Page 2 - War Conflict

Israeli strikes on Gaza leave children orphaned, parents childless

Reem Abu Hayyah, just three months old, was the only member of her family to survive an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip late Monday. A few miles (kilometres) to the north, Mohamed Abuel-Qomasan lost his wife and their twin babies -- just four days old -- in another strike. More than 10 months into its war with Hamas, Israel's relentless bombardment of the isolated territory has wiped out extended families. It has left parents without children and children without parents or siblings. And some of the sole survivors are so young they will have no memory of those they lost. The Israeli strike late Monday destroyed a home near the southern city of Khan Younis, killing 10 people. The dead included Abu Hayyah's parents and five siblings, ranging in age from 5 to 12, as well as the parents of three other children. All four children were wounded in the strike. There is no one left except this baby, said her aunt, Soad Abu Hayyah. Since this morning, we have been trying to feed her ...

Kursk attack: Top general reveals how much Russian land Ukraine captured

Russia has suffered several incursions into its territory during the nearly two and a half years of war, but Ukraine's advance into Kursk is the largest attack on its soil since World War II

Biden's prez withdrawal can cause foreign policy challenges for successor

Joe Biden's withdrawal from the US presidential race injects greater uncertainty into the world at a time when Western leaders are grappling with wars in Ukraine and Gaza, a more assertive China in Asia and the rise of the far-right in Europe. During a five-decade career in politics, Biden developed extensive personal relationships with multiple foreign leaders that none of the potential replacements on the Democratic ticket can match. After his announcement, messages of support and gratitude for his years of service poured in from near and far. The scope of foreign policy challenges facing the next U.S. president makes clear how consequential what happens in Washington is for the rest of the planet. Here's a look at some of them. ISRAEL With Vice President Kamala Harris being eyed as a potential replacement for Biden, Israelis on Sunday scrambled to understand what her candidacy would mean for their country as it confronts increasing global isolation over its military campaign ...

Israel reopens Gaza food sales as Rafah offensive chokes aid: Report

The offensive against Rafah, a key gateway into Gaza from Egypt, has effectively halted the flow of UN aid to the devastated Palestinian territory

In conflict-torn Manipur, youngsters take up arms to 'protect' villages

Every day in shifts, morning and night, a group of armed youngsters patrol roads around Manipur's Koutruk village. Their objective: Keep residents safe from the warring factions of Meitei and Kuki, two communities that have been in conflict since last year. These youngsters, mostly in their late 20s and early 30s, identify themselves as volunteers and say they have taken up the responsibility to keep their own safe as security forces "could not do enough to protect us". Kotruk in the Imphal Valley is one of the many villages in the state that is "protected" by such groups which identify themselves as "Village Volunteers", "Village Volunteer Force", "Village Defence Force" and "Village Protection Force". These groups, officials say, are not associated with any security agency or the armed forces. Trained in basic combat tactics, the village forces have vowed to keep their areas safe from the ethnic violence that has left many dead, injured and displaced. Their presence in villages

Pakistan conducts airstrikes inside Afghanistan, 8 civilians killed

Pakistan on Monday carried out airstrikes inside Afghanistan that killed eight civilians, including three children, Afghan Taliban said, amidst a war of words between the two neighbours for a spate of recent militant attacks in restive Pakistani cities. A senior Afghan interim government official on Monday confirmed that strikes in the Afghanistan provinces of Paktika and Khost along the Pakistan border have taken place. There was no immediate reaction from the Pakistani side. Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesperson of the Afghan rulers, alleged in a statement that Pakistani aircraft had carried out the airstrikes, the Dawn newspaper reported from Kabul. At around 3 am, Pakistani aircraft bombarded civilian homes in Khost and Paktika provinces near the border with Pakistan, said Afghan interim government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid, claiming that all eight people killed were women and children. Mujahid said that Pakistani planes had bombed the Laman area in Paktika's Barmal ...

Xi calls for coordination of military, preparation for conflicts at sea

He said, it was necessary to build cyberspace defence system and improve the ability to maintain national network security

G20 finance leaders eye regional 'conflicts' in tight draft communique

"Risks to the global economic outlook are more balanced," with faster-than-expected disinflation and more growth-friendly fiscal consolidation underpinning growth, the draft said

Humanitarian appeal for Ukraine is only 10% funded for 2024, says UN envoy

The UN's humanitarian appeal to meet needs in Ukraine is only 10% funded for 2024, the country's resident coordinator said Wednesday, putting in jeopardy crucial assistance needed to reach those in need across frontline areas. Denise Brown, the UN's top representative in Ukraine, said an estimated 8.5 million Ukrainians living in dire conditions near combat zones risk going without basic humanitarian deliveries, including food and water. The UN's annual appeal for Ukraine is $3.1 billion. If we don't receive that money, I don't know where that money is going to come from, Brown told The Associated Press in an interview. Without the funds, we won't be able to sustain the high number of colleagues that we have here who are absolutely dedicated to humanitarian support." As the future of military aid to Ukraine hangs in the balance, Brown is lobbying the international community and private sector to remember that humanitarian needs are also high. Ukraine's economy is still suffering th

