BOSTON (AP) — Two men, including a dual Iranian American citizen, have been arrested on charges that they exported sensitive technology to Iran that was used in a drone attack in Jordan that killed three American troops early this year and injured dozens of other service members, the Justice Department said Monday. The criminal case in federal court in Massachusetts charges the men, identified as Mahdi Mohammad Sadeghi and Mohammad Abedininajafabadi, with export control violations. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Actor Prajakta Mali on Saturday slammed BJP MLA Suresh Dhas for allegedly dragging her name in his attempt to target NCP minister Dhananjay Munde in the , reported the PTI. The row began after Dhas spoke about "event management politics" and "Parli pattern" while attacking Munde. Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog, was abducted, tortured and murdered in Beed on December 9 for attempting to thwart an extortion bid on an energy firm. While several persons have been arrested so far, a political tussle is underway over Walmik Karad, an accused in the extortion case linked to the murder and who is reportedly a close aide of Parli MLA Dhananjay Munde, according to the PTI. Addressing a press conference, Prajakta Mali said Dhas' comments were in bad taste, entirely baseless and asserted women, especially actors, should not be made soft targets, as per the PTI. Prajakta Mali said that her silence over video clips and fake news circulating over the past one-and-half months on social media pertaining to her visit to Parli for a cultural event should not seen as "my consent". "Artistes choose to stay away from such mudslinging. But Suresh Dhas is an elected representative and what he says and the manner in which he says it have to be taken seriously. Dhas' remarks are false and baseless. His remarks linking me to Dhananjay Munde are derogatory," the actor emphasised. She said her family and friends believed in her when such negativity was being spread on social media but it needs to be taken seriously when an MLA makes such comments. Mali said she has sought a public apology from Dhas and is contemplating legal action against the Ashti MLA. "I had been to Parli for a cultural event, an award function. Artistes like me travel to several cities to entertain audiences. Why name just women? Haven't male actors attended such programmes organised by politicians? Dhas has used my name for his selfish interests," she said, the news agency reported. Asserting that such comments not only malign women but also show a person's mindset, Mali informed that she has lodged a complaint with the Maharashtra State Women's Commission. Dhas, meanwhile, said there was no question of apologising to Mali and asserted he had not said anything objectionable. "I don't know her and she is not my enemy. She should rewind and hear what I said yesterday," Dhas said, as per the PTI. The actor said she will meet seeking that social media platforms, portals and media be held accountable for maligning women. Incidentally, Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule has asked Dhas to desist from publicly attacking Munde over the sarpanch murder case. "I will ask Dhas to share any information he possesses directly with the chief minister rather than going public. I will tell him not to make any comments which will hamper the (murder) probe, " Chandrashekhar Bawankule told reporters on Friday, the PTI reported. (with PTI inputs)
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(CNN) — The US’ key anti-ISIS partners in Syria said on Wednesday that the ISIS detention facilities they guard are coming under attack and that they have been forced to halt anti-ISIS operations, complicating the US military’s efforts to prevent the terror group from reconstituting following the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad . US officials have been scrambling to ensure that the terrorists can’t regroup in Syria and have carried out dozens of airstrikes on ISIS targets in recent days, as dozens of competing factions, including some backed by Turkey, now vie for control in different parts of the country. But the US’ most important partner there, the SDF, has come under relentless attack by Turkish-backed militants in recent days, raising concerns among US officials and experts about the security of the more than 20 detention facilities and camps holding suspected ISIS members and their families in northern Syria. The SDF is largely made up of Kurdish fighters from a group known as the Peoples’ Protection Units (YPG), which is considered a terrorist organization by neighboring Turkey. The SDF’s top commander in Syria, General Mazloum Abdi, told CNN on Wednesday that the SDF has had to begin relocating ISIS detainees because the prisons have been threatened. “With the increasing threats that faced the city of Manbij, we relocated ISIS detainees from the prisons there to other, more secure detention facilities,” Mazloum said. “As Turkey-backed factions advanced toward the city center, cells launched attacks on detention centers holding both civilians and terrorists,” he added. “Currently, detention centers in both Raqqa and Hasakah are facing similar threats, necessitating enhanced cooperation and additional security measures to protect these sites.” The SDF has now withdrawn from Manbij altogether following what it is describing as a fragile ceasefire with the Turkey-backed groups, which was brokered with the help of the US on Tuesday. The fighting has also forced the SDF to halt its anti-ISIS operations, Mazloum told Sky News on Wednesday. “At the moment, joint operations against ISIS are halted, this is not a decision, but a military reality,” he said. “If these attacks persist, joint operations will remain suspended. ISIS is now stronger in the Syrian desert.” Mazloum said that previously, ISIS was hiding, but their activities have now “increased” in areas under SDF control. Additionally, “plans for breaking out from detention centers is also on their agenda,” he added. It is an “inordinately complex situation at the moment” in Syria, said Ian Moss, a former senior State Department official who worked on counterterrorism and is now with the law firm Jenner & Block. “We absolutely