At least 37 people were killed Tuesday in India from Cyclone Tauktae. 

Twelve were killed in Maharashtra, eight in Karnataka, 13 in Gujarat and two each in Goa and Kerala states, according to official records.

Tauktae made landfall late Monday in the western state of Gujarat with wind gusts of up to 185 kilometers (115 miles) per hour.

It damaged houses and uprooted trees in coastal areas of the state.

“Over 16,000 houses were damaged, and more than 40,000 trees and over 1,000 poles uprooted due to the cyclonic storm in Gujarat,” said Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.

The Indian Navy launched a search operation to find 81 missing people who were on board a barge.

Indian naval ships Beas, Betwa and Teg joined INS Kochi and Kolkata in the operation for the barge that sank 35 nautical miles from Mumbai. A total of 180 survivors have been recovered said a statement from the Defense Ministry.

In another operation, an Indian Navy helicopter was launched to rescue crew from the GAL Constructor barge that ran aground north of Mumbai. The helicopter rescued 35 crew members.

Efforts are also in progress off the coast of Gujarat for three vessels that are 15 - 20 nautical miles southeast off the Gujarat coast, said the statement.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to visit Gujarat and Diu on Wednesday to review the situation and damage.

He will conduct an aerial survey of Una, Diu, Jafarabad and Mahuva. The prime minister will later hold a review meeting in Ahmedabad./agencies

KIGALI, Rwanda

Rwanda halted coronavirus vaccination because of delays in deliveries that has created a vaccine shortage here, an official said Tuesday. 

Director-General of the Rwanda Biomedical Centre Sabin Nsanzimana said the number vaccinated in Rwanda is still low.

Rwanda wants to vaccinate 30% of the population by the end of 2021 and 60% by the end of 2022.

About 350,400 people have received jabs as of Tuesday, representing just 5% of the population.

Nsanzimana said 500,000 doses of the vaccine Rwanda procured from India have yet to arrive, following a health crisis that affected vaccine supplies to developing countries.

He assured the country that efforts were underway to procure vaccines from elsewhere that could be delivered soon.

The Health Ministry announced a testing drive in the capital, Kigali, on Monday, targeting passengers of public buses, private cars and motorcycle drivers hoping to collect 2,000 samples in three days.

It is intended to provide a better understanding of the pandemic’s prevalence in identified areas and groups, according to the ministry.

The East African country recorded 26,344 COVID-19 cases, 24,808 recoveries and 346 deaths as of Tuesday.

The government launched nationwide vaccinations for at-risk groups who were identified as a priority in early March -- health personnel, frontline workers and those older than 65 or with underlying health conditions.

It later extended eligibility, including those older than 60, security personnel, market vendors and public transport drivers.

Rwanda received its first shipment of 240,000 doses of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine and 102,960 doses of the Pfizer vaccine in March from the COVAX facility -- a worldwide program intended to allow equitable access to coronavirus vaccines directed by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and the World Health Organization./aa

Turkey foiled a terror attack that targeted Turkish Air Forces’ 8th Air Base in southeastern province Diyarbakir, interior ministry sources said Wednesday.

Two model planes used during the attempt were neutralized, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said on Twitter. 

No casualties reported, noted.  

Diyarbakir governate also issued a statement that confirmed the use of model planes, according to a statement that said the attack targeted the air base in the province.
“The model planes were shoot-down and no casualties reported,” it said./aa

One of two PKK terrorists recently "neutralized" in southeastern Turkey was found to be on the country's wanted list, the Interior Ministry said on Tuesday.

Identified as Aydin Simsek and codenamed Agit Bismil, the terrorist was responsible for the injury and killing of many of civilians since 2018 and was wanted in the red category by authorities with a bounty of up to 10 million Turkish liras ($1.2 million), the ministry said on Twitter.

The ministry's wanted list is divided into five color-coded categories, with red as the most wanted, followed by blue, green, orange and gray.

The terrorists were neutralized in the Lice district of Diyarbakir province as part of internal security operations following the reports from Turkey's National Intelligence Organization (MIT), it added.

Turkish authorities use the word "neutralize" to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US, and the EU -- has been responsible for the deaths of at least 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants./aa

PKK/YPG terrorists opened fire on civilians protesting fuel price hikes in northern Syria on Tuesday, killing at least two.

Local residents angered by the new prices imposed by the terror group in areas under its occupation took to the streets in many parts of northern Syria.

As a result of the gunfire opened by the terrorists to disperse the protesters in the Al-Nashwa district of Al-Hasaka province, at least two civilians, identified as Ayman Shahir and Abdulkadir Asad, were killed, and four civilians injured.

The tension between the locals and the terrorists continues to escalate, particularly in Syria's Deir ez-Zor and Al-Hasakah provinces and the surrounding areas.

Protests in Al-Hasakah, Deir ez-Zor

Having seized most of Syria's energy resources, the YPG/PKK terror group has also forcibly and disproportionately raised fuel prices.

