Indian-American Kash Patel Nominated As FBI Director By Donald Trump

US President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Indian-American Pentagon official Kashyap "Kash" Patel as FBI director. Mr Patel, a Trump loyalist, has been a vocal advocate of dismantling what he refers to as the "deep state" within the US government. 

"Kash is a brilliant lawyer, investigator, and 'America First' fighter who has spent his career exposing corruption, defending Justice, and protecting the American People," Mr Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social, his social media platform. 

President-elect Trump praised Mr Patel's contributions during his first term, claiming that he played a crucial role in exposing the "Russia Hoax." Mr Patel's nomination also signals Mr Trump's dissatisfaction with the current FBI leadership under Christopher Wray, whom he had appointed in 2017. 

Mr Trump has openly criticised Mr Wray's handling of the FBI, particularly its investigations involving Mr Trump himself. Under Mr Wray's tenure, the FBI conducted a court-approved search at Mr Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in connection with classified documents, a move that enraged the former president and his allies.

Mr Patel, 44, has made no secret of his desire to overhaul the FBI. In an interview with the conservative Shawn Ryan Show, Mr Patel proposed radical changes, including dismantling the FBI's intelligence-gathering operations and repurposing its headquarters.

"The biggest problem the FBI has had has come out of its intel shops. I'd break that component out of it. I'd shut down the FBI Hoover building on day one and reopen it the next day as a museum of the deep state," Mr Patel declared. "And I'd take the 7,000 employees that work in that building and send them across America to chase down criminals. Go be cops. You're cops. Go be cops."

Mr Patel would work under Mr Trump's proposed Attorney General, Pam Bondi, to restore what Mr Trump described as the FBI's original ethos: Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity.

Kash Patel's Journey

Mr Patel was born in Queens, New York, to parents of Gujarati descent who emigrated from East Africa. After earning his law degree, Mr Patel worked as a public defender in Florida, representing clients in state and federal courts. He later joined the Department of Justice as a prosecutor, handling high-profile international terrorism cases across East Africa and the United States.

Mr Patel's career took a turn when he joined the Department of Defense as a civilian lawyer. There, he collaborated with Special Operations Command, focusing on global counterterrorism operations. His work caught the attention of Congressman Devin Nunes, then-chair of the House Intelligence Committee, who recruited him as senior counsel on counterterrorism.

Role In The Trump Administration

Mr Patel rose to prominence during Mr Trump's first term and was part of the House Republicans' investigation into the FBI's handling of the Russia probe. He played a key role in drafting the controversial GOP memo which alleged bias in the FBI's investigation of Mr Trump's 2016 Presidential campaign. Dubbed the "Kash Memo" by the New York Times, the document became a flashpoint in the partisan battle over the Russia investigation.

Mr Patel later continued to shape Mr Trump's national security policies as the Chief of Staff to the Acting Secretary of Defence. During his tenure, Mr Patel was accused of acting as an unauthorised backchannel for Ukraine. 

from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/d9KHxCa

Aid Worker Killed In Palestine "Took Part In Oct 7 Attack", Says Israel

US charity World Central Kitchen said Saturday it was "pausing operations in Gaza at this time" after an Israeli air strike hit a vehicle carrying its workers.

The Israeli military confirmed that a Palestinian employee of WCK was killed in a strike, accusing the worker of being a "terrorist" who "infiltrated Israel and took part in the murderous October 7 massacre" last year.

WCK in a statement said it "had no knowledge that any individual in the vehicle had alleged ties to the October 7 Hamas attack", and did not confirm any deaths.

Earlier Saturday, Gaza civil defence agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that five people were killed, including "three employees of World Central Kitchen", in the strike in the main southern city of Khan Yunis.

"All three men worked for WCK and they were hit while driving in a WCK jeep in Khan Yunis," Bassal said, adding that the vehicle had been "marked with its logo clearly visible".

WCK confirmed a strike had hit its workers, but added: "At this time, we are working with incomplete information and are urgently seeking more details."

The Israeli army statement said representatives from the unit responsible for overseeing humanitarian needs in Gaza had "demanded senior officials from the international community and the WCK administration to clarify the issue and order an urgent examination regarding the hiring of workers who took part in the October 7 massacre".

It also said its strike in Khan Yunis had hit "a civilian unmarked vehicle and its movement on the route was not coordinated for transporting of aid".

In April, an Israeli strike killed seven WCK staff -- an Australian, three Britons, a North American, a Palestinian and a Pole.

Israel said it had been targeting a "Hamas gunman" in that strike, but the military admitted a series of "grave mistakes" and violations of its own rules of engagement.

The UN said last week that 333 aid workers had been killed since the start of the war in October of last year, 243 of them employees of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.

Palestinian militants' October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,207 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

Israel's retaliatory military offensive has killed 44,382 people in Gaza, according to figures from the territory's health ministry which the United Nations considers reliable.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/4Nx6Wve

Crisis In Gaza Deteriorates As Palestinians Seen Scavenging In Landfills

The Gaza Strip has spiralled into chaos, with widespread hunger, looting, and violence, including rising cases of rape in shelters, as public order collapses, according to the United Nations. 

Palestinians are suffering on an unprecedented scale, with the situation in Gaza City being described as "horrendous" by Ajith Sunghay, head of the UN Human Rights Office in the Palestinian territories.

Sunghay said the Palestinians are distressed "on a scale that has to be seen to be truly grasped".

The breakdown of public order and safety has exacerbated the situation, with rampant looting and fighting over scarce resources. The UN has warned about the impending anarchy in Gaza, which is now a harsh reality. 

"The anarchy in Gaza we warned about months ago is here", Sunghay said. Young women, many of whom have been displaced multiple times, have highlighted the lack of safe spaces or privacy in their makeshift tents.

Cases of gender-based violence, rape, abuse of children, and other forms of violence within the community have increased in shelters, according to Sunghay. The situation is dire, with thousands of displaced people sheltering in inhumane conditions, facing severe food shortages and terrible sanitary conditions.

He said for the first time, he saw dozens of women and children now scavenging in giant landfills.

This is a Horrific Scene

Palestinians are collecting the remains of spoiled flour that was discarded in a makeshift landfill

They are gathering the flour to use it as animal feed and for kindling fires pic.twitter.com/uRjhvSSOdF

— Ryan Rozbiani (@RyanRozbiani) October 13, 2024

The UN is being blocked from delivering aid to the 70,000 people still living in northern Gaza, due to repeated impediments or rejections of humanitarian convoys by the Israeli authorities. The UN is calling for an immediate ceasefire and the release of hostages and those arbitrarily detained.

"And every effort must be made to urgently provide the full quantities of food, medicine and other vital assistance desperately needed in Gaza", UN Human Rights Office spokesman Jeremy Laurence said.

"The killing must end," he added.

The conflict has resulted in the deaths of 1,207 people in Israel, most of whom were civilians, and 44,363 people in Gaza, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is worsening by the day, with the UN urging for immediate action to address the crisis.

from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/FzG9Mm1

Indian Diplomats In Canada Under Surveillance, Centre Tells Parliament

Consular officials at the Indian consulate in Vancouver were recently informed by the Canadian authorities that they have been and continue to be under "audio and video surveillance" and that their "private communications" have also been "intercepted", the Centre informed Parliament on Thursday.

Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh in a written response in Rajya Sabha also said "respect for each other's concerns, territorial integrity and sovereignty are essential for a stable bilateral relationship".

Mr Singh was asked whether there are any instances of cyber surveillance or other forms of surveillance targeting Indian diplomats in Canada.

"Yes. Recently, consular officials at the Indian Consulate in Vancouver were informed by the Canadian authorities that they have been, and continue to be under audio and video surveillance and that their private communications have also been intercepted."

"Government of India lodged a strong protest with the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi on this issue vide its note verbale dated November 2, 2024 as these actions were a flagrant violation of all diplomatic provisions," Mr Singh said in his response.

The minister in his response also quoted a response of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson in his weekly briefing to the media recently here.

"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," the spokesperson had said.

Mr Singh was also asked the details and the steps taken to ensure the safety of Indian diplomats.

"On the question of safety and security of Indian diplomats in Canada, the Government of India remains continuously engaged with the Canadian side to ensure that adequate protection is offered at all times to our diplomatic personnel and properties," he said.

The minister also said the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, in its biennial National Cyber Threat Assessment (NCTA) report for 2025-2026 released on October 30, "placed India under 'Section 1 - Cyber threat from state adversaries'".

The MEA had responded to the report on November 2, stating that it was yet another example of Canada's "negative" approach to ties with India. As on other occasions, imputations have been made about India "without any evidence", the minister said, quoting MEA's response.

In a separate written response, Mr Singh also replied to queries on the steps taken for resolving issues with Canada and whether it is a fact that the Government of Canada has "expressed its inability" to provide minimum security to our embassy, consulates and diplomats.

"The two governments are in touch regarding the state of their bilateral ties. Respect for each other's concerns, territorial integrity and sovereignty are essential for a stable bilateral relationship.

