Iran has arrested actress Shohreh Ghamar over charges of “spreading psychological insecurity in society” after she wished Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a quick recovery. The IRGC-affiliated Tasnim and Fars news agencies declared that the actress was arrested for publishing content that supports rioters, offending officials, wishing a quick recovery for the Israeli prime minister, backing the Zionist entity, and provoking chaos in the street.
A Ukrainian drone was shot down early Friday outside Moscow, Russia’s defense ministry said. It was the third drone strike or attempt on the capital region this month. The ministry said there were no injuries or damage in the early morning incident. It did not give details about where the drone was shot down, but said it took place in the Moscow Oblast, a region that surrounds but does not include the city itself. The shootdown adds to concern about Moscow's vulnerability to attack as the war drags into its 18th month.
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned on Friday what he called a dangerous military coup in Niger and said he was working with regional leaders in the Sahel area of Africa to defend democracy there. "We call on President Bazoum to be freed," Macron said from Papua New Guinea, adding that France supported regional organizations if they decided sanctions against putsch leaders.
Russian President Vladimir Putin told African leaders on Friday Moscow respected their peace proposal on Ukraine and was carefully studying it. Putin also told a Russia-Africa summit that Russia was increasing food supplies to Africa, including some free grain shipments which he announced a day earlier, and was interested in developing military cooperation with the continent. African leaders presented their peace initiative last month to both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, but it has failed to gain traction with either side.
An Iranian deal to supply Bolivia with drones threatens its relationship with Argentina, which demanded explanations on the agreement concluded last week, and raised security concerns in the region. Bolivian Defense Minister Edmundo Novillo confirmed his country's interest in obtaining Iranian drone technology to protect its borders and combat smuggling and drug trafficking.