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Saudi-led coalition launch fresh offensive in Yemen

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Saudi-led coalition launch fresh offensive in Yemen

Western powers sharing intelligence on targets in Hudaidah

Despite UN warnings for a major catastrophe, the forces backed by the Saudi-led coalition have launched a fresh offensive against Yemen’s Red Sea port city of Hudaydahearly Wednesday morning.

Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV network announced the beginning of the operation, which the UN has warned could cause up to 250,000 deaths. It said, “The Yemeni army and resistance forces, aided by the Arab coalition, officially launched the battle to liberate the city and port of Hudeidah… on Wednesday at dawn, after the Houthis rejected peaceful solutions.”

The report quoting military source said a large-scale ground operation supported by the Arab coalition’s aerial and naval cover began to march towardsHudeidah in more than one axis.

Quoting local sources, Al-Arabia said “violent explosions were heard in the city’s suburbs. Later in the morning, the army announced it had gained control of the suburb of Nikhailah in southern Hudeidah”.

On the other hand Houthi controlled Al-Masirah TV network reported that “the Naval Force of the Yemeni Army and Popular Committees targeted a naval battleship of the US-Saudi Aggression in the West Coast Wednesday morning, during an attempt to advance towards Hudaidah coast.”Saudi-led coalition launch fresh offensive in YemenQuoting sources in Naval Forces, Am-Masirah said that “the two missiles targeted hostile battleship of Hudaidah coast. Smoke rose from the targeted battleship after being hit directly, which other battleships of aggression retreat away from the coast of Hudaidah.” The battleship was loaded with forces and military equipment planned a landing operation on the coast of Hudaidah.

The source confirmed that the missiles accurately hit the hostile battleship. There are ongoing attempts to save the forces aboard the vessel by warship and helicopters, Almasirah reported.

Read More: Saudi Arabia hits MSF Cholera center in Yemen

It also said that since the beginning of the US-Saudi aggression, the Naval forces have targeted more than 12 warships and naval units of aggression, including the frigate of the Saudi city and the military Swift ship belonging to the invading UAE forces.”

Meanwhile, Arabic-language al-Masdar News, a trans-Arabic network focused in the conflict zones of the region, has reported heavy Saudi-led airstrikes on Hudaydah as the UAE-backed troops stormed the Houthi positions just south of the city’s airport.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), a key member of the Saudi-led coalition, had set a Tuesday deadline for the Yemeni HouthiAnsarullah movement to pull out of Hudaydah, which serves as a lifeline for aid delivery to the war-stricken country.

The Saudi-led coalition claims that the HouthiAnsarullah movement is using Hudaydah for weapons delivery, an allegation rejected by the fighters.

Anwar Gargash, Minister of Foreign Affairs of UAE told on Tuesday, “These are the last and final hours to get unconditional guarantees that the Houthis will leave the port.”

Read More: Israeli jets flying over Yemen, alleges Houthi leader

The Houthi movement has pledged strong resistance in the face of the assault, the largest of its kind since March 2015. The Houthi media activists have also reported fierce clashes south of the Hudaydah airport and intense air raids over the entire province.

Shortly after the operation was launched, the Yemeni National Salvation Government’s (Houthi controlled)  spokesman, AbdulsalamJaber, said Yemeni armed forces had targeted a UAE warship off the country’s western coast.

Yemen’s Supreme Revolutionary Committee has also said the warship was destroyed in the counter-attack, adding that Saudi-led helicopters rushed to save the forces aboard the vessel, which is now burning near Yemen’s coastline.

Meanwhile, the pro Saudi Arabia Hadi led government has slammed the Houthis  saying “(We) have exhausted all peaceful and political solutions to get the Houthi militias out from the Port of Hodeidah.  Liberating the port represents the beginning of the Houthis’ collapse. It will secure navigation in Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and it will cut off Iran’s hands that have drowned Yemen with weapons that are used to shed the Yemenis’ blood,” it added.