"In this regard, Government of India has repeatedly urged the Canadian Government to take prompt and effective action against anti-India elements operating from its soil. This includes preventing secessionist and extremist elements from glorifying the assassination of our leaders issuing threats to our current political leadership and diplomats disrespecting and vandalising places of worship and espousing for the balkanisation of India by holding so-called 'referendums'," he added.

Mr Singh further said while the Canadian authorities have been able to provide "security protection to our diplomats and diplomatic properties", they have recently "expressed their inability to provide security cover to our consular camps from the violent acts of secessionist and extremist elements".

With nearly 1.8 million Indo-Canadians (accounting for about 4.7 per cent of Canada's population) and another 1 million comprising non-resident Indians including approximately 4,27,000 Indian students, Canada hosts one of the largest Indian diasporas abroad, he said.

"As such, the welfare, safety and security of Indian nationals in Canada is of utmost importance to Government of India," the Union minister said.

The relations between the two countries came under severe strain following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations in September last year of a "potential" involvement of Indian agents in Khalistan extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar's killing.

New Delhi rejected Trudeau's charges as "absurd".

India has been maintaining that the main issue between the two countries is that of Canada is giving space to pro-Khalistan elements operating from Canadian soil with impunity. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/YxPL9Sv

US Says China Has Released 3 "Wrongfully Detained" Americans

China has freed three Americans considered wrongfully detained in a swap with the United States, US officials said Wednesday, meeting a key goal of outgoing President Joe Biden's administration.

The three Americans -- Mark Swidan, Kai Li and John Leung -- were the last prisoners in China classified by the State Department as wrongfully detained, although activists and families have raised the cases of other US citizens.

"Soon they will return and be reunited with their families for the first time in many years," a State Department spokesperson said on the eve of Thanksgiving, the American holiday associated with family reunions.

"Thanks to this administration's efforts and diplomacy with the PRC, all of the wrongfully detained Americans in the PRC are home," the spokesperson said, referring to the People's Republic of China.

A source close to the matter said that the three were being freed in a swap with Beijing for three Chinese nationals in US custody who were not identified.

Swidan was detained in late 2012 on a business trip to China on drug charges. His family and supporters say there was never any evidence he had drugs and that his driver and translator had blamed him.

In his early time in detention, Swidan was deprived of sleep and food and lost more than 100 pounds (45 kilograms), according to Dui Hua, a group that supports prisoners in China.

Swidan's mother Katherine, who lives in Texas, addressed a congressional hearing in September and accused the Biden administration of ignoring his plight.

"Our loved ones are not bargaining chips or political pawns; they are human beings whose rights and freedoms must be upheld and protected," she said.

Kai Li, a naturalized American born in Shanghai who ran a business exporting aircraft technology, was detained in 2016 and convicted of espionage for allegedly sending state secrets to US authorities.

He says he was sharing information routinely available on the internet as part of routine compliance with US export regulations.

Leung, a US citizen in his late 70s with permanent residency in Hong Kong, was also convicted of espionage. China said little about his case when he was first detained in 2021 but later accused him of spying on Chinese officials on behalf of the United States.

Engagement with China

In September, the United States secured the release of another American considered wrongfully detained -- David Lin, a pastor who had been jailed since 2006.

US officials later acknowledged that the release was part of a swap for a Chinese national following quiet diplomacy.

The approach is in sharp contrast to prisoner exchanges with Russia, in which Biden and President Vladimir Putin have personally greeted returning citizens at the airport.

The US prisoners in China have drawn comparatively less attention, although US lawmakers have been repeatedly raised their cases and the Biden administration insisted they remained a priority.

With the latest three, the outgoing administration has secured the release of more than 70 unjustly detained Americans around the world, officials said.

Biden most recently raised the prisoners' case personally with President Xi Jinping during their final meeting this month on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Peru, officials said.

Observers say that China has sought to show that, if the United States engages, it is willing to work constructively on certain areas of concern.

The Biden administration also says that China has taken action against producers of the precursor chemicals to fentanyl, the synthetic painkiller behind an overdose pandemic in the United States that has begun to decline.

President-elect Donald Trump has vowed a more confrontational approach and said on social media this week that he would immediately impose big tariffs on products from China, as well as US neighbors Mexico and Canada.

Both the Biden and Trump teams have described China as the most significant long-term adversary of the United States, but Biden has also emphasized the value of engagement.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/yfNJLv4

"Fight Till The Last Ball": Imran Khan's Message To Supporters From Jail

Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan on Tuesday evening asked his supporters who camped in Islamabad to "fight till the last ball and do not retreat".

"I salute the people of Pakistan and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf workers who are standing up for their rights, participating in peaceful protests, and boldly confronting the mafia imposed on our country to demand true freedom and justice," Khan said in a message from Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail where he has been incarcerated since August 2023 in multiple cases.

"To my team, my message is clear: Fight till the last ball. We will not back down until our demands are fully met," he said, urging those who haven't yet joined the protest march to reach D-Chowk in Islamabad for a peaceful protest and not leave till their demands are met.

The 72-year-old former premier issued a "final call" on November 13 for nationwide protests on November 24, denouncing what he termed as the stolen mandate, the unjust arrests of people and the passage of the 26th amendment, which he said has strengthened a "dictatorial regime".

The PTI supreme leader also revealed that he was threatened with being tried in a military court.

"To those threatening me with trial in military courts, I have a clear message: Do whatever you want, I will not waver from my stance," Khan said.

Khan further said that on Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi's orders, Rangers and police opened fire and shelled PTI workers, killing and injuring peaceful citizens.

"Naqvi will be held accountable for this. Despite the brutality, our people not only remained peaceful but also helped rescue injured police and Rangers personnel who had attacked them," he said.

The former premier also thanked Pakistanis living abroad who are mobilising support, sending funds, and organising historic protests in their respective countries.

"To our social media warriors around the world, keep amplifying our demands and exposing the injustices happening in Pakistan. Your efforts are crucial in keeping the world informed," Khan said.

Meanwhile, Naqvi said no talks will be held with protesters and the government will clear Islamabad from them.

Khan's supporters reached the heart of Pakistan's capital on Tuesday after battling police in clashes that killed six security personnel and injured dozens.

TV channels showed footage of Khan's supporters facing tear gas and climbing on the shipping containers placed on the roads leading to D-Chowk, which is located close to several important government buildings: the Presidency, the PM Office, the Parliament, and the Supreme Court.

The top leaders of the PTI, who led protesters from other parts of the country to Islamabad, have vowed to remain in the city until Khan was released from jail.

Meanwhile, a case was registered under the anti-terrorism act against the former premier and other PTI leaders over their alleged role in the killing of a police officer during the protest march, it emerged Tuesday.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/76nZhOQ

Who Is Chris Chan? The Transgender Internet Personality Trending Online

Chris Chan, an internet personality and cartoonist, is making headlines after announcing that she's expecting a child during a recent live gaming stream. Chan, who is a transwoman, revealed the news in response to a fan's question. During the session, a fan asked Chan, "When will you announce the child you're having?" In response, Chan said, "When the child, when the child is actually coming into play for summer/ somewhere around that point or I just might keep y'all in the dark and let y'all know until and wait till after the child is born."

Fans quickly speculated that Chan's pregnancy announcement might be related to her close friend, Flutter. According to Chris Chan lore, Flutter is a 30-year-old woman who befriended Chan while she was incarcerated at the Central Virginia Regional Jail from 2021 to 2023. Although Chan has denied a romantic relationship, the pair have been spotted displaying affection in public, fueling rumours about their connection.

The news sparked concerns about Chris Chan's ability to care for a child, given her complicated past including her arrest for sexual assault. One user wrote, "A sex offender and most likely not fit for having a child. They have an awful reputation and been arrested." Another commented, "Oh man I hope that's not true."

Who is Chris Chan?

Chris Chan, born Christopher Weston Chandler, is a 42-year-old American transgender woman. She attended Piedmont Virginia Community College in 2000 and eventually earned a degree in Computer Aided Drafting and Design in 2006. Chan has been a fixture on the internet since 2007, when photos of her at a gaming store were shared on the Something Awful messaging boards, leading to widespread ridicule and bullying.

In August 2014, Chan publicly identified as a transwoman and later underwent a name change to Christine in 2016. She is best known for creating the comic series Sonichu, a fusion of Sonic the Hedgehog and Pikachu, but has since become a polarizing figure due to various controversies.

In August 2021, Chan was arrested and charged with ince*t after admitting to having a sexual relationship with her 79-year-old mother, who suffers from dementia. The arrest was prompted by a leaked Discord conversation in which she admitted to having a sexual relationship with her mother. Following the arrest, her attorney, David Heilberg, stated that many of her provocative statements stemmed from a deep-seated need for attention, which is partly driven by her mental health issues.

Chan spent nearly two years in jail before being released in March 2023. The case was dismissed after a deferred disposition citing her autism diagnosis. She currently resides in a house in Big Island, Virginia. 

from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/2xcKSOs

Karachi Sees Surge In Street Crimes, 45,000 Incidents Reported This Year

Most people in Karachi city of Pakistan's Sindh province feel unsafe as the metropolitan city reported about 45,000 incidents of street crimes and mugging in the first eight months of 2024, the police said on Monday.

