Trump Threatens 100% Tariff On BRICS Countries If They Undercut US Dollar

WASHINGTON, Nov 30: US President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday demanded that BRICS member countries commit to not creating a new currency or supporting another currency that would replace the United States dollar or face 100% tariffs.

"We require a commitment from these Countries that they will neither create a new BRICS Currency, nor back any other Currency to replace the mighty US Dollar or, they will face 100% Tariffs, and should expect to say goodbye to selling into the wonderful US Economy," Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social.

"They can go find another 'sucker'. There is no chance that the BRICS will replace the US Dollar in International Trade, and any Country that tries should wave goodbye to America."

Syrian insurgents breach Aleppo’s outskirts in largest offensive since 2016

DAMASCUS, Nov 29: Insurgents launched a major offensive on Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city, breaching its western edge for the first time since 2016. The attack began Friday with two car bombs and intense clashes between opposition forces and Syrian government troops, news agency Associated Press reported citing local monitors and fighters.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed that thousands of insurgents, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), seized more than 50 villages and advanced through western Aleppo and Idlib provinces, an agency reported adding widespread displacement as residents fled neighborhoods under missile fire.

State media accused the insurgents of violating a 2019 de-escalation agreement, with Syria’s Armed Forces vowing to repel the attack. “Several drones and heavy weapons of the insurgents have been destroyed,” a military statement said. However, opposition forces claimed to control key positions, including the Scientific Research Center neighborhood on Aleppo’s outskirts.

The renewed fighting marks the most intense violence in northwestern Syria since 2020. Aid agencies reported thousands of families displaced, with services disrupted. Public transport routes were diverted to avoid conflict zones, and Aleppo University’s student accommodations were hit by projectiles, killing four people, including two students.

The insurgent offensive coincides with a diminished presence of Iran-linked groups, including Hezbollah, which have been embroiled in conflicts with Israel. The group played a critical role in the Syrian government’s 2016 recapture of Aleppo. Analysts suggest that their focus on the Israel conflict has left Syrian forces vulnerable.

Turkey, a key backer of opposition groups, reportedly supported the insurgents with strategic aid. Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency confirmed the use of drones by opposition fighters, who targeted a military airbase southeast of Aleppo, destroying a helicopter and seizing heavy weaponry.

Meanwhile, Iran’s involvement in Syria has been challenged by intensified Israeli strikes on its positions. Russia, a critical ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad, has remained engaged but less vocal about recent developments.

The 2016 battle for Aleppo was a pivotal moment in Syria’s civil war, marking the government’s reclaiming of the city with Russian and Iranian support. This latest insurgent offensive has raised fears of prolonged instability in the region, further complicating the decade-long conflict.

Israel Strikes Hezbollah Facility In Lebanon A Day After Ceasefire Began

TEL AVIV, Nov 28: Israel said it conducted an air strike on a Hezbollah weapons facility on Thursday, the first since a ceasefire in the war in Lebanon took effect.

The truce, which came into force on Wednesday, seeks to end a war that has killed thousands in Lebanon and sparked mass displacements in both Lebanon and Israel.

The war began with Hezbollah firing into Israel in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas and its unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel.

Israel shifted its focus from Gaza to Lebanon in September to secure its northern border from Hezbollah attacks, dealing the Iran-backed Shiite Muslim movement a series of heavy blows.

Lebanon deployed troops and tanks on Thursday across the country's south, where Hezbollah has long held sway, where only the army and UN peacekeepers are to maintain a presence under the terms of the ceasefire.

"A short while ago, terrorist activity was identified in a facility used by Hezbollah to store mid-range rockets in southern Lebanon," the Israeli military said, adding that "the threat was thwarted" by its air force.

Russia Weaponises Ukraine Winter, Hits Power Plants, Millions In The Dark

KYIV, Nov 28: Russia attacked Ukraine's energy infrastructure overnight with 90 missiles and 100 drones. Currently, more than one million people are without electricity as bitter winter hits with Russia's "massive strike".

This is the 11th large-scale attack by Russia on Ukraine's energy infrastructure this year causing blackouts nationwide.

Ukrainian officials have accused Russia of "weaponising winter" and stockpiling missiles to launch pre-winter aerial campaigns in Ukraine. "They were helped by their crazy allies, including from North Korea," Andrii Yermak, head of Ukraine's presidential office wrote in a Telegram post.

At least 5 people were injured, one person in central Vinnytsia, two in Odesa and two in Kyiv. Residents took shelter in metro stations as the air raid alert continued for 9 hours. Around 215,000 households were temporarily without power as stated by authorities.

"Power engineers are working to ensure backup power supply schemes where possible. They have already started restoration work where the security situation allows," the Ministry of Energy said.

Russian president Vladimir Putin has said this is a response to Ukraine's attacks with UK and US supplied weapons.

As stated by Ukraine's president Vlodymyr Zelenskyy, cluster munitions were particularly used against civilians and energy infrastructure. He has called the attack out as a "very mean escalation" in the conflict.

Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire Begins After Months Of All-Out War

TEL AVIV, Nov 27: Israel has begun a ceasefire in Lebanon after an all-out war with the Hezbollah amid global calls for peace in the Middle East. But fighting will continue in Gaza, where Israel has vowed to destroy the Palestinian Hamas group.

The Israeli cabinet approved the ceasefire deal - brokered by the US and France - last evening by a vote of 10-1.

Announcing the "good news", US President Joe Biden said the ceasefire would take effect from 4 am (7:30 am IST) and that it was a "new start" for Lebanon. Hezbollah, the only armed group that had refused to surrender its weapons after the Lebanese civil war in 1990, was not present during the truce talks.

Lebanese parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri participated in the talks on behalf of Hezbollah.

During the ceasefire, firing will stop from both sides, an official said.
However, any violation by Hezbollah would see a forceful retaliation from Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu added. He said the truce will allow them to focus on Gaza and the "Iranian threat", giving the Israeli military time to resupply.

"When Hezbollah is out of the picture, Hamas is left alone in the fight. Our pressure on it will intensify," Netanyahu said.

"We will complete the task of obliterating Hamas, we will bring home all of our hostages, we will ensure that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel and we will return the residents of the north back home safely," the Prime Minister added.

As part of the truce, Lebanese forces will begin their deployment towards the south over a 60-day period, during which Israel will have a phased withdrawal from Lebanese territory, an official said. The deal also requires Hezbollah to retreat from the southern border and move up the Litani River.

The ceasefire announcement followed the day of heaviest Israeli raid in Beirut since September. Even early Wednesday morning, less than an hour before the ceasefire began, air strikes hit south Beirut - about two hours after the Israeli army ordered evacuation.

War has been raging across the Middle East with Israel fighting the Hamas in Gaza and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon. Israel and Iran have also exchanged fire over their support to these groups.

President Biden said the ceasefire was designed to "permanently" end hostilities in Gaza and that the US and its allies would provide all assistance to ensure the deal was implemented effectively.

A US official said the Lebanon ceasefire could be a "stepping stone" towards ensuring end of hostilities in Gaza and freeing the hostages.

India welcomes Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire: ‘Hope this leads to peace’

NEW DELHI, Nov 27: India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Wednesday welcomed the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah and said India has always called for “de-escalation, restraint and return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy”.

"We welcome the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon that has been announced. We have always called for de-escalation, restraint and return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy. We hope these developments will lead to peace and stability in the wider region," said a statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked outgoing US President Joe Biden for his "involvement in securing the ceasefire agreement". He told Biden in a call that he appreciated the US leader's "understanding that Israel will maintain its freedom of action in enforcing it", according to Netanyahu's office.

Israel Agrees To Ceasefire Deal With Lebanon: Report

TEL AVIV, Nov 26: In a significant development in West Asia, Israel has agreed to a ceasefire with Lebanon. The agreement is expected to come into effect immediately.

Israel's Security Cabinet, the country's top decision-making body under the government has reportedly agreed to the ceasefire, according to reports.

Israel and Lebanon-based, Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah have been at war for several months now. Hezbollah had started attacking Israel with rockets and projectiles for over a year leading to a retaliation from Tel Aviv. Hezbollah has been backing Hamas, another Iran-backed militant group which it considers its ally.

Israel and Hamas have been at war since October 2023, when the terrorists breached the Israel-Gaza border and took Israeli hostages at a concert. Hamas is based in Gaza, which is where the war began after Israel retaliated to the terror attack. Since then, the war in West Asia, popularly called the Middle-East, has led to large-scale destruction and death of tens of thousands of people in the region.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly agreed to the temporary ceasefire and so has his security cabinet. A formal agreement from Lebanon is awaited too.

Pakistan Army Gives 'Shoot-At-Sight' Order Against Imran Khan Protesters

ISLAMABAD, Nov 26: As the situation worsened in Pakistan's capital Islamabad amid fierce protests demanding the release of former prime minister Imran Khan, the government asked the army to intervene. As a sea of protesters flooded the streets of Islamabad, clashes with the police left at least four cops and a civilian dead.

According to a report, when the Pakistan Army stepped in, it issued "shoot at sight" orders under Section 245 - which is a clause meant for the armed forces "to defend Pakistan against external aggression or threat of war". The clause also gives the army an open hand as it nullifies any judicial intervention or future proceedings.

The local media in Pakistan also reportedly said that the Army's order instructed soldiers to "not spare anyone".