US warns against Israeli assault on Rafah in draft UN Security Council text

The US has so far been reluctant to back cease-fire proposals in the four-month old conflict, though it has tried to broker a deal under which Hamas would release hostages from Gaza

Domestic market enough to take in our capacity: Jindal Stainless MD

Jindal says that the strategy is to focus on the domestic market

Senators release $118 bn package pairing border policies with wartime aid

Senators on Sunday released a highly anticipated USD 118 billion package that pairs border enforcement policy with wartime aid for Ukraine, Israel and other US allies, setting off a long-shot effort to push the bill through heavy skepticism from Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson. The proposal is the best chance for President Joe Biden to resupply Ukraine with wartime aid a major foreign policy goal that is shared with both the Senate's top Democrat, Sen. Chuck Schumer, and top Republican, Sen. Mitch McConnell. The Senate was expected this week to hold a key test vote on the legislation, but it faces a wall of opposition from conservatives. With Congress stalled on approving USD 60 billion in Ukraine aid, the US has halted shipments of ammunition and missiles to Kyiv, leaving Ukrainian soldiers outgunned as they try to beat back Russia's invasion. The new bill would also invest in US defense manufacturing, send USD 14 billion in military aid to Israel, steer nearly U

US, UK forces hit dozens of Houthi sites to counter ship attacks

US intends further strikes, Houthis promise 'escalation', more Red Sea assaults

Oil falls as China's recovery misses expectations, dollar strengthens

China's economy in the fourth quarter expanded by 5.2% year on year, missing analysts expectations and calling into question forecasts that see Chinese demand fuelling 2024 global oil growth

Committed to cease-fire, but no progress on peace talks: Sudanese general

Sudanese paramilitary leader Gen Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo said Thursday he was committed to a cease-fire to end the devastating war that has wrecked his country, even as fighting continues and there has been no progress on proposed peace talks between Dagalo and Sudan military chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan. Dagalo, leader of the Rapid Support Forces, said in a statement following a meeting in Pretoria with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa that he had briefed Ramaphosa on the considerable efforts taken to end this war. I emphasized our unwavering commitment to cease hostilities, Dagalo said, although he didn't say if or when he would meet with Burhan. The warring generals agreed last month to a face-to-face meeting and to start talks over a possible cease-fire, according to the East African regional bloc IGAD. No date or location for the talks have been announced. During Thursday's meeting with Dagalo, Ramaphosa said he hoped there would be an "imminent face-to-face dialogue"

N Korea's Kim vows to bolster war readiness to repel US-led confrontations

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for bolstered war readiness to repel what he said were unprecedented United States-led confrontational moves, state media reported onThursday, as rival South Korea vowed a stern retaliation against any provocations by the North. Kim's comments during the key political meeting tasked with setting state objectives for 2024 indicated North Korea will likely continue weapons tests to modernize its nuclear arsenal. Observers say Kim likely hopes to eventually use his boosted arsenal as leverage in potential diplomacy with Washington, possibly after the 2024 US presidential election in November. During Wednesday's second-day session of the ruling party's plenary meeting, Kim set forth unspecified tasks for the military and the munitions industry to further accelerate the war preparations in the face of anti-North Korea "confrontation moves by the US and its vassal forces unprecedented in history, the official Korean Central News Agency said. It said

2023: A year marked by unyielding global conflicts, geopolitical tensions

From Ukraine to Gaza and the South China Sea, tensions mounted. Europe battled a migrant crisis and US' domestic political woes weighed on the world; Beijing had a year to forget

Children in Afghanistan remain highly vulnerable to grave violations: UN

The report, which was released on December 22, 2023, said that children's access to basic services was "disrupted due to protracted conflict, displacement, extreme poverty and food insecurity

Armenia, Azerbaijan exchange POWs in line with deal announced last week

Armenia and Azerbaijan on Wednesday exchanged prisoners of war, in line with an agreement announced last week that also promised the two countries would work towards a peace treaty and was hailed by the European Union as a major step toward peace in the tumultuous region. Azerbaijan brought back two servicemen, while 32 soldiers returned to Armenia, officials in both countries reported. Azerbaijan waged a lightning military campaign in September in the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The offensive ended three decades of rule there by ethnic Armenians and resulted in the vast majority of the 120,000 residents fleeing the region, which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan. In their joint statement last week, the two countries said they share the view that there is a historical chance to achieve a long-awaited peace. They said they intend to normalise relations and to reach the peace treaty on the basis of respect for the principles of sovereignty and territorial

S'pore committed to foster world where dialogue a path to resolve conflicts

Singapore is deeply committed to fostering a world where the rule of law is upheld and where dialogue and negotiation are the chosen pathways to resolving conflicts and disputes, the country's President Tharman Shanmugaratnam has said. The prosperous city-state also supports stronger international cooperation to prevent crises from occurring, and to be prepared in advance for any shocks to the system when they do occur, the president on Saturday told 460 newly minted officers of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). In a speech at the officer cadet commissioning parade, the president noted that the foundations of the international order were under strain, just when the need for global cooperation and the rule of law was greatest. "On its part, Singapore continues to be deeply committed to fostering a world where the rule of law is upheld, and where dialogue and negotiation are the chosen pathways to resolving conflicts and disputes," he said. However, this ability to engage with other