Last year, 118 people were killed in street crimes and mugging incidents while this year the figure is close to 100, the Police Citizens Liaison Committee said.

Most people in Karachi feel unsafe as the rate of violent crime has soared in the metropolitan city of nearly 20 million population, said Bashir Babu, a factory worker who has been a mugging victim twice.

"Criminals are operating brazenly during daytime or night and one doesn't feel safe going out as the fear of mugging hangs over you," claimed Babu.

The spread of social media has only added to the environment of anxiety and fear in the city as every day new videos are uploaded showing criminals snatching valuables in broad daylight on busy streets, at restaurants, at traffic lights, outside ATMs, at barbershops, even at mosques.

In such an environment, the people of Karachi are now faced with a new crime menace, the "Auto-Rickshaw gang".

"Auto-rickshaws remain an affordable and main mode of public transport for many people but in recent days there have been several cases of passengers, including ladies, being robbed of their valuables and belongings while using these rickshaws," police officer Abid Fazal said.

Fazal said they investigated cases where some criminal gangs were linked up with some auto-rickshaw drivers and teamed up to rob passengers.

"The modus operandi is the driver after carefully studying his passengers makes a call on whether they have cash and valuables with them," he said.

Fazal said the driver then uses his phone to either text the drop-off location or give the impression to the unsuspecting passenger he is talking to his family and lays out all the details of where he is.

Sumayya Firdous, a bank teller who was robbed of all her belongings just the other day while returning home, reported to the police that she never suspected the driver was informing his gang about where she was headed.

"As soon as we neared my drop-off location, two people on motorbikes with guns told the driver to stop the rickshaw to the side and one of them came in and sat with me and calmly took everything. I never suspected the driver was involved until the public had gathered there and stopped the driver from leaving. A police mobile, which arrived later, checked his phone," she recalled.

No wonder ineffective policing, growing corruption in police ranks, and general apathy from government and police officials in response to complaints about the law and order situation in Karachi has led citizens to now resort to mob justice, she said.

On Saturday, one robber was lynched and killed in the densely populated Federal B area after he and two others tried to rob a house.

Two of the robbers managed to escape with their lives.

There have been other incidents of vigilante justice where people have used firearms to kill robbers or beat them to death if any of them are caught.

This month itself there have been at least four recorded incidents of mob justice by people enraged by robberies.

In one incident, people chased down two fleeing men, killing one and injuring the other, before police rescued them.

Dr Humaira Yousuf, an expert on crime and violence who works for a Karachi-based Centre for Research and Security, said mob justice was a worrying trend in Karachi.

"People are frustrated when public trust in the law enforcement agencies is low."

This year, dozens of police officers and constables have been fired or suspended after being implicated with criminal gangs involved in street crime.
 

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/60sgZar

17 Killed, Several Injured As Bus Crashes Into Ravine In Brazil

Seventeen people died Sunday when a bus on a remote mountain road in Brazil's northeastern Alagoas state dived into a ravine, regional authorities said.

Police were working to identify those killed and to free bodies from the wreckage of the bus, which fell into a ravine more than 20 meters (65 feet) deep, the state government said in a statement.

It said "several" people were injured. 

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on the social media platform X that his government "will give all necessary support to state authorities in the assistance, care and support of the victims."

He expressed condolences to the families of those involved in the accident.

Alagoas state governor Paulo Dantas declared on X three days of mourning over the "tragedy."

The bus was reported to have been carrying some 40 people up a mountain road to a historical site near the town of Uniao dos Palmares when the driver lost control, apparently after a mechanical failure.

The bus went off the road in an area difficult to access, near a site in the Serra da Barriga mountain range that has historical importance to Brazilians.

In the 17th century there was a settlement there that was part of the Quilombo dos Palmares, a remote community set up by escaped slaves which ended up being crushed by Brazil's Portuguese colonial masters.

November is the month Brazil celebrates "Black Awareness," with a public holiday on November 20 -- the anniversary of the death of Zumbi, the most prominent leader of the Quilombo dos Palmares.

Brazil's racial equality minister, Anielle Franco, said on X she was "hit hard" by news of the accident, adding "this tragedy saddens us even more deeply" given the Black Awareness events held in the region.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/sR9USzl

Petition Demanding General Election In Britain Crosses 1.7 Million Signatures

A petition calling for fresh general election in the UK has reached over 1.7 million signatures as the Labour government faces widespread disapproval regarding its policies and post-poll work. Even Tesla boss Elon Musk chimed in on the issue by reposting a message about the success of the petition. According to the guidelines, any petition that asks for a change to the law or to policies gets a response from the government after 10,000 signatures. After 100,000 signatures, petitions are considered for debate in the parliament.

"I would like there to be another General Election. I believe the current Labour Government have gone back on the promises they laid out in the lead up to the last election," the petition description reads.

As of the last update, the petition had raked up 1,771,423 signatures and counting. The petition was started by Michael Westwood who runs Britain's 'cheapest pub'. He said he did not imagine in his wildest dreams that Mr Musk would quote post his petition.

"The General Election petition has now DESTROYED the 200k target within 6 hours-just after midnight in Britain. The British people are about to completely humiliate the Labour Party," read the post shared by Mr Musk.

Wow https://t.co/ZD3uwS0f7t

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 24, 2024

Meanwhile, Mr Westwood, the owner of the Wagon and Horses pub where pints are sold for $2.90, said the Labour government's actions looked "nothing like what was promised" in the manifesto.

"I think people have had enough, people have seen what's happened over in America as well, and I think that's had a knock-on effect that, actually, if people stand together and vote then we can make a change," Mr Westwood told Express.

Also Read | Salary Of Prisoners In UK More Than Jail Guards And Teachers: Report

Dwindling popularity

According to an Ipsos poll, the Labour government has seen its fortunes dwindle rapidly after the general elections earlier this year with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's popularity taking a nosedive as well. Almost half (49 per cent) of the public views the Labour Party unfavourably which trails three points behind the Conservative Party. Meanwhile, two in five Britons think they are worse off since Labour came to power.

A significant majority (56 per cent) believes that Britain was heading in the wrong direction, compared to just 19 per cent who feel things are on the right track -- suggesting there was widespread public pessimism.

from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/2W8ijq1

6 Dead, 10 Injured In Mexico Bar Gun Attack: Official

At least six people were killed and 10 others wounded early Sunday morning in an armed attack at a bar in the city of Villahermosa, in the southeastern Mexican state of Tabasco, local authorities said.

"Armed persons" entered the bar "looking for a specific person" and the shots hit those nearby, state deputy prosecutor Gilberto Melquiades said at a press conference, adding that an investigation was ongoing.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/T7lIVdj

Explained: How The British Empire Robbed India Of $45 Trillion

During the nearly two-century-long rule over India between 1757 and 1947, the British Empire exploited the country's resources, wealth, and people. The impact of colonial rule is felt to this day. According to renowned economist Utsa Patnaik, professor emeritus at New Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, the British drained approximately $45 trillion from India between 1765 and 1938, a sum 17 times the current GDP of the UK.

This figure is substantial, but how did such an enormous amount of wealth end up in British hands? The story begins with the British East India Company, which, after gaining control of India, established a monopoly on its trade. The Company initially bought goods from India using silver, but over time, they developed a cunning system to exploit Indian resources without paying for them.

The process was simple yet devious. The East India Company began collecting taxes from Indian farmers and weavers, and instead of using the collected funds for local development or compensation, they used a portion of it to buy goods from the Indian producers. However, these purchases were made using the tax money collected from the same people. This system allowed the British to acquire goods for free, while the Indian producers were essentially robbed of their wealth.

Much of the goods that were "purchased" from India were re-exported, generating huge profits for Britain and multiplying the returns for the colonial power. The British didn't just consume these goods, they sold them at a markup in other countries, pocketing not only the original value of the goods but also the profits.

Once the British Raj was established in 1858. after the first war of Independence in 1857, this system evolved into an even more exploitative mechanism. Indian goods were exported to foreign markets, but payments were still funnelled through London. Traders wishing to purchase Indian goods had to use British-issued Council Bills, which they could only buy with gold or silver. This meant all the precious metals that should have gone directly to Indian producers instead ended up in British coffers. As a result, while India had a trade surplus with the rest of the world, the profits were effectively syphoned off by Britain.

Utsa Patnaik's research showed how India was a major source of funding for Britain's imperial ambitions. The wealth extracted from India financed British industrialisation and also funded the British wars of conquest, including the invasion of China in the 1840s and the suppression of the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

Apart from that, the income that should have been invested in India's development was instead used to fuel European capitalist expansion, benefiting other parts of the world, including Canada and Australia.

This drain continued for decades, and the consequences for India were devastating. During the period of British rule, India's per capita income remained stagnant, and in the late 19th century, it even collapsed. Famine, poverty, and disease ravaged the population, and tens of millions of Indians died as a result of British policies such as exporting food grains during times of famine.

