WORLD BRIEFING: January 8, 2024
Exclusive
Today marks four years since Iran downed PS752, a Ukrainian passenger airliner with 176 pax & crew, including 11 Ukrainians, 82 Iranians, 55 Canadians and 30 permanent residents.
The missiles used were similar to the one used by Russian to down MH17 ten years ago. Now Iran is providing Russia with drones to cause further death and destruction in Ukraine.
Since then, Iran has limited its cooperation in the investigation, been anything but generous in providing compensation - and has even been accused of harassing families of the victims in Canada.
Read my CNN Opinion OpEd from the immediate aftermath here
Another massive Russian missile & rocket attack early this morning in Ukraine: 59 different types of missiles and drones aimed to points nationwide. UA says it downed 18 cruise missiles & 8 drones. 27 people wounded in Dnipropetrovsk region; at least 4 dead elsewhere. The latest attacks came as NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg prepared to hold a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council Wednesday to discuss Russia’s recent drone and missile attacks, VOA reported.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh secures her fourth consecutive term amid controversy.
Israel said Monday its forces carried out new attacks against Hamas militants in central and southern Gaza, as well as airstrikes against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. The attacks came as Israeli officials prepared for a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who said he would raise the issues of Israel doing more to prevent civilian casualties from its Gaza operations and of facilitating humanitarian aid deliveries to Palestinian civilians. Blinken has also expressed concerns about the conflict spreading in the region. “This is a conflict that could easily metastasize, causing even more insecurity and even more suffering,” Blinken said Sunday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue fighting as he spoke to a weekly Cabinet meeting Sunday - VOA
One of India's largest travel platforms suspended flight bookings to the tourism-dependent Maldives on Monday after disparaging social media posts against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi embittered relations between the South Asian neighbours. EaseMyTrip (EASM.NS) co-founder and Executive Director Prashant Pitti said bookings to the Maldives were suspended "indefinitely". Even though New Delhi and Male have traditionally had close ties, relations have been tense since President Mohamed Muizzu came to power in November winning the election on an 'India Out' campaign. The controversy over comments by three Maldivian now-suspended-ministers about Modi comes just as Muizzu embarks for China on his first state visit from Jan. 8-12, breaking from the convention of most Maldivian leaders choosing New Delhi to be their first international port of call - Reuters
Alaska Airlines placed restrictions on the Boeing plane involved in a dramatic mid-air blowout after pressurisation warnings in the days before Friday's incident, investigators say. The jet had been prevented from making long-haul flights over water, said Jennifer Homendy of the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The NTSB also says the missing section of plane has now been found - in the back garden of a Portland teacher. No-one was hurt in Friday's drama - BBC
The Roman Catholic Church should "seriously think" about allowing priests to marry, a senior Vatican official and advisor to Pope Francis said in an interview published on Sunday. "This is probably the first time I'm saying it publicly and it will sound heretical to some people," Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta, who is also adjunct secretary in the Vatican's doctrinal office, told the Times of Malta.