Protesters in Pakistan have defied police warnings and been demanding the release of former prime minister Imran Khan. Tens of thousands of citizens from across Pakistan descended on the streets of Islamabad with sticks, stones and catapults.

Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, who was prime minister for little over 3 years between 2018 and 2022, has for years since been imprisoned and banished by the Pakistani establishment. Despite having a mass following in Pakistan, Khan has been barred from contesting elections.

He is now charged with dozens of legal cases from cheating and corruption to vandalism and arson, and even accused of sedition and treason - all of which he says is to frame him in order to prevent him from a political comeback.

India Condemns Arrest of Hindu Priest In Bangladesh

NEW DELHI, Nov 26: India on Tuesday condemned the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, a Hindu priest and a religious minority leader in Bangladesh.

In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also urged the Bangladeshi authorities to ensure the safety and security of Hindus and all other minorities.

Chandan Kumar Dhar, also known as Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, a prominent former leader of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Bangladesh, was arrested at a Dhaka airport on Monday afternoon. He was denied bail by a Dhaka court on Tuesday.

"We have noted with deep concern the arrest and denial of bail to Shri Chinmoy Krishna Das, who is also the spokesperson of the Bangladesh Sammilit Sanatan Jagran Jote. This incident follows the multiple attacks on Hindus and other minorities by extremist elements in Bangladesh," the statement read.

The MEA noted that there are several documented cases of arson and looting of minorities' homes and business establishments, as well as theft, vandalism and desecration of deities and temples in Bangladesh.

"It is unfortunate that while the perpetrators of these incidents remain at large, charges should be pressed against a religious leader presenting legitimate demands through peaceful gatherings," MEA said.

Ceasefire Deal Between Israel-Hezbollah 'Close', Says White House

WASHINGTON, Nov 25: The United States believes a ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah is "close" but negotiations are still ongoing, the White House said on Monday.

"We believe we've reached this point where we're close," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters, adding however that "we're not there yet."

"We believe that the trajectory of this is going in a very positive direction -- but again nothing is done until everything is done, nothing is negotiated until everything is negotiated."

Kirby said it would be "irresponsible" to confirm press reports about the contents of any deal, adding that he did not want to do "anything that might torpedo our chances."

President Joe Biden had been monitoring the progress of ceasefire talks "very closely" and had been in direct contact with US envoy Amos Hochstein, who visited the region last week, he added.

Kirby would not confirm reports in Saudi media that Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron were set to announce a deal on Tuesday, saying only that the two leaders spoke on the Israel-Hezbollah conflict last week.

Israel, Hezbollah trade heavy fire

JERUSALEM, Nov 25: Hezbollah fires 340 missiles and drones at Israel, wounding 11 people and causing “severe damage” in Tel Aviv, as its fighters put up fierce resistance against invading Israeli troops in southern Lebanon.

Israeli air attacks cause “massive destruction” in the Lebanese capital, according to local media, as Lebanon’s Education Ministry suspends schools in Beirut until January.

Israeli forces also carry out fresh attacks on the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, a day after a raid that wounded the director of the besieged facility.

Israel’s genocide in Gaza has killed at least 44,211 Palestinians and wounded 104,567 since October 7, 2023. An estimated 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks that day with more than 200 taken captive.

In Lebanon, at least 3,754 people have been killed and 15,626 wounded in Israeli attacks since the war on Gaza began.

Israel reportedly moving towards ceasefire deal in Lebanon

JERUSALEM, Nov 25: Israel is moving towards a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon with the Hezbollah militant group, Axios reporter Barak Ravid posted on X on Sunday, citing a senior Israeli official.

A separate report from Israel's public broadcaster Kan, citing an Israeli official, said there was no green light given on an agreement in Lebanon, with issues still yet to be resolved.

Trial of four Indians accused in killing of Nijjar moved to British Columbia court

TORONTO, Nov 24: The trial of the four Indian nationals accused in the killing of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar, has been moved from the Surrey provincial court to the British Columbia Supreme Court as the prosecution has sought their direct indictment.

On Monday, the prosecution, called the Crown in Canada, moved for the stay of proceedings in the provincial court and is “now proceeding by way of a direct indictment”, said a spokesperson for the BC Prosecution Service, Ministry of Attorney General.

Communications Counsel Damienne Darby said, “A direct indictment means the accused will not have a preliminary inquiry but will instead proceed directly to trial (after what is anticipated to be a fairly lengthy period of pretrial applications given the complexity of the case). November 18 was the first appearance on the Supreme Court matter. The accused appeared by video, except Amandeep Singh, who appeared by counsel designation.”

US condemns killing of rabbi in UAE, Israel says ‘Murder is antisemitic act of terror’

DUBAI, Nov 24: Three people have been arrested by the UAE authorities in connection with the alleged murder of an Israeli citizen, the Emirati interior ministry said on Sunday.

The ministry didn’t provide any further details regarding the arrests and if the individuals had been charged, but said that all legal powers would be used “to respond decisively and without leniency to any actions or attempts that threaten societal stability”, reported Reuters.

Zvi Kogan, an Israeli rabbi, who also held Moldovan citizenship and is a representative of Chabad, went missing on Thursday afternoon. According to CNN’s report, Chabad’s website claimed that Kogan was kidnapped from Dubai, which is one of the seven emirates of UAE.

Later on Sunday, the UAE authorities confirmed that they have discovered Kogan’s body. The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said earlier that Tel Aviv would “use all means at its disposal to bring the murderers of Kogan and those who sent them to justice.”

Netanyahu, in a heartfelt condolence message to the family of Kogan said “the murder of an Israeli citizen and Chabad emissary is a heinous, antisemitic act of terror.”

The United States also intervened in the matter and said that it is working closely with UAE and Israel in the murder of rabbi Zvi Kogan in the Gulf country. “We condemn in the strongest terms the murder of Rabbi Zvi Kogan in the UAE and our prayers are with his family,” White House National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett said.

In a firm stance, Israel reissued travel advice to its citizens against non-essential travel to UAE and said that the Israelis who are currently in UAE should minimize their movement, remain in secure areas and avoid visiting places associated with Israel and Jewish populations.

Israeli missiles target Hezbollah strongholds in Beirut

TELAVIV, Nov 23: At least four missiles were fired in an airstrike targeting Beirut's Basta neighbourhood early on Saturday, as Israel intensified its military campaign against Hezbollah, several media reports confirm.

The attack resulted in a violent explosion, with witnesses reporting the blast in the Lebanese capital. The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, which began a year ago, escalated after Hezbollah launched rockets at northern Israel in support of Hamas at the start of the Gaza war.

Recently, the conflict has intensified with Israel's airstrikes on southern Lebanon, Beirut's southern suburbs, and the Bekaa Valley, where many of Hezbollah's top leaders have been killed. In response, Hezbollah fired rockets deeper into Israel.

The ongoing violence reflects the growing tensions in the region, with Israel using both airstrikes and ground troops along the border while Hezbollah retaliates with rocket attacks. The situation remains volatile as both sides continue their military operations.

It marked the fourth Israeli airstrike this week targeting a central area of Beirut, where the bulk of Israel's attacks have targeted the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs. On Sunday, an Israeli airstrike killed a Hezbollah media official in the Ras al-Nabaa district of central Beirut.

A US mediator travelled to Lebanon and Israel this week in an effort to secure a ceasefire. The envoy, Amos Hochstein, indicated progress had been made after meetings in Beirut on Tuesday and Wednesday before meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz.

Israel hits pro-Iranian fighters in Syria, 82 killed

JERUSALEM, Nov 23: Israeli strikes killed 82 pro-Iran fighters in the Syrian oasis city of Palmyra, some from Iraq and Lebanon, a monitor said Thursday in an updated toll.

Wednesday's death toll was "the highest due to Israeli raids on pro-Iran groups in Syria" since civil war broke out in 2011, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights chief Rami Abdel Rahman said.

The Britain-based monitor said the strikes targeted three sites in Palmyra -- a modern city adjacent to renowned Greco-Roman ruins.

One hit a meeting of pro-Iranian groups involving leaders from Iraq's Al-Nujaba group and Lebanon's Hezbollah. The death toll has risen to "82 pro-Iran fighters", including 22 foreigners "mostly from the Iraqi Al-Nujaba movement" but also including "four from Hezbollah", the Observatory said. It said the toll was still provisional "due to the large number of wounded". On Wednesday, the Syria defence ministry had put the death toll at 36.

'Speculative, Inaccurate': Canada Factchecks Own Media, Backtracks After India's Stinker

TORONTO, Nov 22: The Justin Trudeau-led Canadian government on Friday denied a report linking top Indian leaders to criminal activities in Canada, saying it is "speculative and inaccurate".

In a statement days after a strong rebuttal from New Delhi, National security and intelligence advisor to Justin Trudeau, Nathalie G Drouin, said the Canadian government is "not aware" of any evidence of the claims made by a Canadian media house citing unnamed officials.

"On October 14th, because of a significant and ongoing threat to public safety, the RCMP and officials took the extraordinary step of making public accusations of serious criminal activity in Canada perpetrated by agents of the Government of India. The Government of Canada has not stated, nor is it aware of the evidence, linking Prime Minister Modi, Minister Jaishankar, or NSA Doval to the serious criminal activity within Canada," the statement read.

