United Nations, July 17,2024: Belarus raised the issue of the collapse of multilateralism in the world during a meeting of the UN Security Council chaired by Russia, Belarus Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Yury Ambrazevich told Sputnik.
“Naturally, we used this opportunity to speak at a meeting of the UN Security Council, which is currently chaired by the Russian Federation,” Ambrazevich said. “We shared our assessments about the role of multilateralism in the modern world, or more precisely about its collapse. We spoke about this in detail in our remarks.”
Ambrazevich explained that the Belarusian delegation’s agenda is to continue contacts with the United Nations Secretariat, which is the body responsible for sustainable development goals.
“We are working with those people who, in our view, will be able to visit Belarus in the near future on the topics of Eurasian security, and sustainable development, since this is good support in the context of promoting Belarusian interests specifically on a multilateral platform,” Ambrazevich said.
Jerusalem, July 15,2024: Israeli security forces confirmed on Sunday that they killed Rafa’a Salameh, the commander of Hamas’s Khan Younis Brigade, in airstrikes in the Gaza Strip on Saturday.
In a statement, the Israeli military and Shin Bet internal security agency said Salameh was killed in the area of Khan Yunis.
Israeli warplanes on Saturday bombed the tents of displaced people in the Mawasi area in Khan Younis, killing at least 90 Palestinians and wounding 300 others, most of them women and children, according to the health authorities in Gaza.
Israeli media reported that Mohammed Deif, the commander of Hamas’s military wing, and Salameh were the targets of the Israeli airstrike.
Israel has not confirmed Deif’s status but a Hamas official said on Sunday that the senior militant, who survived at least seven assassination attempts by Israel, has survived the recent attack.
“Salameh was one of the closest associates of Mohammed Deif,” the military said, adding he was also “one of the masterminds” of Hamas’ rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023.
Salameh joined Hamas in the early 1990s. In 2016, he was appointed commander of the Khan Yunis Brigade, and was responsible for launching projectiles from the Khan Yunis area towards Israeli territory and overseeing the operation of attack tunnels, the military said.
“The elimination of Rafa’a Salameh significantly impedes Hamas’ military capabilities,” the military noted.
Khartoum, July 15,2024: The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) on Sunday said more than 100 fighters from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) were killed and dozens of others injured during operations in the capital Khartoum on Saturday.
“Yesterday (Saturday), our forces carried out a number of qualitative operations in the capital,” during which a number of RSF combat vehicles were also destroyed, said the SAF in a statement.
Sudan has been embroiled in a deadly conflict between the SAF and the RSF since mid-April 2023, which has so far claimed at least 16,650 lives, according to an update from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs last month.
Over 7.7 million people have been displaced internally within Sudan since the outbreak of the conflict, while about 2.2 million others have crossed borders into neighboring countries, according to the figures released on June 25 by the UN International Organization for Migration.
United Nations, July 13,2024: The UN Security Council on Friday extended the mandate of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) for one year, until July 15, 2025.
The Security Council, by unanimously adopting resolution 2743, requested all Haitian stakeholders to urgently establish a provisional electoral council and reach an agreement on a sustainable, time-bound and commonly accepted road map for elections.
Reiterating the need for all Haitian stakeholders to continue to advance a Haitian-led, Haitian-owned political process towards the holding of free and fair legislative and presidential elections, the Security Council asked the Haitian government to update the council on the road map for election within 90 days.
The resolution called on BINUH to develop a strategy on how it will support a Haitian-led, Haitian-owned political process, and requested the mission to update the council on this strategy and its implementation in its quarterly reports.
July 8,2024: Election results show French voters have chosen to give a broad leftist coalition the most parliamentary seats in pivotal legislative elections, keeping the far right away from power. Yet no party won an outright majority, putting France in an uncertain, unprecedented situation.
President Emmanuel Macron ’s centrist alliance arrived in second position and the far right in third — still drastically increasing the number of seats it holds in the National Assembly, France’s lower house of parliament.
