The Ramadan meeting of a group of officials is one of the most important annual meetings of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution.
The Leader usually outlines and explains important issues, general policies, and the roadmap of the Islamic Republic of Iran during such meetings.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi is also set to deliver a speech in the upcoming meeting.
SD/6067782
The UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories says the Israeli military has “intentionally killed” aid workers of the World Central Kitchen (WCK) in the Gaza Strip.
Francesca Albanese made the remarks in a on social media post on Tuesday, after seven employees of the WCK food aid charity were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Dayr al-Balah earlier in the day.
The human rights expert went on to say that the Israeli military’s deliberate attack on the aid convoy of WCK, which is responsible for distributing food aid among the Palestinian people in Gaza, was meant to scare donors of humanitarian relief and ensure the continued starvation of Palestinians in the besieged territory.
“Knowing how Israel operates, my assessment is that Israeli forces intentionally killed WCK aid workers so that donors would pull out and civilians in Gaza could continue to be starved quietly,” Albanese wrote.
“Israel knows Western countries and some Arab countries won’t move a finger for the Palestinians,” she regretted.
Knowing how Israel operates,my assessment is that Israeli forces intentionally killed #WCK workers so that donors would pull out & civilians in Gaza could continue to be starved quietly.Israel knows Western countries & most Arab countries won’t move a finger for the Palestinians. https://t.co/lwdjzRJNyT
— Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt (@FranceskAlbs) April 2, 2024
The special UN rapporteur further called for sanctions against Israel, while noting that on the day the Israeli regime bombed a foreign embassy in Syria, it also killed WCK aid workers.
“Israel is crossing every possible red line with full impunity, still with full impunity. Sanctions now. Indictments now,” she said.
On Tuesday, Gaza’s Government Media Office said at least seven foreign aid workers of WCK had been killed in the central part of the Gaza Strip.
It said the aid workers included citizens of Australia, Britain, and Poland.
Jose Andres, the chef who started WCK in 2010, said on X that he was heartbroken and grieving for the families and friends of those who had died in the airstrike.
WCK CEO Erin Gore also said in a statement, “This is not only an attack against WCK, this is an attack on humanitarian organizations showing up in the most dire of situations where food is being used as a weapon of war. This is unforgivable.”
The NGO further stated that its members were traveling in a “de-conflicted zone”, adding that it had coordinated their movements with the Israeli military.
Australian PM expresses ‘anger’ over killing of aid workers
Reactions to the Israeli killing of aid workers are pouring in, with Australian Prime Minister Antony Albanese condemning the Israeli attack on the aid convoy of WCK, which left an Australian citizen dead among others.
Albanese made the remarks at a news conference at Parliament House in Canberra, saying he has conveyed his “anger and concern” to the Israeli prime minister in a phone call over the killing of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom.
I expressed Australia’s anger and concern at the death of Zomi Frankcom to Prime Minister Netanyahu in a phone call this morning.
We have called for full transparency and accountability, and for aid to reach Gaza unimpeded and in large quantities. pic.twitter.com/B5MfACGteO
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) April 2, 2024
“These people are heroes,” Albanese said, describing Frankcom and the other aid workers killed.
The Australian premier further stated that he was joining the United States, the United Kingdom and the United Nations in “a consistent demand for “full transparency and accountability” over the attack.
“We await that to occur,” he said, as well as for aid to reach Gaza unimpeded and in large quantities.
Videos that have surfaced online show several buildings swaying due to the tremors.
New Delhi:
A massive earthquake hit Taiwan today, killing four people and injuring at least 60, and triggering tsunami warnings in Japan and the Philippines. Dramatic visuals on social media show buildings shaking, bridges swaying and people scrambling for cover.
According to news agency AFP, the earthquake, 7.4 on the Richter scale, is the strongest quake to hit the island in 25 years, with officials warning of more tremors in the days ahead. Taiwanese officials report that it is the strongest earthquake since the 7.6 magnitude quake that struck the nation in 1999, killing 2,400 people.
