Israel Informs US Of 'Limited Ground Op' Against Hezbollah In Lebanon

WASHINGTON, Sept 30: Israel has told the United States it is conducting limited ground operations focused on Hezbollah infrastructure in Lebanon near the border with Israel, the State Department said on Monday.

"This is what they have informed us that they are currently conducting, which are limited operations targeting Hezbollah infrastructure near the border," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters.

Asked to confirm they were limited ground operations, he said: "That is our understanding."

Indications grew on Monday that Israel was on the verge of sending ground troops into Lebanon, two weeks into an assault on the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia that culminated in the assassination of its leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.

The Israeli attacks on militant targets in Lebanon are part of a conflict stretching from the Palestinian territories of Gaza and the occupied West Bank to Iranian-backed groups in Yemen and Iraq. The escalation has raised fears that the United States and Iran will be sucked into the conflict.

Miller said that the United States continues to support a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah but added that military pressure can at times enable diplomacy. He cautioned that military pressure can also lead to miscalculation and unintended consequences.

'Crucial to prevent regional escalation': Modi In Call With Netanyahu

NEW DELHI, Sept 30: Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to his Israel counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu today. The two leaders, he said, had discussed the situation in West Asia.

"Terrorism has no place in our world. It is crucial to prevent regional escalation and ensure the safe release of all hostages. India is committed to supporting efforts for an early restoration of peace and stability," he said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

The conflict in West Asia that had started with the abduction of Israeli citizens by Hamas in October last year, has been escalating.

Israel's retaliatory strikes in Gaza has now expanded in scope. It struck back at Iran-backed Hezbollah, which attacked Israel and Yemen's Houthi rebels, who have targetted Israel as well.

Israel has been carrying out airstrikes on Lebanon. It has also informed the US that it is planning a limited ground operation as well, US daily Washington Post has reported.

Hezbollah commander Nabil Kaouk eliminated, after Hassan Nasrallah's killing

BEIRUT, Sept 29: Hezbollah on Sunday confirmed the death of high-ranking official Nabil Kaouk in an Israeli airstrike, a day after the Lebanese militant group acknowledged the killings of multiple commanders, including longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah.

The Israeli military on Sunday said it had neutralised Hezbollah commander Nabil Kaouk.

Kaouk was serving as the deputy head of Hezbollah's Central Council. Kaouk also served as Hezbollah’s military commander in south Lebanon from 1995 until 2010.

In 2020, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned him and another member of Hezbollah’s council, Hassan al-Baghdadi.

Kaouk's elimination comes after Iran-backed Hezbollah's chief Hassan Nasrallah was eliminated in a massive airstrike conducted by the Israeli military on Friday.

It is not the first time Israel has killed a Hezbollah leader. Nasrallah took over from Abbas Mousawi, who was killed by an Israeli helicopter attack in 1992.

Israel says it is continuously carrying out targeted attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon. According to a report, hundreds of thousands of people in Lebanon have been displaced due to the conflict.

The country's environment minister Nasser Yassin said the government estimates that about 250,000 people have left their homes and taken refuge in government-run shelters and informal ones. However, he told the Associated Press the total number is about “four times as many directly affected and/or displaced outside the shelters.”

The UN said that as of Friday, 211,319 people were forced to relocate, and that was before some intensive Israeli airstrikes over Beirut’s southern suburbs in recent days.

The Lebanese government has converted schools and other facilities into temporary shelters. Still, many are sleeping on the streets or in public squares, as the government and non-governmental organizations try to find them places to stay.

Iran Revolutionary Guard general died in Israeli strike that killed Hezbollah leader, reports say

DUBAI, Sept 29: A prominent general in Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard died in an Israeli airstrike that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut, Iranian media reported Saturday.

The killing of Gen. Abbas Nilforushan marks the latest casualty suffered by Iran as the nearly yearlong Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip teeters on the edge of becoming a regional conflict.

His death further ratchets up pressure on Iran to respond, even as Tehran has signaled in recent months that it wants to negotiate with the West over sanctions crushing its economy.

Nilforushan, 58, was killed Friday in the strike in Lebanon in which Nasrallah died, the state-owned newspaper Tehran Times reported. Ahmad Reza Pour Khaghan, the deputy head of Iran’s judiciary, also confirmed Nilforushan’s death, describing him as a “guest to the people of Lebanon,” the state-run IRNA news agency said.

Israel says it has struck Houthi targets in Yemen in response to the group’s attacks

TEL AVIV, Sept 29: Israel’s military says dozens of aircraft have struck Houthi targets in Yemen in response to the militants’ recent attacks on Israel.

The military says it targeted power plants and sea port facilities in the city of Hodeida.

The Houthi media office said the Israeli strikes hit the Hodeida and Rass Issa ports along with two power plants in Hodeida city, which is a stronghold for the Iranian-backed rebels. Fire and plumes of smoke could be seen in the air over Hodeida after the strikes.

The group said it had taken precautionary measures and Israel’s strikes would not stop Houthi attacks on shipping routes and on Israel.

The Houthis launched a ballistic missile attack on Israel’s Ben Gurion airport on Saturday as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was arriving on a flight from the United States.

Israel Pounds Beirut But No Sign Of Hezbollah Chief Hassan Nasrallah

JERUSALEM, Sept 27: Israel continued ferocious rounds of airstrikes on Hezbollah's key strongholds in southern Beirut in Lebanon today. These strikes, which began last night in the heart of the capital city, sent plumes of thick smoke billowing into the sky, sparking fear and chaos in densely populated civilian areas. The operations marked Israel's most intense strikes on Beirut since shifting its military focus from Gaza to Lebanon earlier this week.

The targets of these attacks were alleged Hezbollah strongholds scattered throughout Lebanon, with devastating consequences, including the deaths of hundreds of people. While Israeli television networks reported that Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, was the primary target, a Hezbollah source, later claimed Nasrallah was "fine," though he has remained in hiding for years to evade assassination attempts. Nasrallah, who holds immense power in Lebanon, particularly among his Shiite supporters, is widely seen as the only figure capable of waging war or brokering peace.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) claimed that the strikes resulted in the deaths of Muhammad Ali Ismail, the commander of Hezbollah's missile unit in southern Lebanon, his deputy, and other senior officials of the Iran-backed militia. Ahmad Ahmad, a local resident who fled from his home in southern Beirut during the strikes, described the attack as feeling "like an earthquake", as quoted by news agency AFP.

The strikes continued into a second bombing wave, during which Israel claimed to have targeted Hezbollah's weapons depots stored within buildings in southern Beirut. Hezbollah denied this claim, while reports emerged of six buildings being levelled and 91 people wounded, with six confirmed dead. Following the strikes, Hezbollah retaliated by launching rockets into Israel, which prompted warnings from the Israeli military for civilians in Hezbollah strongholds to evacuate immediately.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly on Friday, vowing that Israel would continue its military campaign against Hezbollah until the northern border was fully secured. He claimed that Israel has the right to defend itself, declaring that no reprieve would be given to Hezbollah, and hinting at a possible ground offensive in Lebanon.

Netanyahu also issued a stern warning to Tehran, accusing Iran of fueling the violence through its support of Hezbollah. "If you strike us, we will strike you," Netanyahu warned, adding that Israel's reach could extend throughout the Middle East if necessary.

As Netanyahu addressed the UN General Assembly, scores of diplomats walked out in protest. The devastating toll of the ongoing war in Gaza has drawn widespread condemnation, with more than 42,000 people reported dead in the besieged enclave. Entire neighbourhoods in Gaza have been reduced to rubble, with hundreds of thousands displaced.

The Friday evening Israeli airstrikes on southern Beirut were unprecedented in scale, reportedly involving tens of tons of explosives. Hezbollah's top officials were thought to be present at the underground headquarters that were bombed, though reports from Hezbollah claimed that Nasrallah survived the strikes. Despite the extensive destruction, with entire buildings flattened, there was no immediate confirmation of Nasrallah's death, though speculation continued to swirl.

Israeli officials, however, expressed confidence that the strikes had seriously compromised Hezbollah's command structure. In a televised statement, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari claimed that the strike targeted Hezbollah's central headquarters in the Dahiyeh suburb of Beirut. The IDF also revealed it had notified the US about the airstrikes while the operation was underway, but the United States was not involved.

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian in response to the Beirut strikes, condemned the attack as a "flagrant war crime," further intensifying the already volatile situation.

The United Nations and international humanitarian organisations have sounded alarms over the deadly situation in Lebanon. "We are witnessing the deadliest period in Lebanon in a generation, and many fear that this is only the beginning," said UN humanitarian coordinator Imran Riza

'Reckless, Irresponsible': EU Rejects Putin's Nuclear Weapon Threat

BRUSSELS, Sept 26: The European Union on Thursday rejected as "reckless and irresponsible" a plan by President Vladimir Putin to authorise a nuclear response to a massive air attack on Russia.

Putin on Wednesday announced an updated nuclear doctrine that would allow the use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states when they are supported by nuclear powers -- a clear reference to Ukraine and its Western backers.

"Not for the first time, Putin is playing (a) gamble with his nuclear arsenal," EU foreign policy spokesman Peter Stano told reporters. "We of course strongly reject these threats."

The proposed broadening of Russia's nuclear rules, which Putin himself has the power to approve, comes as Ukraine seeks permission from Western allies to use long-range weaponry to strike targets deep inside Russia.

Kyiv says it is necessary to target Russia's airfields and military infrastructure that it uses to launch attacks on Ukraine. The United States and other Western countries are cautious about enabling further escalation.

Earlier on Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the planned changes should be seen as a "specific signal" to the West.

Western powers have accused Putin of dangerous nuclear sabre-rattling throughout the Ukraine conflict. The Kremlin leader has issued multiple apparent threats about Moscow's willingness to deploy nuclear weapons.