The report by Canada's 'Globe and Mail' newspaper on Thursday quoted unnamed Canadian officials claiming that Indian leaders were "aware" of the plot to kill Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar - who was killed in Vancouver last year.

India immediately responded sharply to what it called "ludicrous claims", with External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal calling the report a "smear campaign".

"Such ludicrous statements made to a newspaper purportedly by a Canadian government source should be dismissed with the contempt they deserve. Smear campaigns like this only further damage our already strained ties," Mr Jaiswal said.

In a parallel move, Canada has rolled back its decision to implement extra screening of travellers flying to India. Earlier this week, Canada's Transport Minister Anita Anand said that the measures were borne"out of an abundance of caution."

Gautam Adani indicted: White House reacts, ‘confident’ in navigating crisis

WASHINGTON, Nov 22: The White House said it is aware of the allegations against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, chairman of Adani Group, who was indicted in New York over his role in an alleged multibillion-dollar bribery and fraud scheme.

US prosecutors said Gautam Adani and seven other defendants, including his nephew Sagar Adani, agreed to pay about $265 million in bribes to Indian government officials to obtain contracts expected to yield $2 billion of profit over 20 years, and develop India's largest solar power plant project.

Adani Group denied the allegations as “baseless”, while Indian government officials haven't commented so far.

During a media briefing on Thursday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that the administration is aware of the charges against Adani.

Asserting that the relationship between India and the US is built on a strong foundation, the White House spokesperson has expressed confidence that the US can navigate the ongoing crisis surrounding bribery charges against Gautam Adani.

“Obviously, we're aware of these allegations, and I would have to refer you to the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) and DOJ (Department of Justice) about the specifics of those allegations against the Adani Group,” Karine Jean-Pierre said.

“What I will say is on the US and India relationship, we believe that it stands on an extremely strong foundation anchored in ties between our people and cooperation across a full range of global issues,” Jean-Pierre added.

Advocating strong India-US ties, the White House press secretary said, “What we believe and we are confident about is that we'll continue to navigate this issue as we have with other issues that may have come up as you just stated. And so the specifics of this, this is something that the SEC and DOJ can speak to directly, but again, we believe that…this relationship between the two nations has been built on a strong foundation.”

On Thursday, Adani Group called US charges that their billionaire founder Gautam Adani had paid more than $250 million in bribes “baseless”, as the opposition leader demanded the tycoon's arrest.

The stiff denial came after shares in the industrialist's conglomerate nosedived more than 23 per cent in Mumbai, the morning after a bombshell indictment in New York accused him of deliberately misleading international investors.

"The allegations made by the US Department of Justice and the US Securities and Exchange Commission against directors of Adani Green are baseless and denied," the conglomerate said in a statement.

"All possible legal recourse will be sought," it added.

Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi said the businessmen should be taken into custody.

"We demand that Adani be immediately arrested. But we know that won't happen as Modi is protecting him," Rahul Gandhi told reporters in New Delhi.

“Modi can't act even if he wants to, because he is controlled by Adani,” the Congress MP alleged.

The BJP, on the other hand, slammed Rahul Gandhi's attack on Prime Minister Modi as part of his long-running efforts to target its leader and noted that none of the four states named in American courts had a BJP government.

"Law will take its own course," said BJP spokesperson and MP Sambit Patra.

Russia's Firing Of ICBM On Ukraine Is Weapon's 1st Combat Use In History

KYIV, Nov 21: Russia reportedly launched an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Ukraine, marking the first combat use of the weapon since its inception almost six decades ago.

Moreover, Moscow used the Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicles (MIRV) technology to target "critical infrastructure" in Ukraine's Dnipro, the first-ever use of the technology too.

ICBMs have a range of over 5,500 kilometres and are built to carry nuclear, chemical and biological warheads. It can also carry a conventional warhead, which Russia reportedly used on the RS-26 Rubezh, ballistic missile. The missile was launched from the Astrakhan region of Russia, over 1,000 km away from the damage site in Ukraine.

Videos have surfaced on social media and Telegram handles, where at least warheads re-entering and targeting infrastructure in Ukraine. Russia has "denied to comment" on the launch of ICBMs though Kyiv has confirmed its use.

The launch comes just a day after Putin signed off on changes to the nuclear doctrine. The changes in the doctrine say that an attack from a non-nuclear state backed by a nuclear state will be viewed by Russia as a joint attack on it. Recently, the US has allowed Ukraine to use long-range ATACMS missiles to strike deep into Russia.

Rubezh is a solid-fueled ICBM equipped with MIRV technology. It was developed in 2011 and was successfully tested for the first time in 2012, hitting a target 5,800 km away from the launch site.

Solid-fuel missiles do not need to be fuelled immediately after launch and are often easier to operate. It's a mixture of fuel and an oxidizer that are bound together by a hard rubbery material and packed in a metal casing.

When solid-propellant in RS-26 burns, the oxygen from the fuel element generates enormous energy, creating thrust and helping in lif-off.

A ballistic missile follows a parabolic trajectory with a boost, mid-course and terminal stage. The highest point where the missile reaches is called apogee and for ICBMs, it is over 4,000 km. During atmospheric re-entry or terminal stage, kinetic energy coupled with the missile's speed reaches over Mach 10, making interception of the missile difficult.

ICBMs with MIRV technology, allow multiple targets located at different locations to be engaged from the same missile with several warheads. These warheads could be nuclear or non-nuclear.

These bombs can target locations that are several hundred kilometres apart with the help of the technology and some MIRVed missiles can even hit targets separated by a distance of 1,500 kilometres.

In Dnipro, at least six bombs or warheads were dropped over the region and anti-ballistic missiles (ABM) have to engage with such weapons separately. Therefore, the ABM systems seek to destroy the missile before the separation of the warhead stage.

The US was the first country to develop MIRV technology, deploying a MIRVed Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) in 1970 and a MIRVed Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) in 1971. The Soviet Union quickly followed suit and by the end of the 1970s had developed their MIRV-enabled ICBM and SLBM technology.

The signing of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty was significant in cooling down tensions between the US and the Soviets during the Cold War. It required the United States and the Soviet Union to eliminate and permanently forswear all of their nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of 500 to 5,500 kilometres. This was the first time the two blocs agreed to reduce their nuclear arsenals.

As a result of the INF Treaty, the United States and the Soviet Union destroyed a total of 2,692 short, medium, and intermediate-range missiles by the treaty's implementation deadline of June 1, 1991. In 2019, the United States formally withdrew from the treaty, which now ceases to exist.

50 Killed In Latest Attack On Shia Muslims In Pakistan

PESHAWAR, Nov 21: At least 50 people have died in Pakistan's restive northwest province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa after gunmen fired indiscriminately in two separate incidents of sectarian violence targeting Shia Muslims.

The region, not new to communal violence and terrorist attacks, has seen a sharp rise in such incidents in recent months, leading to the deaths of hundreds of people and dozens of soldiers.

In today's attacks, armed groups opened fire on two different convoys in which Shia Muslims were travelling. "Two separate convoys of Shiite people... were targeted by the terrorists in the Kurram district," Javed ullah Mehsud, a senior administration official, said. "The death toll has risen to 50, with 11 others injured in both attacks," he added.

The official said that as per information available to him, the deaths include that of six women, several children, and a number of police officers. He also said that "Around 10 attackers were involved in both incidents, firing indiscriminately from both sides of the road."

Each convoy reportedly had more than 40 vehicles and were being escorted by the police. The women and children who could escape the vehicles and run, took refuge in houses in the vicinity, said the official, adding that "we are currently searching for (the attackers) in the area."

Though the conflict between Sunni and Shia Muslims in most Islamic nations have existed for centuries, Pakistan is facing a surge in such violence and killings. Tribes have been engaged in intermittent fighting for several months in Kurram, in the mountainous northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

After US Missile, Ukraine Fires UK's 'Storm Shadow' Into Russia: Report

KYIV, Nov 20: Ukraine's armed forces fired British cruise missiles at military targets inside Russia for the first time, a Western official familiar with the matter said, as the 1,000-day conflict enters a new phase.

The UK approved the use of Storm Shadow missiles in response to Russia deploying North Korean troops in its war against Ukraine, a move the British government considered to be an escalation, according to the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

The issue dominated the Group of 20 leaders' summit in Brazil this week after US President Joe Biden gave the go-ahead for Ukraine to fire long-range ATACMS missiles at Russian targets. But Starmer didn't publicly back the move, despite long being seen as an advocate, leading to questions about whether his government would allow the use of British-made Storm Shadows.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has long called for Western governments to bolster military support, including allowing the use of long-range missiles to hit targets in Russia that are crucial to Vladimir Putin's war effort.

Storm Shadow debris was found in Russia's Kursk region to the north of Ukraine and two missiles were intercepted over Yeysk, a Black Sea port in the southern Krasnodar region, according to the Telegram channel Rybar, which has connections to the army and more than 1.3 million subscribers. The information couldn't be independently verified.

US Treasuries pared declines after the latest missile launch was announced.

It comes a day after the Russian Defense Ministry said Ukraine had used Western-supplied ATACMS for the first time to strike a military facility inside Russia.

Netanyahu Offers A $5 Million Reward For Each Hostage Returned

JERUSALEM, Nov 20: Israel will pay $5 million to any Gaza resident who returns a hostage plus safe passage out of the war-ravaged territory, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday.

