Jerusalem, July 4 (IANS) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has approved the dispatch of a delegation for negotiations on a ceasefire deal with the Hamas in Gaza and the release of hostages, a senior Israeli official said on Thursday.

Israel’s decision to take part in the talks, which are likely to take place in Egypt or Qatar, came a day after the Qatari and Egyptian mediators, backed by the United States, delivered Hamas’ response to a proposed deal to Israel, Xinhua news agency reported.

“After a preliminary discussion, Prime Minister Netanyahu approved sending the negotiating delegation,” the official said, speaking on conditions of anonymity.

The source reiterated that Israel would agree that “the war will end only after it has achieved all its goals — and not a moment before”.

Also on Thursday, Israel’s state-owned Kan TV news reported that government officials voiced “optimism” about the chances of reaching a deal, describing Hamas’ response as “the best” since the beginning of the indirect negotiations.

Hamas said on Wednesday that it consulted with the Qatari and Egyptian mediators about the proposed deal.

“We exchanged some ideas with the mediator brothers to stop the aggression against our Palestinian people,” the group said in a statement.

The recent development marks a renewed effort to negotiate an end to the nearly nine-month-long conflict, which, according to the Gaza-based health authorities, has resulted in the deaths of more than 38,000 Palestinians in the enclave.

Israel launched a massive offensive in the Gaza Strip following a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and around 250 others were taken hostage.

–IANS

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Beijing, July 4 (IANS) Chinese geologists have discovered two new minerals at the world’s largest rare-earth mine in northern China, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has announced.

The two new niobium-scandium minerals, named Oboniobite and Scandio-fluoro-eckermannite, were discovered in the Bayan Obo deposit in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

The discovery was made through a collaboration between the CAS Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Inner Mongolia Baotou Steel Union Co., Ltd., Baotou Research Institute of Rare Earths, and Central South University, the CAS publicity office confirmed with the Xinhua news agency on Thursday.

Li Xianhua, a CAS academician, on behalf of the CAS Institute of Geology and Geophysics, announced the findings, noting that the International Mineralogical Association has confirmed their status as new minerals and approved their naming, according to a CAS press release.

Niobium and scandium are both extremely rare strategically critical metals. Niobium is mainly used in special steels, superconducting materials and aerospace industries, while scandium is widely used in aluminum-scandium alloys and solid oxide fuel cells.

Li said that the new minerals contain valuable elements that have significant applications in fields such as new materials, new energy, information technology, aerospace, national defense and military industry, and are of great significance to the country’s economic and social development.

Li Xiao, general manager of Inner Mongolia Baotou Steel Union Co., Ltd., a major steelmaker in China, said that Bayan Obo has abundant mineral resources, such as iron, niobium, scandium, thorium and fluorite.

Since 1959, 18 new minerals have been discovered in this deposit, and Oboniobite and Scandio-fluoro-eckermannite are the 19th and 20th discovered here, said Li Xiao.

Fan Hongrui, a researcher of the CAS Institute of Geology and Geophysics, said that Oboniobite is yellow-brown to brown in color. It is plate-like and ranges from 20 to 100 micrometers in size.

Scandio-fluoro-eckermannite is the first mineral containing scandium ever discovered in China. It is named after the CAS academician Zhai Mingguo in honor of his outstanding contribution in China’s study of mineral deposits. It is pale yellow or light blue and columnar, with a size of up to 350 micrometers, said Fan.

–IANS

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Singapore, July 4 (IANS) The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) of Singapore said on Thursday that it has, during raids at three locations from June 14 to 18, seized over 350,000 electronic vapourisers (e-cigarettes) and vaping components worth more than $6 million in street value that had been meant for sale via Telegram, a messaging app.

The authority had received information on June 14 about a huge quantity of e-cigarettes and components found at a storage unit at Woodlands Loop.

HSA’s follow-up investigations led to two more raids at a condominium unit at Guillemard Crescent and a warehouse unit at Woodlands Industrial Park, uncovering more e-cigarettes at the two locations.

The HSA said that it also found 14 e-cigarettes suspected to contain a controlled drug tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a psychoactive substance that can cause anxiety, disorientation, or paranoia.

It said that two men and two women, aged between 34 and 52 years, are currently assisting the investigations.

E-vaporisers are illegal in Singapore and strong enforcement measures are applied against vaping.

More than $18 million worth of e-cigarettes and components in street value have been seized by the HSA since January 2024.

HSA reminded the public that it is an offence under the Tobacco Act to import, distribute, sell or offer for sale e-cigarettes and their components.

Any person convicted of an offence is liable to a fine of up to $10,000, or imprisonment of up to six months or both for the first offence, and a fine of up to $20,000, or imprisonment of up to 12 months or both for the second or subsequent offence.

–IANS

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Beijing, July 4 (IANS) At the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh will pay an official visit to China from July 8 to 10, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said on Thursday.

“This will be Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s first visit to China since her new term began and five years after her last visit to China,” Mao said at a daily press briefing, Xinhua news agency reported.

During the visit, Chinese President Xi Jinping will also meet the Bangladeshi Prime Minister.

Premier Li Qiang will hold a welcoming ceremony and have talks with her, Mao said, noting that the two heads of government will attend the signing ceremony of cooperation documents.

The spokesperson said that leaders of the two countries will have an in-depth exchange of views on how to deepen traditional friendship and expand mutually beneficial cooperation and on regional and international issues of mutual interest.

Prime Minister Hasina will also attend the summit on trade, business and investment opportunities between China and Bangladesh, Xinhua reported.

“China and Bangladesh are good neighbours, good friends and good partners. We have similar visions for development and well-aligned development strategies,” Mao said, pointing out that since the establishment of diplomatic relations 49 years ago, the two countries have treated each other with respect and equality, engaged in mutually beneficial cooperation, supported each other on issues concerning their respective core interests, and jointly advanced modernisation.

Mao said that the two sides have set a good example of friendship and cooperation between developing countries. In recent years, with the strategic guidance and commitment of leaders of the two countries, the two sides have deepened China-Bangladesh strategic cooperative partnership, and had fruitful and practical cooperation in various fields.

China stands ready to work with Bangladesh through this visit to carry forward the spirit of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, deepen political mutual trust, further synergise development strategies, advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, speed up implementing the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, and elevate the bilateral relations to a new level, she said.

–IANS

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Warsaw, July 4 (IANS) Slovakia President Peter Pellegrini and his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda spoke highly of bilateral relations as they discussed trade, investment, and the agenda of the upcoming North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit.

Poland and Slovakia have faced various challenges together and have overcome them together, Pellegrini told a joint press conference after his meeting with Duda during a work visit to Warsaw on Thursday.

Dubbing Poland as a key strategic partner, Pellegrini said Poland ranked among the top three countries in terms of trade and investment in Slovakia, Xinhua news agency reported.

Pellegrini said they discussed various topics during the meeting, including the agenda for the upcoming NATO summit in Washington.

Duda noted that he would strive during the summit, scheduled for July 9-11, to bring NATO’s strategic fuel pipelines to the eastern flank.

This year marks the 25th and 20th anniversaries of Poland and Slovakia becoming NATO allies, respectively.

–IANS

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