Month: November 2024

BEIRUT: Israeli strikes on Lebanon killed at least 38 people around the eastern city of Baalbek in the Bekaa Valley on Wednesday, according to the regional governor, and at dusk more strikes hit Beirut’s southern suburbs.

Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged fire for over a year in parallel with the Gaza war but fighting has escalated since late September, with Israeli troops intensifying bombing on swathes of Lebanon’s south and east and making ground incursions into border villages.

Around 40 Israeli strikes on the Baalbek-Hermel governorate killed 38 people and wounded 54, governor Bachir Khodr said on X. The Israeli military did not comment.

Israeli strikes have also battered Hezbollah strongholds in the southern suburbs of the capital Beirut. At least four strikes targeted the area on Wednesday after the Israeli military ordered residents to evacuate from several locations.

There was no immediate report on casualties or details on what was hit. The attack happened shortly after Hezbollah secretary general Naim Qassem said he did not believe that “political action” would bring about an end to hostilities. He said there could be a road to indirect negotiations if Israel stopped its attacks.

“When the enemy decides to stop the aggression, there is a path for negotiations that we have clearly defined — indirect negotiations through the Lebanese state and Speaker (of parliament Nabih) Berri,” Qassem said.

Rescuers dig for survivors

More than 3,000 people have been killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon over the last year, the vast majority in the past six weeks.

Lebanese rescuers scoured a destroyed apartment building in the town of Barja south of Beirut for bodies or any survivors after an Israeli strike on Tuesday evening that killed 20 people there, Lebanon’s health ministry said.

Moussa Zahran, who lived on one of the upper floors of the building, returned to sift through the ruins of his home. His burned feet were wrapped in gauze and his son and wife were in hospital after being wounded in the strike.

“These rocks that you see here weigh 100 kilos, they fell on a 13 kilo kid,” he said, referring to his son and the apartment wall that had collapsed onto him during the strike. It was not clear if the strike targeted a member of Hezbollah. There was no evacuation warning ahead of the air raid.

Hezbollah claimed a slew of attacks on Wednesday, including two that targeted naval bases near the Israeli city of Haifa and two near Tel Aviv.

Hezbollah fighters “targeted the Stella Maris naval base northwest of Haifa with a salvo of high-quality missiles and a squadron of attack drones,” the group said in a statement.

It was the fourth attack on the base in as many weeks.

Later on Wednesday, Hezbollah said it launched “attack drones on the Haifa naval base in Haifa Bay, for the first time”. In the evening, it said it targeted a base south of Tel Aviv, also for the first time.

 

Hezbollah’s chief said Wednesday his group had tens of thousands of combatants ready to fight, adding that nowhere in Israel was off-limits to attacks.

“We have tens of thousands of trained resistance combatants” ready to fight, Naim Qassem said in a speech marking 40 days since his predecessor was killed. He also said nowhere in Israel would be “off-limits” to the group’s attacks. He said the results of the US presidential election will have no impact on any possible ceasefire deal.

 

“We don’t base our expectations for a halt of the aggression on political developments… Whether (Kamala) Harris wins or (Donald) Trump wins, it means nothing to us,” he said in a pre-recorded speech before Trump’s win was announced.

“What will stop this… war is the battlefield” he said, citing fighting in south Lebanon and Hezbollah attacks on Israel. The speech was Qassem’s second since he was named Hezbollah secretary-general last week.

Trump’s victory over Vice President Kamala Harris will likely have the most immediate reverberations in Ukraine, where the Republican has mused about quickly ending the war by forcing concessions by Kyiv to the Russian invaders.

Trump is expected also to offer robust support to Israel, as he did during his first term from 2017 to 2021, and unleash major new pressure on Iran’s clerical state.

After Trump’s first term, outgoing President Joe Biden put a priority on restoring historic US relationships, which again could see tumult as Trump accuses allies of freeloading off the US military and renews questions about Nato, a bedrock of US foreign policy since the Cold War.

