Popular Mobilization Forces’ Kalsu base suffered an airstrike on Saturday injuring three members of the PMF.
Tag: US
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What Is ‘The Havana Syndrome’ And Its Link To Russia? , world news
The Pentagon recently confirmed that a high-ranking Defense Department official who participated in last year’s NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, exhibited symptoms resembling the “Havana syndrome.”
The investigation into the Havana syndrome continues, encompassing a series of health issues dating back to 2016. During this time, personnel at the US Embassy in Havana began reporting instances of sudden, unexplained sensations of pressure in the head or ears, and episodes of dizziness. .
The harm inflicted on American government personnel, or their relatives was highlighted in a “60 Minutes” broadcast on CBS, which implied Russian involvement in these incidents. However, the Kremlin dismissed the allegations that Russian military intelligence may be behind this mysterious illness.
What Is The Havana Syndrome?
The term “Havana Syndrome” describes a set of puzzling symptoms encountered by American diplomats, notably those stationed at the US Embassy in Havana. The phenomenon emerged in the winter of 2017 when diplomats began reporting illnesses and strange sensations, including intense sounds and pressure in their heads.
Recently, a senior Department of Defense official experienced symptoms like those anomalous incidents, reported AP. The reports do not suggest whether the affected defense official had to seek further medical care or retire citing medical privacy.
In another case, Audrey Lee, a Foreign Service officer recounted an abrupt sensation of pressure in her head while washing dishes in her kitchen, according to the New Yorker. Comparable incidents were reported by fellow diplomats, sparking speculation about potential sonic assaults by a foreign party utilizing unspecified sonic weaponry.
Symptoms And Causes of the Havana Syndrome
According to reports by AP, the symptoms encompass a wide range, including issues with balance, sleep disturbances, dizziness, concentration difficulties, and many medical conditions could be responsible for their onset.
As per a recent investigation by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), MRI scans did not uncover any signs of brain injuries in several American personnel reporting AHI (acute and highly unusual illnesses). Suspicions have persisted that individuals affected might have been targeted by directed energy or microwaves emitted from covert devices—a notion recognized in a previous intelligence report from the United States, as reported by the BBC.
Which Foreign Agency Is Behind These Acoustic Attack?
In February, the 2024 threat assessment from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence of US concluded that it was improbable for a foreign adversary to be accountable for the enigmatic ailments. The report acknowledged that US intelligence agencies held differing degrees of confidence in this evaluation.
Nevertheless, State Department representative Matthew Miller assured the Associated Press following renewed allegations against Russian Secret Intelligence that the department maintains confidence in that evaluation. “It has been the broad conclusion of the intelligence community since March 2023 that is unlikely a foreign adversary is responsible for these anomalous health incidents,” Miller said.
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Overseas BJP Supporters Stage Car Rally, Display Placard With Slogan `Abki Baar 400 Par`
The general elections in India is scheduled to happen in seven phases, commencing with the initiation of voting on April 19 and concluding on June 1.
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Watch: Fresh Day Time Video Of Baltimore Bridge After Collapse; All Crew Members Are Indian, Says Ship Firm
Five-decade-old bridge collapsed after a container ship hit it. The collision occurred when a Singapore-flagged container ship named the Dali struck the Francis Scott Key bridge, causing a catastrophic collapse.
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Inside The US Plan To Counter Russia's Nuclear Warfare In Ukraine | world news
On February 24, 2022, the world witnessed the commencement of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Fast forward two years, and there is still no resolution in sight for the largest conflict in Europe since World War II. Since the beginning of the war there was a widespread anticipation that Russia would swiftly overcome Ukrainian defenses and seize control of the capital, Kyiv.
The ongoing warfare has uprooted millions of Ukrainians, reshaped the geopolitical dynamics of Europe, and inflicted substantial global economic repercussions. Supply chains have been disrupted, contributing to inflation.
The war has entered its third year, and the momentum today rests with Russia. There is no indication of emergence of peace talks anytime soon, both the country's peace plans are currently in contradictory stage. Amid the sustained unrest, CNN reported that as per two senior administration officials, the US began 'preparing rigorously' for the possibility of Russia launching a nuclear strike on Ukraine.
As per reports the Biden administration harbored specific concerns regarding the potential deployment of a tactical or battlefield nuclear weapon by Russia amid the ongoing conflict. They were ready to deploy every tactic in the book to avoid the possibility of a nuclear conflict.
US's Cue For Fear Of Nuclear Attack
1. Russian forces faced a devastating period in late summer 2022 as Ukrainian forces advanced on Russian-occupied Kherson. The potential for a catastrophic loss and the surrounding of Russian units were perceived as triggers for the use of nuclear weapons by Russia.