"This is just the continuation of the very irresponsible and unacceptable behaviour on the side of Putin," the EU's Stano said of the latest threat, which came as many world leaders attended the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Putin's stance was all the more "reckless," Stano said, coming from the leader of a permanent member of the UN Security Council.

Putin Issues Nuclear Warning To West In Response To 'Massive' Air Attack

MOSCOW, Sept 25: Russian President Vladimir Putin today issued a nuclear warning to the West in the event of a "massive" air attack on Russia. This includes the use of cruise missiles which the UK has supplied to Ukraine for Kyiv to target locations deep within Russian territory.

Putin's remarks came after his urgent meeting with Moscow's top security council to discuss Russia's nuclear deterrence.

Russia's threat comes amid rising concerns in Moscow over Ukraine being allowed by Western powers - especially the UK and US - to use cruise missiles against it.

Last week the UK reportedly cleared the use of its 'Storm Shadow' cruise missile to be used to bomb Russia. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer even flew to Washington DC to meet US President Joe Biden. The two leaders reportedly discussed Ukraine's use of weapons on Russian soil.

The Russian intelligence had information about such a possibility and had said earlier this month that "It has become necessary for Moscow to revise its nuclear doctrine because of the West's escalation of the war in Ukraine."

Speaking about the reports that the United States and United Kingdom are about to give clearance to Ukraine for Kyiv to launch cruise missiles on Russian soil, President Putin said this month that, "The West would be directly fighting with Russia if it gave such permission to Ukraine (to bomb Russia)" adding that Moscow would be forced to make "appropriate decisions" in such a scenario.

Russia is the world's largest nuclear power. Together, Russia and the United States control 88% of the world's nuclear weapons.

Ukraine already has the UK-supplied Storm Shadow missile, but uses it only within its territory to combat Russian forces.

So far, there are restriction on Ukraine on the use of advanced western weaponry on targets within the Russian territory, but this is likely to change with clearances reportedly being issued by the UK, with US backing it.

The Storm Shadow is a low-observable, long-range air-launched cruise missile. It is jointly developed by the United Kingdom and France and has a range of around 500 km. It has already been integrated into Ukrainian fighter aircraft, including the Russia-built Su-24 bombers - a legacy of the past, from when Ukraine was part of the erstwhile Soviet Union.

Developed in 1994 and manufactured by Matra and British Aerospace, the Storm Shadow missile is now made by MBDA Systems. 'Storm Shadow' is the weapon's British name, while in France it is called the SCALP-EG.

Israel Army Chief Puts Troops On Alert For 'Possible Entry' Into Lebanon

JERUSALEM, Sept 25: Israel's army chief told soldiers Wednesday to prepare for a possible ground offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon as US President Joe Biden warned against "all-out war" in the Middle East.

"We are attacking all day, both to prepare the ground for the possibility of your entry, but also to continue striking Hezbollah," Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi told a tank brigade, a statement from the military said as Israeli warplanes conducted hundreds of deadly strikes around Lebanon.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel's military operations against Hezbollah would not stop until northern residents can safely return to their homes.

Israel's warnings came after Hezbollah said it had targeted Israel's Mossad spy agency headquarters on Tel Aviv's outskirts -- the first time it has fired a ballistic missile in almost a year of cross-border clashes sparked by the Gaza war.

Lebanon's health minister said retaliatory Israeli strikes killed 51 people and injured 223, including in mountainous areas outside Hezbollah's traditional strongholds.

Israel said it hit 60 Hezbollah intelligence sites, among hundreds of the group's targets struck across Lebanon.

In Washington, President Biden warned of the possibility of "all-out war" after Israel's troops were put on alert for a possible ground operation.

"An all-out war is possible," Biden told broadcaster ABC.

"What I think is, also, the opportunity is still in play to have a settlement that could fundamentally change the whole region."

Biden added that there was a "possibility" of a Lebanon ceasefire, but "I don't want to exaggerate it".

The United States is Israel's main backer, and Biden said earlier Wednesday a "full-scale war is not in anyone's interest".

Cross-border clashes intensified Wednesday after Israeli raids on Monday killed at least 558 people in the deadliest day of violence in Lebanon since its 1975-90 civil war.

After Deadly Strikes, Netanyahu Posts Message For Lebanese People

TEL AVIV, Sept 24: Hours after Israeli strikes killed nearly 500 people in Lebanon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reached out to the Lebanese people and asked them not to become "human shields" for the Hezbollah.

Israel's war is not with the Lebanese people, but with Hezbollah, which has been placing missiles in their homes, said Netanyahu in a video message shared online, and vowed to take out those weapons out to ensure the safety of Israelis.

"I have a message for the people of Lebanon: Israel's war is not with you, it's with Hezbollah. For too long, Hezbollah has been using you as human shields. It placed rockets in your living rooms and missiles in your garage. Those rockets and missiles are aimed directly at our cities, directly at our citizens. To defend our people against Hezbollah strikes, we must take out those weapons," said the Israeli Prime Minister.

Netanyahu said the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) has warned the Lebanese people to get out of harms' way and that they must take it seriously. The Lebanese must not endanger their own lives for the Hezbollah cause, he urged.

"Don't let Hezbollah endanger your lives and the lives of your loved ones. Don't let Hezbollah endanger Lebanon. Please, get out of harm's way now. Once our operation is finished, you can come back safely to your homes," said Netanyahu.

The latest strikes come as the violence has shifted from Israel's southern frontier with Gaza to its northern border with Lebanon. Hezbollah, which runs Lebanon, has been exchanging fire with Israel in support of the Palestinian group Hamas since the war began.

Called "Operation Northern Arrows" by the IDF, the Israeli strikes hit southern and eastern Lebanon. Beirut faced a "targeted strike" as well.The Hezbollah-led health ministry in Lebanon pegged the casualties at 492 until Monday night. These included 35 children and 58 women. At least 1,645 were wounded while thousands of families had been displaced, said Health Minister Firass Abiad.

Yesterday's attacks - which marked the deadliest day of cross-border violence since the Gaza war began last year - were condemned by Arab states and other global powers. They have urged Israel and Hezbollah to step back from the brink of all-out war, though both defiant, refusing to leave a single inch for the other.

Ahead of the attacks, Hezbollah said yesterday it was in a "new phase" of confrontation and that it had fired rockets at Israeli military sites in retaliation for earlier Israeli strikes. The commander of an elite Hezbollah unit was killed in one such attack on southern Beirut on Friday.The cross-border violence follows a deadly string of explosions of pagers and walkie-talkies across Lebanon, which Hezbollah has blamed on Israel. Those blasts last week killed at least 39 people and wounded nearly 3,000.

356 Killed In Israeli Strikes On Lebanon

BEIRUT, Sept 23: Israeli air strikes killed 356 people, including 24 children, in Lebanon on Monday, the Lebanese health minister said, in the deadliest cross-border escalation since war erupted in Gaza on October 7.

The war began when Palestinian group Hamas launched the worst-ever attack on Israel, with Hezbollah and other Iran-backed groups around the region drawn into the violence.

Israel said it hit about 1,100 Hezbollah sites in southern and eastern Lebanon in 24 hours, including a "targeted strike" in Beirut.

A source close to Hezbollah said the strike on the capital targeted Ali Karake, the group's third in command after the killing of key commanders in earlier strikes.

Lebanese state media reported new raids in the country's east, while Hezbollah said it targeted five sites in Israel.

Israelis ran for cover when air raid sirens sounded in the coastal city of Haifa, which had been targeted a day earlier.

The Israeli strikes killed 274 people in Lebanon, including 21 children and 39 women, Health Minister Firass Abiad said, adding about 5,000 people had been wounded since Tuesday.

World powers have implored Israel and Hezbollah to pull back from the brink of all-out war, with the focus of violence shifting sharply in recent days from Israel's southern front with Gaza to its northern border with Lebanon.

The Israeli military said it hit "approximately 800 Hezbollah terror targets in southern Lebanon and in the area of Bekaa deep inside Lebanese territory".

Israeli army chief Herzi Halevi said the strikes hit combat infrastructure Hezbollah had been building for two decades.

The military also warned people living in the Bekaa valley, in eastern Lebanon, to flee their homes, as it announced it was "broadening" the scope of its strikes.

Abiad said "thousands of families from the targeted areas have been displaced".

Explosions near the ancient city of Baalbek in eastern Lebanon sent smoke billowing into the sky.

Hezbollah said it had fired rockets at military sites near Haifa and later launched "dozens of rockets" at two Israeli bases "in response to the Israeli enemy's attacks on the south and the Bekaa".

Hezbollah, a powerful political and military force in Lebanon, has exchanged near-daily fire with Israel in support for its Palestinian ally Hamas.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was acting to change the "security balance" in the north by preempting threats.

Hezbollah's deputy chief, Naim Qassem, said Sunday the group was in a "new phase, namely an open reckoning" with Israel and was ready for "all military possibilities".

They spoke after Hezbollah rocket attacks on northern Israel caused damage in the Haifa area.

The attack came after an Israeli air strike on southern Beirut Friday killed its elite Radwan Force commander, Ibrahim Aqil, and coordinated communications device blasts that Hezbollah blamed on Israel killed 39 people and wounded almost 3,000 on Tuesday and Wednesday.

An Israeli military official, who cannot be further identified under military rules, said the military operation seeks to "degrade threats" from Hezbollah, push them back from the border, and then to destroy infrastructure near the frontier.

Top Hezbollah Commander Killed As Israeli Strike Rattles Beirut

JERUSALEM, Sept 20: Israel announced it had killed the commander of Hezbollah's elite unit in a strike Friday that Lebanese officials said left 12 dead and dozens wounded in the movement's Beirut stronghold.

Ibrahim Aqil, who was also wanted by the United States for involvement in the 1983 bombing of the US embassy in Beirut, headed the Iran-backed militant group's elite Radwan unit.

Journalists at the scene said the blast had left a massive crater and destroyed the lower floors of a high-rise building in the Lebanese capital's southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold.

