World

Budapest, Jan 31 (IANS) A new wave of bomb threats was reported in Hungary with 44 schools receiving threatening emails, the national police confirmed on Friday.

Among the affected institutions, 13 are in Budapest, while 31 are in rural areas.

Police responded to all locations and implemented necessary security measures.

"No explosives or devices capable of detonation have been found in the buildings inspected so far," the police said in a statement. The National Bureau of Investigation of the Rapid Response Police is continuing its inquiry into the threats.

Budapest Mayor Gergely Karacsony stated that city institutions stand ready to assist law enforcement. "Budapest's companies and institutions are prepared to provide all necessary support to the police," he wrote on Facebook.

The latest bomb threats follow a similar incident last week when at least 292 schools in Budapest and surrounding areas were evacuated due to reported threats, Xinhua news agency reported.

Authorities have not confirmed any connection between the latest threats and the previous incidents, although in both cases, emails were used to deliver the alarms.

After the police operation, classes resumed in the affected schools.

"A threatening e-mail was received by several educational institutions on the evening of January 30, 2025. According to current data, 44 institutions nationwide – 13 in Budapest and 31 in the countryside – were affected. The police immediately began the necessary measures, and no explosives or explosive devices were found in the buildings inspected so far. The National Investigation Bureau of the Emergency Police is continuing its investigation into the threat," read a statement issued by the Hungarian Police.

Police Colonel Kristof Gal, head of the Hungarian National Police (ORFK) Communications Service, said: "The investigation is continuing under Section 316 of the Criminal Code, which punishes the person for making a threat to commit a terrorist act. The reclassification of the crime does not indicate that the threat level in our country has increased."

--IANS

int/as

Washington, Jan 31 (IANS) Washington D.C. Fire Chief has said that there are likely no survivors in the mid-air collision of a passenger plane and helicopter near Reagan National Airport on Wednesday night.

"We are now at a point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation. At this point, we don't believe there are any survivors from this accident," John Donnelly, chief of the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department, told a press conference at the airport on Thursday morning.

The American Airlines plane had 60 passengers and four crew members, while three US Army soldiers were onboard the Black Hawk helicopter.

Donnelly said that at 8:48 p.m. local time Wednesday night, the control tower sounded an alert, notifying responders about a reported aircraft crash on or near the airport, noting that about 300 rescuers responded to the accident.

"These responders found extremely frigid conditions. They found heavy wind. They found ice on the water, and they operated all night in those conditions," he added.

"We have recovered 27 people from the plane and one from the helicopter," said the Fire Chief.

"The crash area is a little spread out, so we've got some work to do."

At the press conference, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that the helicopter was following a "standard" flight pattern on Wednesday night and the passenger plane was also on a "standard" approach as it was coming into Washington D.C., without specifying what went wrong before the deadly collision.

Duffy noted that the National Transportation Safety Board will begin analysing the aircraft in partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration.

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said American Eagle flight 5342, operated by PSA Airlines, travelling from Wichita, Kansas, to Reagan National Airport, was involved in the accident just before 9 p.m. local time Wednesday on its final approach into the airport.

"They collided with a military aircraft on an otherwise normal approach, and at this time, we don't know why the military aircraft came into the path of the PSA aircraft," he said.

The transportation secretary said that there was no breakdown in communication.

When asked whether the plane was aware of the helicopter, Duffy did not answer directly but mentioned that the helicopter was aware of the plane's presence in the area.

Jack Carter, chief executive of Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority -- the authority that manages the airport, reaffirmed that the airport reopened at 11 a.m. local time on Thursday.

--IANS

int/khz

Washington, Jan 31 (IANS) Tulsi Gabbard told US Senators at a hearing to confirm her as the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) that she has "no love for Assad or Gaddafi or any dictator" as her critics have said, "I just hate Al Qaeda."

Gabbard has faced some tough questioning from Senators, both Republicans, who control the US Senate, and Democrats, on several issues on which she has spoken before, taking positions contrary to that of the administration.

She denied Assad had used chemical weapons on his own people and said it was a mistake to help in the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in Libya and Hosni Mubarak in Egypt.

