Netanyahu says Israel in ‘existential war,’ will ‘settle our score with anyone who harms us’

TEL AVIV, July 31: Israel is in an existential war against Iran and its axis and “challenging days” are ahead, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says in a televised address, speaking from the IDF Kirya headquarters in Tel Aviv after a security cabinet meeting.

He says that in recent days, Israel has landed “crushing blows” on its three main proxies — the Houthis, Hamas and Hezbollah.

He points at the strike on Hamas military leader Muhammad Deif in Gaza several weeks ago, at the recent strike on the Hodeida port in Yemen, and last night’s attack on Fuad Shukr, whom he calls “Hezbollah’s chief of staff.” He doesn’t mention the assassination early this morning of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, which Israel has been mum on.

Netanyahu says Shukr was directly responsible for the murder of 12 children in Majdal Shams, and for attacks across Israel’s northern border. He points out Shukr’s involvement in the 1983 attack on US Marines in Lebanon, and in maintaining ties between Iran and Hezbollah.

He stresses that Druze and Jews have a “covenant of life” that has been strengthened in recent days.

“We settled our score with [Hajj] Mohsin,” he says, referring to Shukr’s nom de guerre, “and we will settle our score with anyone who harms us. Everyone who takes aim at our children, everyone who murders our citizens, everyone who harms our country — their blood is on their own head.”

He vows to “exact a heavy price for any aggression” against Israel.

Hezbollah confirms death of its most senior military commander, 24 hours after strike

BEIRUT, July 31: The Hezbollah terror group confirms the death of Fuad Shukr, the terror group’s most senior military commander, targeted in yesterday’s Israeli strike in Beirut.

The announcement comes more than a day after the airstrike, which the IDF quickly said had killed Shukr.

Over the past 24 hours, Hezbollah has not carried out any attacks on northern Israel.

The group says its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, will make an address on the occasion of Shukr’s funeral tomorrow.

Hamas Chief Ismail Haniyeh Killed In Iran's Capital, Group Confirms

TEHRAN, July 31: Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh and one of his bodyguards were killed after their residence was targeted in Iran, the Palestinian group said in a statement today.

Hamas said Ismail Haniyeh was killed in "a treacherous Zionist raid on his residence in Tehran" Tuesday morning. The group said an investigation is on to find out more details about the attack.

Haniyeh was in the Iranian capital to attend the swearing-in of Iran's president Masoud Pezeshkian.

"Brother, leader, mujahid Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the movement, died in a Zionist strike on his headquarters in Tehran after he participated in the inauguration of the new (Iranian) president," the statement read.

A senior Hamas official said Ismail Haniyeh's killing "will not go unanswered". "The assassination of leader Ismail Haniyeh is a cowardly act and will not go unanswered," Hamas policial bureau member Musa Abu Marzuk said.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards also confirmed his death, saying Haniyeh's residence in Tehran was "hit" and he was killed along with a bodyguard.

The Israeli army did not immediately respond to Haniyeh's killing.

Israel had vowed to kill Ismail Haniyeh and destroy the Hamas group after October 7 attack that resulted in the deaths of 1,195 people, mostly civilians.

Israel's retaliatory military campaign in Gaza has killed at least 39,400 people, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.

Haniyeh was elected head of the Hamas political bureau in 2017 to succeed Khaled Meshaal. Considered a pragmatist, Haniyeh lived in exile and split his time between Turkey and Qatar.

He had travelled on diplomatic missions to Iran and Turkey during the war, meeting both the Turkish and Iranian presidents.

Haniyeh was said to maintain good relations with the heads of the various Palestinian factions, including rivals to Hamas.

He joined Hamas in 1987 when the militant group was founded amid the outbreak of the first Palestinian intifada, or uprising, against Israeli occupation, which lasted until 1993.

Israel Carries Out 'Targeted' Strike In Lebanese Capital As Tensions Rise

BEIRUT, July 30: An Israeli strike targeted a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut's southern suburbs at dusk on Tuesday, a senior Lebanese security source said, adding that the commander's fate remained unclear.

There was no immediate comment from Israel.

A loud blast was heard and a plume of smoke could be seen rising above the southern suburbs - a stronghold of Lebanese armed group Hezbollah - at around 7:40 p.m. (1640 GMT), a Reuters witness said.

Lebanon's state-run national news agency said an Israeli strike had targeted the area around Hezbollah's Shura Council in the Haret Hreik neighbourhood of the capital.

Beirut has been on edge for days ahead of an anticipated Israeli attack in retaliation for a strike on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights that killed a dozen youngsters.

Israel and the United States have blamed Hezbollah for the attack. Hezbollah has denied responsibility.

India, Vietnam to expand cooperation during PM Pham Minh Chinh’s New Delhi visit

NEW DELHI, July 30: Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh is visiting India to inject new momentum into the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries and to expand cooperation into new areas such as digital economy and renewable energy.

This is the first visit by a Vietnamese premier to India in a decade, and also the first prime ministerial visit since the two sides upgraded their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2016. Chinh will be accorded a ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhawan before he holds talks with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on August 1.

The two sides are expected to sign several agreements following the talks between the two leaders. Chinh will also meet President Droupadi Murmu, vice president Jagdeep Dhankhar and external affairs minister S Jaishankar.

Chinh will be accompanied by a high-level delegation including several ministers, deputy ministers and business leaders. “India considers Vietnam as a key pillar of its Act East policy and an important partner in its Indo-Pacific vision,” the external affairs ministry said on Tuesday.

Chinh will also deliver the annual Sapru House Lecture at the Indian Council of World Affairs on August 1.

Vietnam’s ambassador to India, Nguyen Thanh Hai, told Vietnam News Agency that Chinh’s visit is expected to inject new momentum into the comprehensive strategic partnership. He said Vietnamese and Indian leaders are expected to outline directions for deepening the partnership in various fields, aligning with the interests of both countries amid complex geopolitical and economic shifts in the region and the world.

The two sides will strengthen traditional areas of cooperation and expand into new potential sectors such as digital economy, telecommunications, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, infrastructure, information technology and renewable energy.

The visit is also an opportunity for Vietnam and India to enhance collaboration and support each other on regional and international issues, and at multilateral forums, while contributing to the promotion of peace, stability and development in the region and beyond, Hai said.

Two-way trade has increased two-and-a-half times since 2016, touching about $15 billion in 2023. Indian conglomerates are interested in investing in Vietnam, particularly in strategic sectors such as renewable energy, processing industry, pharmaceuticals and infrastructure. There are about 60 direct flights a week between the two sides, and nearly 400,000 Indians have visited Vietnam this year.

Vehicles Cross China's Now-Complete Pangong Lake Bridge

NEW DELHI, July 30: China has completed construction of a 400-metre bridge, high-resolution images of which were first published on a TV news channel in January 2022.
New images from July 22 this month show that the bridge has been black-topped with light motor vehicles plying across it.

The bridge, which lies in territory held by China since 1958, is near the Line of Actual Control between India and China in Ladakh and gives Chinese forces the ability to speedily move troops between the North and South bank of the Pangong Lake.

"The new bridge over Pangong Lake grants Chinese forces a direct, shorter route for rapid troop deployment," says Damien Symon, a satellite imagery expert and researcher with The Intel Lab.

"Previously, the People's Liberation Army had to navigate the lake's entire eastern section to reach conflict zones, a lengthy detour that hampered their response time in an active conflict zone."

The construction of the new bridge, it is believed, could cut the travel distance between both banks of the lake by close to 50-100 kilometres, or several hours in travel time.

Asked to respond to the latest developments, the External Affairs Ministry directed to a previous statement: "This bridge is being constructed in areas that have been under illegal occupation by China for around 60 years now. As you are well aware India has never accepted such illegal occupation."

The new satellite images show road access linking the new bridge to an existing road network on the North bank of Pangong which leads to the Khurnak Fort, an ancient Tibetan structure. China had wrested control of the Khurnak Fort in July 1958 despite previous Indian Army patrols to the area.

On the South-bank of the Lake, a new road has been constructed, one that links the bridge to Rutog, a Chinese garrison town and known munitions hub. "The bridge enhances connectivity between China's forward and depth forces underscoring China's commitment to solidifying its territorial claims against India by modifying the landscape to its advantage."

Beginning in May 2020, Indian and Chinese soldiers had a series of violent skirmishes along the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh. 20 Indian soldiers were killed in action in the Galwan Valley which lies to the North of the Pangong Lake region being described in this report. China claims four of its soldiers were killed in the fighting though investigative reports have indicated that the true number was closer to 40 dead.

Soldiers from both sides also violently clashed on the North bank of the Pangong Lake though India and China agreed to reduce tensions in the area by creating a demilitarised zone which saw China remove dozens of structures that they had created between "Finger 4" and "Finger 8" - spurs which protrude into the Lake which are used as geographical markers to identify parts of the Northern bank of Pangong.

Since the clashes with China, India has stepped up infrastructure development in Ladakh - opening up tunnels to ensure all-season access to the region. In 2021, 87 bridges were constructed in Ladakh alone. In 2022, the government committed more than ₹ 2,000 crore for infrastructure development along the frontier with China with 18 key projects being assigned for Ladakh.

Quad foreign ministers decry South China Sea militarization

TOKYO, July 29: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday met his counterparts from Japan, Australia and India in Tokyo for talks to shore up maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region.

The grouping that brings together the US, Japan, Australia and India, known as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, dates back to the early 2000s.

But the informal club, simply known as Quad, has gained increasing prominence in recent years amid efforts to counter China's growing presence and clout in the Indo-Pacific.

Without naming China directly, the group issued a statement after their talks saying: "We are seriously concerned about the situation in the East and South China Seas and reiterate our strong opposition to any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion."

"We continue to express our serious concern about the militarization of disputed features, and coercive and intimidating maneuvers in the South China Sea," they added, also condemning North Korea's "destabilizing" missile launches.

Later on Monday, Beijing accused the US and Japan of creating "imaginary enemies" and warned the two countries to stop meddling in internal Chinese affairs.

In opening remarks at the meeting, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said it was clear that the region was being reshaped, along with the wider world.

"We all understand we face the most confronting circumstances in our region in decades," Wong said.

"We all cherish the region's peace, stability and prosperity and we all know it is not a given, we all know we can't take it for granted," she added.

Blinken said that conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine and South Sudan have understandably gained a lot of global attention, adding: "But even as we're doing what we need to do, what we must to try to bring these conflicts to an end… we have not lost sight and indeed we are resolutely focused on this region that we share."

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa highlighted the need to build up cybersecurity capabilities and provide training opportunities to shore up maritime security in the Indo-Pacific.

The quad talks follow security discussions between Tokyo and Washington on Sunday where the allies labeled China the greatest "strategic challenge" facing the region.

The US also announced plans on Sunday for a major revamp of its military command in Japan to deepen coordination with its ally's forces.

Blinken, who is on an alliance-boosting trip to Asia until August 3, met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Laos on Saturday and reiterated that Washington wants to maintain a "free and open Indo-Pacific," according to a US readout of the meeting.

After leaving Tokyo, Blinken and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will hold security talks with the Philippines, an ally of the US that has been increasingly at odds with China over a territorial dispute in the South China Sea.

Lebanon Airport Flights Cancelled Or Delayed Amid Israeli Attack Fears

BEIRUT, July 29: Flights to and from Beirut airport were cancelled or delayed on Monday as tensions escalated between Israel and armed political group Hezbollah after a strike in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights killed 12 children and teenagers.

Air France said on Monday that due to the security situation at the destination, it will suspend flights between Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Beirut for the days of July 29 and 30, 2024.

"Air France is monitoring the situation in Lebanon in real time," the airline said.

Lufthansa, Swiss and Eurowings of the Lufthansa Group have decided to suspend their flights from and to Beirut up to and including Aug. 5 due to the current developments in the Middle East, a group spokesperson said.

Lebanon's Middle East Airlines (MEA) said disruptions to its schedule were related to insurance risks.

The rocket strike in the Golan Heights on Saturday has added to concerns that Israel and the Iran-backed group could engage in a full-scale war.

Israel's security cabinet on Sunday authorised the government to respond to the strike. Hezbollah denied any responsibility for the attack, the deadliest in Israel or Israeli-annexed territory since Hamas' Oct. 7 assault sparked the war in Gaza, which has since spread to several fronts.

