Kiev:

 Russian forces shot down 17 Ukrainian drones over its territory on Sunday, the Russian Defence Ministry claimed as quoted by media reports.

According to the Ministry, Russian air defence shot down two drones over the Belgorod region, three over Kursk region, three over Kaluga region, and nine over Bryansk region, The Kyiv Independent reported.

Vladislav Shapsha, Governor of Kaluga region in Russia, claimed that three drones “fell down” near an oil depot in the town of Lyudinovo. No casualties or damages were reported.

Ukrainian officials did not comment on these claims, which cannot be verified independently.

In recent weeks, Ukrainian forces have launched a series of drone strikes aimed at damaging Russia’s oil industry, which is crucial to sustain Moscow’s war efforts.

One of the oil refineries was targeted in Kaluga region in mid-March in an attack reportedly carried out by Ukraine’s military intelligence agency.

In one of the latest strikes, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) struck with drones two oil refineries and a military airfield in Russia’s Krasnodar region on April 27, hitting “key technological objects,” according to the Kyiv Independent’s source in the security and defence forces.

Strikes against Russian energy targets have prompted criticism from US officials, who have made it clear that Washington does not support Ukraine’s campaign against oil refineries, citing fears that it could threaten the global energy market.

In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Kiev has the right to use its own weapons with retaliatory strikes on Russian oil refineries.

AGENCIES

Baghdad :

The Iraqi Parliament has passed a law criminalising same-sex relations and vowing tough penalties against them in a decision that rights advocates decried as discriminating against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.

The legislature on Saturday voted for an amendment to a 1988 anti-prostitution law, penalising homosexuality by 10 to 15 years in prison, and which bans promoting prostitution and same-sex relationships in “any way” in Iraq, making it punishable by at least seven years in jail.

An initial draft proposed the death penalty for same-sex relations, the Iraqi independent portal Alsumaria News reported.

The acting head of the Iraqi Parliament, Mohsen al-Mandalawi, defended the bill.

“It is an essential step to protect the value structure of society and a supreme interest to protect our children against calls of moral depravity and homosexuality,” he said in a press statement.

However, the legislation triggered an outcry and condemnations.

“Absolutely horrific developments in law for Iraq today (Saturday) as it codifies discrimination against the LGBT community,” said Raz Salayi, an Iraq researcher at the rights group Amnesty International.

The US, an ally of Iraq, said it was “deeply concerned” about the Iraqi move.

“This amendment threatens those most at risk in Iraqi society and weakens Iraq’a ability to diversify its economy and attract foreign investment,” US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a post on X.  AGENCIES

Kiev:

 Russia attacked Ukraine with nine drones on Sunday, Ukrainian Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk reported as quoted by media reports.

Five of them were shot down by the Ukrainian forces, The Kyiv Independent reported.

Four Shahed-type attack drones were launched from Cape Chauda in occupied Crimea. Anti-craft missile units and mobile fire groups shot down all of them over Kiev, Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi, and Kirovohrad regions, according to the report.

Russian forces launched five more drones of unknown types from the occupied territory of Kherson region, with one of them shot down over Mykolaiv region, according to Oleshchuk.

Russia also launched one S-300 missile from its Belgorod region, Oleshchuk said, without giving any further details on the aftermath.

The city of Mykolaiv came under a drone attack on Sunday, Mykolaiv Oblast Governor Vitalii Kim said.

A hotel was “severely” damaged and caught fire, which was later doused, according to him.

“The owners of the hotel have just recovered from the attacks that took place in 2022. There is a children’s sports school and a stadium nearby. No military facilities,” Kim wrote on Telegram.

The attack also damaged a heat-generating infrastructure facility, cars and damaged windows of another hotel, Kim said. No casualties were reported.

Drone attacks are a daily occurrence in Ukraine, affecting various regions across the country.

Earlier on April 27, Russia launched 34 missiles at Ukraine, hitting energy facilities in Dnipropetrovsk, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Lviv regions. AGENCIES

Yangon:

 Myanmar authorities have seized 100 kg of methamphetamine and 13 kg of ketamine in a recent operation in southern Myanmar, the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control reported on Sunday.

Acting on a tip-off, anti-narcotics police searched a truck in Waw township in Bago region on Thursday, and seized the drugs worth more than 3.7 billion kyats (about $1.76 million), along with four mobile phones, according to the committee as quoted by Xinhua news agency report.

Three suspects involved in the case have been charged under the country’s Narcotics Drug and Psychotropic Substance Law, it said. AGENCIES

New Delhi:

 The 16 remaining Indian crew members on board a cargo ship seized by Iran are set to be released soon, Iran Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian assured his Portuguese counterpart Paulo Rangel in a telephonic conversation on Saturday.

