US P-8A “killer” approaches Russian base in Syria; Russia warns to shoot down all US missiles

1. US P-8A spy "killer" approaches Russian base in Syria

US P-8A aircraft. Photo: US Navy

On the afternoon of April 10, a US Navy P-8A reconnaissance aircraft took off from the Sigonella region in the eastern Mediterranean and flew towards the two coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartous in Syria. These are also the areas where Russia has air bases in Syria.

Aircraft Spots tracked the P-8A’s flight path and found that the US reconnaissance aircraft circled over the Mediterranean Sea in the area of ​​Syria and Cyprus. The move came just hours after a Russian A-50 early warning aircraft was spotted flying along the Syrian coast to monitor US air activity in the eastern Mediterranean.

The information was released amid rising tensions between the US, Syria and Russia over the alleged chemical weapons attack that killed at least 70 people in the town of Douma, Eastern Ghouta. President Donald Trump suspected the Syrian government forces of carrying out the attack and warned of a tough response, while both Damascus and Moscow denied all accusations.

2. Russia warns to shoot down any US missiles launched at Syria

Russian S-400 missile fires during a test. Photo: Sputnik.

Russia's ambassador to Lebanon said President Putin pledged to destroy any US weapons used to attack Syria. "If the US attacks Syria, all missiles, even the launchers, will be shot down,"Reutersquoted the statement of Russian Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Zasypkin on Hezbollah's al-Manar TV channel on the evening of April 10. Zasypkin said he was only repeating the words of President Vladimir Putin and Chief of the General Staff of the Russian army Valery Gerasimov.

The Russian official's statement came amid recent developments suggesting the US was about to launch an airstrike on Syria after the Syrian government army was accused of using chemical weapons in Eastern Ghouta on April 7, killing 70 people.

A US guided-missile destroyer is currently in the eastern Mediterranean off Syria, with a second due to arrive in the coming days. US allies such as Britain, France, Australia and Saudi Arabia have all expressed support for any US operation against Damascus.

3. Britain refuses to participate in the attack on Syria

British Prime Minister Theresa May

The Times reported that British Prime Minister Theresa May, in a phone call with US President Donald Trump, said that London needed more evidence of a chemical attack in Syria before joining the attack on the country.

"Prime Minister Theresa May told President Donald Trump on April 10 that Britain needed more evidence of the alleged chemical attack by the Assad regime before deciding to join a military strike on Syria," the newspaper wrote, clarifying that the British Prime Minister did not agree to participate in a "quick strike".

Earlier, the West accused Damascus of using chemical weapons in Douma, Eastern Ghouta, killing dozens of people. US President Donald Trump declared that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad would "pay a heavy price" for carrying out a deadly chemical weapons attack on civilians. Mr. Trump also blamed Iran and Russian President Vladimir Putin for supporting the "brutal Assad regime".

4. Have Britain and the US secretly "joined hands" to fight against Russia?

Did you agree in advance with the US to smear Russia?

Lieutenant General Buzhinsky said that the UK's boycott of Russia was part of a premeditated plan to smear Moscow, and had been agreed upon in advance with the United States, and if things went too far, Russia would certainly retaliate.

Lieutenant General Evgeny Buzhinsky, former head of the Department of International Treaties of the Russian Ministry of Defense, recently gave an interview to the US newspaper The National Interest, in which he shared his views on the case of former spy Skripal, as well as possible conflicts between Russia and the United States.

He said that the poisoning of the former GRU colonel and his daughter in Salisbury was a "planned provocation" aimed at discrediting and isolating Russia, as well as finding a pretext to expel Russian diplomats. The lieutenant general noted that he did not know what motivated the British government to take such a provocative action, but noted that Theresa May's actions were coordinated with Washington.

Mr. Buzhinsky commented that the current situation of relations between Russia and the West is more dangerous than during the Cold War.

5. Helicopter crash in Russia, 6 people killed and military plane crash carrying more than 100 soldiers in Algeria

Mi-8 helicopter. Illustration photo: Sputnik

Russian media reported that at 11:30 a.m. on April 11 local time, the crisis management center of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations received information about a plane crash in Khabarovsk, in Russia's Far East. According toSputnik, the crashed helicopter was a Mi-8. According to initial information, there were 6 people on board the helicopter at the time of the problem. Ground structures were not affected by the accident.

A spokesman for the Russian Investigative Committee toldSputnikthat investigators are examining the scene and identifying the victims. “The helicopter crashed on Antennaya Street. According to preliminary information, all six people on board were killed,” the local emergencies ministry said.

According toRTThe crashed helicopter was a civilian helicopter of Vostok, a local airline in the Far East. It was on a training flight when the accident happened. The helicopter crashed in an uninhabited area of ​​the city of Khabarovsk.

An Algerian military aircraft. Source: sputniknews.com

Same day,an Algerian military aircraftcarrying more than 100 soldiers crashed at Boufarik military airport, in the town of the same name in Blida province, about 32km from the capital Algiers.

An Algerian military source said there was no hope of survivors. The incident occurred at 8am local time (2pm Hanoi time). Witnesses saw a large column of black smoke rising near the runway area.

6. Brazilian prison attacked with explosives, 21 people killed

Police cars parked outside the gates of Santa Izabel prison, Brazil.

At least 21 people were killed in a prison break in northern Brazil on April 10. The inmates were assisted by an armed group outside who set off explosives to blow up the prison walls. The leader of the state of Para said the prison break at Brazil's Santa Izabel prison was no different from a military battle, with both the inmates inside and their accomplices outside armed.

According to initial reports, “explosives were used to breach the wall” and prison guards “engaged in a fierce gun battle” with the attackers.

One prison guard and 20 inmates along with the attackers were among the 21 confirmed dead. Five prison guards were injured, including one seriously.

The prison had to conduct a mass inmate count to detect escapees, while special police forces were called in to reinforce security.

Police recovered two rifles and five pistols at the scene of the incident.Prison attack in Brazil.

7.IS threatens Mr. Putin

Russian President Putin

The self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) organization threatened Russian President Vladimir Putin to "pay a heavy price" during the World Cup.

The terrorist organization included a deadly poster targeting the World Cup, in which a jihadist emerges from an explosion, holding an AK-47, with a football stadium full of spectators in the background, the Daily Mail reported.

An image of President Putin appears on the left of the poster, with a yellow-black target area aimed directly at him.

The IS threat appears to be linked to President Putin's support for his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad in the fight against IS.

The poster was spotted on Twitter by terror monitoring groups after the malicious material spread across Telegram. Earlier, messages and images from the pro-IS Wafa Traditionalist Association also appeared on social media, threatening terrorist attacks during the World Cup.