“To those who want to leave this entanglement I say: Whoever brings us a hostage will find a safe way out for himself and his family,” the prime minister said. “We will also give $5 million for every hostage. Choose. The choice is yours, but the result will be the same. We will bring them all back.”

It's the latest twist in Netanyahu's frustrated attempts to deliver on pledges to the families of hostages to bring home those seized when Hamas militants attacked Israel more than a year ago.

Talks between Israel and Iran-backed Hamas to free the hostages have stalled after months of efforts to reach a cease-fire agreement that would also provide for the release of some hostages. Qatar said this month that it's stepping back from efforts to mediate that have also involved the US and Egypt.

Netanyahu juxtaposed his new offer of a reward with a more familiar warning.

“I want to say to those who are holding our hostages: Whoever dares to harm our hostages will pay the price. We will pursue you, and we will find you,” Netanyahu said in a visit to Israeli troops in Gaza.

Hamas, which rules Gaza, killed about 1,200 people and took about 250 hostage when it invaded Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. More than 100 hostages were released during a cease-fire a year ago, and a small number have been rescued by the military. About 100 remain in Gaza, including about 40 believed to be dead.

Hamas is classified as a terrorist organization by the US and the European Union.

Iran undergarments girl: Court Lets Her Go Free

TEHRAN, Nov 20: Iran’s judiciary announced on Tuesday that it has not issued an indictment against a student who stripped off to her underwear at a university in Tehran, according to reports.

Judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir stated during a press briefing that the student was taken to the hospital due to health concerns. After finding out that she was ill, she was returned to her family. He confirmed that no legal proceedings have been initiated in connection with the incident.

According to a report, judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir stated at a news conference, without identifying the individual, “Considering that she was sent to the hospital, and it was found that she was ill, she was handed over to her family… and no judicial case has been filed against her.”

In early November, a video surfaced online showing a female student at Islamic Azad University in Tehran, where she was seen sitting and briefly walking before removing her clothes down to her underwear. The incident provoked strong reactions from Iranian officials, as strict dress codes for women, including covering the neck and head and dressing modestly, have been in place since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

As per a report, Science Minister Hossein Simaei described it as an “immoral and uncustomary” act, while adding that she had not been expelled from her university. London-based human rights organization Amnesty International stated that the woman was “violently arrested after she removed her clothes in protest against abusive enforcement of compulsory veiling by security officials.”

Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani rejected allegations that the woman’s arrest was violent or linked to the enforcement of the Islamic dress code. “The issue was actually something else,” she said, noting that “this level of nudity is not accepted anywhere,” according to reports.

The university later stated that the student had been handed over to the police and was found to be “under severe pressure and suffering from a mental disorder.”

This incident comes amid the aftermath of months-long protests in Iran, triggered by the September 2022 death of 22-year-old Iranian Kurd Mahsa Amini in custody, allegedly over a dress code violation. The unrest resulted in the deaths of hundreds, including numerous security personnel, and the arrest of thousands of protesters.

In A First, Ukraine Hits Russia With Long-Range American Missile After Biden's Approval

KYIV, Nov 19: Ukrainian defence forces reportedly carried out their first strike in the border regions within Russian territory using Western-supplied ATACMS ballistic missiles.

The move came on the 1,000th day of Russia invading Ukraine, after US President Joe Biden's administration approved Kyiv's limited use of the weapons to hit targets inside Russia.

As per Ukrainian media reports, the strike targeted a Russian military facility near the city of Karachev in the Bryansk region, located approximately 130 kilometres from the Ukrainian border.

"Indeed, for the first time, we used ATACMS to strike Russian territory. The strike was carried out against a facility in the Bryansk region, and it was successfully hit," RBC Ukraine reported, citing an official in the nation's military.

The attack was reportedly carried out on the night of November 19, at the 67th Arsenal of the Main Missile and Artillery Directorate of the Russian Ministry of Defense.

Ukraine's General Staff also confirmed the attack on a facility near Karachev but did not comment on what missiles were used, saying the information is classified.

Till now, Ukraine has been using its homemade drones to attack deep into Russia, but the use of US weapons would be more destructive.

Russia on Tuesday confirmed that Ukraine used the long-range ATACMS missiles against its territory and said it marked a "new phase of the Western war" against Moscow, and vowed to react "accordingly.

"This is, of course, a signal that they want to escalate," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, speaking at a G20 press conference in Brazil, said of the strike.

"We will be taking this as a qualitatively new phase of the Western war against Russia. And we will react accordingly," he added, accusing Washington of helping Kyiv operate the missiles.

Lavrov also urged the West to read a decree signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday that lowers the threshold for when Moscow can use nuclear weapons.

"I hope that they will read this doctrine... in its entirety," Lavrov said.

Hezbollah media chief killed in IDF strike on central Beirut

BEIRUT, Nov 17: An Israeli airstrike on a building in a central neighborhood of the Lebanese capital Beirut on Sunday reportedly killed the top spokesman for the Hezbollah terror group.

Two Lebanese security sources said that Hezbollah’s media relations chief Mohammed Afif was killed in the strike on the Ras al-Naba’a neighborhood.

The Israel Defense Forces did not immediately issue a comment on the strike.

Unlike dozens of other Israeli attacks carried out in Beirut this past week, the strike killing Afif was not carried out in the southern suburbs of Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold known as Dahiyeh.

The building where Afif was targeted housed the offices of the Syrian Ba’ath Party, Lebanese media reported. The IDF did not issue any evacuation warning before the strike, as it was an assassination and did not target Hezbollah’s infrastructure.

Afif had been especially visible after Israel’s military escalation in September and following the assassination of longtime Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was also killed in an Israeli airstrike.

Russia attacks Ukraine's energy infrastructure

KYIV, Nov 17: Russia has carried out its largest air attack on Ukraine in months, launching 120 missiles and 90 drones that killed several people and caused severe damage to the power system, officials said.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday that Ukrainian defences shot down 140 air targets across Ukraine. Various types of drones were deployed, he said, including Iranian-made Shaheds as well as cruise, ballistic and aircraft-launched ballistic missiles in one of the largest barrages of the nearly three-year war.

“The enemy’s target was our energy infrastructure throughout Ukraine. Unfortunately, there is damage to objects from hits and falling debris,” Zelenskyy said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.

A Russian drone attack on the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv killed at least two people and wounded six others, including children, Zelenskyy said, adding that “all areas” were left without power.

Poland, a NATO member that borders Ukraine to the west, said it had scrambled its air force as a precaution.

Explosions were heard across Ukraine on Sunday, including in the capital, Kyiv, the key southern port of Odesa, and the country’s west and central regions, according to local reports.

Israel's October Airstrike Destroyed Top Secret Nuke Lab In Iran: Report

JERUSALEM, Nov 16: In late October, Israel launched an attack on Iran's Parchin military complex, an active top secret nuclear weapons lab, specifically targeting the Taleghan 2 facility, a site previously believed to be inactive.

This bold move has significantly damaged Iran's efforts to revive its nuclear weapons research, which had been secretly ongoing since last year. The strike destroyed sophisticated equipment used to design plastic explosives that surround uranium in a nuclear device, a crucial component for detonation.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi vehemently denies the country's pursuit of nuclear weapons, stating, "Iran is not after nuclear weapons, period." However, Israeli and US officials reveal a different story.

According to a report by Axios, The Taleghan 2 facility was once part of Iran's Amad nuclear weapons program, halted in 2003, but recent activity suggested a resurgence of nuclear ambitions. High-resolution satellite imagery confirms the complete destruction of the Taleghan 2 building.

The Israeli strike was preceded by warnings from the White House to Iran about suspicious research activities detected by Israeli and US intelligence. These warnings fell on deaf ears, prompting concerns "across the board" about Iran's intentions. The US Director of National Intelligence (DNI) even reassessed Iran's nuclear program in light of these findings.

The incoming Trump administration's hawkish stance on Iran may lead to heightened tensions and stricter sanctions.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) board of governors is expected to vote on a censure resolution against Iran for its lack of cooperation.

Iran's secret nuclear activities at Taleghan 2, not part of its declared program, raise questions about its commitment to the treaty.

The strike may escalate tensions between Israel and Iran, potentially destabilising West Asia.

As the IAEA meets to discuss Iran's cooperation, the international community watches with bated breath. Will Iran limit its cooperation with the IAEA, or will it negotiate with European powers on its peaceful nuclear program? The aftermath of the Israeli strike has opened a Pandora's box, and the world awaits Iran's next move.

Hamas Says 'Ready For Ceasefire', Urges Trump To 'Pressure' Israel

GAZA, Nov 15: A senior Hamas official on Friday said the group is "ready for a ceasefire" in Gaza, urging US President-elect Donald Trump to "pressure" Israel as it continued to pound the Palestinian territory.

It comes nearly a week after Qatar, which hosts much of the Palestinian group's political bureau, announced it was suspending its role as a mediator in the war and urging all parties to show "seriousness".

"Hamas is ready to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip if a ceasefire proposal is presented and on the condition that it is respected" by Israel, said Doha-based Hamas political bureau member Bassem Naim.

"We call on the US administration and Trump to pressure the Israeli government to end the aggression."

Friday's announcement by Hamas came as Israel continued to strike Gaza, with residents of the central city of Deir el-Balah searching through the rubble of their destroyed homes after overnight strikes.