Beirut airport's flight information board and flight tracking website Flightradar24 show Turkish Airlines also cancelled two flights overnight on Sunday.

Turkey-based budget carrier SunExpress, Turkish Airlines subsidiary AJet, Greek carrier Aegean Airlines, Ethiopian Air and MEA have also cancelled flights scheduled to land in Beirut on Monday, Flightradar24 shows.

The airlines did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport is Lebanon's only airport. It has been targeted in the country's civil war, and previous fighting with Israel, including in the last war between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006.

On Sunday, MEA said it had delayed the departure of some flights set to land in Beirut overnight. Additional delays to flights landing on Monday were then announced due to "technical reasons related to the distribution of insurance risks for aircraft between Lebanon and other destinations", MEA said.

Hezbollah and the Israeli military have increased cross-border exchanges of fire since the Gaza war began. The conflict has disrupted flights and shipping across the region, including during reciprocal drone and missile attacks between Israel and Iran in April.

Lufthansa has already suspended night-time flights to and from Beirut for July due to "current developments" in the Middle East.

Israel cabinet authorises government to respond to Hezbollah rocket strike

TEL AVIV, July 29: Israel's security cabinet on Sunday authorised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to decide on the "manner and timing" of a response to a rocket strike in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights that killed 12 teenagers and children, and which Israel and the United States blamed on Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.

Hezbollah denied responsibility for the attack on Majdal Shams on Saturday, the deadliest in Israel or Israeli-annexed territory since Palestinian militant group Hamas' Oct. 7 assault sparked the war in Gaza. That conflict has spread to several fronts and risks spilling into a wider regional conflict.

Israel has vowed retaliation against Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Israeli jets hit targets in southern Lebanon during the day on Sunday.

But there were expectations a stronger response could follow the security cabinet meeting convened by Netanyahu in Tel Aviv.

After the meeting ended, Netanyahu's office said the cabinet "authorised the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister to decide on the manner and timing of the response."

The White House on Sunday also blamed Hezbollah for the Majdal Shams strike. "This attack was conducted by Lebanese Hezbollah. It was their rocket, and launched from an area they control," it said in a statement.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, said through her national security adviser that her "support for Israel's security is ironclad,"

The U.S. said Washington has been in discussions with Israeli and Lebanese counterparts since Saturday's "horrific" attack and that it was working on a diplomatic solution.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington did not want further escalation of the conflict, which has seen daily exchanges of fire between the Israeli military and Hezbollah along the border.

Britain expressed concern at further escalation, while Egypt said the attack could spill "into a comprehensive regional war."

On the ground, thousands of people gathered for funerals in the Druze village of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights, territory captured from Syria by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed in a move not recognised by most countries.

Members of the Druze faith, which is related to Islam, Christianity and Judaism, make up more than half the 40,000-strong population of the Golan Heights. Large crowds of mourners, many in traditional high white and red Druze headwear, surrounded the caskets as they were carried through the village.

"A heavy tragedy, a dark day has come to Majdal Shams," said Dolan Abu Saleh, head of the Majdal Shams local council, in comments broadcast on Israeli television.

Hezbollah initially announced it fired rockets at Israeli military sites in the Golan Heights, but said it had "absolutely nothing" to do with the attack on Majdal Shams.

However, Israel said the rocket was an Iranian-made missile fired from an area north of the village of Chebaa in southern Lebanon, placing the blame squarely on Iranian-backed Hezbollah.

It was not immediately clear if the children and teenagers killed were Israeli citizens.

"The rocket that murdered our boys and girls was an Iranian rocket and Hezbollah is the only terror organisation which has those in its arsenal," Israel's foreign ministry said.

Two security sources said that Hezbollah was on high alert and had cleared some key sites in both Lebanon's south and the eastern Bekaa Valley in case of an Israeli attack.

Lebanon's Middle East Airlines said it was delaying the arrival of some flights from Sunday night to Monday morning, without stating why.

Israeli forces have been exchanging fire for months with Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon, but both sides have appeared to be avoiding an escalation that could lead to all-out war, potentially dragging in other powers including the United States and Iran.

However, Saturday's strike threatened to tip the standoff into a more dangerous phase. United Nations officials urged maximum restraint from both sides, warning that escalation could "engulf the entire region in a catastrophe beyond belief."

Lebanon has asked the U.S to urge restraint by Israel, Lebanon's foreign minister, Abdallah Bou Habib, said. Bou Habib said the U.S. had asked Lebanon's government to pass on a message to Hezbollah to show restraint as well.

Iran's foreign ministry warned Israel on Sunday against what it called any new adventure in Lebanon.

Syria's foreign ministry said it held Israel "fully responsible for this dangerous escalation in the region" and said its accusations against Hezbollah were false.

The conflict has forced tens of thousands of people in both Lebanon and Israel to leave their homes. Israeli strikes have killed some 350 Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon and more than 100 civilians, including medics, children and journalists.

Hezbollah is the most powerful of a network of Iran-backed groups across the Middle East and opened a second front against Israel shortly after Hamas' Oct. 7 assault on Israel.

Druze communities live on both sides of the line between southern Lebanon and northern Israel as well as in the Golan Heights and Syria. While some serve in the Israeli military and identify with Israel, many feel marginalised in Israel and some also reject Israeli citizenship.

Israel Vows To Hit Hezbollah After Rocket Kills 12 On Football Field

JERUSALEM, July 28: Israel convened its security cabinet on Sunday to discuss responding to a rocket strike in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights that killed 12 teenagers and children, and which Israel and the United States blamed on Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.

Hezbollah denied responsibility for the attack on Majdal Shams, the deadliest in Israel or Israeli-annexed territory since Palestinian group Hamas' Oct. 7 assault sparked the war in Gaza. That conflict has spread to several fronts and risks spilling into a wider regional conflict.

Israeli jets hit targets in southern Lebanon during the day but a stronger response could follow the security meeting in Tel Aviv convened by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after his return from a visit to Washington.

The White House on Sunday also blamed Hezbollah for the Majdal Shams strike. "This attack was conducted by Lebanese Hezbollah. It was their rocket, and launched from an area they control," it said in a statement.

The U.S. said Washington has been in discussions with Israeli and Lebanese counterparts since Saturday's attack, which it condemned and described as "horrific," and that it was working on a diplomatic solution.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington stood by Israel's right to defend itself, but that it did not want further escalation of the conflict, which has seen daily exchanges of fire between the Israeli military and Hezbollah along the border.

Britain expressed concern at further escalation while Egypt said the attack could spill "into a comprehensive regional war."

On the ground, thousands of people gathered for funerals in the Druze village of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights, territory captured from Syria by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed in a move not recognised by most countries.

Members of the Druze faith, which is related to Islam, Christianity and Judaism, make up more than half the 40,000-strong population of the Golan Heights. Large crowds of mourners, many in traditional high white and red Druze headwear, surrounded the caskets as they were carried through the village.

"A heavy tragedy, a dark day has come to Majdal Shams," said Dolan Abu Saleh, head of the Majdal Shams local council, in comments broadcast on Israeli television.

Hezbollah initially had announced it fired rockets at Israeli military sites in the Golan Heights, but said it had "absolutely nothing" to do with the attack on Majdal Shams.

Israeli attacks kill more than 50 Palestinians across Gaza

TEL AVIV, July 27: More than 50 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in central and southern Gaza, with one air raid hitting a school where thousands of displaced people were sheltering, according to Palestinian officials.

At least 30 people were killed in an Israeli attack on Khadija School in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza, the Palestinian Health Ministry said on Saturday.

Fifteen children and eight women were among those killed in the attack on the school in Deir el-Balah, Gaza’s Government Media Office said, and more than 100 people were wounded.

The Israeli military said in a statement it had targeted a “Hamas command and control centre inside the Khadija school compound in central Gaza”.

The statement said the school was being used to launch attacks against troops and as a weapons cache and that it warned civilians before the raid.

Israel Army Preparing For 'Decisive Offensive' Against Hezbollah

JERUSALEM, July 26: An Israeli military commander said Friday that troops in the country's north were preparing for "a decisive offensive" against Lebanon's Hezbollah after months of deadly cross-border exchanges.

Israeli forces have traded near-daily fire with Hamas ally Hezbollah since the Palestinian group's October 7 attack on southern Israel started the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.

Major General Ori Gordin, Israel's commanding officer in the north, told troops that "we have already eliminated more than 500 terrorists in Lebanon, the great majority of them from Hezbollah", an army statement said.

According to a tally, more than nine months of violence have killed at least 523 people in Lebanon.

Most of them, 342 people, have been confirmed to be Hezbollah operatives but the tally also includes 104 civilians. Gordin did not mention civilian casualties.

In northern Israel, at least 18 Israeli soldiers and 13 civilians have been killed, according to the military.

The exchanges of fire have been largely restricted to the border areas and displaced tens of thousands of Lebanese as well as Israeli residents.

The Israeli military has "destroyed thousands" of targets across the border, Gordin said.

The statement said troops were now preparing "for the transition to offence".

"When the moment comes and we go on the offensive, it will be a decisive offensive," Gordin added.

Iran-backed Hezbollah says it is acting in support of Hamas with its attacks on Israel since October 8.

The escalating violence and unsuccessful mediation efforts have raised fears of all-out conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, which last went to war in 2006.

Israel has demanded that parts of southern Lebanon be cleared of Hezbollah operatives in line with a UN Security Council resolution that ended the 2006 war.

Israel Warns France Of Iranian Threats Against Israelis At Olympics Games

JERUSALEM, July 25: Israel warned France on Thursday of potential threats from Iran-backed groups against Israeli athletes and tourists in Paris during the Olympic Games.
"There are those who seek to harm the festivities of this joyous event," Foreign Minister Israel Katz told his French counterpart in a letter, copies of which were released to the media.

"We currently have assessments of potential threats from Iranian terror affiliates and other terrorist organisations aiming to carry out terror attacks against members of the Israeli delegation and Israeli tourists during the Olympics."

France has mounted a vast security operation to ensure the Olympics are safe. Around 18,000 French troops have been deployed to secure the Games in addition to regular police.

All Israeli athletes at the Paris Games, which start officially on Friday, will have round-the-clock personal security provided by elite French police, both inside the Olympic village and every time they leave the compound in northern Paris.

In an address to the US Congress on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for a global alliance against the Iranian "axis of terror".

He argued that the United States and Israel "must stand together" against Iran and its proxies.

Iran had hailed the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel but said it was not involved in it.

Tensions have soared during the war sparked by the attack, drawing in Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen.

Yemen's Huthi rebels, along with the Hezbollah group in Lebanon and former Iran-backed paramilitaries in the Iraqi armed forces, are part of a Tehran-aligned "axis of resistance" that supports Hamas against Israel and its allies.

Iran has reiterated support for the groups but insisted they are independent in their decision-making and actions.

On April 13-14, Iran carried out an unprecedented drone and missile attack on Israel, days after an air strike widely attributed to Israel levelled Iran's consulate in Damascus and killed seven Revolutionary Guards, two of them generals.

'Khalistanis Have Polluted Canada,' Says Indian-Origin MP After Threats

OTTAWA, July 24: A prominent Canadian MP of Indian origin on Wednesday said the country was being "polluted" by Khalistani extremists who were "abusing" the freedoms guaranteed under the Charter of Rights, days after a Hindu temple was vandalised in Edmonton.

Amidst rising Hinduphobia in Canada, the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir was vandalised with alleged hateful and anti-India graffiti on Monday morning in Edmonton in Alberta state, about 3,400 km west-northwest of here.

Chandra Arya, a Member of Parliament from Nepean in the House of Commons, said in a post on his X account that separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun of Sikhs for Justice released a video demanding that Arya and his Hindu-Canadian friends go back to India after he (Arya) condemned the vandalism of the Hindu temple and other acts of hate and violence by Khalistan supporters in Canada.

"We Hindus have come to our wonderful country Canada from all parts of the world. From every country in South Asia, many countries in Africa and Caribbean, and many other parts of the world, we have come here and Canada is our land," Arya, a member of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party, wrote.

"We have made and continue to make immense positive and productive contributions to the socio-economic development of Canada. With our long history of Hindu culture and heritage, we have enriched the multicultural fabric of Canada," he said.

"Our land is being polluted by Khalistani extremists abusing our freedoms guaranteed by our Canadian Charter of Rights," Arya added.

