International
India calls for 'immediate de-escalation' in Gaza
United Nations, March 5 (IANS) India has called for an “immediate de-escalation and eschewing of violence” in Gaza but stopped short of specifically mentioning a ceasefire, which is now a broad demand across the UN but opposed by Israel.
“In order to arrive at a lasting solution, we urge for an immediate de-escalation and eschewing of violence,” India’s Permanent Representative Ruchira Kamboj told the UN General Assembly on Monday.
She also called for “the release of all hostages, avoiding provocative and escalatory actions and to work towards creating conditions for an early resumption of direct peace negotiations”.
While reiterating New Delhi’s “strong” condemnation of civilian deaths in the conflict, Kamboj noted that the “immediate trigger” for the Gaza conflict was “the terror attacks in Israel on October 7, which were shocking and deserve our unequivocal condemnation”.
“India has a longstanding and uncompromising position against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” she said.
On the conflict that has resulted in massive civilian casualties, she said, “It is critical to prevent further escalation of violence and hostilities. It is imperative to avoid the loss of civilian lives in any conflict situation. International law and international humanitarian law must be respected under all circumstances.”
According to the Gaza health ministry, over 30,000 people have been killed, most of them children and women, since Israel waged retaliatory attacks on the territory after Hamas struck Israel killing over 1,200 people and taking more than 190 people, many of them children, hostage.
Kamboj warned about the dangers of the spillovers of the Gaza conflict.
“The humanitarian crisis has deepened, and the region and beyond have seen rising instability,” she said.
The conflict has found echoes in the Red Sea area where Houthis have attacked ships and were counterattacked by other countries and in Lebanon with confrontations between Israeli forces and Hezbollah.
Kamboj spoke during a debate on the US veto last month of a Security Council resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.
The debate was held under an Assembly resolution mandating a meeting after a veto is cast to have that permanent member explain the action and for UN members to react to it.
Kamboj made no mention of the US veto or the exercise of veto powers by the five permanent members of the Security Council, which has paralysed it on Ukraine or Gaza or the efforts to curtail the use of vetoes in special circumstances, and has been criticised by several speakers during the debate.
India, which aspires to a permanent seat on the Security Council, holds that as long as the veto exists it should be available to any new permanent members.
UN officials have warned of an impending threat of famine in a battered Gaza where relief supplies have been severely limited.
Kamboj said, “India has provided humanitarian aid to the people of Palestine and will continue to do so.”
“It is imperative that humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza be scaled up immediately in order to avert a further deterioration in the situation,” she said.
General Assembly President Dennis Francis said it was “deeply regrettable” that the body had to take up the Security Council veto issue in the context of Gaza.
He called for an immediate cease-fire and the freeing of hostages, which he said had been endorsed unambiguously by an overwhelming majority of the Assembly.
“Each day that passes risks a deepening failure to meet our moral duties and obligations; and each life lost adds to the stain on our collective conscience,” he said.
US Deputy Permanent Representative Robert Wood defended the veto asserting that the resolution proposed by Algeria and asserted that it “could disrupt the intensive efforts already underway to get an agreement that results in the release of the remaining hostages and that produces a temporary ceasefire”.
Washington was isolated at the 15-member Security Council where 13 members voted for it while Britain abstained.
Wood said that negotiations were ongoing with the participation of Eqypt and Qatar for the release of hostages and a humanitarian ceasefire.
The US was circulating a draft Security Council resolution to “support these sensitive negotiations”.
On Sunday, Vice President Kamala Harris joined the calls for an immediate ceasefire.
“Given the immense scale of suffering in Gaza, there must be an immediate ceasefire, for at least the next six weeks, which is what is currently on the table,” she said.
Earlier at the Assembly, Palestine’s Permanent Observer Riyad Mansour, holding up a picture of a child who died from the consequences of starvation, accused Israel of using starvation as a weapon.
“Israel has been committing atrocities against the Palestinian people, unchecked and unhinged,” he said, and “the era of Israeli impunity must come to an end, and we should enter a new era of accountability and sanctions”.
Israel’s Permanent Representative Gilad Erdan launched a tirade against the UN calling it a “collaborator” of Hamas.
He said that the UN has not condemned Hamas for the terrorist attack on Israel.
From the rostrum, he played on tablet statements by Israeli women about the rapes and sexual abuse that took place during the attack.
He asserted that a ceasefire would only give Hamas a “greenlight” to continue its abuse of women.
Later at a news conference, UN’s Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict Parmila Patten said that during a visit to Israel and the West Bank, she and her team had been able to establish that rape, gang rape and other forms of sexual violence took place during the October 7 attack.
But she said that several Palestine groups as well as civilians were also present in Israel during the attack and it could not be established if Hamas itself was involved in the incidents of sexual attacks.
She said that on the West Bank, her team did not find instances of rape by the Israeli military or by Israeli settlers, but did record instances of women being threatened with rape and being subjected to invasive searches.
(Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed at @arulouis)
–IANS
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International
Lee Hsien Yang seeks refuge in United Kingdom
Lee Hsien Yang, the youngest son of Singapore’s founding father, the late Lee Kuan Yew, announced on Tuesday that he is now a political refugee in the United Kingdom after seeking asylum from the British government “as a last resort.”
“I remain a Singapore citizen and hope that someday it will be safe to return home,” Lee stated in a Facebook post, as reported by Channel News Asia (CNA).