Landslide Victory For Lanka President's Party In Snap Elections

COLOMBO, Nov 15: Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's leftist coalition won a landslide victory in snap legislative elections, results showed Friday, as voters repudiated establishment parties blamed for triggering an economic crisis.

Dissanayake, a self-avowed Marxist, swept September presidential elections on a promise to combat graft and recover stolen assets, two years after a slow-motion financial crash imposed widespread hardships on the island nation.

His decision to immediately call polls and secure parliamentary backing for his agenda was vindicated on Friday, with his National People's Power (NPP) coalition taking at least 123 seats in the 225-member assembly and on track to win many more.

The coalition had a monumental 62 percent of the vote among the more than three-quarters of ballots counted so far, while opposition leader Sajith Premadasa's party was well behind with only 18 percent.

"People voted to get rid of corruption and a corrupt system," IT professional Chanaka Rajapaksha, who supported the NPP in the polls, said on Friday.

In a sign of the magnitude of support for Dissanayake, his party won the most votes in the northern district of Jaffna, dominated by the island's minority Tamil community, for the first time since independence from Britain in 1948.

Dissanayake, the 55-year-old son of a labourer, said he expected "a strong majority" in parliament to press ahead with his platform after casting his ballot in Thursday's poll.

"We believe that this is a crucial election that will mark a turning point in Sri Lanka," he said. "At this election, the NPP expects a mandate for a very strong majority in parliament."

Police said the nine-hour voting period passed without any incidents of violence, unlike most ballots of recent years, but three election workers including a police constable died due to illness while on duty.

Voter turnout was estimated at under 70 percent, less than in September presidential polls that saw nearly 80 percent of Sri Lanka's eligible voters cast a ballot.

Dissanayake had been an MP for nearly 25 years and was briefly an agriculture minister but his NPP coalition held just three seats in the outgoing assembly.

He stormed to the presidency after successfully distancing himself from establishment politicians blamed for steering the country to its 2022 economic crisis.

The financial crash was the worst in Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka's history as an independent nation, sparking months-long shortages of food, fuel and essential medicines.

The resulting public anger culminated in the storming of then-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa's compound, prompting his resignation and temporary exile.

Dissanayake's pledge to change a "corrupt" political culture has resonated with millions of Sri Lankans struggling to make ends meet following tax hikes and other austerity measures imposed to repair the nation's finances.

His JVP party, the main constituent in the NPP coalition, led two insurrections in 1971 and 1987 that resulted in at least 80,000 deaths.

But he was sworn in after September's presidential polls, described as one of the island nation's most peaceful elections.

Portraits of communist luminaries including Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, Friedrich Engels and Fidel Castro hang in Dissanayake's office in the capital.

Since his rise to popularity, however, he has softened some policies, saying he believes in an open economy and is not totally opposed to privatisation.

Dissanayake had campaigned on a pledge to renegotiate a controversial $2.9 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout secured by his predecessor.

But since taking office, he has resolved to maintain the existing agreement with the international lender.

The country's main private sector lobby, the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, is tacitly supporting Dissanayake and his programme.

Sri Lanka's stock exchange has gained over 16 percent in the eight weeks since Dissanayake won the presidency.

2 Israeli airstrikes hit Syria's capital and a suburb, killing 15 people

DAMASCUS, Nov 14: Israel forces hit neighborhood of Damascus and one of the capital’s suburbs on Thursday, killing at least 15 people and wounding another 16, Syria's state news agency said.

The news agency, SANA, said the airstrikes on the Mazzeh neighborhood in Damascus and the suburb of Qudsaya northwest of the capital struck two buildings. A journalist at the scene in Mazzeh said that a five-story building was damaged by a missile that hit the basement.

The Israeli military said that it had hit infrastructure sites and command centers of the Islamic Jihad militant group in Syria, and had “inflicted significant damage to the terrorist organization’s command center and to its operatives.”

The airstrikes in Damascus and the nearby suburb came shortly before Ali Larijani, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei, was scheduled to meet in the Syrian capital with representatives of Palestinian factions at the Iranian Embassy in Mazzeh.

The Israeli military said that Islamic Jihad had participated alongside Hamas, the Palestinian militant group in the Gaza Strip, in the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks on southern Israel that triggered the ongoing war in the Middle East.

The military “will continue to operate against the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization wherever necessary,” it said.

Israeli strikes in Lebanon eliminated 200 Hezbollah terrorists this week: IDF

JERUSALEM, Nov 14: Israeli airstrikes have killed approximately 200 Hezbollah terrorists and destroyed 140 rocket launchers in the past week, the Israel Defense Forces disclosed on Thursday morning.

The IDF said the launchers posed "an immediate threat" to the Israeli home front and soldiers operating in southern Lebanon.

Targets included a launcher from which rockets were fired into the Western Galilee and central Israel on Tuesday and Wednesday, the army added.

Among the terrorists eliminated in the strikes were the head of battalion operations and the head of battalion anti-tank weapons in Hezbollah's Radwan Force in the coastal sector.

"These attacks and assassinations constitute another damage to the ability of the terrorist organization Hezbollah to promote and carry out terrorist operations from southern Lebanon against the Israeli rear on the northern border," the IDF said.

Meanwhile, Lebanese media reported new airstrikes on the Dahieh district of Beirut. Dahieh is a Shia stronghold in the southern area of Lebanon's capital city. The IDF said on Wednesday it had destroyed "a majority" of the Iran-backed terror group's weapons storage and production facilities located below the neighbourhood.

"Over the past 20 years, the Hezbollah terrorist organization has established dozens of weapons production sites and storage facilities in the heart of the Dahieh district, the organization's governing stronghold. These sites, systematically concealed beneath civilian buildings, have produced and stored hundreds of missiles and rockets intended to inflict significant harm on the State of Israel," the army said.

After the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, Hezbollah began launching rockets and launching drones at northern Israel communities daily. More than 68,000 residents of northern Israel are displaced from their homes. Hezbollah leaders have repeatedly said they would continue the attacks to prevent Israelis from returning to their homes.

India to achieve $100-billion trade with Russia well before 2030 target: Jaishankar

NEW DELHI, Nov 12: India is confident of achieving commerce worth $100 billion with Russia before the target date of 2030 though the two sides need to address constraints to ensure trade is more balanced, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday.

The two sides have seen “perceptible progress” in tackling challenges to trade, especially issues related to payments and logistics, but there is “still some work to be done”, Jaishankar said while co-chairing a meeting of the main body that oversees bilateral trade and technical cooperation with Russia’s first deputy prime minister Denis Manturov.

Jaishankar’s remarks built on his comments at the India-Russia Business Forum in Mumbai on Monday about the need to address the imbalance in bilateral trade. India has run up a trade deficit of almost $57 billion with Russia, largely due to massive purchases of Russian crude since 2022. In July, the two sides set a target of ramping up trade to $100 billion by 2030.

India is confident about achieving this trade target well before 2030, Jaishankar said in his opening remarks at the meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technical and Cultural Cooperation (IGC-TEC) as the two economies are complementary and benefit from “trust and confidence built over many years”.

While growth in bilateral trade, currently estimated at $66 billion, is impressive, the two sides have some way to go in tackling challenges, Jaishankar said.

European Troops, 800-Mile Buffer Zone In Trump's Ukraine Peace Plan

WASHINGTON, Nov 10: US President-elect Donald Trump, who has repeatedly boasted that he could end the Russia-Ukraine war in his first 24 hours in power, is likely to call on European soldiers to enforce an 800-mile buffer zone between the Russian and Ukrainian armies.

Trump's peace plan, outlined by three of his staffers, would see the current front line frozen in place and Ukraine agreeing to shelve its ambition to join NATO, The Telegraph reported this week.

In exchange, the US, which has been one of the biggest contributors of aid and arms to Kyiv, would reportedly pump Ukraine full of weapons to deter Russia from restarting the war.

The US would also not contribute troops to patrol and enforce the resulting buffer zone.

"We are not sending American men and women to uphold peace in Ukraine. And we are not paying for it. Get the Poles, Germans, British and French to do it," a member of Trump's team said, The Telegraph reported.

Before the US presidential election, in which Trump defeated his Democratic rival Vice President Kamala Harris, the Republican has criticised the scale of its military and financial support for Kyiv, which has been fighting the war with Russia since February 2022.

Donald Trump, who will return to the White House in January next year after defeating his Democratic rival Vice President Kamala Harris in the US presidential election, has on numerous occasions criticised the scale of US military and financial support for Kyiv.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke to Donald Trump following his US election victory.

"We agreed to maintain close dialogue and advance our cooperation. Strong and unwavering US leadership is vital for the world and for a just peace," Zelensky said in a post on X on Wednesday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin also congratulated the Republican tycoon.

At an event, when asked whether he was open to holding talks with Trump, the Russian leader said, "Ready".

Zelensky has repeatedly said peace cannot be established until all Russian forces are expelled and all territory captured by Moscow, including Crimea, is returned.

Russia annexed the Crimea peninsula in 2014 and holds just under 20% of Ukraine's territory.

Qatar Pulls Out As Key Mediator For Gaza Ceasefire: Report

DUBAI, Nov 9: Qatar has withdrawn as a key mediator for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal and warned Hamas that its Doha office "no longer serves its purpose", a diplomatic source told AFP on Saturday.

