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Iran-Syria ties 

Iran and Syria have issued a joint statement at the end of President Ebrahim Raeisi’s historic visit to the Arab country that took place on Wednesday and Thursday. The two sides have pledged to continue their strategic cooperation in all fields. The Iranian and Syrian governments agreed to expand bilateral cooperation particularly in economy and trade. They also underlined the importance of cooperation to combat terrorism and extremism until all terror groups are completely wiped out. Iran and Syria strongly condemned the Israeli regime’s aggression as a destabilizing factor in West Asia. They emphasized that Damascus has the right to respond to Tel Aviv’s aggression. The statement also denounced US measures for looting Syria’s natural resources, calling on the international community to bring an end to those measures. The statement meanwhile slammed unilateral coercive measures by the US and the European Union against Iran and Syria. During his trip to Syria, President Raiesi met senior officials and visited religious places. He is the first Iranian president to visit the Arab country in more than a decade.

UK local elections 

Early results from the Thursday local elections in England are coming. The ruling conservatives are suffering losses, while the main opposition labour party is gaining more seats. Based on the early results, the conservatives have so far lost 218 seats on local councils. That’s while, the Labour has added 118 seats, making it confident that it will win the 2024 general elections. The Liberal Democrats and the Green Party have made gains as well. Final results are expected later today. They will decide more than eight-thousand council seats in 230 local government authorities. The losses for the UK conservatives come despite efforts by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to restore the credibility of his party. The conservatives have been facing public discontent over a range of issues from political scandals to a worsening cost of living crisis. 

Serbia Shootings  

A second mass shooting hits Serbia in less than 48 hours, leaving at least eight people dead. The shooting took place in a town south of the capital Belgrade. Thirteen people were wounded as well. Local media say Serbian police have arrested the suspected gunman. Still, there's no official confirmation. Interior Minister has called the shooting a terrorist attack. President Aleksandar Vučićalso expressed grief following the incident and called for stricter gun control measures. The shooting happened as Serbians were still shocked by another incident that took place on Wednesday. That shooting left nine students dead after a 13-year old boy opened fire at a school in Belgrade. He turned himself in. 

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