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UN Head calls for de-escalation in Syria-Israel theatre

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Iran says Israeli claim of shooting down its drone is ridiculous

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for an immediate de-escalation in Syria-Israel theatre after reports of Syrian forces shooting down Israeli F-16 warplane and Tel Aviv’s claim of downing Iranian made drone in its territory.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement on Saturday,“ Guterres is following closely the alarming military escalation throughout Syria and the dangerous spillover across its borders,”

According to official SANA news agency, “Syrian Air Defense confronted an Israeli enemy aggression on one of the military positions at the central region and hit more than one Israeli aircrafts. Later, the Air Defense also confronted another Israeli aggression on Damascus countryside.”

Russian Foreign Ministry has also expressed concern about the latest developments in Syria and called on the sides to exercise restraint and avoid escalation of the situation.

In the meantime, Iran has rejected Israel’s claim of shooting down Iranian made drone in its territory on Saturday as “ridiculous” and clarified that Islamic Republic’s military advisory presence in Syria is at the request “constitutional and legitimate” government in that country.

According to Tehran based Press TV, Bahram Qassemi, the spokesman of Iranian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday, “Claims about the flight of an Iranian drone … are too ridiculous to be addressed because the Islamic Republic of Iran has advisory presence in Syria at the request of the country’s legitimate and constitutional government.”

“The government and army of Syria as an independent country have a legitimate right to defend [the country’s] territorial integrity and counter any type of foreign aggression,” he reportedly said.

The spokesman emphasized that the “illegitimate Israeli regime cannot cover up its atrocities and crimes against Muslim nations in the region by playing a blame game and spreading lies.”

Meanwhile, Ali Akbar Velayati, adviser to country’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on international affairs, while speaking to the reporters in Tehran on Saturday said that the Syrian government and nation have proved that they would sacrifice themselves to “safeguard their country’s territorial integrity, security and independence.”

He further said that Syrian people have achieved victory in an “international war”, in which more than 80 countries dispatched terrorists to that country.

On the other hand Tel Aviv based Haaretz quoted military sources saying that Israeli army decided to shoot down Iranian drone over its territory in an attempt to prove Tehran was operating in Syria against Israel.

The Israeli army said that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC)’s Quds Force have been active for a long period of time from the T-4 Syrian air force base near to Palmyra. It claims that they are supported by Syrian army with approval of the Assad regime.

UN Head calls for de-escalation in Syria-Israel theatreWhile describing the events leading to the crash of Israeli F-16 by Syrian forces, Haaretz said that “In response to the incursion by an Iranian drone, Israeli aircraft stuck Iranian targets in Syria, with a barrage of Syrian air-defense missiles bringing down an Israeli F-16 over Israel. Following the downing of the Israeli fighter jet, Israel said it carried out “large scale strikes” in Syria targeting Syrian air-defense batteries and four Iranian sites.”

Reuters also confirmed the situation which led to downing of Israeli F-16 warplane. A report compiled by its correspondents based in Jerusalem and Beirut said, “Anti-aircraft fire downed an Israeli warplane returning from a bombing raid on Iran-backed positions in Syria Saturday in the most serious confrontations yet between Israel and Iranian-backed forces based across the border.”

The agency, quoting an Israeli official, further reports that “The F-16, one of at least eight Israeli planes dispatched in response to what Israel said was an Iranian drone’s incursion into its airspace earlier in the day, was hit by a Syrian anti-aircraft missile and crashed in northern Israel.

Another Reuters report quoted Hezbollah condemning the Israeli aggression saying that Saturday marked the “start of a new strategic phase”. It also said that exploitation of Syrian airspace will be limited. “Today’s developments mean the old equations have categorically ended.”

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US reiterates its call for fair, transparent, legal process for Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, speaks on Congress frozen accounts

The US spokesperson said that they are also aware of the Congress party’s allegations that tax authorities have frozen some of their bank accounts in a manner that will make it challenging to effectively campaign in the upcoming elections.

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A day after India summoned an US diplomat over their remarks on the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the liquor policy case, the US reiterated its call for fair, transparent, timely legal processes on Wednesday.

Responding to questions on India summoning Gloria Berbena, the US Acting Deputy Chief of Mission in New Delhi, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that they will continue to follow these actions closely, including the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Notably, the meeting at the foreign ministry’s South Block office lasted nearly 40 minutes yesterday with India objecting strongly to the US remarks on the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal.