Qatar, with the United States and Egypt, has been engaged in months of fruitless negotiations for a truce with a hostage and prisoner releases.

"The Qataris informed both the Israelis and Hamas that as long as there is a refusal to negotiate a deal in good faith, they cannot continue to mediate," the source said on condition of anonymity.

"As a consequence, the Hamas political office no longer serves its purpose," the source said.

The informed source said Qatar had already "notified both sides, Israel and Hamas as well as the US administration" of its decision.

"The Qataris conveyed to the US administration that they would be ready to re-engage in mediation when both sides... demonstrate a sincere willingness to return to the negotiating table", the source added.

Qatar, which is home to a major US military base, has hosted Hamas's political leadership since 2012 with Washington's blessing.

During the talks after Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel last year, both Qatari and US officials indicated that the militant group would remain in Doha as long as its presence offered a viable channel of communication.

Qatar said in April that it was reassessing its role as a mediator in the conflict as it was facing criticism, notably from Israeli and US politicians.

At that time, the Qataris gave a similar message over the status of the Hamas office, prompting Hamas officials to leave for Turkey, the diplomatic source said.

But they returned after two weeks at the request of the United States and Israel, as negotiations were "ineffective" while they were in Turkey, the source said.

Apart from a one-week pause in the fighting late last year, during which scores of Hamas-held hostages were released, successive rounds of negotiations have failed to halt the war.

To break the deadlock near the end of US President Joe Biden's term and in the run-up to this week's US elections, Washington and Doha last month announced fresh in-person talks to explore new options.

But the latest initiative produced no breakthrough.

The diplomatic source said Qatar had "concluded that there is insufficient willingness from either side, with the mediation efforts becoming more about politics and elections rather than a serious attempt to secure peace".

Qatar "advised the US administration and both parties that it would not accept being subjected to political exploitation aimed at gaining political leverage at Qatar's expense while misleading public perception", the source added.

Vladimir Putin signs mutual defence treaty with North Korea

MOSCOW, Nov 9: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday signed a treaty on the country's strategic partnership with North Korea which includes a mutual defence provision, enacting it into law.

The accord, announced by Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in June after a summit in Pyongyang, calls on each side to come to the other's aid in case of an armed attack.

The decree making the partnership law appeared on a official website outlining legislative procedures. The treaty was ratified by Russia's parliament. The partnership law appeared on a official website outlining legislative procedures. The treaty was ratified by Russia's parliament.

26 killed in Pakistan blast

ISLAMABAD, Nov 9: At least 26 people were killed and more than 40 injured in a bomb blast at a railway station in Quetta in Pakistan's Balochistan on Saturday, Reuters reported, citing police.

A CCTV camera footage, posted by Sputnik India, showed the moment the bomb blast took place, reportedly targeting Pakistan Army soldiers.

Pakistan is grappling with a surge in strikes by separatist ethnic militants in the south and Islamist militants in its northwest. Inspector general of police for Balochistan, Mouzzam Jah Ansari, said 24 people have died from the blast so far.

"The target was army personnel from the Infantry School," he said, with many of the injured in critical condition.

"So far 44 injured people have been brought to civil hospital," Dr. Wasim Baig, a hospital spokesman, said.

Canada blocks Australia news outlet airing Jaishankar press conference, India says shows ‘hypocrisy towards free speech’

NEW DELHI, Nov 7: Responding strongly to reports of social media handles and pages of an Australian news outlet being blocked in Canada hours after it carried a press conference of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong as well as an interview of the Indian minister, India has said such actions highlight Canada's hypocrisy towards freedom of speech.

During his Australia visit, Jaishankar met Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and also co-chaired the 15th Foreign Ministers' Framework Dialogue with Ms Wong.

Asked about the social media handles of Australia Today being blocked in Canada, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Thursday, "We understand that social media handles and pages of this outlet, which is an important diaspora outlet, have been blocked and are not available for viewers in Canada. This happened a few hours after this particular handle carried the press conference of the External Affairs Minister with Penny Wong."

Stating that the outlet had carried an interview with Jaishankar as well as several articles on his visit, Jaiswal added, "We were surprised. It looks strange to us. But, nonetheless, these are actions that yet again highlight the hypocrisy of Canada towards freedom of speech. In his media interactions, the External Affairs Minister spoke about three things: a pattern of Canada making allegations without evidence, the surveillance of Indian diplomats - which he termed unacceptable - and the political space being given in Canada to anti-India elements. So you can draw your conclusions from that on why the Australia Today channel was blocked."

Last week, India had said some of its consular officials were informed by the Canadian government that they have been under audio and video surveillance. Terming the action a "flagrant violation" of diplomatic conventions, India had said Canada could not hide behind technicalities to justify its harassment and intimidation and that a protest had been lodged with the Canadian government.

Jaiswal also confirmed that some consular camps have been cancelled in Toronto because they did not get security assurance from Canada. The announcement came days after the attack on a Hindu temple in Brampton, where a consular camp was being held, on November 3.

Ties between India and Canada have been strained since Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed - without offering any evidence - last year that "Indian agents" were involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The allegation has been rubbished by New Delhi several times and it has asked Canada to produce evidence to back up the claim.

The relationship hit a new low last month when the Indian High Commissioner was termed a "person of interest" in the killing. India dismissed the fresh charge as "ludicrous" and withdrew the High Commissioner and some diplomats while expelling six Canadian officials, including Canada's acting High Commissioner Stewart Ross Wheeler.

Netanyahu Fires Defence Minister Yoav Gallant Amid Middle East Conflict

JERUSALEM, Nov 6: Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired defence minister Yoav Gallant Tuesday following public differences over the ongoing war in Gaza, replacing him with former top diplomat Israel Katz.

The surprise move to sack Gallant -- who has been hawkish on Israel's war with Hezbollah but has also recently urged a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza -- comes as elections are held in the United States, Israel's top military backer.

Netanyahu and Gallant have frequently clashed over Israel's retaliatory military offensive against Hamas following the Palestinian militant group's deadly attack on Israel on October 7 last year.

"Over the past few months... trust has eroded. In light of this, I decided today to end the term of the defence minister," a statement from the Netanyahu's office said, adding that he had appointed Katz to take his place.

Gideon Saar was in turn appointed to replace Katz as foreign minister.

After his sacking, Gallant said Israel's security would remain his life's "mission".

Taiwan, Britain hold new round of trade talks

TAIPEI, Nov 6: Taiwan and Britain are holding a new round of trade talks this week focusing on investment and green energy, officials said on Wednesday, after a deal last year that Taipei hopes will boost global engagement of the tech powerhouse.

Despite a lack of formal ties, Taiwan sees Britain as an important democratic partner, thanks to its concern over stepped-up Chinese military activities near the island, which Beijing views as its own territory.

Britain also supports Taiwan's participation in global bodies such as the World Health Organization.

Because of its diplomatic isolation and pressure from China, major semiconductor producer Taiwan has few formal foreign trade agreements, though it belongs to the World Trade Organization and has free trade pacts with Singapore and New Zealand.

Taiwan's Office of Trade Negotiations said talks with visiting British officials in Taipei this week focused on issues such as digital trade, investment, renewable energy and net-zero emissions.

Both sides "do not rule out signing relevant agreements", said office spokesperson Benjamin Hsu.

Britain's de facto embassy in Taiwan said working-level trade officials were in Taiwan this week for talks on the Enhanced Trade Partnership announced last year, but declined to comment on the status of the talks.

In November last year, Taiwan and Britain signed an Enhanced Trade Partnership Arrangement that Taipei hopes will further boost its case to join a major pan-Pacific free trade pact and bolster the island's ties with other European states.

China has expressed its opposition to the arrangement, saying Britain should not "enhance substantive relations" with the island.

Taiwan has long urged the European Union, which Britain left in 2020, to sign an investment agreement.

Taiwan has also applied to join the 12-country Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, or CPTPP, which Britain joined last year.

US will be more isolationist whoever wins election: Jaishankar

CANBERRA, Nov 6: The United States is likely to become more isolationist regardless of who becomes its next president, India's foreign minister said on Wednesday.

Speaking at an event in Canberra as Americans were still casting votes, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said the election was unlikely to reverse what he called he called a long-term trend in U.S. policy.

"Probably starting from (President Barack) Obama the U.S. has become much more cautious about its global commitments," he said, pointing to a U.S. reluctance to deploy troops and its withdrawal from Afghanistan under President Joe Biden.

"President Trump may be more articulate and expressive in that regard," he said during a panel discussion with the foreign ministers of Australia and New Zealand.

But, he added, "it's important to look at the U.S. more nationally than purely in terms of the ideology of the administration of the day."

"If we are truly analysing them, I think we have to prepare for a world where actually the kind of dominance and generosity which the U.S. had in the early days may not continue."

That said, Jaishankar said on Tuesday that India's relationship with the United States would only grow in the future.

All three foreign ministers said their nations needed to step in to create the global environment they wanted.

"We all have an interest today in creating some kind of collaborative consensual arrangement." Jaishankar said.

"There is more protectionism," said New Zealand's Winston Peters. "The world we were once trying to build on is changing, and we'll have to react and change with it."

Two Chinese nationals injured in Karachi shooting

KARACHI, Nov 5: Two Chinese nationals were injured in Karachi on Tuesday in a shooting by a security guard, a police officer said, as the Sindh government reported a “clash” at a police station.