“The humanitarian issue of the release of the ship’s crew is of our serious concern and we have announced consular access, release, and extradition to their ambassadors in Tehran,” Abdollahian was quoted as saying by the Iranian Foreign Ministry during his discussion with Rangel on MSC Aries – the seized Israeli ship carrying the Portuguese flag. Last week, Deck Cadet Ann Tessa Joseph, one of the 17 Indian crew members on board the seized vessel, returned home as External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, who had spoken to

Seoul:

 North Korea on Saturday reiterated its commitment to launching more reconnaissance satellites into orbit this year after putting its first spy satellite into orbit in November.

Pyongyang “will carry out an important mission to enhance its space reconnaissance capabilities as planned to monitor and control the US and other hostile forces’ military movements and aggressive attempts,” an unnamed spokesperson of the North’s National Aerospace Technology Administration (NATA) said in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Yonhap news agency reported.

North Korea put its first spy satellite, Malligyong-1, into orbit in November after two failed attempts in May and August and has vowed to launch three more this year. It has yet to disclose any timeline for the launches but has repeatedly reaffirmed the plan through the KCNA.

The North blamed the “US ambitions to militarise space” for its push for space development.

“The US has been building a big space army over the Korean Peninsula and its surrounding area with an ultimate goal to launch a preemptive nuclear attack,” the spokesperson said, accusing Washington of escalating the possibility of an actual war breaking out in the region.

The North also denounced recent remarks by Stephen Whiting, the commander of the US Space Command, that North Korea’s satellite launch violates UN Security Council resolutions, saying the US is acting based on “double standards.”

North Korea has the right to develop space and use it as a military means for self-defence, the spokesperson said, reiterating the country’s position on space development.AGENCIES

Washington:

 Dozens of tornadoes tore across the US Midwest and flattened entire neighbourhoods, particularly in and around the city of Omaha in the state of Nebraska.

“Numerous houses” in western Douglas County, outside of Omaha, were damaged by a twister that hit on Friday afternoon, Omaha police said in a statement.

Photos and videos showed buildings reduced to rubble. While there have been injuries, authorities have not reported any deaths so far.

“We’ve been very fortunate with very few injuries,” Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer told reporters during a press briefing late Friday. “It seems like our warning systems in the city of Omaha have been very effective.”

Thousands of households were left without electricity in the wake of the storms.

In Lancaster County, to the south-west of Omaha, some 70 people were rescued from an industrial building that had collapsed in the storm, according to media reports.

Another tornado reportedly crossed the Missouri River into the neighbouring state of Iowa to the east of Nebraska, where it caused severe damage in the small community of Minden, among others.

At least 60 tornadoes and cyclones have been reported from five different states on Friday, according to CNN.

The National Weather Service said it expects possible more bad weather later on Saturday, including “very large hail, damaging winds, and multiple strong tornadoes.”

While tornadoes are common in some parts of the US, experts say the rise of natural disasters, including storms, floods and forest fires, is also due to climate change.  AGENCIES

Riyadh:

 Senior Western and Arab officials are expected to meet next week in Riyadh to discuss the months-long war in the Gaza Strip on the sidelines of an economic forum in Saudi Arabia, according to diplomatic sources.

Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, the UAE and Jordan will meet Monday in Riyadh with their US, German, British, French and Italian counterparts, the sources said.

The Arab officials, joined by a Palestinian Authority representative, will meet on Saturday to formulate a “unified Arab stance” ahead of the Monday meeting, the sources told dpa on condition of anonymity.

The Palestinian official will not attend the talks with the top Western diplomats, the sources added.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry travelled on Saturday to Riyadh, sources at Cairo airport said.

Saudi Arabia is hosting an international economic forum in Riyadh on Sunday and Monday.

The international talks come amid fears of a planned Israeli offensive in Gaza’s Rafah city and renewed efforts to broker a hostage and ceasefire deal.

A top Hamas official said on Saturday that the Islamist militant group is studying an Israeli counterproposal regarding such a deal.

“Hamas will examine this proposal and submit a response,” Khalil al-Hayya, the deputy head of the group’s political arm in Gaza, said in a statement posted on Telegram.

He said the Israeli side was responding to a proposal Hamas had presented to Egyptian and Qatari mediators on April 13.

Negotiations aimed at releasing hostages held by militants in the Gaza Strip and securing a ceasefire in the devastated Palestinian territory have been deadlocked for months.

But Israel’s preparations for a large-scale ground offensive on Rafah – the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip and the territory’s last Hamas stronghold – is reportedly putting pressure on the group.

US media outlet Axios reported, citing two senior Israeli officials, that Israel had warned Egypt that this would be the “last chance” to strike a deal before its Rafah operations begin.

Axios and Israeli media reported that Hamas and Israel are at loggerheads over the scope of the deal, including how many hostages could be released and how long the ceasefire would last. Hamas is demanding a permanent ceasefire, which Israel rejects.