She also faced questions about her past defence of Edward Snowden, the NSA intelligence contractor, who leaked a large number of classified documents and currently lives in Russia. And her positions on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

She lashed out against her critics in her opening remarks.

"Those who oppose my nomination imply that I am loyal to something or someone other than God, my own conscience, and the Constitution of the US, accusing me of being Trump's puppet, Putin's puppet, Assad's puppet," she said.

"I have no love for Assad or Gaddafi or any dictator," she added.

"I just hate al Qaeda. I hate that we have leaders who cozy up to Islamist extremists, minimising them to so-called rebels."

Gabbard is a military veteran who continues to serve in the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the army reserve and served several terms in the House of Representatives as a Democrat.

She also ran for the Democratic presidential nomination, losing it to Joe Biden in 2020. She has since supported and endorsed President Donald Trump's second run for the White House and after his victory, she accepted his nomination to be the Director of National Intelligence, whose office oversees the US intelligence community made of 18 agencies and organisations such as the CIA, NSA, FBI, and Defence Intelligence Agency.

Listing a series of intelligence failures such as the Iraq war and politicisation and weaponisation of the intelligence community such as the investigation of President Trump's first campaign, Gabbard said, "President Trump's re-election is a clear mandate from the American people to break this cycle of failure, end the weaponisation and politicisation of the intelligence community and begin to restore trust in those who've been charged with the critical task of securing our nation."

"If confirmed as DNI," she added, "I will do my very best to fulfill this mandate and bring leadership to the intelligence community with a laser-like focus on our essential mission, ensuring the safety, security, and freedom of the American people as the President's principal intelligence adviser."

Gabbard also lashed out against those who have targeted her religion. She is Hindu.

"Unfortunately, they're once again using the religious bigotry card, but this time trying to foment religious bigotry against Hindus and Hinduism. If anyone is sincerely interested in knowing more about my own personal spiritual path of Hinduism, I welcome you to go to my account on X where I'll share more on this topic."

--IANS

yrj/khz

Washington, Jan 30 (IANS) Rescue teams have recovered 27 bodies of passengers of the American Airlines plane and one from the US army Black Hawk helicopter that were involved in a mid-air collision, officials said Thursday morning, adding they don’t believe there are any survivors.

The plane — American Eagle Flight 5342 — was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members while the helicopter had three service members.

"At this point, we don't believe there are any survivors from this accident," D.C. Fire Chief John Donnelly said Thursday at a news conference, adding that rescue teams have recovered 27 bodies from the plane and one from the helicopter.

The plane, which was coming from Wichita in the US state of Kansas, was on a landing flight path to the Reagan National Airport in Washington DC. The two aircraft fell into the Potomac River that runs along the airport. The plane broke into pieces while the helicopter was found upside down in the river.

"I have been fully briefed on the terrible accident which just took place at Reagan National Airport," President Donald Trump said in a statement. "May God Bless their souls. Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders. I am monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise."

Rescue helicopters hovered over the river with flood lights as boats and rescuers combed the river for survivors and bodies.

The collision reportedly took place around 8:47 pm Wednesday.

The Army helicopter was a UH-60 Black Hawk on a training flight, US military officials have said. It was assigned to Bravo Company of the 12th Aviation Battalion, which operates out of Davison Army Airfield at Fort Belvoir, in nearby Virginia.

Two renowned former Russian figure skaters were on board the passenger plane, the Kremlin has said according to reports.

They were Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov did not identify them at a briefing but confirmed when asked if they were on board.

He also suggested that other Russian nationals were aboard the crashed flight.

"There were other of our fellow citizens there as well," he said.

Shishkova and Naumov won gold at the 1994 Figure Skating World Championship for Russia. The Washington Post reported the married pair lived in the United States since at least 1998, where they coached young ice skaters.

--IANS

int/yrj/as

Kinshasa, Jan 30 (IANS) Felix Tshisekedi, the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), promised a "vigorous response" to advances of March 23 Movement (M23) rebels in the eastern DRC, amid peace efforts by regional groups.

