DUBAI: Iran denied having any link to sites targeted by the United States in Syria, Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said on Wednesday, according to the ministry’s telegram channel.
On Tuesday, the US military said it carried out a strike in Syria’s Deir Ezzor against infrastructure facilities used by groups affiliated with Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).
“The US attack on Syrian infrastructure and people is a violation of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The sites targeted had no links to the Islamic Republic,” Kanaani said.
US forces first deployed into Syria during the Obama’s administration’s campaign against Daesh, partnering with a Kurdish-led group called the Syrian Democratic Forces. There are about 900 US troops in Syria, most of them in the east.
Iran-backed militias established a foothold in Syria while fighting in support of President Bashar Assad during Syria’s civil war.
Iran denies any link to targets hit by US in Syria
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Iran denies any link to targets hit by US in Syria
- US forces first deployed into Syria during the Obama’s administration’s campaign against Daesh
Pakistan, China ink deal to boost resilience against climate disasters
- Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal holds meeting with CIDCA Director Luo Zhaohu in Kunming
- Pakistan’s Climate Information and Early Warning System Project was launched in February 2023
ISLAMABAD: Islamabad and Beijing have signed a climate cooperation agreement to implement an information and early warning system in Pakistan with the aim to strengthen the South Asian nation’s resilience against climate-related disasters, state media reported on Tuesday.
The Climate Information and Early Warning System Project, which is being implemented by the Pakistani ministry of climate change and the United Nations Development Program, began in February 2023 and aims to install early warning systems as well as carry out capacity building, community engagement and sustainable livelihood support projects, particularly in the northern regions of the country vulnerable to Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs). GLOFs can occur when a glacial lake’s moraine dam rapidly accumulates water and bursts. The resulting release of water and debris can cause catastrophic destruction to downstream areas.
Pakistani Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal is visiting China to attend the 3rd China-Indian Ocean Region Forum on Blue Economy Cooperation from Dec. 15-17, a dialogue Beijing says is aimed at connecting governments, financial institutions and businesses to promote regional integration in the development of the blue economy.
During his visit, Iqbal held a meeting on Tuesday with the director of the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), Luo Zhaohui in Kunming.
“Following the meeting Zhaohui and Iqbal signed cooperation documents including those related to the implementation of Pakistan’s Climate Information and Early Warning System Project,” the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said on Tuesday.
APP quoted Luo as saying CIDCA was committed to working with Pakistan to implement the climate agreements, actively promote the joint construction of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects, implement the Global Development Initiative (GDI), and deepen China-Pakistan development cooperation in general.
“CIDCA is committed to supporting Pakistan’s post-flood reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts, solidifying the enduring partnership between the two nations,” state media said, quoting Luo.
According to the Global Climate Risk Index, Pakistan is the fifth most vulnerable country to climate change, annually facing extreme weather events like floods, droughts and heatwaves that significantly affect agriculture, infrastructure and livelihoods.
In 2022, unusually heavy rains triggered floods in many parts of Pakistan, killing over 1,700 people, inflicting economic losses of around $30 billion, and affecting at least 30 million people.
Saudi Arabia to automate 40% of its electricity distribution network by 2025: Minister
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is working to automate 40 percent of its electricity distribution network by the end of 2025, having already achieved 32 percent of this target, according to the minister of energy.
Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman made the announcement at the opening of the 12th Saudi Arabia Smart Grid 2024 Conference in Riyadh, held under the theme “Energy and Sustainability.”
Automating an electricity distribution network uses technologies like smart meters and real-time monitoring to improve efficiency, and also facilitates the integration of renewable energy – which aligns with Vision 2030 goals of producing 50 percent of the Kingdom’s electricity using renewable sources.
In his opening remarks, Prince Abdulaziz highlighted the key role of smart grid technologies in transforming energy systems, focusing on smart meters, automation, and enhanced communication to improve electricity production, transmission, and consumption.
The minister highlighted Saudi Arabia’s progress under Vision 2030 saying: “More than 11 million smart meters have been installed across the Kingdom since 2021, contributing to improved energy consumption efficiency and enabling consumers to track their consumption in real time through smart applications, thereby enhancing their ability to make more informed decisions about electricity conservation.”
This large-scale deployment has empowered consumers with the ability to monitor their real-time energy consumption through advanced applications, enabling them to make informed decisions to optimize electricity use and promote energy conservation, SPA reported.
Similar efforts were seen in different nations in the Gulf Cooperation Council with the UAE’s Dubai Electricity and Water Authority and Qatar’s Kahramaa advancing smart grid initiatives to enhance energy infrastructure.
DEWA’s multi-billion project integrates AI, blockchain, and IoT for seamless communication and automation, supporting smart city goals. Meanwhile, Kahramaa’s smart meters, covering 450,000 units, improve monitoring, reduce operational costs, and support sustainability by optimizing energy use and integrating clean energy.
Discussing automation efforts, Prince Abdulaziz revealed that the ministry is advancing plans to establish nine control centers by 2026.
These facilities will be equipped with state-of-the-art technologies to enable real-time monitoring and precision management of the electricity distribution network.
These developments aim to enhance network stability and performance, ensuring Saudi Arabia remains at the forefront of technological innovation in energy management.
The minister also addressed the challenges posed by renewable energy sources, particularly their sensitivity to weather conditions. To mitigate these challenges and maintain grid reliability, the Kingdom is enhancing its energy storage capabilities.
Current plans target a battery storage capacity of 26 gigawatt-hours, with the goal of increasing this to 48 GWh by 2030.
