US, UK forces launched fresh airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen

SANAA, Jan 30: The United States and the United Kingdom jointly carried out fresh airstrikes on eight targets used by the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen on January 22, Monday, in a bid to stop the group from harassing commercial vessels in the Red Sea.

The airstrikes, carried out on Monday night, marked the eighth round of allied attacks in 12 days. The strikes targeted an underground storage site and locations linked to the Houthis’ “missile and air surveillance capabilities,” the US and UK said in a joint statement along with partners Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands.

The statement claimed that the airstrikes were meant to “disrupt and degrade” the Houthis’ capabilities.

"These precision strikes are intended to disrupt and degrade the capabilities that the Houthis use to threaten global trade and the lives of innocent mariners," the statement said, adding that the rebel group had carried out "a series of illegal, dangerous, and destabilising" actions since the previous joint US-UK air raids.

Yemen's official Saba news agency claimed that “American-British forces are launching raids on the capital of Sanaa” and several other parts of Yemen, while Houthi TV outlet al-Masirah said four strikes targeted the Al-Dailami military base north of the capital, which is under rebel control.

The airstrikes were the most significant in a series of attacks since the first wave of missile and Tomahawk launches by the US and the UK in the early hours of January 12 against the Houthis, who have caused chaos for shippers worldwide and disrupted traffic through a waterway that previously accounted for 12 per cent of global trade.

Houthi commander warns US & UK, says group ready for 'long-term confrontation'

Jan 30: Commander of the Houthi forces on Tuesday announced Houthis are ready for a “long-term confrontation” with the United States and Britain. This comes after Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed to have hit an American Navy ship in the Gulf of Aden with a missile on January 28.

The attack was in response to Israel's war on Gaza and 'aggression' of the US and the UK against Yemen, said the Houthi fighters in a statement.

“We are prepared for a long-term confrontation with the forces of tyranny. The Americans, the British, and those who coordinated with them must realize the power of the sovereign Yemeni decision and that there is no debate or dispute over it,” Mohamed al-AtifiYemen said in a statement.

India navy rescues two hijacked vessels off Somalia coast in two days

NEW DELHI, Jan 30: Indian naval forces have rescued two hijacked vessels off Somalia's coast as fears grow over a possible resurgence in piracy in the area.

The rescues by the warship INS Sumitra came within 36 hours of each other.

Just days earlier, Seychelles defence forces reported freeing a group of fishermen from pirates.

The waters off the Somali coast were previously a hotbed for piracy, but it had all but stopped after international forces stepped up patrols.

India, for example, has helped patrol the area constantly since 2008.

However, many of those naval forces have moved up into the Red Sea where the Houthi rebel group, based in Yemen, have been attacking ships. Experts now fear the gap will be exploited by pirates in the region, a news agency said.

The first successful hijacking in the region since 2017 took place last December, with Michael Howlett, director of the International Maritime Bureau, noting it was "a cause for concern".

However, Troels Burchall Henningsen, associate professor at the Royal Danish Defence College, told the BBC a full-scale resurgence reaching previous heights was unlikely, with the recent attacks seeming opportunistic.

Attacks certainly appear to have increased in January. According to the Indian navy, its ship responded to the distress message on 28 January, intercepting an Iranian-flagged vessel. Naval officers then "coerce[d] the pirates for safe release of crew along with the boat", according to a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Once the 17 crew members were released, the ship was sanitised and allowed to continue its journey. The statement did not mention the status of the pirates.

Then on Tuesday, two days later, the navy said INS Sumitra was again "pressed into action to locate and intercept another Iranian-flagged fishing vessel Al Naeemi".

Navy personnel boarded the vessel to sanitise it and check on the well-being of the crew, made up of 19 Pakistani sailors, it added.

The status of the pirates was not mentioned again, but a photo posted on X showed armed navy personnel guarding men who had their hands tied behind their backs.

Earlier in January, Indian Navy commandos rescued 21 crew members from a Liberian-flagged ship which was attacked by pirates off the Somalian coast.

Meanwhile, the Seychelles said its forces freed six Sri Lankan fishermen on Saturday, after they were held hostage for three days by gunmen who attacked them some 840 nautical miles (1,555km) southeast of the Somali capital Mogadishu.

On 26 January, the Indian Navy said it deployed its warship INS Visakhapatnam in the Gulf of Aden in response to a distress call from Marlin Luanda, a tanker with links to the UK that was on fire for several hours after being hit by a missile fired by the Houthis. French and US naval ships also provided assistance to the vessel.

'Apologise To Premier Modi': Maldives Opposition Leader To President Muizzu

MALE, Jan 30: A Maldives Jumhooree Party (JP) leader, Qasim Ibrahim, has urged Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu to formally apologise to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the people of India.

This comes as the country's main opposition MDP, which holds a majority in the Maldivian Parliament, said it plans to submit a motion to impeach their President - a development that followed clashes that broke out in the House between pro-government MPs and opposition lawmakers following differences over the approval of four members of his cabinet.

"Regarding any country, especially a neighbouring one, we shouldn't speak in a way that affects the relationship. We have an obligation to our state that must be considered. President Solih did consider this obligation and issued a Presidential Decree banning the "India Out" campaign. Now, Yameen (former president Abdulla Yameen) is questioning why Muizzu, who participated with him in the India Out Campaign, has not nullified the Presidential Decree," he said.

He added, "The Decree should not be nullified, as it would only result in a loss to the nation. That cannot be done. I would tell Muizzu that it shouldn't be done. Also, I call on President Muizzu to formally apologise to the Indian government and Prime Minister Modi regarding his remarks after the China trip."

Earlier last year, then Maldives President Ibrahim Solih signed a decree stating that the opposition's 'India Out' campaign is a "threat to national security". This allows security agencies to take down campaign banners and provides constitutional cover to take action against opposition parties.

The opposition, led by former president Abdulla Yameen of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) was spearheading an 'India Out' campaign for over the last year propagating the unproven claim that Indian military officers stationed in the Indian Ocean island nation are a violation of Maldives' sovereignty.

The campaign's implicit target was then Maldivian President Solih and the Maldivian Democratic Party, both perceived as close to India.

Notably, Solih was one of the prominent Maldives leader to condemn the derogatory remarks made by some junior ministers which led to a diplomatic standoff between the two nations. India and the Maldives on January 14 "agreed to fast-track the withdrawal of Indian military personnel" from the island nation, according to the Maldives' Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The removal of Indian troops in the Maldives was the main campaign plank of Muizzu's party during the presidential elections. Currently, there are around 70 Indian troops, along with Dornier 228 maritime patrol aircraft and two HAL Dhruv helicopters, stationed On the second day of assuming office, Muizzu officially requested the Indian government to withdraw its military personnel from the Maldives.

Apart from the call for the withdrawal of Indian military personnel, a massive row erupted after a Maldivian deputy minister, along with other cabinet members and government officials, made disparaging and unsavoury references to Primer Minister Narendra Modi's recent Lakshadweep visit and call to development the Indian archipelago as a global retreat for beach tourism.

The Maldives government, however, distanced itself from the remarks.

Maldives Opposition Moves To Impeach Pro-China President Mohamed Muizzu

MALE, Jan 29: The main opposition party in Maldives is set to begin impeachment proceedings against its pro-China president Mohamed Muizzu. The main opposition party Maldivian Democratic Party holds a majority in parliament and the collection of signatures have already started to begin the impeachment filing.

The Opposition parties have hit-out at President Muizzu for his pro-China position after a Chinese spy ship was granted permission by the government to dock in Male.

A massive scuffle took place in parliament yesterday, after which the Opposition decided to begin impeachment proceedings.

A key vote on parliamentary approval for the Muizzu government was scheduled on Sunday and the violence started as the government MPs (PPM/PNC party) disturbed the proceedings.

Over the last weeks, President Muizzu who came to power with a distinctly anti-India position, has been facing pushback, especially with the diplomatic row with New Delhi over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's widely circulated post about his visit to the Lakshadweep islands.

Three ministers who made harsh comments were removed.

Muizzu's demand that India withdraw its troops stationed in the country by mid-March was the newest in the anti-India rhetoric, with the presence of 80-odd Indian troops being portrayed as a security threat to the island nation.

The sudden shift in policy -- which traditionally held India as a friend and ally -- did not sit well with the opposition, and matters escalated after the Chinese spy ship issue.

The Maldivian Democratic Party or MDP and the Democrats accused the government of a "stark" anti-India pivot and issued a joint press statement, labelling the policy shift as "extremely detrimental" to the country's long-term development.

"Alienating any development partner, and especially the country's most long-standing ally will be extremely detrimental to the long-term development of the country," the statement read. It also underscored that "stability and security in the Indian Ocean is vital to the stability and security of the Maldives".

Both the MDP and the Democrats emphasised the critical need for consecutive governments to maintain the ability "to work with all development partners for the benefit of the people of the Maldives, as the Maldives has traditionally done".

India among 10 countries to participate in meeting convened by Taliban in Kabul

KABUL, Jan 29: India was among 10 regional countries that participated in a meeting of diplomatic representatives convened by the Taliban setup in Kabul on Monday, reflecting the growing engagement with a regime that isn’t officially recognised by New Delhi.

The Regional Cooperation Initiative meeting, which was addressed by Taliban acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, was also attended by diplomats from Russia, China, Iran, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Turkey and Indonesia. Russia was represented by its special representative for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov.

There was no official word from Indian officials on the meeting, which came days after the Indian Indian embassy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) invited the acting Afghan envoy Badruddin Haqqani to the Republic Day celebrations in Abu Dhabi.

Hafiz Zia Ahmad, deputy spokesman of the Taliban foreign ministry, quoted the Indian representative who attended the meeting as saying that New Delhi backs all initiatives focused on the stability of Afghanistan.

“India actively takes part in international and regional initiatives regarding Afghanistan, and supports every effort leading to the stability and the development of Afghanistan,” Ahmad quoted the Indian representative as saying in a post on X.

A statement from the Taliban foreign ministry said Muttaqi considers relations with countries of the region to be significant and that he emphasised that these nations “should hold regional dialogues to increase and continue the positive interaction with Afghanistan”.

Muttaqi asked the participants to take advantage of emerging opportunities in Afghanistan for the development of the region and to also “coordinate the management of potential threats”. He emphasised the need for positive interactions with the countries of the region and asked the diplomats to convey the Taliban’s message of a “region-oriented initiative” to their countries so that Afghanistan and the region can jointly take advantage of new opportunities for the benefit of all.

Reports in the Afghan media quoted Muttaqi as saying that the meeting was focused on discussions for establishing a “region-centric narrative aimed at developing regional cooperation for a positive and constructive engagement between Afghanistan and regional countries”.

He also told the meeting that regional cooperation could focus on exploring engagement pathways based on common regional benefits, creating a regional narrative for “positive and constructive engagement” with the Taliban government to “tackle existing and potential threats” in the region, and efforts aimed at “soft and hard connectivity” for regional economic development.

Muttaqi further said the regional cooperation should lead to calls for the removal of “unilateral sanctions” on Afghanistan and respect for “one another’s choices of indigenous and traditional development models and governance methods”.

Afghanistan is a “sovereign, free and safe country” with a government that “stands ready and has the capacity to conduct talks on common and concerning issues” with regional and international players, Muttaqi was quoted as telling the meeting. He added that Afghanistan does not want confrontation with any country but seeks positive engagement.