Despite this grim reality, some voices in Britain still promote the narrative that British rule in India was beneficial. Historian Niall Ferguson has suggested that British colonialism helped "develop" India, but Utsa Patnaik's findings have painted a very different picture. British rule in India was not a gesture of benevolence, but rather a systematic exploitation of the country's resources for Britain's gain.

Had India been able to retain the wealth and resources it produced, the country's course could have been vastly different. With the drain of $45 trillion, India could have potentially become an economic powerhouse, avoiding much of the poverty and suffering that followed British rule. The wealth that Britain extracted from India played a significant role in its own industrialisation, at the expense of the very people it governed.

from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/0a7LHKf

Hyundai Recalls Over 145,000 Electric Vehicles After Malfunction Slows Cars

South Korean carmaker Hyundai Motor is recalling about 145,235 electrified vehicles in the United States due to a loss of drive power, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Friday.

The recall includes certain IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 6 EVs along with some luxury Genesis GV60, Genesis GV70 and Genesis G80 electrified variants from model years 2022-2025.

The US auto safety regulator said that integrated charging control units are likely to get damaged and stop charging the 12-volt battery, which can result in a loss of drive power.

Hyundai dealers will inspect, replace and update the software on impacted parts and its fuse for free, the NHTSA added.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/A8EdRIB

This Asian City Is Emerging As Sex Tourism Hub. It's Not Where You Think

In the golden years, this city witnessed a significant economic boom. It remains one of the most liveable cities in the world, a financial power hub and also an emerging city for sex tourism, with men wandering on the streets, looking for women.

The city is not where you are thinking. Apart from Bangkok in Thailand, Tokyo is emerging as a hotbed for sex tourism, with multiple factors driving the interest among foreign tourists, one of them being the weakening of the Japanese Yen against other currencies and robust inbound tourism.

The Star reported quoting, Yoshihide Tanaka, secretary general of the Liaison Council Protecting Youths (Seiboren), that "Japan has become a poor country." Adding, that a park next to his organisation has become synonymous with the city's sex trade. He said they had noticed an increasing number of foreigners frequenting the park as soon as pandemic-era travel restrictions were dropped.

"Now we are seeing a lot more foreign men," he said. "They come from many countries. They are white, Asian, black - but the majority are Chinese," he said. This influx has coincided with a troubling rise in teenagers and women in their early twenties turning to the sex industry to survive, Tanaka said.

"The reality is that Japan has become a country where foreign men can obtain young women and essentially buy sexual services," Japan Times reported quoting Kazunori Yamanoi of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the country's main opposition party. "This is no longer just a domestic issue," he said. "It's a very serious problem regarding how Japanese women are perceived in the international community."

The cops have been cracking down on such activities. Earlier this week, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police arrested five people on suspicion of violating Japan's Employment Security Act. They were allegedly running an operation to recruit women through social media to work in the sex industry. According to police, the suspects' group signed contracts with about 350 shops nationwide and recruited women through social media.

Financial distress suffered by women during Covid-19 is a major factor pushing them into the sex trade, with many wanting to pay off their debts. Some simply want to spend money at host clubs. 

Japan Times earlier reported that establishments, where men flirt with women over food and drink, like host clubs, put women in an endless cycle of debt through malicious schemes. These clubs have been linked to an increase in sex work, including illegal operations overseas and street solicitors, the report said.

According to the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), around 43% of women arrested while working the street in 2023 said they started selling their bodies to pay for host clubs and underground male idols. About 80% of those arrested were in their 20s, while three were 19 or younger.

The loopholes in the law and poor implementation of the existing ones have put women in vulnerable positions, often exposing them to physical violence and sexually transmitted diseases. In countries like The Netherlands, prostitution is legal but the industry is highly regulated to ensure the protection of women with increased vigilance in combating human trafficking and other forms of criminal activity, but sex trafficking still remains a pressing issue in the country. 

from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/QEO7q04

Edwin Powell Hubble: Astronomer After Whom NASA Named Its Iconic Telescope

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, launched into low Earth orbit in 1990, has been a vital instrument for exploring the universe for over three decades. Commonly referred to as HST or Hubble, the telescope is celebrated among space enthusiasts for its remarkable contributions to astronomy. However, many may not be aware that the telescope is named after Edwin Powell Hubble, a pioneering American astronomer. Edwin Hubble's groundbreaking work in the early 20th century laid the foundation for modern cosmology, including the discovery of the universe's expansion. His legacy lives on through this iconic instrument, which continues to provide a unique window to the universe.

According to NASA, like the Hubble Space Telescope, Edwin Hubble's discoveries transformed the frontier of scientific knowledge. His work took us beyond the Milky Way and placed us in an ever-expanding universe with a myriad of galaxies beyond our own.

Who was Edwin Powell Hubble?

As per NASA, born on November 20, 1889, in Marshfield, Missouri, Hubble spent his youth honing athletic skills in basketball, football, baseball, track, and boxing, while mentally feeding his curiosity through science fiction novels. Hubble's innate fascination with the world around him foretold a lifetime of exploration. He entered the University of Chicago in 1906 as an undergraduate, earning a bachelor's degree in mathematics and astronomy. He briefly deviated from his path of exploration, largely fuelled by his father's expectations, to study law at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. But his deep longing to pursue a career in the sciences outweighed his father's visions, and Hubble switched gears and obtained a Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of Chicago in 1914, setting his focus on the heavens.

The famous British astrophysicist Stephen Hawking wrote in his book A Brief History of Time that Hubble's "discovery that the Universe is expanding was one of the great intellectual revolutions of the 20th century." 

Seeing the Cosmos Through a New Lens

Destined for the cosmos, Hubble's journey led him to Mount Wilson Observatory in California and the 100-inch Hooker Telescope, the world's largest at the time. Hubble used the 100-inch telescope to observe faint, fuzzy, cloud-like patches of light broadly labelled nebulae. His observations brought these fuzzy patches into focus and, in the process, transformed the field of cosmology.

Hubble used his uniquevantage point to compare galaxies with one another by studying their physical properties. Focusing on the visual appearances of galaxies, Hubble devised what is now the most influential system for classifying them: the Hubble Classification Scheme.

No Nobel Prize for an astronomer

According to esahubble.org, during his life, Hubble had tried to obtain the Nobel Prize, even hiring a publicity agent to promote his cause in the late 1940s, but all the effort was in vain as there was no category for astronomy. Hubble died in 1953 while preparing for several nights of observations, his last great ambition unfulfilled.

He would have been thrilled had he known that the Space Telescope is named after him, so that astronomers can continue to "hope to find something we had not expected", as he said in 1948 during a BBC broadcast in London.

from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/j73yHt0

What Iraq Plans To Do For The 1st Time Since Saddam Hussein's Rule In 1987

Iraq will begin its first full national census in more than three decades on Wednesday, a pivotal moment as it looks to gather demographic data for future planning and development.

The census, the first full one since Saddam Hussein was President in 1987, aims to provide a comprehensive count of Iraq's population, estimated to exceed 43 million people by the end of 2024, said Iraq's planning ministry spokesperson Abdul Zahra al-Hindawi.

Attempts at conducting a national census were delayed by years of conflict, instability and disagreement among political factions, but with the country now in a period of stability, authorities hope the process will be completed successfully.

A census carried out in 1997 excluded the Iraqi Kurdistan region, which had been governed by Kurdish authorities since the 1991 Gulf War.

It counted 19 million Iraqis and officials estimated there were another 3 million in the Kurdish north, according to official statistics.

The census was repeatedly postponed over worries it was being politicised. Ethnic groups in contested areas like the northern city of Kirkuk, home to Arabs, Kurds, Turkmen and a valuable part of Iraq's oil fields, opposed it because it might reveal demographics that would undermine political ambitions.

"We have fears (of the census) not only in Kirkuk but all other disputed areas which are subjected to strong disagreements between various powers," said Shwan Dawoodi, a Kurdish politician.

The data gathered will be used to guide decisions in areas such as infrastructure development, education, healthcare and social services, said Hindawi.

The census will feature only one question regarding religious affiliation — Muslim or Christian — and none about ethnic background or sectarian affiliation.

The Iraqi government has made extensive efforts to ensure the process, scheduled to take two days to complete, is as inclusive and accurate as possible, imposing a two-day curfew from midnight on Tuesday.

Preliminary results will be announced within 24 hours and final results released in two to three months.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/OPt4Llf

Israel To Target Hezbollah Despite Potential Lebanon Ceasefire: Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Israel will continue to operate militarily against the Iran-backed Lebanese armed movement Hezbollah even if a ceasefire deal is reached in Lebanon.

"The most important thing is not (the deal that) will be laid on paper... We will be forced to ensure our security in the north (of Israel) and to systematically carry out operations against Hezbollah's attacks... even after a ceasefire", to keep the group from rebuilding its forces, Netanyahu told the Israeli parliament.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/trBj6JV

"No Progress At COP29 In Matters Critical For Developing Nations": India

At COP29 in Baku, India expressed frustration with developed countries for not seriously discussing how to support climate action in developing nations, saying it is impossible to tackle climate change without financial and technological help.