The president-elect is expected to offer robust support to Israel as he did during his first term

On the campaign trail, Trump has raged against China, with both he and Vice President-elect J. D. Vance casting the Asian power as an enemy. Trump, however, has also insisted that he has a strong relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping — a sort of emphasis on personal diplomacy not entirely different than Biden.

Trump’s personal style could see more fireworks in Latin America, where key US partners Brazil and Colombia and now Mexico are led by leftists.

One of Trump’s key campaign promises — the mass deportation of millions of undocumented immigrants — could threaten havoc in the region if carried out, although Trump managed a stable, transactional relationship with Mexico’s leader in his first term.

Trump is not known to have an interest in Africa and is unlikely to push for renewal next year of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, a key trade pact and priority for the continent, although Republican lawmakers support reauthorisation.

Unrestrained ‘Trump 2.0’

Trump has broken sharply with the post-World War II consensus of the two major parties on building military and diplomatic alliances around the world, pursuing an “America First” platform of promoting US primacy above all, especially on trade.

Brian Finucane, a former State Department official now at the International Crisis Group, said Trump could be emboldened compared with his last term.

“A Trump 2.0 would be very different. He would not have any of those figures who did in fact restrain Trump at some point and in some fashion including at the Pentagon,” Finucane said.

Trump has already raised fears in Taiwan by publicly questioning whether to defend the self-governing democracy, which Beijing claims and has not ruled out seizing by force. Biden, by contrast, went further than previous US presidents by explicitly saying he would send US troops to defend Taiwan.

In the Middle East, Trump has reportedly told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to enjoy free rein in the war in Gaza for the two months until Trump takes office. In his first term, Trump fulfilled a wish-list for Israel including moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

t least six terrorists were killed by the security forces in two separation operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) last night, the military’s media wing said on Monday.

According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the movement of a group of terrorists, who were trying to infiltrate through the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, was picked up by the security forces in the general area Khamrang, South Waziristan District.

The army troops effectively engaged and thwarted their attempt to infiltrate, the military’s media wing said, adding that five terrorists were killed and three others sustained injuries.

In another incident, an intelligence-based operation was conducted by the law enforcers in the general area Dosali, North Waziristan District.

“During the conduct of the operation, own troops effectively engaged the khwarij’s location, resultantly one kharji Ahmed Shah Intizar was sent to hell.”

“Pakistan has consistently been asking the interim Afghan government to ensure effective border management on their side of the border.”

The spokesperson of the military’s media wing hoped that the interim Afghan government would fulfil its obligations and deny the use of Afghan soil by militants for perpetrating acts of terrorism against Pakistan.

“The Security Forces of Pakistan are determined and remain committed to secure its borders and eliminate the menace of terrorism from the country,” it added.

The third quarter (July-September) of 2024 saw a sharp increase in fatalities of terrorist violence and counter-terrorism campaigns, with a 90% surge in violence, according to a report issued by the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS).

A total of 722 people were killed, including civilians, security personnel, and outlaws, while 615 others were wounded in as many as 328 incidents recorded during the period under review.

Nearly 97% of these fatalities occurred in KP and Balochistan – marking the highest percentage in a decade, and over 92% of these incidents of terror attacks and security forces’ operations were recorded in the same provinces.

The total fatalities from three quarters of this year have now surpassed the total fatalities recorded for the entire 2023; the number of fatalities rose to at least 1534 in the first three quarters compared to 1523 in 2023.

Meanwhile, terrorist groups continue to reorganise and beef up their ranks. Most of the terror attacks remained unclaimed by terrorist or insurgent groups, likely for tactical reasons, as per the report.

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Navy on Monday conducted a successful test flight of an indigenously developed ship-launched ballistic missile, said navy’s Director General Public Relations (DGPR).

According to a press release, the weapon system with a 350-kilometre range is capable of engaging land and sea targets with high precision.

 

 

The ship-launched ballistic missile is equipped with state-of-the-art navigation system and manoeuvrability features, it added.

“The flight test was witnessed by the Chief of the Naval Staff and senior officers from Pakistan Navy and dedicated scientists and engineers,” the DGPR said.

Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) and services chiefs congratulated all involved scientists and engineers on the successful conduct of today’s missile test.

Earlier in July, the Pakistan Navy conducted a successful firing of surface-to-air FN-6 missiles through its ground-based air defence system.

During the impressive firepower demonstration, the PN’s GBAD system fired SAMs and successfully engaged the intended airborne targets, a statement said.

Besides safeguarding the country’s maritime borders, the Pakistan Navy is also playing its role in regional security as it deployed its warship PNS ASLAT in the Indian Ocean to ensure the safety of merchant ships in May.

 

Photographs released by government rescue teams showed the crumpled wreckage of the bus in thick undergrowth, with the twisted front of the vehicle squashed nearly flat.

 

 

Road accidents are common along the many mountainous roads in the Himalayan region, caused mostly by poor maintenance and reckless driving in the tortuous terrain.

“So far, 36 casualties have been confirmed,” Deepak Rawat, a senior official from the northern state of Uttarakhand told reporters.

“Three critically injured have been sent to hospital using a helicopter.”

A human chain of volunteers lined the steep slopes, and across a rushing river, helping pull out the wounded from the remains of the bus.

Dead bodies were carried out and laid on the back of a truck.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his “deepest condolences to those who have lost their loved ones in the unfortunate road accident”.

 

 

Modi’s office said in a statement that the families of those killed would receive 200,000 Indian rupees ($2,380) in support, while those injured would get INR 50,000 ($595).

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said he had ordered an investigation into the accident, which took place in forested hills near the town of Almora.

Arriving on Monday night for a two-day official visit, Foreign Minister Araghchi’s agenda includes consultations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.

During the meetings, both sides are expected to discuss the crisis in the Middle East as well as strengthen Pak­istan-Iran cooperation on multiple fronts, including trade, energy and security.

 

The Foreign Office described the visit as “an important opportunity to advance cooperation and dialogue” between the two neighbouring countries.

The talks come amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, with both Iran and Pakistan seeking to navigate a complex regional landscape.

The discussions will likely cover mutual interests, ranging from border security to economic collaboration.

“We can turn this around in one term.”

So said the new Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, to staff at Conservative Campaign Headquarters – in other words, she can win the next general election.

Psychologically, she has to say that and she has to believe it, for why else would someone take on the job of Leader of the Opposition?

Granted, candidates for leader run when they think it is their time – the opportunity may never come around again – but they also have to believe the often thankless slog of opposition is worth it, because turfing out the government is possible.

The arithmetic of doing so – recovering from the Conservatives’ worst ever election defeat and overturning a Himalayan Labour majority – looks a tall order, but so volatile is the electorate you never know.

And so, next for Badenoch, the business of making senior appointments.

Reshuffles are always something of a nightmare for leaders as they are guaranteed deliverers of disappointment and deflated egos as well as sources of smiles and preferment.

But three factors make this one particularly tricky for the new Tory leader.

Firstly, numbers.

There are only 121 Conservative MPs and almost as many shadow ministerial roles to fill, if she wants to man-mark every single minister in government with their own shadow.

One potential solution to this is to ask some junior shadow ministers to shadow more than one brief, but that involves asking them to take on even more work.

And the number is not really 121 because there are those MPs who have said they want to be backbenchers, such as former leader Rishi Sunak, former deputy leader Sir Oliver Dowden, former Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and former Home Secretary and leadership contender James Cleverly for a start.

Then there are those who are chairing select committees and so cannot serve on their party’s frontbench.

And then there are those the leadership would not want to appoint in a million years.

Suddenly, the numbers are getting tight and that is before you offer someone a job and they turn it down and so, implicitly at least, threaten not to serve at all – and that has happened too.

Secondly, the power of patronage.

When you are prime minister, you can pick up the phone and offer real power.

Doing stuff, taking decisions, being in government.

When you are leader of the opposition, you pick up the phone and offer the worthy, democratically vital but ultimately much less appealing role of being a shadow minister.

And thirdly, there is Kemi Badenoch’s authority over her parliamentary party.

She was the first choice for leader of just 35% of Conservative MPs and 57% of party members who voted in the leadership race.

