SOUTH ASIA

Tokyo: Japan and the United States will conduct a series of high-level meetings starting July 28, including a Foreign Ministers' Meeting, the Japan-US Security Consultative Committee (2+2) talks, and a Japan-US Ministerial Meeting on Extended Deterrence. The meetings will take place during US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s two-day visit to Tokyo, as announced by the Japanese Foreign Ministry on Monday. During the 2+2 talks, Blinken and Japan’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoko Kamikawa, alongside US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin and Japanese Defence Minister Minoru Kihara, will discuss security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region. They will review the outcomes of security and defence cooperation from Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s visit to Washington in April and pla...

Gaza: Following the breakdown of truce negotiations between Israel and Hamas in Cairo, the Israeli army has declared its intention to proceed with its operation in Rafah, situated in the southern Gaza Strip. Despite efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement, talks collapsed, prompting Israel to maintain its offensive in the region. Reports indicate a significant presence of Israeli troops along the border with Rafah. The Israeli delegation has exited Cairo following the unsuccessful discussions involving Hamas, the US, Egypt, and Qatar, aimed at ending hostilities and securing the release of hostages in Gaza. The Israeli government has yet to specify if the offensive will extend beyond Rafah, where a considerable number of internally displaced Palestinians have sought refuge. Israeli Pr...

Tokyo: A powerful earthquake, measuring 6.6 on the Richter scale, rattled western Japan, causing injuries and triggering concerns of potential aftershocks. The seismic event, which struck at approximately 11:14 p.m. local time, reverberated across a wide area, particularly affecting Ehime and Kochi prefectures on Shikoku Island. Reported by the Japan Meteorological Agency, the quake registered a lower 6 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7, with its epicenter located in the Bungo Channel, between Kyushu and Shikoku islands. Authorities confirmed that at least nine individuals sustained injuries, with six cases in Ehime Prefecture, one in Kochi Prefecture, and two in Oita Prefecture. In addition to the human toll, the earthquake prompted operational concerns at the Ikata nucle...

Gaza: In a tragic development, an Israeli Air Force operation targeted a building in Rafah, located in the southern Gaza Strip, resulting in the loss of seven lives. The strike, occurring in the early hours of Wednesday morning, has ignited concerns due to the significant civilian population residing in the area, estimated at approximately 1.3 million people. Reports from Israeli media indicate that despite calls from the United States and other allies urging restraint, the strike proceeded as planned. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sissi, during discussions with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, emphasized the importance of preventing Israeli attacks on Rafah, expressing concerns over potential refugee displacement into Egypt's Sinai region, which shares a border with Rafah. ...

Moscow: Russian authorities have announced the interception and thwarting of a planned landing of Ukrainian sabotage groups trained in Britain in the Kherson region. According to a statement from the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), released on Thursday and quoted by Xinhua news agency, the operation was allegedly orchestrated by British special services. The joint efforts of the FSB and the Russian Defence Ministry led to the prevention of the landing, with one Ukrainian soldier captured alive. The captured soldier reportedly confirmed that the saboteurs had received training in Britain.

New York: The UN Security Council has expressed serious concern regarding the tragic killing of seven aid workers from the World Central Kitchen in Gaza by Israel. The council issued a press statement on Thursday, highlighting that these devastating attacks have brought the total number of humanitarian personnel casualties in Gaza during the ongoing conflict to at least 224. This figure surpasses the casualties seen in any single conflict within a year, as reported by news agency. Emphasizing the imperative for accountability in such incidents, the council noted Israel's announcement of initial investigation results into the matter. However, it stressed the necessity for a thorough, transparent, and comprehensive investigation that is made fully public. Furthermore, the council deman...

Gaza: The Health Ministry in Gaza has reported a significant increase in the Palestinian death toll, which now stands at 33,482 due to continuing Israeli assaults. Over the past 24 hours alone, 122 Palestinians were killed and 56 others injured by the Israeli army, bringing the total casualties since the Israel-Hamas conflict outbreak to 33,482 deaths and 76,049 injuries, according to the Ministry's statement on Wednesday.