Delivering a statement in the closing plenary of the subsidiary bodies' meeting on the Mitigation Work Programme (MWP) on Saturday, India said developed countries, which have historically contributed the most to greenhouse gas emissions and have more resources and the ability to act on climate change, have repeatedly delayed climate action and continuously shifted goalposts.

"We have seen no progress in matters critical for developing countries (during the last week). Our part of the world is facing some of the worst impacts of climate change with far lower capacity to recover from those impacts or to adapt to the changes to the climatic system for which we are not responsible," said India's deputy lead negotiator Neelesh Sah.

He said the MWP is meant to help, not punish, and must respect each country's right to set its own climate goals based on its unique needs and circumstances.

Neelesh Sah said that if there are no means of implementation -- financial support, technology, and capacity-building -- developing and low-income economies cannot cut greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to its effects.

"How can we discuss climate action when it is being made impossible for us to act even as our challenges in dealing with the impacts of climate change are increasing?" the Indian negotiator said.

India said developed countries with the highest capacity to take climate action had "continuously shifted goals, delayed climate action, and consumed a highly disproportionate share of the global carbon budget".

"We now have to meet our developmental needs in a situation where the carbon budget is depleting and the impacts of climate change are increasing. We are being asked to increase mitigation ambition by those who have shown no such ambition -- neither in their mitigation efforts nor in providing the means of implementation." "The bottom-up approach is being attempted to be made into a top-down approach, in turn attempting to turn the whole mandate of the MWP and the principles of the Paris Agreement upside down. For the past week, at the 'finance COP', we have been frustrated by the unwillingness of developed countries to engage on this issue," Sah said.

At COP29, countries are discussing how the MWP -- created two years ago at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, to help support mitigation -- should work and what it should focus on.

Consultations on the MWP have remained tense, with developing countries saying that it was meant to help nations share ideas, experiences, and solutions for cutting emissions.

They argue that it was not supposed to create new targets or force any country to take specific actions.

On the other hand, developed countries want the MWP to push for stronger, more immediate action from all countries.

Overall, a new climate finance package to help developing nations reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change is the top priority of this year's UN climate talks.

In 2009, developed countries promised to provide USD 100 billion every year by 2020 to support climate action in developing countries, but this goal was only met in 2022.

Of the money provided, about 70 per cent came as loans, which increased the financial burden on low-income countries already struggling with the impacts of climate change.

With climate impacts worsening, developing countries need at least USD 1.3 trillion every year in financial support.

They argue this should come from developed countries' government funding, not from the private sector, which is driven by profit and not accountable to the UN climate process.

There has been little progress on this issue during the talks, with developed countries pushing for the climate finance package to be a "global investment goal", including money from all sectors -- public, private, domestic, and international.

"Climate finance cannot be changed into an investment goal when it is a unidirectional provision and mobilisation goal from the developed to the developing countries. The Paris Agreement is clear on who is to provide and mobilise the climate finance - it is the developed countries," India's lead negotiator Naresh Pal Gangwar said on Thursday during a high-level dialogue on climate finance.

Some developed countries led by the EU and the US argue the global economic landscape has shifted significantly since 1992. They suggest nations that have become wealthier since then, like China and some Gulf states, should also contribute to the new climate finance goal.

Developing countries view this as an attempt to shift responsibility from those who have historically benefited from industrialisation and contributed the most to greenhouse gas emissions.

They argue that expecting them to contribute, especially when many are still grappling with poverty and inadequate infrastructure amid worsening climate impacts, undermines the principle of equity.

The potential withdrawal of the US and Argentina from the Paris Agreement has significantly affected the morale of negotiators at COP29.

However, countries like China, the UK, and Brazil have taken a strong leadership role, offering hope for a much-needed deal to maintain confidence in the multilateral diplomatic system.

Negotiators are now looking for a strong signal from G20 heads of governments who will meet at Rio De Janeiro in Brazil on November 18-19.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/ZhMBQjd

Climate Sceptic, Fracking Magnate Nominated As US Energy Chief

US President-elect Donald Trump nominated fracking magnate and climate change sceptic Chris Wright as energy secretary on Saturday, tasking him with "cutting red tape" which the new administration hopes will drive investment in fossil fuels.

"As Secretary of Energy, Chris will be a key leader, driving innovation, cutting red tape, and ushering in a new 'Golden Age of American Prosperity and Global Peace,'" Trump said in a statement.

Wright is a founder of Liberty Energy, which serves the energy companies that have massively increased US fossil fuel production in recent years by extracting oil and gas from shale fields in a process known as "fracking."

"My dedication to bettering human lives remains steadfast, with a focus on making American energy more affordable, reliable, and secure," Wright said on X after Trump's announcement.

Here are the live updates: 
 

from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/J6kBY7n

Super Typhoon Man-Yi Hits Philippines, Forcing Lakhs to Flee

Super Typhoon Man-yi battered the Philippines on Saturday, with the national weather forecaster warning of a "potentially catastrophic and life-threatening" impact as huge waves pounded the archipelago's coastline.

More than 650,000 people fled their homes ahead of Man-yi, which is the sixth major storm to hit the disaster-weary country in the past month.

Man-yi brought maximum wind speeds of 195 kilometres (121 miles) per hour as it made landfall on the sparsely populated island province of Catanduanes as a super typhoon, the weather service said, adding gusts were reaching 325 kilometres an hour.

"Potentially catastrophic and life-threatening situation looms for northeastern Bicol region as Super Typhoon 'Pepito' further intensifies," the forecaster said hours before it made landfall, using the local name for the storm and referring to the southern part of the main island of Luzon.

Waves up to 14 metres (46 feet) high pummelled the shore of Catanduanes, while Manila and other vulnerable coastal regions were at risk from storm surges reaching up to more than three metres over the next 48 hours, the forecaster said.

The weather forecaster said winds walloping Catanduanes and northeastern Camarines Sur province -- both in the typhoon-prone Bicol region -- posed an "extreme threat to life and property".

Power was shut down on Catanduanes ahead of the storm, with shelters and the command centre using generators for electricity.

"We're hearing sounds of things falling and things breaking while here at the evacuation centre," Catanduanes provincial disaster operations chief Roberto Monterola told AFP after Man-yi made landfall.

"We are unable to check what they are as the winds are too strong. They could be tree branches breaking off and falling on rooftops," Monterola said, adding there had been no reports of casualties.

At least 163 people died in the five storms that pounded the Philippines in recent weeks, leaving thousands homeless and wiping out crops and livestock.

Climate change is increasing the intensity of storms, leading to heavier rains, flash floods and stronger gusts.

About 20 big storms and typhoons hit the Southeast Asian nation or its surrounding waters each year, killing scores of people, but it is rare for multiple such weather events to take place in a small window.

Evacuations

Man-yi could hit Luzon -- the country's most populous island and economic engine -- as a super typhoon or typhoon on Sunday afternoon, crossing north of Manila and sweeping over the South China Sea on Monday.

The government urged people on Saturday to heed warnings to flee to safety.

"If preemptive evacuation is required, let us do so and not wait for the hour of peril before evacuating or seeking help, because if we did that we will be putting in danger not only our lives but also those of our rescuers," Interior Undersecretary Marlo Iringan said.

In Albay province, Legazpi City grocer Myrna Perea sheltered with her husband and their three children in a school classroom alongside nine other families after they were ordered to leave their shanty.

Conditions were hot and cramped -- the family spent Friday night sleeping together on a mat under the classroom's single ceiling fan -- but Perea said it was better to be safe.

"I think our house will be wrecked when we get back because it's made of light materials -- just two gusts are required to knock it down," Perea, 44, told AFP.

"Even if the house is destroyed, the important thing is we do not lose a family member."

Back to 'square one' 

In Northern Samar province, disaster officer Rei Josiah Echano lamented that damage caused by typhoons was the root cause of poverty in the region.

"Whenever there's a typhoon like this, it brings us back to the medieval era, we go (back) to square one," Echano told AFP, as the province prepared for the onslaught of Man-yi.

The mayor of Naga city in Camarines Sur province imposed a curfew from midday on Saturday in a bid to force residents indoors.

All vessels -- from fishing boats to oil tankers -- were ordered to stay in port or return to shore.

The volcanology agency also warned heavy rain dumped by Man-yi could trigger flows of volcanic sediment, or lahars, from three volcanos, including Taal, south of Manila.

Man-yi hit the Philippines late in the typhoon season -- most cyclones develop between July and October.

Earlier this month, four storms were clustered simultaneously in the Pacific basin, which the Japan Meteorological Agency told AFP on Saturday was the first time such an occurrence had been observed in November since its records began in 1951.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/5Nw9jPk

All About Haka, Traditional Maori Dance Performed By New Zealand MP

New Zealand's youngest MP, Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, on Thursday tore up a copy of the contentious Treaty Principles Bill and performed a traditional Maori haka during a House session. This bold move comes almost a year after she went viral for performing a haka during her maiden speech in parliament. The 22-year-old Te Pati Maori MP interrupted the session, ripping apart the bill before breaking into the powerful dance. She was soon joined by others in the public gallery, prompting Speaker Gerry Brownlee to briefly suspend the House.

