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Russia MP warns of tit-for-tat steps if US strike Syria

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Russia MP warns of tit-for-tat steps if US strike Syria

US envoy at UN: Washington was ready to “respond” to the attack regardless of whether the Security Council acted or not

An escalating war of words has broken out between Moscow and Washington over a suspected chemical attack at Douma in Eastern Ghouta. Russia has on Tuesday asserted that it will take all political, diplomatic and military retaliatory measures if necessary should the United States deliver a strike on Syria.

According to Russian official news agency TASS, Vladimir Shamanov, the Chairman of Russian State Duma Defense Committee and former Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Airborne Troops has said, “The politics of double standards have hit rock bottom. And here the United Russia party conscientiously states that all political, diplomatic and military measures if necessary will be taken. No illegal action will remain unanswered.”  He was addressing a plenary meeting of State Duma (the parliament).

Read More: Syria: Conflicting reports of Chemical weapons used in Douma

The senior MP was indignant over US President Donald Trump’s statement about Washington’s response within 48 hours, saying: “They should not pin their hopes on their naval task forces and their deceptions. We are a sovereign country and we have allies and guarantors for those events taking place in Syria. We won’t let the Americans hammer nails on someone else’s anvil.”Meanwhile Dimitry Peskov, the Russian Presidential Spokesman told reporters on Tuesday that Moscow will not give in to the Western countries pressure and change its policies.

Russia does nothing under pressure. Russia always acts in line with its interests,” he said, adding that President Vladimir Putin had pointed it out many times.

Read More: Syria declares victory against terror in Eastern Ghouta

Earlier on Monday, escalation in war of words had broken out between Moscow and Washington at UNSC emergency session over a suspected chemical attack in Douma.

The US, Britain, France and six other countries requested Monday’s emergency session after rescue teams and medics said a “poisonous chlorine gas attack” in Douma on Saturday killed dozens of people, including many children and women.

The Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad and its ally Russia have called the allegations “fabrications”.

Read More: Syrian forces clear 90 per cent of Eastern Ghouta

Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the UN, told the member states that Washington was ready to “respond” to the attack regardless of whether the Security Council acted or not.  “We have reached the moment when the world must see justice done,” she was quoted saying.

“History will record this as the moment when the Security Council either discharged its duty or demonstrated its utter and complete failure to protect the people of Syria,” she added. “Either way, the United States will respond.”

Earlier, Vassily Nebenzia, Russian Ambassador at UN had called the chemical attack allegations “fake news” and said Russia was ready to fly weapons’ inspectors to the site to see for themselves.

Warning that any military action against Syria’s government could have “grave repercussions”, the Russian ambassador also accused US, France and Britain of “hawkish rhetoric” and “boorishness against my country”, adding that their lack of a clear strategy for Syria was “appalling”.

Meanwhile, Staffan de Mistura, the UN envoy to Syria, issued an urgent call for unity and action at the emergency meeting.  “I urge the Security Council, in accordance with its own mandate, to maintain international peace and security and uphold international law to, for God’s sake, ensure a mechanism is found to investigate this allegation and attribute responsibilities.”

In a related development, Reuters, quoting US government sources, has reported that an initial assessment has not determined whether a reported chemical attack in Douma was carried out by Syrian government forces.

The assessment also suggested that a nerve agent was used in the suspected poison attack, but further evidence was needed to determine the type of agent.

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Salwan Momika, who burnt Quran in 2023, shot dead in Sweden

The controversy surrounding Momika extended beyond the immediate reactions to his acts. His actions sparked a broader debate regarding freedom of speech, religious tolerance, and the potential for such acts to incite hatred and violence.

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Salwan Momika, a 38-year-old Iraqi immigrant residing in Sweden, became a controversial figure in 2023 due to his repeated public burning of the Quran. These actions, filmed and widely circulated online, ignited fierce condemnation and protests across the Muslim world. He has been shot dead in Sweden, according to reports.

The desecration of Islam’s holy book prompted outrage and unrest in numerous countries, with demonstrations ranging from peaceful protests to violent riots. Governments and religious leaders issued strong statements of disapproval, highlighting the deeply offensive nature of Momika’s actions to billions of Muslims globally.

The controversy surrounding Momika extended beyond the immediate reactions to his acts. His actions sparked a broader debate regarding freedom of speech, religious tolerance, and the potential for such acts to incite hatred and violence.

While Sweden, like many Western democracies, upholds freedom of expression as a fundamental right, the line between this right and the potential for incitement to hatred and violence remains a complex and contentious issue. Critics argued that Momika’s actions crossed this line, deliberately provoking religious sensibilities and contributing to a climate of hostility. Conversely, proponents of his right to protest emphasized the importance of protecting free speech, even when the content is deeply offensive to others.

