Satellite images show destruction in Syrian enclave

Al-Jazeera
March 3, 2018

Gaziantep, Mar 3: Al Jazeera has obtained satellite imagery from areas inside Eastern Ghouta, showing the destruction continuous government bombardment has caused.

The Damascus suburb has been targeted by relentless attacks since the Syrian government, aided by Russia, launched an air offensive on the largely rural area outside the capital on February 18.

The comparative images, provided to Al Jazeera by the United Nations, were taken on February 23 and March 2, and show damage done to buildings, infrastructure and agricultural areas.

"The images show us that there has been an increase and heavy bombardment in Eastern Ghouta, particularly in Ghouta," Einar Bjorgo, of the UN Operational Satellite Programme, told Al Jazeera.

That UN programme was responsible for taking and analysing the satellite images.

"It can be heard to distinguish between residential and businesses, but we do observe damage to a large different of buildings, including what seems to be residential areas," Bjorgo said.

According to Bjorgo, the quality of the pictures is high enough to distinguish between objects that are 50cm in diameter, which allows analysts to find even small traces of damage.

"We see certain areas where there is severe damage compared to a week ago," Bjorgo said.

Eastern Ghouta, home to nearly 400,000 people, has been besieged by President Bashar al-Assad's forces since opposition groups took control of the area in mid-2013.

While Russia and the Syrian government say they are aiming at armed groups, who it refers to as "terrorists", civilian neighbourhoods and sources of livelihood have been attacked frequently.

Since the government offensive started, at least 674 civilians have been killed, the Syrian volunteer group White Helmets claimed on Friday.

The aerial bombardment has drawn international condemnation, but a 30-day ceasefire unanimously voted for by the members of the UN Security Council last Saturday has largely failed to hold, as air raids have continued unabated.

On February 24, the Security Council voted in favourof a 30-day truce, which was violated only hours later by.

And, on February 26, Russia said it would implement a five-hour ceasefire daily as well as evacuation corridors to allow the area's 400,000 residents to escape the bombing campaign.

But residents say neither the ceasefire nor the corridors have been implemented.

Due to the siege, very little humanitarian aid has entered Eastern Ghouta, making access to basic supplies such as food and medicine highly restricted.

According to the UN, nearly 12 percent of children under five in Eastern Ghouta suffer from acute malnutrition.

This is the highest rate ever recorded since the start of the war in Syria, which has killed close to half a million people.

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News Network
December 6,2025

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With IndiGo flight disruptions impacting thousands of passengers, the airline on Saturday said that it will offer full waiver on all cancellations/reschedule requests for travel bookings between December 5, 2025 and December 15, 2025.

Earlier in the day, the civil aviation ministry had directed the airline to complete the ticket refund process for the cancelled flights by Sunday evening, as well as ensure baggage separated from the travellers are delivered in the next two days.

In a post on X, titled 'No questions asked', IndiGo wrote, "In response to recent events, all refunds for your cancellations will be processed automatically to your original mode of payment."

"We are deeply sorry for the hardships caused," it further added.

Several passengers, however, complained of not getting full refund as promised by the airline.

Netizens have shared screenchots of getting charged for airline cancellation fee and convenience fee.

"Please tell me why u have did this airline cancellation charges when u say full amount will be refunded (sic)," a user wrote sharing a screenshot of the refund page.

"Well, but you have still debited the convenience charges," wrote another.

Passengers have also raised concerns about the "cancel" option being disabled on the IndiGo app. "First enable the 'Cancel' button on your App & offer full refund on tickets cancelled by customers between the said dates," wrote a user.

A day after the country's largest airline, IndiGo, cancelled more than 1,000 flights and caused disruptions for the fifth day on Saturday, the ministry said that any delay or non-compliance in refund processing will invite immediate regulatory action.

The refund process for all cancelled or disrupted flights must be completed by 8 pm on Sunday, the ministry said in a statement.

"Airlines have also been instructed not to levy any rescheduling charges for passengers whose travel plans were affected by cancellations," it said.