In his address on national television, Tshisekedi said "a response is underway" to reclaim every inch of DRC territory. The M23 has claimed to have taken control of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, a regional hub.

He said that in addition to military efforts supported by the UN peacekeeping mission and Southern African Development Community (SADC) forces, the DRC remains engaged diplomatically, particularly through the Luanda Process, a peace mechanism initiated and led by Angolan President Joao Lourenco.

Tshisekedi met Lourenco on Wednesday during a visit to the Angolan capital. He called for unity among all Congolese and pledged to cut government spending to fund military operations.

"The DRC will never back down. I make this promise to you: I will never abandon you."

Since Sunday evening, violent hostilities have been observed throughout Goma, which has about 1 million residents, including over 700,000 internally displaced people living on the outskirts in already difficult conditions.

According to sources, M23 rebels seized several key facilities Monday, including the airport, the port, and a local DRC army base.

On Wednesday, United Nations spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the situation in Goma is calmer but still tense. Continued clashes were reported in surrounding areas, including Sake, a strategic town to the northwest of Goma.

Sources said that the border with Rwanda has been gradually reopened. There are reports that M23 rebels have advanced toward the neighbouring province of South Kivu, whose capital city Bukavu is under imminent threat. It lies on the other side of Lake Kivu, facing Goma in the north, Xinhua news agency reported.

After emergency meetings at the UN Security Council and an extraordinary ministerial meeting of the African Union, an emergency summit of the East African Community (EAC) was held virtually on Wednesday. The meeting called for an unconditional ceasefire and facilitated humanitarian access.

"The summit called on all parties to the conflict in eastern DRC to cease hostilities and observe an immediate and unconditional ceasefire and facilitate humanitarian access to the affected population," the leaders said in a statement issued in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.

President Tshisekedi of the DRC, an EAC member state, did not take part in the summit convened by Kenyan President William Ruto, who rotates as the chairman of the EAC.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, Somalian President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye and South Sudanese President Salva Kiir attended.

The DRC has accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebels, an accusation Rwanda denies. Kigali accuses the DRC army of supporting and collaborating with remnants of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, a group allegedly responsible for the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.

Last December, a peace summit under the Luanda Process, where a peace agreement was expected between Tshisekedi and Kagame, was canceled at the last minute.

Kinshasa, rejecting any direct negotiation with the M23, hinted at possible channels by reactivating the Nairobi Process, an EAC-led parallel peace mechanism brokered by former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta. The M23 was excluded from the Nairobi Process by Kinshasa in 2022.

A joint summit of the EAC and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), which has also been involved in the eastern DRC, is expected to be held in the coming days to deliberate on the way forward.

The SADC was due to start an extraordinary summit Thursday in Harare, the Zimbabwean capital, to discuss the situation in the eastern DRC, according to an SADC Secretariat statement released Wednesday.

On Wednesday, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that violence and looting of humanitarian warehouses continued in Goma, impacting the ability of aid workers to respond and putting them at risk.

OCHA said that since the escalation of fighting, its humanitarian partners have recorded the wounding of more than 2,000 people. Some bodies were left in the streets, while water and electricity supplies remained cut off since Sunday.

"We call for the swift resumption of these services, as well as for the protection of humanitarian warehouses and the facilitation of medical evacuations for people who have been injured," said Dujarric, the chief spokesman for the UN secretary-general, in a briefing Wednesday.

OCHA said the Goma airport's closure means the suspension of the flow of humanitarian cargo and rotations of humanitarian personnel.

Most roads connecting Goma to the rest of the country are also closed. However, the border with Rwanda is open, and additional humanitarian teams can enter the DRC.

"Humanitarian Coordinator Bruno Lemarquis calls on all parties to respect international humanitarian law and to end the violence targeting civilians," OCHA said. "He reiterates his call for the establishment of a secure humanitarian corridor to guarantee unhindered humanitarian access and the creation of a border crossing to facilitate the movement of people fleeing violence."

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Sunday that he was deeply concerned by the escalating violence in the eastern DRC and reiterated his strongest condemnation of the M23's ongoing offensive and advances toward Goma.

