International

Priest, 15 police killed in gumnen attacks on Russia’s city

Published

9 months ago

June 24, 2024

An area sealed off by police after the Dagestan attacks [RIA Novosti via AFP]

Priest, 15 police killed in gumnen attacks on Russia’s city

Gunmen have attacked churches, a synagogue and a police post in Russia’s North Caucasus region of Dagestan, killing at least 15 police and National Guard officers, several civilians and an Orthodox priest, according to authorities.

At least 12 people were injured in the attacks, which took place in the cities of Derbent and Makhachkala on Sunday, the festival of Pentecost for the Russian Orthodox Church.

Videos posted on social media and shown on Russian TV showed the skies of Derbent, which is home to an ancient Jewish community in the mainly Muslim region, filled with smoke and flames after the synagogue was set on fire.

Places of worship were also attacked in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan and its largest city, approximately 125km (78 miles) away, where the police post also came under attack.

Russia’s Investigative Committee said it had opened criminal investigations over “acts of terror” in Dagestan, which neighbours Chechnya and is one of the poorest areas of Russia.

“This evening in the cities of Derbent and Makhachkala armed attacks were carried out on two Orthodox churches, a synagogue and a police checkpoint,” the National Anti-terrorism Committee said in a statement to the RIA Novosti news agency.

“As a result of the terrorist attacks, according to preliminary information, a priest from the Russian Orthodox Church and police officers were killed.”

The Russian Orthodox Church said its archpriest Nikolai Kotelnikov had been “brutally killed” in Derbent.

‘International terrorist organisation’

The attack on the Derbent synagogue took place about 40 minutes before evening prayers were due to start.

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“The synagogue in Derbent is on fire,” the chairman of the public council of Russia’s Federation of Jewish Communities, Boruch Gorin, wrote on Telegram. “The synagogue in Makhachkala has also been set on fire and burned down.”

The rabbi of Makhachkala, Rami Davidov, later told the state-run RIA Novosti that no one was killed or injured there.

Dagestan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said 19 people took shelter inside a church in the city before they were led to safety.

Sergei Melikov, the head of the Republic of Dagestan, said the six attackers had been “liquidated”.

The Russian news agency TASS, citing law enforcement agencies, reported that the gunmen were members of “an international terrorist organisation”.

The attackers have not yet been identified.

“Tonight in Derbent and Makhachkala, unknown people made attempts to destabilise the public situation,” Melikov said.

“Dagestan police officers stood in their way. According to preliminary information, there are casualties among them. All services are acting in accordance with the instruction … The identities of the attackers are being established.”

The attacks come three months after some 133 people were killed when gunmen opened fire at a rock concert in the Crocus City Hall on the outskirts of Moscow. Islamic State in Khorasan Province, ISKP (ISIS-K), based in Afghanistan, said it was behind that attack, although Moscow claimed without evidence that Ukraine had a role.

Russia’s FSB security service in April said it had arrested four people in Dagestan on suspicion of involvement in plotting the Crocus City Hall attack.

In an update on the events of June 23, the Washington, DC-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW), noted that the Russian branch of ISKP’s Al-Azaim Media had praised “their brothers from the Caucasus” for demonstrating their capabilities in Dagestan.

“Al-Azaim did not claim credit for the attack itself, notably, and the reference to the Caucasus strongly suggests that Wilayat Kavkaz [ISIL’s northern Caucasus branch] is responsible for the attack,” ISW said.

Daniel Hawkins, reporting for Al Jazeera from Moscow, noted that Dagestan had seen unrest in the 1990s and early 2000s.

“Violence there, as the years have gone on, has died down,” Hawkins said, explaining that the region never saw the kind of conflict that engulfed the neighbouring Russian republic of Chechnya, where Russian forces fought two brutal wars during the same period.

“This sort of attack that’s coordinated and has targeted civilian religious infrastructure is very unusual and will no doubt be shocking to Russians across the country,” Hawkins said.

In October last year, hundreds of people stormed the airport in Makhachkala over a flight from Israel landing there. At least 60 people were arrested after they broke through security to the runway and inundated the area around the aircraft shouting anti-Jewish slogans.

Priest, 15 police killed in gumnen attacks on Russia’s city

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES

International

UK announces new passport application fees starting April 2025

Published

1 day ago

March 20, 2025

Trends Admin

UK announces new passport application fees starting April 2025

The UK government has confirmed it will introduce new fees for passport applications beginning on April 10th, 2025.

The changes, which are still subject to parliamentary approval, will see a rise in costs for both online and paper applications, affecting adults and children alike.

According to the UK Home Office, the adjustments will apply to both domestic and overseas passport applications.

The fee increases,  as stated, are part of an ongoing effort to ensure the passport system is financially self-sustaining, reducing the need for funding from general taxation. The Home Office clarified that the government does not make any profit from the fees.

Fee increases for domestic applications

Starting April 10th, 2025, the fee for a standard online application within the UK will rise for both adults and children. The cost for an adult’s application will increase from £88.50 to £94.50, while for children it will go up from £57.50 to £61.50.

Postal applications will also see an increase, with the adult fee rising from £100 to £107 and the child fee increasing from £69 to £74.