“Therefore, our choices shall be respected. Instead of proposing governance models and pointing fingers at the system, it is better to engage on mutual interests,” Muttaqi said.

India, the largest regional donor for Afghanistan with pledges amounting to $3 billion, pulled out all its diplomats and officials from the country after the Taliban takeover of Kabul in August 2021. It subsequently re-established a diplomatic presence in the country by deploying a “technical team” at the mission in Kabul in June 2022.

Senior Indian diplomats have interacted with Taliban officials in West Asian countries and on the margins of multilateral meetings on Afghanistan such as the Moscow Format talks hosted by Russia.

US military destroys Houthi antiship missile after oil tanker attack

WASHINGTON, Jan 27: The United States military says it destroyed a Houthi antiship missile in Yemen that was aimed into the Red Sea and ready to launch after the Iran-aligned group attacked a British oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden.

The missile “presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and the US Navy ships in the region”, the US Central Command said on Saturday in a statement on X.

The Houthi group has launched drones and missiles at shipping in the Red Sea since November 19 in response to Israel’s military operations in Gaza.

The US attack followed a strike by the Houthi rebels on a British fuel tanker on Friday evening.

The Marlin Luanda, owned by the Singapore-based Trafigura trading firm, was damaged but no injuries were reported and the US Navy ship USS Carney was providing assistance, the US military said.

“We are pleased to confirm that all crew on board the Marlin Luanda are safe and the fire in the cargo tank has been fully extinguished. The vessel is now sailing towards a safe harbour,” Trafigura said in an update.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree, in a televised statement, claimed responsibility for the attack, saying its forces will continue to attack ships in the Red Sea until Israel’s “aggression” against Palestinians in Gaza stops.

Al Masirah, a Houthi-run satellite news channel, reported on Saturday that the US and the United Kingdom launched two air raids that hit the port of Ras Issa, Yemen’s main oil export terminal, in Hodeidah province.

Houthi attacks have so far been concentrated in the narrow strait of Bab el-Mandeb, which connects the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea. Approximately 50 ships sail through the strait daily, heading to and from the Suez Canal – a key artery for global maritime trade.

Some of the world’s largest shipping companies have suspended operations in the region, instead sending their vessels on the longer route around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa, slowing trade between Asia and Europe.

The US and the UK have launched multiple rounds of air raids since the Houthi attacks began targeting missile depots and launcher sites in Yemen.

Since the air strike campaign began, the rebels say they will target US and UK ships as well.

On Wednesday, two US-flagged ships carrying cargo for its defence and state departments came under attack by the Houthis, forcing an escorting US Navy warship to shoot some of the projectiles down.

Merchant Ship, Carrying 22 Indians, Hit By Missile. Indian Navy Responds To SOS

NEW DELHI, Jan 27: A guided-missile destroyer of the Indian Navy has responded to an SOS call by a merchant ship struck by a missile in the Gulf of Aden, the navy said in a statement today.

There are 22 Indians and a Bangladeshi on board.

INS Visakhapatnam took the distress call of the merchant vessel Marlin Launda after it reported a missile hit. The vessel caught fire.

The Indian Navy said INS Visakhapatnam helped with firefighting on the cargo ship.

"Indian Navy remains steadfast and committed towards safeguarding merchant vessels and ensuring safety of life at sea," the navy said in the statement.

The missile strike comes amid growing concerns over Houthi militants stepping up attacks on merchant vessels in the Red Sea amid the Israel-Hamas conflict. Admiral R Hari Kumar issued instructions to firmly deal with such maritime incidents.

On January 18, a merchant vessel with Indian crew members came under attack by drones in the Gulf of Aden. After receiving a distress call, India deployed INS Visakhapatnam, which intercepted the vessel and gave assistance.

Liberian-flagged MV Chem Pluto, with 21 Indian crew members, was the target of a drone attack off India's west coast on December 23.

Besides MV Chem Pluto, another commercial oil tanker that was heading to India came under a suspected drone strike in the Southern Red Sea on the same day. The vessel had a team of 25 Indian crew.

World Court asks Israel to prevent genocide in Gaza

THE HAGUE, Jan 26: The United Nations' top international court has asked Israel to prevent a genocide in Gaza and punish those who are inciting such activities.

"The state of Israel shall.... take all measures within its power to prevent the commission of all acts within the scope of Article II of the Genocide convention," the court said.

The court, however, stopped short of ordering a ceasefire, which was the primary request of the litigant, South Africa.

More 26000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza. The conflict started in response to Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, killing 1200 people, including women and children.

The court today said Israel must take measures to prevent its soldiers from carrying out genocide against the Palestinians. The court said it would not throw out South Africa's genocide case against Israel.

Israel has called South Africa's allegations false and "grossly distorted", and said it makes the utmost efforts to avoid civilian casualties.

"The court is acutely aware of the extent of the human tragedy that is unfolding in the region and is deeply concerned about the continuing loss of life and human suffering,” Joan E. Donoghue, the court's president, said.

South Africa had asked the court to ask Israel to "immediately suspend its military operations in and against Gaza.”

The court, however, declined the country's plea. It rules that Israel must try to limit death and damage to property.

South Africa also asked for Israel to take “reasonable measures” to prevent genocide and allow access for desperately needed aid.

The court ruled that Israel must try to limit death and damage.

In a statement Thursday, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said he hoped the decision would “include immediate action to stop the aggression and genocide against our people in the Gaza Strip ... and a rapid flow of relief aid to save the hungry, wounded and sick from the threat of slow death that threatens them."

On Thursday, Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy had said that Israel expected the court to toss out the “spurious and specious charges.”

Hamas'shocking announcement on ICJ ruling on genocide charges against Israel & Gaza ceasefire

Hamas Seeks Ceasefire; Exchange Of Prisoners

PALESTINE TERRITORIES, Jan 26: Following the The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling, Hamas leader Osama Hamdan has announced that Hamas is willing to adhere to a ceasefire if ordered by the ICJ, under the condition that Israel reciprocates.

In a landmark decision, the court directed Israel to take immediate steps to prevent acts of genocide in the Gaza Strip.

In a bold move, Hamas proposed the release of Zionist detainees in exchange for the freedom of all Palestinian detainees currently held in Israeli custody.

Moreover, Hamas called for an urgent end to Israel's 18-year blockade on the Gaza Strip, emphasizing the humanitarian impact of such restrictions.
The organization urged global advocacy for legal action against Israel, appealing to countries and organizations worldwide to file lawsuits, particularly targeting the political, security, and military leaders of the Zionist occupation, with both the ICC and ICJ.

Despite these developments, there has been no official ceasefire order issued by the ICJ concerning the ongoing conflict in Gaza, leaving the situation in the region tense and uncertain.

Netanyahu says World Court's order ‘outrageous’

TEL AVIV, Jan 26: Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday hit out at the World Court's order criticising Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, calling it “outrageous”.

Responding to a genocide case brought by South Africa before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Netanyahu vowed to continue to do "what is necessary to defend the country".

“We will continue to do what is necessary to defend our country and defend our people…Like every country, Israel has a basic right to defend itself ... The World Court in the Hague justly rejected the outrageous demand to deprive us of this right,” Netanyahu said.

“…The mere claim that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians is not only false, it's outrageous, and the willingness of the court to even discuss this is a disgrace that will not be erased for generations,” he added.

The top UN court on Friday demanded that Israel must try to contain death and damage in its military offensive in the enclave - which was home to over 2.3 million people. However, it fell short of ordering a ceasefire in war-ravaged Gaza in a genocide case, which was the primary request of the litigant, South Africa.

Maldives President Faces Massive Domestic Criticism Over Anti-India Pivot

NEW DELHI, Jan 25: The Maldives government's "anti-India stance" may turn out detrimental to the island nation's development, the two main opposition parties have warned, two days after the administration announced a Chinese ship will be docking at their port.

The words of caution by the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and the Democrats comes amid strained ties between the two neighbours and the Maldives' affinity towards China, a potentially significant geopolitical and military shift in the Indian Ocean Region.

President Mohamed Muizzu won the 2023 elections banking on an anti-India narrative, a departure from his predecessors who pursued a pro-India policy.

"Both, the MDP and The Democrats believe alienating any development partner, and especially the country's most long-standing ally will be extremely detrimental to the long-term development of the country," the two opposition parties said, calling India the "most long-standing ally".

Their assessment on "the direction in foreign policy" stated the Maldivian government must work with all development partners as it has traditionally done.

"Stability and security in the Indian Ocean is vital to the stability and security of the Maldives," said the two opposition parties, which jointly hold 55 seats in the 87-member house.

The remarks were made at a joint news conference addressed by MDP's chairperson Fayyaz Ismail, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Ahmed Saleem, Democrats chief MP Hassan Latheef and the Parliamentary Group Leader Ali Azim.

Maldives recently upgraded its ties with China after a diplomatic row over Maldivian ministers' derogatory comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi post his visit to India's Lakshadweep islands.

The country has also set a March 15 deadline for India to withdraw its troops - a deadline that follows President Muizzu's first state visit to China after being elected. This was also his first port of call after assuming office, another shift from his predecessors who traditionally have been making India their first port of call.

Earlier this week, Maldives announced it has allowed a Chinese survey ship to dock at one of its ports for replenishment, but it will not conduct any "research" in Maldivian waters.

"The Maldives has always been a welcoming destination for vessels of friendly countries, and continues to host both civilian and military vessels making port calls for peaceful purposes," Maldives said, a remark being seen as a further evidence of Male's pivot away from New Delhi and towards Beijing.

Russian Plane With 65 Prisoners Of War Crashes, Goes Up In Flames

MOSCOW, Jan 24: A Russian IL-76, a heavy lift military transport aircraft crashed with 65 Ukrainian Prisoners of Wars (POWs) in the Belgorod region of Russia, which borders the region. The POWs were being transported for an exchange in swap.

A video of the crash, shot from a distance, showed the aircraft rapidly losing altitude and heading straight toward the ground, the IL-76 is out of pilot's control and crashes near a residential area. The aircraft crashed on its right wing and was up in flames.

"At around 11 am Moscow time (0800 GMT), an IL-76 aircraft crashed in the Belgorod region during a routine flight," AFP reported quoting Moscow's defence ministry as saying.

"On board were 65 captured Ukrainian army servicemen being transported to the Belgorod region for exchange, six crew members and three escorts," it said.

Meanwhile, Russia has claimed that the plane was carrying POWs but AFP, quoting local media in Ukraine, reported that its defence forces downed the aircraft as it was carrying missiles for the S-300 surface-air defence system and not POWs. Russia's parliament speaker, Vyacheslav Volodin, has accused Kyiv of shooting down the plane carrying Prisoners of Wars.

"They shot their own soldiers in the air. Their own," Volodin told lawmakers in a plenary session. "Our pilots, who were carrying out a humanitarian mission, were shot down."

The crash occurred in the Korochansky district, northeast of the region's capital, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Telegram.

"Now an investigation team and emergency services are working on the site. I have changed my working schedule and travelled to the district," Gladkov said.

