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14 Apr 2022
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Sunken Russian warship was an early symbol of Ukrainian defiance

April 14, 2022

The flagship Russian missile cruiser that caught fire off the coast of Ukraine and later sank has been one of the most recognizable symbols of Ukrainian resistance since the war broke out.The Moskva gained notoriety on Feb. 24, the day Russia kicked off its invasion, when it was one of two ships that confronted a small contingent of Ukrainian guards on the tiny Black Sea outpost known as Snake Island. In an account that swiftly entered the Ukrainian war lexicon, the guards reportedly shouted at the ships to leave when ordered to surrender. An audio recording of the exchange went viral, causing a torrent of patriotic memes. The incident also made it onto a stamp that went into formal issuance this week and was lauded by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Instagram a day before reports emerged that the Moskva, named after the Russian capital, was now in trouble. For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“We call for entries for the next target, Ukraine’s postal service said on Twitter, posting an image of the stamp showing a Ukrainian soldier facing a hostile military vessel with a defiant gesture. Ukrainian officials said the Moskva was the same ship involved in the Snake Island incident. Maksym Marchenko, who is governor of the Odesa region on the Black Sea coast, said on his Telegram account the warship was “seriously damaged after a strike late Wednesday by anti-ship missiles.Russia’s Defense Ministry said ammunition had detonated on the Moskva during a fire and the crew was evacuated. Late Thursday the ministry was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying the ship sank in rough weather while being towed back to port.Whatever the cause, the loss of the ship is a blow both to Russia’s war effort and its prestige, following on the heels of failed attempts to encircle the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. Russian President Vladimir Putin has pulled his troops back from Ukraine’s north and diverted them to the east, with leaders in Europe and the US warning a major offensive could soon be launched to try and take control of the Donbas region. Nations in the European Union and the U.S. are rushing more military equipment to Ukraine. Read more:At least 503 civilians killed in Ukraine's Kharkiv region: GovernorRussia says Black Sea flagship Moskva has sunkBad weather in Donbas could favor Ukrainians: US official
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Sunken Russian warship was an early symbol of Ukrainian defiance

14 Apr 2022
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Clashes erupt at Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque, at least 152 injured

April 14, 2022

Palestinians clashed with Israeli police at the al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem before dawn on Friday as thousands gathered for prayers during the holy month of Ramadan. Medics said that at least 152 Palestinians were wounded.The clashes come at a particularly sensitive time. Ramadan this year coincides with Passover, a major weeklong Jewish holiday beginning Friday at sundown, and Christian holy week, which culminates on Easter Sunday. For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The holidays are expected to bring tens of thousands of faithful into Jerusalem’s Old City, home to major sites sacred to all three religions.Hours after the clashes began, the police said they had put an end to the violence and arrested “hundreds” of suspects. They said the mosque was re-opened and that Friday’s midday prayers would take place as usual. Tens of thousands of people were expected. The Islamic endowment that administers the site said Israeli police entered in force before dawn, as thousands of worshippers were gathered at the mosque for early morning prayers during the holy month of Ramadan. Israel said its forces entered to remove rocks and stones that had been gathered in anticipation of violence.Videos circulating online showed Palestinians hurling rocks and police firing tear gas and stun grenades. Others showed worshippers barricading themselves inside the mosque itself amid what appeared to be clouds of tear gas.The Palestinian Red Crescent emergency service said it evacuated 59 wounded people to hospitals. The endowment said one of the guards at the site was shot in the eye with a rubber bullet.The Israeli Foreign Ministry said dozens of masked men carrying Palestinian and Hamas flags marched to the compound early Friday and gathered stones.“Police were forced to enter the grounds to disperse the crowd and remove the stones and rocks, in order to prevent further violence,” it tweeted.The mosque is the third holiest site in Islam. It is built on a hilltop that is the most sacred site for Jews, who refer to it as the Temple Mount. It has been a major flashpoint for Israeli-Palestinian violence for decades.Tensions have soared in recent weeks following a series of attacks by Palestinians.Israel has also carried out a wave of arrests and military operations in the occupied West Bank, setting off clashes in which several Palestinians have been killed.Tens of thousands of Palestinians were expected to gather at al-Aqsa for Friday prayers.Weeks of protests and clashes in Jerusalem during Ramadan last year eventually ignited an 11-day war with the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip.Israel had lifted restrictions and taken other steps to try and calm tensions ahead of Ramadan, which this year coincides with the Jewish Passover holiday and Christian holy week, brining thousands of pilgrims and other visitors to Jerusalem.But the attacks and the military raids have caused another wave of unrest.Earlier this week, Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza had called on Palestinians to camp out at the al-Aqsa mosque over the weekend. Palestinians have long feared that Israel plans to take over the site or partition it.Israeli authorities say they are committed to maintaining the status quo, but in recent years nationalist and religious Jews have visited the site in large numbers with police escorts.Israel captured east Jerusalem, home to al-Aqsa and other major holy sites, in the 1967 war and annexed it in a move not recognized internationally.Palestinians want the eastern part of the city to be the capital of a future independent state including the West Bank and Gaza, which Israel also captured during the war nearly 55 years ago.Read more:Israel arrets Palestinian accused of ISIS-inspired knife murdersTwo Palestinians killed in Israeli West Bank raid: Palestinian health ministryIsraeli army kills Palestinian teen in West Bank: Palestinian ministry
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Clashes erupt at Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque, at least 152 injured