Latest world news

British spy agency involved in Douma “flase-flag”: Russia

Published

8 years ago

April 17, 2018

British spy agency involved in Douma “flase-flag”: Russia

Russia has claimed of having “irrefutable” evidence that British spy agency had orchestrated “false flag” operation in the Damascus suburb town of Douma, for providing a pretext for missile strikes against Syria.

According to Tehran based Press TV, Russia’s representative at the Organisation for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Alexander Shulgin made the remarks during a meeting of it’s executive council in The Hague on Monday.

Shulgin described the incident as a “pre-planned false flag attack by the British security services, which could have also been aided by their allies in Washington”. He said “We have not just a ‘high level of confidence,’ as our Western partners uniformly put it; we have irrefutable proof that there was no chemical attack in Douma on April 7.”

Russian official also accused Washington of playing “first fiddle” in the Douma incident based on a “pre-written scenario.”

The alleged chemical attack in Douma was staged by “pseudo-humanitarian NGOs,” which are under the patronage of the Syrian government’s foreign adversaries, he added.

Shulgin also stressed that Russian military specialists had found “not a single piece of evidence” substantiating the Western claims about the Douma incident.

He further said that the Syrian government had absolutely no reason to conduct a gas attack when the city was almost liberated from the grip of militants, and thus the anti-Damascus accusations look “absurd,” he added.

Denouncing the tripartite April 14 “military aggression” the Russian official said “this crime can be by no means justified”. He said, “In fact, if they say they bombed a storehouse with chemical weapons and there are no traces of chemical contamination, that proves the fact that their version of secret chemical stockpiles in hands of the Syrian governmental forces has been obviously made up,” Shulgin said.

He also concluded that the US and its allies are not interested in a real investigation into the alleged Douma gas attack. Patients have ‘no symptoms of chemical poisoning’

Meanwhile, on Monday, the OPCW refused to vote for a draft resolution, initiated by Russia and Iran, which called for an investigation into the Douma incident.

The draft resolution underlined “the necessity of finding all the facts” regarding the Douma incident, called on all OPCW member states to provide proper security conditions for the watchdog’s experts on the ground.

Moreover, Syria’s representative to the OPCW Bassam Sabbagh said that “the barbarous US-British-French aggression,” coincided with the arrival of a fact-finding team was “aimed at hindering the work of the mission and forestalling the results of the investigations.”

The Syrian official also asked what US troops are doing illegally in Syria and why the US is sending weapons to terrorist groups operating there. The US troops are in Syria without UN mandate or Damascus invitation.

Igor Kirillov, head of Russia’s Radiological, Biological and Chemical Protection Unit, while speaking at a press conference at the Russian Embassy in The Hague, said OPCW experts had arrived in the Syrian capital and would visit Douma on Wednesday.

The Western countries blamed the Douma incident on the Syrian government forces, but Damascus strongly rejected the accusation as fabrications. Bashar al-Assad government, which had surrendered its chemical stockpile in 2013 to a mission led by OPCW and the UN, has denied its role in the suspected attack and said that the blame-game was meant to halt the advances made in defeating the terrorists.

On April 14, the US, Britain and France launched a coordinated missile attack against sites and research facilities near Damascus and Homs.

Syrian air defenses have claimed of shooting down a significant number of the more than 100 missiles fired in violation of international law and the UN Charter.

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Iranian President Pezeshkian at UN says Iranians have been victims of US terrorism

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said at the UN General Assembly that Iranians had been victims of US terrorism and insisted that Iran had acted in self-defence.

Published

2 days ago

September 23, 2026

APNLive Desk

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused the United States of subjecting Iranians to what he described as terrorism while addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday.

Pezeshkian said Iran had defended itself against attacks and rejected the characterisation of the country as a terrorist actor. His remarks came during a rare wartime appearance at the UN as tensions between Iran and the United States remain high.

Pezeshkian accuses US and Israel of attacks

Speaking at the General Assembly, Pezeshkian said Iranian civilians had been targeted by attacks and described the actions against his country as aggression.

“We have only defended ourselves. We are not terrorists,” he said, according to the report.

Pezeshkian also accused the United States and Israel of attacking Iran, while maintaining that Tehran’s response was an act of self-defence.

The Iranian president displayed photographs of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and more than 150 schoolchildren who, according to his account, were killed during the early days of the conflict.