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Charges to premium service fees

The Premium Service, which allows for passport issuance within one day, will also become more expensive.

For adults, the fee will rise from £207.50 to £222
For children, the fee will increase from £176.50 to £189.

This service is available for those who need a passport urgently and are applying from within the UK.

Higher costs for overseas applications

For individuals applying from overseas, the standard online application fee will also increase;

The adult fee will rise from £101 to £108, and the child fee will increase from £65.50 to £70
For paper applications made abroad, the adult fee will rise from £112.50 to £120.50, while the child fee will increase from £77 to £82.50.

The Home Office stated that the new fees are necessary to maintain the passport service and ensure it is financially viable. The fees contribute to covering the cost of processing passport applications, offering consular support to UK citizens overseas, and managing UK border services.

“The fees contribute to the cost of processing passport applications, consular support overseas, including for lost or stolen passports, and the cost of processing British citizens at UK borders,” the office said.

It is also related that in 2024, 99.7% of standard applications from the UK were processed within three weeks, where no additional information was required. Customers are advised to apply well in advance of their travel plans to avoid delays.

These fee adjustments are in line with guidelines from HM Treasury, which regularly reviews passport fees.

UK announces new passport application fees starting April 2025

International

UN staff member killed in central Gaza blast, five others injured

Published

1 day ago

March 20, 2025

Trends Admin

UN staff member killed in central Gaza blast, five others injured

At least one UN staffer has been killed and at least five others injured following an explosion at two UN guesthouses in Deir al Balah in the central Gaza Strip on Wednesday.

Several of the injured staffers are reported to be very severely hurt, though further details on their conditions have not yet been provided

The UN is verifying and confirming the details, including the circumstances that led up to the incident at the compound.

However, it was not due to “any action” that was being taken by UN personnel to remove “unexploded ordinance,” the head of the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) said during a press conference in Brussels.

The UN official’s statement clarifies that the incident did not involve any activities related to the removal of unexploded ordinance by UN personnel, and further investigation is underway to determine the exact cause and context of the event.

According to media reports, the Israeli military – which has resumed deadly strikes in the Gaza Strip, killing hundreds since Monday – has denied attacking the compound.

“These premises were well known by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and they were ‘deconflicted’,” UNOPS chief Jorge Moreira da Silva, said, explaining that “everyone knew who was working inside the premises – it was UN personnel, UNOPS personnel.”

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“This was not an accident, this was an incident,” he told journalists, adding that additional information is being collected.

“What we do know is that an explosive ordnance was dropped or fired at the infrastructure and detonated inside the building,” he said, adding it was unclear if it had been due to air-drop weapons, artillery or rocket fire.

Silva stressed that attacks against humanitarian premises are a breach of international law.

“UN personnel and its premises must be protected by all sides. The civilian population relies on the UN for lifesaving assistance, they are an essential lifeline at the time of utter tragedy and devastation,” he said.

The incident took place at around 11:30 a,m. local time on Wednesday. It followed strikes on Tuesday that resulted in some damage, and “a near miss” on Monday, Silva said.

The UN buildings are situated in an “isolated area” in Dier al Balah.

As investigations continue into the incident, the “top priority” is the evacuation of injured staff members, Silva said.

“We have stayed and delivered for the people in Gaza in the last year and a half. This was not the first time a colleague from UNOPS lost their life,” he added.

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He noted that a staffer who drove aid trucks was killed around a year ago in the line of duty.

“It is very difficult to operate in Gaza…we have been challenged by the fact that international humanitarian law has not been respected,” he said.

UNOPS teams in Gaza have been carrying out critical humanitarian work, supporting hundreds of thousands of civilians severely affected by the conflict.

Their efforts include delivering essential supplies such as fuel and assisting in demining and explosive removal.

Additionally, the agency manages the so-called UN 2720 Mechanism for Gaza, which was mandated by the Security Council to accelerate humanitarian aid into the enclave.

In a related development, UN Secretary-General António Guterres reaffirmed that all parties to the conflict have a legal obligation to protect UN premises, which must remain inviolable.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, the UN chief, strongly condemned the attacks and called for a full investigation.

“Today’s deadly strike brings the number of UN colleagues killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023 to at least 280,” the statement noted.

Guterres emphasised that all military operations must respect and prioritise civilian protection.

“The Secretary-General stresses the need for the ceasefire to be respected to bring an end to the suffering of the people.

“Humanitarian aid must reach all people in need. The hostages must be released immediately and unconditionally,” he said.

UN staff member killed in central Gaza blast, five others injured

(NAN)

International

US judge suspends ban on transgender people in military

Published

2 days ago

March 19, 2025

Trends Admin

US judge suspends ban on transgender people in military

A US federal judge on Tuesday suspended the Trump administration’s ban on transgender people serving in the military, citing the principle of equality and dealing a blow — if only temporary — to the US president’s agenda.

Referencing the US Declaration of Independence, which states that all humans are “created equal,” Judge Ana C. Reyes suspended President Donald Trump’s late January order that excluded transgender people from the armed forces.

That suspension, however, will be put on pause until March 21 to give the government time to file an emergency stay at a higher court, according to Reyes’ decision.