The killing of Aqil was the second of a senior Hezbollah commander since the start of the war in Gaza, following another Israeli strike in Beirut that killed Fuad Shukr in July.

It also came after two waves of explosions, on Tuesday and Wednesday, of communication devices used by Hezbollah members, which Hezbollah blamed on Israel, that killed dozens and left Hezbollah reeling while dramatically shifting the focus of the Israel-Hamas war northwards.

The Israeli military said Friday it conducted a "targeted strike" to kill Aqil and which also killed around 10 other senior Radwan commanders.

Lebanon's health ministry said the attack killed 12 people and wounded 66 more.

Earlier, a source close to Hezbollah, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, said the strike had killed Aqil.

"The Israeli air strike killed Radwan Force commander Ibrahim Aqil, its armed force's second-in-command after Fuad Shukr," the source close to Hezbollah said.

Hezbollah has not officially confirmed his death, but it said after the strike that it targeted with rockets an Israeli intelligence base it blamed for unspecified "assassinations".

The United States had offered a $7 million reward for information on Aqil, describing him as a "principal member" of the organisation that claimed the 1983 embassy bombing, which killed 63 people.

Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters have battled each other along the Israel-Lebanon border since Hamas sparked the war in Gaza with its October 7 attack.

The focus of Israel's firepower for nearly a year has been on Gaza, but with Hamas much weakened, the focus of the war has shifted dramatically to Israel's northern border.

Months of near-daily border clashes have killed hundreds in Lebanon, most of them fighters, and dozens in Israel, and forced thousands on both sides to flee their homes.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, Hezbollah was hit by an unprecedented attack that it has blamed on Israel, though Israel has yet to comment.

The attack saw thousands of Hezbollah operatives' communication devices explode across two days, killing 37 people and wounding thousands more.

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah vowed on Thursday that Israel would face retribution for the blasts.

Earlier Friday, Israel said Hezbollah had fired dozens of rockets from Lebanon following air strikes which destroyed dozens of the militant group's launchers.

Speaking to troops on Wednesday, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said: "Hezbollah will pay an increasing price" as Israel tries to "ensure the safe return" of its citizens to border areas.

"We are at the start of a new phase in the war," he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meanwhile delayed his scheduled departure to the United States, where he is due to address the UN General Assembly, by a day, with an official citing the situation on the northern front.

Earlier Friday, Hezbollah said it targeted at least six Israeli military bases with salvos of rockets after overnight bombardment that people in south Lebanon described as among the fiercest so far.

International mediators have been scrambling to stop the Gaza war from turning into an all-out regional conflict.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who has tried to salvage efforts for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal, called for restraint on all sides.

"We don't want to see any escalatory actions by any party" that would endanger the goal of a Gaza ceasefire, he said.

Israel Bombs Targets In Lebanon, Hours After Hezbollah's Revenge Vow

TEL AVIV, Sept 19: Israel unleashed a series of airstrikes on southern Lebanon on Thursday in one of the most intense bombardments seen since the start of cross-border hostilities with armed group Hezbollah on October 7.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that over 100 rocket launchers primed for imminent attacks on Israel were destroyed. These launchers, scattered across Hezbollah's positions in southern Lebanon, contained an estimated 1,000 rocket barrels. In addition, several Hezbollah buildings and a weapons depot were also hit.

The airstrikes come just a day after Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, vowed revenge for what he described as a series of unprecedented and deadly attacks against Hezbollah operatives.

Speaking in his first public address since these attacks, Nasrallah accused Israel of detonating communication devices belonging to Hezbollah operatives across Lebanon which resulted in 37 deaths and nearly 3,000 injuries.

Nasrallah described the attacks as a "massacre" and warned Israel of "tough retribution and just punishment." The Hezbollah chief claimed that Israel would be struck both where it expects and where it does not. During his speech, Israeli fighter jets roared over Beirut, breaking the sound barrier.

Israel's defence minister Yoav Gallant warned that the country was entering a "new phase in the war," indicating that the conflict, previously centred around Gaza, was now expanding to the northern border with Lebanon.

Hezbollah, backed by Iran, has been a staunch ally of Hamas, the Palestinian group at the heart of the war in Gaza since the October 7 attack that killed over 1,200 people in Israel, mostly civilians. The conflict has now spilt over into a regional confrontation, with Hezbollah launching daily attacks against Israeli communities along the northern border, prompting retaliatory strikes from the IDF.

The exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah along the border have triggered mass evacuations, forcing tens of thousands of civilians on both sides of the border to flee their homes. Communities along Israel's northern front are now under strict military guidelines, with residents instructed to remain close to bomb shelters, avoid large gatherings, and reduce movement outside.

"In the new phase of the war, there are significant opportunities but also significant risks," Gallant said, adding that Hezbollah "feels persecuted" and that the group would continue to pay a "heavy price" for its aggression.

Thursday's airstrikes came after a major Hezbollah rocket barrage targeting Israel's northern communities.

In Metula, a town along the Lebanese border, the damage was described as "tremendous," with homes destroyed and fires ignited by the incoming rockets. Israeli emergency services reported that no casualties were caused.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for restraint from all parties, urging both Israel and Hezbollah to avoid actions that could further escalate the conflict. The Biden administration has been scrambling to mediate a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, and now faces the added challenge of preventing the conflict from spreading further across the Middle East.

Lebanon's Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib condemned Israel's airstrikes, calling them a "blatant assault on Lebanon's sovereignty and security." He warned that the escalation risked triggering a broader regional conflict. Iran's Revolutionary Guards vowed a "crushing response" to Israel's actions.

Hundreds of Hezbollah members wounded in Lebanon as their pagers explode: Report

BEIRUT, Sept 17: Hundreds of members of the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, including fighters and medics, were seriously wounded on Tuesday when the pagers they use to communicate exploded, according to a security source.

A Hezbollah official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the detonation of the pagers was the "biggest security breach" the group had been subjected to in nearly a year of war with Israel.

A journalist saw ambulances rushing through the southern suburbs of the capital Beirut amid widespread panic. Residents said explosions were taking place even 30 minutes after the initial blasts.

The security source added that devices were also exploding in the south of Lebanon.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military, which has been exchanging fire with Hezbollah since last October in parallel with the Gaza war.

New Delhi ‘strongly’ deplores Ayatollah Khamenei’s remark on Indian Muslims

NEW DELHI, Sept 16: India on Monday “strongly” deplored Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s comment on the condition of the Muslim community in India. In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) described the remark as “unacceptable”.

Khamenei had on Monday included India alongside Gaza and Myanmar as one of the places where Muslims were suffering.

“We strongly deplore the comments made regarding minorities in India by the Supreme Leader of Iran. These are misinformed and unacceptable. Countries commenting on minorities are advised to look at their own record before making any observations about others,” the MEA said in a response.

“We cannot consider ourselves to be Muslims if we are oblivious to the suffering that a Muslim is enduring in Myanmar, Gaza, India, or any other place,” Khamenei had said in a message posted on social media that was also translated to the Bengali.

“The concept of an ‘Islamic Ummah’ must never be forgotten,” he said, speaking for unity between the Shia and Sunni sects of Islam on the occasion of the Islamic Unity Week, when he met with leaders of Iran’s Sunni community, and praised their contribution to Iranian society.

Houthis hit central Israel for 1st time, Netanyahu vows 'heavy price' for strike

TEL AVIV, Sept 15: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would inflict a "heavy price" on the Iran-aligned Houthis who control northern Yemen, after they reached central Israel with a missile on Sunday for the first time.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said the group struck with a new hypersonic ballistic missile that travelled 2,040 km (1270 miles) in just eleven-and-a-half minutes.

After initially saying the missile had fallen in an open area, Israel's military later said it had probably fragmented in the air, and that pieces of interceptors had landed in fields and near a railway station. Nobody was reported hurt.

Air raid sirens had sounded in Tel Aviv and across central Israel moments before the impact at around 6:35 am (local time), sending residents running for shelter. Loud booms were heard.

Smoke was seen billowing in an open field in central Israel.

At a weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said the Houthis should have known that Israel would exact a "heavy price" for attacks on Israel.

"Whoever needs a reminder of that is invited to visit the Hodeida port," Netanyahu said, referring to an Israeli retaliatory air strike against Yemen in July for a Houthi drone that hit Tel Aviv.

The Houthis have fired missiles and drones at Israel repeatedly in what they say is solidarity with the Palestinians, since the Gaza war began with a Hamas attack on Israel in October.

The drone that hit Tel Aviv for the first time in July killed a man and wounded four people. Israeli air strikes in response on Houthi military targets near the port of Hodeidah killed six and wounded 80.

Previously, Houthi missiles have not penetrated deep into Israeli airspace, with the only one reported to have hit Israeli territory falling in an open area near the Red Sea port of Eilat in March.

Israel should expect more strikes in the future "as we approach the first anniversary of the October 7 operation, including responding to its aggression on the city of Hodeidah", Sarea said.

The deputy head of the Houthi's media office, Nasruddin Amer, said in a post on X on Sunday that the missile had reached Israel after "20 missiles failed to intercept" it, describing it as the "beginning".

The Israeli military also said that 40 projectiles were fired towards Israel from Lebanon on Sunday and were either intercepted or landed in open areas.

"No injuries were reported," the military said.

PLA monitors German warships' transit through Taiwan Straits

BEIJING, Sept 15: The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) monitored two German warships as they transited the Taiwan Straits on Friday, while China lodged a formal protest with Germany, reiterating its firm stance that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory.

The German frigate Baden-Württemberg and supply ship Frankfurt am Main on Friday made a transit in the Taiwan Straits. In response, the PLA Eastern Theater Command deployed naval and air forces to track and monitor the entire course, remaining on alert, said Senior Captain Li Xi, a spokesperson at the PLA Eastern Theater Command, in a statement on Saturday.

The German action heightened security risks and sent the wrong signals. The theater troops remain on high alert, prepared to counter any threats and provocations, Li said.

