Slamming US, Israel statement
Syria has strongly condemned statements by Washington and Tel Aviv affirming US recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights. A Syrian Foreign Ministry source said the statements prove that US policies on Syria are shaped by Israeli interests. The source stressed Syria’s sovereign right to Golan and expressed confidence about the eventual liberation of the occupied region. Earlier, the US denied reports that it is planning to rescind its recognition of Israeli sovereignty on the occupied Golan Heights. Israel also dismissed such reports as rumors aimed at undermining its relations with the US. Despite an international outcry, the former US administration officially recognized Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights. Israel seized the region in 1967.
Battle for Ma'rib
The fighting between Yemen’s warring sides is raging on in the Ma’rib region despite the UN push for a peace deal. Sources say the Yemeni army and allied Ansarullah forces are engaged in heavy clashes with Saudi-backed militants in the region. The fighting had abated as diplomatic efforts to clinch a deal ramped up in recent weeks. But it flared up again amid fresh Saudi airstrikes on Yemen and Ansarullah’s retaliatory attacks against the kingdom. Ma'rib is the last northern stronghold of fighters loyal to former Saudi-backed president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi. Ansarullah has made remarkable advances in their battle to liberate Ma’rib which hosts some 1-million internally displaced people.
Moscow coronavirus crisis
The Russian capital has registered its highest daily number of covid-19 fatalities since the pandemic began. Official figures show that 144 people died of coronavirus in Moscow in the past 24 hours. That’s also the worst daily death toll so far posted for a Russian city. The country has seen an explosion of new infections since mid-June. The surge is mainly due to the Delta variant that was first identified in India. The variant is also feeding fresh outbreaks in Southeast Asia and Australia, prompting authorities to bring back or prolong restrictions. The World Health Organization says the Delta variant has now been confirmed in 85 countries. The organization says, it is the most contagious of any Covid-19 strain identified.