Category: Flash News

On December 29th, Syrian Transitional Government Foreign Minister Asad Hassan al Haibani stated on the 28th that Syria looks forward to establishing important strategic relations with Egypt on the basis of mutual respect for sovereignty and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs. Shibani made this statement on social media that day, but did not provide further explanation. Egypt has not yet responded to this. The Syrian political situation has undergone dramatic changes recently. On December 8th, the Syrian “Sham Liberation Organization” announced control of Damascus and “overthrew the Assad regime”.

On December 29th, it was reported that about 17 million people in the southern United States are facing the threat of destructive winds, strong tornadoes, and hail. It is reported that in the past few days, multiple tornado strike warnings have been issued in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. It is expected that severe weather will continue on the 28th, with a threat range extending from eastern Texas to Alabama, affecting approximately 17 million people. According to flight tracking websites, as of 11:00 AM Eastern Time on the 28th, due to the continued adverse weather conditions, there have been over 3360 delays and 162 cancellations of flights within or outside the United States.

On the evening of December 29th, local time, the Israel Defense Forces issued a statement stating that the Israeli military has basically ended its operation against the Kamal Adwan Hospital located in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. During the operation, there were over 500 people in the hospital, of whom more than 240 were identified by the Israeli military as “terrorists” and arrested. According to the Israeli military, the arrested individuals include armed members of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Organization (Jihad), and the Israeli military also believes that the hospital director is also associated with Hamas. The Israeli military also claimed to have discovered some weapons and equipment in the hospital. In addition, the Israeli military stated that they have evacuated the remaining personnel in the hospital to other areas. 95 patients and medical staff were evacuated to an Indonesian hospital in northern Gaza.

On December 29th, according to the latest report released by Peru’s National Emergency Operations Center, abnormal waves have occurred in the central and northern Pacific coastal areas of Peru recently, causing disasters such as seawater backflow. 81 ports have been forced to close, and about 20 fishermen are trapped on fishing boats at sea, waiting for military rescue. The report states that several coastal towns in Peru have been continuously hit by huge waves. The abnormal tide caused damage to several ships and triggered seawater backflow in many areas, flooding large beaches and coastal urban areas, seriously affecting the lives of local residents. The Peruvian Navy stated that the impact of this abnormal wave phenomenon on coastal areas is expected to continue until early January 2025.

On December 29th, local time, on December 28th, the Chairman of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, Bastrekin, held a working meeting in Grozny, the capital of the Chechen Republic in Russia, to listen to the investigation into the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane near Aktau, Kazakhstan. The Cross Regional Traffic Investigation Bureau of Western Russia has initiated criminal proceedings for the plane crash incident in accordance with Article 263 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which pertains to “violations of air transport traffic and operational safety rules”. The case has been transferred to the Investigation Bureau of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for comprehensive investigation. The Russian side has established an investigation action group composed of investigators, criminal investigation experts, and experts with experience in air crash investigations, and is taking all necessary measures to clarify the relevant circumstances and causes of the air crash. An Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane flying from the capital city of Baku to Grozny, Russia, crashed on the outskirts of Aktau in western Kazakhstan on the 25th. There were 62 passengers and 5 crew members on board, of which 38 died.

On December 29th, local time, Russian President Putin had a phone call with Kazakh President Tokayev. The Kremlin announced that on the same day, at the initiative of the Russian side, Putin had a phone call with Tokayev. The two heads of state exchanged condolences on the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane near Aktau city on December 25th. Both sides stated that the Kazakhstan government committee investigating the plane crash will invite experts from Russia, Azerbaijan, and Brazil to participate in the decoding of the flight recorders found at the crash site. This work carried out within Kazakhstan will be objective and transparent. Tokayev expressed gratitude for the warm reception given by Putin during the recent informal meeting of CIS leaders and the meeting of the Supreme Council of the Eurasian Economic Commission held in Leningrad Oblast, Russia. The two heads of state will maintain contact on issues related to the investigation of the plane crash and important topics for further developing Russia Kazakhstan cooperation. On the 28th, the Presidential News Agency of Kazakhstan also announced that President Tokayev of Kazakhstan was invited to have a phone call with Russian President Putin. Both sides discussed the work they had done to investigate the plane crash. Both sides stressed that it is very important to ensure the comprehensiveness and transparency of the current investigation activities.

On December 28th at 8:40 am local time, a flight veered off the runway while landing at the airport in Medellin, the second largest city in Colombia, causing the airport to close. It is reported that the landing gear of the plane had a problem during landing, causing the plane to run off the runway. There were no casualties on board.

On December 28, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye said on the 28th local time that Turkish Foreign Minister Fedan had a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Brinken on the same day. Feidan stated that in order to ensure the stable and orderly completion of the transition period in Syria, all parties must cooperate with the new Syrian government. Fedan said that Türkiye would never allow the PKK and its branch, the People’s Protection Force, to exist in Syria. Turkey supports the efforts of the new Syrian government to ensure its territorial integrity and security. Feidan also stated that all parties should make more efforts to ensure a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

Kazakhstan Deputy Prime Minister Bozombayev was interviewed by Kazakh media regarding the investigation into the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash. Bozombayev stated that Kazakhstan has introduced 17 international experts to participate in the investigation, including 6 from Azerbaijan, 2 from Embraer, 3 from the Brazilian Aviation Accident Investigation and Prevention Center, 3 from the Inter State Aviation Commission, and 2 from Russia. An expert from the International Civil Aviation Organization is also about to arrive in Aktau. Bozombayev said that experts are currently coming to the conclusion that the plane was damaged outside of Kazakhstan’s airspace. The investigation team has designated a comprehensive trace, trajectory, and explosion identification for this matter. When and why the explosion occurred, identification should provide a clear answer. Kazakhstan will inform Kazakhstan and the global public of the appraisal results. Bozombayev also stated that Kazakhstan was not under pressure during the investigation and no country attempted to interfere with the investigation. (CCTV News)

On December 28th, Ukrainian President Zelensky stated that he had a phone call with Azerbaijani President Aliyev on the same day and expressed condolences for the Afghan Airlines crash. Zelensky stated that the top priority now is to conduct a thorough investigation and gain a clear understanding of the relevant issues. The photos and videos clearly show the damage to the aircraft fuselage, which looks very much like holes and dents caused by anti-aircraft missile attacks. In this situation, Ukraine will take all necessary measures to support Azerbaijan and call on other countries to provide assistance as well. In addition, both sides also agreed to strengthen bilateral exchanges in the near future.