Senior Colonel Wu Qian, a Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson, said in a release on Saturday that freedom of navigation does not equal willful trespassing, nor should it be used to provoke China or harm China’s sovereignty and security.

The Chinese military remains on high alert and will take all necessary measures to resolutely defend China’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and firmly safeguard peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits, Wu said.

Germany's decision to send warships through the Taiwan Straits sets a bad precedent, experts warned. It not only cast a shadow on Beijing-Berlin ties, but also sent wrong signals to the "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces, experts said.

A spokesperson at the Chinese Embassy in Germany said on Friday that China has lodged stern representations with Germany over the German warships' transit through the Taiwan Straits, reaffirming its firm stance that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory.

The Taiwan question is not about "freedom of navigation," but rather China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, a Chinese embassy spokesperson emphasized, noting that the waters of the Taiwan Straits, from the both shores toward the sea, are divided into several zones including internal waters, territorial sea, contiguous zone, and exclusive economic zone. There are no so-called "international waters" in the Straits, the spokesperson noted.

China respects the navigation rights of all countries in relevant waters granted by the Chinese law and international law including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, but firmly opposes any actions that provoke or harm China's sovereignty and security under the pretext of freedom of navigation, the spokesperson stated.

China urged Germany to adhere to the one-China principle and uphold basic international norms, cautioning against actions that could disrupt or damage the stable development of China-Germany relations, according to the Chinese embassy.

Israeli Destroys Secret Syrian Missile Unit In Commando Raid

TEL AVIV, Sept 14: Israel destroyed a secretive missile production facility in northwest Syria last week in an attack that included inserting special operations forces by helicopter to retrieve equipment and documents, media outlets are reporting.

The new details shed light on an attack initially described as only an airstrike. Not only did the raid strike at the heart of the Iranian military presence in Syria, but it also sent a clear message to Tehran that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) can and will attack deep underground complexes with ground troops that it otherwise cannot destroy from the air.

The raid, which took place September 9, “obliterated” the facility, located in northwestern Syria near the Lebanese border, The New York Times reported, citing unnamed American and other Western officials. “A number of people” were killed at the site, those sources said. It is located about 140 miles north of Israel.

Ground forces were used in the attack “because of its complexity and to recover information from the secret weapons site, the officials said,” according to the Times. They added that there were no Israeli casualties.

The raid also included airstrikes on the sprawling site in Masyaf, which is tied to the Syrian Scientific Studies and Researchers Center (SSRC). Despite its name, the SSRC is actually a network of facilities across the country.

According to the Times, independent experts, Israeli officials, and the U.S. government have described the SSRC’s site in Masyaf “as a center of weapons research and development, aided by the country’s ally Iran. Chemical, biological and potentially nuclear weapons are developed there, as are missiles used by Hezbollah, the powerful Iran-backed militia group in Lebanon that is fighting Israel.”

The operation was carried out by the Israeli Air Force’s elite Shaldag special operations unit, according to Axios.

Russia, Ukraine Swap 206 Prisoners Of War In UAE-Brokered Deal

KYIV, Sept 14: Moscow and Kyiv swapped 103 prisoners of war each on Saturday in a deal brokered by the United Arab Emirates, a rare moment of coordination between the two warring sides as Russia pushes ahead in east Ukraine.

The Russians released in the swap were captured during Ukraine's incursion into the Kursk region, Moscow said, while some of the Ukrainians freed had been held prisoner since Moscow seized the Azovstal steel plant in May 2022.

"Another 103 soldiers were returned to Ukraine from Russian captivity," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Telegram.

Among the freed were 82 privates and sergeants as well as 21 officers, Zelensky said.

"The defenders of Kyiv, Donetsk, Mariupol and Azovstal, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and the Kharkiv regions," he added.

Russia confirmed it had "handed over" 103 Ukrainian army prisoners, and received 103 Russian servicemen captured by Kyiv in its Kursk offensive in return.

"At present, all Russian servicemen are on the territory of the Republic of Belarus, where they are being provided with the necessary psychological and medical assistance, as well as an opportunity to contact their relatives," the Russian defence ministry said.

Despite ongoing hostilities, Russia and Ukraine have managed to swap hundreds of prisoners throughout the two-and-half-year conflict -- often in deals brokered by the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia or Turkey.

The announcement comes a day after Zelensky said 49 Ukrainian POWs had been returned from Russia, and three weeks ago both sides swapped 115 prisoners each in a deal also mediated by the UAE.

The UAE's foreign ministry hailed the deal as a "success" and thanked both sides for their cooperation on Saturday.

Amid Putin Threat To NATO, Ally Kim Gives Sneak Peek Into N. Korea’s Nuke Program

PYONGYANG, Sept 14: North Korea released pictures of a secret uranium enrichment site, showcasing its leader Kim Jong Un touring the facility. Kim Jong Un was seen inspecting rows of metal centrifuges.

This marks the first time North Korea has publicly revealed images of its uranium enrichment facility. While the photos offer a rare glimpse into North Korea’s secretive nuclear program, the date of Kim’s visit remains undisclosed.

IDF names 9 Hamas operatives, including 3 UNRWA staffers, killed in strike on school

TEL AVIV, Sept 13: The United Nations on Wednesday night condemned an Israeli strike on a school in Gaza that rescuers said killed 18 people, including UN staffers, and called for the global body’s sites to be protected “by all parties.”

Israel’s military said it hit a Hamas control center located inside the Al-Jawni school in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip. Though inactive amid the war, it has been used as a shelter by displaced Palestinians. The IDF later on Thursday named nine Hamas operatives killed in the strike, including three UNRWA staffers.

According to the IDF, Hamas was using the school to plan and carry out attacks against troops and Israel. The IDF said it carried out “many steps” to mitigate harm to civilians in the strike, including using precision munitions, aerial surveillance, and other intelligence.

The military said Thursday that “upon receiving the allegation that local Palestinian workers of the UNRWA agency were killed in the strike, the IDF contacted the agency yesterday for details and names in order to examine the allegation in-depth and as of this writing it has not yet been answered despite repeated requests.”

The IDF said that it had identified nine Hamas operatives killed in the strike, three of whom were also UNRWA staffers.

They were named as Ayser Qardaya, a member of Hamas’s internal security force; Muhammad Adnan Abu Zaid, a members of Hamas’s military wing who launched mortars at troops, and a UNRWA staffer; Bassem Majed Shahin, the commander of a Hamas military wing cell, who participated in the October 7 onslaught; Omar al-Judaili, a member of Hamas’s military wing and internal security force; Akram Saber al-Ghalidi, a member of Hamas’s military wing and internal security force; Muhammad Issa Abu al-Amir, a member of Hamas’s military wing who participated in the October 7 onslaught; Sharif Salam, a member of Hamas’s military wing; Yasser Ibrahim Abu Sharar, a member of Hamas’s military wing and emergency committee in Nuseirat, as well as a UNRWA staffer; and Iyad Matar, a member of Hamas’s military wing and a UNRWA staffer.

In a statement, the UN said that the Nuseirat school had been “deconflicted.”

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters that it was the fifth airstrike on the same school since the start of the Gaza war.

Hamas reiterates readiness over ceasefire deal based on U.S. proposal

DOHA, Sept 12: Hamas on Wednesday reiterated its readiness to implement the ceasefire agreement based on the U.S. proposal and rejected any new conditions on this agreement from any party.

During a meeting with Qatari and Egyptian mediators in Doha, the Hamas negotiating delegation expressed its "continued positivity and flexibility" in reaching a ceasefire agreement for the Gaza Strip. They emphasized the requirement for the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the entire territory of the Strip, according to a statement released by Hamas.

NSA Doval holds talks with Russian counterpart, discusses India's possible role in solution to Ukraine conflict

ST PETERSBURG, Sept 12: National Security Advisor Ajit Doval has held wide-ranging talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu in St Petersburg and discussed important issues of "mutual interests" amid fresh calls for India's possible role in finding a solution to the Ukraine conflict.

The Doval-Shoigu meeting on Wednesday evening took place on the margins of a conclave of national security advisors of the BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) nations.
It is understood that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on August 23 figured in the talks between the two NSAs.

"Both sides reviewed progress in bilateral cooperation and discussed important issues of mutual interest," the Indian embassy in Russia said on the talks between Doval and Shoigu.

Doval's visit to Russia comes two-and-half weeks after Prime Minister Modi paid a high-profile trip to Ukrainian capital Kyiv.

In the last few days, there has been calls for India's potential role in pushing peace talks between Russia and Ukraine as New Delhi has good relations with both the nations.

On Saturday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni following her talks with Zelenskyy said India and China can play a role in finding a solution to the dragging conflict.

Russian President Putin, speaking at a panel discussion at the Eastern Economic Forum in the Russian city of Vladivostok last Thursday, named India, Brazil and China as possible intermediaries that could play a role in resolving the conflict.

"First of all, it is the Chinese People's Republic, Brazil and India -- I am in contact with my partners and I have no doubt that the leaders of these countries -- and we have relations of trust and confidence with one another -- will be really interested and provide a helping hand," he said.

His remarks came in response to a question on possible countries that can act as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine.

Amid Strained Ties, 2 Maldives Ministers Quit, President To Visit India

MALE, Sept 10: Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu will travel to India on an official visit "very soon", his spokesperson said today.

Heena Waleed, the chief spokesperson at the President's Office, announced Muizzu's visit on a day when two junior ministers, suspended in January for derogatory comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi - resigned from the government.

She said that while the exact date for the visit is yet to be finalised, the two sides are discussing a date, which is of convenience to the leaders of both countries, the Sun Online news portal reported.

"The President is scheduled to visit India very soon. As you are aware, such trips are scheduled for a time of maximum convenience to leaders of the two countries. Discussions regarding this are in progress," she said during a press conference.

Muizzu, known for his pro-China leanings, visited New Delhi on June 9 to attend Prime Minister Modi's swearing-in ceremony. Unlike his predecessors, who made the first port of call to New Delhi after assuming office, Muizzu travelled to Turkiye first and to China for his first state visit in January.