Read More: Yemen’s Houthi condemn Saudi Arabia for hitting Presidential Office

The ousted government reiterated that it will carry out its national duty towards the people of Hodeidah, with the coalition’s support, after the port is completely liberated and will work to mitigate their suffering and restore life to normal in all districts in the governorate after it’s purged from the Houthis.It also promised the Yemeni people that it will carry the good news “of liberating Hodeidah soon.”

Meanwhile, according to The Wall Street Journal,there are signs that the US military is deepening its role in the assault on Hudaydah, in spite of UN warnings of massive human casualties. Washington, the paper says, is providing its Gulf allies with intelligence on airstrike targets in the port.

It cited American military officials as saying that the US is helping the UAE develop a list of targets meant to be off limits for airstrikes on Hudaydah, with an apparent aim to minimize civilian casualties.

Read More: Yemen: Cracks in anti-Houthi Coalition, fears rise of Iran influence

On Tuesday, the UN, International Red Cross and other aid groups have withdrawn their staff members from the port city in the wake of UAE threats.The UNICEF has also raised alarm over the impact of the attack on children in Hudaydah and beyond.

“There are 11 million children in need of humanitarian aid in this war-torn country. Choking off this lifeline will have devastating consequences for every one of them,” UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta H. Fore said in a statement on Tuesday.

Read More: Saudi Arabia attacks Yemeni capital airport, target drones

On Wednesday, the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) called on all sides to the Yemen conflict to protect civilians, voicing concerns about the humanitarian situation in Hudaydah.

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Kremlin denies US media reports on Donald Trump’s phone call with Vladimir Putin

Donald Trump said on the campaign trail that he could end the fighting within hours and has indicated he would talk directly with Russian President Putin.

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Kremlin denies US media reports on Donald Trump’s phone call with Vladimir Putin

The Kremlin today denied a US media report that Russian President Vladimir Putin and US president-elect Donald Trump had spoken on the phone last week about the Ukraine conflict.

Earlier on Sunday, The Washington Post reported that Donald Trump spoke to Vladimir Pution on call, urging him not to inflame the conflict. Speaking on the matter, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the media that the report was completely false information, and denied any phone call took place.

It was reported that US President-elect Donald Trump has spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin and urged him not to escalate the war in Ukraine. It said that Donald Trump held the call from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Thursday, just days after his stunning election victory over Democratic rival Kamala Harris. The report also mentioned that both the leaders expressed an interest in further conversations to discuss the resolution of Ukraine’s war soon.

Notably, Donald Trump said on the campaign trail that he could end the fighting within hours and has indicated he would talk directly with Russian President Putin. However, the US President elect has not said how he intends to strike a peace deal or what terms he is proposing.

Donald Trump’s election is seen as carrying the potential to upend the almost three-year Ukraine conflict, as he insists on a quick end to the fighting and casts doubt on Washington’s multi-billion dollar support for Kyiv.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with Trump on Wednesday, with the Republican’s billionaire backer Elon Musk also notably joining them on the call. Volodymyr Zelensky described the call as excellent, adding that he and Trump had agreed to maintain close dialogue and advance our cooperation.

Additionally, the outgoing Democratic administration of President Joe Biden has confirmed that it will send as much aid as possible to Ukraine before Trump’s inauguration on January 20.

Joe Biden’s National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the White House aims to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position on the battlefield so that it is ultimately in the strongest possible position at the negotiating table.

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India calls out Canada’s move to ban Australia Today for airing S Jaishankar’s press conference

The MEA said that these actions yet again highlight the hypocrisy of Canada towards freedom of speech.

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India calls out Canada’s move to ban Australia Today for airing S Jaishankar's press conference

A few hours after Australia Today aired External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s press conference in Australia, Canada banned the outlet. The External Affairs Minister gave remarks on the India-Canada diplomatic standoff. 