Faced with the hike amid their limited purchasing power, residents in northern Syria are now pouring out into the streets.

Along with the protests in Al-Hasakah and Deir ez-Zor, people in the Amuda, Rmelan, Al-Maabadah, Qamishli and Dayrik districts also demonstrated against the increases in the prices for energy resources such as natural gas, diesel oil and gasoline.

Areas occupied by the YPG/PKK in the provinces of Deir ez-Zor and Al-Hasakah are considered Syria's richest in terms of energy resources, including oil and natural gas.

The terror group cut off fuel provisions to the Bashar al Assad regime 25 days ago, citing accumulating debt.

Located on the border with Iraq, Deir ez-Zor has the largest energy resources in the war-torn country, with the area on the eastern bank of the city divided by the Euphrates River has 11 large oil fields.

The YPG/PKK terrorist group continues to occupy 70% of Syrian oil resources, with support from the US, while oil refineries remain under the regime's control.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US, and the EU – has been responsible for the deaths of at least 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants./aa

Ethiopia will plant 6 billion tree seedlings during the coming rainy season, the prime minister’s office announced on Tuesday.

The Horn of Africa nation of more than 110 million people launched the third round of its Green Legacy campaign with a ceremony that was attended by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and senior government officials.

“This year’s planting takes place under the theme ‘Let's Adorn Ethiopia.’ Following the planting of 5 billion seedlings last year, Ethiopia will plant 6 billion seedlings in this round,” read a statement by the premier’s office.

“An additional 1 billion seedlings will be sent to neighboring countries to start a regional effort towards a green Africa.”

Planting of trees began in rainfed areas on Tuesday, while areas that do not get rain regularly will start taking preparatory measures, the statement said.

Discussions held during the launch ceremony focused on restoring the country’s green cover, eliminating erosion and pollution, reducing conflicts arising due to environmental degradation and reduction of natural resources, and measures to support Ethiopia’s agricultural sector and economy, it added.

“Prime Minister Abiy called on all Ethiopians to come in unison in covering the nation green, seeing each other beyond lines of division,” the statement added.

Ethnic divisions in Ethiopia have caused the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians and the destruction of sizable public infrastructure facilities, as well as private property.

Many Ethiopians believe bringing the country together remains one of the biggest challenges faced by the government.

In the country's northernmost region of Tigray, the Tigray People's Liberation Front rebels continue to launch sporadic attacks.

Military confrontations in Tigray have displaced hundreds of thousands of people, with more than 60,000 people have fled to neighboring Sudan./aa

France has asked ‘Israel’ to explain the conditions and reasons behind conducting the airstrike against the building in Gaza that housed media organizations, President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday. 

He also announced that Paris is working to enforce a ceasefire to put an end to the ongoing violence in the Israel-Palestine conflict.

“The safety of the journalists and those who work for freedom of speech and expression... their protection is indeed a very important responsibility,” Macron said at a news conference on the sidelines of the conference for Sudan in Paris on Monday.

“Our embassy is working on the issue [strike] and we are awaiting explanations from Netenyahu, we speak to him regularly, “he said.

Macron’s statement followed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s call demanding justification from Israel for destroying the building in an airstrike that housed the American news agency Associated Press (AP)and Al Jazeera.

Israel has claimed that the part- commercial and residential high-storied building was being used by Hamas militant group for an intelligence operation.

AP has demanded evidence from Israel on the Hamas claim and an independent investigation into the strike. Paris-based international media watchdog Reporters Without Borders has also asked: “the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to determine whether the bombings constitute war crimes.”

In the last week, Israeli airstrikes have destroyed the offices of 23 local and international media outlets, RSF said in a statement.

Macron added that France was working on the mediation efforts with Egypt, and Jordan.
-Marcon meets Sisi

On Monday, he also held talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi who is in Paris for the Sudan conference. A statement from the Elysee on the Macron-Sisi meeting said they "shared a deep worry about the ongoing escalation of violence” and “it was necessary to end the hostilities”.

Both the countries are coordinating their efforts towards "a rapid ceasefire.”

“Ceasefire is really necessary to bring together different components and Palestinian parties and guarantee nonviolence,” Macron said at the press conference responding to the question.

“It is part of the process to put an end to the ceasefire as early as possible and that is our wish and to build a roadmap for discussions of the different stakeholders, “he added.

In the coming days, France will have planned discussions with Sisi and the king of Jordan to work out a concrete and common proposal to put an end to the hostilities.

In the last week, Macron said he held telephone meetings with Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu as “it’s one of the elements to help restore the trust in a short time”.

On Monday, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, also held talks with Blinken and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry who is accompanying Sisi to discuss the Israel-Palestine situation.

According to a statement issued by Foreign Ministry, the minister reaffirmed that [Israel’s] response to the "unacceptable attacks" by Hamas “must remain proportionate, following international law"./aa