Heads of the states from India's neighbourhood and the Indian Ocean region attended Modi's oath ceremony. Muizzu said he was delighted to receive Prime Minister Modi's invitation and "equally delighted" to have attended the event.

On his return, Mr Muizzu described his first visit to India as a "success" for the Maldives and the region following talks with India's top leadership and said that the strong ties between the two countries will lead to increased prosperity for the Maldivians.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited the Maldives in August - the first high-level trip from New Delhi after Muizzu assumed office in November last year.

India's relationship with the Maldives came under strain since Muizzu took charge as the President. Within hours of his oath, he had demanded the withdrawal of Indian military personnel manning three aviation platforms gifted by India to the Maldives. After talks between the two sides, the Indian military personnel were replaced by civilians.

Things escalated after three Maldivian deputy ministers made controversial remarks regarding India and Prime Minister Modi on social media.

Maldives Foreign Ministry distanced itself from their remarks, saying they do not represent the views of the Male government.

The three junior ministers were suspended, and two of them - Mariyam Shiuna and Malsha Shareef - resigned today.

The Maldives is one of India's key maritime neighbours in the Indian Ocean region and the overall bilateral ties, including in the areas of defence and security, witnessed an upward trajectory under the previous government led by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

Western Powers Sanction Iran For Supplying Missiles To Russia

LONDON, Sept 10: Western powers on Tuesday announced fresh sanctions on Iran for supplying Russia with short-range missiles for imminent use against Ukraine, calling it a dangerous escalation of the conflict that threatened European security.

Britain, France and Germany said they would cut aviation agreements with the Islamic republic and sanction its national carrier Iran Air, claiming Tehran had repeatedly defied warnings about the weapons transfers.

"This act is an escalation by both Iran and Russia, and is a direct threat to European security," the so-called E3 powers said in a joint statement.

On a visit to London, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned that the missiles could be used against Ukraine "within weeks".

Dozens of Russian military personnel have trained in Iran using the Fath-360 missile, which has a range of 75 miles (120 kilometres), he added.

"Iran's new president and foreign minister have repeatedly said that they want to restore engagement with Europe," he said.

"They want to receive sanctions relief. Destabilising actions like these will achieve exactly the opposite."

The British government announced soon afterwards that it had already begun "the termination of all direct air services between the UK and Iran".

Washington accused Iran Air of "operating or having operated in the transportation sector of the Russian Federation economy", sanctioning it and 10 individuals and companies involved in the supply.

The move was dismissed In Iran, where foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said the Western claims were false and a distraction from US backing for Israel in its war against Hamas militants.

"Spreading false and misleading news about the transfer of Iranian weapons to some countries is just an ugly propaganda and lie with the aim of concealing the dimensions of the massive illegal arms support of the United States and some Western countries for the genocide in the Gaza Strip," he added.

On Ukraine, the State Department said that Blinken would travel to Kyiv on Wednesday in a solidarity trip with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, as Ukrainian forces face Russian advances in the east.

Moscow has stepped up its aerial attacks in recent weeks but is also trying to fight off a major Ukrainian cross-border offensive into its western Kursk region, which has reshaped the course of the two-and-a-half-year war.

Lammy said the joint trip demonstrated the two countries' commitment to Ukraine, and comes before UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer visits the White House on Friday.

Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Britain has been at the forefront of pushing for more assistance to Kyiv, including loosening restrictions on the use of Western weapons on Russian territory.

Asked about reports that Britain is waiting for a US green light to let Ukraine use long-range Storm Shadow missiles against Russia, Lammy said he would not discuss "operational issues" as "the only person who could benefit" was Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Israel Strike On Lebanon Kills Hezbollah Commander: Report

BEIRUT, Sept 10: An Israeli strike Tuesday on eastern Lebanon killed a Hezbollah commander, a source close to the group and the Israeli military said, with the Iran-backed movement saying it launched rockets in retaliation.

Hezbollah has traded near-daily fire with Israeli forces in support of ally Hamas since the Palestinian group's October 7 attack triggered war in the Gaza Strip, with repeated escalations during more than 11 months of the cross-border violence.

A source close to Hezbollah said that Mohammad Qassem al-Shaer, "a field commander" in the group's elite Radwan Force, "was targeted in an Israeli strike on a motorcycle in the Bekaa" Valley in Lebanon's east, far from the Israeli border.

Hezbollah earlier announced Shaer had been killed by Israeli fire, but did not refer to him as a commander.

The Israeli military said its air force "eliminated the terrorist Mohammad Qassem al-Shaer in the area of Qaraoun", in the Bekaa Valley, referring to him as "a Hezbollah Radwan Force commander".

Elsewhere, Lebanon's health ministry said an "Israeli enemy" strike on a building in the southern city of Nabatiyeh wounded 12 people, most of them lightly, revising an earlier toll.

Hezbollah later said it launched "dozens of Katyusha rockets" at two north Israel military positions "in response to the enemy attacks... particularly the assassination the enemy carried out in the Bekaa" Valley and the "targeting of a building", referring to the Nabatiyeh strike.

The Israeli military said about 45 "projectiles were identified crossing from Lebanon", with some intercepted and no immediate reports of casualties, adding that the air force later struck "Hezbollah launchers" in south Lebanon.

The cross-border violence since early October has killed some 615 people in Lebanon, mostly fighters but also including 138 civilians, according to an AFP tally.

On the Israeli side, including in the annexed Golan Heights, authorities have announced the deaths of at least 24 soldiers and 26 civilians.

Israeli forces detain UN convoy for several hours in Gaza

TEL AVIV, Sept 10: The Israeli military detained a convoy of United Nations vehicles for several hours in northern Gaza on Monday.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement they were acting “following intelligence that a number of Palestinian suspects were present in the convoy” and delayed it to question them.

The IDF said the convoy was not involved in the transport of polio vaccines but was being used instead to exchange UN personnel.

A military official later told CNN the suspects and the convoy had been released.

Philippe Lazzarini, chief of the UNWRA – the UN’s main agency for Palestinian humanitarian relief – said the convoy was stopped at gunpoint after the Wadi Gaza checkpoint and held for more than eight hours despite “prior detailed coordination.”

During that time, bulldozers caused heavy damage to the UN armored vehicles, he said.

In a post on X, Lazzarini said the convoy contained national and international staff members who were meant to be rolling out the UN’s polio vaccination campaign for children in Gaza City and northern Gaza. He added the agency could not confirm whether they could continue their work on Tuesday.

“This significant incident is the latest in a series of violations against UN staff including shootings at convoys and arrests by the Israeli Armed Forces at checkpoints despite prior notification,” Lazzarini said.

India, UAE sign agreements on long-term LNG supply, civil nuclear cooperation

NEW DELHI, Sept 9: India and the UAE on Monday concluded agreements for long-term supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and civil nuclear cooperation as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan explored opportunities to expand cooperation to new areas such as AI and critical minerals.

The two sides also concluded agreements for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to enhance its participation in India’s strategic petroleum reserves, for an Indian State-run firm to bring crude oil from Abu Dhabi Onshore Block 1 to India, and for Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company to develop a food parks in Gujarat.

The Indian side rolled out the red carpet for Sheikh Khaled, effectively next in line after UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and the crown prince was accorded the protocol usually associated with visits by heads of state or government. Sheikh Khaled, also chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, is accompanied by a delegation that includes ministers, senior officials and business leaders.

Modi and Sheikh Khaled discussed the multifaceted relations and “avenues to broaden the comprehensive strategic partnership to new and emerging areas”, external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on X.

The two leaders emphasised the need to explore new areas of collaboration, especially nuclear energy, critical minerals, green hydrogen, artificial intelligence and cutting-edge technologies.

The 15-year agreement for LNG supply between Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and Indian Oil Corporation Limited envisages the supply of one million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA) from ADNOC’s lower-carbon Ruwais gas project.

This is the third such contract signed by India in a little more than a year to strengthen energy security. IOCL and GAIL earlier signed long-term agreements for 1.2 MMTPA and 0.5 MMTPA, respectively, with ADNOC.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NNPCIL) and the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) will enhance cooperation in operation and maintenance of nuclear power plants, sourcing of nuclear goods and services from India, and exploring mutual investment opportunities. It will create a framework to share knowledge and expertise in all areas of nuclear energy development.

Last week, the UAE announced the completion of the Arab world’s first nuclear power plant. Abu Dhabi’s Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant will produce 40 terawatt-hours of electricity a year once its fourth and final reactor begins commercial operations.

The MoU between ADNOC and India Strategic Petroleum Reserve Limited (ISPRL) will allow the UAE to ramp up its participation in crude storage in India and the renewal of an existing storage and management agreement. This MoU builds on ADNOC’s involvement in crude storage at ISPRL’s Mangalore cavern since 2018.

India decided in 2004 to construct strategic petroleum reserves to ensure energy security. ISPRL has completed the filling of crude oil in underground rock caverns with a total capacity of 5.33 MMT at three locations, including Mangalore (1.5 MMT). ADNOC has stored 5.86 million barrels of crude in the Mangalore cavern. These reserves can be used in emergencies, such as serious disruptions in the global crude supply chain.

The production concession agreement for Abu Dhabi Onshore Block 1 between ADNOC and Urja Bharat, a joint venture of IOCL and Bharat Petro Resources Ltd, is the first pact of its kind for any Indian company operating in the UAE. The concession allows Urja Bharat to bring crude oil to India, contributing to the country’s energy security.

The MoU between the Gujarat government and Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company (ADQ) envisages the development of a food and agriculture park at Gundanpara in Ahmedabad district by the second quarter of 2025.

During Sheikh Khaled’s visit to Mumbai on Tuesday, there will the soft launch of work on the India-UAE virtual trade corridor (VTC) and the MAITRI interface to facilitate the VTC. People familiar with the matter said this VTC will be part of the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).