'Welcome Vessels From Friendly Nations': Maldives On China Spy Ship

MALE, Jan 23: The Maldives government has confirmed that a Chinese "research vessel" - the Xian Yang Hong 03, seen as a spy ship mapping the Indian Ocean floor for military purposes - will dock at capital Male early next month. The ship will not conduct any "research" while in Maldivian waters, the island nation said, noting it was asked for clearance to "... for rotation and replenishment".

"The Maldives has always been a welcoming destination for vessels of friendly countries, and continues to host both civilian and military vessels making port calls for peaceful purposes..."

"Such calls enhance bilateral ties between the Maldives and partner countries, and also demonstrate the centuries-old tradition of welcoming vessels from friendly countries..." the Maldives said.

The "welcoming vessels from friendly countries" phrase has been seen as a direct attack on India and further evidence of Male's pivot away from New Delhi and towards Beijing. The move to China is a potentially significant geopolitical and military shift in the Indian Ocean Region, or IOR.

The 4,300-ton Xiang Yang Hong 03 is classified as a 'research' vessel mapping the floor of the Indian Ocean. Research exercises like this can provide valuable data that can help anticipate natural disasters like underwater earthquakes, and mitigate otherwise disastrous impacts. Mapping also enables China to navigate these waters in the future using submarines and submersible drones.

The Maldives giving the Chinese ship permission to dock comes as Male and New Delhi are locked in a tense stand-off over three Maldivian ministers' critical comments this month about Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which sparked a row in India and pushback at home for President Mohamed Muizzu.

Although the three ministers were suspended, and the Maldives Foreign Ministry made conciliatory statements, the fact is Muizzu - elected on the back of an "India Out" campaign - has just returned from a State visit to China. On this visit he met Xi Jinping and signed 20 "key" agreements, and announced elevation of the two countries' ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Cooperation Partnership.

The Maldives leader also called on China to send more tourists to his nation - a message seen as a direct snub to India, which has sent the most tourists to the island paradise in the post-Covid era.

But perhaps most significant is the 'diktat that Indian soldiers and military assets, stationed there for over three decades, withdraw by March 15. In a brief statement the President's office said, "Indian military personnel cannot stay in the Maldives. This is the policy of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu..."

Confirmation of growing bonhomie between China and the Maldives came as Muizzu's Beijing visit concluded, with the Chinese side saying it supports the Maldives in "upholding its national sovereignty".

China also said it "opposed external interference" - it did not name India in this context - in the internal affairs of the Maldives, which has benefited from India's Neighbourhood First policy.

Hamas says October 7 attacks 'necessary step', admits 'faults'

PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES, Jan 21: The Hamas group said Sunday its October 7 attack on Israel was a "necessary step" against Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories.

But the group admitted in a 16-page report on the attacks that "some faults happened... due to the rapid collapse of the Israeli security and military system, and the chaos caused along the border areas with Gaza".

The document was the group's first public report released in English and Arabic justifying the attacks when they broke through Gaza's militarised border. Their attacks resulted in the deaths of about 1,140 people, mostly civilians, according to a tally based on official Israeli figures.

The group said the attacks were "a necessary step and a normal response to confront all Israeli conspiracies against the Palestinian people".

The operatives seized about 250 hostages during the attack. Israel says around 132 remain in Gaza, of whom at least 27 captives are believed to have been killed, according to a tally based on Israeli figures.

Israel's relentless bombardment and ground offensive have killed at least 25,105 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

Hamas urged "the immediate halt of the Israeli aggression on Gaza, the crimes and ethnic cleansing committed against the entire Gaza population".

And the group rejected any international and Israeli efforts to decide Gaza's post-war future.

"We stress that the Palestinian people have the capacity to decide their future and to arrange their internal affairs," the statement said, adding that "no party in the world" had the right to decide on their behalf.

‘Irrevocable return to Cold War schemes’: Russia strongly reacts to NATO's military exercise

MOSCOW, Jan 21: NATO said on Thursday it was launching its largest exercise since the Cold War involving some 90,000 troops.

Russia has strongly reacted to NATO's Steadfast Defender 2024 exercises involving about 90,000 troops. Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko sharply criticised the military exercises in an interaction with the state RIA news agency in remarks published on Sunday.

The Russian Deputy Foreign Minister called out the exercises, terming it as "irrevocable return of NATO to the Cold War schemes".

"These exercises are another element of the hybrid war unleashed by the West against Russia," Grushko told RIA.

"An exercise of this scale ... marks the final and irrevocable return of NATO to the Cold War schemes, when the military planning process, resources and infrastructure are being prepared for confrontation with Russia," added Grushko.

NATO said on Thursday it was launching its largest exercise since the Cold War involving some 90,000 troops. The exercise is aimed at rehearsing how US troops could aid European allies in countries bordering Russia and on the alliance's eastern flank in a situation of a conflict. However, the alliance didn't mention Russia by name in its announcement.

Notably, Russia is involved in a war against Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been trying to secure NATO membership for his country. Amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, NATO and the US have been providing financial and military aid to Ukraine.

The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war started with Russian invasion in February 2022. Both sides have lost thousands of soldiers in the devastating hostility. Russia claims to have occupied several regions of Ukrainian territory and it has announced plans to hold elections as part of the 2024 Russian presidential election.

Senior Iran Revolutionary Guard officials killed in Syria strike blamed on Israel

DAMASCUS, Jan 20: Five senior members of Iran's security forces have been killed in a suspected air strike on the Syrian capital.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard blamed Israel for the attack, which it said killed its military advisers as well as a number of Syrian forces.

Israel has not commented. For years it has carried out strikes on Iranian-linked targets in Syria.

Such strikes have intensified since the Israel-Gaza war began following Hamas's 7 October attacks on Israel.

Iran's foreign ministry said the attacks were an "aggressive and provocative" act by Israel, urging international actors to condemn them.

Senior figures among the Revolutionary Guard - a major military, political and economic force in Iran - have been present in Syria since the civil war began there in 2011, helping to support the regime of President Bashar al-Assad against widespread rebellion to his rule.

Saturday's attack took place in the Mazzeh neighbourhood, south-west Damascus, an area home to a military airport, as well as the UN headquarters in Damascus, embassies and restaurants.

Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency said the attacks killed the IRGC's Syria intelligence chief and his deputy, as well as other Guard members.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based campaign group, said 10 people were killed in the strikes, including leaders of the Revolutionary Guard.

The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency quoted a military source as saying it had managed to stop some of the missiles, but that the attacks - which it said had hit a residential building - killed and injured some civilians. Buildings were also destroyed, it said.

A resident said that they saw "explosions" in the western Mazzeh area and "a large cloud of smoke".

"The sound was similar to a missile explosion, and minutes later I heard the sound of ambulances," he added.

Last month a suspected Israeli air strike just outside Damascus killed a senior IRGC commander.

Pakistan Retaliates With Strikes On 'Militant Targets' In Iran, 9 Killed

ISLAMABAD, Jan 18: Pakistan on Thursday carried out strikes against "terrorist hideouts" in Iran, a day after warning Tehran of "serious consequences" over its attack on the Balochi group Jaish al-Adl's headquarters in its territory.

"A number of terrorists" were killed during the intelligence-based operation codenamed "Marg Bar Sarmachar", Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said.

Iranian media reported that nine people including four children were killed in the attack.

The retaliatory strikes came days after Iran attacked "terrorist targets" in Pakistan, an attack that Islamabad claimed killed two children.

"This morning Pakistan undertook a series of highly coordinated and specifically targeted precision military strikes against terrorist hideouts in Siestan-o-Baluchistan province of Iran," Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said in an official statement.

Calling Iran a "brotherly country", Islamabad said that the action was a "manifestation of Pakistan's unflinching resolve" to protect and defend its national security against all threats.

"The sole objective of today's act was in pursuit of Pakistan's own security and national interest which is paramount and cannot be compromised," the Ministry said, adding that Islamabad "fully respects" the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iran.

"Over the last several years, in our engagements with Iran, Pakistan has consistently shared its serious concerns about the safe havens and sanctuaries enjoyed by Pakistani origin terrorists calling themselves 'Sarmachars' on the ungoverned spaces inside Iran," the statement read further.

Pakistan also said that it shared multiple dossiers with concrete evidence of the presence and activities of these terrorists.

"However, because of lack of action on our serious concerns, these so-called Sarmachars continued to spill the blood of innocent Pakistanis with impunity. This morning's action was taken in light of credible intelligence of impending large scale terrorist activities by these so called Sarmachars," it added.

Earlier on Tuesday, Iran targeted two bases of Jaish al-Adl in Pakistan's Balochistan province with missiles and drones.

Condemning Iran's "violation of its airspace", Pakistan warned the neighbouring country that such actions can have "serious consequences".

"Last night's unprovoked and blatant breach of Pakistan's sovereignty by Iran is a violation of international law and the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. This illegal act is completely unacceptable and has no justification whatsoever," Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday.

Pakistan reserves the right to respond to this "illegal act" and the responsibility for the consequences will lie "squarely" with Iran, the Ministry said.

"We have conveyed this message to the Iranian Government. We have also informed them that Pakistan has decided to recall its ambassador from Iran and that the Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan who is currently visiting Iran may not return for the time being. We have also decided to suspend all high level visits which were ongoing or were planned between Pakistan and Iran in coming days," the spokesperson added.

Jaish al-Adl, which is blacklisted by Iran as a terrorist group, was formed in 2012 and has carried out several attacks on Iranian soil in recent years.

Iran carrying out a strike on Pakistan territory and Islamabad's retaliation come amid the Hamas-Israel conflict in the Middle East and rising attacks on vessels in the Red Sea.

US military strikes 14 Houthi missiles 'loaded to be fired' from Yemen

WASHINGTON, Jan 18: The US military said on Wednesday that its forces conducted strikes on 14 missiles that were loaded and ready to be fired from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.

US Central Command said in a social media post that the Houthi missiles presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and US Navy ships in the region and could have been fired at any time.

The US conducted strikes on the Houthi missiles at around 11.59pm (Sanaa time) on January 17.

US Central Command asserted that the pre-emptive strikes would degrade the Houthi’s capabilities to continue their reckless attacks on international and commercial shipping in the Red Sea, the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden.

“The actions by the Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists continue to endanger international mariners and disrupt the commercial shipping lanes in the Southern Red Sea and adjacent waterways,” said General Michael Erik Kurilla, USCENTCOM Commander. "We will continue to take actions to protect the lives of innocent mariners and we will always protect our people.”

The strikes followed an official announcement Wednesday that the US has put the Houthis back on its list of specially designated global terrorists. The sanctions that come with the formal designation are meant to sever violent extremist groups from their sources of financing.

"Over the past months, Yemen-based Houthi militants have engaged in unprecedented attacks against United States military forces and international maritime vessels operating in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. These attacks fit the textbook definition of terrorism. They have endangered U.S. personnel, civilian mariners, and our partners, jeopardized global trade, and threatened freedom of navigation," said US national security advisor Jake Sullivan.

Sullivan stressed that the decision is a response to the continuing threats and attacks perpetrated by the Houthis in the strategic waterways.

The designation will come into effect 30 days from now, allowing for the implementation of robust humanitarian carve-outs to ensure that the action targets the Houthis without adversely impacting the people of Yemen. Sullivan assured that unprecedented carve-outs and licenses will be introduced to prevent adverse effects on the Yemeni population, emphasizing that the people of Yemen should not bear the consequences of the Houthis' actions.