Arya's statement comes against the backdrop of severe strain in India-Canada ties over the killing of Khalistan extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was gunned down in Surrey, British Columbia, in June last year.

The relations between the two countries came under severe strain following Trudeau's allegations in September last year of a "potential" involvement of Indian agents in Nijjar's killing.

India has been maintaining that the main issue between the two countries is that of Canada giving space to pro-Khalistan elements operating from Canadian soil with impunity.

India has repeatedly conveyed its "deep concerns" to Canada and New Delhi expects Ottawa to take strong action against those elements.

Meanwhile, the vandalism at the BAPS temple was criticised by other local elected representatives too.

The Consulate General of India in Vancouver had said in a post on X on Tuesday: "We condemn the defacing of BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in #Edmonton with anti-India graffiti. We have requested the Canadian authorities to investigate the incident and take prompt action against the perpetrators."

However, there has been no reaction as yet from the BAPS - the Bochasanwasi Aksharpurushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, the organisation that runs the temple.

Israel sends tanks back into Gaza's Khan Younis after evacuation order, 81 dead

TEL AVIV, July 23: Israel sent tanks back into the greater Khan Younis area after ordering evacuations of some districts it said had been used for renewed attacks by militants and at least 80 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire, Gaza medics said on Monday.

The Palestinians were killed by tank salvoes in the town of Bani Suhaila and other towns fringing the eastern side of Khan Younis, with the area also bombarded from the air, they said.

Residents of the densely built-up area of southern Gaza said the tanks advanced for more than two kilometres (1.2 miles) into Bani Suhaila, forcing residents to flee under fire.

In Sudan, Women Forced To Line Up For Sex With Soldiers For Food: Report

KHARTOUM, July 22: In war-torn Sudan, women are being forced to have sex with soldiers to get food to feed their families, a report by The Guardian said. Over two dozen women who fled the Sudanese city of Omdurman said that having sex with soldiers was the only way they could access food or goods that they could sell to raise money to feed their families.

One woman said the assaults took place in factories across the the city where the food is stockpiled. “Both of my parents are too old and sick and I never let my daughter go out to look for food. I went to the soldiers and that was the only way to get food – they were everywhere in the factories area," said a woman, who was forced to have sex with soldiers at a meat-processing factory in May last year.

The assaults reportedly began soon after a civil war broke out in the country which has seen the country's army face off against paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Reports of rape by armed men emerged within days of the conflict starting on 15 April last year.

The war in Sudan has killed tens of thousands of people, with some estimates placing the death count as high as 150,000. The war has created the world's worst displacement crisis -- with more than 11 million uprooted and brought the country to the brink of famine.

Several women have come forward sharing harrowing tales of RSF fighters sexually abusing them in a systematic manner in areas under their control. The soldiers have also demanded sex in exchange for access to abandoned houses where it is still possible to loot items to sell in local markets, the women told the Guardian.

One woman said that she was allowed to take food, kitchen equipment and perfumes from empty houses after she had sex with soldiers. “What I went through is indescribable, I would not wish it on an enemy … I only did it because I wanted to feed my children," she said.

Residents of the city claimed they see soldiers bringing women to abandoned houses where they were made to queue up as soldier picked the ones "they liked the look of". "A lot of women come and queue outside our neighbourhood. I sometimes hear screaming but what can you do? Nothing," one resident said.

Another woman said that once she refused to have sex with the solider they tortured her and burned her legs. The 21-year-old said she had had sex with soldiers in exchange for being allowed to loot houses for food and goods, but when she refused to do so again the soldiers held her down and burned her legs.

A soldier, who denied ever assaulting a woman himself, said he had witnessed his colleagues. “It's awful. The amount of the sins in this city can never been be forgiven," he said.

Tensions rise in South China Sea as Taiwan rejects Philippines' claims

TAIPEI, July 21: Tensions are rising in the South China Sea after Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) rejected claims made by the Philippines and Vietnam for an extended continental shelf in the disputed waters, Focus Taiwan reported.

In a statement released on Friday, MOFA asserted that the actions of the two countries infringe on Taiwan's sovereignty and rights under international and maritime laws.

"The actions by the Philippines and Vietnam have infringed upon our country's sovereignty and rights under international laws and maritime laws in the South China Sea," MOFA said in a press release on Friday.

MOFA said the claims made by the two nations were "unacceptable" and stressed the sovereign rights of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to its islands in the South China Sea.
However, MOFA also said that Taiwan was willing to address issues related to the South China Sea with the international community "on the basis of equal consultation."

The move comes after Vietnam filed its claims to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS), following a similar move by the Philippines over a month ago, as per Focus Taiwan.

The Southeast Asian countries are seeking UN recognition of their claims to the continental shelf beyond the current 200 nautical miles from their shores.

Many countries have made territorial claims in the contested waters of the South China Sea, including China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia.

On June 17, Beijing denounced the Philippines' submission to CLCS on June 15 for recognition of an extended continental shelf, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China saying that Manila's claims had infringed upon China's sovereign rights.

The statement from the Taiwan MOFA comes even as the Taiwan Ministry of Defence is ready to kick of military exercises Han Kuang from July 22. According to a statement from the Ministry of National Defence Taiwan, the exercise seeks to refine operational plans in light of an increased threat from the Chinese PLA.

Philippines says reached deal with China to avoid disputed shoal clashes

MANILA, July 21: China and the Philippines have struck a deal to defuse tensions on a contested shoal in the South China Sea, according to the Philippine government.

The deal, hashed out on Sunday by Chinese and Filipino diplomats in Manila, lays out provisional terms to replenish Filipino troops on the Second Thomas Shoal, which both countries claim as their own and where their forces have repeatedly clashed.

Announcing the deal, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said, “Both sides continue to recognise the need to de-escalate the situation in the South China Sea and manage differences through dialogue and consultation.”

There was no immediate comment by China.

The shoal, which lies about 200km (124 miles) from the western Philippine island of Palawan and more than 1,000km (620 miles) from China’s southern Hainan island, has been a focus of clashes between the two countries in recent months.

In the worst confrontation, Chinese forces on motorboats repeatedly rammed and then boarded two Philippine navy boats on June 17 to prevent Filipino personnel from transferring food and other supplies, including firearms to the ship outpost in the shallows of the shoal, according to the Philippine government.

After repeated ramming, the Chinese seized the Philippine navy boats and damaged them with machetes and improvised spears. They also seized seven M4 rifles, which were packed in cases, and other supplies. The violent face-off wounded several Filipino navy personnel, including one who lost his thumb, in a chaotic skirmish that was captured in video and photos.

Trump may weaken deterrence against China; posing risks for Taiwan: Experts

NEW YORK, July 21: Foreign relations experts have warned that US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, if brought to power, could weaken alliances and undermine deterrence against China, further posing risks for Taiwan, reported the Central News agency of Taiwan.

Trump will be facing Vice President Kamala Harris as President Joe Biden has step aside due to his age. However, the vastly different foreign policies have significant implications for Taiwan.

Jacques deLisle, director of the University of Pennsylvania's Centre for the Study of Contemporary China, said that a Democrat's victory would likely mean "a great deal of continuity" in Taiwan policy.

"A Trump victory, however, would be unpredictable, with Republican lawmakers likely following Trump's lead, posing risks for Taiwan," he was quoted as saying by CNA Taiwan.
"One risk is Trump's "transactional approach" to diplomacy," he said, adding that the former president's demand for Taiwan to pay more for American defence, shows his stance towards Nato.

While Taiwan generally does buy weapons, he said that Trump believes Taiwan should "pay market prices."

DeLisle further argued that Trump does not value American commitments to allies.
He added that regardless of Trump's view on Taiwan's security, he would likely weaken US relationships with Japan, South Korea and other allies, affecting cooperation to deter China.

Since taking office in 2021, Biden had repeatedly stated his willingness to defend Taiwan, and in a June interview with Time, he did not rule out military action.
The US, in its bilateral and multilateral meetings with allies, has often emphasised the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

David Sacks, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, wrote in "Taiwan's Trump Conundrum," published on Friday, that a Trump victory would present allies with a president who views diplomacy as transactional, CNA Taiwan reported.

"This dilemma will be keenly felt in Taiwan," he said.

Sacks added that Trump was very popular in Taiwan before leaving office in 2021, marking the closest US-Taipei relations since Washington switched diplomatic recognition to Beijing in 1979.

However, Trump's recent comments on Taiwan have put doubt on whether this support would continue if he were re-elected in November presidential elections.

Sacks observed that Taiwan had downplayed Trump's remarks by pointing to bipartisan support in the US and the emphasis on Taiwan's importance by former Trump administration officials, according to CNA Taiwan.

While this is true, the president has significant autonomy in foreign policy, and it may be unrealistic to expect Congress to restrain Trump's actions, Sacks said.

Meanwhile, some believe that the US should fully deter China from attacking Taiwan and, if deterrence fails, defend Taiwan due to its strategic location, economic significance and democratic governance.

These arguments further aim to prevent negative impacts on the international order and US alliances. However, such points may not convince Trump, as Sacks mentioned.

He further noted that Trump is sceptical of US alliances, viewing them as "free riders." If the US does not defend Taiwan, it could signal to allies that they must take responsibility for their own security, which he believes would ultimately benefit America.

Jacques deLisle, director of the University of Pennsylvania's Centre for the Study of Contemporary China, further said that Trump's claim of Taiwan stealing the American semiconductor industry, was a "misunderstanding.".

"Chip design and development are largely based in the US, while manufacturers like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. are in Taiwan. That's a cooperative, not a competitive relationship," deLisle said.

Sacks further said that Trump's comments on Taiwan are "fully consistent with his worldview" and that his view is "unlikely to change.

China devises strategy to attack Starlink-like satellites with submarine laser weapon: Report

SINGAPORE, July 21: In another instance of China's skyrocketing defense ambition, scientists of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) have conducted a study to take down Elon Musk's Starlink satellites in case they pose a security risk.

According to a report published in South China Morning Post (SCMP) citing a peer-reviewed paper in the Chinese-language journal, Command Control & Simulation, it was noted how laser weapons fired from submarines can be used to take down Starlink-like satellites in space.

Wang Dan, a professor at the Naval Submarine Academy, noted in the paper that the biggest challenge in anti-satellite missions was not hitting the satellite but hiding after the attack.

“Currently, the primary means of anti-satellite operations rely on ground-to-air missiles, but this approach has certain issues, mainly in terms of concealment,” Wang and her colleagues wrote in the paper as reported by South China Morning Post.

The paper also outlined a step-by-step process to attack Starlink-like satellites from the ocean and sea.

“First, one or several submarines equipped with laser weapons are deployed to the sea area where the operation is to be conducted. They enter the target sea area according to the command instructions and wait for the satellites to come within their attack range. The time to raise the laser weapon is determined based on the previously acquired satellite overhead time,” the research paper further elaborated as reported by SCMP.

Meanwhile, according to an earlier report published by a news agency, SpaceX is building a network of hundreds of spy satellites under a classified contract with a US intelligence agency, five sources familiar with the program said, demonstrating deepening ties between billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk's space company and national security agencies.

The network is being built by SpaceX's Starshield business unit under a $1.8 billion contract signed in 2021 with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), an intelligence agency that manages spy satellites, the sources said.

The satellites can track targets on the ground and share that data with U.S. intelligence and military officials, the sources said. In principle, that would enable the US government to quickly capture continuous imagery of activities on the ground nearly anywhere on the globe, aiding intelligence and military operations.

Israel Shoots Down Missile Fired From Yemen After Striking Houthis

TEL AVIV, July 21: Israel said it shot down a missile launched from Yemen on Sunday and the Yemeni Houthi movement said it had fired several missiles at the Israeli city of Eilat after Israel's first public strike against the Iran-aligned group a day earlier.

The Houthis have launched missiles and drones at Israel and disrupted global trade through the Red Sea in response to Israel's assault on Gaza, further destabilising the Middle East as war in the Palestinian enclave rages on after nine months.

Israel says the Houthis have launched 200 attacks against it since the Gaza war began, many of them intercepted and most of them not deadly.

But a rare Houthi drone strike on Friday hit Tel Aviv and killed one person, prompting Israel to announce its first strikes against the group on Saturday. The strikes by warplanes hit near the Yemeni port of Hodeidah and killed six people, local medics said.