cannot stay out of it,” Moss told CNN. He added that there is “broad bipartisan agreement” that the situation in the camps is “not sustainable.” A congressional official agreed and noted that “there are still many facilities the SDF is guarding and may be shifting away from as the Turkish strikes increase and [the SDF forces] have to redeploy.” Senior US officials, including Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff CQ Brown, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken have all spoken with their Turkish counterparts in recent days to underscore the need for communication and deconfliction as Syria undergoes a highly complex political transition. Blinken is on his way to the region and will visit Turkey later this week where he is likely to raise the attacks by the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army against the US-supported Kurds in northeast Syria. Further underscoring the chaotic nature of the fighting right now, the SDF downed a US MQ-9 Reaper drone on Monday because they thought it was Turkish, multiple officials told CNN. The MQ9 is remotely piloted by the US Air Force and is capable of conducting surveillance and carrying out offensive strikes. Asked about the downed drone, an American defense official said that US forces have recovered some of its components and destroyed remaining portions of it. “US Air Forces Central is actively assessing the actions that led to the incident and will adjust tactics, techniques, and procedures to safeguard US, Coalition, and partner forces and their associated assets,” the official said. It is not clear what the drone’s mission was at the time it was shot down, but the US has continued conducting anti-ISIS operations in Syria in recent days and carried out dozens of strikes against ISIS targets just one day after Assad’s ouster. Around 900 American troops remain in Syria as part of an anti-ISIS coalition that includes the SDF, and defense officials have said the US intends to maintain its presence in the country to prevent the terror group from reconstituting. Austin told reporters in Japan on Wednesday that the US will continue to work with the SDF going forward. “We have a good relationship with them and I think it will remain that way,” Austin said. CNN’s Jennifer Hansler contributed reporting. The-CNN-Wire TM & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
Mace, activist dispute handshake that resulted in arrestThe committee that chose the 12 contenders for college football's national title was only worried about one thing — ranking the teams. Where those teams landed in the College Football Playoff bracket was based on a formula created by conference commissioners. That jumbled up the pairings — there are some big gaps, for instance, between where a team is seeded and where it's ranked — and made a strong case for tinkering in the future. “I think the process to rank the best 25 teams is a great process,” said selection committee chairman Warde Manuel. “I’ve heard debates and discussions about how the seeding of the tournament should go. I will leave that up to the commissioners.” Among the choices the commissioners made months ago that set the template for the bracket released Sunday: • Favoring conference champions by giving four of them byes and one more an automatic spot in the field, no matter where they were ranked in the CFP's top 25. • Not reseeding the bracket after the first round, a move that could have given the best teams more favorable early matchups. • Making no attempt to avoid regular-season rematches early in the playoffs. There was also the issue of the 12-team bracket, which could very well be expanded in the next year or two. All those choices led to a field full of possibilities, but also one containing head-scratching matchups. The choices could, in some eyes, undermine the College Football Playoff's main mission, which is ( making more money while) providing more “access” — in other words, a fair shake to more than four deserving teams. For instance, top-seeded and undefeated Oregon could play its first game against Big Ten foe Ohio State, which was ranked No. 2 for much of the season and lost to the Ducks by a point earlier this year. And Boise State, from the non-power Mountain West Conference, is the third seed, even though the committee ranked the Broncos ninth. Here is how things might have looked if certain rules that could come into play in the future were already in place: Ariona State head coach Kenny Dillingham, left, and quarterback Sam Leavitt celebrate after the team's win over Iowa State in the Big 12 Conference championship game on Saturday in Arlington, Texas. First things first — there's not a single tweak that would've placed Oregon at anything other than the No. 1 seed. The Ducks are the only undefeated team in major college football and winning a title this year would leave them a jaw-dropping 16-0. Had the rules called for simply slotting in the top 12 teams, though, Alabama would be in the bracket and Oregon's path would be wildly different. A look at the coulda-been matchups: — No. 12 Arizona State at No. 5 Notre Dame: Big 12 champs would've made it because they rose three spots after that big win over Iowa State. — No. 11 Alabama at No. 6 Ohio State: Without automatic berths for conference champions, Tide would have been in, not at the ReliaQuest Bowl against a 7-5 Michigan team. — No. 10 SMU at No. 7 Tennessee: Mustangs could've slept soundly despite that heartbreaking loss to Clemson. And the Vols would have had a home game instead of a trip to Ohio State. — No. 9 Boise State at No. 8 Indiana: Hoosiers would've gotten the home game their coach thought they deserved, with the winner facing the Ducks. The third and fourth byes would have gone to Texas and Penn State, both losers in their conference title games — a turn that would have furthered questions as to whether those games have outlived their usefulness. Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel celebrates after beating Penn State in the Big Ten championship game on Saturday in Indianapolis. As things stand, Oregon will face either Ohio State or Tennessee at the Rose Bowl in the quarterfinals. Reseeding or avoiding regular-season matchups in the early rounds would likely have given the Ducks an easier game to start. Under a reseeding scenario, the Ohio State matchup could only happen if every home team — Texas, Penn State, Notre Dame and the Buckeyes — were to win its first-round game. This tweak also would prevent this year's possibility of Clemson vs. Arizona State in the quarterfinals — two teams that weren't in the top 12 a week ago. Or the prospect of two bye teams — ASU and Boise State — being big underdogs against teams, think Texas or Penn State, that have to win a game to play them. This one is a loaded question, because when the playoffs expand they will do so with different rules. One formula kicking around involves giving three automatic spots to the Big Ten and SEC, two to the ACC and Big 12, one to the best-ranked champion of a Group of Five conference and three at-large spots. This, too, would cause problems and shuffling and teams getting passed over. But where it really breaks down is that 18th-ranked Iowa State of the Big 12 would land in this bracket as the 14 seed despite losing to Arizona State by 26. Hard to see that going over well at Miami, or Ole Miss, or Colorado. Then again, nobody ever said this was going to be fair. Stiliana Nikolova, of Bulgaria performs in the rhythmic gymnastics individuals all-round qualification round, at La Chapelle Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) Cincinnati Reds' Jonathan India reacts as he collides with San Diego Padres catcher Luis Campusano during the second inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 21, 2024, in Cincinnati. India was safe and Campusano was charged with an error. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Kimberley Woods of Britain competes in the women's kayak cross time trial at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Vaires-sur-Marne, France. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Mike Tyson, left, fights Jake Paul during their heavyweight boxing match, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus plays a forehand return to Coco Gauff of the U.S. during their semifinal match at the Australian Open tennis championships at Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte) Noah Lyles, of the United States, jumps as he limbers-up ahead of the men's 100-meters final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Nanterre, France. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek) A member of the Seattle Mariners tosses a ball against a wall during drills at spring training baseball workouts, Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, in Peoria, Ariz. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Rebecca Sramkova of Slovakia waits to receive serve during her first round match against Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Monday, July 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Czech Republic's Jiri Beran, left, competes with France's Yannik Borel in the men's team epee bronze final match during the 2024 Summer Olympics at the Grand Palais, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) France's Adrien Truffert jumps over Argentina's goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli during a quarterfinal soccer match between France and Argentina, at Bordeaux Stadium, during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Bordeaux, France. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) Fans interfere with a foul ball caught by Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts during the first inning in Game 4 of the baseball World Series against the New York Yankees, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis) Italy's Sara Curtis splashes her face with water before a women's 50-meter freestyle semifinal at the Summer Olympics in Nanterre, France, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) Ivory Coast 's Seko Fofana, top, duels for the ball with Nigeria's Victor Osimhen during the African Cup of Nations final soccer match between Nigeria and Ivory Coast, at the Olympic Stadium of Ebimpe in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba) Costa Rica midfielder Jefferson Brenes, from left, Alvaro Zamora (21), Francisco Calvo (15) and Joseph Mora (8) are pelted with drinks and trash after celebrating a Brenes goal in the second half of a CONCACAF Nations League Play-In soccer match against Honduras, Saturday, March 23, 2024, in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Gabrielle Thomas, of the United States, celebrates winning the gold medal in the women's 200 meters final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis) Tyrrell Hatton, of England, reacts on the 11th hole during a practice round in preparation for the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club Wednesday, April 10, 2024, in Augusta, GA. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis) Quincy Hall, of the United States, celebrates after winning the men's 400-meter final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Tim Tszyu, of Australia, hits Sebastian Fundora in a super welterweight title bout Saturday, March 30, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher) Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers takes the field prior to an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough) Workers peep through curtains to watch a match between France's Gael Monfils and Russia's Daniil Medvedev during the China Open tennis tournament held at the National Tennis Center in Beijing, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) Amy Yang, of South Korea, is doused after winning the Women's PGA Championship golf tournament at Sahalee Country Club, Sunday, June 23, 2024, in Sammamish, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Workers remove snow from Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., Sunday Jan. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/ Jeffrey T. Barnes) United States' Mikaela Shiffrin speeds down the course during an alpine ski, women's World Cup slalom, in Gurgl, Austria, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti) Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior, left, scores his side's second goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Almeria at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue ) Czech Republic's Michal Kempny, right, punches United States' Brady Tkachuk during the quarterfinal match between Czech Republic and United States at the Ice Hockey World Championships in Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday, May 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek) Turkey's Taha Akgul, left, competes with Georgia's Geno Petriashvili in a men's freestyle 125 kg category gold medal wrestling match during the European Wrestling Championships, in Bucharest, Romania, Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru) Kansas City Chiefs guard Trey Smith cries after winning the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game against the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. The Chiefs won 25-22. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Carles Coll Marti of Spain competes in the men's 200-meter breaststroke heat at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar, Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man) Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) shoots between New Orleans Pelicans guard Trey Murphy III and guard CJ McCollum in the second half of an NBA basketball play-in tournament game Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in New Orleans. The Lakers won 110-106. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) A man in a monk's robe waves the French flag as the peloton passes during the sixth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 163.5 kilometers (101.6 miles) with start in Macon and finish in Dijon, France, Thursday, July 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole) Belgium's Jeremy Doku, left, challenges for the ball with Romania's Andrei Ratiu during a Group E match between Belgium and Romania at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Cologne, Germany, Saturday, June 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) A spectator walks through a water mist sprayer on her way to Eiffel Tower Stadium to watch a beach volleyball at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, July 28, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Gabriel Medina, of Brazil, kicks off of a wave as he warms up prior to the quarterfinals round of the 2024 Summer Olympics surfing competition, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Teahupo'o, Tahiti. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) Rebeca Andrade, of Brazil, is reflected on a surface as she performs on the balance beam during the women's artistic gymnastics all-around finals in Bercy Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) Wyndham Clark waits to hit on the 17th hole during the first round at the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club Thursday, April 11, 2024, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) Kolkata Knight Riders' wicketkeeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz dives to make an unsuccessful attempt to run out Sunrisers Hyderabad's Abhishek Sharma during the Indian Premier League cricket final match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad in Chennai, India, Sunday, May 26, 2024.(AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.) Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain steers his car during the qualifying session of the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, in Singapore, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian) Serbia's Novak Djokovic embraces his daughter Tara after defeating Spain's Carlos Alcaraz in the men's singles tennis final at the Roland Garros stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) Spain's Dani Olmo clears the ball from the goal line during the final match between Spain and England at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, July 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru) A fleet of boats compete in the mixed multihull sailing race during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole) A horse watches from its stable ahead of the 156th running of the Belmont Stakes horse race at Saratoga Race Course, Thursday, June 6, 2024, in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) Silver medalist Simone Biles, of the United States, left, and bronze medalist Jordan Chiles, of the United States, right, bow to gold medalist Rebeca Andrade, of Brazil, during the medal ceremony for the women's artistic gymnastics individual floor finals at Bercy Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Denver celebrates after winning the championship game against Boston College in the Frozen Four NCAA college hockey tournament Saturday, April 13, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn. Denver won 2-0 to win the national championship. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Washington safety Kamren Fabiculanan (13) and cornerback Elijah Jackson (25) break up a pass to Eastern Michigan wide receiver Terry Lockett Jr. (3) in the end zone during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Seattle. Washington won 30-9. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Milwaukee Bucks' AJ Johnson, right, goes up for a shot against Philadelphia 76ers' Jared McCain, center, and Adem Bona during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) Elise Mertens, of Belgium, serves against Naomi Osaka, of Japan, at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament, Monday, March 11, 2024, in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Italy's Giovanni Tocci competes in the men's 3m springboard diving preliminary at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man) Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani breaks his bat during the first inning of the team's baseball game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park, Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Wearing a device that measures his energy consumption, the Israel Amputee Football Team player, Ben Maman, left, fights for the ball with a young soccer player from a local team during a practice session in Ramat Gan, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa) A soccer fan dressed as Spiderman watches Brazil play Uruguay in a Copa America quarterfinal match on a screen set up for fans on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, July 7, 2024. Brazil lost in a penalty shootout and Uruguay qualified for the semifinals. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado) Men dressed in traditional clothes try to pull the opponent over the table at the German Championships in Fingerhakeln or finger wrestling, in Bernbeuren, Germany, Sunday, May 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader) Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, kicks the ball after double faulting against Jessica Pegula, of the United States, during the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) Water is sprayed on the pitch as the ball boys and girls walk along the center line before the start of the men's Group A field hockey match between South Africa and Germany at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Colombes, France. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi) Cleveland Browns defensive end Isaiah McGuire (57) reaches for Minnesota Vikings quarterback Nick Mullens (12) during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) Morocco's Widad Bertal celebrates after defeating Thailand's Jutamas Jitpong in their women's 54kg preliminary boxing match at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/John Locher) Brazil's Priscila eyes the ball during a women's semifinal soccer match between Brazil and Spain at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, at Marseille Stadium in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Simone Biles of the United States competes on the balance beam during a women's artistic gymnastics qualification round at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, July 28, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) New Orleans Saints linebacker Willie Gay Jr. signs autographs for a young fan before the start of an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga) Real Madrid's players celebrate with the trophy after winning the Champions League final soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid at Wembley stadium in London, Saturday, June 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Mozambique's Deizy Nhaquile battles rough seas during a women's dinghy race, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024, during the 2024 Summer Olympics in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) People watch the cauldron rise at sunset by the Olympic rings during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) kisses Taylor Swift after the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game against the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. The Chiefs won 25-22. (AP Photo/John Locher) A light show is projected from the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 26, 2024. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Kateryna Tabashnyk, a high jumper, sits for a portrait Sunday, June 9, 2024, at the athletics arena of the "Polytechnic" sports complex, which was destroyed by a Russian rocket attack, in Kharkiv, Ukraine. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Get local news delivered to your inbox!Sir Keir Starmer was speaking at the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) conference in Estonia where he met leaders of other Baltic states. After signing an energy partnership with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store in Bergen, Sir Keir flew to Estonia where he spoke alongside Mr Store and their Estonian counterpart Kristen Michal. Asked what else could be done to support Ukraine, Sir Keir said: “There is an ever-increasing demand for more capability. That is understandable, and Ukraine needs all the capability that it can get, so I think all of us have put in more capability into Ukraine by way of equipment.” He added: “A lot of money has been raised, funding has been raised, but more is going to be needed.” The Prime Minister’s also discussed making the economic case at home for continued support for Ukraine. Sir Keir said: “Making the case on the significance of Ukraine, making the case, to double down, linking it back to each of our countries – what does it mean for us if Russia succeeds, is a really important question that we have to answer with our people to make it clear why it is that we are so supportive of Ukraine, why it is that we must stand with our allies on this, why it is we must make sure that Nato is put in the strongest position as well. “Now, this is a different world to the world of 10, 20 years ago, to recognise the world that we are living in, there’s a positive case as well to be made. “Defence spending doesn’t sort of sit in a silo over here with no effect on the rest of the economy, no effect on technology. “It has a huge effect on technologies, the cutting edge of technology and change which can then be used in other areas. “It binds countries together. I think all of us have got joint projects on in terms of defence capabilities that bind us together. There’s a huge number of well-paid jobs that are very important to our economy in defence spending as well. “But we have to make that positive case. I don’t personally feel that we can sort of sit back and assume that all of those in our respective countries necessarily accept all of our arguments unless we make them in that positive way, which I do think the argument can and should and must be made. “But the challenge that you put to us is the right challenge, which is it’s very difficult when finances are tight, as they are in all of our countries.” On Tuesday morning the Prime Minister will meet Taavi Madiberk, the founder of Estonian tech start-up manufacturing low-cost air defence missiles, Frankenburg Technologies, which is planning to open a new office in London Specialising in the manufacture of the missiles, the rapidly growing company already collaborates closely with the UK defence industry, sourcing a significant portion of its subsystems locally, including from propulsion specialists Roxel in Worcestershire. The Prime Minister will again attend the JEF summit, joining leaders from the Nordics and Baltics to discuss support for Ukraine, the sustained threat posed by Russia and wider European security. He will then visit British forces serving in the region to deter malign Russian threats.