"We are sending a clear message: commercial shipments into Yemeni ports on which the Yemeni people rely for food, medicine, and fuel should continue and are not covered by our sanctions. This is in addition to the carveouts we include in all sanctions programs for food, medicine, and humanitarian assistance," Sullivan stated.

Pakistan Expels Iran Ambassador After Air Strike, Recalls Envoy From Tehran

ISLAMABAD, Jan 17: Pakistan on Wednesday recalled its top diplomat from Iran, and expelled that nation's representative from its territory, and suspended all high-level visits, ongoing or planned, amid growing tension over Iranian air strikes yesterday on the Pakistani province of Balochistan.

A Foreign Office spokesperson told reporters Islamabad had summoned home its ambassador from Iran and that his Iranian counterpart, who is travelling, has been asked not to return.

"Pakistan has decided to recall its ambassador from Iran and the Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan, who is currently visiting Iran, may not return for the time being," Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said.

Islamabad has condemned the attack that Iran says targeted the Jaish al-Adl terror group - which Tehran links to attacks on its security forces along the 1,000-km long border the two countries share.

However, a furious Pakistani government called the attack - which took place in Balochistan's Panjgur region - an "unprovoked violation" of its airspace and a "completely unacceptable" incident that could have "serious consequences". It has also said two children were killed in the airstrike.

Ominously, Pakistan also said it "reserves the right to respond..."

Iran's foreign ministry has not commented on the strike, or reports of children's deaths, so far, except for state media confirming "bases were hit, and destroyed, by missiles and drones".

Tehran and Islamabad frequently accuse each other of allowing militants to operate from the other's territory to launch attacks, but missile strikes are rare. The Pakistani side has flagged this departure from the norm, stating, "... even more concerning that this illegal act has taken place despite the existence of several channels of communication... Pakistan has always said terrorism is a common threat to all countries in the region (and) requires coordinated action..." Islamabad said today.

As worrying is the fact that Iran's attack came shortly after top leaders from each side met in Davos, on the sidelines of the ongoing World Economic Forum.

The group, whose name translates as "army of justice", was formed in 2012 as a Sunni militant group, and it operates primarily in Sistan-Baluchistan in southeast Iran, which is significant for India because the province is home to the Chabahar Port, which is of strategic importance for India.

Over the years, Jaish al-Adl has launched numerous attacks on Iranian security forces, including last month's attack on a police station in which at least 11 police personnel were killed.

Iran had warned Pakistan to act against the group after an earlier attack, in 2019, declaring that if Islamabad would not take steps, then Tehran would.

India may not be directly involved in this international incident, but New Delhi could still be impacted, one way or the other, since it is developing the Chabahar Port jointly with Iran.

Any terror group operating in the area is, of course, a cause for concern, for both sides.

As such, Iran's strikes, therefore, are likely to be viewed favourably (behind closed doors) by India, particularly since the port also offers access (via Iran) to Afghanistan at a time when Islamabad is not keen on Delhi's presence in that war-torn country.

'We Understand Actions Taken In Self Defence': India On Iran Strikes In Pak

NEW DELHI, Jan 17: Iran's missile attack on Pakistan is an issue that concerns only those two nations, India said today. The foreign ministry, however, added that New Delhi has "zero tolerance for terrorism" and understands "actions that countries take in their self defense".

"This is a matter between Iran and Pakistan. Insofar as India is concerned, we have an uncompromising zero tolerance towards terrorism. We understand actions that countries take in their self defense," foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in response to media queries.

Yesterday, Iran said it has dismantled two bases of Sunni Balochi terror group Jaish al Adl -- meaning Army of Justice -- in Pakistan with drones and missiles. The group had earlier attacked Iranian security forces in the border area with Pakistan. On December 15, 11 police officers were killed when Jaish al-Adl operatives attacked another police station.

"We only targeted the Iranian terrorist group on the soil of Pakistan. We respect sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pakistan, but we don't allow national security to be compromised or played with," said Iran Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who is at Davos attending the annual meet of the World Economic Forum.

The attack came a day after Iran's missile strikes in Iraq and Syria against what it called "anti-Iranian terrorist groups".

Iran Fires Missiles At Pakistan, Targets Baluchi Group Bases

ISLAMABAD, Jan 16: Two bases of Baluchi group Jaish al Adl in Pakistan were targeted by missiles on Tuesday, Iranian state media reported, a day after Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards attacked targets in Iraq and Syria with missiles.

The group has previously mounted attacks on Iranian security forces in the border area with Pakistan.

"These bases were hit and destroyed by missiles and drones," Iranian state media reported, without elaborating.

Jaishankar Says 'Perceptible Increase In Threats' In Indian Ocean Region

TEHRAN, Jan 15: Terming the attacks on ships in the vicinity of India as a matter of "grave concern" to the international community, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar Monday said that such threats have a direct bearing on India's energy and economic interest as he underlined that this "fraught situation" is not to the benefit of any party.

"There have also been recently a perceptible increase in threats to the safety of maritime commercial traffic in this important part of the Indian Ocean," he said in a joint press statement after wide-ranging talks with Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian.

He stressed that it's important that this issue be "speedily addressed", in an apparent reference to targeting of merchant vessels in the Red Sea - one of the busiest trade routes - by Iranian-backed Yemen's Houthi rebels amid the Israel-Hamas conflict.

"We have even seen some attacks in the vicinity of India. This is a matter of great concern to the international community. Obviously, it also has a direct bearing on India's energy and economic interests. This fraught situation is not to the benefit of any party and this must be clearly recognised," he said.

His remarks came on a day when a missile fired by Houthis struck a US-owned ship just off the coast of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden. A day earlier, Houthi fired an anti-ship cruise missile toward an American destroyer in the Red Sea, according to reports.

The US and the UK last week launched air strikes targeting the Houthi positions in Yemen.

India has been closely monitoring the unfolding situation in the Red Sea. The Indian Navy has already enhanced deployment of its frontline ships and surveillance aircraft for maritime security operations in view of the maritime environment in the critical sea lanes including the North and Central Arabian Sea.

Jaishankar, who is here as part of the ongoing high-level exchanges between the two sides, also said that both India and Iran are concerned about recent events in West Asia and emphasise the importance of preventing further escalation of violence and hostilities in the region.

He said the "deeply concerning" situation in Gaza was naturally a subject of discussion.

"The loss of civilian lives, especially that of women and children was our primary focus. There is a visible humanitarian crisis that needs to be addressed and the creation of sustainable humanitarian corridors is the need of the day," he said and welcomed the international community's efforts in that direction.

"India itself has delivered shipments of relief material to Gaza and contributed to the UNRWA," he added.

On the issue of Palestine, Jaishankar reiterated India's long standing support for a two-state solution, where the Palestinian people are able to live freely in an independent country within secure borders.

"I stressed on the need for all parties to avoid provocative and escalatory actions, and to facilitate movement towards dialogue and diplomacy," he added.

Maldives Asks India To Withdraw Military Personnel By March 15: Report

MALE, Jan 14: Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has given a deadline to India to withdraw its troops from the island nation. The Maldivian President said the Indian military personnel should leave the nation by March 15.

The development comes a few days after Mohamed Muizzu met Xi Jinping on his first state visit to China after being elected.

Maldives recently upgraded ties with China after a diplomatic row between India and Maldives erupted after Maldivian ministers made derogatory comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi post his visit to Lakshadweep islands.

The three ministers were sacked and the Maldivian Opposition criticised the comments, but the President said "We may be small but no one has the license to bully us".

Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim, the public policy secretary at the President's Office, said, "Indian military personnel cannot stay in the Maldives. This is the policy of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu and that of this administration." According to reports, around 88 Indian troops are present in Maldives.

The Maldives President's deadline comes almost two months after he called for a withdrawal of Indian troops and said the nation "has to ensure that there is no presence of a foreign military on their soil". The current Maldivian President came to power with his "India Out" campaign. The withdrawal of the Indian troops from Maldives was a key election promise of Muizzu.

Maldives and India have set up a high-level core group to negotiate the withdrawal of troops. The group held its first meeting at the Foreign Ministry Headquarters in Male' on Sunday morning. Indian High Commissioner Munu Mahawar also attended the meeting, the report said.

Nazim confirmed the meeting and said the agenda for the meeting was the request to withdraw troops by March 15.

India said, "During the meeting, both sides held discussions on wide-ranging issues related to bilateral cooperation towards identifying steps to enhance the partnership, including expediting the implementation of ongoing development cooperation projects."

"Both sides also held discussions on finding a mutually workable solution to enable the continued operation of Indian aviation platforms that provide humanitarian and medvac services to the people of Maldives," the statement added. "The next meeting of the High Level Core Group will be held in India on a mutually convenient date," it added.

Netanyahu Says 'No One Will Stop Us' As Gaza War Intensifies

TEL AVIV, Jan 14: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday that no one would stop Israel from achieving victory in its war against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.

"No one will stop us -- not The Hague, not the Axis of Evil and no one else. It is possible and necessary to continue until victory and we will do it," Netanyahu told a televised press conference as the war in Gaza moves into its 100th day on Sunday.

He was referring to a case brought before the UN's top court, the International Court of Justice in The Hague, alleging Israel's offensive is in breach of the UN Genocide Convention, and an alliance of Iran-backed armed groups around the Middle East dubbed the Axis of Resistance.

He said the military assault in Gaza had already "eliminated most of the Hamas battalions" in the besieged Palestinian territory.

But he said that those displaced from northern Gaza would not be able to return to their homes any time soon.

"There is an international law and it says a simple thing -- you remove a population and you don't allow it to return as long as the danger exists," Netanyahu said.

"And the danger exists. There is fighting there (in northern Gaza)."

Taiwan Voters Rebuff China, Give Ruling Party Third Presidential Term

TAIPEI, Jan 13: Taiwanese voters swept the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) presidential candidate Lai Ching-te into power on Saturday, strongly rejecting Chinese pressure to spurn him, as China said it would not give up on achieving "reunification".

Lai's party, which champions Taiwan's separate identity and rejects China's territorial claims, was seeking a third successive four-year term, unprecedented under Taiwan's current electoral system.

However, in a measure of public frustration at domestic issues like the high cost of housing and stagnating wages after eight years in power, the DPP lost its majority in parliament, making Lai's job harder in passing legislation.

Lai also only won 40% of the vote in Taiwan's first-past-the-post system, unlike current President Tsai Ing-wen who was re-elected by a landslide four years ago with more than 50% of the vote.

Still, Lai lauded his victory.

"We've written a new page for Taiwan's history of democracy," Lai, long the frontrunner in the polls, told reporters after both his opponents conceded defeat.

Lai said he would maintain the status quo in relations across the Taiwan Strait, but that he was "determined to safeguard Taiwan from threats and intimidation from China".

At the same time, he emphasized the need for cooperation and dialogue with Beijing on an equal basis to "replace confrontation", though he didn't give specifics.

In the run-up to the election, China denounced Lai as a dangerous separatist, and called on the people of Taiwan to make the right choice while noting the "extreme harm of the DPP's 'Taiwan independence' line". They have also repeatedly rebuffed Lai's calls for talks.