The Houthi movement, known formally as Ansar Allah, said on Sunday it would continue to attack Israel in response.

Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam told Qatar's Al Jazeera TV there would be "no red lines ... all sensitive institutions ... will be a target for us."

The Israeli military said its Arrow 3 missile defence system had shot down a surface-to-surface missile projectile launched from Yemen on Sunday before it crossed into Israeli territory.

Before the interception, air raid sirens sounded in the Red Sea port city of Eilat, sending residents running for shelter.

Sunday's attack prolonged an escalation of violence between Israel and the Houthis that began with the Houthi drone strike that hit the centre of Tel Aviv on Friday. One man was killed and four other people were wounded, officials said.

The Israeli warplanes' air raid on Hodeidah on Saturday killed six people and wounded more than 80, medical sources in Yemen told Reuters, describing all as civilians.

Images from the scene showed a fiery blaze and dense smoke rising from the site of the strike. A Houthi-run TV channel said the strikes had hit an oil facility and power station.

Israeli officials say Hodeidah port has been used by the Houthis to receive weapons shipments from Iran.

The exchanges are part of a spillover from the Gaza war that has drawn in regional and world powers.

Iran-aligned groups including the Houthis have fired rockets and missiles at Israel saying they are doing so in support of Palestinians and the Islamist militant group Hamas that governs Gaza. The United States and its allies back Israel and provide weapons to it.

More than 4,500 Indians return from violence-hit Bangladesh, says MEA

DHAKA, July 21: More than 4,500 Indian nationals and nearly 540 citizens of Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives have returned from Bangladesh with the assistance of Indian authorities following violent protests against job quotas in the neighbouring country.

A countrywide curfew remained in force in Bangladesh on Sunday and the army was deployed to quell the protests that resulted in the death of at least 110 people and injured hundreds more.

More than 4,500 Indian students have returned home, and 500 students from Nepal, 38 from Bhutan, and one from the Maldives have also arrived in India, the external affairs ministry said in a statement.

The Indian high commission in Dhaka has been arranging security escorts for the safe travel of Indian nationals to land border crossing points, the statement said.

The high commission and assistant high commissions in Chittagong, Rajshahi, Sylhet, and Khulna are in regular touch with Bangladeshi authorities to ensure the safety and security of Indian nationals.

The missions are also in regular contact with remaining Indian students in various universities in Bangladesh and with Indian nationals for their welfare and assistance, the statement said.

The external affairs ministry had said on Friday that there were an estimated 15,000 Indians, including around 8,500 students, in Bangladesh. The ministry’s spokesperson had said that all Indians were safe.

The Indian missions in Bangladesh will remain available to provide any assistance required by Indian nationals through their emergency contact numbers.

Hours after West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said on Sunday that she would be willing to provide shelter in her state to people from Bangladesh who are in distress, people familiar with the matter said that such matters are handled by the central government.

“I should not be speaking on the affairs of Bangladesh since it is a sovereign nation and whatever needs to be said on the issue is a subject matter of the Centre. But I can tell you this, if helpless people come knocking on the doors of [West] Bengal, we will surely provide them shelter,” Banerjee said at a rally organised in Kolkata by the Trinamool Congress party.

Banerjee referred to the UN resolution on refugees to justify her stand. “That’s because there is a UN resolution to accommodate refugees in regions adjacent to those which are in turmoil,” she said, citing the example of people from Assam being allowed to live in the Alipurduars area of West Bengal during the Bodo agitation.

However, one of the people cited above said on condition of anonymity,“These are matters which are handled by the Union government. A state government has no locus standi on the issue and as such, their comments are totally misplaced.”

Banerjee said her government will provide help to residents of West Bengal whose relatives may have been stranded in Bangladesh because of the violence. She also said assistance will be provided to Bangladeshi citizens in West Bengal who are facing difficulties in returning home.

She appealed to the people of West Bengal to not get provoked by the current situation in Bangladesh. “We should exercise restraint and not walk into any provocation or excitement on the issue,” she said.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh's Supreme Court on Sunday struck down a high court order that had reinstated job quotas for the kin of veterans of the 1971 war of liberation. The high court's order, issued in June, had triggered the violent protests largely spearheaded by students.

However, coordinators of the anti-job quota movement told the media that their protests will continue despite the Supreme Court's ruling. The coordinators demanded action against those responsible for the killing of students during the protest.

Israeli Jets Strike Yemen Rebels After Deadly Attack On Tel Aviv

HODEIDA (Yemen), July 20: Israeli warplanes struck the Houthi-controlled Yemeni port of Hodeida Saturday, a day after a drone attack by the Houthi rebels killed a civilian in Tel Aviv, both sides said.

The strikes, which triggered a raging fire and plumes of black smoke, are the first claimed by Israel in the Arabian peninsula's poorest country, some 1,800 kilometres (1,100 miles) away, analysts said.

"The blood of Israeli citizens has a price," Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said after the Hodeida strikes, adding more operations against the Iran-backed Houthis would follow "if they dare to attack us".

"The fire that is currently burning in Hodeida, is seen across the Middle East and the significance is clear."

Just hours after Friday's strike in Tel Aviv, Gallant had vowed Israel would retaliate against the Houthis, who control swathes of Yemen, including much of its Red Sea coast.

The Israeli military said its warplanes hit "military targets of the Houthi terrorist regime" Saturday, a day after the drone attack claimed by the Yemeni rebels killed a civilian in Tel Aviv.

Israeli "fighter jets struck military targets of the Houthi terrorist regime in the area of Hodeida port in Yemen in response to the hundreds of attacks carried out against the state of Israel in recent months," a military statement said.

The Houthis have previously claimed attacks on Israeli cities including Ashdod, Haifa and Eilat, but Friday's strike on Tel Aviv appears to have been the first to breach Israel's vaunted air defences.

In a statement on social media, top Houthi official Mohammed Abdulsalam reported a "brutal Israel aggression against Yemen."

The attack targeted "fuel storage facilities and a power plant" in Hodeida "to pressure Yemen to stop supporting" Palestinians in the Gaza war, he said.

The Houthi-run health ministry said there were deaths and injuries in the Hodeida strikes, but it did not give a toll.

In a statement carried by the Houthi-run Al Masirah television, it said several people suffered "serious burns".

Footage aired by Al Masirah, showed a massive blaze on the seafront, with a large plume of black smoke rising into the sky.

A correspondent in Hodeida reported hearing several large explosions and seeing smoke over the port.

Fuel pumps closed across the port city, a key lifeline for imports and international relief for the millions of Yemenis in need after a more than a decade of war.

Hodeida has been hard hit by a series of strikes carried out by Britain and the United States since January in response to attacks by Houthi rebels on commercial shipping in the Red Sea

The Houthis have attacked at least 88 commercial vessels since November in a campaign they say targets Israeli-linked shipping in support of the Palestinians in the Gaza war.

UN chief Antonio Guterres had appealed for "maximum restraint" after the Tel Aviv drone strike to avoid "further escalation in the region".

But Houthi politburo member Mohammed al-Bukhaiti swiftly threatened revenge for the Hodeida strikes.

"The Zionist entity will pay the price for targeting civilian facilities, and we will meet escalation with escalation," he said in a post on social media.

Hodeida port, a critical entry point for imports and international aid for Houthi-held parts of Yemen, had remained largely untouched through the decade-long war between the rebels and the internationally recognised government propped up by neighbouring Saudi Arabia.

"Traders now fear that this will exacerbate the already critical food security and humanitarian situation in northern Yemen, as the majority of trade flows through this port," said Mohammed Albasha, senior Middle East analyst for the US-based Navanti Group.

He said the Israeli strikes "would likely be perceived by many Yemenis as an attack on their homeland, which could bolster Houthi recruitment and funding."

Nearly 1,000 Indian students return from Bangladesh as protests claim 115 lives

DHAKA, July 20: Nearly 1,000 Indian students have returned from Bangladesh as authorities in the neighbouring country imposed a nationwide curfew in the wake of the deadly unrest against a quota system for government jobs. Over 115 people have been killed in clashes between student protesters and police and pro-government activists.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), which called the situation in Bangladesh an "internal matter", said 778 Indian students had returned to India through various land ports. In addition, around 200 students have returned by regular flight services through Dhaka and Chittagong airports.

The Indian High Commission also facilitated the return of 13 Nepali students.

"The High Commission of India in Dhaka and our Assistant High Commissions are in regular touch with more than 4000 students remaining in various universities in Bangladesh and are providing necessary assistance," the MEA said.

The High Commission, in coordination with the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Bureau of Immigration, has been active in ensuring the safe passage of these students through border crossings such as Benapole-Petrapole, Gede-Darshana and Akhaura-Agartala.

"We see the protests in Bangladesh as an internal matter of the country," Jaiswal said at a media briefing. He added that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was personally overseeing the safety of Indians in Bangladesh.

The MEA has issued an advisory for Indian nationals in Bangladesh to avoid unnecessary travel and stay indoors.

The protests in Bangladesh, primarily led by students, are against the Sheikh Hasina-led government's job quota system, which reserves a significant portion of government jobs for certain groups. This system, the protesters argue, is discriminatory and prevents meritorious candidates from securing government positions.

Last month, Bangladesh’s High Court nullified its decision and reinstated the quotas after relatives of the 1971 Liberation War veterans filed petitions, triggering the latest demonstrations.

The clashes have prompted the Bangladeshi authorities to shut down all public and private educational institutions indefinitely, disrupting the lives of many students, including those from India.

Vietnamese Most Powerful Communist Party Leader Nguyen Phu Trong Dies At 80

HANOI, July 20: The general secretary of Vietnam's Communist Party Nguyen Phu Trong -- considered the country's top leader -- died on Friday aged 80, his party said.

In a statement, it said Trong, who had led the party since 2011, died "due to old age and serious illness" at a military hospital in Hanoi.

The announcement came a day after the party announced Trong would hand the reins of power to the country's president and former public security minister To Lam, long seen as jockeying for the top job.

At the time, the party said Trong would be focusing on treatment for an undisclosed medical condition, the first time it had referenced longstanding speculation about the ageing leader's health.

There were no further details about Trong's illness on Friday, and the party said it would later make "a special statement on the organisation of the funeral at the national level".

Trong is the first party general secretary to die in office since the death in 1986 of Le Duan, a brother-in-arms of Ho Chi Minh.

He is also the first leader to have held three consecutive mandates at the head of the party, after the liberalisation of the economy in 1986.

US President Joe Biden called Trong a "champion of the deep ties" between the American and Vietnamese people, and said both countries were more secure because of the bilateral friendship fostered by the late leader.

Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed Trong as a "true friend" of Russia.

China's communist party sent a message of condolences to its Vietnamese counterpart, Chinese state media said.

Vietnam's communist regime, which is in the midst of a complete overhaul, has undergone a series of upheavals in recent months, with ministers, business leaders and two presidents all falling from grace as part of a vast anti-corruption campaign.

On Thursday, when it was announced Trong was handing over his duties, the politburo called "on the entire party, people and army to have absolute trust in the party's leadership and state management".

Lam was voted in as president in May by Vietnam's rubber-stamp parliament after his predecessor was forced to resign as part of the anti-graft drive.

Analysts said at the time that Lam, who was deputy head of the steering committee on anti-corruption matters, had weaponised investigations to take down his political rivals.

Trong's poor health had fuelled widespread speculation that he would not be able to stay in power until the 2026 party congress, which is expected to appoint a successor.

He enjoyed remarkable longevity in office, during a mandate that rights groups say has coincided with increasing authoritarianism.

Known for being a technocrat and on good terms with Beijing, he structured the party around himself, benefiting from a decade of economic growth that strengthened his legitimacy.

"He restructured and reorganised the party around him" through his anti-corruption drive, said Benoit de Treglode, research director at the Institute for Strategic Research at France's military academy in Paris.

"Since 2011, he has cleaned up with astonishing efficiency."

The anti-corruption drive, which analysts say is also linked to political infighting, has swept through the party, police, armed forces and business community.

More than 3,500 people have been indicted since 2021, official figures show, while those sent to prison include a former health minister and two previous mayors of Hanoi.

Following a scandal related to the Covid-19 pandemic last year, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc resigned and two deputy prime ministers were removed from their positions.