Sheikh Khaled will also participate in the India-UAE Business Forum in Mumbai, a platform for business leaders and officials from both sides to brainstorm future cooperation in various areas.

Modi and Sheikh Khaled expressed satisfaction at progress under the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership in recent years and discussed opportunities to widen and deepen the partnership in all areas, the external affairs ministry said in a statement. They also acknowledged that the success of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and the recent entry into force of the Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) will provide impetus to the economic and commercial partnership.

Sheikh Khaled, who is on his first visit to India since becoming crown prince last year, also met President Droupadi Murmu and discussed the historic and comprehensive ties between the two sides. Murmu expressed her gratitude to the UAE’s leadership for hosting more than 3.5 million Indian nationals.

Tehran’s Chilling Warning After ‘Israeli Attack On Iranian Base’ In Syria Kills 18

TEL AVIV, Sept 9: Iran reacted to a deadly attack in Syria on Sep 9, allegedly carried out by the Israeli Army. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson accused Israel of carrying out a 'criminal attack'.

The Iranian ministry also took a veiled dig at Israel's Western backers. At least 18 people were reportedly killed and 43 injured in Syria.

Russia claims to make advances in eastern Ukraine, take control of town

MOSCOW, Sept 9: Russia said on Sunday its forces had taken full control of a town in eastern Ukraine as Moscow's forces advance on the strategically important city of Pokrovsk and seek to pierce the Ukrainian defensive front lines.

Russian forces, which have controlled about a fifth of Ukraine since invading in February 2022, are advancing in eastern Ukraine in an attempt to take the whole of the Donbas, which is about half the size of the U.S. state of Ohio.

Russia's defence ministry said its forces had taken the town of Novohrodivka, which lies 12 km (7 miles) from Pokrovsk, an important rail and road hub for Ukrainian forces in the area. The town had a population of 14,000 before the war.

Yuri Podolyaka, an influential Ukrainian-born, pro-Russian military blogger, published maps showing Russian forces attacking beyond Novohrodivka in at least two places less than 7 km (4 miles) from Pokrovsk.

The General Staff of the Ukrainian military, in a report issued on Sunday evening, gave details of fighting throughout the Pokrovsk sector, including Novohrodivka.

It said 29 attempted Russian advances had been repelled, with seven skirmishes continuing. "Our troops are taking measures to maintain designated positions," it said.

But an interview with a Ukrainian officer broadcast last week by U.S.-funded Radio Liberty said Ukrainian forces had abandoned Novohrodivka on grounds that the positions there were not favourable for defending it.

‘Situation in Gaza foremost concern, India supports ceasefire’: Jaishankar

RIYADH, Sept 9:India's External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Monday called for a ceasefire in conflict zone Gaza “as soon as possible”.

Addressing the First India-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Foreign Ministers' Meeting, Jaishankar said that the situation in Gaza is the foremost concern.

“India’s position in this regard has been principled and consistent. While we condemn acts of terrorism and hostage-taking, we are deeply pained by the continuing death of innocent civilians. Any response must take into account the principles of humanitarian law. We support a ceasefire as soon as possible,” the minister said.

​"On the larger issue, we have consistently stood for a resolution of the Palestinian issue through a two-State solution. We have also contributed to the building of Palestinian institutions and capacities. Where the humanitarian situation is concerned, we have provided relief and increased our support to UNRWA," Jaishankar added.

The minister said that “adversity" brings out the real importance of friendships.

“The pandemic underlined how relevant we are to each other for health security, food security and maritime security. Similarly, the demands of AI, of electric mobility and of green growth highlight the importance of sharing human resources,” he said.

“Conflict and tensions bring out the importance of cooperating on connectivity. In a world moving towards multipolarity, we can be mutually supportive of each other’s aspirations,” the minister added.

Jaishankar added that the relationship between India and the GCC is rooted in a “rich tapestry of history, culture, and shared values.”

“These bonds have grown stronger with time, evolving into a partnership that spans economics, energy, defence, technology, education, people to people ties and beyond. ​There are many ways to contemplate our partnership. Let me offer the framework of 3Ps – People, Prosperity and Progress,” he added.

“Close to 9 million Indians work and live amongst you, acting as a living bridge between us. Their contributions to your economic progress are widely recognised. We thank you for ensuring their welfare and comfort,” Jaishankar said.

Ajit Doval Headed To Moscow As Modi Tries To Broker Russia-Ukraine Peace

NEW DELHI, Sept 8: National Security Advisor Ajit Doval will be travelling to Moscow this week to hold discussions aimed at resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict, sources have said. This comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited both Russia and Ukraine in the past two months and met its leaders Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky.

Shortly after his trip to Ukraine and his meeting with President Zelensky, the Prime Minister spoke to President Putin over the phone on August 27. A Russian Embassy statement said that during the phone call, Prime Minister Modi informed President Putin about his recent visit to Kiev and stressed India's commitment to bring about a settlement for Ukraine by political and diplomatic means.

According to sources, it was during this phone call that the leaders decided that NSA Doval would travel to Moscow for peace talks. No details regarding the schedule of this visit are currently available.

"Vladimir Putin shared his principled assessment of the destructive policies of the Kiev authorities and their Western patrons, and went on to highlight Russia's approaches to resolving this conflict," the Russian Embassy said about the phone call.

The Prime Minister's Office said the two leaders exchanged views on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. "The PM shared insights from his recent visit to Ukraine. He underlined the importance of dialogue and diplomacy as well as sincere and practical engagement between all stakeholders to achieve an abiding and peaceful resolution of the conflict," a PMO release said.

The Prime Minister reiterated India's firm commitment to support an "early, abiding and peaceful resolution of the conflict" on his official handle on X.

Last month, the Prime Minister was in Ukraine and met its President Volodymyr Zelensky. During the meeting, the two sides discussed the Russia-Ukraine conflict and Prime Minister Modi said, "India was never neutral, we have always been on the side of peace."

President Putin has named India among the three countries Russia is in touch with over the Ukraine conflict. "We respect our friends and partners, who, I believe, sincerely seek to resolve all issues surrounding this conflict, primarily China, Brazil and India. I constantly keep in touch with our colleagues on this issue," Putin said.

Other world leaders, too, are of the view that India can play a key role in finding a resolution to the Ukraine conflict. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni yesterday held talks with Ukraine President Zelensky. "China and India have a role to play in resolving the conflict. What must not happen is to think that the conflict can be resolved by abandoning Ukraine to its fate," she said, according to reports in Italian media.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict has sharply divided the world and most global powers have taken sides. New Delhi, however, has constantly called for peace, with Prime Minister Modi stressing that "this is not an era of war".

Modi to attend Quad Summit in Delaware on September 21

NEW DELHI, Sept 8: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the United States this month, his first after assuming office for a third straight term. The trip to the US comes days after Modi visited Ukraine and Russia in the last two months.

The prime minister will attend the Quad Summit on September 21 in Wilmington, the home town of outgoing US president Joe Biden in Delaware. It is the last gathering of all the current leaders of the Quad alliance together, as both Biden and Japan's Fumio Kishida are stepping down from the office.

Biden recently announced that he will not run again for a second stint at White House. Kishida also made his plans clear of not seeking re-election as the head of Liberal Democratic Party.

Modi, now in his 11th year as prime minister, has been a senior leader among the four. The development assumes significance as India will be hosting the Summit in 2025.

The Delaware summit will mark 20 years of the formation of Quad alliance. Biden owns a home in Wilmington and used to travel to Washington on an Amtrak during his days as senator.

According to several media reports, the US had initially explored the Sunnylands estate in California for the summit. In 2013, then US president Barack Obama had hosted then China's newly appointed president Xi Jinping. The Chinese leader had proposed a “new model of major-country relations” under which both Washington DC and Beijing would agree to no conflict or confrontation.

After the Quad Summit in Delaware, PM Modi will head to New York to attend the United Nations Summit of the Future on September 22–23.

On September 22, the prime minister will address a mega community event titled ‘Modi & US’ Progress Together', on September 22 at the 16,000-seater Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Long Island.

However, Modi will not address the UN General Assembly. External affairs minister S Jaishankar will address on behalf of India on September 28.

Modi's visit to the US comes months ahead of the presidential elections, where Republican candidate Donald Trump is facing Democrat nominee Kamala Harris.

Israel strikes school, Destroys Hamas command and control center in Gaza

TEL AVIV, Sept 7: At least 13 Palestinians were killed and 15 wounded in Israeli strikes on a school sheltering refugees and a residential building in Gaza, the Palestinian Authority's official news agency WAFA reported early on Saturday.

At least eight of the dead were in refugee tents at Halima al-Sa'diyya School in Jabalia in northern Gaza, WAFA said.

The Israeli army said in a statement it had "conducted a precise strike on terrorists who were operating inside a Hamas command and control center embedded inside a compound that previously served as the 'Halima al-Sa'diyya' School in the northern Gaza Strip."

In a separate incident, five Palestinians were killed in an Israeli strike on a residential building in the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza.

The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered on October 7 last year when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel, killing 1,200 and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel's subsequent assault on the Hamas-governed enclave has since killed over 40,800 Palestinians, according to the local health ministry, while displacing nearly the entire population of 2.3 million, causing a hunger crisis and leading to genocide allegations at the World Court that Israel denies.

According to the United Nations, at least 1.9 million people in the Gaza Strip are internally displaced, including some uprooted more than 10 times.

Military ‘very focused’ on fighting Hezbollah, prepping offensive: IDF chief

TEL AVIV, Sept 7: The Israel Defense Forces are “very focused” on fighting Hezbollah and preparing offensive actions in Lebanon against the Iran-backed terror group, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said Friday during a tour of the Golan Heights.

“The IDF is very focused on fighting Hezbollah. I think that the number of attacks in the last month, operatives killed, rockets destroyed, infrastructure destroyed, is very large,” Halevi said.

“The Northern Command, with all the IDF’s capabilities, is attacking many of Hezbollah’s capabilities inside Lebanon before they attack us, and at the same time we are also preparing offensive moves in the territory [of Lebanon],” he added.