Taiwan was struck by its strongest earthquake in 25 years few minutes ago when a 7.4 magnitude tremor struck the island’s eastern coast, prompting tsunami warnings across the region.
A rooftop swimming pool during the Taiwan earthquake.pic.twitter.com/mepqSLuCIM
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) April 3, 2024
Videos that have surfaced online show several buildings swaying due to the tremors. Another video shows people stuck on a bridge while it appears to swing because of the massive quake. According to AFP, multi-storey structures in Hualien and elsewhere tilted after the quakes ended, while a warehouse in New Taipei City was reduced to dust.
台湾の地震のやばすぎ pic.twitter.com/NvcB177RYg
— CP LV.100 (@ssbuBanjo) April 3, 2024
Among the four who died, three were part of a group of seven who were out on a morning hike through the hills that surround Taipei city. The were crushed to death after a landslide sent massive boulders their way. The fourth person killed was reportedly a truck driver whose vehicle was hit by a landslide as he was nearing a tunnel.
If you were terrified of bridges after the Baltimore Key bridge collapse, this footage from the earthquake in Taiwan should calm ya down. pic.twitter.com/vUllK41n7R
— Ｎｅｒｄｙ 🅰🅳🅳🅸🅲🆃 (@Nerdy_Addict) April 3, 2024
Local Taiwanese TV channels showed bulldozers clearing rocks along roads to Hualien, a mountain-ringed coastal city of around 100,000 people that was cut off by landslides.
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen called for local and central government agencies to coordinate with each other, and said that the national army would also be providing support.
In Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines, authorities initially issued a tsunami warning but by around 10 am (0200 GMT), the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the threat had “largely passed”.
In the capital, the metro briefly stopped running but resumed within an hour, while residents received warnings from their local borough chiefs to check for any gas leaks.
Taiwan is regularly hit by earthquakes as the island lies near the junction of two tectonic plates, while nearby Japan experiences around 1,500 jolts every year.
He also demanded the State government to pay compensation of Rs 25 lakh to the kin of 218 farmers who committed suicide due to withered crops under the current Congress rule.
Published Date – 3 April 2024, 12:47 PM
Hyderabad: Upping the ante against the Congress-led government, BRS working president KT Rama Rao held it squarely responsible for the severe scarcity of drinking water and irrigation water supply in Telangana. He demanded the State government to provide free water tanker service and withdraw bills issued for drinking water in Hyderabad and Secunderabad.
He also demanded the State government to pay compensation of Rs 25 lakh to the kin of 218 farmers who committed suicide due to withered crops under the current Congress rule, citing the remarks of Revanth Reddy as the then TPCC president in the past.
Addressing the media at the party headquarters in Telangana Bhavan on Wednesday, Rama Rao said citizens of Hyderabad and Secunderabad booked over 2.3 lakh water tankers including 1.3 lakh tankers from Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB), in March alone. “Thanks to the apathy of the incompetent Congress government, the water tankers are back in demand, with people standing in long queues and indulging in street-fights for a pot of water,” he said.
He slammed Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy for creating an ‘artificial drought’ like situation across the State due to the State government’s ‘inefficient’ management of the existing water resources. He also criticised the Chief Minister for stating that water tankers are being supplied to people within 12 hours. “The Chief Minister should be ashamed to make such claims and seeking an applause. Why are water tankers necessary in the first place? How can he say such things being the Chief Minister?” he asked.
Asserting that drinking water is an essential service and fundamental right of citizens, the BRS working president advised the State government against imposing charges. He reminded that during the BRS regime, the State government supplied 20,000 litres of drinking water to around 12 lakh families in Hyderabad and its surrounding areas free of cost.
He attributed the water crisis to the mismanagement of the Revanth Reddy-led government, citing instances such as the drying up of the Lower Manair reservoir and the failure to utilise water from projects like Kaleshwaram. He debunked the State government’s claim that the crisis was due to below-average rainfall, citing data from the Indian Meteorological Department showing a 14 percent more rainfall than normal during last monsoon.