Many other prominent officials working across a wide range of sectors, from environment and energy to healthcare and banking, are under investigation.

But the campaign has had unintended consequences. With many fearful of being caught in its crosshairs, everyday transactions within the business sector and the state apparatus have slowed.

Trong would like to be remembered "as a populist, someone very close to the people, who listens to the people", said Linh Nguyen, lead analyst for Control Risks on Vietnam.

32 Dead In Bangladesh Unrest, Protesters Set Fire To State TV Headquarters

DHAKA, July 18: Bangladeshi students set fire to the country's state broadcaster on Thursday, a day after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina appeared on the network seeking to calm escalating clashes that have killed at least 32 people.

Hundreds of protesters demanding reform of civil service hiring rules fought back and overwhelmed riot police who had fired at them with rubber bullets.

The incensed crowd chased the retreating officers to BTV's headquarters in the capital Dhaka, then set ablaze the network's reception building and dozens of vehicles parked outside.

"Many people" were trapped inside as the fire spread, the broadcaster said in a Facebook post, but an official from the station later said that they had safely evacuated the building.

"The fire is still going on," the official said. "We have come out to the main gate. Our broadcast has been shut down for now."

Hasina's government has ordered schools and universities to close indefinitely as police step up efforts to bring the country's deteriorating law and order situation under control.

The premier appeared on the broadcaster on Wednesday night to condemn the "murder" of protesters and vow that those responsible will be punished regardless of their political affiliation.

But violence worsened on the streets despite her appeal for calm as police again attempted to break up demonstrations with rubber bullets and tear gas volleys.

"Our first demand is that the prime minister must apologise to us," protester Bidisha Rimjhim, 18, said.

"Secondly, justice must be ensured for our killed brothers," she added.

At least 25 people were killed on Thursday in addition to seven killed earlier in the week, according to a tally of casualty figures from hospitals, with hundreds more wounded.

China says halted nuclear arms talks with US over Taiwan weapons sale

BEIJING, July 17: China said Wednesday it had suspended negotiations with the United States on nuclear non-proliferation and arms control in response to Washington's weapons sales to Taiwan.

The US and China in November held rare talks on nuclear arms control, part of a bid to ease mistrust ahead of a summit between leader Joe Biden and Xi Jinping.

Further dialogue had not been publicly announced since, with a White House official in January urging Beijing to respond "to some of our more substantive ideas on risk reduction."

But China's foreign ministry on Wednesday said recent US sales of arms to self-ruled Taiwan were "seriously undermining the political atmosphere for continued arms control consultations between the two sides".

"The US has... continued its arms sales to Taiwan, and taken a series of negative actions that seriously damage China's core interests and undermine political mutual trust," foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said.

"For this reason, China has decided to suspend negotiations with the United States on a new round of arms control and non-proliferation consultations," he added.

The Pentagon in a congressionally mandated report last October said that China was developing its nuclear arsenal more quickly than the United States had earlier anticipated.

China possessed more than 500 operational nuclear warheads as of May 2023 and is likely to have more than 1,000 by 2030, it said.

The United States currently possesses about 3,700 nuclear warheads, trailing Russia's roughly 4,500, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, which counts 410 warheads for China.

"China is willing to maintain communication with the United States on international arms control issues on the basis of mutual respect," Lin said.

"But the United States must respect China's core interests and create necessary conditions for dialogue," he warned.

The United States switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979 but it has remained Taiwan's most important partner and biggest arms supplier, sparking repeated condemnations from China.

Washington in June approved two military sales to Taiwan worth approximately $300 million in total, mostly of spare and repair parts for the island's F-16 fighter jets.

Indian national among 6 people killed in Oman mosque shooting claimed by ISIS

MUSCAT, JulY 17: An Indian national was killed and three others were injured in a rare shooting attack by the Islamic State militant group near a Shia Muslim mosque in Oman’s capital Muscat that claimed six lives, mostly foreigners.

The shooting on Monday night near the Imam Ali Mosque also claimed the lives of one policeman and four Pakistan nationals, while injuring 28 others.

The Indian Embassy in Muscat on Wednesday identified the Indian national killed in the incident as Basha Jan Ali Hussain. Three Indians were also injured in the attack.

The mission said it was closely following up the well-being of the resident Indian community in the aftermath of the shooting incident on July 15.

Ambassador Amit Narang spoke today with Tausif Abbas, son of Basha Jan Ali Hussain, who unfortunately lost his life in the incident, the Indian embassy said in a post on X.

The envoy assured full support of the embassy for the repatriation of Hussain’s mortal remains back to India and all other support that the family may need.

Embassy officials have visited the three Indian nationals who have sustained injuries and are undergoing treatment at a hospital. Ambassador Narang also spoke with their families and assured full support.

He conveyed his sincere appreciation for the prompt action taken by the Omani security agencies in dealing with the crisis and protecting the lives of innocent civilians “The Embassy conveys its sympathies with the families of those who have tragically lost their lives in this incident and wishes a speedy recovery to all those who have been injured,” the mission said in a post on X.

The three attackers were also killed by Omani security forces during the incident in the al-Wadi al-Kabir area on Monday night, according to a statement.

The Pakistan government said four of its nationals were among those killed in a “terrorist attack” on the Imam Ali Mosque.

The Islamic State (ISIS) militant group claimed responsibility for the attack.

ISIS has repeatedly targeted Shia ceremonies, processions and worshippers in countries like Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. But it has never before claimed an attack in Oman, where the Shia are a minority.

Israeli strike on central Gaza school reportedly kills 22

TEL AVIV, July 15: At least 22 Palestinians were killed and 100 wounded in a strike on Sunday on a UN-run school in central Gaza being used as a shelter by displaced people, the Hamas-run health ministry says.

The Israeli military said it had targeted a number of Hamas “terrorists” operating from Abu Oraiban School in the urban Nuseirat refugee camp.

Witnesses told BBC Arabic there were no armed fighters there and that children were among the casualties.

It was the fifth attack on or near to schools in eight days.

Residents said there were fresh air and artillery strikes in central Gaza on Monday, with five people reportedly killed when a house in Maghazi refugee camp was hit. The Israeli military said its aircraft had struck dozens of “terror targets” across the territory over the past day.

Meanwhile, Hamas said indirect negotiations on a ceasefire and hostage release deal with Israel were “ongoing” in the wake of an air strike in the southern al-Mawasi humanitarian area on Saturday that the health ministry said killed more than 90 people.

The Israeli military said it had targeted a compound where the head of Hamas’s armed wing, Mohammed Deif, was hiding with the commander of its Khan Younis Brigade, Rafa Salama.

The military has announced that Salama was killed, but said it is too early to conclude whether Deif also died. Hamas has said Deif is in good health.

KP Sharma Oli takes oath as Nepal Prime Minister for fourth time

KATHMANDU, July 15: K P Sharma Oli on Monday was sworn in as Nepal's Prime Minister for the fourth time.

The leader of Nepal's largest communist party was appointed Nepal's Prime Minister on Sunday by President Ram Chandra Paudel to lead a new coalition government that faces the daunting challenge of providing political stability in the Himalayan nation.

Oli, 72, succeeds Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' who lost the vote of confidence in the House of Representatives on Friday, leading to the formation of the new government headed by Oli.

He became the Prime Minister with the support of the Nepali Congress, the largest party in Parliament.

Oli was sworn in by President Paudel at Shital Niwas, the main building of Rashtrapati Bhawan.

Oli now needs to secure a vote of confidence from Parliament within 30 days of appointment according to the constitutional mandate. Oli will need a minimum of 138 votes in the 275-seat House of Representatives (HoR).

Israel Targets Hamas Military Chief, Gaza Officials Say 71 Killed In Strike

CAIRO, July 13: An Israeli airstrike targeted Hamas' military chief Mohammed Deif in Gaza on Saturday, a security official and Israel Army Radio said, in an attack that the enclave's health ministry said had killed at least 71 Palestinians.

It was unclear whether Deif was killed, the security official said. Army Radio said Deif was hiding in a building in the Israeli-designated humanitarian zone Al-Mawasi, west of the southern city of Khan Younis.

Deif was one of the masterminds of Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war in Gaza. He has survived seven Israeli assassination attempts, the most recent in 2021, and has topped Israel's most-wanted list for decades.

The Gaza health ministry said at least 71 Palestinians had been killed in the strike and 289 injured.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant was holding special consultations, his office said, in light of "developments in Gaza". It was unclear how the strike would affect ceasefire talks underway in Doha and Cairo.

The Hamas-run media office said at least 100 people had been killed and wounded, including members of the Civil Emergency Service. The Israeli military said it was looking into the report.

A senior Hamas official did not confirm whether Deif had been present and called the Israeli allegations "nonsense".

"All the martyrs are civilians and what happened was a grave escalation of the war of genocide, backed by the American support and world silence," Abu Zuhri told Reuters, adding the strike showed Israel was not interested in reaching a ceasefire deal.

Rising up the Hamas ranks over 30 years, Deif developed the group's network of tunnels and its bomb-making expertise. He is held responsible for the deaths of dozens of Israelis in suicide bombings.

Pakistan Secures $7 Billion Loan Deal With IMF To Boost Faltering Economy

ISLAMABAD, July 13: The International Monetary Fund said it reached a new $7 billion loan deal with Pakistan in a bid to bolster its faltering economy.

Islamabad agreed in exchange to conduct further unpopular reforms, including widening the South Asian nation's chronically low tax base.

Pakistan last year came to the brink of default as the economy shrivelled amid political chaos, catastrophic 2022 monsoon floods and decades of mismanagement -- as well as the global economic downturn.

The nation was saved by last-minute loans from friendly countries, as well as support from the IMF, but its finances remain in dire straits with high inflation and staggering public debts.

The new three-year deal, which still needs approval by the IMF Executive Board, should enable Pakistan to "cement macroeconomic stability and create conditions for stronger, more inclusive and resilient growth", it said in a statement Friday.

IDF says it killed Shejaiya battalion deputy chief, found Hamas command room at UNRWA site

TEL AVIV, July 12: Ayman Shweidah, the deputy commander of Hamas’s Shejaiya Battalion, was killed in a recent airstrike on Gaza City, the Israel Defense Forces announced on Friday, as troops raided an UNRWA facility in the area that the army said was used by the terror group as a command center.

According to the IDF, Shweidah had carried out numerous attacks on troops in Gaza, and was involved in planning in executing the October 7 onslaught, when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists stormed southern Israel to kill nearly 1,200 people and take 251 hostages, sparking the war in Gaza.

One of the Shejaiya Battalion’s company commanders, Ubadah Abu Hain, was also killed in the strike, the IDF said, describing him as a seasoned and prominent commander who had taken a significant part in the fighting.

Meanwhile, several rockets were fired on Friday from northern Gaza’s Beit Hanoun at the Lachish Regional Council area in southern Israel yesterday, setting off sirens in the town of Nir Israel, near Ashkelon.

The IDF said the rockets struck open areas, and in response, airstrikes were carried out against sites belonging to terror groups in the area of the launch.

Palestinian media reported that an airstrike on central Gaza’s Nuseirat killed at least three people. Another airstrike on Khan Younis, in the Strip’s south, was said to have killed four aid workers.

Elsewhere in the Strip’s south, the IDF said soldiers with the 162nd Division had killed numerous gunmen in Rafah in clashes and by calling in airstrikes.

Troops from the IDF’s Commando Brigade have located weapons and a command room used by Hamas at UNRWA’s headquarters in Gaza City, the army said on Friday.

US envoy: There is no such thing as ‘strategic autonomy’ in times of conflict

NEW DELHI, July 12: Underlining that “no war is distant anymore”, US ambassador to India Eric Garcetti said Thursday there is no such thing as strategic autonomy in times of conflict.

Garcetti, who was speaking at the Defence News Conclave organised by CUTS International, said: “I respect that India likes its strategic autonomy, but in times of conflict, there is no such thing as strategic autonomy. We will, in crisis moments, need to know each other. I don’t care what title we put to it, but we will need to know that we are trusted friends… that in times of need in the next day be acting together, that we’ll know each other’s equipment, that we know each other’s training, we’ll know each other’s systems, and we’ll know each other as human beings as well.”

He said, “No war is distant anymore, and we must not just stand for peace. We must take concrete actions to make sure those who don’t play by peaceful rules that their war machines cannot continue unabated. That’s something the US needs to know and that India needs to know together.”