At the time of his death, Momika was awaiting a court ruling on charges of inciting ethnic hatred. This legal case further highlighted the complex legal and ethical ramifications of his actions. The Swedish judicial system was tasked with navigating the delicate balance between safeguarding free speech and preventing incitement to violence.

The outcome of the trial, which was ultimately postponed following his death, would have had significant implications for the interpretation and application of hate speech laws in Sweden and potentially beyond.

The shooting death of Salwan Momika adds another layer to this already complex and controversial situation. While the circumstances surrounding his death remain under investigation, it is undeniably a significant event with potential ramifications for the ongoing debate surrounding freedom of speech, religious sensitivities, and the prevention of religiously motivated violence.

The incident highlights the volatile nature of the issues at stake and the ongoing challenges in balancing individual rights with the need for social harmony and respect for different religious beliefs.

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ChatGPT outage affects thousands of users globally, OpenAI reacts

OpenAI swiftly acknowledged the outage, publishing updates on their dedicated status page. This transparency, while offering little in the way of immediate solutions, served to reassure users that the company was actively addressing the situation.

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On January 23, OpenAI’s popular AI chatbot, ChatGPT, suffered a significant global outage, leaving millions of users unable to access the service. The disruption affected multiple access points, including the web interface, the mobile application, and even integrations on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter). This widespread failure quickly drew significant attention, with reports flooding in from users worldwide.

The outage tracking website, Downdetector, registered a surge in user reports, exceeding a thousand complaints within a short period. This volume underscored the scale of the disruption and the significant impact on ChatGPT’s user base.

The majority of these reports indicated a complete inability to use the chatbot, highlighting the severity of the problem. A smaller percentage of users reported encountering difficulties with the website or API, suggesting a less comprehensive but still noticeable impact.

OpenAI swiftly acknowledged the outage, publishing updates on their dedicated status page. This transparency, while offering little in the way of immediate solutions, served to reassure users that the company was actively addressing the situation.

The official statements consistently described the problem as “degraded performance” and “elevated error rates” within the API, hinting at underlying technical issues that required investigation. However, specific details regarding the root cause remained undisclosed, pending a more thorough examination.

According to reports, the outage commenced around 5 PM IST and persisted for several hours. The lack of a definitive timeline and the ongoing nature of the disruption underlined the complexity of the problem and the challenges faced by OpenAI’s engineering teams in resolving the issue.

As of the latest updates, the exact cause of the outage remains under investigation by OpenAI. The company is actively working to restore full functionality and provide a more comprehensive explanation once the underlying problem has been identified and rectified.

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Prince Harry, Rupert Murdoch’s UK group reach settlement in surveillance case

The relentless media attention, he has claimed, also contributed to the intense pressure that led him and his wife, Meghan Markle, to step back from royal duties and relocate to the United States in 2020.

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Prince Harry has reached a settlement with Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers (NGN), bringing an abrupt end to a high-profile lawsuit alleging widespread phone hacking and unlawful surveillance.

The settlement, announced just as the trial was about to commence, includes substantial financial compensation for the Duke of Sussex and a formal, unequivocal apology from NGN. This marks a significant victory for Harry, who had accused the media giant of years of intrusive and illegal activities targeting his private life.

The apology, issued directly to Harry’s legal team, explicitly acknowledged the serious breach of privacy inflicted by both The Sun and the defunct News of the World. It detailed unlawful actions perpetrated between 1996 and 2011, including phone hacking, surveillance, and the use of private investigators to obtain sensitive information.

The statement specifically addressed the intrusive activities carried out by private investigators employed by The Sun, emphasizing the severity of the intrusion into Harry’s private life during his formative years. The apology extended to the distress caused to his late mother, Princess Diana, highlighting the impact of the media’s actions on the young prince.

This settlement represents one of three lawsuits filed by Harry against British media outlets, all stemming from accusations of privacy violations. He has consistently blamed the media for the relentless pursuit of his mother, Princess Diana, ultimately leading to her tragic death in a car crash in Paris while being chased by paparazzi.

The relentless media attention, he has claimed, also contributed to the intense pressure that led him and his wife, Meghan Markle, to step back from royal duties and relocate to the United States in 2020.

The case underscores the wider issue of phone hacking and media intrusion, exemplified by the notorious scandal that forced the closure of News of the World in 2011. The hacking of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler’s phone, during the police investigation into her disappearance, remains a particularly egregious example of the unethical practices employed by some sections of the British press.

Harry’s legal battle has brought renewed focus to this issue and the need for greater accountability within the media industry. The settlement, while ending this particular legal chapter, leaves a lasting legacy concerning media responsibility and the rights of public figures to privacy.

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