Speaking to reporters at the site of the incident, Kemari Senior Superintendent of Police Faizan Ali said: “Two Chinese [nationals] have been injured due to a security guard’s firing.”

According to a statement by the Sindh home department, a clash broke out between the foreigners and security guards at a police station in Karachi’s Sindh Industrial Trading Estate (SITE) A area.

Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar instructed authorities to arrest the security guard involved in the incident, the statement said.

Lanjar sought details from the South deputy inspector general, stating that facts of the incident must be confirmed with a comprehensive inquiry and said, “[He] must be informed of the inquiry report and police action,” it added.

The home minister was further quoted as saying that companies providing security to Chinese experts/residents and foreigners should be audited and the audit report must be sent for review.

Lanjar asserted that physical and mental fitness tests for the guards who were assigned to security duties must be ensured, adding that services should be taken from fully trained and fit security guards.

He also ordered a crackdown on unregistered and illegal security companies, according to the statement.

Canada Hindu groups to protest ‘Khalistani intimidation’ after temple attack

TORONTO, Nov 4: The Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) will hold a peaceful protest on Monday to protest the attack by pro-Khalistani elements at the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Canada's Brampton, news agency ANI reported.

The protest will be held at the temple and also at the Laxmi Narayan Temple in Surrey to express solidarity against "Khalistani intimidation" and "anti-Hindu" hatred.

“Join us for a peaceful protest tomorrow, November 4th, at 6 PM at Hindu Sabha Temple, Brampton and Laxmi Narayan Temple, Surrey. After a day of violence against Hindu temples in Canada, let's stand united against Khalistani intimidation and anti-Hindu hate,” the organisation wrote in a post on X.

Earlier, the organisation shared a video of the attack. Hindu Canadian Foundation, a non-profit organisation, alleged that Khalistani “terrorists attacked kids and women".

The Indian High Commission in Canada described the attack as a “violent disruption” by “anti-India” elements and expressed concern for the safety of Indian nationals.

“It is deeply disappointing to see such disruptions being allowed for routine counsular work being organised by our consulated with the fullest cooperation of the local co-organizers. We also remain very concerned for the safety of applicants, including Indian nationals, on whose demand such events are organized in the first place,” the statement added.

The attack sparked widespread condemnation from political circles in Canada, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Canadian opposition leader Pierre Poilievre termed the incident as “completely unacceptable”. Canadian MP Chandra Arya said the miscreants crossed the “red line” and flagged the rise of “brazen violent extremism” in Canada.

Trudeau condemned the attack and stressed that every Canadian citizen has the “right to practice their faith freely and safely”.

“The acts of violence at the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton today are unacceptable. Every Canadian has the right to practice their faith freely and safely. Thank you to the Peel Regional Police for swiftly responding to protect the community and investigate this incident,” Trudeau wrote in a post on X.

'Deeply Concerned About Indians' Safety': Indian Government On Canada Temple Attack

NEW DELHI, Nov 4: India on Monday said it "condemns acts of violence perpetrated by extremists and separatists", referring to an incident at a Hindu temple in Brampton, in the Canadian province of Ontario, last week, and called on Canada to ensure that all places of worship are adequately protected.

"We also expect that those indulging in such violence will be prosecuted," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement issued Monday.

The Indian government, Jaiswal, said, remains "deeply concerned" about the safety and security of its citizens in that country, and said efforts to provide consular services to Indian and Canadian citizens - a camp was being held inside the temple - "will not be deterred".

India's response comes after both the incident at the temple and a clash between those protesting the attack and the police cops. A video showed a cop charging at a protester and hitting him several times.

The journalist who shared the video - Daniel Bordman, a senior reporter with The National Telegraph - claimed cops went after the protesters to protect "Khalistanis who came to harass temple-goers..."

Israeli military says it killed Hezbollah unit commander in southern Lebanon

JERUSALEM, Nov 4: The Israeli military said on Saturday it had killed Jaafar Khader Faour, a commander of Hezbollah's Nasser Brigade rocket unit in southern Lebanon, and said he had been responsible for multiple attacks on Israel since October 2023.

Hezbollah did not immediately comment or confirm Faour's death.

Iran Vows 'Tooth-Breaking' Response, US B-52 Bombers Reach Middle East

TEHRAN, Nov 3: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has promised a "tooth-breaking" response to ongoing Israeli military actions. This statement follows a dramatic escalation, including an Israeli commando raid in Lebanon, and comes days before the US presidential election, with Washington as Israel's primary military supporter.

"The enemies, both the USA and the Zionist regime, should know that they will definitely receive a tooth-breaking response," he declared, referring to Iran-aligned groups across the Middle East, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and factions in Yemen and Syria.

Adding to these tensions, Kamal Kharrazi, a top advisor to Khamenei, alluded to Iran's nuclear potential, suggesting Iran may reconsider its nuclear policy if faced with an existential threat.

"If an existential threat arises, Iran will modify its nuclear doctrine, we have the capability to build weapons and have no issue in this regard," Kharrazi told Lebanese media.

The latest confrontations began with an October 1 missile strike from Iran, which Israel answered with an October 26 bombing campaign targeting Iranian military installations, reportedly killing four Iranian soldiers. Israel claims the airstrikes inflicted significant damage on Iran's missile and air defence capacities, while Iran has vowed reprisal.

A US official warned Tehran that Washington might not be able to restrain Israel in the event of another Iranian strike. "We told the Iranians: We won't be able to hold Israel back," the official reportedly stated.

China Ramps Up Military Activity Around Taiwan, 37 Chinese Jets Detected

TAIPEI, Nov 3: Taiwan said it detected 37 Chinese fighter jets, drones and other aircraft near the self-ruled island on Sunday as Beijing carried out "long-distance" training flights.

China has ramped up military activity around Taiwan in recent years as Beijing pressures Taipei to accept its claims of sovereignty over the island.

The Chinese aircraft were spotted from 9:00 am (0100 GMT) and 35 of them crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, which separates mainland China and Taiwan, and entered Taiwanese airspace on their way to the Western Pacific Ocean, the defence ministry said.

Taiwan's military responded by deploying aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems, the ministry said.

The exercise came a day after Taiwan said it had detected a Chinese military "joint combat readiness patrol" around the island involving fighter jets and warships.

Taiwan spotted 27 Chinese aircraft and six warships in the 24 hours to 6:00 am on Sunday, the ministry said earlier.

China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has refused to rule out the use of force to bring the democratic island under its control.

Beijing held large-scale military drills around Taiwan last month, which were condemned by Taipei and its key backer the United States.

The Chinese military conducted long-distance training flights in late September, the ministry said previously, when Beijing also fired an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean.

Israeli military says it killed Hezbollah unit commander in southern Lebanon

JERUSALEM, Nov 3: The Israeli military said on Saturday it had killed Jaafar Khader Faour, a commander of Hezbollah's Nasser Brigade rocket unit in southern Lebanon, and said he had been responsible for multiple attacks on Israel since October 2023.

Hezbollah did not immediately comment or confirm Faour's death.

Israel says it captured senior Hezbollah operative in amphibious special forces raid

JERUSALEM, Nov 3: The Israeli military says it has captured a senior Hezbollah operative in an amphibious special forces raid in northern Lebanon.

Members of the elite Shayetet 13 force seized the alleged Hezbollah operative after landing on the coast in Batroun, a town in northern Lebanon, then took him back to Israeli territory, said an Israeli military official.

The official added that the seized operative was now being investigated by Unit 504 – an intelligence unit of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Israel’s Shayetet 13, which operates out of the Atlit naval base on Israel’s northern Mediterranean coast, is sometimes likened to America’s Navy SEALS. The Israeli military has previously described Shayetet 13’s role as carrying out “strategic sabotage activity across enemy lines, including damaging vital structures during wartime and the enemy’s seaports.”

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported Saturday that eyewitnesses had seen “an unidentified military force carrying out a landing operation on ​​the Batroun beach” at dawn the day before.

The troops “moved with all their weapons and equipment to a chalet near the beach, where they kidnapped the citizen Imad Amhaz and took him to the beach, (then) left by speedboats to the open sea,” NNA reported.

The Lebanese government said its security services were investigating “an incident that took place in the Batroun area,” at dawn Friday.

The raid comes a little more than a month after Hezbollah said it had targeted a naval base on Israel’s northern Mediterranean coast that houses an elite Israeli naval commando unit – thought to be a reference to Shayetet 13.

Woman strips at Iran university protest against strict Islamic dress code

TEHRAN, Nov 3: A young woman stripped to her underwear at an Iranian university on Saturday in an apparent protest against the country's strict Islamic dress code, according to online videos and media reports.

A video posted on social media showed security guards at a branch of the Islamic Azad University detaining the unidentified woman.

University spokesperson Amir Mahjob said on X that "at the police station,...it was found that she was under severe mental pressure and had a mental disorder".

But some social media users suggested the woman's action was a deliberate protest.

"For most women, being ...in their underwear in public is one of their worst nightmares, ... This is a reaction to the (authorities') stupid insistence on the mandatory hijab," Lei La, a user on X, said in a comment accompanying the video.

The fate of the woman was not known, but the mass-circulation daily Hamshahri said on its website: "An informed source said...the perpetrator of this act has severe mental problems and, after investigations, she will most likely be transferred to a mental hospital."