No clear figure has emerged as a possible future prime minister. Macron says he will wait to decide his next steps, and heads to Washington this week for a NATO summit. The new legislators can start work in Parliament on Monday, and their first new session starts July 18.
Three major political blocs emerged from the elections — yet none of them is close to the majority of at least 289 seats out of 577.
The National Assembly is the most important of France’s two houses of parliament. It has the final say in the law-making process over the Senate, which is dominated by conservatives.
While not uncommon in other European countries, modern France has never experienced a parliament with no dominant party.
Such a situation requires lawmakers to build consensus across parties to agree on government positions and legislation. France’s fractious politics and deep divisions over taxes, immigration and Mideast policy make that especially challenging.
This means Macron’s centrist allies won’t be able to implement their pro-business policies, including a promise to overhaul unemployment benefits. It could also make passing a budget more difficult.
Macron may seek a deal with the moderate left to create a joint government. Such negotiations, if they happen, are expected to be very difficult because France has no tradition of this kind of arrangement.
The deal could take the form of a loose, informal alliance that would likely be fragile.
Macron has said he would not work with the hard-left France Unbowed party, but he could possibly stretch out a hand to the Socialists and the Greens. They may refuse to take it, however.
His government last week suspended a decree that would have diminished worker’s rights to unemployment benefits, which has been interpretated as gesture toward the left.
If he can’t make a political deal, Macron could name a government of experts unaffiliated with political parties. Such a government would likely deal mostly with day-to-day affairs of keeping France running.
Complicating matters: Any of those options would require parliamentary approval.
The left has been torn by divisions in the past months, especially after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israel.
France Unbowed has been sharply criticized by other more moderate leftists for its stance on the conflict. Hard-left leaders have staunchly condemned the conduct of Israel’s war with Hamas and accused it of pursuing genocide against Palestinians. They have faced accusations of antisemitism, which they strongly deny.
The Socialists ran independently for the European Union elections last month, winning about 14% of the votes, when France Unbowed got less than 10% and the Greens 5.5%.
Yet Macron’s move to call snap legislative elections pushed leftist leaders to quickly agree on forming a new coalition, the New Popular Front.
Their joint platform promises to raise the minimum salary from 1,400 to 1,600 euros, to pull back Macron’s pension reform that increased the retirement age from 62 to 64 and to freeze prices of essential food products and energy. All that has financial markets worried.
Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said he will resign Monday. He also said he is ready to remain in the post during the upcoming Paris Olympics and for as long as needed. An interim government would handle current affairs pending further political negotiations.
Macron’s office says he will “wait for the new National Assembly to organize itself” before making any decisions on the new government.
There is no firm timeline for when Macron must name a prime minister, and no firm rule that he has to name a prime minister from the largest party in parliament.
The president’s term runs until 2027, and he has said he will not step down before its end.
With no majority and no possibility to implement his own plans, Macron comes out weakened from the elections.
In line with France’s constitution, he still holds some powers over foreign policy, European affairs and defense and is in charge of negotiating and ratifying international treaties. The president is also the commander-in-chief of the country’s armed forces, and holds the nuclear codes.
There’s a possibility the new prime minister would be unable or unwilling to seriously challenge Macron’s defense and foreign policy powers, and would focus instead on domestic politics.
The prime minister is accountable to parliament, leads the government and introduces bills.
Thiruvananthapuram, July 8 (UNI) NASSCOM-associated FAYA:80, a knowledge community based at Technopark, will host a seminar on Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality (AVGC-XR) on July 10.
The seminar is planned as part of FAYA:80’s 117th edition of the open-for-all tech seminar. It will explore the AVGC-XR sector in India, which is projected to become a USD 26 billion industry by 2030.
Mr. Nikhil Chandran, CEO of TILTLABS; Ms. Neha Mehta, Chief Operating Officer, AnimationXpress.com, a leading News Hub for the Indian AVGC applications ecosystem, and its Director, Mr. Mishaal Wanvari, will lead the sessions.
The seminar, to be held at FAYA “Floor of Madness,” Thejaswini Building, Technopark, here at 5 p.m., will delve deep into AVGC-XR from Kerala as well as the opportunities and trends in the sector across the country.