Reacting to this, India on Thursday said it was surprised by Canada’s move to ban the outlet and emphasized that it highlighted Ottawa’s hypocrisy towards freedom of speech. Australia Today, which is an important outlet for the Indian community in the country, had aired the joint press conference of S Jaishankar and his Australian counterpart Penny Wong in Canberra.

In a weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that they understand that the social media handles, pages of this particular outlet, which is an important diaspora outlet, have been blocked and are not available for viewers in Canada. He continued that this happened just an hour or a few hours after this particular handle carried the press conference of S Jaishankar with Penny Wong. He called out the incident, mentioning that they are surprised, and the matter looks strange to them.

He further underlined that these are the actions which yet again highlight the hypocrisy of Canada towards freedom of speech. He noted that the External Affairs Minister spoke about three things: Canada making allegations and a pattern had developed without any specific evidence, surveillance of Indian diplomats in Canada, which he termed as unacceptable, and  the political space which has been given in Canada to anti-India elements. 

With this one can draw conclusions, why Australia Today channel was blocked by Canada, the spokesperson said. Australia Today focuses on news and analytical pieces related to the Indian community in Australia and elsewhere across the world.

This incident follows days after devotees were attacked by pro-Khalistani at a Hindu temple in Canada’s Brampton, with S Jaishankar calling it deeply concerning. Furthermore, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also condemned the attack and said that there were cowardly attempts to intimidate Indian diplomats.

The diplomatic standoff between India and Canada began in September last year when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that Indian government agents might have been involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a claim outrightly rejected by New Delhi.

Later in October 2024, ties between both the countries nosedived when Canada termed the Indian High Commissioner a person of interest in its investigation into Nijjar’s murder. Issuing a strongly worded statement, India dismissed the fresh charge and recalled the envoy and some diplomats, while expelling six Canadian officials, including Canada’s acting High Commissioner.

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PM Modi congratulates Donald Trump on winning US President election

The Prime Minister urged Trump to work for the betterment of the people and to promote global peace, stability and prosperity.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday congratulated Donald Trump on winning the 2024 US Presidential election and said he is looking forward to renewing their collaboration to further strengthen the India-US partnership.

The Prime Minister urged Trump to work for the betterment of the people and to promote global peace, stability and prosperity.

“Heartiest congratulations my friend @realDonaldTrump on your historic election victory. As you build on the successes of your previous term, I look forward to renewing our collaboration to further strengthen the India-US Comprehensive Global and Strategic Partnership. Together, let’s work for the betterment of our people and to promote global peace, stability and prosperity,” PM Modi posted on his X handle.

With the results being announced for the 2024 US election on November 6, Trump became the 47th President of the United States.

Former US President Trump appeared to be on track for a remarkable political comeback in the White House race. Projections suggested that he was poised to secure the necessary 270 electoral college votes, effectively blocking Democratic candidate Kamala Harris from winning the election.

The relationship between Trump and Modi has been characterised by robust diplomatic ties, strategic collaboration, and a noticeable personal rapport. Their friendship was prominently displayed during major events such as “Howdy, Modi” in Houston in 2019 and “Namaste Trump” in Ahmedabad in 2020, where they addressed large audiences and expressed their mutual respect.

On a strategic level, Trump and Modi found common ground in matters of defense and security, both adopting a strong stance against terrorism, which reinforced their alliance, particularly concerning threats from Pakistan.

As he approaches a notable victory in the US election, Republican Presidential candidate Trump expressed gratitude to his supporters today, calling it a magnificent victory for the American people. He also referenced the assassination attempt on July 13, stating, “God spared my life for a reason.”

The 78-year-old candidate is currently projected to secure 267 electoral college votes, just three shy of the decisive 270, while his opponent, incumbent Vice President Kamala Harris, holds 224 electoral votes.

Trump described the Republican campaign as the greatest political movement of all time, asserting, “We are going to help our country heal, secure our borders, and we made history for a reason tonight. This is an incredible political victory. I want to thank the American people. I will fight for you and your family with every breath I have.”

He noted that Democrats are now looking at a projected total of 315 electoral votes.

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