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US 'Pushing Hard' to Prevent 'Wider War' in Mideast: Biden
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23 Sep 2024, 13:19
Photo: AFP
US President Joe Biden said Sunday that the United States would do everything possible to prevent an escalation of war in the Middle East, as hostilities flared between Israel and Hezbollah.
Affirming that he was worried about rising regional tensions, Biden told reporters from the White House South Lawn that his administration was "going to do everything we can to keep a wider war from breaking out. And we're still pushing hard."
Source: BSS
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Azerbaijan Airlines Plane Crashes Near Kazakhstan's Aktau Airport
Dozens of people have died after a passenger plane crashed with 67 people, 62 passengers and 5 crew, on board in Kazakhstan, local officials say.
The country's emergency ministry said there were at least 25 survivors.
The plane, operated by Azerbaijan Airlines, caught fire as it attempted to make an emergency landing near the city of Aktau.
Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243 was en route from the Azerbaijani capital Baku to Grozny in Russia. Reports say it was diverted because of fog.
Video verified by Reuters news agency shows the plane heading towards the ground at high speed, with its landing gear down.
Seconds after it seems to attempt to land, a huge fireball erupts.
The airline said the plane "made an emergency landing" about 3km (1.9 miles) from Aktau.
It took off from Baku at 03:55 GMT on Wednesday and crashed around 06:28, data from flight-tracking website Flightradar24 showed.
There were 62 passengers and 5 crew members on board the Embraer 190 aircraft, the transport ministry said.
Those on board were mostly Azerbaijani nationals, but there were also some passengers from Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.
Out of the 25 known survivors, 22 were taken to hospital, the emergency ministry said.
Unverified video footage showed emergency services putting out a fire and pulling people out of the wreckage.
The government has launched an investigation into the cause of the accident. Embraer told the BBC it was "ready to assist all relevant authorities".
At Least 40 Killed in Kazakhstan Plane Crash, Report Says
An Azerbaijan Airlines plane carrying 67 passengers, crashed in Kazakhstan while travelling to Russia from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. Local officials report that at least 40 passengers are feared dead, while 27 have been rescued alive. The injured survivors have been admitted to a local hospital.
According to Kazakhstan authorities, the crash occurred near the city of Aktau on Wednesday (December 25).
It is known from a video footage that the aircraft catching fire upon impact, with thick black smoke rising into the sky. Bloodied and injured passengers can be seen stumbling against intact pieces of the plane. However, Reuters noted that the authenticity of the video could not be independently verified.
BREAKING: Azerbaijan Airlines flight traveling from Baku to Grozny crashes in Aktau, Kazakhstan, after reportedly requesting an emergency landing pic.twitter.com/hB5toqEFe2— RT (@RT_com) December 25, 2024
In a statement, Kazakhstan's Ministry of Emergency Services confirmed that firefighters extinguished the blaze. There are three children among the 27 survivors taken to nearby hospitals.
Azerbaijan Airlines stated that the Embraer 190 aircraft, operating flight J2-8243, departed from Baku and was heading to Grozny, the capital of Chechnya in Russia. However, the plane was forced to make an emergency landing about 3 kilometres from Aktau.
Multiple Russian news agencies reported that the plane was redirected due to heavy fog in Grozny. Russian news agency Interfax said Kazakh authorities are investigating potential causes of the crash, including technical issues.
Preliminary reports from Russia's civil aviation monitoring agency suggest the pilot decided to attempt an emergency landing after a bird strike with plane wings.
Following the crash, Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev, who was visiting Russia at the time, has returned to his country. He had been scheduled to attend a high-level summit in Russia on Wednesday.
China Launches New Generation Assault Ship 'Sichuan'
China launched a new amphibious assault ship capable of launching fighter jets on Friday seeking to strengthen its combat power in the sea.
The launch took place with a ceremony at the Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard in Shanghai.
What we know about the ship
The Sichuan — the first of its 076-type model — is China's largest combat ship yet. It is designed to launch ground troops for combat and provide air support for the troops.
The vessel is equipped with an electromagnetic catapult that allows fighter jets to launch directly off its deck, state news agency Xinhua reported. It also has an "arrestor technology" so that fighter jets can land on its deck.
The ship will undergo further testing and sea trials before entering active service.
China's Naval Ambition
China's People's Liberation Navy has been working on modernizing its forces — the largest navy in the world in terms of number of warships —- for over a decade now. It launched its first set of amphibious assault ships of the 075-type in 2019.
Beijing aims for its forces to be able to operate globally instead of just close to mainland China.
The upgrade to the Sichuan comes soon after researchers discovered the country was working on a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to allow its ships to be deployed in further regions without needing a base to refuel.
The US has 11 aircraft carriers currently — all of them nuclear-powered. This allows America to deploy several strike teams around the world at all times.
China has maritime disputes with several nations in the South China sea, sovereignty over which Beijing claims almost in its entirety. It also has a dispute with Japan over the Senkaku Islands, known as Diaoyu in China.
Moreover, China's navy has increased activity around Taiwan in recent years amid worsening relations with the US over the island. China considers Taiwan to be a rebellious province and has not ruled out the use of force for "reunification."
Plane Crash in South Korea: 179 Out of 181 Onboard Killed
A passenger plane crash-landed at Muan International Airport in South Korea, leaving 179 of the 181 people onboard dead.
The tragic accident occurred early Sunday morning (December 29) when the Jeju Air flight, carrying 175 passengers and six crew members, skidded off the runway while attempting to land. The flight was arriving from Thailand. Only two survivors—a passenger and a crew member—have been rescued.
