Angry Iranians question authorities for concealing truth on plane incident
Iran’s statement on Saturday that a Ukrainian passenger plane was downed by a missile fired unintentionally followed growing pressure from abroad but also at home, and for some Iranians, the authorities’ expressions of condolence were not enough.
Oman’s Sultan Qaboos dies; successor vows to pursue peace
Oman’s Sultan Qaboos bin Said, one of the Middle East’s longest- serving rulers who maintained the country’s neutrality in a turbulent region, died on Friday and his cousin Haitham bin Tariq al-Said was named as his successor in a smooth transition.
Australian bushfires ease, promise reprieve to build defenses
Bushfire conditions eased in Australia on Saturday after a grueling night for firefighters, with authorities saying they expect at least a week of milder weather in which to step up defenses against the huge blazes still burning.
Iran’s Guards accept responsibility for downing Ukrainian plane
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards accepts full responsibility for the downing of a Ukrainian airliner, a senior commander of the guards said in a video posted online by state TV on Saturday.
Presidents of Ukraine, Iran to discuss downed plane -Ukrainian official
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is set to hold a telephone call with his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani on Saturday after Tehran said it had mistakenly shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet, the Ukrainian president’s office said.
Australia gets relief, respite as bushfires spare remote villages
Fearing the worst from approaching bushfires, most of the roughly 230 people living in the village of Towamba in Australia’s southeast left.
Canada’s Trudeau says he wants full investigation into plane crash
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, responding to Iran’s statement that a missile shot down a Ukrainian airliner this week, said on Saturday that his government sought a full investigation and full cooperation from the Iranian authorities.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards to offer explanation for plane downing: IRNA
Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards will offer an explanation and apology on Saturday for the shooting down of a Ukrainian airliner in Iran earlier this week, the official IRNA news agency reported, citing an informed source within the Guards.
Twelve dead, 21 rescued as migrant boat sinks off Greek island
At least twelve people drowned when their boat sank off an island in western Greece on Saturday, Greek authorities said, marking the deadliest toll in months in Greece’s migrant crisis.
Washington spurns Iraqi call to remove troops
Washington on Friday spurned an Iraqi request to prepare to pull out its troops, amid heightened U.S.-Iranian tensions after the U.S. killing of an Iranian commander in Baghdad, and said it was exploring a possible expansion of NATO’s presence there.