Growing numbers of women have defied authorities by discarding their veils after nationwide protests that followed the death in September 2022 of a young Iranian Kurdish woman in the custody of the morality police for allegedly violating hijab rules.

Security forces violently put down the revolt.

India Summons Canadian Diplomat After Allegations Against Amit Shah By Minister

NEW DELHI, Nov 2: Rubbishing a Canadian minister's claims that Home Minister Amit Shah had ordered the targeting of Khalistani extremists in the country, India has termed them "absurd and baseless" and said a Canadian diplomat had been summoned.

Canada's Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister David Morrison had made the allegations while addressing members of the country's Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security on Tuesday.

Replying to a question on Saturday, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said a representative of the Canadian High Commission had been summoned on Friday and a diplomatic note was handed over.

"It was conveyed in the note that the Government of India protests in the strongest terms to the absurd and baseless references made to the Union Home Minister of India before the committee by Deputy Minister David Morrison," Jaiswal said.

Canada has admitted that its officials leaked sensitive information to the Washington Post and the Ministry of External Affairs warned that such actions will have "serious consequences" for ties between India and Canada.

"In fact, the revelation that high Canadian officials deliberately leak unfounded insinuations to the international media as part of a conscious strategy to discredit India and influence other nations only confirms the view the Government of India has long held about the current Canadian government's political agenda and behavioural pattern. Such irresponsible actions will have serious consequences for bilateral ties," the spokesperson said.

Responding to reports that Canada has named India an "adversary" alongside China, North Korea, Russia and Iran in its National Cyber Threat Assessment, Jaiswal said this was another example of imputations being made without evidence.

"This appears to be another example of a Canadian strategy to attack India. As I mentioned earlier, their senior officials have openly confessed that they are seeking to manipulate global opinion against India. As on other occasions, imputations are made without any evidence," he said.

The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson also said some of India's consular officials were informed by the Canadian government that they have been under surveillance and called it a "flagrant violation" of diplomatic conventions. He also made it clear that New Delhi sees the action as a form of harassment and intimidation.

"Some of our consular officials were recently informed by the Canadian government that they have been and continue to be under audio and video surveillance. Their communications have also been intercepted. We have formally protested to the Canadian government as we deem these actions to be a flagrant violation of relevant diplomatic and consular conventions," Jaiswal said.

"By citing technicalities, the Canadian Government cannot justify the fact that it is indulging in harassment and intimidation. Our diplomatic and consular personnel are already functioning in an environment of extremism and violence. This action of the Canadian Government aggravates the situation and is incompatible with established diplomatic norms and practices," he asserted.

To a question on Canada's opposition leader Pierre Poilievre cancelling Diwali celebrations that were scheduled to be held at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, sparking a backlash from the Indian community, Jaiswal said, "We have seen some reports in this regard. It is unfortunate that the prevailing atmosphere in Canada has reached high levels of intolerance and extremism."

On the reduction in the number of visas by the Canadian government, the spokesperson said the ministry is monitoring the well-being of students and temporary workers from India who are currently in Canada and its concern for their safety and security remains strong.

Ties between India and Canada have been strained since Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed, without offering any evidence, last year that "Indian agents" were involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar - an allegation that has been dismissed by New Delhi several times.

The relationship hit a new low earlier this month when the Indian High Commissioner was termed a "person of interest" in the killing. India dismissed the fresh charge as "ludicrous" and withdrew the High Commissioner and some diplomats while expelling six diplomats, including Canada's acting High Commissioner Stewart Ross Wheeler.

Khamenei warns Israel, US of ‘crushing response’ for actions against Iran

TEHRAN, Nov 2: Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned Israel and the United States of “a crushing response” for actions against Iran and its allies, according to state media.

Khamenei, 85, made the remarks on Saturday while addressing students ahead of the anniversary of the 1979 takeover of the US embassy in Tehran by hardline students – which cemented the decades-long enmity between Tehran and Washington that persists today.

“The enemies, whether the Zionist regime or the United States of America, will definitely receive a crushing response to what they are doing to Iran and the Iranian nation and to the resistance front,” Khamenei said in the capital, Tehran, also referring to Iran-aligned armed groups that include Yemen’s Houthis, Lebanon’s Hezbollah and the Palestinian Hamas.

The supreme leader did not elaborate on the timing of any attack, or the scope.

He had previously struck a more cautious approach, saying officials would weigh Iran’s response and that Israel’s attack “should not be exaggerated nor downplayed”, after the Israeli military launched strikes last week on military bases in Iran, hitting about 20 sites over several hours in Ilam, Khuzestan and Tehran.

Israel said the strikes were a response to attacks from “Iran and its proxies”.

Israel Says It Killed One Of Hamas' Last Senior Officials In Gaza

JERUSALEM, Nov 2: The Israeli military said on Friday it killed senior Hamas official Izz al-Din Kassab, describing him as one of the last high-ranking members of Hamas responsible for coordinating with other groups in the Gaza Strip, in an airstrike in Khan Younis.

The Palestinian group mourned the death of Kassab in a statement, adding that he was killed along with another Hamas official named Ayman Ayesh in an Israeli attack on their car in the enclave.

Hamas sources said that Kassab was a local group official in Gaza but not a member of its decision-making political office.

Israel pounds Lebanon, Gaza after U.S. truce push

JERUSALEM, Nov 1: Israel bombarded the Gaza Strip and Beirut's southern suburbs on Friday a day after U.S. envoys made a renewed but so far fruitless diplomatic push to end more than a year of fighting between Israel and Iran-backed groups Hamas and Hezbollah.

Overnight, 47 Palestinians were killed and dozens more injured in Israeli strikes on the city of Deir Al-Balah, the Nuseirat camp and the town of Al-Zawayda in the central Gaza Strip, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.

Meanwhile, Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Friday criticised Israel's "expansion" of its attacks on his country, saying they indicated a rejection of efforts to broker a truce after more than a month of war.

"The Israeli enemy's renewed expansion of the scope of its aggression on Lebanese regions, its repeated threats to the population to evacuate entire cities and villages, and its renewed targeting of the southern suburbs of Beirut with destructive raids are all indicators that confirm the Israeli enemy's rejection of all efforts being made to secure a ceasefire," Mikati said.

Mikati's statement came a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met visiting US officials to discuss a possible deal to end the war in Lebanon.

The Lebanese premier added that Israel's diplomatic behaviour suggested it was rejecting a ceasefire.

"Israeli statements and diplomatic signals that Lebanon received confirm Israel's stubbornness in rejecting the proposed solutions and insisting on the approach of killing and destruction," Mikati said in a statement.

On Wednesday, Mikati said US envoy Amos Hochstein had signalled during a phone call that a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war was possible before US elections are held on November 5.

The same day, Hezbollah's new leader said the group would agree to a ceasefire with Israel under acceptable terms, but added that a viable deal has yet to be presented.

During talks on Thursday, Israeli leader Netanyahu told US envoys Amos Hochstein and Brett McGurk that any Lebanon deal must guarantee Israel's longer-term security.

North Korea says record test was new Hwasong-19 intercontinental ballistic missile

SEOUL, Nov 1: North Korea flexed its military muscle with the test of a huge new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile dubbed Hwasong-19, state media said on Friday, amid international uproar over its troops deployed to aid Russia in Ukraine.

The launch on Thursday flew higher than any previous North Korean missile, according to the North as well as militaries in South Korea and Japan that tracked its flight deep into space before it splashed down in the ocean between Japan and Russia.

State news agency KCNA lauded it as "the world's strongest strategic missile."

While questions remain over North Korea's ability to guide such a missile and protect a nuclear warhead as it reenters the atmosphere, the Hwasong-19, like North Korea's other latest ICBMs, demonstrated the range to strike nearly anywhere in the United States.

"The new-type ICBM proved before the world that the hegemonic position we have secured in the development and manufacture of nuclear delivery," leader Kim Jong Un said while overseeing the launch, KCNA reported.

Thursday's missile launch, just days before next week's pivotal U.S. presidential election, drew swift condemnation from Washington and its allies in South Korea, Japan and Europe, as well as the United Nations Secretary-General.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy blasted what he called his allies' "zero" response to Russia's deployment of North Korean troops for the war in Ukraine, which has also sparked worries that Moscow could provide sensitive military technology to Pyongyang in return.

Russia and North Korea have not denied the troop deployments, and defended their right to help each other.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the Pentagon was very early in its assessment phase of the missile launch "and we don't see any indication at this point that there was Russian involvement."

The KCNA report said the launch did not affect the safety of neighbouring countries and it was an appropriate military step in the face of threats from North Korea's enemies.

The Hwasong-19 will deploy alongside the Hwasong-18, which was first launched last year and is also powered by solid fuel, KCNA said.

Solid-fuel missiles do not need to be fuelled immediately ahead of launch, are often easier and safer to operate, and require less logistical support, making them harder to detect than liquid-fuel weapons.

Photos released by KCNA showed a large, multi-stage missile launched from a canister carried by a transporter-erector-launcher vehicle.

KCNA also showed photos from cameras that appeared to be attached to the missile, taking images of stage separations and the earth.

The missile flew the distance of 1,001.2 km for 5,156 seconds before landing in the sea off the east coast of the Korean peninsula, according to the KCNA report.

It recorded a maximum peak altitude of 7,687.5 km , it added.