Turkey shoots down Russian Fighter Jet; Putin terms ‘stab in back’

In a major setback to anti-terrorism operations, a Russian warplane was shot down by Turkish F16s on Tuesday in Syrian border. President of Russia Vladimir Putin termed it as ‘stab in the back’ and he warned there would be serious consequences over Russia-Turkey relations.

Two pilots however ejected from the fighter plane, which hit the ground after it was shot down by Turkish F16s. As per the latest reports, one pilot was reportedly killed while parachuting from the flight while another was reportedly under captive.

This incident is going to be a big blow for the anti-terrorism operations as being a NATO nation, Turkey. Media reports suggest that the plane was on Syrian border when it was shot down. The tension between Russia and Turkey could escalate further following this incident. However, Turkey clarified in the NATO’s governing body meeting, which was convened after the fighter plane was shot down, that the Russian war plan violated Turkey airspace.

Over these allegations, Russia denied that the plan did not violate Turkey airspace.

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DEROU & PARTNERS GROUP creates a new third-generation city in Togo

LOME, Togo, 12 October 2015 --  CONFORTIS INTERNATIONAL Inc.  (www.confortis.org) is investing sustainably in Togo by building « WellCity », a new city where the Togolese middle class will be able to buy " good quality, ecological housing, at competitive prices and on repayment terms that are manageable in the long term, " announced architect Dontou Hiloukou Derou, founder of the group and  CEO of CONFORTIS INTERNATIONAL Inc.

On October 2, the showroom of this very innovative building complex was inaugurated in the Palm Beach Taba building, downtown Lome, by the Togolese Minister of Urban Development, Housing and the Living Environment, Me Fiatuwo Kwadjo Sessenou. The event, during which the minister symbolically cut a ribbon, was attended by several dignitaries including the Secretary General of the Presidency of the Republic, Mr. Patrick Date Tevi-Benissan. The minister promised to accelerate the delivery of basic networks, saying that "WellCity is an innovative project that meets the vision of the Head of State, because it solves the problem of decent housing and prevents land disputes."

Located on the outskirts of Greater Lome, 30 minutes north of downtown, on the National No. 1 road, this "City of well Being" will offer 500 housing units (200 villas and 300 apartments) in its first phase and then a further one thousand lodgings with a water park, a MICE hotel, a school, a clinic, a shopping center and 10,000 m2 of offices and shops. "Yesterday, the contemporary world experienced industrial cities. Today we have the second generation of cities that are business cities (Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore). Tomorrow, the third generation of cities will focus on well-being and ecology,” stated architect Dontou Hiloukou Derou, who is also the designer of the WellCity project.

According to its promoters, the three essential assets of WellCity are in the land title it offers, in the standardization of its dwellings with a monitoring of the quality of its materials and finally, in the possibility to benefit from a fifteen year refundable credit at subsidized rates. "WellCity was designed to facilitate access to property for the middle class. If the Togolese State grants us the necessary facilities throughout the construction chain, it will be possible to offer very competitive prices", the group CEO promised.

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INS Trikand Visits Istanbul, Turkey

As a part of Indian Navy’s overseas deployment to West Asia, Africa and Europe, INS Trikand entered Istanbul today 04 Oct 15 for a three day visit. During her stay in Istanbul the ship will engage extensively with the Turkish Navy. Apart from professional interactions, a number of sports and social engagements are also planned, which would go a long way in enhancing co-operation and understanding towards mutually beneficial issues of maritime interest.

Indian naval ships are regularly deployed as part of the Indian Navy’s mission of building ‘bridges of friendship’ and strengthening international cooperation with friendly countries as well as to address maritime concerns of the region including piracy in the Gulf of Aden. In addition, Indian Navy has also been involved in capacity building and capability enhancement of friendly navies in the Indian Ocean Region, besides providing assistance in hydrographic survey, search and rescue and improving maritime domain awareness. A notable recent employment of the Indian Navy was for the evacuation of over 3000 Indians and citizens from 35 other countries from strife-ridden Yemen(in April 2015).

India and Turkey share deep historical connections. The bilateral relations have been strengthened by exchange of visits by leaders of both countries in recent times. The two countries share common values including commitment to secularism and democratic principles. The current visit seeks to underscore India’s peaceful presence and solidarity with friendly countries and to strengthen the existing bonds between India and Turkey. Bilateral naval relations are expected to strengthen further due to the planned visit of a Turkish warship for the International Fleet Review at Visakhapatnam, India in Feb 2016.

INS Trikand, commanded by Captain Vinay Kalia, is a state-of-the-art warship of the Indian Navy equipped with a versatile range of weapons and sensors capable of addressing threats in all the three dimensions – air, surface and sub-surface. The visiting ship is part of the Indian Navy’s Western Fleet and is under the operational command of the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command, with its Headquarters at Mumbai. 

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