The programme offers a platform where tech enthusiasts can discuss the rise of AVGC-XR and understand how the industry is projected to grow in the coming years.
For registration, visit: https://makemypass.com/faya-port-80-beyond-reality-avgc-xr-in-action-kerala.
Cairo, July 8,2024: US Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns is planning to visit the Egyptian capital of Cairo within a week to participate in talks on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and a deal on hostage exchange, Egyptian broadcaster Al Qahera News reported, citing a high-ranking source.
An Israeli delegation is also expected to arrive in the Egyptian capital within a few hours to resume ceasefire talks, the report said on Sunday.
On Saturday, the broadcaster reported that Egypt would receive delegations from Israel and the United States to discuss unresolved points of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip. On the same day, the Axios news portal reported that Burns would visit the Qatari capital of Doha next week to participate in talks on a hostage deal and a ceasefire in Gaza.
Some 120 Israeli hostages are believed to be held by Hamas, including 40 who are presumed dead. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said last week that his negotiators had received Hamas’ comments on a prospective deal that would ensure the release of hostages in return for a ceasefire in Gaza. Israeli intelligence chief David Barnea went to Qatar on Friday to press on with indirect talks with Hamas. Netanyahu’s office said negotiations would resume next week and that there were still differences between the two sides.
Through various operations and humanitarian efforts, 135 people were released from Hamas captivity, a figure that includes the dead hostages whose bodies were removed from the enclave.
Bratislava, July 8,2024: Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who survived an assassination attempt in mid-May, will take part in a working event on Monday together with the agriculture minister, the Slovak government said.
“On July 8 at 11:00, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Minister of Agriculture Richard Takac will visit the agricultural association Agro Voderady in the village of Slovenska Nova Ves, where, accompanied by representatives of the Slovak Agriculture and Food Chamber and local farmers, they will get acquainted with the progress of the harvest,” the press service of the government said in a statement on Sunday.
On Friday evening, the prime minister made his first public appearance since the assassination attempt in mid-May.
Fico, who took office in October, was left fighting for his life after a man shot him multiple times at close range as he greeted supporters following an off-site cabinet meeting in the town of Handlova on May 15. He underwent two abdominal surgeries.
Tehran [Iran], July 5,2024: Iran is bracing for a pivotal moment in its political landscape as the country’s snap presidential election heads into a second round on Friday, following an initial vote that failed to produce a decisive winner amidst unprecedented voter apathy, CNN reported.
The election was triggered by the tragic death of former President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash on May 19, which also claimed the lives of Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and other officials. With a sense of urgency, three conservative candidates and a single reformist contender entered the race for Iran’s highest elected office.
However, the electoral field was significantly narrowed by the powerful Guardian Council, which barred numerous candidates from standing, citing various reasons that ranged from insufficient allegiance to the Islamic Republic’s ideals to a lack of qualifications, according to CNN.
The first round of voting, held on June 28, saw none of the initial candidates securing the required majority of over 50 per cent of the vote. Instead, the race boiled down to two prominent figures: reformist lawmaker Masoud Pezeshkian and ultraconservative former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili. Pezeshkian emerged with a slight lead of 3.9 percentage points over Jalili, garnering 42.5 per cent of the votes compared to Jalili’s 38.6 per cent, according to the state news agency IRNA.
Despite the high stakes and contrasting ideologies represented by Pezeshkian and Jalili, the election was overshadowed by the lowest voter turnout in Iran’s history since the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979. Out of an eligible 60 million voters, only 24 million cast their ballots, resulting in a dismal 40 per cent turnout.
This significant drop in participation underscored widespread disillusionment and discontent among Iranians towards the ruling clerical establishment, despite Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s call for “maximum participation” to bolster the Islamic Republic against external pressures.
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Guwahati (Assam), July 4,2024: Floods in Assam have so far claimed 46 lives. Eight people died on Wednesday in the state after drowning in flood waters.