On Friday evening, Lebanese media reported a series of Israeli strikes near the towns of Kafr Sir and Froun in the Nabatieh Governate of southern Lebanon, with videos showing smoke and fire rising from a targeted site.

The IDF larter confirmed carrying out strikes and said that more than 15 rocket launchers and sites belonging to Hezbollah were targeted, publishing footage of them and adding that some of the launchers were primed for rocket attacks on Israel.

According to the IDF, rockets were seen flying out of some of the targeted launchers immediately following the strikes and landing in Lebanese territory.

Also Friday evening, the IDF said an interceptor missile was launched at a “suspicious aerial target” over the northern border community of Ghajar causing sirens to sound. The target was later determined to have been a “false identification.”

US, UK Spy Chiefs Make 1st Appearance Together Amid Gaza, Ukraine Crises

LONDON, sept 7: The head of the CIA, who is also the chief U.S. negotiator seeking an end to the Gaza war and release of hostages held by Hamas, said a more detailed ceasefire proposal would be made in the next several days.

CIA Director William Burns was speaking at a Financial Times event in London alongside Richard Moore, head of Britain's MI6 foreign spy agency, the first time they had appeared together publicly.

After 11 months of conflict in Gaza, Burns is working for the United States with Qatar and Egypt to secure a ceasefire, and said there was ongoing work on "texts and creative formulas" for finding a proposal which satisfies both parties.

"We will make this more detailed proposal, I hope in the next several days, and then we'll see," he said.

He added that it was a question of political will and he hoped leaders on both sides recognised "the time has come finally to make some hard choices and some difficult compromises".

India, China, Brazil could mediate Russia-Ukraine peace talks: Putin

MOSCOW, Sept 5: Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that China, India and Brazil could act as mediators in potential peace talks over Ukraine.

Putin said a preliminary agreement reached between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators in the first weeks of the war at talks in Istanbul, which was never implemented, could serve as the basis for talks.

Hamas negotiator urges U.S. to 'exert real pressure' on Israel for Gaza truce

DOHA, Sept 5: Hamas's lead negotiator on Thursday urged the United States to press Israel for a truce in Gaza, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of blocking a ceasefire in the Palestinian territory.

"If the U.S. administration and its President [Joe] Biden really want to reach a ceasefire and complete a prisoner exchange deal, they must abandon their blind bias towards the Zionist occupation and exert real pressure on Netanyahu and his government," Qatar-based Khalil al-Hayya said in a video statement.

India, Singapore sign deal to cooperate on semiconductors

SINGAPORE, Sept 5: The leaders of India and Singapore on Thursday signed an agreement to partner and cooperate in semiconductors, in a deal aimed at giving Singaporean firms a greater role in supply chains in the Indian market, the two countries said.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day visit to Singapore, his fifth overall and first since 2018.

"Singapore and India will leverage complementary strengths in their semiconductor ecosystems and tap on opportunities to build resilience in their semiconductor supply chains," Singapore's trade ministry said in a statement.

"This will include government-led policy exchanges on ecosystem development, supply chain resilience, and workforce development."

Tiny Singapore has long punched above its weight in the sector, accounting for 11% of the global semiconductor market, with 20% of global semiconductor equipment manufactured in the country.

Semiconductors are a key plank of India's business agenda, with a $10 billion package in place to boost the industry's push to compete in future with countries like chipmaking heavyweight Taiwan. India expects its semiconductor market to be worth $63 billion by 2026.

In February, it gave the go-ahead to construction of three semiconductor plants worth over $15 billion by firms including Tata Group and CG Power, with plans to manufacture and package chips for sectors including defence, autos and telecommunication.

Modi met Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and former premier Lee Hsien Loong during the visit.

Three other agreements were also signed, on digital technologies, education and skills development and on health and medicine, according to India's foreign ministry.

Egypt's Sisi, Turkey's Erdogan meet in Ankara, ink 17 cooperation agreements

ANKARA, Sept 4: Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Egypt’s leader Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said they wanted to deepen their cooperation as they met in Ankara Wednesday to seal their mended ties.

“We will strengthen our cooperation in all areas,” said Erdogan, who visited Sisi in Cairo in mid-February when the two leaders said they had turned over a “new leaf” in their ties.

Ankara and Cairo had cut ties in 2013 after Sisi, then defence minister, ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, an ally of Turkey and part of the Muslim Brotherhood movement.

Erdogan said at the time he would never speak to “anyone” like Sisi, who in 2014 became president of the Arab world’s most populous nation.

But relations have warmed over the past two years as their interests aligned on several issues, including the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

On Wednesday, the two leaders signed 17 cooperation agreements, according to the Turkish presidency.

“We want to improve our cooperation with Egypt in the domain of energy, especially natural gas and nuclear power,” Erdogan said.

Despite the decade of estrangement, trade between the two countries never ceased: Turkey is Egypt’s fifth-largest trading partner, while Egypt is Turkey’s largest in Africa.

The two leaders said Wednesday they want to expand their annual commercial exchanges to $15 billion (13.5 billion euros) in five years from $10 billion now.

According to the Turkish Presidency, the two men also discussed the possible sale of drones to Egypt.

On Gaza, they both called for a ceasefire and greater deliveries of humanitarian aid to the besieged Palestinian population.

Sisi also called for “a stop to the escalation in the West Bank”, where Israeli troops have for the last week been leading a military campaign.

Sisi said they also discussed Somalia, saying they agreed on the need to “preserve the unity and territorial integrity” of the country.

Ankara and Cairo have both recently signed military cooperation agreements with Somalia, which is in a standoff with the breakaway region of Somaliland after it signed an accord to lease ocean access to land-locked Ethiopia.

Ukrainian foreign minister resigns as Zelenskyy plans overhaul of wartime govt

KYIV, Sept 4: Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, a prominent figure in Ukraine’s international diplomacy, resigned on Wednesday ahead of a major government reshuffle. The resignation of Kuleba, 43, came alongside the departure of four other Cabinet ministers, making this reshuffle the most significant since Russia's invasion in February 2022.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who hinted a major overhaul of Kyiv’s wartime government, last week, stated that the reshuffle aims to bring “new energy” to Ukraine's government as the war approaches its 1,000th day in November. Zelenskyy, during a news conference with visiting Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris, explained that he could not yet announce replacements because he was still awaiting responses from potential candidates.

Along with Kuleba, Oleksandr Kamyshin, the strategic industries minister; Denys Malyuska, the justice minister; Iryna Vereshchuk, the deputy prime minister in charge of occupied territories; and Vitaliy Koval, the head of the state property fund, were among those who resigned.

Zelenskyy stated that the changes aim to “give new strength” to Ukraine’s institutions, but offered few specifics on the reasons behind the resignations. Kuleba, a career diplomat known for his independent communication with Western allies, had been the subject of speculation regarding his potential departure.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, the Ukrainian government has undergone numerous personnel changes, including the replacement of the defence minister, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and the leaders of the foreign and domestic intelligence services and national security office.

The reshuffle comes amidst ongoing Russian aggression. On Wednesday, Russian strikes in Lviv, a city near the Polish border and distant from the front lines, killed seven people. The attack followed one of the deadliest missile strikes since the war began. Russia’s sustained assault has severely damaged Ukraine’s power grid, disrupting around 70 per cent of its energy production and impacting heat and water supplies.

The Ukrainian army’s recent incursion into Russia’s Kursk region briefly boosted national morale, but the ultimate objectives of this move remain unclear. Zelenskyy has suggested that the aim is to create a buffer zone to prevent further cross-border Russian attacks.

Despite these efforts, Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to press forward with his military campaign. The Kremlin’s relentless attacks in Donetsk, where Ukraine faces shortages of troops and air defenses, and frequent long-range missile strikes on civilian areas, indicate that Putin remains determined to break Ukrainian resistance.

Israel's Netanyahu sets condition to leave Gaza

TEL AVIV, Sept 4: Israel will not withdraw its troops from the border area between southern Gaza and Egypt until there is a guarantee that it can never be used as a lifeline for the Islamist movement Hamas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday.

"Until that happens, we're there," he told a news conference in Jerusalem.

Netanyahu said he doesn't think settling the Gaza Strip is a realistic goal.

Netanyahu said on Wednesday that Hamas had rejected all elements of a proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza that would help facilitate the release of hostages.

"Hamas has rejected everything... I hope that changes because I want those hostages out," Netanyahu told a news conference, dismissing accusations that his insistence on retaining control over a key corridor along the border with Egypt had delayed a ceasefire deal.

No one will preach or pressure me to reach ceasefire: Netanyahu

TEL AVIV, Sept 3: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday pushed back against a new wave of pressure to reach a cease-fire deal in Gaza after hundreds of thousands of Israelis protested and went on strike and U.S. President Joe Biden said he needed to do more after nearly 11 months of fighting.

In his first public address since Sunday's mass protests showed many Israelis' furious response to the discovery of six more dead hostages, Netanyahu said he will continue to insist on a demand that has emerged as a major sticking point in talks — continued Israeli control of the Philadelphi corridor, a narrow band along Gaza's border with Egypt where Israel contends Hamas smuggles weapons into Gaza. Egypt and Hamas deny it.

Netanyahu called the corridor vital to ensuring Hamas cannot rearm via tunnels. “This is the oxygen of Hamas,” he said.

And he added: “No one is more committed to freeing the hostages than me. ... No one will preach to me on this issue."

Israelis had poured into the streets late Sunday in grief and anger in what appeared to be the largest protest since the start of the war. The families and much of the public blamed Netanyahu, saying the hostages could have been returned alive in a deal with Hamas. A rare general strike was held across the country on Monday.

Late Monday, several thousand demonstrators gathered outside Netanyahu’s private home in central Jerusalem, chanting, “Deal. Now." and carrying coffins draped in the Israeli flag. Scuffles broke out when police snatched away the coffins, and several protesters were arrested. Thousands more marched outside Netanyahu’s Likud party in Tel Aviv, according to Israeli media.