Regarding the efforts to enhance the stability and efficiency of the national grid, which is the largest in the Middle East and Africa, the minister said: “We continue to expand transmission and distribution networks and develop flexible transmission system technologies that contribute to enhancing energy exchange and reducing losses.”
He added: “Additionally, four regional control centers have been established, along with a national control center, whose advanced systems enable efficient monitoring and operation of the networks, thereby strengthening the security and resilience of the electrical grid.”
Following the inauguration of the conference, Prince Abdulaziz oversaw the signing of several agreements and memorandums of understanding aimed at further advancing energy solutions across the Kingdom.
He also honored the winners of the Energy Hackathon, which saw participation from more than 60 participants. The contestants presented creative and innovative projects focused on energy storage efficiency and sustainability, reflecting the growing emphasis on nurturing talent and fostering innovation in the energy sector.
The three-day conference is set to host discussions on over 40 scientific papers, showcasing the latest research, technologies, and sustainable solutions in the field of smart grids.
These talks will spotlight the role of smart grid systems in enabling digital transformation, enhancing renewable energy solutions, and creating new opportunities for private sector participation.
Launched in Jeddah in 2011, SASG began as the first specialized event on smart grid technologies with global participation. Now an annual fixture in Saudi Arabia, it has attracted over 55,000 participants and 280 sponsors and exhibitors, offering a platform to showcase products, services, and innovations.
Aid reaches remote Pakistan valley hit by sectarian clashes
- Residents have reported food, medicine shortages in parts of northwestern Kurram district
- Government is struggling to end a reignited decades-old feud between rival communities
PESHAWAR: Aid flights landed in a remote Pakistan valley on Tuesday where thousands of people are stranded because of sectarian clashes that have killed more than 200 people since July.
Residents have reported food and medicine shortages in parts of Kurram district, which borders Afghanistan, as the government struggles to end a reignited feud between Sunni and Shiite Muslims stemming from decades-old tensions over farmland.
Sher Gul, the head of private welfare organization Edhi, said they would make several flights a day from the city of Peshawar to the valley for the rest of the week, depending on weather.
“We plan to bring around three wounded back on each flight... and deliver medicines for the injured,” he told AFP.
Various truces have been announced since the latest round of fighting began, as elders from the two sides negotiate a lasting agreement.
In the meantime, the government has shut down key roads in and out of the district in an attempt to quell the violence, after a security convoy escorting residents was attacked in November, leaving more than 40 dead.
Mobile and Internet services are also disrupted in the area.
Members of the Shiite community are also particularly vulnerable as they must pass through Sunni-majority neighborhoods to reach essential services.
At least 133 people have been killed and 177 wounded in sporadic clashes since November 21.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said 79 people had been killed in the region between July and October.
Police have regularly struggled to control violence in Kurram, which was part of the semi-autonomous Federally Administered Tribal Areas until it was merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2018. The feuding is generally rekindled by disputes over land in the rugged mountainous region, and fueled by underlying tensions between the communities adhering to different sects of Islam.
Bomb kills chief of Russian nuclear protection forces in Moscow — media
- Russian media said Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov had been killed on Ryazansky Prospekt
- TASS state news agency said two killed in explosion on Moscow’s Ryazansky Prospekt
MOSCOW: A bomb killed a senior Russian general in charge of nuclear protection forces and another man in Moscow on Tuesday, the RT state media group said on Tuesday, citing an unidentified law enforcement source.
Russian media said that Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, who is chief of Russia’s Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection Troops, had been killed on Ryazansky Prospekt.
Russian news Telegram channels also reported that Kirillov had been killed but there was no official confirmation of the killing.
TASS state news agency said two people were killed in an explosion on Moscow’s Ryazansky Prospekt.
A criminal investigation was opened in connection with the death of two men on Ryazansky Prospekt, Russia’s RIA state news agency reported, citing Moscow investigators.
Ryazansky Prospekt is a road that starts some 7 km (4.35 miles) southeast of the Kremlin.
Investigators and forensic experts were working at the scene together with employees of other emergency services, TASS agency reported.
Two policemen killed, three injured in suspected militant attack on checkpoint in Pakistan
- Gunmen attacked a check post in Shangla district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province with guns and hand grenades
- Such attacks are rising in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with most claimed by Pakistan’s indigenous Taliban movement
PESHAWAR: Two policemen were killed and three injured in an attack on a check post in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in the latest incident of suspected militant violence in the restive region bordering Afghanistan, police said on Tuesday.
Such attacks have been on the rise in KP in recent months, with most claimed by Pakistan’s indigenous Taliban movement, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and other militant groups that target security forces’ convoys and check posts and carry out daily targeted killings and kidnappings of law enforcers and government officials.
The TTP is a separate group but a close ally of the Afghan Taliban who rule Kabul.
“At around 11pm last night [Monday], terrorists attacked a check post which left two police officers martyred, and three policemen injured,” police official Maqbool Ahmed told Arab News on Tuesday, saying the assault took place in the Chakesar area of the province’s Shangla district, with militants hurling hand grenades at the post and opening fire in a drive-by attack.
No group has as yet claimed the attack.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the attack, a report published in state broadcaster Radio Pakistan said, identifying the deceased cops as Assistant Sub Inspector Hassan Khan and Head Constable Nisar Khan.
Pakistan has frequently accused neighboring Afghanistan of sheltering and supporting militant groups like the TTP, urging the administration there to prevent its territory from being used by armed factions to launch cross-border attacks.
The Afghan Taliban deny the charge, insisting Pakistan’s security issues are an internal matter.