The Maori Haka

The Maori haka is a traditional performance that holds deep cultural significance for New Zealanders. It is known for its powerful energy, fierce facial expressions (pukana), and physical movements like stamping, hand gestures, and chanting. The haka varies by region, with many telling stories of significant events in a tribe's history. 

Origins and significance

The haka's origins lie in Maori mythology, created by Tane-more, the son of the sun god and the summer maid. It symbolises vitality and energy, representing the spirit of the Maori people. Traditionally, the haka was performed for war, to celebrate achievements, or to welcome guests. Today, it is performed at important occasions like sporting events, weddings, and funerals.

Types of Haka

There are various forms of haka, each with its unique purpose:

• Peruperu: A war haka performed with weapons to show strength.
• Ngarahu: A semi-war dance performed to test warriors' readiness.
• Haka Tui Waewae: A non-combative haka expressing emotions like joy or anger.
• Ka Mate: Created by Ngati Toa Chief Te Rauparaha, Ka Mate tells the story of his escape from capture and his subsequent rise as a great Maori leader.

The haka gained worldwide fame through New Zealand's All Blacks rugby team, who perform Ka Mate before each game. The performance is meant to assert dominance, energise the team, and honour Maori culture. This ritual has captivated audiences globally.

To experience haka firsthand, you can attend rugby matches or visit places like Rotorua where you can watch live performances or participate in traditional Maori experiences.

from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/jxPpYUL

Lebanon Rescuer Picks Up "Pieces" Of Father After Israel Strike

Suzanne Karkaba and her father Ali were both civil defence rescuers whose job was to save the injured and recover the dead in Lebanon's war.

When an Israeli strike killed him on Thursday and it was his turn to be rescued, there wasn't much left. She had to identify him by his fingers.

Karkaba then rushed back to the bombed civil defence centre to search for her fellow first responders under the rubble.

Israel struck the centre, the main civil defence facility in the eastern Baalbek area, while nearly 20 rescuers were still inside, said Samir Chakia, a local official with the agency.

At least 14 civil defence workers were killed, he said.

"My dad was sleeping here with them. He helped people and recovered bodies to return them to their families... But now it's my turn to pick up the pieces of my dad," Karkaba told AFP with tears in her eyes.

Unlike many first-responder facilities previously targeted during the war, this facility in Douris, on the edge of Baalbek city, was state-run and had no political affiliation.

Israel's military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Friday morning, dozens of rescuers and residents were still rummaging through the wreckage of the centre. Two excavators pulled broken slabs of concrete, twisted metal bars and red tiles.

Wearing her civil defence uniform at the scene, Karkaba said she had been working around-the-clock since Israel ramped up its air raids on Lebanon's east in late September.

"I don't know who to grieve anymore, the (centre's) chief, my father, or my friends of 10 years," Karkaba said, her braided hair flowing in the wind.

"I don't have the heart to leave the centre, to leave the smell of my father... I've lost a part of my soul."

'Now we are targets'

Beginning on September 23, Israel escalated its air raids mainly on Hezbollah strongholds in east and south Lebanon, as well as south Beirut after nearly a year of cross-border exchanges of fire.

A week later Israel sent in ground troops to southern Lebanon.

More than 150 rescuers, most of them affiliated with Hezbollah and its allies, have been killed in more than a year of clashes, according to health ministry figures from late October.

Friday morning, rescuers in Douris were still pulling body parts from the rubble, strewn with dozens of paper documents, while Lebanese army troops stood guard near the site.

Civil defence worker Mahmoud Issa was among those searching for friends in the rubble.

"Does it get worse than this kind of strike against rescue teams and medics? We are among the first to... save people. But now, we are targets," he said.

On Thursday, Lebanon's health ministry said more than 40 people had been killed in Israeli strikes on the country's south and east.

The ministry reported two deadly Israeli raids on emergency facilities in less than two hours that day: the one near Baalbek, and another on the south that killed four Hezbollah-affiliated paramedics.

The ministry urged the international community to "put an end to these dangerous violations".

More than 3,400 people have been killed in Lebanon since the clashes began last year, according to the ministry, the majority of them since late September.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/oek37H9

Chinese Ceramics Worth 1 Billion Euro Donated To British Museum

A 1,700-piece private collection of Chinese ceramics with an estimated value of £1 billion ($1.27 billion) has been donated to the British Museum -- a record for any UK institution.

The central London museum announced late on Wednesday that the Trustees of The Sir Percival David Foundation had gifted the collection permanently to go on public display.

David, who died in 1964, was a British businessman and Sinophile who collected ceramics from Europe, Japan, Hong Kong and China.

His collection had been on loan to the museum since 2009.

Museum chair George Osborne said he was "thrilled by this blockbuster decision" to make the loan permanent, calling it "the largest bequest to the British Museum in our long history".

Colin Sheaf, chair of The Sir Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, said the donation coincided with the centenary of the businessman's first trip to China, which inspired his love of its art and culture.

He said he hoped it would continue to inspire and educate future generations.

Highlights from the collection include vases from 1351 and a cup used to serve wine for the Chenghua emperor in the 15th century, as well as ceramics made for the Northern Song dynasty court in the 11th century.

Some pieces from the collection will be loaned to the Shanghai Museum in China and the Metropolitan Museum in New York.

The British Museum was founded in 1753 and is one of the most famous in the world, with a collection of about eight million objects.

But like many Western museums, it has come under pressure in recent years to address calls to return items acquired during the British Empire, not least the Parthenon, or Elgin, Marbles.

Last year the museum -- home to the Rosetta Stone -- was rocked by revelations that thousands of artefacts from its collection were found to be "missing, stolen or damaged". Hundreds have since been recovered.

It dismissed a staff member suspected of involvement in what it called "an inside job", and alerted police who have interviewed a person but made no arrests.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/xLchtzF

Key Bangladesh Official Proposes Removing 'Secularism' From Constitution

Bangladesh's top legal official has proposed to remove the words "secularism" and "socialism" from the Constitution apart from a provision prescribing capital punishment for regime change through extra-constitutional means.

In his statement in the High Court during a hearing on a writ petition filed by a group of citizens, Attorney General Mohammad Asazzaman on Wednesday sought to remove "secularism" and "socialism" as two of the four principles of the Constitution alongside the designation of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as the Father of the Nation.

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was the undisputed leader of Bangladesh but the Awami League politicised him in the party's interest, he said, referring to the founding leader of Bangladesh who is popularly known as Bangabandhu.

The writ petition challenged the validity of the Constitution's 15th amendment made by the now-ousted Awami League regime of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina in 2011 while a two-judge High Court bench issued a rule asking the interim government to come up with its stance on the matter.

"As a whole, we do not want that (HC) rule to be scrapped," the attorney general said, clarifying the government's stance on the writ petition while talking to newsmen at his office.

Several people, mostly lawyers, emerged as interveners in the writ petition, some supporting the plea and some opposing it.

The 15th amendment was passed in parliament with the strength of a brute majority of the Awami League, restoring, inserting and scrapping several provisions in the Constitution.

The amendments included the restoration of secularism as a state principle, the scrapping of the caretaker government system for election oversight, assuming state power through extra-constitutional means and the designating of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as the Father of the Nation.

In his concluding arguments, Asaduzzaman told the court that the interim government wanted to declare the 15th amendment to the Constitution largely unconstitutional, retaining only select provisions.

He particularly demanded the restoration of the caretaker government system and the provision of the referendum in the Constitution.

The Awami League regime was toppled on August 5 in the face of a mass upsurge originating from a quota reform campaign by the Anti-Discrimination Students Movement. Three days later Nobel laureate Muhammad assumed office as the chief adviser of the interim government.

The attorney general criticised Article 7A inserted under the 15th amendment that criminalises any attempt to repeal, suspend, or subvert the Constitution through force or unconstitutional means, calling such acts as sedition, which are punishable with the death penalty.

He argued that this restriction limits democratic change and disregards the recent mass uprising that deposed the Awami League government and demanded the restoration of the caretaker government system.

"The (provisions of the 15th) amendment betrays the sacrifices of martyrs like Abu Sayed and Mugdho," said Asaduzzaman, referring to two students who were shot dead during the July-August mass protests.

Asaduzzaman was appointed as the attorney general days after the ouster of the past regime and the resignation of his predecessor.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/r36J4Lo

Iran Plans To Send Women Protesting Hijab Mandate To Psychiatric Facilities

The Iranian state is planning to open a treatment clinic for women who flout the mandatory hijab laws that require them to cover their heads in public. Announcing the opening of a "hijab removal treatment clinic", Mehri Talebi Darestani, the head of the Women and Family Department of the Tehran Headquarters for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice said the establishment will offer "scientific and psychological treatment for hijab removal".

"The establishment of this center will be for the scientific and psychological treatment of removing the hijab, specifically for the teenage generation, young adults, and women seeking social and Islamic identity and visiting this center is optional," a report by Iran International quoted Talebi as saying.

Notably, the Women and Family Department of the Tehran Headquarters for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice falls under the direct authority of Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei. The body is reportedly responsible for defining and enforcing strict religious standards in Iran, particularly those related to women's dress.

