johann Wadephul told reporters before heading into the meeting of G7 foreign ministers outside Paris, AFP reported.

With US Secretary of State Marco Rubio set to join the discussions from Friday, he added: "For the German government it is of great importance to know precisely what our American partners are intending."

World

US Envoy Witkoff Says Iran is Seeking an Off-ramp

US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, US, March 26, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, US, March 26, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
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US Envoy Witkoff Says Iran is Seeking an Off-ramp

US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, US, March 26, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, US, March 26, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

The United States has sent Iran a "15-point action list" as a basis for negotiations to end the current conflict, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said on Thursday, adding that there are signs that Tehran was interested in making a deal.

 

Witkoff, speaking during a cabinet meeting at the White House, said that the nascent talks could be successful if the Iranians realize there were no good alternatives - a realization Tehran might be coming to, he argued, Reuters reported.

 

"We will see where things lead, and if we can convince Iran that this is the inflection point with no good alternatives for them other than more death and destruction," Witkoff told reporters.

 

"We have strong signs that this is a possibility."

 

Witkoff said Pakistan had been acting as a mediator, confirming statements from Pakistani officials.

 

 

 

World

Knife-wielding Man Kills Woman at Tokyo Pokemon Shop before Taking his Own Life

Police officers walk toward a commercial complex to investigate where a female employee at a Pokemon merchandise shop was stabbed to death at Ikebukuro district in Tokyo, Japan March 26, 2026, in this photo taken by Kyodo. Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS
Police officers walk toward a commercial complex to investigate where a female employee at a Pokemon merchandise shop was stabbed to death at Ikebukuro district in Tokyo, Japan March 26, 2026, in this photo taken by Kyodo. Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS
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Knife-wielding Man Kills Woman at Tokyo Pokemon Shop before Taking his Own Life

Police officers walk toward a commercial complex to investigate where a female employee at a Pokemon merchandise shop was stabbed to death at Ikebukuro district in Tokyo, Japan March 26, 2026, in this photo taken by Kyodo. Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS
Police officers walk toward a commercial complex to investigate where a female employee at a Pokemon merchandise shop was stabbed to death at Ikebukuro district in Tokyo, Japan March 26, 2026, in this photo taken by Kyodo. Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS

A man brandishing a knife stabbed a woman in a Pokemon store in downtown Tokyo before turning the knife on himself, leaving both dead, Japanese police said Thursday.

Officers rushed to the scene in a popular shopping center after receiving an emergency call reporting a rampage by a knife-wielding man.

Police said the woman, who was stabbed in the neck, was in her 20s and believed to be an employee at the Pokemon store on the second floor of the Sunshine City building, which houses shops and offices, The AP news reported.

The attacker then stabbed himself in the neck, Tokyo police said. Both the attacker and the victim were in critical condition when they were taken to hospital and were later pronounced dead, police said.

Police said they are investigating the attack as murder.

The Pokemon Company, in a statement posted on X, said the store, Pokemon Center Mega Tokyo, will be closed until further notice as it prioritizes cooperation with the police investigation and support for the store staff.

“We deeply apologize to our customers for the tremendous worry and inconveniences,” the company said.

A man who was at the Pokemon shop, which was crowded with dozens of other customers including children, told the Asahi that he ran out when he heard a woman screaming for help and noise of shelves crashing down to the floor. When he turned back he saw a store staff with blood stains on his shirt and a man wearing black clothes forcing his way into a sales counter.

Japan's NHK public television said shoppers fled the area, while employees in nearby stores pulled down the shutters for safety.

Japan has strict gun control laws and violent crimes are still rare, but there have been a number of high-profile knife attacks in recent years.