Iran’s message at the UN

Pezeshkian’s address came against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict between Iran and the United States and heightened tensions in the region.

Iranian officials had indicated ahead of the UN visit that they intended to highlight what Tehran considers attacks against its people and raise concerns over the international response to the conflict.

The Iranian delegation’s visit to New York also comes amid restrictions imposed by the United States on the delegation’s movement and other aspects of its stay, according to reporting ahead of the address.

Pezeshkian says Iran defended itself

Pezeshkian’s central message at the UN was that Iran’s military actions should be viewed as a response to attacks rather than terrorism.

His description of the conflict and the allegations against the United States and Israel represent the Iranian government’s position. They should therefore be attributed to Pezeshkian rather than presented as independently established facts.

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PM Modi’s Canada visit could help wrap trade talks, says Canada PM Mark Carney

Canadian PM Mark Carney said he is looking forward to hosting PM Narendra Modi, with both countries aiming to conclude their ongoing trade negotiations.

Published

3 days ago

September 23, 2026

APNLive Desk

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said he is looking forward to hosting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as India and Canada continue efforts to advance their bilateral relationship and conclude ongoing trade negotiations.

The two countries have been working towards a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), with both sides previously setting a target to conclude the negotiations in 2026.

Carney and Modi have held discussions on strengthening economic ties between India and Canada, including trade and investment. Their engagement has gained momentum following Carney’s visit to India earlier this year.

India-Canada trade talks

India and Canada formally resumed efforts towards a broader trade agreement after a period of strained bilateral ties. The two sides have committed to advancing negotiations on a CEPA covering their economic relationship.

In June, Carney and Modi reviewed progress in bilateral economic cooperation during their meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France. They expressed satisfaction with the progress in CEPA negotiations and reaffirmed their shared objective of concluding the talks in 2026.

During Carney’s visit to India in March, the two leaders had also agreed to accelerate negotiations on the CEPA and work towards finalising the agreement during 2026.

Modi’s proposed Canada visit

Carney had invited PM Modi to visit Canada in 2026, and the two leaders agreed to remain engaged through diplomatic channels to work towards a mutually convenient date for the visit.

The proposed visit comes as New Delhi and Ottawa seek to build on renewed diplomatic and economic engagement, with trade negotiations remaining a key part of the relationship.

The focus on completing the trade talks comes as both countries look to expand commercial ties and establish a broader economic framework through the proposed CEPA.

Latest world news

Trump issues fresh Iran warning at UN General Assembly, signals deal after midterms

US President Donald Trump issued a fresh warning to Iran during his UN General Assembly address, saying he faces a choice between a deal and further escalation.

Published

3 days ago

September 22, 2026

APNLive Desk

US President Donald Trump used his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday to outline what he described as a major decision over Iran, putting the possibility of a deal against further military escalation.

Speaking at the UN in New York, Trump said he had a “big decision” to make. He questioned whether the United States should pursue an agreement that would allow Iran to rebuild or instead take further action against the Islamic Republic.

Trump later indicated that he believed an agreement with Iran could be reached after the US midterm elections, which are scheduled for November 3.

Trump says deal with Iran remains possible

During his speech, Trump presented two possible paths. He said a deal could allow Iran to rebuild and become a stronger country, while also raising the possibility of destroying the Islamic Republic if an agreement was not reached.

Trump said he believed a deal could eventually be reached, arguing that Iran was waiting to see the outcome of the US midterm elections.

His comments came amid the continuing US-Iran conflict and renewed diplomatic activity surrounding the confrontation. Trump’s UN appearance came as Washington was also engaged in discussions with multiple international leaders over the Iran conflict and other global issues.

Iranian delegation walks out during Trump’s speech

The Iranian delegation reportedly left the General Assembly chamber as Trump began describing the military confrontation with Iran.

According to the report, only one person from the Iranian delegation remained seated as Trump spoke about the conflict and the military strikes of the past six months.

The walkout came as tensions between Washington and Tehran remained high, with both sides facing pressure over the continuation of the conflict.

Trump’s latest warning follows earlier comments

Trump’s UN remarks came days after he said he was approaching a major decision over whether to intensify military action against Iran or pursue another route.

He had also indicated before his UN appearance that he could be open to meeting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during the UN General Assembly in New York.

The possibility of renewed negotiations comes against the backdrop of continuing military and diplomatic tensions between the two countries.