China's Taiwan Affairs Office struck a gentler tone in its response to Lai's election and did not mention him by name, saying that the results reveal that the DPP "cannot represent the mainstream public opinion" on Taiwan.

"Our stance on resolving the Taiwan question and realizing national reunification remains consistent, and our determination is as firm as rock," it said.

However, it added China will work with "relevant political parties, groups, and people" from Taiwan to boost exchanges and cooperation, and "advance the peaceful development of cross-strait relations as well as the cause of national reunification".

Taiwan's election took place at a time of growing geopolitical tensions between Beijing and Washington.

The arms race across the Taiwan Strait and Chinese military pressure on the island Beijing claims as its "sacred" territory is unlikely to end.

Since the last election in 2020, China has engaged in an unprecedented level of military activity in the Taiwan Strait, including holding two rounds of major war games near the island.

Lai, however, said, "only peace will benefit both sides".

There were jubilant scenes among a sea of cheering supporters outside Lai's campaign headquarters.

"The DPP is the only party that can truly protect Taiwan," said tattoo artist Cony Lu, 28, who broke down in tears of happiness. "So many people are willing to stand together to preserve Taiwan's sovereignty."

Lai admitted that with losing its parliamentary majority, the DPP had "many areas that need improvement".

However, he offered an olive branch to his opponents in saying he would include talent from their parties.

Lai said he would cooperate with his electoral rivals, Hou Yu-ih of Taiwan's largest opposition party the Kuomintang (KMT), and former Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan People's Party (TPP), in resolving the problems Taiwan faces.

Taiwan's media reported the DPP won 51 seats to the KMT's 52, while the TPP got eight.

Ko appeared open to working with Lai.

"The TPP will play the role of a critical minority, without fixing who we collaborate with," Ko told reporters after conceding. "We'll look at the issues. Whoever speaks reasonably, we will support."

During the polls, hundreds of thousands of Taiwanese youths flocked to rallies held by Ko, who has emerged as a new force in Taiwan's political landscape with roughly a quarter of the vote despite coming last.

The KMT's Hou, whom Lai had portrayed as being pro-Beijing despite Hou's strong protestations, bowed to a thin crowd of supporters as he accepted defeat.

The turnout was around 72% of the nearly 19 million eligible voters in the island of 23 million.

Tsai was constitutionally barred from standing again after two terms in office.

US Congratulates Taiwan After Presidential Poll Result, Hails 'Robust' Democracy

WASHINGTON, Jan 13: The United States on Saturday congratulated Taiwan's president-elect Lai Ching-te, but maintained that Washington does not support independence for the self-ruled island claimed by Beijing.

Asked by reporters for Washington's position on Taiwan, where independence-leaning Lai has pitched himself as a defender of the island's democratic way of life, US President Joe Biden said: "We do not support independence."

In a statement, Secretary of State Antony Blinken saluted Lai on his victory in Saturday's pivotal vote and hailed the "robust democratic system and electoral process" of the self-ruled island.

Blinken added that Washington is "committed to maintaining cross-Strait peace and stability, and the peaceful resolution of differences, free from coercion and pressure."

Lai, branded by China as a threat to peace, vowed Saturday to defend Taiwan against "intimidation" from China, after voters defied warnings from Beijing and swept him to election victory.

Communist China claims democratic Taiwan, separated from the mainland by a 110-mile (180-kilometer) strait, as its own and refuses to rule out using force to bring about "unification," even if conflict does not appear imminent.

Fresh Strikes Against Yemen's Houthis Amid Tensions In Red Sea: Report

HODEIDA (Yemen), Jan 13: Fresh strikes targeted Yemen's Huthis on Saturday, security sources and the US military said, after the Iran-backed rebels warned of further attacks on Red Sea shipping.

The strikes came a day after US and British forces hit scores of targets across the country, heightening fears that Israel's war with Palestinian group Hamas could engulf the wider region.

Violence involving Iran-aligned groups in Yemen, Lebanon, Iraq and Syria has surged since the war in Gaza began in early October.

The Huthis, who say they are acting in solidarity with Gaza, have carried out a growing number of missile and drone attacks on what they deem Israeli-linked shipping in the key Red Sea international trade route.

Around 12 percent of global trade normally passes through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea entrance between southwest Yemen and Djibouti.

But since mid-November the rebel attacks have affected trade flows when supply strains are already putting upward pressure on inflation globally.

The Huthi operations have followed Hamas's unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel which sparked the war still raging in the besieged Gaza Strip.

US Central Command said its forces attacked a Huthi radar site early on Saturday as "a follow-on action" related to the previous day's strikes.

The Huthis' official media earlier said Al-Dailami airbase in Yemen's rebel-held capital Sanaa had been struck in the latest bombardment.

Later on Saturday, a Huthi-allied military source told AFP that a site on the outskirts of the Red Sea port city of Hodeida which the rebels used to launch a rocket was hit.

UN chief Antonio Guterres's special envoy for Yemen urged "all involved" to avoid actions that would endanger maritime trade and "fuel regional tensions at this critical time".

The UN's Yemen envoy Hans Grundberg noted "with serious concern" the impact of the "increasingly precarious regional context" on Yemen and called for diplomacy to be prioritised.

Britain, the United States and eight allies said strikes on Friday aimed to "de-escalate tensions", but the Huthis vowed to continue their attacks.

Blinken Dials Jaishankar Amid 'Reckless' Houthi Attacks On Ships

WASHINGTON, Jan 13: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday spoke with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller informed on Thursday, adding that the two leaders discussed the recent attacks on merchant ships by the Yemen-backed Houthi groups in the Red Sea.

The two leaders also reaffirmed their maritime cooperation in the region, the State Department spokesperson informed.

"The Secretary and External Affairs Minister discussed the United States and India's shared concerns over reckless Houthi attacks in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, which threaten the free flow of commerce, endanger innocent mariners, and violate international law," Miller said.

During their telephonic conversation, the US Secretary of State emphasised that the Red Sea is a major commercial corridor that facilitates international trade and welcomed increased cooperation with India in defending freedom of navigation in the region.

The US Secretary and EAM also spoke about the Israel-Hamas conflict, efforts to prevent the conflict's escalation and increase the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza and

Blinken also discussed Russia's "war of aggression" against Ukraine.

Earlier on Wednesday, the EAM posted from his official X handle, "A good discussion this evening with my friend US @SecBlinken. Our conversation focused on maritime security challenges, especially the Red Sea region. Appreciated his insights on ongoing situation in West Asia, including Gaza. Exchanged perspectives on developments pertaining to the Ukraine conflict. Looking forward to realizing our extensive cooperation agenda for 2024."

Earlier in December, Blinken said the US has deepened its partnership with India, adding that his country has elevated cooperation with New Delhi, Japan and Australia through the Quad.

"We've deepened our partnership with India. We've elevated cooperation through the Quad with India, Japan, Australia," the US State Secretary said at an end-of-year press availability on Wednesday (US local time).

The Quad is a diplomatic network between Australia, India, Japan and the US.

According to a press release issued by the US State Department, Blinken said the US' partnerships in the Indo-Pacific have never been stronger.

He said the US was "working with the United Kingdom and Australia to produce nuclear-powered submarines. We launched new comprehensive strategic partnerships with Vietnam and Indonesia, a new Defense Cooperation Agreement with the Philippines, new trilateral initiatives with the Philippines and Japan, new embassies in the Solomon Islands and Tonga".

US, UK Strike Iran-Backed Houthi Targets In Yemen After Red Sea Attacks

WASHINGTON, Jan 12: The United States and Britain launched strikes against sites linked to the Houthi movement in Yemen, the first on the country since the Iran-backed group started targeting international shipping in the Red Sea late last year.

As witnesses in Yemen confirmed explosions throughout the country, President Joe Biden cautioned in a statement late on Thursday he would not hesitate to carry out further action if needed.

"These targeted strikes are a clear message that the United States and our partners will not tolerate attacks on our personnel or allow hostile actors to imperil freedom of navigation," Biden said.

Britain's ministry of defense said in a statement that "early indications are that the Houthis' ability to threaten merchant shipping has taken a blow."

A Houthi official confirmed "raids" in the capital Sanaa along with the cities of Saada and Dhamar as well as in Hodeidah governorate, calling them "American-Zionist-British aggression."

The ongoing strikes are one of the most dramatic demonstrations to date of the widening of Israel-Hamas war in the Middle East since its eruption in October.

One U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the strikes were being carried out by aircraft, ship and submarine. The official said more than a dozen locations were targeted and the strikes were intended to weaken the Houthi's military capabilities and were not just symbolic.

The Houthis, who control most of Yemen, defied a U.N. and other international calls to halt their missile and drone attacks on Red Sea shipping routes and warnings from the United States of consequences if they failed to do so.

The Houthis say their attacks are in support of Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist group that controls Gaza. Israel has launched a military assault that has killed more than 23,000 Palestinians in Gaza after Hamas' attack on Israel on Oct. 7, which killed 1,200 people.

The Houthi have attacked 27 ships to date, disrupting international commerce on the key route between Europe and Asia that accounts for about 15% of the world's shipping traffic.

Witnesses said that the raids on Thursday targeted a military base adjacent to Sanaa airport, a military site near Taiz airport, a Houthi naval base in Hodeidah and military sites in Hajjah governorate.

Earlier on Thursday, the Houthis' leader said any U.S. attack on the group would not go without a response.

The Houthis, who seized much of Yemen in a civil war, have vowed to attack ships linked to Israel or bound for Israeli ports. However, many of the targeted ships have had no links to Israel.

The U.S. military said on Thursday that the Houthis fired an anti-ship ballistic missile into international shipping lanes in the Gulf of Aden, the 27th attack by the group since Nov. 19.

The overnight strikes in Yemen came just days after the Houthis largest attack to date on Jan. 9 in the Red Sea, which forced the U.S. and British naval forces to shoot down 21 Houthi drones and missiles fired towards the southern Red Sea. The U.S. military described it as a complex attack.

Biden, in his statement, said the Houthis directly targeted American ships.

In December, more than 20 countries agreed to participate in a U.S.-led coalition, known as Operation Prosperity Guardian, safeguarding commercial traffic in the Red Sea. However, the U.S. and British strikes are taking place outside that defensive coalition.

Biden said Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands supported the operation.

"The response of the international community to these reckless attacks has been united and resolute," Biden said in a statement.

Iran says seized 'American' ship over 'theft' of Iranian oil

TEHRAN, Jan 11: Iran on Thursday said it has seized an "American" ship off the coast of Oman. According to the Iranian media, the ship was used by the United States for stealing its oil last year.

The announcement came hours after the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said armed men boarded the Greek-owned and Marshall Islands-flagged ship named St Nikolas. The ship, according to the British agency, changed its course towards Bandar-e-Jask in Iran.

Iran's navy said in a statement that it has seized a ship named St Nicholas, previously called Suez Rajan. IRNA news agency said the action was taken in retaliation to "violation committed by the Suez Rajan ship... and the theft of Iranian oil by the United States".

"The Navy of the Islamic Republic of Iran seized an American oil tanker in the waters of the Gulf of Oman in accordance with a court order," it added.

Those who boarded the ship covered its cameras.

The ship was carrying 19 crew -- 18 Filipinos and one Greek.

It has been reported that the ship is owned by Greece-based Empire Navigation.