2. Between late summer and fall of 2022, the National Security Council held a sequence of meetings to develop contingency plans in case of a clear sign or an actual occurrence of a nuclear attack by Russia. The unforeseen necessity for these preparations took numerous officials by surprise.
3. Simultaneously, Russia's propaganda machine circulated a false flag story about a Ukrainian dirty bomb, raising fears that it could serve as a cover for a Russian nuclear attack. US officials dismissed the warnings but remained concerned about Russia's motivations.
4. Intelligence agencies received information about communications among Russian officials explicitly discussing a nuclear strike. The risk level was deemed to be escalating, prompting urgent outreach and high-level discussions between US and Russian officials.
Plan To Avoid The Contingency
The United States actively reached out to its allies and sought assistance from non-allied nations, such as China and India, to dissuade Russia from initiating a nuclear attack. The participation of influential global entities was deemed crucial in preventing a crisis.
Despite a reduction in the immediate threat as the conflict reached a relative stalemate, officials from the US and its allies maintain a state of heightened vigilance. Ongoing refinement of plans acknowledges the potential escalation of nuclear threats in the coming months.
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‘By Next Monday We’ll Have A Ceasefire’: US President Biden On Israel-Hamas conflict | world news
US President Joe Biden highlighted that he hopes there will be a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict by “next Monday,” as reported by CNN.
He further said that we are close to it but it’s not done yet. “Well, I hope by the beginning of the weekend, I mean, the end of the weekend,” Biden said after being asked when a ceasefire might start. “My national security adviser tells me that we’re close. We’re close, it’s not done yet. And my hope is that by next Monday we’ll have a ceasefire,” Biden added. Earlier on Monday, according to CNN, Hamas backed off some key demands in the negotiations for a hostage deal and paused the fighting in Gaza following Israeli accusations that its position was “delusional”.
It brought the negotiating parties closer to an initial agreement that could halt the fighting and see a group of Israeli hostages released, according to two sources familiar with the discussions.
Following the meeting held in Paris between the US, Egyptian, and Israeli intelligence chiefs and the Qatari prime minister, a senior Biden administration official said, “The major obstacles have been resolved in terms of Hamas insisting on a full withdrawal of Israeli forces and an end the war.”
“Hamas’ requirements for the number of Palestinians (prisoners that) would have to be freed have declined,” the official added. Meanwhile, a diplomatic source familiar with the discussions said that Hamas softened its position ahead of an agreement on the first phase of a deal, according to CNN.
However, it is expected that more challenging hurdles will emerge later when complex issues like Hamas releasing male IDF hostages and an end to the war are discussed. Furthermore, those involved in the discussions said that an agreement would likely be implemented in multiple phases and once an initial deal is made, it could lead to a truce lasting for as long as six weeks with a group of Israeli hostages released, including women, children, the elderly and the sick, in exchange for a smaller number of Palestinian prisoners than Hamas had initially demanded.
According to CNN, the second phase is where discussions are expected to get even more complicated. Reportedly, Israeli leaders have made it clear that they intend to launch a military offensive into Rafah, while in an earlier proposal, Hamas said they want to use a second phase to discuss “the requirements necessary for the continuation of the mutual cessation of military operations.” .”
Earlier on Sunday, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that the Paris meeting resulted in “an understanding among the four of them about what the basic contours of a hostage deal for a temporary ceasefire would look like.”
“There will have to be indirect discussions by Qatar and Egypt with Hamas because ultimately they will have to agree to release the hostages. That work is underway. And we hope that in the coming days, we can drive to a point where there is actually a firm and final agreement on this issue. But we will have to wait and see,” he added.
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US Strikes Houthi Targets In Yemen After Missile Attack On Vessels In Red Sea | world news
New Delhi: The US launched new strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen on Friday night (local time), a US official told CNN. The strikes hit a radar site used by the rebels, who have been attacking commercial vessels in the Red Sea. The official said the strikes were more limited than the previous ones, which targeted about 30 Houthi locations on Thursday.
The US and UK, with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands, carried out the Thursday strikes to stop the Houthis from disrupting international trade lanes. Lt. Gen. Douglas Sims II, Director of the Joint Staff, said the Houthis had fired at least one anti-ship ballistic missile at a commercial ship earlier on Friday, CNN reported.
