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3 killed, 87 injured as Israeli airstrikes hit Yemen after Tel Aviv drone attack (Ld)

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3 killed, 87 injured as Israeli airstrikes hit Yemen after Tel Aviv drone attack (Ld)

Tel Aviv, July 21 (IANS) At least three people and 87 others were left injured after Israeli airstrikes targeted oil facilities in the port on Yemen’s west coast, media reports said.

The Israeli airstrikes on Saturday targeted Houthi rebels in Yemen, a day after the Iran-backed group claimed a deadly attack on the Israeli city of Tel Aviv, CNN reported.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said its fighter jets struck “military targets of the Houthi terrorist regime” in the area of Yemen’s Hodeidah Port on Saturday in what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said was a direct response to the death of a 50-year-old Israeli in a Houthi drone attack on Tel Aviv on Friday.

This is the first time Israel has struck Yemen, according to Israeli officials.

Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam said the strikes had also hit civilian targets and a power station.

He slammed what he said was “brutal Israeli aggression” aimed at increasing the “suffering of the people of Yemen” and pressuring it to stop its support of Gaza, CNN reported.

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Houthi army spokesperson Yehya Saree vowed to respond to the strike, saying the Houthis would not hesitate to strike Israel’s “vital targets” and warning that Tel Aviv was still not safe.

“We have prepared for a long war with this enemy until the aggression stops and the blockade on the Palestinian people is lifted,” Saree said.

Netanyahu said in a statement on Saturday that Hodeidah was “not an innocent port”.

“It was used for military purposes, it was used as an entry point for deadly weapons supplied to the Houthis by Iran,” Netanyahu said, adding that Hodeidah had also been used to attack international shipping in the Red Sea.

The Israeli Prime Minister also said the operation, which hit targets 1,800 km (1,118 miles) from Israel’s borders, shows the ‘enemy’ that Israel is serious about responding to threats.

“It makes it clear to our enemies that there is no place that the long arm of the state of Israel will not reach,” Netanyahu added.

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IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari said the strikes were also in response to the 200 projectiles the rebel group had fired towards Israel since October 2023 when Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza began, CNN reported.

Since the start of the war, the Yemeni rebels have regularly targeted the country with drones and missiles, most of which have been intercepted by Israel’s defences or those of its allies. However, the Houthis claimed their drone attack in Tel Aviv on Friday — which also injured 10 people –- was performed by a new drone capable of “bypassing the enemy’s interception systems”.

The Houthis have also regularly attacked US targets and commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

Both the UK and the US have responded to the attacks on shipping by carrying out strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen. However, Israel has not taken part in those responses.

An Israeli Defence official told CNN that this was a 100 per cent Israeli strike.

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The official said Israel had previously let the US and UK take the lead on responding to Houthi attacks but decided to respond itself this time because of the death of an Israeli citizen in Tel Aviv.

According to the official, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant informed US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin before the strike was carried out.

The Defence official added that Israel was able to strike so quickly because it had been preparing for this scenario for months.

A White House official said US President Joe Biden had been briefed on “developments” in the Middle East.

A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council said the US had not coordinated with Israel on the airstrikes, but added that the US fully recognises “Israel’s right to self-defence”.

–IANS

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Lee Hsien Yang seeks refuge in United Kingdom

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Lee Hsien Yang, the youngest son of Singapore’s founding father, the late Lee Kuan Yew, announced on Tuesday that he is now a political refugee in the United Kingdom after seeking asylum from the British government “as a last resort.”

“I remain a Singapore citizen and hope that someday it will be safe to return home,” Lee stated in a Facebook post, as reported by Channel News Asia (CNA).

Citing what he described as the Singapore government’s “attacks” against him, Lee, who is the younger brother of former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, revealed that he sought asylum protection in 2022.

Lee Hsien Yang and his late sister, Lee Wei Ling, who passed away earlier this month, have been in conflict with their brother Lee Hsien Loong over the fate of their father’s home following his death in 2015, resulting in a public dispute that has estranged the siblings.

In an interview with the UK-based newspaper The Guardian, Lee alleged that a “campaign of persecution” compelled him to seek asylum in Britain.

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In response to his claims, the Singapore government stated that there is “no basis” for his allegations of “a campaign of persecution” or other assertions regarding political repression in the country.

“Singapore’s judiciary is impartial and makes decisions independently. This is why Singaporeans have a high level of trust in the judiciary,” a government spokesperson remarked.

The spokesperson added that there are no legal restrictions preventing Lee and his wife, lawyer Lee Suet Fern, from returning to Singapore. “They are and have always been free to return to Singapore,” the spokesperson said.