According to the flood report of Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), 8 people died in the last 24 hours in the state including 2 in Sonitpur district, one each in Morigaon, Dibrugarh, Darrang, Golaghat, Biswanath and Tinsukia district, taking the total death toll to 46 while 3 others are missing.
The overall flood situation in the state is still critical as over 16.25 lakh people of 29 districts have been affected by the second wave of flood.
The flood affected districts are Goalpara, Nagaon, Nalbari, Kamrup, Morigaon, Dibrugarh, Sonitpur, Lakhimpur, South Salmara, Dhubri, Jorhat, Charaideo, Hojai, Karimganj, Sivasagar, Bongaigaon, Barpeta, Dhemaji, Hailakandi, Golaghat, Darrang, Biswanath, Cachar, Kamrup (M), Tinsukia, Karbi Anglong, Chirang, Karbi Anglong West, Majuli.
Dhubri is the worst flood-hit district affecting 223210 people followed by 183738 people in Darrang, 166063 people in Lakhimpur, 106594 in Golaghat, 105366 in Nalbari, 105562 in Cachar, 78932 in Barpeta, 67199 in Dhemaji, 62357 in Sonitpur, 55459 in Morigaon, 54404 in Majuli, 54523 in Sivasagar, 52377 in Biswanath district.
2800 villages under 105 revenue circles are still under water and the flood waters inundated 39451.51 hectares of crop area.
Over 3.86 lakh people are taking shelter in 515 relief camps and distribution centres set up by administration in 24 flood hit districts.
The ASDMA said that 1120165 animals are also affected in the deluge.
Rescue teams of NDRF, SDRF, Fire & Emergency Services, administration, Indian army, and paramilitary forces are engaged in rescue operations in different areas and on Wednesday rescued 8377 people.
In the last 24 hours, the flood waters damaged 100 roads, 14 bridges, 7 embankments and breached 4 other embankments.
The water level of the Brahmaputra River and its tributaries is flowing above the danger mark in many locations.
Hathras (UP), July 3: With a few more injured succumbing to injuries, the death toll in the Hathras incident, in which several people were killed in stampede during satsang in Sikandra Rao area, has reached 121.
Minister Sandeep Singh, who has been camping in Hathras since Tuesday evening, said the deaths of 121 people have been confirmed, whereas 35 people have been injured. “I want to assure that whoever is found guilty during the inquiry will not be spared, and stern action will be taken by the government,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has reached Hathras, where he visited the hospital and is meeting the injured and their family members. Before visiting the hospital, he held a short meeting at the circuit house, where he took stock of the situation.
Besides, an FIR was lodged against the chief sewadaar, Devprakash Madhukar, organisers and other sewadaar under different sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) late on Tuesday night. It has been alleged that while the organisers took permission for an assembly of 80,000 people, a mob of more than 2.5 lakh devotees assembled on the spot.
The complainant has also accused the sewadaars of creating mismanagement by pushing the crowd back with sticks after the satsang was over and Suraj Pal alias Bhole Baba was leaving. It has been alleged that this led to the stampede, in which several people were crushed. The organisers have also been accused of concealing the evidence.
Minister Asim Arun, who was rushed to Harthras by the CM on Tuesday evening, said an inquiry committee headed by ADG Zone Agra has been constituted. “Besides, an FIR has been lodged, and a criminal investigation has started,” he said.
It may be noted that the tragedy took place during satsang by Bhole Baba in Pulrai village under Sikandra Rao police station in Hathras on Tuesday.
Expressing his condolences to the bereaved families, Yogi announced financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured.
He has directed Ministers Aseem Arun, Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary, and Sandeep Singh, along with the Chief Secretary and the Director General of the Police (DGP), to rush to the spot.
He also directed the district administration officials to immediately reach the spot, take the injured to the hospital, and provide them with proper treatment. He has also wished for the speedy recovery of the injured.
Meanwhile, a team of Additional Director General of Police (ADG) Agra and Divisional Commissioner Aligarh has been constituted to inquire into the cause of the stampede. The committee has been directed to submit its report within 24 hours.