Move Sparks Outrage

The announcement came weeks after a university student, who stripped down to her underwear on a Tehran campus in an apparent protest at harsh treatment by dress code enforcers, was detained and sent to a psychiatric hospital for mental health treatment.

The news of the new clinic has spread among the "Woman, Life, Freedom" protest groups and women, sparking fear and outrage.

Speaking with The Guardian on the condition of anonymity, a young woman from Iran said, "It won't be a clinic, it will be a prison."

"We are struggling to make ends meet and have power outages, but a piece of cloth is what this state is worried about. If there was a time for all of us to come back to the streets, it's now or they'll lock us all up," she said. 

According to Iranian human rights lawyer, Hossein Raeesi, the idea of a clinic to treat women who did not comply with hijab laws is "neither Islamic nor aligned with Iranian law". 

Use Of Psychiatric Facilities To Curb Dissent

Iranian authorities have been widely accused of using mental health institutions to curb the dissent against the strict hijab law. The method has been condemned by human rights advocates as psychologically abusive and manipulative.

Speaking to The Guardian, Sima Sabet, a UK-based Iranian journalist who was a target of an Iranian assassination attempt last year, said the move is “shameful”.

“The idea of establishing clinics to ‘cure' unveiled women is chilling, where people are separated from society simply for not conforming to the ruling ideology," she said.

Since the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement began, hardliners have increased efforts to enforce strict dress codes for women. Artists, including actresses Afsaneh Bayegan, Azadeh Samadi, and Leila Bolukat, who posted images of themselves without a hijab, reportedly received court-ordered mandates for weekly visits to psychological centers for mental health certificates in response to their conduct.

The "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement began in Iran after the death of young woman Mahsa Amini in police custody over hijab violations in September 2022.

from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/iXsBRWp

South Korea Arrests 215 On Suspicion Of $228 Million Crypto Scam

South Korean police have arrested 215 people on suspicion of stealing 320 billion won ($228.4 million) in the biggest cryptocurrency investment scam in the country.

Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police said on Wednesday the arrests included the alleged mastermind of the organised crime group accused of selling 28 types of virtual tokens to about 15,000 people by promising high returns.

Police said the group had issued six of the 28 tokens on overseas crypto exchanges and were managing a team of market makers to push up prices. Police described the tokens as "worthless".

The group had set up investment consulting companies and sales teams to sell the virtual assets to people who had subscribed to a YouTube channel, the police statement said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/qBc0Mgr

Potential For Life Found On Uranus' Moons, Scientists Reveal

The planet Uranus and its five largest moons may not be the cold, lifeless worlds scientists once believed. Instead, they could have hidden oceans and even the potential to support life, according to new research.

Most of our knowledge of Uranus comes from NASA's Voyager 2 mission, which visited nearly 40 years ago. However, a recent analysis reveals that Voyager's encounter occurred during an intense solar storm, potentially skewing our perception of the Uranian system, the BBC reported.

Uranus, an icy, ringed planet at the solar system's edge, is one of the coldest and most unusual planets due to its extreme tilt, making it appear as if it had been tipped over.

The latest findings reveal that Voyager 2's visit coincided with severe solar activity, which may have temporarily disrupted the planet's magnetic field and swept away atmospheric material. For decades, this led scientists to a possibly inaccurate view of Uranus and its moons, explained Dr William Dunn from University College London.

"These results suggest the Uranian system might be far more intriguing than we thought," Dr. Dunn said. "There may be moons there with conditions that could support life, possibly hiding oceans below their surfaces."

Linda Spilker, a young scientist on the Voyager team when the Uranus data arrived, now serves as the project scientist for the Voyager missions. She expressed excitement about the new findings, published in Nature Astronomy. "It's thrilling to think there's potential for life in the Uranian system," she told BBC News. She added, "It's amazing that scientists are still uncovering new insights from data collected in 1986."

Dr Affelia Wibisono of the Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies, who was not involved in the research, described the findings as "very exciting," noting the importance of re-examining old data, as new discoveries may be hidden within them.

NASA is already planning a return mission to Uranus, the Uranus Orbiter and Probe, expected to launch in the next decade. Dr. Jamie Jasinski from NASA, who led the re-analysis of the Voyager data, noted that insights from the recent study will shape the design and instruments of this upcoming mission to ensure it can accurately capture data unaffected by solar interference.

NASA's probe is expected to reach Uranus by 2045 when scientists hope to determine if these remote, icy moons could indeed host life.

from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/Iucrvdl

UK Vows To Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions By 81% On 1990 Levels By 2035

The UK will aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 81 percent on 1990 levels by 2035, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Tuesday, as his government ramps up its ambitions on climate change.

The previous government in London committed in 2021 to curb such emissions by 78 percent over the same period compared to 1990.

Starmer unveiled the new target as he attended the beginning of the COP29 climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, where he is one of the only G20 leaders to show up.

The summit's start has been overshadowed by the re-election in the US of longtime climate change sceptic Donald Trump, as well as new warnings that 2024 is on track to break temperature records.

UK Labour party leader Starmer, who took power in July, told a press conference that Britain was "building on our reputation as a climate leader".

"I've had a series of meetings here at COP this week because this government recognises that the world stands at a critical juncture in the climate crisis," he said.

"There is no national security, there is no economic security, there is no global security without climate security."

The British leader insisted his government was not going to "start telling people how to live their lives" in order to meet the new emissions reduction target.

"We're not going to start dictating to people what they do," he added.

Starmer touted efforts already put in place by ministers to meet what he called an "ambitious" but "realisable target", including ending an effective ban on new onshore wind projects.

His Labour government has also said it will not issue any new oil and gas exploration licenses in the North Sea, and closed the UK's last coal power plant in September.

Starmer said that meant Britain was the "first G7 economy to phase out coal power", and that it was now prioritising renewable energy projects.

"Make no mistake, the race is on for the clean energy jobs of the future, the economy of tomorrow," he said.

"And I don't want to be in the middle of the pack. I want to get ahead of the game."

Environmental groups cautiously welcomed the new 2035 target.

Friends of the Earth's head of campaigns, Rosie Downes, called it "a step in the right direction but must be seen as a floor to the level of ambition not a ceiling".

"Deeper, faster cuts are needed to help avert the climate collision course we are on," she added.

"Furthermore, if these targets are to be credible, they must be backed by a clear plan to ensure they are met. The UK's existing 2030 commitment is currently way off course."
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/eo19pOd

2024 On Track To Be Hottest Year Ever Recorded: UN Agency

The year 2024 is on course to become the hottest year ever recorded, with global temperatures reaching unprecedented levels, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) warned.

According to a report released on the opening day of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) here, the January-September global mean surface temperature was 1.54 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

This alarming surge, driven by an intense El Nino event and rising greenhouse gas concentrations, marks a critical threshold for climate change impacts worldwide.

The report titled "State of the Climate 2024" highlights the accelerating risks posed by global warming, particularly for vulnerable communities. "Climate catastrophe is hammering health, widening inequalities, harming sustainable development, and rocking the foundations of peace," said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Guterres emphasised the urgent need for climate action to protect those most affected by these changes.

A major finding of the report is the unprecedented temperature increase. The average global temperature for the first nine months of 2024 exceeded the pre-industrial level by 1.54 degrees Celsius, temporarily surpassing the 1.5 degrees Celsius goal set in the Paris Agreement.

Though long-term warming remains around 1.3 degrees Celsius, experts caution that every fraction of a degree compounds the intensity of extreme weather events and exacerbates climate risks.

Another key observation is the surge in ocean heat content, which reached a historic high in 2023 and shows no signs of abating in 2024.

Oceans have absorbed over 90 per cent of the extra energy from global warming, a trend that will have long-term implications for marine life and coastal communities.

Rising ocean temperatures also fuel extreme weather patterns, further intensifying climate challenges.

Sea levels, driven by thermal expansion and glacier melt, continue to rise at a rate more than double that observed between 1993 and 2002.

Although the rate of increase slightly slowed in 2024, the WMO warns that sea level rise remains a grave concern for coastal regions worldwide. This trend underscores the need for coastal communities to strengthen resilience against rising waters.

The WMO report also draws attention to unprecedented glacier loss, with a record 1.2 metres of water equivalent lost in 2023.

Glaciers in Switzerland, for example, lost approximately 10 per cent of their remaining volume over just two years. Such rapid glacier retreat impacts mountainous and polar regions, highlighting the urgency for climate adaptation measures in these vulnerable areas.

Extreme weather events have also intensified globally, with WMO attributing deadly heatwaves, severe floods, tropical cyclones, and persistent droughts to climate change. These events have led to economic losses, food insecurity, and forced migration, hindering sustainable development and causing significant human suffering.

Additionally, greenhouse gas concentrations reached record levels in 2023, with CO2 rising to 420 parts per million, marking a 51 per cent increase from pre-industrial levels. This trend has persisted into 2024, pushing atmospheric heat retention higher and driving further warming. Such findings underline the pressing need to curb emissions on a global scale.

