International

Russia mourns the victims of the attack in the concert hall while the investigation continues

Russia is experiencing today a day of national mourning for the dead in the attack committed last Friday by the jihadist group Islamic State (IS) on the outskirts of Moscow while the count of fatalities and the search for the organizers of the massacre continues.

Flowers, candles and toys filled the surroundings of the Crocus City Hall on Sunday, where Friday’s terrorist attack left at least 137 dead and 180 injured.

Despite the rain that fell in the Russian capital, a tide of people approached the site of the attack today to pay tribute to the memory of the deceased.

“I came because I’m a Moscow, I live next door. I have been to the concerts at Crocus City Hall many times. It’s a tragedy what has happened, no one can be indifferent,” a local told the Vecherniaya Moskva newspaper.

On numerous screens on the roads and large shops of Moscow, candles were seen on a black background and the date of the attack, on March 22, 2024.

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Meanwhile, in the capital subway, passengers were reminded that the security measures have been reinforced after the attack and they were asked for understanding for possible inconvenience.

Different memorials in memory of the victims of the tragedy were also created today in other Russian cities, according to regional media.

Meanwhile, the Russian flags in the state institutions and the Russian embassies abroad were flying at half-mast as a sign of mourning.

The deputy head of the Russian Security Council, Dmitri Medvedev, said on Sunday that all those involved in the brutal attack in Crocus City Hall will be “legitimate targets” of Russia.

“We will avenge everyone. And those involved, regardless of their country of origin or their status, will henceforth be our legitimate and main objective,” Medvedev wrote on Telegram.

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He added right away: “Wait, you scoundrels.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin also assured the day before that “all the perpetrators, organizers and those who commissioned this crime will receive a well-deserved and irremediable punishment, whoever they are and regardless of whether they have sent them.”

So far, the security forces have arrested eleven people linked to the attack, four of whom personally participated in the massacre, according to the authorities.

This Sunday, the four responsible for the attack were transferred to Moscow pending the judicial decision on their entry into pretrial detention.

Meanwhile, several Russian politicians and analysts are already advocating the lifting of the moratorium on the death penalty in this country.

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According to updated data, the tragedy has left 137 dead and 180 injured.

At the same time, these figures are growing every day because the search and rescue work continues at the site of the attack, where firefighters took long hours to extinguish the fire caused by the attackers and which devastated an area of 13,000 square meters.

“So far, the bodies of 137 people have been found at the site of the terrorist attack, including three children,” the Russian Instruction Committee said today in a statement.

He added that 62 bodies have been identified and “genetic tests are being carried out to establish the identities” of the other victims.

Meanwhile, the number of injured rose today from 154 to 180 people. According to Russian media, some survivors of the attack took more than a day to request medical help because they were in a state of shock.

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On the other hand, the Russian police evicted the London Mall in St. Petersburg on Sunday after receiving a bomb warning, reports the local media Fontanka.ru.

Simultaneously, law enforcement officers arrested a man who claimed to have placed an explosive device in the shopping center.

Another woman was arrested today for a false bomb warning on a plane that was about to take off from Moscow to yerevan, the capital of Armenia.

During the interrogation, the woman assured that her words were “a joke.”

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International

Two killed in shooting at restaurant near Frankfurt Airport

Two people were shot dead early Tuesday at a restaurant in Raunheim, near Frankfurt Airport, according to local police.

Preliminary findings indicate that an armed individual entered the establishment at around 03:45 local time (02:45 GMT) and opened fire on the victims, who died at the scene from their injuries.

The suspect fled and remains at large, while the motive behind the shooting is still unclear, German media reported. Authorities have launched a large-scale search operation.

International

U.S. counterterrorism chief resigns over opposition to war in Iran

Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced Tuesday that he has resigned from his post, citing his opposition to the ongoing war in Iran.

In a post on X, Kent said he could not, “in good conscience,” support the conflict, arguing that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States. He also claimed that the war was driven by pressure from Israel and its lobbying influence in Washington.

In a resignation letter addressed to Donald Trump, Kent alleged that at the start of the current administration, senior Israeli officials and influential figures in U.S. media carried out a disinformation campaign that undermined the “America First” platform and fostered pro-war sentiment aimed at triggering a conflict with Iran.

Kent further stated that he could not support sending a new generation of Americans to “fight and die in a war that provides no benefit to the American people and does not justify the cost in American lives.”

Since the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28, at least 13 U.S. service members have been killed, while 10 others have been seriously wounded and around 200 have sustained minor injuries, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal.

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International

German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz

The president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warned Monday that the war involving Iran could expand and further disrupt shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He urged a swift end to hostilities between Iran, United States and Israel.

Speaking in Panama City during a joint appearance with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Steinmeier said available information suggests Iran has significant capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the key oil route.

“Iran has considerable potential to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “We should therefore reach an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and call on all parties involved to make that happen.”

The remarks came during Steinmeier’s visit to Panama, the first by a German president to the Central American nation.

The German leader described the possibility of the conflict spreading as “very dangerous,” saying recent developments indicate that such a scenario cannot be ruled out.

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Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump urged allied nations to help ensure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to block the waterway in response to U.S. strikes. However, several allies—particularly in Europe—have shown little support for the proposal.

“Some are very enthusiastic, others are not, and some are countries we have helped for many years,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We have protected them from terrible external threats, and they’re not that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm is important to me.”

Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said the Strait of Hormuz falls “outside NATO’s scope” and stressed that “the war involving Iran is not Europe’s war.”