Israel’s allies and critics have for months implored Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to call off the invasion of Rafah, fearing mass civilian casualties. More than a million displaced Palestinians from other parts of the Gaza Strip have taken shelter there.  AGENCIES

Seou:

 The new head of the doctors’ association vowed on Saturday to wage an all-out war against the government in case of any disadvantage to medical professors considering taking weekly breaks in support of the ongoing walkout by junior doctors.

Lim Hyun-taek, the president-elect of the Korean Medical Association (KMA), is known for his hawkish stance in the ongoing stalemate with the government regarding an increase in the medical school enrollment quota.

“The Ministry of Health and Welfare’s treatment of professors as criminals and its intimidation are deeply infuriating,” said the KMA’s transition team for Lim in a press release, adding that 140,000 doctors and medical students will launch an all-out war if the professors are mistreated.

Lim has come under police scrutiny after the Ministry of Health and Welfare filed a complaint alleging he violated medical law by inciting collective action by trainee doctors opposed to the government’s plan to sharply increase medical school admissions, reports Yonhap news agency.

The country’s 13,000 trainee doctors have been on strike, resigning ‘en masse’ since February 20, protesting the government’s decision to significantly increase the medical school enrollment quota. In solidarity with medical interns and residents, medical professors at major general hospitals nationwide have joined the movement.

In an attempt to break the stalemate with the doctors, the government last week accepted a request from the chiefs of six national universities for flexibility in expanding the medical school enrollment quota.  AGENCIES

CHANDIGARH:

“Embracing digital methods in the functioning of the National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP) is not just about modernization; it’s about revolutionizing how we combat leprosy. By harnessing the power of technology, we can enhance surveillance, improve patient care, and strengthen outreach efforts, ultimately bringing us closer to our goal of a leprosy-free world.” Said, Dr. Manjeet Pal, State Leprosy Officer during the visit of 17 Consultants from the National Health Mission (NHM) Odisha to the Government Multi-Specialty Hospital Sector 16 (GMSH 16) in Chandigarh during a 4-day Management Development Program tailored for National Leprosy Eradication Program Consultants from Odisha

The visit focused on illuminating the prevalent rates, the influx of new cases, and the accessibility of essential services for individuals affected by leprosy.  The delegates were shown the MCR sandals and the medicines that are provided at the hospital. The challenge of migration of new cases along with the geographical map of Chandigarh was discussed and the challenges of record maintainence for each patient was discussed. Subsequently, the consultants proceeded to the Health and Wellness Centre in Maloya, where they engaged in interactive sessions with the peripheral staff, notably the Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANM). This interaction provided valuable insights into the methodologies employed in conducting surveys, the seamless referral processes for patients, the diligent follow-up mechanisms in place, and the crucial aspect of patient counselling. Moreover, the consultants gained firsthand knowledge of the streamlined procedures for providing medicines and conducting e-sanjeevani consultations, enhancing their understanding of the holistic approach adopted at the grassroots level.

Hosted by the International Public Health Management Development Program, under the aegis of the Department of Community Medicine and School of Public Health at PGIMER Chandigarh, this pioneering initiative aims to empower 17 senior district leprosy consultants from Odisha. The program features a comprehensive curriculum covering technical facets such as program implementation, planning, GIS mapping, monitoring and evaluation techniques, alongside soft leadership skills encompassing communication, advocacy, stress and time management, team building, conflict resolution, motivation, and morale enhancement. These skills will equip the participants to efficiently oversee policy and programs within the state of Odisha.

In addition to classroom sessions, participants will engage in a study tour of the PGIMER leprosy clinic to gain insights into its operations and quality perspectives. During the field visit, the consultants witnessed firsthand demonstrations of crucial diagnostic procedures and innovative approaches aimed at combating leprosy and its challenges. Notably, insights into slit skin smear examinations were provided at the Skin Lab of the Leprosy Skin Clinic. Dr. Sanjeev Handa, Head of the Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology at PGIMER, commended the Management Development Program for its dedication to advancing leprosy control and sharing best practices. The visit to the Department of Microbiology at PGIMER demonstrated the process of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing for drug resistance, highlighting the institution’s proactive approach in tackling drug-resistant strains of leprosy.

The program will employ diverse learning methodologies such as case studies, management games, quizzes, role plays, videos, and mobile applications. A panel discussion titled “Leprosy Control: Bridging Perspectives from State Consultants and Tertiary Care Facility” is scheduled on day 3, featuring experts including Dr. Tarun Narang, Additional Professor at PGIMER, Dr. Rita Kotwal, State Leprosy Consultant, Haryana, and Dr.Sheenam Aggarwal, State Leprosy Consultant from Punjab. Additionally, delegates will acquire soft skills like team building, effective communication, stress and time management during the program.

The culmination of the program will witness the formulation and presentation of an action plan tailored for the state of Odisha. The program will conclude on April 26th, 2024, with a valedictory ceremony honoring outstanding participants across various categories.