His comments come days after PM Narendra Modi’s embrace of Russian President Vladimir Putin sparked criticism from Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The US State Department has been expressing its concerns about India’s ties with Russia.

“The past three years, we’ve witnessed countries who ignore certain borders. I don’t have to remind India how important borders are. That’s the central principle to peace in our world… Together the world’s two largest democracies can enhance security, stability of our region,” he said.

Nepal PM ‘Prachanda’ loses vote of confidence in Parliament; Oli set to be new PM

KATHMANDU, July 12: Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' on Friday lost a vote of confidence in Parliament after coalition partner CPN-UML withdrew its support to him, a development that will lead to the formation of a new government led by ex-premier K P Sharma Oli.

Prachanda received only 63 votes in the 275-member House of Representatives (HoR) and there were 194 votes against the motion. At least 138 votes are needed to win the vote of trust.

A total of 258 HoR members participated in the voting while one member abstained.

Prachanda, 69, chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Centre (CPN-MC), had survived four trust votes since he assumed the prime minister's post on December 25, 2022.

He faced the same predicament yet another time because former prime minister Oli-led Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) withdrew support from the Prachanda-led government last week after inking a power-sharing deal with the largest party in the House – the Nepali Congress (NC).

Earlier, Speaker of the HoR Dev Raj Ghimire put Prachanda’s Vote of Trust for voting according to Article 100 Clause 2 of the Constitution. After voting was completed, he announced that the Vote of Trust proposed by Prime Minister Prachanda was defeated with a majority vote.

Speaker Ghimire will now inform President Ram Chandra Paudel, who in turn, will invite two or more political parties to stake a claim for the new government according to Article 76 Clause 2 of the Constitution.

This paves the way for the NC and the CPN-UML to form a new coalition government.

The NC has 89 seats in the HoR, while CPN-UML has 78. Their combined strength of 167 is much more than the 138 required for a majority in the lower house.

Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba has already endorsed Oli as the next prime minister.

NC president Deuba and CPN-UML chairman Oli inked a 7-point deal on Monday to form a new coalition toppling Prachanda-led government.

According to the agreement, Oli and Deuba will share the premiership during the remaining period of the House of Representatives; in the first phase Oli will become the Prime Minister for one and a half years and then, Deuba will take the seat for the rest of the period.

Prachanda, whose party had 32 seats in the HoR, was elected the Prime Minister for the third time on December 25, 2022, with the backing of CPN-UML.

Prachanda was elected the Prime Minister as per Article 76 Clause 2 of the Constitution of Nepal, which has a provision for electing a Prime Minister with the support of two or more parties.

As the HoR session began in the early afternoon, embattled Prachanda sharply criticised the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML for striking an alliance “out of fear” rather than shared principles and accused them of pushing the nation toward regression.

Prachanda voiced concerns about potential regression and autocracy, asserting that the NC and the CPN-UML had joined forces as good governance began to take root in the country.

Israeli army orders evacuation of battle-torn Gaza City

TEL AVIV, July 10: Israel's army dropped thousands of leaflets over war-torn Gaza City on Wednesday urging all residents to flee a heavy offensive through the main city of the besieged Palestinian territory.

The leaflets, addressed to "everyone in Gaza City", set out designated escape routes and warned that the urban area, which had a pre-war population of over half a million, would "remain a dangerous combat zone".

The warning came as Israeli troops, backed by tanks and aircraft, have fought Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants in the heaviest combat the city has seen in months in the war raging since October 7.

The United Nations said the latest evacuations "will only fuel mass suffering for Palestinian families, many of whom have been displaced many times".

"The civilians must be protected," said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres's spokesman, Stephane Dujarric.

An Israeli government spokesman said the aim was "to put civilians out of harm's way" as troops battle militants "where they are".

The upsurge in fighting, bombardment and displacement came as talks were to resume in Qatar towards a truce and hostage release deal in the war now grinding on into its 10th month.

Hamas official Hossam Badran, asked about the increased military operations, said that Israel was "hoping that the resistance will relinquish its legitimate demands" in truce negotiations.

But "the continuation of massacres compels us to adhere to our demands", he said.

Heavy fighting also raged in Gaza's far-southern Rafah, where witnesses said that Israeli tanks had rumbled into the city centre and unleashed intense fire on buildings.

Meanwhile, an Israeli delegation led by spy chief David Barnea arrived in Doha for truce talks, said a source with knowledge of the sensitive negotiations.

CIA director William Burns was also expected in the Qatari capital after holding talks in Cairo on Tuesday.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meanwhile met US President Joe Biden's special envoy for the Middle East, Brett McGurk.

Netanyahu "emphasised his commitment" to a proposed truce plan, "as long as Israel's red lines are preserved", his office said.

NATO countries pledge long-term support for Ukraine

WASHINGTON, July 10: Leaders of NATO member countries release joint declaration at summit in the United States pledging commitment to military alliance and long-term support for Ukraine amid Russia’s invasion.

US President Joe Biden says NATO allies are committed to keeping alliance strong and will work together to “defend every inch of NATO territory”.

Here are some key takeaways from the summit declaration that was just published:

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has “shattered peace and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area”, with Moscow posing the top threat to members’ security, the NATO countries say.

Ukraine’s “future is in NATO” and the country is on an “irreversible path to full Euro-Atlantic integration, including NATO membership”.

China has become a “decisive enabler of Russia’s war against Ukraine” through its “large-scale support for Russia’s defence industrial base”, they say.

NATO country leaders also accuse Iran and North Korea of “fuelling Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine by providing direct military support to Russia”.

More than two-thirds of members have fulfilled their commitment of providing at least 2 percent of their GDP to annual defence spending.
The alliance has “undertaken the biggest reinforcement of our collective defence in a generation”, the leaders say.

NATO country leaders issue Washington Summit Declaration

In a 38-point joint summit statement, the leaders say they “stand in unity and solidarity in the face of a brutal war of aggression on the European continent and at a critical time for our security”.

They also pledged “long-term security assistance for Ukraine” amid Russia’s invasion.

“We affirm our determination to support Ukraine in building a force capable of defeating Russian aggression today and deterring it in the future,” the leaders said.

India, Russia sign 9 agreements during Modi's visit

MOSCOW, July 9: During Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day visit to Russia, New Delhi and Moscow signed nine MoUs and agreements in several sectors, including trade, climate and research.

A Joint Investment Promotion Framework Agreement was also signed between Invest India and JSC "Management Company of Russian Direct Investment Fund".

At Modi-Putin Dinner, India's Most Direct Appeal To End Ukraine War

MOSCOW, July 9: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on a two-day official visit to Russia, made a direct appeal to end the Ukraine war which has been going on for over two years.

During an informal meeting with President Vladimir Putin at the latter's official residence in Moscow, Modi told him that no solution can be found on the battleground.

"India has always called for respecting the UN Charter, including territorial integrity and sovereignty. There is no solution on the battlefield. Dialogue and diplomacy is the way forward," Modi is believed to have told Putin during the dinner.

Additionally, Modi raised concerns about Indian nationals deceived into joining the Russian army by unscrupulous travel agents. Sources reported that Russia has committed to repatriating all affected individuals.

Nearly two dozen Indians are believed to have been forced into fighting the war against Ukraine after being tricked by agents into going to the country on the pretext of getting high-paying jobs.

A viral video earlier this year showed a group of men from Punjab and Haryana - wearing army uniforms - claiming they were tricked into fighting the war in Ukraine and doubling down on their request for help.

The PM Modi's first visit to Russia since the country launched its campaign in Ukraine and since he returned to power last month for a record third term. India has shied away from explicit condemnation of Russia ever since and has abstained on United Nations resolutions censuring Moscow.

Congratulating Modi on his third term, Vladimir Putin remarked that his re-election underscores Modi's effectiveness in advancing India's interests: "The results speak for themselves; India now ranks third globally in terms of economy."

The meeting marks the 16th encounter between Modi and Putin in the past decade, with their last face-to-face interaction occurring at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, in 2022.

In 2019, Modi was honored with Russia's highest state award, the 'Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First.'

This visit to Russia by Modi is his first since the conflict between Moscow and Kyiv began in 2022.

10 Killed In Strike On School In Gaza, Fourth Attack In 4 Days: Report

GAZA, July 9: A Gaza hospital source said at least 10 people were killed and dozens wounded Tuesday in a strike on a school turned shelter for displaced Palestinians, the fourth such attack in four days.

The strike hit the gate at the Al-Awda school in Abasan, near the southern city of Khan Yunis, said the source at Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis where victims were taken.

There was no immediate comment from Israel, which has acknowledged carrying out three other strikes since Saturday on Gaza schools used as displacement shelters.

At least 20 people were killed in these attacks, according to officials in the Hamas-run territory.

Israel said all three strikes targeted operatives hiding in the schools.

On Saturday, an Israeli strike hit the UN-run Al-Jawni school in Nuseirat, central Gaza, killing 16 people, according to the territory's health ministry.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said 2,000 people were sheltering there at the time.

The following day a strike on the church-run Holy Family school in Gaza City killed four, according to the civil defence agency.

The Latin Patriarchate, owners of the school, said hundreds of people had packed the grounds.

Another UNRWA-run school in Nuseirat was hit on Monday, with a local hospital saying several people were taken for treatment.

Israel said it targeted "several terrorists" using the school for cover.

Hamas has denied Israeli claims that it uses schools, hospitals and other civilian facilities for military aims.

According to UNRWA, more than 500 people have been killed in schools and other shelters it runs in Gaza since the war started on October 7 with the Hamas attack on Israel.

Israel orders residents to evacuate as tanks storm Gaza City districts

TEL AVIV, July 8: Israeli forces pounded Gaza City early on Monday and columns of tanks advanced into the heart of the city from different directions in what residents said was one of the heaviest attacks since October 7.

The Gaza Civil Emergency Service said it believed dozens of people were killed but emergency teams were unable to reach them because of ongoing offensives in Daraj and Tuffah in the east and Tel Al-Hawa, Sabra, and Rimal further west.

Israeli tanks had so far been stationed in some areas of Tel Al-Hawa and Sabra but hadn't advanced deep into the three other districts, which residents said had been bombed throughout the night into the early morning hours. Several multi-floor buildings have been destroyed, they added.

Israeli strike on Gaza school kills 16, army says targeted Hamas gunmen

TEL AVIV, July 7: At least 16 people were killed in an Israeli strike on a school sheltering displaced Palestinian families in central Gaza on Saturday, the Palestinian health ministry said, in an attack Israel said had targeted militants.

The health ministry said the attack on the school in Al-Nuseirat killed at least 16 people and wounded more than 50.

The Israeli military said it took precautions to minimize risk to civilians before it targeted the gunmen who were using the area as a hideout to plan and carry out attacks against soldiers. Hamas denied its fighters were there.

At the scene, Ayman al-Atouneh said he saw children among the dead. "We came here running to see the targeted area, we saw bodies of children, in pieces, this is a playground, there was a trampoline here, there were swing-sets, and vendors," he said.

Mahmoud Basal, spokesman of the Gaza Civil Emergency Service, said in a statement that the number of dead could rise because many of the wounded were in critical condition.

The attack meant no place in the enclave was safe for families who leave their houses to seek shelters, he said.

Al-Nuseirat, one of Gaza Strip's eight historic refugee camps, was the site of stepped-up Israeli bombardment on Saturday. An air strike earlier on a house in the camp killed at least 10 people and wounded many others, according to medics.

In its daily update of people killed in the nearly nine-month-old war, the Gaza health ministry said Israeli military strikes across the enclave killed at least 29 Palestinians in the past 24 hours and wounded 100 others.

Among those killed in separate air strikes on Saturday were five local journalists, raising the toll of journalists killed since October 7 to 158, according to the Hamas-led Gaza government media office.

Iranian IRIS Sahand warship sinks in Persian Gulf

TEHRAN, July 7: Sahand was docked in Bandar Abbas, a southern Iranian port on the Persian Gulf’s coast. The mysterious sinking left the frigate lying on its left side, with only portions of the starboard side and conning tower visible above the waterline. While the Iranian media have acknowledged the “incident,” they have yet to provide detailed explanations, referring to it merely as an accident.