The ship, with 145,000 tonnes of crude oil, was going from Basra, Iraq, to Aliaga in Turkey via the Suez Canal.

The US authorities last year confiscated sanctioned Iranian oil being carried by the ship. The ship was later renamed after being prosecuted and fined.

The ship is being “transferred to the ports of the Islamic republic for delivery to the judicial authorities”, Iranian authorities said.

In September 2023, the United States said it had seized the Suez Rajan and its cargo of 980,000 barrels of crude oil months earlier.

The US Department of Justice said at the time that the oil on the Greek-managed tanker was allegedly being sold by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to China.

In a tit-for-tat move, Iran later seized two tankers -- the Marshall Islands-flagged Advantage Sweet and Greek-owned Niovi.

This comes amid attacks and hijacking attempts by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in the Red Sea.

Taiwan election: China warns voters then condemns US 'brazen chattering'

BEIJING, Jan 11: China has warned voters in Taiwan to make the "right choice", two days before presidential elections on the self-ruled island which Beijing claims.

A win for the ruling party candidate William Lai would pose a danger to relations, China said.

It also criticised "brazen chattering" by the US after Washington warned Beijing not to stoke tensions ahead of Saturday's vote.

Who wins the poll could push the island further towards, or away from, Beijing.

Taiwan is a key flashpoint in the tussle between China and the US for supremacy in Asia.

China's Taiwan Affairs office said Lai would further promote separatist activities if he were elected.

"[He] would continue to follow the evil path of provoking 'independence' and... take Taiwan ever further away from peace and prosperity, and ever closer to war and decline," it said in a statement.

Lai, of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), has called for voters to "choose the right path" to maintain Taiwan's sovereignty. His main opponent, Hou Yu-ih of the Kuomintang (KMT), has called Lai a danger to relations with China.

Many Taiwanese consider themselves to be part of a separate nation - although most are in favour of maintaining the status quo where Taiwan neither declares independence from China nor unites with it.

The island sees itself as distinct from the mainland - but China's government says it is a breakaway province that will, eventually, be part of the country, and has not ruled out the use of force to achieve this.

Lai had been narrowly in front in the presidential race before polling stopped on 2 January. Parliamentary elections are also being held.

China's message to voters came as it told the US to stop commenting on the election.

The foreign ministry in Beijing issued a sharp rebuke to Washington after the US said it would send an unofficial delegation to Taiwan after the vote.

The US government must "refrain from intervening in the elections... so as to avoid causing serious damage to US-China relations", a spokesperson said.

China "expresses... resolute opposition to the American side's brazen chattering about the elections in the Taiwan region".

Beijing has said Taiwan's voters face a choice between peace and war in the elections.

On Thursday's Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu criticised China for its "repeated interference" in Saturday's vote.

"Frankly, Beijing should stop messing with other countries' elections & hold their own," Wu posted on X, the social platform formerly known as Twitter.

US, UK Forces Shot Down 21 Drones, Missiles Fired By Houthis Over Red Sea

WASHINGTON, Jan 10: American and British forces shot down 18 drones and three missiles Tuesday that were launched by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels toward international shipping lanes in the Red Sea, the US military said.

"Iranian-backed Huthis launched a complex attack of Iranian designed one-way attack UAVs... , anti-ship cruise missiles, and an anti-ship ballistic missile from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen into the Southern Red Sea," the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement.

The drones and missiles were downed by a combination of F/A-18 warplanes operating from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier and one British and three American destroyers, CENTCOM said.

Maldives President Urges China To Send More Tourists Amid Row With India

BEIJING, Jan 9: Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu on Tuesday appealed to China to "intensify" efforts to send more tourists to his country, amid a spate of cancellation of reservations by Indian tourists after a diplomatic row erupted over the derogatory remarks by his ministers against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

On the second day of his five-day state visit to China, Muizzu in his address to the Maldives Business Forum in Fujian Province on Tuesday termed China as the island nation's "closest" ally.

"China remains one of our closest allies and development partners," he said.

He praised the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2014, saying that they "delivered the most significant infrastructure projects witnessed in Maldivian history", according to his speech.

He urged China to bolster the flow of its tourists to the Maldives.

"China was our (Maldives') number one market pre-Covid, and it is my request that we intensify efforts for China to regain this position," according to a readout posted on his official website.

Also, Maldivian media reported that the two countries have signed a USD 50 million project to develop an integrated tourism zone in the Indian Ocean island.

Muizzu's appeal for more Chinese tourists came amid a diplomatic row following the derogatory remarks by some Maldivian ministers against Prime Minister Modi after he posted a video of him on a pristine beach during his recent visit to Lakshadweep.

Muizzu's government suspended three deputy ministers for their derogatory posts on social media.

Also, the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) strongly condemned the derogatory comments.

According to data released by the Maldives Tourism Ministry earlier, India has remained the largest tourist market for the country in 2023.

The highest number of visitors to the Maldives were from India, with 209,198 arrivals, followed by Russia in second place with 209,146 arrivals, and China in third place with 187,118 arrivals.

In 2022, India remained the top Maldives tourism market, with 240,000 arrivals. Russia followed closely in second place with 198,000 tourists, and Britain ranked third with over 177,000 arrivals.

Before COVID, China held the top spot with over 2.80 lakh tourists but is currently struggling to revive its domestic and foreign tourism due to a nearly four-year lockdown policy and the continued slowdown of its economy.

As a result, Chinese tourists who travelled abroad for holidays in millions before COVID are now restricting themselves given the economic slowdown.

Regarded as a pro-China politician in the Maldives, Muizzu told the Forum that his administration is focused on diversifying Maldives' economic base and ensuring economic security while continuing to strengthen and drive the tourism industry and boost visitor numbers.

He also said that his administration is committed to the quick implementation of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed with China, describing it as a symbol of the close commercial ties between the two countries.

Maldives and China signed the FTA in December 2014 during the pro-China President Abdulla Yameen administration. However, his successor, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's administration did not implement the agreement, according to Maldives media reports.

He said the FTA is a symbol of the close commercial ties between the two countries.

"The FTA's aim to boost bilateral trade and investments, especially increasing our export of fish products to China is a key priority for us through the FTA," he said.

China-Maldives bilateral trade in 2022 totalled to USD 451.29 million of which China's exports constituted USD 451.29 million against USD 60,000 of exports from Maldives.

Muizzu also sought investments from Chinese companies for 11 projects at the Maldives Investment Forum.

The projects included the relocation of the Male Commercial Port to Thilafushi, the Velana International Airport development project, the construction of 15 more airports, and the expansion of SEZ, Maldives web portal edition.mv reported.

Gabriel Attal becomes France’s youngest prime minister

PARIS, Jan 9: French President Emmanuel Macron has appointed Gabriel Attal as the country’s new prime minister, making him the youngest and first openly gay official to hold the position.

The 34-year-old education minister was named to the post on Tuesday, and is one of the country’s most popular politicians, according to recent opinion polls.

"I know I can count on your energy and your commitment,” Macron posted on the social medial platform X in a message to Attal.

Attal replaces outgoing Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne who resigned on Monday amid a cabinet reshuffle as Macron hopes to give new momentum to the final three years of his presidency.

Under the French political system, the prime minister is appointed by the president and is held accountable to the parliament. Attal will be in charge of implementing domestic policy, most notably economic measures, and coordinating the government’s team of ministers.

Macron has had a year of thorny challenges, after pushing unpopular pension and immigration reforms in 2023. His move to get Attal on board is being seen as a boost of popularity before the European Parliament elections in June.

“Gabriel Attal is a bit like the Macron of 2017,” said Member of Parliament Patrick Vignal, referring to when Macron first took office as the youngest head of state in modern French history.

Macron has faced off against a more turbulent parliament after he lost an absolute majority shortly after being reelected in 2022.

Opinion polls show the president is trailing far-right leader Marine Le Pen’s party by around eight to 10 percentage points.

Attal rose to prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he was named government spokesperson, and has made appearances in public with ease.

While young, Attal still has a lengthy history in French politics, joining the Socialist Party when he was 17. He would later be named as a junior minister in the Ministry of Economics and Finance, before being made education minister in 2023.

Despite his left-leaning past, Attal’s first move as education minister was to ban the Muslim abaya dress in state schools, making him popular among conservatives.

He was outed as gay by an old school associate in 2018, when he was in a relationship with Stephane Sejourne, Macron’s former political adviser.

French opposition leaders see Attal’s appointment as hardly momentous, even counterproductive.

Maldives Foreign Minister Slams Remarks Against India

MALE, Jan 8: After the derogatory remarks made by Maldivian ministers against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India on social media, Maldives Minister of Foreign Affairs Moosa Zameer said that these remarks against foreign leaders are "unacceptable" and do not reflect the official position of the Maldives government.

He stated that the Maldives remains committed to fostering a "positive and constructive dialogue" with all its partners, particularly its neighbours.

In a post shared on X, Moosa Zameer stated, "The recent remarks against foreign leaders and our close neighbours are unacceptable and do not reflect the official position of the Government of #Maldives. We remain committed to fostering a positive and constructive dialogue with all our partners, especially our neighbours, based on mutual respect and understanding."

A massive uproar erupted after a Maldivian deputy minister, along with other cabinet members and government officials, made disparaging and unsavoury references to Modi's recent visit to Lakshadweep.

Israeli strike kills top Hezbollah commander in Lebanon: security official

TEL AVIV, Jan 8: Israel killed a top commander of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group in a strike on south Lebanon, a security source said Monday, adding to fears the conflict in Gaza could spill over.

The commander "had a leading role in managing Hezbollah's operations in the south," the security official said requesting anonymity for security concerns, adding he "was killed in an Israeli raid targeting his car in the south".

Meanwhile, in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said that Israel is not afraid of going to war with the Lebanon-based Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group and that the destruction in Gaza can be "copy-pasted" to Beirut.

Since October 8, Hezbollah has engaged in near daily clashes with the Israeli forces including targeting citizens in the area with rockets and missiles prompting the evacuation of tens of thousands of Israelis.

While Israel's priority, according to Gallant is not to engage with Hezbollah, he said "80,000 people need to be able to go back to their homes safely," and if everything else fails "we are willing to sacrifice."

"They see what is happening in Gaza," the Israeli defence minister told WSJ. He added, "They know we can copy-paste to Beirut."

Maldives Suspends 3 Ministers Over 'Insulting' Remarks Against India

MALE, Jan 7: The Maldivian government today suspended three ministers whose social media posts against India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi sparked a massive firestorm with several Indians claiming to have cancelled their scheduled vacation to the nation made up of more than a hundred islands dotted with luxury resorts.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs today issued a statement on the stand of the Government of India in relation to some posts on social media that are insulting to neighboring India," the Maldives government said in a statement.

"Those who made such posts on social media while in government positions have now been suspended from their jobs," the statement said.

Ministers Maryam Shiuna, Malsha Shareef and Mahzoom Majid have been suspended.

It all began when these ministers and some other leaders in the Maldives posted derogatory remarks against Modi after he posted several photos and videos from his recent visit to Lakshadweep. His posts where he was seen snorkelling went viral, prompting social media users to suggest India's smallest Union Territory as an alternate tourist destination to the Maldives.

