Thousands Join Raisi’s Funeral Procession
Large crowds of Iranian mourners received the coffins of Iranian president, Ebrahim Raisi and his companions during a funeral procession in Tabriz, on Tuesday. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, a hardliner seen as a potential successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed when his helicopter crashed in poor weather in mountains near the Azerbaijan border, state media said on Monday. The charred wreckage of the helicopter which crashed on Sunday carrying Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and six other passengers and crew was found early on Monday after an overnight search in blizzard conditions. Iran’s military chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri has ordered a probe into the cause of a helicopter crash by a high ranking committee.
Biden Rejects ICC’s Warrant Move Against Israeli Leaders
US President Joe Biden has strongly defended Israel, saying Israeli forces are not committing genocide in their military campaign against Hamas in Gaza. He said US support for the safety and security of Israelis is “ironclad”. Biden also rejected the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defense chief over alleged war crimes.
Over 569 Tons Of Aid Delivered To Gaza: US CENTCOM
More than 569 tons of humanitarian assistance has been delivered so far across a temporary floating pier to Gaza, but not all the aid has reached warehouses, the US Central Command said on Tuesday. Aid deliveries began arriving at a US-built pier on Friday as Israel comes under growing global pressure to allow more supplies into Gaza. The UN said that 10 truckloads of food aid – transported from the pier site by UN contractors – were received on Friday at a World Food Programme warehouse. But on Saturday, only five truckloads made it to the warehouse after 11 others were cleaned out by Palestinians during the journey through an area that has been hard to access with humanitarian aid. The U.N. did not receive any aid from the pier on Sunday or Monday.
Russian Delegation Travels To North Korea
North Korean state media said on Tuesday that a Russian delegation had arrived in Pyongyang as ties between the two countries have grown stronger since Kim Jong Un’s visit to Russia last year. A video provided by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) showed the delegation led by Grigory Rapota, a member of the International Affairs Committee of Russia’s Federation Council and chairman of the Russia-North Korea friendship parliamentary group, arriving at the Pyongyang airport and greeted by his North Korean counterpart. The Russian Embassy in North Korea said on its Telegram channel that the delegation will be staying in Pyongyang until Friday and the two sides will discuss parliamentary exchanges and further engagements.
‘No Plan To Send US Trainers Into Ukraine’
The United States is not planning to send military trainers into Ukraine, a top US general has said. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General CQ Brown also told the media he was confident that Ukraine was not using U.S. weapons inside Russia. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces said they had shot down 28 out of 29 drones used by Russian forces in an overnight attack on seven regions.
US Drone Shot Down, Claim Houthis
Yemen’s Houthis downed a US MQ9 drone over al-Bayda province in southern Yemen, the Iran-aligned group’s military spokesperson said in a televised statement on Tuesday. Yahya Saree said the drone was targeted with a locally made surface-to-air missile and that videos to support the claim would be released. On Friday, the Houthis claimed to have downed another MQ9 drone over the southeastern province of Maareb. The group, which controls Yemen’s capital and most populous areas of the country, has attacked international shipping in the Red Sea since November in solidarity with the Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas, drawing U.S. and British retaliatory strikes since February.
New Caledonia Riots Leave Trail Of Destruction
After a week of deadly riots in New Caledonia’s capital Noumea, burnt vehicles and debris line the streets of the French territory. The trigger for the riots were electoral changes made by the French government in Paris. Eyewitness video showed burnt-out cars next to blackened car showrooms, in Noumea. Protests erupted last week, sparked by anger among indigenous Kanak people over a constitutional amendment approved in France that would change who is allowed to participate in elections, which local leaders fear will dilute the Kanak vote. Six people were killed and the unrest has left a trail of burnt businesses and cars. The business chamber says 150 companies had been looted and burnt.
Russia, Ukraine Claim War Gains
Russia has said that it continues to occupy favorable positions in Kharkiv and other areas while Ukraine attacked Russia’s military targets over the past 24 hours, according to their latest battle reports. The Russian defence ministry reported that its army completely controlled a settlement in the Luhansk area. It repelled the Ukrainian army’s counterattacks in multiple directions and attacked Ukrainian army electronic warfare base stations, ammunition depots, air defence systems and other targets. The Russian air defence system intercepted Ukrainian anti-ship missiles, aerial bombs, multiple rockets and multiple drones. The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has issued a battle report stating that the Ukrainian army held its frontline positions in Kharkiv and other places and continued to engage in fierce battles with the Russian army. The Ukrainian army destroyed Russian tanks, air defence systems and other military targets. Strikes were carried out in personnel concentration areas and control points, said the report.