Rama Rao asserted the availability of around 40.54 TMC water in various reservoirs across the State, including Singur, Sripada Yellampally, Osman Sagar, Himayat Sagar, and Nagarjuna Sagar, for usage towards drinking water needs. He urged the government to utilise these resources efficiently. He suggested the State government to complete the Sunkishala project to extract water even from dead storage and also lift water from Sripada Yellampally to fill Kondapochamma Sagar to address Hyderabad’s drinking water needs.
Additionally, the former Minister demanded Rs 25 lakh in ex-gratia for the families of the 218 farmers who reportedly died by suicide after the Congress came to power. Stating that the list of 218 deceased farmers along with their addresses will be sent to the State government as requested by the Chief Minister, he demanded for providing immediate financial assistance to the families. “The Chief Minister is asking us about the veracity of the numbers that we furnished. He is the Chief Minister, let him find out the truth,” he said.
Rama Rao accused the Revanth Reddy government of indulging in political witch-hunting and attention diversion tactics to mislead people from real issues plaguing the State. “The Congress leaders led by Revanth Reddy are only interested in cheap politics and are making all efforts to prove that Kaleshwaram project is a failure and wastefull expenditure. If the same is true, the government must explain how the Gayatri and Nandi pumphouses began operations suddently after BRS chief K Chandrashekhar Rao visited Nalgonda and Suryapet districts. If there is no water, how could they release it from Mallanna Sagar after former Minister Harish Rao threatened to lift the gates, if the government does not respond,” he questioned.
By Press TV Website Staff
Amid Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed more than 32,900 Palestinians so far, including nearly 16,000 children, resistance groups in Palestine and across the region continue their operations against the Tel Aviv regime and its Western backers.
The major operations carried out by the Palestinian and regional resistance groups on Tuesday, April 2, are as follows:
Martyr Izz El-Din Al-Qassam Brigades’ operations on April 2:
(Gaza Strip)
Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades’ operations on April 2:
(Gaza Strip, West Bank)
Al-Quds Brigades’ operations on April 2:
(Gaza Strip, West Bank)
Hezbollah’s operations on April 2:
(Hezbollah)
Eastern sector:
Western sector:
New Delhi:
An NRI woman, originally from Andhra Pradesh, and her daughter have died in an accident in Portland, USA. The family was on way to a temple to offer prayers on the occasion of the birthday of woman, who had turned 32.
Kamatham Gitanjali was from Konakanchi in Krishna district. Her relatives said she had been brain dead since the accident, which took place on Sunday morning.
Cops said Gitanjali was driving southbound on South Meridian Road and failed to stop at a stop sign. Her car, a Ford, collided with the another car headed westbound on Highway 211, driven by 18-year-old Benjamin Hernandez-Lopez of Canby.
Gitanjali’s daughter Hanika,5, died on the spot, relatives said. Gitanjali, who was seriously injured, was airlifted to a hospital and was later declared dead by the doctors.
Her husband Naresh and son Braman were also injured and are undergoing treatment at the hospital. Braman sustained a broken leg and is undergoing surgery
Geetanjali and her husband have been staying in the US for around 10 years. They were software engineers.
In an interview with Mehr News Agency on Tuesday, Hussain al-Mousavi emphasized that by attacking the Iranian consulate building in Syria, the Zionist regime is trying to escape from political, economic, and military failures against Palestinians.
While strongly condemning the terrorist act of the attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus and the martyrdom of a group of Iranian advisers and diplomats in this barbaric act, al-Mousavi urged Iran’s right to respond to this crime.
He said that such terrorist acts are in line with the series of crimes committed by the American-Zionist arrogant forces by attacking the sovereignty of Syria and Iran, which will exacerbate dangerous tensions throughout the region.
In terms of the resolutions and decisions of international law, it has been clearly stated that any action or attack on the embassies and consulates of another country is prohibited and constitutes a crime, he underlined.