The polar ice regions continue to experience dramatic changes. Antarctic sea ice extent in 2024 was the second lowest since satellite records began, with the Arctic also seeing near-record lows. The loss of polar ice contributes to global warming feedback loops, with cascading effects on ecosystems and weather patterns.

WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo emphasised the need for climate adaptation, particularly through initiatives like Early Warnings for All (EW4All), which aim to protect communities from extreme weather events.

As part of this initiative, 108 countries now report having a Multi-Hazard Early Warning System, a significant step towards enhancing resilience in vulnerable areas.

The WMO's findings underscore the urgency of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and implementing effective climate policies. In response, a team of international experts has been convened to track and communicate climate goals relative to the Paris Agreement and guide policymakers.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/dvjPVQq

Trump Speaks To Putin, Urges Him To Not Escalate War In Ukraine: Report

US President-elect Donald Trump has spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin and urged him not to escalate the war in Ukraine, the Washington Post reported Sunday.

Trump held the call from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Thursday, just days after his stunning election victory over Democratic rival Kamala Harris, the report said.

The president-elect's representatives did not immediately respond when asked by AFP for comment.

The Post, citing several people familiar with the call who spoke on the basis of anonymity, reported that Trump had reminded Putin of America's sizable military presence in Europe.

They said he also expressed an interest in further conversations to discuss "the resolution of Ukraine's war soon."

Trump's election is seen as carrying the potential to upend the almost three-year Ukraine conflict, as he insists on a quick end to the fighting and casts doubt on Washington's multi-billion dollar support for Kyiv.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with Trump on Wednesday, with the Republican's billionaire backer Elon Musk also notably joining them on the call.

Zelensky described the call as "excellent," saying that he and Trump had agreed to "maintain close dialogue and advance our cooperation."

The outgoing Democratic administration of President Joe Biden has confirmed that it will send as much aid as possible to Ukraine before Trump's inauguration on January 20.

On Sunday, Biden's National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the White House aims "to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position on the battlefield so that it is ultimately in the strongest possible position at the negotiating table."

This would include using the remaining $6 billion of funding for Ukraine available, Sullivan said.

'Losing your allowance'

The Russian government has given a cautious but mostly positive response to Trump's return, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying Sunday: "The signals are positive... At least he's talking about peace, and not about confrontation."

During his campaign, Trump repeatedly vowed to quickly end the Ukraine war -- even before he is sworn into office -- but without detailing his thinking.

Trump and his allies have railed against US funding for Ukraine, while insinuating that it helps fund a corrupt pro-war nexus of defense companies and foreign policy hawks.

Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., shared a clip Saturday on Instagram which showed Zelensky standing next to the president-elect with a caption reading: "POV (point of view): You're 38 days from losing your allowance."

Any quick deal in Ukraine is expected to require Kyiv to cede some of the territory it has lost to Russian invaders in Ukraine's south and east.

A former adviser to Trump, Bryanb Lanza, told the BBC on Saturday that Ukraine had to give up any ambition on regaining Crimea, for instance, which was occupied by Russia in 2014.

He said the US priority was for "peace and to stop the killing", although the Trump transition team clarified that he was not speaking on behalf of the president-elect.

Kyiv, though facing a manpower shortage and uncertainty over US support, has steadfastly opposed giving up territory and its European allies and weapons suppliers such as Britain and France are known to be nervous about unilateral moves by Trump.

Zelensky has said that giving up land or meeting other demands from the Kremlin would only embolden the Kremlin and provoke more aggression, a view shared by many European allies.

Trump "briefly raised the issue of land" in his call with Putin, the Post reported, without further details.

In recent months, both sides in the war have made moves seen as possible efforts to gain leverage ahead of eventual negotiations, with Ukraine seizing a chunk of Russian territory and Moscow's troops making advances in Ukraine.

This weekend brought the biggest drone attacks yet from both sides.

Russia fired 145 drones at Ukraine overnight, Zelensky said, while Russia said it had downed 34 Ukrainian drones targeting Moscow on Sunday.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/dhoFgWC

Two Powerful Earthquakes Hit Cuba Within An Hour

Two powerful earthquakes rocked southern Cuba in quick succession on Sunday, US geologists said, as authorities said no tsunami alert was issued and no deaths immediately reported.

The US Geological Survey put the second, more powerful tremor at a magnitude of 6.8 and 14.6 miles (23.5 kilometers) deep, some 25 miles off the coast of Bartolome Maso, in southern Granma province.

It came just an hour after a first tremor, which the USGS put at a magnitude of 5.9, with the epicenter some nine miles beneath the ocean roughly 22 miles off Bartolome Maso. 

The state-run newspaper Granma said no deaths had been immediately reported, but that the quake had been felt throughout the Caribbean island nation.

"Here people quickly took to the streets because the ground moved very strongly," Andres Perez, a 65-year-old retiree who lives in downtown Santiago de Cuba, told AFP via telephone of the first quake. 

"It felt very strong really, my wife is a bundle of nerves," he added. 

The US tsunami warning system said no tsunami warning had been issued.

The tremor shook the island as it recovers from Hurricane Rafael, which hit the country's west as a Category 3 storm, leaving residents without power for two days. 

A 5.1 magnitude earthquake was recorded in October 2023 in Santiago de Cuba, without causing any damage. 

Another strong earthquake of magnitude 7.7 was recorded in January 2020 in the Caribbean Sea and was felt in several Cuban provinces, causing the evacuation of buildings in the capital Havana, with no damage reported.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/pPWsCEm

Israel Army Slams Soldiers For Burning Lebanese Flag In Viral Video

The Israeli military on Saturday accused a group of soldiers of burning a Lebanese flag in southern Lebanon where they are fighting the Iran-backed group Hezbollah.

The military spoke after a video circulated on social media showing around half a dozen people dressed in Israeli uniforms jumping and singing a religious maxim as one of them sets fire to the flag with a lighter.

"We view the act of some soldiers burning the Lebanese flag in southern Lebanon as a violation of orders, inconsistent with the values of the defence forces, and misaligned with the goals of our military activities in Lebanon," said military spokesman Avichay Adraee.

#هام منذ بدء الحرب على حزب الله، قلناها بوضوح: حربنا ليست ضد الشعب اللبناني، بل ضد من ينتهك أرض لبنان، ويحرق سيادته، ويدنس رموزه.

حربنا ضد حزب الله الإرهابي، الذي لم يكن يومًا لبنانيًا لا في العقيدة، ولا الفكر، ولا الهوية. ومن هنا، نعتبر قيام بعض الجنود على حرق العلم اللبناني في… pic.twitter.com/A1KtAcyOcn

— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) November 9, 2024

"Our war is against the terrorist Hezbollah, which has never been truly Lebanese in creed, ideology, or identity," he added in an Arabic-language post on social media platform X.

The post did not mention any possible sanctions against the soldiers.

It did include a video allegedly showing a Hezbollah militant tearing a Lebanese flag off its pole and replacing it with the group's banner.

Israel has been at war with Hezbollah since late September, when it broadened its focus from fighting Hamas in the Gaza Strip to securing its northern border, even as the Gaza war continues.

Hezbollah began low intensity strikes on Israel in support of Hamas following its ally's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel which triggered the Gaza war.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/ENV67nU

Kate Middleton Attends Remembrance Day Event In Return To Public Duties

Britain's Princess Kate attended a Remembrance Day event in London on Saturday, in her latest public engagement after undergoing preventive treatment for cancer this year.

Kate arrived for the Festival of Remembrance at London's Royal Albert Hall wearing a black dress adorned with a red poppy, which has become a symbol of respect for those who have lost their lives in conflict.

She was accompanied by her husband Prince William and other members of the royal family and was followed shortly afterwards by King Charles, whose wife Queen Camilla has cancelled engagements as she recovers from a chest infection.

The Princess of Wales said in September she had finished chemotherapy, but her path to full recovery would be long. At the time, the 42-year-old said she would be carrying out a handful of public engagements later in the year.

Her last public appearance was in October when she met the bereaved families of three young girls who were murdered at a dance class in northwest England.

Kate is also expected to attend the main Remembrance Day ceremony on Sunday, Buckingham Palace said on Friday.

The ceremony at the Cenotaph war memorial is held on the nearest Sunday to Nov. 11 to mark the end of World War One, and pays tribute to those who lost their lives in conflict.

Camilla hopes to return to public duties early next week, the palace said. She pulled out of planned engagements this week after her doctors advised a period of rest. She would mark Remembrance Day privately at home, the palace added.

In South Africa, Prince William told British media on Thursday that the past year had probably been the "hardest" of his life after Kate and his father King Charles were diagnosed with cancer.

Prince William visited South Africa as part a climate-focused trip planned around his multimillion dollar Earthshot Prize, created to encourage innovations to combat environmental problems.

As he prepared to leave South Africa, Prince William said, in remarks published on Saturday by British media, he was trying to carry out his public duties "differently" from previous generations.

"I'm doing it with maybe a smaller R in the royal," he told reporters. "It's more about impact philanthropy, collaboration, convening, and helping people.

"And I'm also going to throw empathy in there as well, because I really care about what I do. ... I think we could do with some more empathetic leadership around the world," Prince William added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/KzxVQG7