On Saturday, more than 400 flights were cancelled at various airports.

IndiGo has also been instructed to set up dedicated passenger support and refund facilitation cells.

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News Network
November 30,2025

The United Nations Committee against Torture (CAT) has condemned the Israeli regime for enforcing a policy of “organized torture” against Palestinians.

In a report published on Friday, CAT stated that the occupying regime enforces a deliberate policy of “organized and widespread torture and ill-treatment” against Palestinian abductees, particularly since October 7, 2023, when Israel launched its genocidal war on Gaza.

The committee expressed “deep concern over repeated severe beatings, dog attacks, electrocution, water-boarding, use of prolonged stress positions [and] sexual violence” inflicted on Palestinians.

Palestinian prisoners were degraded by “being made to act like animals or being urinated on,” systematically denied medical care, and subjected to excessive restraints, “in some cases resulting in amputation,” the report added.

CAT also condemned the routine application of “unlawful combatants law” to justify the prolonged detention without trial of thousands of Palestinian men, women, and children.

More than 10,000 Palestinians, including women and children, are currently held in Israeli prisons, according to Palestinian and international human rights groups, with 3,474 Palestinians in “administrative detention,” meaning they are imprisoned without trial for indefinite periods.

The report highlighted the “high proportion of children who are currently detained without charge or on remand,” noting that while Israel sets the age of criminal responsibility at 12, even younger children have been abducted.

Children designated as security prisoners face severe restrictions on family contact, may be subjected to solitary confinement, and are denied access to education, in clear violation of international law.

The committee further suggested that Israel’s policies across the Occupied Territories constitute collective torture against the Palestinian population.

“A range of policies adopted by Israel in the course of its continued unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory amounts to cruel, inhuman or degrading living conditions for the Palestinian population,” the report said.

On Thursday, the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas condemned the systematic killing and torture of Palestinian abductees in Israeli prisons, urging international action to halt these abuses.

Citing human rights data, Hamas stated that 94 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli prisons since the start of Tel Aviv’s genocidal war on Gaza.

“This reflects an organized criminal approach that has turned these prisons into direct killing grounds to eliminate our people,” the resistance movement said.

Hamas called on the international community, the UN, and human rights organizations to immediately pressure Israel to end crimes against prisoners and uphold their rights as guaranteed by all international conventions and norms.

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News Network
November 27,2025

Bengaluru, Nov 27: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s camp is reportedly on alert as the Congress leadership tussle in the state intensifies, particularly amid speculation over the potential promotion of Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar. Siddaramaiah is said to be in a “wait-and-watch” mode after admitting to “confusion” earlier this week and urging the party to “put a full stop” to it.

Sources say his supporters are ready to act if senior leaders — including party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi — give any indication of backing Shivakumar. If the party insists on a leadership change, Siddaramaiah’s camp has a list of alternatives, underscoring the deep rift between the two leaders. One possible candidate is Home Minister G. Parameshwara, a Siddaramaiah loyalist and influential Dalit leader.

The strategy was reportedly finalized at a meeting led by PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi, another Siddaramaiah supporter, who stressed that Delhi leaders need to resolve the issue. Kharge and the Gandhis are expected to meet soon, after which Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar may be summoned to Delhi.

Shivakumar has largely stayed non-confrontational, publicly endorsing Siddaramaiah and downplaying speculation about his own ambitions. However, he has made pointed comments emphasizing the importance of honoring promises, directed at Siddaramaiah.

The feud traces back to the 2023 state election, when Siddaramaiah was chosen as Chief Minister while Shivakumar, who led the party’s campaign, was made Deputy CM and state party chief — a departure from the Congress’ usual “one post per person” rule.

There were also hints of a prior understanding that Siddaramaiah would step down midway through the term. As the halfway mark passed last week, Shivakumar-aligned lawmakers have ramped up pressure on the party for a leadership change, with Shivakumar himself hinting at stepping down as state party chief to pursue the top job.

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