Notably, IRIS Sahand [F-74] is relatively new, having joined the fleet on December 1, 2018. Constructed at the Shahid Darvishi Marine Industries shipyard in Bandar Abbas, right on the Strait of Hormuz, Sahand is the third vessel in the Mowj project lineup, following its predecessors, Jamaran and Damavand.

Historically, the IRIS Sahand [F-74] carries the legacy of the volcano it’s named after. This name previously belonged to a British-built Vosper Mk. 5 light frigate that was lost during combat with American forces in Operation Praying Mantis in 1988. Notably, the current IRIS Sahand made headlines in 2021 by completing a journey from the Persian Gulf to the Baltic Sea, where it participated in the Main Naval Parade of the Russian Navy.

The IRIS Sahand [F-74] is an Iranian frigate from the Moudge-class, a series of warships produced domestically in Iran. It was launched in November 2012 and entered service in December 2018, proudly bearing the name of Iran’s Sahand mountain.

Measuring about 94 meters [308 feet] in length and 11 meters (36 feet) in beam, the IRIS Sahand has a draft of approximately 3.25 meters [10.7 feet]. These dimensions allow it to perform a range of naval operations across different maritime environments.

The IRIS Sahand’s propulsion system features four diesel engines that power the vessel, allowing it to reach speeds of up to 30 knots. This setup provides a range of about 3,700 nautical miles when cruising at 15 knots, making it a capable asset for extended missions.

With a displacement of around 1,500 tons, the IRIS Sahand is classified as a light frigate. Despite its smaller size, it packs a punch with various advanced systems and weaponry, ensuring it remains a versatile and formidable part of the Iranian Navy.

This frigate is outfitted with an array of systems, including radar, sonar, and electronic warfare capabilities. These systems enhance its ability to detect, track, and engage various threats effectively. Additionally, advanced communication systems enable seamless coordination with other naval units.

Typically, the crew of the IRIS Sahand comprises around 140 personnel, including officers, sailors, and specialized technicians responsible for operating and maintaining the ship’s diverse systems and weaponry. This crew size is designed to ensure efficient operations and readiness for various missions.

When it comes to armaments, the IRIS Sahand is well-equipped. It boasts anti-ship missiles like the Noor and Qader, capable of striking enemy vessels over long distances. For defense against aerial threats, the frigate is armed with torpedoes, naval guns, and surface-to-air missiles. Additionally, it features close-in weapon systems [CIWS] for point defense against incoming missiles and aircraft.

Hamas Accepts US Proposal On Talks Over Releasing Israeli Hostages: Report

DOHA, July 7: Hamas has accepted a US proposal to begin talks on releasing Israeli hostages, including soldiers and men, 16 days after the first phase of an agreement aimed at ending the Gaza war, according to a senior Hamas source.

The Hamas group has dropped a demand that Israel first commit to a permanent ceasefire before signing the agreement, and would allow negotiations to achieve that throughout the six-week first phase, the source said on condition of anonymity because the talks are private.

A Palestinian official close to the internationally mediated peace efforts had said the proposal could lead to a framework agreement if embraced by Israel and would end the nine-month-old war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

A source in Israel's negotiating team, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Friday there was now a real chance of achieving agreement. That was in sharp contrast to past instances in the nine-month-old war in Gaza, when Israel said conditions attached by Hamas were unacceptable.

A spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath. On Friday his office said talks would continue next week and emphasised that gaps between the sides still remained.

The conflict has claimed the lives of more than 38,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials, since Hamas attacked southern Israeli cities on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking some 250 hostages, according to official Israeli figures.

The new proposal ensures that mediators would guarantee a temporary ceasefire, aid delivery and the withdrawal of Israeli troops as long as indirect talks continue to implement the second phase of the agreement, the Hamas source said.

Efforts to secure a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza have intensified over the past few days with active shuttle diplomacy among Washington, Israel and Qatar, which is leading mediation efforts from Doha, where the exiled Hamas leadership is based.

A regional source said the US administration was trying hard to secure a deal before the presidential election in November.

Netanyahu said on Friday that the head of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency had returned from an initial meeting with mediators in Qatar and that negotiations would continue next week.

Some families of hostages on Saturday gave a statement to reporters ahead of a weekly hostage rally in Tel Aviv, in which they called on Netanyahu to go through with the deal.

"For the first time in many months, we feel hope," said Einav Zangauker, the mother of Matan Zangauker, 24, who was abducted from his kibbutz home on Oct. 7. "This is an opportunity that cannot be missed," she said.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces stepped up military strikes across the enclave, killing at least 29 Palestinians in the past 24 hours, and wounding 100 others, the territory's health officials said.

Among those killed in separate air strikes were five local journalists, raising the death count of journalists since Oct 7 to 158, according to the Hamas-led Gaza government media office.

Israeli forces, which have deepened their incursions into Rafah, near the border with Egypt, killed four Palestinian policemen and wounded eight others, in an air strike on their vehicle on Saturday, health officials said.

A statement issued by the Hamas-run interior ministry said the four included Fares Abdel-Al, the head of the police force in western Rafah neighbourhood of Tel Al-Sultan.

The Israeli military said forces continued "intelligence-base operations" in Rafah, destroyed several underground structures, seized weapons and equipment, and killed several Palestinian gunmen.

Israel said its operations in Rafah aimed to eradicate the last Hamas armed wing battalions.

In the central Al-Nuseirat camp, one of the enclave's eight historic refugee camps, an Israeli air strike on a house killed 10 Palestinians, medics said.

The Israeli military said it eliminated a Hamas rocket cell that operated from inside a humanitarian-designated area. It said it carried out a precise strike after taking measures to ensure civilians were unharmed. Hamas denies Israeli accusations it uses civilian properties for military purposes.

The armed wings of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad said fighters attacked Israeli forces in several areas of the enclave by anti-tank rockets and mortar bombs.

Iran Reformist Pezeshkian Defeats Hardliner Jalili In Presidential Polls

TEHRAN, July 6: Iran's reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday won a runoff presidential election against ultraconservative Saeed Jalili, the interior ministry said.

Pezeshkian received more than 16 million votes and Jalili more than 13 million out of about 30 million votes cast, electoral authority spokesman Mohsen Eslami said, adding that voter turnout stood at 49.8 percent.

The number of spoiled ballots was reported to be over 600,000.

Pezeshkian said the vote was the start of a "partnership" with the Iranian people.

"The difficult path ahead will not be smooth except with your companionship, empathy, and trust. I extend my hand to you," Pezeshkian said in a post on social media platform X, after on Tuesday saying he would "extend the hand of friendship to everyone" if he won.

The election, called early after the death of ultraconservative president Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash, followed a first round marked by a historically low turnout last week.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who wields ultimate authority, had called for a higher turnout in the runoff, emphasising the importance of the election.

He said the first round turnout was lower than expected, but added that it was not an act "against the system".

The ballot comes against a backdrop of heightened regional tensions over the Gaza war, a dispute with the West over Iran's nuclear programme, and domestic discontent over the state of Iran's sanctions-hit economy.

In last week's first round, Pezeshkian, who was the only reformist allowed to stand, won the largest number of votes, around 42 percent, while Jalili came second with around 39 percent, according to figures from Iran's elections authority.

Only 40 percent of Iran's 61 million eligible voters took part in the first round -- the lowest turnout in any presidential election since the Islamic Revolution of 1979.

The candidacy of Pezeshkian, a relative unknown until recently, has raised the hopes of Iran's reformists after years of dominance by the conservative and ultraconservative camps

Iran's main reformist coalition supported Pezeshkian, with endorsements by former presidents Mohammad Khatami and Hassan Rouhani, a moderate.

Pezeshkian, a 69-year-old heart surgeon, has called for "constructive relations" with Western countries to revive the nuclear deal in order to "get Iran out of its isolation".

Jalili, 58, is Iran's former nuclear negotiator who is widely recognised for his uncompromising anti-West stance.

During his campaign, he rallied a substantial base of hardline supporters and received backing from other conservative figures.

Ahead of Friday's runoff, Pezeshkian and Jalili took part in two televised debates during which they discussed the low turnout, as well as Iran's economic woes, international relations and internet restrictions.

Pezeshkian vowed to ease long-standing internet restrictions and to "fully" oppose police patrols enforcing the mandatory headscarf for women, a high-profile issue since the death in police custody in 2022 of Mahsa Amini.

Israel-Hamas talks to resume, raising hopes of a Gaza ceasefire

TEL AVIV, July 5: Hopes for a ceasefire in Gaza and de-escalation on the boundary between Israel and Lebanon were raised on Friday, as Israel’s intelligence chief was dispatched by the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to Qatar to resume stalled negotiations as Hamas reportedly told its Lebanese ally Hezbollah it had accepted a ceasefire proposal.

An official for the Lebanese group, which said on Thursday that it had fired 200 rockets into Israel in retaliation for a strike that killed one of its top commanders, also said that the group would cease fire as soon as any Gaza ceasefire agreement takes effect, echoing previous statements.

“If there is a Gaza agreement, then from zero hour there will be a ceasefire in Lebanon,” the official said.

The efforts to negotiate a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages held for nearly nine months gained momentum this week as Hamas put forward a revised proposal outlining the terms of an agreement, and Israel expressed readiness to resume discussions that had previously come to a standstill.

The head of the Mossad intelligence agency, David Barnea, travelled alone on Friday to Doha to meet Qatar’s prime minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, to study proposals from Hamas to pause the nearly nine-month war, the Kan public broadcaster reported, citing senior Israeli officials.

The United States appears to hold high expectations regarding the recently resumed contact between Israel and Hamas, with the White House describing the latest Hamas ceasefire proposal as a “breakthrough” establishing a framework for a possible hostage deal.

‘‘I think the framework is now in place and we have to work out the implementation steps,” a senior US official said. “What we got back from Hamas was a pretty significant adjustment to what had been their position, and that is encouraging. We have heard the same from the Israelis.”

The main obstacle in negotiations until this week had been widely differing views on how the agreement would move from its first phase to its second.

The first phase involves the release by Hamas of elderly, sick and female hostages during a six-week truce, an Israeli withdrawal from cities in Gaza, and the release of Palestinian detainees held by Israel.

The second phase would involve the release of all remaining hostages as well as the bodies of those who have died, a permanent end to hostilities and a full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Phase three would mark the start of Gaza’s reconstruction.

The transition from the first to the second phase was to be negotiated during the first six-week truce, and the ceasefire would continue as long as good-faith negotiations continued, but Hamas wanted stronger guarantees over the path to a permanent ceasefire.

Netanyahu had publicly cast doubt on whether that would happen, vowing to complete the destruction of the group, which had run Gaza for nearly two decades before it launched its surprise attack on southern Israel on 7 October.

A Palestinian official close to the internationally mediated peace efforts said the new Hamas proposal could lead to a framework agreement if it is embraced by Israel.

He said Hamas was no longer demanding as a pre-condition an Israeli commitment to a permanent ceasefire before the signing of an agreement, and would allow negotiations to achieve that throughout a first six-week phase.

The White House said Biden and Netanyahu had on Thursday discussed the response received from Hamas on the possible terms of a deal, and that Biden had welcomed Netanyahu’s decision on resuming the stalled talks “in an effort to close out the deal”.

A source in the Israeli negotiating team said: “There’s a deal with a real chance of implementation.”

A Gaza ceasefire could also allow for the de-escalation between Hezbollah and Israel on the Lebanese boundary. Hezbollah has declared its attacks on Israel to be in support of Hamas and indicated its willingness to halt its assaults if a ceasefire is reached in Gaza.

A Hamas delegation headed by the group’s deputy leader, Khalil al-Hayya, briefed Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah about the latest developments at a meeting in Beirut, the sources said.

Its deputy secretary general Naim Qassem on Friday publicly indicated that the group is not anticipating a full-scale war with Israel, but remains prepared for any extreme scenarios, in an interview with Russian outlet Sputnik.

“The possibility of expanding the war is not at hand at the moment but the organisation is prepared for the worst,” he said.

Labour Party wins UK election in a landslide; Keir Starmer Appointed PM

LONDON, July 5: Labour Party chief Keir Starmer replaced Rishi Sunak as the Britain's Prime Minister, with election results pointing at a crushing loss for the Conservatives.

Labour party won 412 of the 650 seats in the House of Commons – the lower house of Britain’s parliament. Conservatives won 121.