Guterres called on the M23 to immediately cease all hostile actions and withdraw from occupied areas.

More than 400,000 people have been displaced since the start of 2025 in the eastern DRC, according to the UN.

--IANS

int/jk/as

N'djamena, Jan 30 (IANS) Chad on Thursday announced a full withdrawal of French troops from the Central African country.

"The three bases of French elements in Chad have all been handed over to the Chadian national army," Chadian Army spokesman Chanane Issakha Acheikh said in a statement. "The very last one has just been handed over today."

"The handover of the Sergent Adji Kossei Base in N'djamena definitively closes the presence of French forces in Chad," the spokesman said.

In November 2024, Chad announced the end of the security and defence cooperation agreement with France. On December 10, some French troops began to leave Chad.

On December 31, 2024, Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno announced the definitive withdrawal of French troops from the country by January 31, Xinhua news agency reported.

"I welcome the withdrawal of the first wave of French forces stationed in Chad. Other waves ... will follow until the complete withdrawal on January 31, 2025," Deby said in a televised address to the nation.

He said he was convinced that the decision was a response to a "common and legitimate aspiration" of the Chadian people.

"Any fight for independence or sovereignty has its sacrifices and we owe them for future generations, just as our elders made sacrifices, to bequeath us a standing country," the Chadian President said.

France had last month started the withdrawal of its troops from Chad, with some fighter jets taking off from a French base in the Chadian capital of N'Djamena, according to the Chadian army.

Chadian army had said that the public would be informed of each stage of the withdrawal until the final departure of all French forces.

Despite this change, Chad intends to maintain constructive relations with France in other areas of mutual interest.

France had deployed some 1,000 soldiers in Chad before the withdrawal, according to the French authorities.

--IANS

int/as

Washington, Jan 30 (IANS) Democratic US lawmaker Ro Khanna on Wednesday announced that Republican colleague Rich McCormick will join him as the co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Caucus on India, replacing Mike Walz, who is now the National Security Adviser to President Donal Trump.

Representatives Andy Barr and Marc Veasey will continue serving as vice co-chairs and Brad Sherman, who formerly served as chair, will continue to serve as chair emeritus.

The India caucus is committed to strengthening the relationship between the U.S. and India. It grew to a record number of 145 members in the previous118th Congress, with the joining of 35 new members.

“A strong partnership with India is critical for our economy and national security. It is an honour to continue serving as co-chair of the India Caucus and to welcome Rep. Rich McCormick as the caucus’s new co-chair. Rep. McCormick has supported policies to strengthen the US-India relationship, and I look forward to working with him. I am grateful to Reps. Veasey and Barr for their continued leadership in the role of vice co-chairs,” said Khanna.

Representative McCormick said: “I am honoured to co-chair the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans with my good friend Rep. Ro Khanna. I have the great privilege of serving many hard-working Indian Americans in my district and will continue to strengthen our relationship with India. The dedication, innovation, and contributions of this diaspora enrich our community and strengthen the bonds between our two nations. Together, let's continue to champion the values of opportunity and collaboration that define both America and India.”

“I am honoured to continue serving as vice co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans. The U.S.-India partnership is built on shared values of democracy, economic freedom, and security cooperation. Strengthening this relationship is critical to advancing our mutual interests in trade, technology, and defence. I look forward to working alongside my colleagues to further deepen the ties between our two great nations and to support the vibrant Indian American community that contributes so much to our country,” said Representative Barr.

“As the proud representative of Texas' 33rd district, home to a vibrant and growing community of Indian and Indian American families, I am honoured to continue serving as vice co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India. I look forward to furthering the strong ties between the U.S. and India. The Indian American diaspora has made invaluable contributions to our nation, and I remain committed to fostering deeper partnerships that enhance both our economies and national security. Together, with our Chair, Rep. Ro Khanna, I know we will continue to build a strong relationship based on shared values,” said Veasey.

--IANS

yrj/dan

Cape Town, Jan 29 (IANS) South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday called for intensified diplomatic efforts to resolve the ongoing conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) following the deaths of 13 South African peacekeepers.