The Maldivian government, earlier in the day, distanced itself from these remarks and said the opinions were "personal and do not represent the views of the Government" after several opposition leaders in the country slammed the "appalling language".

The freedom of expression should be exercised in a democratic and responsible manner, and in ways that do not spread hatred, and negativity, and hinder close relationships between the Maldives and its international partners, it said.

The statement followed massive outrage within the Maldives with several prominent leaders criticising the remarks against the nation's "closest neighbour". Former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed described the remarks as “appalling" and asked President Mohamed Muizzu's government to distance itself from these comments.

Former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb strongly condemned the "derogatory and racist comments made by a group of Maldivian politicians".

This comes as a big reassurance to India amid the diplomatic tussle with the island nation.

Ties between the two countries took a downturn after Mohamed Muizzu, whose election pledge was to remove a small contingent of some 75 Indian military personnel in the country and alter the Maldives's "India first" policy, took over as president of the Indian Ocean nation in November.

Unlike most of his predecessors who visited India first after being elected, Muizzu chose Turkey as his first international port of call. He later met Modi in the United Arab Emirates on the sidelines of COP28. The two countries have set up a core group to discuss the withdrawal of Indian troops.

Indian personnel are deployed to operate three gifted aircraft patrolling the maritime territory.

The geography of both these destinations is very similar as both these places have low-lying islands, reefs and pristine beaches. Lakshadweep and Maldives are separated by the Eight Degree Channel.

Bangladesh's Sheikh Hasina Wins Re-Election For A 5th Term: Poll Body

DHAKA, Jan 7: Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has won re-election for a fifth term Sunday, officials said, following a boycott led by an opposition party she branded a "terrorist organisation".

Hasina's ruling Awami League "has won more than 50 percent seats," said an Election Commission spokesman, with counting ongoing.

She has presided over breakneck economic growth in a country once beset by grinding poverty, but her government has been accused of rampant human rights abuses and a ruthless opposition crackdown.

Her party faced almost no effective rivals in the seats it contested, but it avoided fielding candidates in a few constituencies, an apparent effort to avoid the legislature being branded a one-party institution.

The opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), whose ranks have been decimated by mass arrests, called a general strike and, along with dozens of others, refused to participate in a "sham election".

Hasina, 76, had called for citizens to show faith in the democratic process -- but election officials said initial reports suggested a meagre turnout of some 40 percent.

"The BNP is a terrorist organisation," she told reporters after casting her vote. "I am trying my best to ensure that democracy should continue in this country."

Media collating results from polling stations said Hasina had won more than two-thirds of seats in parliament with nearly 90 percent of results declared.

Of the 264 seats of the total 300 announced, Hasina's Awami League had won 204 and her allied Jatiya Party nine more, according to results collated by Somoy TV, the country's largest private news broadcaster.

Among the victors was Shakib Al Hasan, the Bangladesh cricket team captain, who won his seat for Hasina's party be a landslide, local officials said.

Jordan’s King Abdullah II presses Blinken to push for a ceasefire in Gaza

AMMAN, Jan 7: Jordan’s King Abdullah II has urged US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to push for a ceasefire in Gaza and bring an end to the humanitarian crisis in the besieged Palestinian territory, as the months-long war continues to rage.

The king met Blinken in the Jordanian capital Amman on Sunday and warned him of the “catastrophic repercussions” of the continuation of the war which began three months ago, the royal palace said.

The king reiterated “the important role of the United States in bringing pressure for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, protection of civilians, and guaranteeing delivery” of medical and humanitarian aid, the royal palace said.

Blinken, who kicked off a weeklong trip across the Middle East on Friday, aimed at calming tensions in the region and ensuring the war does not spread, arrived in Jordan from Turkey and Greece, where he noted that there was “real concern” over the Israel-Lebanon border.

“We want to do everything possible to make sure that we don’t see escalation there” and to avoid an “endless cycle of violence”, he said.

After visiting Jordan, Blinken will travel to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Israel and the occupied West Bank, where he will deliver a message that Washington does not want a regional escalation of the Gaza conflict.

The top US diplomat also hopes to make progress in talks about how Gaza could be governed after the war.

Earlier on Sunday Blinken met Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, who discussed a future scenario that would bring the West Bank and Gaza together as the basis of a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians, according to a statement from Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates.

Jordan signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994 and King Abdullah reaffirmed the need for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian question and underlined Jordan’s “total rejection” of any forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

Washington also insists on a two-state solution, something rejected by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, some of whose cabinet members have also called for Palestinian inhabitants of Gaza to leave.

A senior US State Department official travelling with the top diplomat said that Blinken will continue pressing hesitant Muslim nations to prepare to play a role in the reconstruction, governance and security of Gaza.

The US delegation aims to gather Arab states’ views on the future of Gaza before taking those positions to Israel, the official said, acknowledging there would be a significant gap between the different parties’ positions.

After his meeting with Jordanian officials, Blinken visited the World Food Programme’s regional coordination warehouse near the Jordanian capital and highlighted that “it is imperative” to “maximise assistance to people in need”, by getting the aid in and distributing it effectively.

Inside the warehouse, stocked with pallets of canned food aid, the senior UN official in Jordan, Sheri Ritsema-Anderson, described the situation in Gaza as unlike anything she had seen during 15 years in the Middle East.

It is “catastrophic”, she told reporters.

Blinken said the US was working to keep aid routes into the strip open and multiply them.

“We are intensely focused on the very difficult and indeed deteriorating food situation for men, women and children in Gaza, and it’s something we’re working on 24/7.”

Israel 'Dismantles' Hamas Military Leadership As Gaza War Enters 4th Month

JERUSALEM, Jan 7: The Israeli army said on Saturday it had "completed the dismantling" of Hamas's command structure in the northern Gaza Strip.
"We have completed the dismantling of the Hamas military framework in the northern Gaza Strip," said army spokesperson Daniel Hagari.

He added that Palestinian members were now operating in the area only sporadically and "without commanders".

"Now the focus is on dismantling Hamas in the centre of the Gaza Strip and in the south of the Gaza Strip," he said, while acknowledging that the task will take time.

Israel vowed to crush Gaza's Hamas rulers after they carried out the deadliest attack in the country's history on October 7.

Speaking about military efforts to dismantle Hamas in the central and southern Gaza Strip, Hagari said "we will do it in a different way" without elaborating.

"The refugee camps in the central Gaza Strip are crowded and full of terrorists," he said.

In the south, the large urban landscape of Khan Yunis has an elaborate underground network of tunnels, he said.

"It takes time."

Earlier on Saturday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government had directed the army to "eliminate Hamas", return all the hostages and ensure that Gaza will "never again be a threat to Israel".

"The war must not be stopped until we achieve all of the goals," he said in a statement.

All Indians On Board Hijacked Ship Rescued By Navy Commandos

NEW DELHI, Jan 4: All 21 crew, including Indians, aboard the cargo ship, 'MV Lila Norfolk', that was hijacked late last evening near the coast of Somalia have been rescued and are safe, said officials.

The Navy deployed a warship, maritime patrol aircraft, helicopters and P-8I and long-range aircraft and Predator MQ9B drones following the incident involving MV Lila Norfolk.

The elite commandos, MARCOS, sanitised the cargo ship and rescued the 15 Indians aboard the ship in the Arabian Sea. The commandos have confirmed the absence of hjijackers on the ship, said the Navy in a statement.

"All 21 crew including 15 Indians onboard the vessel were safely evacuated from the citadel," Indian Navy's spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said.

"Sanitisation by MARCOS commandos has confirmed the absence of the hijackers. The attempt of hijacking by the pirates was probably abandoned with the forceful warning by Indian Navy's maritime patrol aircraft of interception by naval warship," the spokesperson added.

The hijacking was reported by the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a British military organisation that tracks movements of various vessels in strategic waterways.

Naval warship INS Chennai, a navy destroyer, that was diverted from its anti-piracy patrol, launched its helicopter and issued warning to pirates to abandon the hijacked vessel.

Last month the Navy deployed several warships into the sea to "maintain a deterrent presence" after a string of recent shipping attacks, including a drone attack near India's coast blamed on Iran by the United States.

The latest attack comes at a time when many vessels have been rerouted from the Red Sea, where Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels have carried out drone and missile attacks in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel is battling Hamas.

Last month a drone attack hit the MV Chem Pluto tanker 200 nautical miles (370 kilometres) off the coast of India.

Islamic State claims responsibility for twin blasts in Iran that killed over 100 people

TEHRAN, Jan 4: Islamic State claimed responsibility on Thursday for the dual explosions in Iran that resulted in nearly 100 fatalities and numerous injuries during a memorial event for the late commander Qassem Soleimani, who was killed by a U.S. drone in Iraq in 2020.

Through a statement posted on its affiliated Telegram channels, the Sunni Muslim extremist group asserted that two of its members had triggered explosive belts within the crowd gathered at the cemetery in the southeastern Iranian city of Kerman on Wednesday to commemorate the anniversary of Soleimani's death.

Tehran had earlier attributed the explosions to "terrorists" and vowed retaliation for what has been described as the deadliest attacks since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The twin blasts caused injuries to 284 individuals, including women and children.

An unidentified source informed the state news agency IRNA that the initial explosion at the cemetery in Kerman, Soleimani's hometown, was likely caused by a suicide bomber. The cause of the second blast was presumed to be similar, according to the same source.

The United Nations Security Council issued a statement condemning the "cowardly terrorist attack" in Kerman and expressed condolences to the victims' families and the Iranian government. Mass protests have been called for on Friday, coinciding with the funerals of the victims. The Revolutionary Guards Corps denounced the attacks as a cowardly act aiming to create insecurity and retaliate against the nation's deep loyalty to the Islamic Republic.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi too condemned the “heinous and inhumane crime”.

In 2022, Islamic State claimed responsibility for an attack on a Shi'ite shrine in Iran, resulting in 15 deaths. Previous attacks attributed to Islamic State include twin bombings in 2017 targeting Iran's parliament and the tomb of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

The United States denied involvement in the explosions and stated it had no reason to believe Israel was implicated. The U.S. characterized the blasts as a "terrorist attack" consistent with those previously carried out by Islamic State.

Over 100 Dead In Twin Blasts Near Iran Top General Qassem Soleimani's Grave

DUBAI, Jan 3: Two explosions caused by 'terrorist attacks' killed more than 100 people and wounded scores at a ceremony in Iran to commemorate top commander Qassem Soleimani who was killed by a US drone in 2020, Iranian officials said on Wednesday.

Iranian state television reported a first and then a second blast during an anniversary event at the cemetery where Soleimani is buried in the southeastern city of Kerman.

An unnamed official told the state news agency IRNA that "Two explosive devices planted along the road leading to Kerman's Martyrs' Cemetery were detonated remotely by terrorists".

Babak Yektaparast, a spokesperson for Iran's emergency services, was reported as saying 73 people had been killed and 170 injured. State television said later that at least 100 people had been killed.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Videos aired by Iranian media showed dozens of bodies strewn around with some bystanders trying to attend to survivors and others hurrying to leave the blast area.

"A terrible sound was heard there, despite all the security and safety measures. We are still investigating," Reza Fallah, head of the Kerman Red Crescent Society, told state television.

Red Crescent rescuers tended to wounded people at the ceremony, where hundreds of Iranians had gathered to mark the anniversary of Soleimani's death. Some Iranian news agencies said the number of wounded people was much higher.