The Zionist regime is seeking to restore its lost honor in the war with the Palestinians, he said, adding that such criminal action is undoubtedly in line with preserving the lost honor of the terrorist Zionist regime, which has so far failed to achieve any of its expansionist plans, and in fact constitutes a cover for its crimes against the Palestinian nation and the whole of humanity.
The Zionist regime is trying to choose a scape-forward strategy by committing such crimes to get rid of political-economic problems, and military failures to manage the war with the Palestinians and the international community, he said.
Undoubtedly, the Islamic Republic of Iran has the right to respond to this terrorist act at the appropriate time and place, he said, noting that it is Iran’s definite right to teach the Zionist regime a hard lesson and continue to support the Palestinian issue, which is the central issue of the Islamic Ummah.
The Israeli regime attacked Iran’s consulate in the Syrian capital of Damascus on Monday evening. The Israeli aggression led to the destruction of the entire building and the martyrdom and injury of the entire people inside it.
AMK/6067636
New Delhi:
The “Mother of Dragons” comet, officially named Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, is making a rare appearance in the Northern Hemisphere skies. This unique “Halley-type” comet, completing its orbit around the sun every 71 years, is now visible after dusk, marking its first appearance since 1954, according to the European Space Agency.
The ESA chose the name “Mother of Dragons” name due to the comet’s association with the small “kappa-Draconids” meteor shower, active every year between November 29 and December 13.
The comet is the size of a city and is 17 km wide, boasting an elliptical orbit with a hidden spiral of light surrounding its icy nucleus. It is composed of ice, dust, rock, and diatomic carbon molecules, which emit emerald-coloured light when illuminated by the sun. Due to this, the comet appears bright green.
As the comet approaches the sun, the heat causes the ice inside it to change from solid to gas. This gas, along with dust particles, escapes from the comet’s surface, forming a large cloud and a tail. The solar wind pushes this tail away from the Sun, creating the comet tail that we often see from Earth.
The Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks is drawing attention due to its cryovolcanic nature, meaning – it regularly erupts, shooting material from its icy core into space, creating stunning displays of brightness. It erupted in July 2023, for the first time in 69 years, earning the nickname “devil comet” for its dramatic outburst. This outburst created the illusion of horns, likely caused by a notch of ice or rock within its core.
The comet, which will not pass by Earth again for decades, is expected to shine the brightest in the sky on April 21, 2024, as it approaches its closest point to the sun, known as perihelion. Skywatchers in the Northern Hemisphere have a limited window to witness this rare spectacle, with early April being the only time for observation.
According to Paul Chodas and Davide Farnocchia from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, “The comet will brighten a bit as it gets closer to the sun, and it should be visible to the naked eye low in the west about an hour after sunset.”
“You should go to a location away from city lights and with an unobstructed view of the western horizon,” they suggested in an email to CNN. “It would be advisable to use a pair of binoculars since the comet may be hard to locate without them.”
They added, “The comet would be located about 25 degrees away from the eclipsed sun. The comet should be fairly easy to find during the total solar eclipse, as well as a number of planets, but the main focus during those 4 minutes should be on the eclipse itself.”
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un personally guided the test launch of the new missile, which covered a distance of 1,000 kilometers (over 620 miles) reaching a maximum altitude of 101.1 kilometers (almost 63 miles) before dipping and flying at an altitude of 72.3 kilometers (some 45 miles).
The test-fire was aimed at confirming the designed technical specifications of the new-type intermediate-range hypersonic missile as a whole and verifying the reliability of this weapon system, TASS reported.
It was conducted in the way of verifying the characteristics of gliding-skip flight orbit and cross-range maneuvering capability of the hypersonic glide vehicle (warhead) while confining its range to less than 1,000 kilometers, in consideration of safety, and forcibly controlling the speed and altitude by means of delaying the start-up of the second-stage engine and rapidly changing the flight orbit in the active region.
Following the test-launch on Tuesday Kim Jong Un announced that North Korea’s all tactical, operational, and strategic-level missiles would be equipped with solid fuel engines and would be capable of carrying maneuverable nuclear warheads.
MP/PR
