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Iran’s supreme chief, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has blamed the US, Israel and Turkey for the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria, after a lightning offensive by rebels toppled the regime.
In feedback reported by Iran’s Tasnim information company, Khamenei recognized Turkey as a lesser “conspirator” to the developments in Syria, as an alternative specializing in the alleged position of the US and Israel: “There ought to be little doubt that what occurred in Syria is the product of a joint American and Zionist plan,” he mentioned.
He went on to say that “everybody sees” that “a neighboring authorities of Syria performs, has performed, and is taking part in an apparent position” however alleged that the “mastermind and command middle” are within the US and Israel. He claimed to have conclusive “proof”.
The feedback by the Iranian chief, an ally of Assad, got here after Syria’s main insurgent group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), named a brand new prime minister to move the nation’s transitional authorities. Mohammed al-Bashir, who beforehand ran an administration in Idlib beneath the management of HTS, mentioned he would keep in publish till 1 March and urged calm.
Suspect in CEO taking pictures to plead not responsible and combat extradition, lawyer says
Luigi Mangione, the suspect within the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO, Brian Thompson, will plead not responsible and combat his extradition to New York, the place he faces homicide expenses.
Mangione, 26, shouted: “That is fully out of contact and an insult to the intelligence of the American individuals,” as he was led to the courthouse on Tuesday. Kathy Hochul, the governor of New York, mentioned she would signal a governor’s warrant to pressure an extradition “to make sure this particular person is tried and held accountable.” Mangione has been denied bail.
One space of focus within the case has been that Mangione seems to have suffered persistent again issues since childhood – and investigators might discover whether or not he had been denied insurance coverage protection for the situation.
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What expenses does he face? In Pennsylvania, he faces the fees of carrying a gun with no license, forgery, falsely figuring out himself to the authorities and possessing “devices of crime”. Authorities in New York have charged him with second-degree homicide, forgery and three gun expenses.
Malibu wildfire forces mass evacuations
Greater than 1,500 firefighters are battling to comprise a fast-moving wildfire that has torn by Malibu in southern California.
The hearth, which began Monday evening, had unfold to greater than 2,800 acres, main authorities to put 20,000 residents beneath evacuation orders. Metropolis officers and firefighters on Tuesday mentioned the fireplace was at 0% containment, whereas the Los Angeles county hearth chief, Anthony Marrone, mentioned authorities had been investigating potential arson, although the blaze’s trigger remained unknown.
In different information …
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North Korea’s state media criticized the South Korean president for imposing a “dictatorship on the individuals”, in remarks apparently freed from irony.
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Ladies in Iran may face the loss of life penalty for breaking new obligatory morality legal guidelines set to return into pressure this week.
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A US chapter choose prevented the parody website the Onion from shopping for conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’s Infowars website, ruling that the auctioneer ought to have inspired extra back-and-forth bidding to safe the next worth.
Stat of the day: Malaria infections rise for fifth 12 months, reaching 263m instances in 2023
Malaria instances rose in 2023 for the fifth 12 months working to 263m infections globally, with 11m extra infections recorded than the 12 months earlier than, in response to the World Well being Group (WHO). The insect-borne illness killed virtually 600,000 individuals in 2023. The rise in instances is being pushed by rising resistance to medicine and pesticides, and local weather and humanitarian disasters.
Don’t miss this: I used to be compelled to offer my child away – and it was 40 years earlier than I noticed him once more
As an single 18-year-old in a border county in Northern Eire, Maria Arbuckle was despatched over the border to a mom and child dwelling in Dublin, the place she was coerced into giving her child up for adoption. She was considered one of tens of 1000’s of ladies – largely from the Republic, however some, like Arbuckle, from Northern Eire – to be despatched to the properties, which had been run by spiritual establishments and funded by the state. The final establishment solely closed in 1998. 4 many years later, Arbuckle was reunited together with her son. She shares her story right here.
Local weather verify: International meals manufacturing at elevated danger from extra salt in soil, UN report warns
Rising temperatures and poor agricultural practices are rising salinity in giant swathes of the world’s land, with probably devastating impacts on meals manufacturing, analysis has discovered. About 10% of world land is affected, with potential crop yield losses of as much as 70%. If present traits proceed, international heating may result in between 1 / 4 and a 3rd of all land turn into affected by 2100.
Final Factor: Scrabble star wins Spanish world title – regardless of not talking Spanish
Nigel Richards, a Malaysia-based New Zealander who doesn’t converse Spanish, has gained the Spanish Scrabble world title. Whereas his victory was described in Spanish media as “the peak of absurdity”, it is going to come as much less of a shock to those that know that Richards, 57, is lauded because the Tiger Woods of Scrabble. He has beforehand clinched a title in one other language he doesn’t converse – French – after he reportedly memorized the whole dictionary in 9 weeks.
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