Citing what he described as the Singapore government’s “attacks” against him, Lee, who is the younger brother of former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, revealed that he sought asylum protection in 2022.
Lee Hsien Yang and his late sister, Lee Wei Ling, who passed away earlier this month, have been in conflict with their brother Lee Hsien Loong over the fate of their father’s home following his death in 2015, resulting in a public dispute that has estranged the siblings.
In an interview with the UK-based newspaper The Guardian, Lee alleged that a “campaign of persecution” compelled him to seek asylum in Britain.
In response to his claims, the Singapore government stated that there is “no basis” for his allegations of “a campaign of persecution” or other assertions regarding political repression in the country.
“Singapore’s judiciary is impartial and makes decisions independently. This is why Singaporeans have a high level of trust in the judiciary,” a government spokesperson remarked.
The spokesperson added that there are no legal restrictions preventing Lee and his wife, lawyer Lee Suet Fern, from returning to Singapore. “They are and have always been free to return to Singapore,” the spokesperson said.
Lee and his wife have been outside of Singapore since 2022, having opted not to attend a scheduled police interview regarding potential offenses related to providing false evidence in judicial proceedings concerning their father’s will and the family home.
Lee and his late sister, who had been living at the property, alleged they felt threatened while trying to fulfill their father’s wish to demolish the house. They also accused their elder brother, former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, of abusing his governmental influence to advance his personal agenda.
International
Indo-Russian ties are stronger than ever before at BRICS
Kazan, Russia: Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the 16th BRICS Summit.
During the meeting, President Putin remarked, “I recall our meeting in July, where we had productive discussions on various issues. We’ve also spoken over the phone several times. I am very grateful you accepted the invitation to come to Kazan. Today, we will attend the BRICS Summit’s opening ceremony, followed by dinner.”
PM Modi responded by expressing his appreciation, saying, “I sincerely thank you for your friendship, warm welcome, and hospitality. It’s a great pleasure to visit such a beautiful city as Kazan for the BRICS Summit. India shares deep historical ties with this city, and the opening of our new embassy here will further strengthen these connections.”
International
Laos seeks to enhance nutrition amid climate change concerns
Vientiane (Laos), Aug 22 (IANS) Representatives from the Lao government and development partners have attended a conference here titled “Climate Change and Nutrition in Laos: Intersections and Interventions” to discuss the impact of climate change on nutrition in the Southeast Asia country and potential solutions.
Speaking at the conference, deputy director general of the Department of Hygiene and Health Promotion under the Lao Ministry of Health Viengkhan Phixay, said, “We gather to address a critical and interwoven issue: the impact of climate change on nutrition and how we can work together to tackle these challenges,” Xinhua news agency reported.
The Lao government is actively engaged in this endeavor, with numerous policies and initiatives aimed at addressing both climate change and nutrition, Lao National Television reported on Thursday.
“By leveraging the Scaling Up Nutrition network in Laos, which is led by the government, and supported by civil society, donors, and the United Nations, we have a robust platform to tackle the negative impacts of climate change while improving nutrition and overall health for everyone in Laos,” Viengkham said at the conference held on Monday.
The conference featured a series of presentations that not only detailed evidence-based research but also introduced innovative tools for measuring and enhancing nutrition under the impact of climate change.
The conference stressed the critical need for integrated approaches to tackle the intertwined challenges of climate change and nutrition, and setting the stage for impactful future collaborations.
–IANS
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International
One killed, seven injured in shootout in Iraq
Baghdad, Aug 22 (IANS) A civilian was killed while seven others were injured on Thursday in a tribal shootout in Iraq’s holy Shiite province of Najaf, according to a local security source.
The shootout erupted in the early hours between armed men from the local tribe in the al-Zarga area in northern Najaf, some 160 km south of Baghdad, a local police officer told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
The clash resulted in the killing of an Iraqi civilian and the injury of seven others, including three Iranian Shiite pilgrims, the source added.
A joint force from the Interior Ministry’s emergency response division and Najaf provincial police arrested 53 gunmen from both sides of the shootout and seized weapons and ammunition, the Interior Ministry said in a statement.
It added that search operations are ongoing to locate additional gunmen and weapons, with more details to be released later.
The incident took place as numerous pilgrims traveled to the city of Karbala to observe Arbaeen, which marks the end of a 40-day mourning period for the killing of Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, in the Battle of Karbala in 680 A.D.
Typically, these pilgrims also visit Najaf as part of their journey to Karbala.
–IANS
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International
Bangladesh seeks $1 billion budget support from World Bank
Dhaka, Aug 22 (IANS) Bangladesh’s interim government has sought $1 billion from the World Bank as budgetary support.
The call came from the country’s Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan’s meeting with Abdoulaye Seck, the World Bank’s Country Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan, in Dhaka on Wednesday.
He made the plea as the ministry owes more than 2 billion dollars to suppliers in import costs of power and energy, Xinhua news agency reported.
Khan mentioned that the interim government, which was formed with many pressing mandates, is due to settle a $2 billion debt left by the previous government in the power sector.
He said they have already suspended activities under the much-criticized Quick Enhancement of Electricity and Energy Supply Act 2010 and abolished the government’s power to set energy prices without any public hearing.
On August 5, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, was ousted from her country and power, ending her rule since January 2009.
This event was seen as a massive escalation, with what initially started as student’s protests and resulted in a major crisis in Bangladesh.
Earlier on August 8, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus took oath as the head of Bangladesh’s interim government.
–IANS
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