But others support Netanyahu’s drive to continue the campaign in Gaza, which was triggered by Hamas' Oct. 7 attack into Israel and has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians in the territory. Netanyahu says the assault will force militants to give in to Israeli demands, potentially facilitate rescue operations and ultimately annihilate the group.

Key ally the United States is showing impatience. Biden spoke to reporters as he arrived at the White House for a Situation Room meeting with the U.S. mediation team in the negotiations. Asked if Netanyahu was doing enough, Biden responded, “No.”

He insisted that negotiators remain “very close” to a deal, adding, “Hope springs eternal.”

Hamas has accused Israel of dragging out months of negotiations by issuing new demands, including for lasting Israeli control over the Philadelphi corridor and a second corridor running across Gaza. Hamas has offered to release all hostages in return for an end to the war, the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces and the release of a large number of Palestinian prisoners, including high-profile militants — broadly the terms called for under an outline for a deal put forward by Biden in July.

Netanyahu has pledged “total victory” over Hamas and blames it for the failure of the negotiations. On Monday, he said he is ready to carry out the first phase of the cease-fire — a plan that would include the release of some hostages, a partial pullout of Israeli troops and the release of some prisoners held by Israel. But he rejected a full withdrawal from Gaza, saying he saw no other party that could control Gaza's borders.

Taiwan Deputy Foreign Minister Tien attends Pacific Island Countries dialogue

By Deepak Arora

NUKU'ALOFA (Tonga), Sept 3: Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tien Chung-kwang participated in the 29th Taiwan/Republic of China-Forum Countries Dialogue held by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat recently in Tonga, underscoring the government’s commitment to deepening cooperation with Pacific allies and like-minded partners, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Concurrent with the 53rd Pacific Island Forum held from August 24 to September 2, the dialogue is cohosted by Hilda Heine, president of the Marshall Islands and Desna Solofa, deputy secretary-general of the PIF Secretariat.

Delegations from Palau and Tuvalu also participated in the talks.

The island nation of Tonga played host to the annual meeting of the leaders of the Pacific Island Forum. More than 1,500 delegates from 40 nations were in attendance at the conference.

Tien said that Taiwan, in cooperation with allies and the PIF Secretariat, promotes the “2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent” proposed by PIF.

This year’s PIF theme “Transformative Resilience Pacifiki: Build Better Now” is reflected in ongoing collaborative initiatives on agriculture, clean energy, communication and information technologies, infrastructure, medicine and sanitation, personnel cultivation and women’s empowerment. Additionally, together with its Pacific allies, Taiwan has established a climate transition fund to build a more resilient Pacific region.

Tien signed a cooperative agreement for 2025-2027 with the PIF Secretariat, pledging to facilitate Pacific Region development. Taiwan will reinforce ties with like-minded partners in the region through PIF multilateral mechanisms.

The ministry also thanked the three Pacific allies as well as Australia and New Zealand, who recognized Taiwan’s contributions and participation while supporting its position in the PIF.

Taiwan has taken part in PIF events under the name Taiwan/ROC and Development Partner since 1993. Working with the PIF Secretariat on a long-term basis, Taiwan has provided aid for both regional development and PIF scholarships.

As a responsible member of global society, Taiwan continues to collaborate with Pacific countries to advance peace, stability and prosperity of the region, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

49 Killed In Ukraine's Poltava After Russia Launches 2 Ballistic Missiles

KYIV, Sept 3: At least 49 people have been killed and more than 219 injured in Ukraine's Poltava after two Russian ballistic missiles hit a military education facility today.
Two Russian ballistic missiles hit a hospital and an educational institution, partially destroying one of the institute's buildings, Ukraine's Ministry of Defence said.

"The time interval between the alarm and the arrival of the deadly missiles was so short that it caught people in the middle of evacuating to the bomb shelter," the Ukraine's Defence Ministry added.

Writing on social media website X, President Zelenskyy said, "I received preliminary reports on the Russian strike in Poltava. According to available information, two ballistic missiles hit the area. They targeted an educational institution and a nearby hospital, partially destroying one of the telecommunications institute's buildings."

"We know about 49 dead and 219 injured people. Search teams continue to dismantle the rubble at the site," Poltava Governor Philip Pronin said on Telegram.

President Zelenskyy vowed that Russia will "surely pay for this strike".

Calling it a "terror attack", Zelenskyy wrote, "We continue to urge everyone in the world who has the power to stop this terror: Ukraine needs air defense systems and missiles now, not sitting in storage. Long-range strikes that can protect us from Russian terror are needed now, not later. Every day of delay, unfortunately, means more lost lives."

6 dead Hamas hostages were ‘brutally murdered’

TEL AVIV, Sept 2: The autopsies of six Hamas hostages who were found in a tunnel in Rafah on Saturday afternoon, August 31, have revealed horrifying details. The Health Ministry said that it has been determined that the hostages were killed 48 to 72 hours before their autopsy, which would mean between Thursday and Friday morning.

Abu Kabir Forensic Institute determined that all six hostages were shot multiple times from close range, The Times Of Israel revealed. The IDF said that Hamas terrorists executed the hostages shortly before their bodies were found by troops.

The six murdered hostages were Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Ori Danino, Alex Lobanov, Carmel Gat, and Almog Sarusi. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen Herzi Halevi visited the site where the bodies were discovered to hold an assessment. The head of the IDF Southern Command, Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, and hostage point-man Maj. Gen. (res.) Nitzan Alon joined Halevi.

According to Channel 12, security officials believe Hamas may have killed the hostages because they were afraid that a hostage who was recently rescued alive would divulge details about where the other hostages were being kept. Last week, IDF special forces rescued hostage Farhan al-Qadi, 52.

IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari previously said that the six hostages were “brutally murdered” by Hamas. “According to an initial assessment… they were brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists a short while before we reached them. They were abducted alive on the morning of October 7 by the Hamas terror group,” Hagari said.

“Their bodies were found during the fighting in Rafah, in a tunnel, about a kilometer away from the tunnel from which we rescued Farhan al-Qadi a few days ago,” he added.

IDF revealed that they had an idea about a general location where the six hostages could be held but did not have the exact location. “Since Farhan was found, troops were given an emphasis on operating carefully even more than usual, because of the understanding that additional hostages might be in the area. We did not have information on the exact location of the hostages,” Hagari said.

After the hostages were found dead in a tunnel, their bodies were reportedly extracted from Gaza overnight and brought to Israel to be identified. After news of their deaths surfaced, mass demonstrations were held across Israel. Protesters have urged the government to reach a deal for the release of the remaining hostages.

Israelis erupt in protest to demand ceasefire after 6 more hostages die in Gaza

JERUSALEM, Sept 1: Grieving and angry Israelis surged into the streets Sunday night after six more hostages were found dead in Gaza, chanting “Now! Now!” as they demanded that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reach a cease-fire with Hamas to bring the remaining captives home.

Israel’s largest trade union, the Histadrut, pressured the government by calling a general strike for Monday, the first since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that started the war. It aims to shut down or disrupt major sectors of the economy, including banking, health care and the country’s main airport.

Tens of thousands of Israelis protested in one of the largest demonstrations since war began nearly 11 months ago. Cease-fire negotiations have dragged on for months, and many blame Netanyahu for failing to reach a deal. Israel’s army has acknowledged the difficulty of rescuing dozens of remaining hostages and said only a deal can bring a large-scale return.

Thousands of people, some of them weeping, gathered outside Netanyahu's office in Jerusalem. In Tel Aviv, hostages' relatives marched with coffins to symbolize the toll.

“We really think that the government is making these decisions for its own conservation and not for the lives of the hostages, and we need to tell them, ‘Stop!’” said Shlomit Hacohen, a Tel Aviv resident.

Three of the six hostages found dead — including an Israeli-American — were reportedly scheduled to be released in the first phase of a cease-fire proposal discussed in July, and this only added to the sense of fury and frustration among the protesters.

The military said all six hostages were killed shortly before Israeli forces arrived. Netanyahu blamed the Hamas militant group for the stalled negotiations, saying “whoever murders hostages doesn’t want a deal."

Netanyahu Vows To Settle Score With Hamas As Bodies Of 6 Hostages Found In Gaza

JERUSALEM, Sept 1: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Sunday to "settle the score" with Hamas after the military had recovered the bodies of six hostages from a Gaza tunnel.

"Those who kill hostages do not want an agreement" for a Gaza truce, Netanyahu said in a statement, telling Hamas leaders that "we will hunt you down, we will catch you and we will settle the score".

Netanyahu said that Israel was "fighting on all fronts against a cruel enemy who wants to murder us all", mentioning a shooting attack near the city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank earlier on Sunday that killed three police officers.

Hamas has not claimed the attack but in a statement called it a "heroic operation by the resistance".

According to Netanyahu, "the fact that Hamas continues to commit atrocities such as those it committed on October 7 obliges us to do everything we can to ensure that it can no longer do so", referring to the Palestinian group's unprecedented attack on southern Israel that triggered the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.

A senior Hamas official said that several of the six hostages found dead had been "approved" for release in the event of a truce deal, which has yet to be finalised despite months of mediation efforts.

Israeli media reported that US-Israeli hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin and two others whose bodies had been recovered from Gaza -- Carmel Gat and Eden Yerushalmi -- had been approved by Hamas to be released in the event of a truce deal.

The Hamas official said the six captives were "killed by the occupation's fire and bombing", an accusation denied by the Israeli military.

Military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani in an online briefing with journalists that "according to our initial assessment, they were brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists".

"We do know they were murdered by Hamas terrorists. We do know -- I can tell you -- there was no real-time fire engagement in the tunnel," Shoshani said.

The bodies were found in a tunnel in the southern city of Rafah, around one kilometre (0.6 miles) away from where troops had rescued alive another hostage, Kaid Farhan Alkadi, on Tuesday, according to Shoshani.