The South African troops, part of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC), have been killed in escalating fighting involving the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group and the Armed Forces of the DRC since last week.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Ramaphosa extended his condolences to the families of the fallen peacekeepers, calling on the country to rally behind its soldiers "who have dedicated their lives to bringing peace on our continent."

The President reaffirmed South Africa's commitment to peace, urging all parties to respect the DRC's territorial integrity and engage in diplomatic processes to end the ongoing conflict.

"We call on all parties to this conflict to fully embrace the current diplomatic efforts that are aimed at finding a peaceful resolution," he said. "We must silence the guns on our continent for the attainment of inclusive development and prosperity."

Ramaphosa welcomed the United Nations Security Council's recent position on the situation in the DRC, which calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities, the reversal of territorial expansion by the M23, the withdrawal of external forces from the DRC, and the resumption of peace talks under the Nairobi Process.

He also emphasised that South Africa's military presence in the eastern DRC is "not a declaration of war against any country or state", Xinhua news agency reported.

"The members of the South African National Defense Force that are in the DRC are part of both SADC and United Nations efforts to bring peace and protect thousands of lives that are constantly threatened by the conflict in the DRC," said Ramaphosa.

"The presence of the SAMIDRC forces demonstrates a commitment of SADC member states to supporting the DRC in its efforts to achieve lasting peace and stability and, ultimately, create an enabling environment for sustainable development and prosperity," he added.

--IANS

int/as

Kampala, Jan 29 (IANS) Uganda on Wednesday strongly condemned an attack on the country's embassy in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), by rioters amid mass demonstrations.

John Mulimba, Uganda's Minister of State for foreign affairs in charge of regional cooperation, told the parliament that rioters had looted and burned embassy property, forcing the staff into hiding.

"The incident is a violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961) and we condemn it in the strongest terms," Mulimba told lawmakers during a plenary.

He added that on Tuesday evening, the DRC government had assured Uganda that appropriate security measures had been taken and the situation in Kinshasa was under control.

He said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is assessing practical means to provide consular or other emergency services to Ugandan nationals in the DRC, Xinhua news agency reported.

Violent protests targeting foreign embassies against the situation in Goma, the capital of the DRC's eastern province of North Kivu, and the perceived "inaction" of the international community erupted in Kinshasa on Tuesday.

Protesters were seen on the city's main arteries, disrupting traffic, blocking commercial activities, burning tires, and chanting slogans in front of the embassies of the United States and several other countries and the headquarters of the United Nations peacekeeping mission.

--IANS

int/as

Beirut, Jan 29 (IANS) Ousmane Dione, World Bank Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa region, announced that the bank is finalising a rapid damage assessment to support Lebanon's reconstruction efforts.

Speaking after a meeting with President Michel Aoun, Dione said that the World Bank is expected to complete the assessment by the end of February and that emergency assistance will soon be submitted for approval by the bank's board.

"We are committed to standing by Lebanon during this critical transition to support its recovery and ensure the prosperity of all its people," Dione said.

During his meeting with President Aoun, Dione reiterated the World Bank's support for Lebanon and its willingness to organise an international conference to help the country overcome its economic challenges.

He stressed the importance of structural reforms to rebuild international confidence in Lebanon and encourage private-sector investment.

For his part, President Aoun reaffirmed Lebanon's commitment to implementing necessary reforms, as outlined in his inauguration speech, noting that one of the new government's top priorities would be drafting legislation to advance reforms across various sectors.

He also outlined key objectives for the next phase, including reconstruction - particularly in areas devastated by Israeli attacks - enhancing public administration, improving citizen services, and modernizing government operations through digital technology.

Aoun thanked the World Bank for its ongoing support and pledged to expedite the approval of long-term loans in Parliament. He also welcomed the continued presence of the World Bank's office in Lebanon despite the country's challenges, Xinhua news agency reported.

The World Bank has approved 736 million US dollars in long-term loans for Lebanon, covering agriculture, energy, and water. The loans are awaiting parliamentary approval before implementation.

--IANS

int/as