A win is a win, but neither endorsement was emphatic.

All three of these factors swirl as she picks her top team.

What to do with the guy who came second is a perennial challenge for new leaders.

In this instance, what to offer Robert Jenrick and what might he accept?

Word reaches me that there was quite the back-and-forth between Badenoch and Jenrick.

He was offered shadow health secretary, shadow housing secretary, shadow work and pensions secretary, and shadow justice secretary, I am told.

He was not offered shadow foreign secretary.

For a little while on Monday, he did not say yes to any of the jobs he was offered, stewing over whether they were appealing, senior enough or might box him in too much politically.

One Tory source, not close to the leadership, told me: “Kemi just doesn’t like Rob. She thinks his whole schtick about her and whether she has any policies has done her lasting damage with the Right and with Reform voters. This is only likely to further unravel.”

Half an hour or so later, those around Jenrick made it known he had accepted becoming shadow justice secretary, that “the party needs to come together” and that “unity could not be more important”.

But they are not exactly a nest of birds singing in perfect harmony.

Perhaps the biggest appointment of all is shadow chancellor, particularly in the aftermath of a budget that has done much to define how Labour appears to want to approach its early years in office.

Mel Stride is a former cabinet minister, a former minister in the Treasury and a former chairman of the Treasury Select Committee, so it is a brief he is familiar with.

And then there is the decision to make Dame Priti Patel the shadow foreign secretary.

Dame Priti is a long-standing and pretty well-known senior Conservative who has served in government at the highest level as home secretary.

But she is also someone who found herself prematurely out of government back in 2017 after it emerged, extraordinarily, that she had run a freelance foreign policy operation while on holiday in Israel.

Baroness May, who was then prime minister, was furious and Dame Priti resigned before she was fired.

One senior Conservative got in touch with me to claim that Badenoch, in appointing Patel, had “destroyed within 48 hours any chance she had of having a respectable foreign policy”.

Ouch.

No one said opposition was easy.

And these are just the criticisms from Badenoch’s own side.

KARACHI: Expressing his satisfaction, Russia’s Consul General in Karachi Andrey V Fedorov said that the bilateral cooperation among Islamabad and Moscow was rapidly developing and high-level contacts between leadership of the two sides had further strengthened it.

Addressing the “People’s Unity Day” ceremony held here late Friday night at the Consulate General of the Russian Federation, the diplomat said that the day is being celebrated by people of Russia on November 4 every year to commemorate an unprecedented resilience of their nation.

Fedorov said the relations between Russia and Pakistan were developing with passage of time and currently there was a trade volume of over $2 billion between the two countries.

He said all members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation are equal and working together to save future of our children.

Addressing the event, Fedorov said “People’s Unity Day” is the day when his country rose from the ashes and liberated itself from the “Polish occupants” during the so-called time of troubles.

“Our civilization, culture and people were literally on the brink of extinction. And in that very moment in the year of 1612, an ordinary shopkeeper Kuzma Minin and a rich Duke Dmitry Pozharsky formed the people’s volunteer militia that helped Russia to regain its true independence.”

At the end of the time of troubles, the Russian diplomate said that his nation learned many valuable lessons that have continued to pass through generations.

Referring to Pakistan-Russia relations, Fedorov said in the recent years, bilateral cooperation of the two countries had rapidly developed.

The level and frequency of the high-level contacts between Russia and Pakistan have elevated dramatically since the last year, when we celebrated the 75th anniversary of the establishment of Russia-Pakistan diplomatic relations, the Russian envoy said, adding that that it was especially reflected on July 3 at the SCO Head of States meeting in Astana, on the sidelines of which Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tessori, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, senior members of provincial cabinet, former speaker Sindh Assembly Agha Siraj Durrani, MNA Dr Farooq Sattar, PPP Sindh president Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, diplomats of other countries, business community representatives and media persons were present on the occasion.

A cake cutting ceremony was also held on People’s Unity Day while Russian artists performed and mesmerized the audience with their traditional Russian dance before being served with delicious dinner.