"We are now evacuating the wounded and injured in the area. The crowd is huge and the job is quite hard all the paths to there are blocked," Fallah said.

The US assassination of Soleimani in a drone attack at Baghdad airport and Tehran's retaliation by attacking two Iraq military bases that house US troops brought the United States and Iran close to full-blown conflict in 2020.

As chief commander of the elite Quds force, the overseas arm of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Soleimani ran clandestine operations in foreign countries and was a key figure in Iran's long-standing campaign to drive US forces out of the Middle East.

Tensions between Iran and Israel, along with its ally the United States, have reached a new high over Israel's war on Iranian-backed Hamas militants in Gaza in retaliation for their Oct. 7 rampage through southern Israel.

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi militia have attacked ships they say have links to Israel in the entrance to the Red Sea, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.

US forces have come under attack by Iran-backed militants in Iraq and Syria over Washington's backing of Israel and have carried out their own retaliatory air strikes.

On Monday an Israeli airstrike killed a senior leader of Iran's Revolutionary Guards in Syria.

Iran has in the past blamed Israel for attacks on individual people or places within its borders - claims which Israel has neither confirmed nor denied - but there was no indication of any foreign involvement in the explosions at Wednesday's ceremony.

Hamas deputy head Saleh Arouri killed in explosion in Beirut, Hezbollah says

BEIRUT, Jan 2: Lebanon's Hezbollah group said that top Hamas official Saleh Arouri was killed in an explosion in a southern Beirut suburb. Saleh Arouri was one of the founders of Hamas' military wing. He also headed the group's presence in the West Bank.

Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu had threatened to kill him even before the Israel-Hamas war began on October 7. Hamas also confirmed his killing via the affiliated Al-Aqsa radio as per Reuters. Hamas politburo member Izzat al-Sharq said it was a "cowardly assassination."

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said the blast killed four people and was carried out by an Israeli drone after an explosion shook the Lebanese capital's southern suburbs.

Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah vowed to retaliate against any Israeli targeting of Palestinian officials in Lebanon while Lebanon's caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati condemned the explosion as a "new Israeli crime" saying that it was an attempt to pull Lebanon into war.

Videos circulating widely on social media showed serious damage and fire after the explosion which came during more than two months of heavy exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah along Lebanon's southern border.

Earlier, Hezbollah said its fighters carried out several attacks along the Lebanon-Israel border targeting Israeli military posts.

The Israeli drone struck the Hamas office in Dahiyeh leaving a total of six people dead, Lebanon's state news agency reported.

Israeli air strikes have killed more than 100 Hezbollah fighters and nearly two dozen civilians, according to Hezbollah.

48 Dead, Several Feared Trapped As 155 Earthquakes Hit Japan In A Day

TOKYO, Jan 2: Japanese rescuers battled the clock and powerful aftershocks Tuesday to find survivors of a New Year's Day earthquake that killed at least 48 people and caused widespread destruction.

The 7.5 magnitude quake that rattled Ishikawa prefecture on the main island of Honshu triggered tsunami waves more than a metre high, toppled houses, caused a major fire and tore apart roads.

On the Noto Peninsula, the destruction included buildings damaged by fire, houses flattened, fishing boats sunk or washed ashore, and highways hit by landslides.

Local authorities put the death count at 48, but the number was expected to rise as rescuers comb through the rubble.

"Very extensive damage has been confirmed, including numerous casualties, building collapses and fires," Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said after a disaster response meeting.

"We have to race against time to search for and rescue victims of the disaster."

Aerial news footage showed the terrifying scale of a fire that ripped through the old market area of Wajima, where a seven-storey commercial building also collapsed. Quake damage impaired rescue efforts to put out the blaze.

Almost 33,000 households were without power in the region, which saw temperatures touch freezing overnight, the local energy provider said. Many cities were without running water.

The US Geological Survey said the quake had a magnitude of 7.5. Japan's meteorological agency measured it at 7.6, and said it was one of more than 150 to shake the region through Tuesday morning.

Several strong jolts were felt early Tuesday, including one measuring 5.6 that prompted national broadcaster NHK to switch to a special programme.

Ishikawa Governor Hiroshi Hase wrote on social media that roads had been cut in widespread areas by landslides or cracking, while in the port of Suzu "multiple" vessels had capsized.

Japan experiences hundreds of earthquakes every year and the vast majority cause no damage.

The number of earthquakes in the Noto Peninsula region has been steadily increasing since 2018, a Japanese government report said last year.

The country is haunted by a massive 9.0 magnitude undersea quake off northeastern Japan in 2011 which triggered a tsunami that left around 18,500 people dead or missing.

It also swamped the Fukushima atomic plant, causing one of the world's worst nuclear disasters.

Japan's nuclear authority said there were no abnormalities reported at the Shika atomic power plant in Ishikawa or other plants after the latest quake.

North Korea Plans To Launch 3 More Spy Satellites In 2024: Report

SEOUL, Jan 1: North Korea says policy goals for next year includes launching three additional military reconnaissance satellites and building unmanned aerial vehicles to advance North Korea's military, state media KCNA reported on Sunday.

"Based on the experience of successfully launching and operating the first reconnaissance satellite in 2023, the task of launching three additional reconnaissance satellites in 2024 was declared to vigorously promote the development of space science and technology," the report said at a major policy-setting year-end meeting presided by leader Kim Jong Un.

The plan was laid out as part of Kim's address to the meeting, in which he said the country has no choice but to press forward with his nuclear ambitions and forge deeper ties with anti-U.S. countries as Pyongyang is facing unprecedented confrontational moves by the U.S., a reference that likely includes Russia.

Kim also said Pyongyang has now ruled out the possibility of unifying with South Korea, adding the country must fundamentally change its principle and direction towards South Korea.

North Korea says it successfully launched its first military spy satellite on Nov. 21, transmitting photos of the White House, the Pentagon, U.S. military bases and "target regions" in South Korea.

That successful launch was preceded by two failed attempts last year when its new Chollima-1 rocket crashed into the sea.

The move raised regional tensions and sparked fresh sanctions from the U.S., Australia, Japan and South Korea. Pyongyang has yet to release any imagery from the new satellite, leaving analysts and foreign governments to debate its capabilities.

The apparent success also came after Russian President Vladimir Putin promised to help North Korea build satellites. South Korean officials said Russian aid likely made a difference in the success of the mission, though experts said it was unclear how much help Moscow could have provided.

Tsunami Waves Hit Japan After 7.5 Quake, Residents Asked To 'Run'

TOKYO, Jan 1: Tsunami waves over a metre high hit Japan on Monday after a huge earthquake that damaged homes, set off a major fire, closed highways and prompted authorities to urge people to run to higher ground.

The 7.5-magnitude quake struck the Noto region in Ishikawa prefecture on the Sea of Japan side of the main central island of Honshu at around 4:10 pm (0710 GMT), the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.

Japan's weather agency put the magnitude at 7.6 and said that it was one of more than 50 quakes of 3.2 magnitude or more to rock the region on the New Year's Day holiday -- when families get together and visit shrines -- over several hours.

Television channels interrupted normal services with special programming including of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida urging people in danger areas to "evacuate as soon as possible" to higher ground.

"We realise your home, your belongings are all precious to you, but your lives are important above everything else! Run to the highest ground possible," an alarmed presenter on broadcaster NHK told viewers.

Waves at least 1.2 meters (four feet) high hit the Wajima port only around 10 minutes after the strongest quake, and a series of smaller tsunamis were reported elsewhere, as far away as the northernmost main island of Hokkaido.

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a "large tsunami" warning, meaning waves of up to five metres, but no further major incidents were reported and the JMA later downgraded its warning to tsunamis of up to three metres.

The US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, which had warned of possible tsunamis along 300 kilometres (190 miles) of coast, also said around four hours after the major quake that the tsunami danger had "largely passed".

Drone Attacks On The Rise In Arabian Sea, Indian Navy Steps Up Surveillance

NEW DELHI, Dec 31: The Indian Navy has stepped up surveillance in the north and central Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden following frequent security incidents on merchant vessels sailing through international shipping lanes.

Naval task groups comprising destroyers and frigates have been deployed to undertake maritime security operations and help merchant vessels in case of any incident, the navy said in a statement today.

The navy said it is also working closely with the Coast Guard to check new security risks in the Indian Ocean.

The Indian Navy's move comes days after a merchant vessel, MV Chem Pluto, was struck by a drone 400 km off the Indian coastline. The ship with 21 crew members - 20 Indians and a Vietnamese - arrived at the Mumbai port under the protection of Coast Guard ship Vikram on December 26, two days after it was struck in the Arabian Sea.

"The last few weeks have seen increased maritime security incidents on merchant vessels transiting through international shipping lanes in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and central/north Arabian Sea," the navy said in the statement.

"The piracy incident on MV Ruen, approximately 700 nautical miles from the Indian coast, and the recent drone attack on MV Chem Pluto, approximately 220 nautical miles southwest of Porbandar, indicates a shift in maritime incidents closer to Indian EEZ (exclusive economic zone)," the navy said.

Apart from destroyers and frigates, the navy has deployed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and maritime patrol aircraft.

Long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft P8Is are being regularly tasked to maintain domain awareness.

The attack on MV Chem Pluto amid a flurry of new drone and missile attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels on the vital Red Sea shipping lane since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, with the group claiming to act in solidarity with Gaza.

The Pentagon claimed the tanker ship was targeted by a drone "fired from Iran." It was the first time the Pentagon openly accused Iran of directly targeting ships since the start of Israel's war on Hamas, which is backed by Tehran.

US sinks 3 Houthi vessels that attacked its container ship in Red Sea

WASHINGTON, Dec 31: US Navy helicopters sank three vessels operated by Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels that had attacked a container ship in the Red Sea, the military said Sunday.

After the Houthis fired on the US helicopters, they "returned fire in self-defense", sinking three of four small boats that had come within 20 meters of the ship, and killing the crews, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement.

"The fourth boat fled the area," it added.

CENTCOM said the navy responded to a request for assistance from the Maersk Hangzhou, a Singapore-flagged, Denmark-owned and operated container ship that reported coming under attack for a second time in 24 hours while transiting the Red Sea.

The vessel had earlier been targeted with two anti-ship ballistic missiles that the US military shot down.

One of the missiles, both launched from Huthi-controlled Yemen, hit the Maersk Hangzhou.

The Huthis have repeatedly targeted vessels in the vital Red Sea shipping lane with strikes they say are in support of Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel is battling militant group Hamas.

The attacks are endangering a transit route that carries up to 12 percent of global trade, prompting the United States to set up a multinational naval task force this month to protect Red Sea shipping.

The latest round of the Israel-Hamas conflict began when the Palestinian militant group carried out a shock cross-border attack from Gaza on October 7 that killed about 1,140 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.

The United States rushed military aid to support Israel, which has carried out a relentless campaign in Gaza that has killed at least 21,672 people, also mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry.

Those deaths have sparked widespread anger in the Middle East and provided an impetus for attacks by armed groups across the region that are opposed to Israel.

US forces in Iraq and Syria have also repeatedly come under fire from drone and rocket attacks that Washington says are being carried out by Iran-backed armed groups.