Lee and his wife have been outside of Singapore since 2022, having opted not to attend a scheduled police interview regarding potential offenses related to providing false evidence in judicial proceedings concerning their father’s will and the family home.

Lee and his late sister, who had been living at the property, alleged they felt threatened while trying to fulfill their father’s wish to demolish the house. They also accused their elder brother, former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, of abusing his governmental influence to advance his personal agenda.

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Indo-Russian ties are stronger than ever before at BRICS

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Kazan, Russia: Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the 16th BRICS Summit.

During the meeting, President Putin remarked, “I recall our meeting in July, where we had productive discussions on various issues. We’ve also spoken over the phone several times. I am very grateful you accepted the invitation to come to Kazan. Today, we will attend the BRICS Summit’s opening ceremony, followed by dinner.”

PM Modi responded by expressing his appreciation, saying, “I sincerely thank you for your friendship, warm welcome, and hospitality. It’s a great pleasure to visit such a beautiful city as Kazan for the BRICS Summit. India shares deep historical ties with this city, and the opening of our new embassy here will further strengthen these connections.”

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Laos seeks to enhance nutrition amid climate change concerns

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Laos seeks to enhance nutrition amid climate change concerns

Laos seeks to enhance nutrition amid climate change concerns

Vientiane (Laos), Aug 22 (IANS) Representatives from the Lao government and development partners have attended a conference here titled “Climate Change and Nutrition in Laos: Intersections and Interventions” to discuss the impact of climate change on nutrition in the Southeast Asia country and potential solutions.

Speaking at the conference, deputy director general of the Department of Hygiene and Health Promotion under the Lao Ministry of Health Viengkhan Phixay, said, “We gather to address a critical and interwoven issue: the impact of climate change on nutrition and how we can work together to tackle these challenges,” Xinhua news agency reported.

The Lao government is actively engaged in this endeavor, with numerous policies and initiatives aimed at addressing both climate change and nutrition, Lao National Television reported on Thursday.

“By leveraging the Scaling Up Nutrition network in Laos, which is led by the government, and supported by civil society, donors, and the United Nations, we have a robust platform to tackle the negative impacts of climate change while improving nutrition and overall health for everyone in Laos,” Viengkham said at the conference held on Monday.

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The conference featured a series of presentations that not only detailed evidence-based research but also introduced innovative tools for measuring and enhancing nutrition under the impact of climate change.

The conference stressed the critical need for integrated approaches to tackle the intertwined challenges of climate change and nutrition, and setting the stage for impactful future collaborations.

–IANS

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One killed, seven injured in shootout in Iraq

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One killed, seven injured in shootout in Iraq

One killed, seven injured in shootout in Iraq

Baghdad, Aug 22 (IANS) A civilian was killed while seven others were injured on Thursday in a tribal shootout in Iraq’s holy Shiite province of Najaf, according to a local security source.

The shootout erupted in the early hours between armed men from the local tribe in the al-Zarga area in northern Najaf, some 160 km south of Baghdad, a local police officer told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The clash resulted in the killing of an Iraqi civilian and the injury of seven others, including three Iranian Shiite pilgrims, the source added.

A joint force from the Interior Ministry’s emergency response division and Najaf provincial police arrested 53 gunmen from both sides of the shootout and seized weapons and ammunition, the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

It added that search operations are ongoing to locate additional gunmen and weapons, with more details to be released later.

The incident took place as numerous pilgrims traveled to the city of Karbala to observe Arbaeen, which marks the end of a 40-day mourning period for the killing of Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, in the Battle of Karbala in 680 A.D.

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Typically, these pilgrims also visit Najaf as part of their journey to Karbala.

–IANS

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Bangladesh seeks $1 billion budget support from World Bank

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Bangladesh seeks  billion budget support from World Bank

Bangladesh seeks $1 billion budget support from World Bank

Dhaka, Aug 22 (IANS) Bangladesh’s interim government has sought $1 billion from the World Bank as budgetary support.

The call came from the country’s Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan’s meeting with Abdoulaye Seck, the World Bank’s Country Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan, in Dhaka on Wednesday.

He made the plea as the ministry owes more than 2 billion dollars to suppliers in import costs of power and energy, Xinhua news agency reported.

Khan mentioned that the interim government, which was formed with many pressing mandates, is due to settle a $2 billion debt left by the previous government in the power sector.

He said they have already suspended activities under the much-criticized Quick Enhancement of Electricity and Energy Supply Act 2010 and abolished the government’s power to set energy prices without any public hearing.

On August 5, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, was ousted from her country and power, ending her rule since January 2009.

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This event was seen as a massive escalation, with what initially started as student’s protests and resulted in a major crisis in Bangladesh.

Earlier on August 8, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus took oath as the head of Bangladesh’s interim government.

–IANS

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