Iran fires air defence batteries and diverts flights after explosions
Jerusalem(AP/PTI): Iran fired air defence batteries Friday and some flights were diverted or grounded after reports of explosions near a major airbase and nuclear site where drones were spotted. It was unclear if the country was under attack, but tensions are high after Iran's unprecedented missile-and-drone attack on Israel. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Israel has vowed to respond to Iran's unprecedented weekend attack, leaving the region bracing for further escalation after months of fighting in Gaza. Allies have urged Israel to hold back on any response to the attack that could spiral.
On Thursday, the United States vetoed a widely backed UN resolution that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for a state of Palestine. The vote in the 15-member Security Council was 12 in favour, the US opposed, and two abstentions.
Separately, the US and Britain announced that they were imposing a new round of sanctions on Iran. The moves came as European Union leaders meeting in Brussels vowed to ramp up sanctions on Iran to target its drone and missile deliveries to proxies in Gaza, Yemen and Lebanon.
Currently:
— Iran fires air defence batteries in provinces as explosions heard near Isfahan.
— The US and Britain issue new sanctions on Iran in response to Tehran's weekend attack on Israel.
— NATO and the EU urge G7 nations to step up air defence for Ukraine and expand Iran sanctions.
— The US vetoes a widely supported resolution backing full UN membership for Palestine.
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Lok Sabha adjourned till 12 noon after obituary tributes
New Delhi (PTI): The Lok Sabha was adjourned till 12 noon on Monday after paying tributes to departed members of the House, including two MPs who won the parliamentary elections this year.
As soon as the House met on the first day of the Winter Session, Speaker Om Birla mentioned the deaths of Vasantrao Balwantrao Chavan, who was elected to the House from Nanded constituency in Maharashtra and Sk Nurul Islam, who was elected from the Basirhat seat in West Bengal.
Birla also mentioned the deaths of three former members -- M. M. Lawrence (Kerala), M Parvathi (Andhra Pradesh) and Harischandra Devram Chavan (Maharashtra) -- and paid respects to them.
After the House remained silent for some time as a mark of respect to the departed leaders, the Speaker adjourned the House till 12 noon.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, DMK leader T R Baalu, and Congress' Gaurav Gogoi were among those present in the Lower House.
Ravindra Vasantrao Chavan, son of deceased MP Vasantrao Balwantrao Chavan, got elected as MP from Nanded in the just concluded by-elections.