The first month of a Keir Starmer premiership will be a whirlwind of international diplomacy including meetings with US President Joe Biden and European leaders.

Labour, out of power since 2010, has pledged a foreign policy of "progressive realism", seeing a more volatile world "as it is not as we would want it to be", said David Lammy, who is expected to become foreign secretary.

The party has also pledged to "make Brexit work" and seek "an ambitious" security pact with the European Union.

Another key aspect of Starmer's foreign policy agenda will be strengthening UK-India relations. Acknowledging historical missteps, particularly Labour's stance on issues like Kashmir, Starmer has pledged to forge a new strategic partnership with India. His commitment to a free trade agreement (FTA) and enhanced bilateral cooperation in technology, security, education, and climate change underscores his ambition to elevate relations with one of the world's fastest-growing economies.

His manifesto included a commitment to pursue a "new strategic partnership" with India, emphasizing the trade agreement.

In a bid to repair strained ties with the Indian diaspora in the UK, Starmer during his campaign embarked on domestic outreach efforts, denouncing Hinduphobia and celebrating cultural festivals like Diwali and Holi. These gestures are aimed at fostering greater trust and inclusion within British-Indian communities, a demographic vital to Labour's electoral calculus.

However, challenges loom on the path to realising Starmer's ambitious foreign policy goals, particularly concerning immigration policies and trade agreements. With bipartisan consensus on the need to reduce immigration, negotiations on temporary visas for Indian workers in the UK service industry present a delicate balancing act for Labour.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's last-minute attempt to sway voters appears to have fallen short. The Conservatives warned voters that opting for Labour would lead to higher taxes. Led by Keir Starmer, the Labour Party is currently ahead on 403 seats, while Rishi Sunak's party has won just 109. To secure victory, a party needs to win 326 seats in the 650-member House of Commons.

Israeli strike kills senior Hezbollah commander in Lebanon

BEIRUT, July 3: Hezbollah says one of its senior commanders has been killed in an Israeli air strike in southern Lebanon.

Mohammed Nimah Nasser is the latest senior member of the Iran-backed Lebanese armed group to be targeted by Israel during almost nine months of cross-border violence which have raised fears of an all-out war.

Hezbollah said it had launched 100 rockets and missiles at Israeli military positions “as part of the response to the assassination”. No injuries were reported.

The Israeli military said Nasser commanded a unit responsible for launching rockets from south-western Lebanon and accused him of directing a “large number of terror attacks”.

It also described him as “the counterpart” of Taleb Sami Abdullah, the commander of another unit whose killing last month prompted Hezbollah to launch more than 200 rockets and missiles into northern Israel in a single day.

Since then, there has been a flurry of diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions, with the UN and US warning of the potentially catastrophic consequences of a war that could also draw in Iran and other allied groups.

There have been almost daily exchanges of fire across the Israel-Lebanon border since the day after the start of the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza on 7 October.

Hezbollah has said it is acting in support of the Palestinian group that is also backed by Iran. Both are proscribed as terrorist organisations by Israel, the UK and other countries.

So far, more than 400 people have been reported killed in Lebanon, the vast majority of them Hezbollah fighters, and 25 people in Israel, mostly soldiers.

Tens of thousands from communities on both sides of the border have also been displaced.

China, Philippines hold crucial talks post chaotic clashes in disputed South China Sea

MANILA, July 3: China and the Philippines held a crucial meeting Tuesday to try to ease escalating tensions following their worst confrontation in the disputed South China Sea that sparked fears of a wider conflict that could involve Manila’s ally the United States.

There was no mention of any major agreement to try to prevent a repeat of the chaotic June 17 clash at Second Thomas Shoal that caused injuries to Filipino navy personnel and damaged two military boats.

The shoal off the northwestern Philippines has emerged as the most dangerous flashpoint in the disputed waters, which China claims virtually in its entirety. Chinese naval and civilian vessels have surrounded the Philippine marines aboard a grounded ship, tried to prevent their resupply and demanded the Philippines pull out.

The Chinese and Philippine delegations “affirmed their commitment to de-escalate tensions without prejudice to their respective positions,” the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila said in a statement late Tuesday. “There was substantial progress on developing measures to manage the situation at sea, but significant differences remain."

Philippine Foreign Undersecretary Theresa Lazaro told her Chinese counterpart, Vice Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong, “that the Philippines will be relentless in protecting its interests and upholding its sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction” in the South China Sea, according to the Philippine side.

An agreement was signed to improve communications during emergencies at sea and both sides agreed to continue talks on enhancing ties between their coast guards, but no details were provided. There was also another confidence-building plan to convene an academic forum among scientists and academics to improve marine scientific cooperation.

Ahead of the meeting, the Philippines planned to formally ask China's delegation to return at least seven rifles that Chinese coast guard personnel seized during the June 17 faceoff at the shoal and pay for damage, a Philippine official said on condition of anonymity for lack of authority to discuss the sensitive matter publicly.

The Asian neighbours agreed to hold what they call the Bicameral Consultative Mechanism meetings, first held in 2017, to peacefully manage their conflicts. But the high-sea confrontations have persisted especially under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who, unlike his predecessor, has nurtured closer military and defense ties with the United States as a counterweight to China.

Apart from the Philippines and China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei also lay overlapping claims to the strategic sea, which has rich fishing areas and potentially more deposits of gas than what has been found mostly in the fringes by a few coastal states so far.

Sporadic confrontations have flared between Chinese forces and those of Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia in the past, but the Southeast Asian nations have resisted aggressively confronting China for fear of destabilizing their substantial economic ties.

Under Marcos, who took office in 2022, the Philippines launched a campaign to expose aggressive Chinese actions by making public videos and photographs and allowing journalists to join coast guard patrol ships, which have figured in dangerous faceoffs with Beijing’s forces.

The U.S. has no claims to the contested waters, but it has deployed warships and fighter jets for patrols that it says aim to ensure freedom of navigation and overflight and to reassure allies like the Philippines and Japan, which also has territorial disputes with China over islands in the East China Sea.

After last month’s confrontation in Second Thomas Shoal, where Chinese forces were caught on video brandishing machetes, an axe and improvised spears, Washington renewed a warning that it’s obligated to help defend the Philippines under the 1951 Mutual Defence Treaty if Filipino forces, including the coast guard, come under an armed attack, including in the South China Sea.

Marcos said the Chinese actions would not activate the treaty because no shots were fired.

Israel Issues New Southern Gaza Evacuation Warning

TEL AVIV, July 1: The Israeli army on Monday issued a new evacuation order for parts of Khan Yunis and Rafah in southern Gaza, with witnesses reporting that many were fleeing.

Hundreds of thousands had already left Rafah ahead of and during a ground offensive launched by Israeli troops on the southernmost city since early May.

The warning for Al-Qarara, Bani Suhaila and other towns in the two governorates, made on social media and in an official statement, came hours after Israel said 20 "projectiles" were fired into Israel from the Khan Yunis region.

The attack was claimed by the armed wing of the Palestinian group Islamic Jihad. Israel had already staged air strikes in Rafah on Monday.

"Fear and extreme anxiety have gripped people after the evacuation order," said Bani Suhaila resident Ahmad Najjar. "There is a large displacement of residents."

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres's spokesman said "it just shows yet again, that no place is safe in Gaza, more efforts need to be made to protect civilians".

"It's another stop in this deadly circle of movement that the population in Gaza has to undergo on a regular basis," added the spokesman, Stephane Dujarric.

Since launching its ground offensive in Gaza on October 27, Israeli forces progressively moved south in the Palestinian territory, seeking to destroy Hamas battalions, though fighting has restarted in the north.

18 troops hurt, one seriously, in Hezbollah drone strike in north

TEL AVIV, July 1: Eighteen Israeli soldiers were wounded, including one seriously, in a Hezbollah drone attack in northern Israel on Sunday, the military said.

According to the Israel Defense Forces, several drones were launched from Lebanon on Sunday afternoon, setting off sirens in the Galilee Panhandle and northern Golan Heights.

The IDF said that one explosive-laden drone struck the Merom Golan area, injuring 18 troops. One of the soldiers was seriously wounded, and the rest were listed in good condition.

Hezbollah in recent months has increasingly been deploying explosive-laden drones, alongside anti-tank guided missiles and barrages of rockets.

The terror group claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it targeted an Israeli military site in the area in response to IDF strikes against it earlier in the day.

Separately, one heavy rocket was launched by Hezbollah at the Beit Hillel area. The IDF said the projectile struck an open area, causing no injuries or damage.

On Sunday morning, the military said Hezbollah operatives spotted at sites used by the terror group in southern Lebanon were struck.

In one incident, the IDF said a Hezbollah member was seen entering a building in the town of Houla, where other operatives were gathered. A short while later, a fighter jet struck the building.

In a separate attack, a Hezbollah operative was spotted at a building used by the terror group in Kafr Kila, and a short while later, it was also struck, the military said.

Hezbollah announced the death of one member following the Sunday morning strikes.

Later on Sunday, the IDF said it struck another series of Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, including operation posts in Markaba, and a rocket launcher in Ayta ash-Shab that had been used in an attack earlier in the day.

Israeli fighter jets struck several more Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon overnight, the IDF said Sunday morning. The targets included a building used by the terror group and other infrastructure in Taybeh and Rab al-Thalathine, according to the military.

Since October 8, Hezbollah-led forces have attacked Israeli communities and military posts along the border on a near-daily basis, with the terror group saying it is doing so to support Gaza amid Israel’s war against Hamas.

So far, the skirmishes on the border have resulted in 10 civilian deaths on the Israeli side, as well as the deaths of 15 IDF soldiers and reservists. There have also been several attacks from Syria, without any injuries.

Hezbollah has named 356 members who have been killed by Israel during the ongoing skirmishes, mostly in Lebanon, with some also in Syria. In Lebanon, another 65 operatives from other terror groups, a Lebanese soldier, and dozens of civilians have been killed.

Israel has warned that it can no longer tolerate Hezbollah’s presence along its border, with tens of thousands of Israelis displaced from their homes in the north due to the rocket and drone attacks, and has warned that, should a diplomatic solution not be reached, it will turn to military action to push Hezbollah northward.

While the political leadership has not yet made a decision on launching an offensive in Lebanon and turning the Gaza Strip into the secondary front, the IDF has said it continues to target Hezbollah commanders who were behind attacks on Israel.

3-Way Run-Offs And Horse-Trading: What Happens Next In French Elections

PARIS, July 1: Here's how the second round of France's parliamentary election on July 7 will work and the possible scenarios after exit polls showed Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally (RN) party had won Sunday's first round.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Elections for the 577 seats in France's National Assembly are a two-round process.

In constituencies where no candidate won outright in the first round, the top two candidates, as well as any candidate with more than 12.5% of the total number of registered voters in that constituency, move to a second round.

Whoever gets the most votes in the second round wins the seat.

The high turnout on Sunday means some 300 constituencies are now facing potential three-way run-offs which, in theory, favour the RN.

To prevent these three-way run-offs and block the RN, France's centre-right and centre-left politicians have long practiced what they call a "republican front," whereby the third-placed candidate drops out of the race and urges voters to rally behind the second-placed candidate.

All candidates through to the run-off have until Tuesday evening to decide whether to stand down or run the second round.

HOW IS IT LOOKING THIS TIME?

Many political leaders gave guidance to candidates and voters on Sunday evening.

President Emmanuel Macron urged a "wide-ranging rally behind republican and democratic" candidates for the second round, effectively guiding against both the far-right Nationaly Rally and the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) party.

His former Prime Minister, Edouard Philippe, explicity called on the candidates from his party to drop out if they were in third position and rally behind candidates from the centre-left to the centre-right, excluding the RN and LFI.

On the left, the Socialist and LFI leaders also called on their third-placed candidates to drop out to block the RN.

The conservative Republicans party, which split ahead of the vote with a small number of its lawmakers joining forces with the RN, gave no guidance.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN NOW?

The effectiveness of the "republican front" has weakened over the years, and many voters no longer heed the advice of party leaders.

It is also possible that candidates will refuse to drop out despite guidance from political HQs in Paris.

But talks over the next 48 hours will be crucial and could swing the results significantly, potentially deciding whether the RN reaches an outright majority in parliament or not.

That makes the result of the second round extraordinarily hard to predict. Even pollsters have urged caution on their own seat projections.