According to South Korean news agency Yonhap, preliminary investigations suggest the crash may have been caused by a "bird strike leading to landing gear failure" as the aircraft attempted to land in the country’s southwestern airport.
Footage of the incident shows rescue teams working near the tail section of the wrecked aircraft, with flames and thick smoke visible in several parts of the plane.
The office of South Korea's Acting President, Choi Sang-mok, stated that the president has directed authorities to manage rescue operations efficiently. Choi assumed his role as the country’s interim leader last Friday.
The Guardian also reported details of the tragic incident, which has shaken the nation.
19 Pakistani Soldiers Killed in Border Clash with Afghan Forces
Following recent airstrikes by Pakistan in Afghanistan, Taliban forces launched multiple attacks on Pakistani positions, killing 19 soldiers.
According to Tolo News, citing a source from Afghanistan's Ministry of National Defense, intense clashes continue in Afghanistan's eastern border provinces of Khost and Paktia. Afghan border forces reportedly set fire to several Pakistani military outposts in the Ali Shir district of Khost and seized two posts in Paktia's Dand-e-Patan district.
Officials from both countries have confirmed ongoing sporadic fighting, involving heavy weapons, along the border between Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and Afghanistan’s Khost province.
The skirmishes erupted after Afghanistan’s Taliban administration accused Pakistan of killing 46 people, mostly women and children, in airstrikes near the southeastern border in Paktika province earlier this week.
A senior Pakistani security source stated they were targeting "terrorist hideouts," though Islamabad has not officially confirmed the airstrikes.
One Frontier Corps (FC) soldier was reported dead, and seven others injured, according to a senior security source at the border who spoke to AFP. Clashes have been reported at least in two locations in Pakistan’s border district of Kurram.
Afghanistan's Ministry of Defense posted on X (formerly Twitter) that multiple attacks were carried out across the Pakistani border. A provincial official in Khost told AFP that residents were forced to flee the border area due to the fighting, although no casualties among Afghan forces have been reported.
In the provincial capital of Khost, hundreds of Afghans protested against Pakistan on Saturday, demanding accountability for civilian deaths.
This marks the latest escalation of hostilities along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, which has seen increased tension since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021.
(Source: Firstpost)
Devastating Road Accident in Ethiopia: At Least 66 Dead
A tragic road accident in Ethiopia has claimed the lives of at least 66 people, with four others injured. The incident occurred at the Gelana Bridge in Bona Zuria Woreda, located in the southern region of the East African country.
According to separate reports on Monday (December 30) by Reuters and The Guardian, local officials confirmed the death toll. Reuters, citing AFP, reported that at least 66 people were killed, while The Guardian noted that over 60 fatalities were confirmed by local health authorities in southern Ethiopia.
The Sidama region, where the accident occurred, is approximately 300 kilometers south of the capital, Addis Ababa. The Sidama Regional Health Bureau stated on Facebook, "A total of 66 people have died in a vehicle accident." However, no further details about the incident were provided.
The bureau mentioned that the accident happened on the Gelana Bridge in Bona Zuria Woreda and added, "Four injured passengers are receiving treatment at Bona General Hospital."
Blurred images shared by the bureau showed a crowd surrounding a partially submerged vehicle, with some people appearing to assist in retrieving it from the water. Other photos depicted the bodies of the deceased, covered with blue tarpaulins and laid on the ground.
China's Trade Tensions With US Remain High Ahead of Trump Inauguration
Trade tensions with the United States remain a top challenge for China's foreign trade, an industry association said on Friday, as the world's second-largest economy braces for new obstacles under the incoming administration of US President-elect Donald Trump.
The China-related trade and economic friction index for 19 countries and regions stood at 118 in October, remaining at a high level, and the US had the highest index for trade friction with China, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade said.
The total value of trade measures related to China implemented by the 19 countries and regions increased by 10.3 per cent year on year but decreased by 7.8 per cent month on month. The trade friction indices in the electronics, machinery, transport equipment, and light industry sectors remained high, the council said.
The global trade friction index for October stood at 102, down from 105 in September but still at a high level. It was down 10.3 per cent year on year and 7.4 per cent month on month.
Trump, who will begin his second term as US president on January 20, has threatened to impose additional tariffs of up to 60 per cent on imports from China and has raised the prospect of "an additional 10 percent" on top of that. Although it is not clear how the increases would be implemented, the looming risks have prompted importers to front-load deliveries of goods from China.
China's exports to the US have grown for seven consecutive months. In November, they surged 8 per cent year on year by value to US$47.3 billion, contributing to the highest trade surplus since September 2022, according to Chinese customs data.
"The Chinese business community is urging the US to genuinely adhere to World Trade Organization rules," said Sun Xiao, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.
The Chinese business community is urging the US to genuinely adhere to World Trade Organization rules, immediately halt unilateral restrictions, and promote industry cooperation through dialogue and negotiation
In recent years, the US has escalated export controls on semiconductor products to China, continuously adding Chinese companies to its entity list, which "has had a serious impact on Sino-US semiconductor industry cooperation and has extended to sectors such as automotive and telecommunications," council spokesman Sun Xiao said at a news conference in Beijing on Friday.
On Monday, the outgoing Biden administration in the US announced a Section 301 trade investigation into "legacy" semiconductors made by China.
"The Chinese business community is urging the US to genuinely adhere to World Trade Organization rules, immediately halt unilateral restrictions, and promote industry cooperation through dialogue and negotiation," Sun said. "This will help safeguard the stability and security of global industrial and supply chains, injecting more momentum and certainty into the world economy."