The US acted on its own in the latest strike, the official said. The US also warned that it would take more military action if the Houthis continued their “outrageous behavior” along with their allies, CNN reported. US President Joe Biden said on Friday in Pennsylvania that the US would respond to the Houthis, who have been escalating their attacks recently.
However, the rebels, who are backed by Iran, fired another anti-ship ballistic missile at a commercial ship in the Gulf of Aden, south of Yemen, after the US-led strikes. It was unclear if the US strikes were a reaction to the missile launch or a follow-up to the earlier attacks.
The US President said in a statement on Thursday that the US and its partners conducted the strikes against the Houthis, who had “launched their largest attack to date–directly targeting American ships” on January 9. He said the rebels had used anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history, endangering US personnel, civilian mariners, and their partners, and threatening trade and freedom of navigation.
The Houthis have said they are retaliating for Israel’s Gaza conflict, which started on October 7, when thousands of Hamas terrorists killed scores of Israelis. The Houthis have fired several drone and missile attacks at Israel, most of which were intercepted.
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Surya Grahan: Millions of people in this country of the world saw the most amazing solar eclipse of 2023.
On October 14, a unique solar eclipse occurred which was seen most clearly in America. Lakhs of people in the country became witnesses of this amazing scientific event. During the eclipse, the Moon camped between the Sun and the Earth for some time, due to which the Sun shining during the day was covered behind a dark shadow. When the eclipse was at its peak, the Sun looked like just a thin ring, as if someone had put a gold ring on the Moon. For this reason it is also called Ring of Fire. A unique craze was seen among the people in America regarding solar eclipse. Some people, to see the eclipse, reached such places from where it could be seen in a more grand form. Some people reached certain places to get photographs taken with the solar eclipse. According to NDTV, a 26-year-old man named Oscar Lopez traveled from Mexico to the southern Mexican city of Campeche so that he could get a better view of the solar eclipse. Lopez said that we humans are lucky to witness such incidents. US space agency NASA said that the eclipse started visible from California and then the sun passed through Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Panama Colombia and Brazil and finally set over the Atlantic Ocean. During this time the moon came directly over the face of the sun. This was the last solar eclipse of 2023 which was very amazing. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon comes between the Sun and the Earth. Ring of Fire A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon is farthest from the Earth. That is, where the farthest point of the Moon’s orbit is from the Earth, and when the Sun comes behind the Moon, this eclipse is visible. Due to its distance from the Earth, the Moon is not able to completely cover the Sun during an eclipse, and due to this the Sun’s light emerges from behind the Moon in the shape of a ring. It is also called Annular Solar Eclipse. Because the sun starts looking like a ring in it, which is called annulus in English. The moon looks like a black disk. After this, the Moon is also going to be eclipsed in October itself. The lunar eclipse will happen on October 29 which will start at 1.06 am. -
India a growing economic power, its role on geopolitical issues: Justin Trudeau
Canadian PM Justin Trudeau said, only last year we presented the Indo Pacific Strategy to India.
New Delhi :
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said that we should engage with the Indian government constructively and seriously. India is a growing economic power and has a role to play in geopolitical issues. He again reiterated that a Canadian citizen has been murdered on Canadian soil and there is a strong allegation that an agent of the Indian government has committed this murder. This is something that every democratic country needs to take seriously.
The first question asked to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is meeting the Foreign Minister of India. Have you been given any assurance by the US administration that Secretary Blinken will raise the allegations you have made regarding India’s role in Nijjar’s murder with the Indian Foreign Minister?
In response to this, Trudeau said, yes, Americans are with us in talking to the Indian government about this. It is important that they cooperate in this investigation. A Canadian citizen has been murdered on Canadian soil and it is a strong allegation that an agent of the Indian government has committed this murder. This is something that every democratic country needs to take seriously. We are proceeding in this matter in a legal manner and very responsibly… with all our partners, including the Government of India.
After this he repeated the same thing in French also. Obviously this was to convince his audience domestically that he stood by his word.
“We are very keen to build closer relations with India.”
The second question asked to Trudeau was that despite such allegations by Canada, Blinken is meeting the Foreign Minister of India, what does this reveal?
Trudeau responded very positively that it is very important that we all engage constructively and seriously with the Indian government. India is a growing economic power and has a role to play in geopolitical issues. Only last year we presented the Indo Pacific Strategy to India. We are very keen to build closer relations with India, but at the same time, as a law-abiding country, we need to emphasize that India needs to work with Canada so that we can take action on this matter .
Also read –
India-Canada Row: Investigation into the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar continues, many important evidences collected
Explainer: Why is the Canadian government in support of Khalistanis? After all, what is the compulsion of PM Justin Trudeau?