Matthew Miller also responded to a question on the Congress party’s frozen bank accounts. The US spokesperson said that they are also aware of the Congress party’s allegations that tax authorities have frozen some of their bank accounts in a manner that will make it challenging to effectively campaign in the upcoming elections. He added that the US encourages fair, transparent and timely legal processes for each of the issues.

Arvind Kejriwal was arrested last week by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection to the Delhi liquor policy scam. Earlier, AAP leaders Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain and Sanjay Singh were arrested in the same case.

The External Affairs Ministry had earlier stated that states are expected to be respectful of the sovereignty and internal affairs of others, and this responsibility is even more so in case of fellow democracies, adding that it could otherwise end up setting unhealthy precedents.

The Ministry further emphasized that India’s legal processes are based on an independent judiciary which is committed to objective and timely outcomes. It mentioned that casting aspersions on India’s legal procedure is unwarranted.

The United State’s remarks followed days after Germany’s Foreign Office stressed that Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal is entitled to a fair and impartial trial. The Indian government labelled their remark as blatant interference in internal matters.

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5 Chinese nationals killed in suicide bomb attack in Pakistan

This is the third major attack on Chinese interests in Pakistan within a week.

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Nearly five Chinese nationals were killed in an explosion during an attack on their convoy by a suicide bomber in northwest Pakistan on Tuesday. Reportedly, the suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a convoy of Chinese engineers travelling from Islamabad to their camp in Dasu, situated in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Regional police chief Mohammad Ali Gandapur said that five Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver were killed in the attack. As yet, none has claimed responsibility for the attack. Bisham Station House Officer (SHO) Bakht Zahir asserted that the incident was a suicide blast and the authorities concerned were collecting the evidence.

The Station House Officer further added that security arrangements were tightened at the spot and the bodies were being shifted to a hospital. He added that they will investigate from where and how the vehicle of a suicide bomber came and how it happened. Notably, this is the third major attack on Chinese interests in Pakistan within a week.

Previously, two attacks hit an airbase and a strategic port in the southwest province of Balochistan where China is investing billions in infrastructure projects. Several Chinese engineers and Pakistani construction workers have for multiple years been working on hydroelectric projects as part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative in the western province of Khyber-Paktunkhwa.

Notably, Dasu is home to a significant dam project, has been a target of previous attacks. Earlier in 2021, the attack in Dasu resulted in the deaths of nine Chinese nationals, along with two Pakistani children. The incident occured when a bus carrying Chinese engineers and workers to the Dasu Hydropower Project site was targeted.

There was confusion surrounding the nature of the attack initially, with some reports suggesting it was a bus accident. Nonetheless, subsequent investigations revealed that it was indeed a terrorist attack. The bus was hit by a blast, leading it to plunge into a ravine.

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US bridge collapses after being hit by ship

The rescuers were searching for at least 7 people in the water. Some reports said upto 20 construction workers were there on the Baltimore Bridge at the time of the incident. A video of the incident which was widely shared on social media showed the moment the 3 km long bridge collapsed.

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Major portions of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, US collapsed on early Tuesday morning after it was hit by a large container ship. The incident occurred at nearly 1.30 am (US local time). The Baltimore City Fire department said the collapse is a mass casualty incident.

According to reports many vehicles fell into the river below. The rescuers were searching for at least 7 people in the water. Some reports said upto 20 construction workers were there on the Baltimore Bridge at the time of the incident. A video of the incident which was widely shared on social media showed the moment the 3 km long bridge collapsed.

It seems the vessel had hit one of the supports of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing the roadway to break apart in many places and plunge into the water. The ship caught fire and appeared to sink. Grace Ocean Pte Ltd, the registered owner of the ship, and the manager, Synergy Marine Group, said it is a Singapore flagged ship Dali which collided with a pillar of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland.

He said the exact cause of the incident is yet to be determined; the Dali has now mobilized its qualified individual Incident response service. It added that all crew members, including the 2 pilots who were aboard, have been accounted for and there are no reports of injuries.

The local traffic police said all lanes on both directions of the bridge have been closed and the traffic is being de-toured. Maryland Governor Wes Moore also declared a state of emergency after the collapse of the bridge. The bridge was opened in 1977, spans the Patapsco River, a vital artery that along with the Port of Baltimore is a hub for shipping on the East Coast. It is named after the writer of the Star Spangled Banner.  

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