International

Israeli strike kills senior Hamas figure in south Lebanon

Published

3 months ago

August 10, 2024

Lebanese firefighters and security forces work around a burnt car following an Israeli strike in the southern Lebanese city of Sidon on August 9, 2024. (AFP)

Israeli strike kills senior Hamas figure in south Lebanon

BEIRUT: Fears of a major escalation in southern Lebanon grew on Friday as separate Israeli attacks killed two Hezbollah and two Hamas members.

One of the Hamas members was Samer Al-Hajj, the group’s security official in the Ain Al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp, who was killed when the car he was in was hit by a missile launched from an Israeli drone. The incident occurred in Sidon, 44 kilometers from Beirut, and was the first time the town has been targeted.

Two Hezbollah members were killed in an earlier attack on Naquora.

Hostilities continued on Friday as the Lebanese government — in which Hezbollah is also represented — welcomed a joint statement from the leaders of Egypt, Qatar and the US.

The statement emphasized “the need to put an immediate end to the suffering of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, reach a ceasefire, and conclude an agreement to release hostages and detainees.”

It also called on the two parties to the conflict “to resume urgent discussions to overcome the remaining obstacles to reaching the desired agreement.”

Lebanon’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that “what the trilateral statement included embodies Lebanon’s vision to diffuse tension in the region and avoid an all-out regional war according to a basic first step, which is the immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2735, which is based on the initiative of US President Joe Biden.”

It stressed “the need to exert maximum pressure on Israel to oblige it to sit at the negotiating table and implement UN Security Council Resolution 2735 without delay.”

The Lebanese statement came as the Israeli Broadcasting Authority announced that “residents of the towns on the border with Lebanon are required to remain near safe areas until further notice.”

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Also on Friday, Israeli drones were seen flying over border villages, including Yahoun, Kounine and Bint Jbeil, using loudspeakers to broadcast provocative messages in Arabic against Hezbollah and its Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, prompting armed people to respond by firing machine guns at them.

The government in Cyprus declared “its readiness to help evacuate European civilians from Lebanon.”

The US Embassy in Beirut reiterated in a statement on Friday that it “encourages those who wish to depart Lebanon to book any ticket available to them, even if that flight does not depart immediately or does not follow their first-choice route.”

It recommended that “US citizens who choose not to depart Lebanon prepare contingency plans for emergencies and be prepared to shelter in place for an extended period.”

The fear of the conflict expanding in the Middle East has led more airlines to suspend their flights to Lebanon, including Air Algerie and Air India.

Royal Jordanian resumed flights to Beirut after having suspended them since July 29.

Britain advised airlines in the UK “not to enter Lebanese airspace from Aug. 8 until Nov. 4,” citing “a potential risk to aviation from military activity.”

On the first day of the 11th month of ongoing hostilities, more Israeli assassinations of Hezbollah field cadres were reported after further Israeli breaches of Lebanese airspace, as well as its ability to infiltrate landline and cell calls and the internet network.

Hezbollah announced the death of Mehdi Mahmoud Ksaibani, 30, from Harouf, and Hadi Jihad Deeb, 27, from Bafliyeh, southern Lebanon, who died in an Israeli raid on Naqoura on Friday morning.

Israel on Thursday night and Friday morning targeted Aita Al-Shaab and a house in Hanaouay. The house was empty, but five civilians in nearby houses were injured, according to the Ministry of Health.

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Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee said that Israel’s target was “Hezbollah’s command headquarters in Hanaouay and infrastructure in Aita Al-Shaab.”

A Lebanese security source said Hezbollah responded with a series of attacks that were limited to “Israeli military, strategic and logistical bases, in response to specific Israeli attacks, while avoiding civilian targets.

Israel’s Army Radio reported “several attacks on the (Kiryat Shmona) settlement,” adding that “the last salvo included 10 rockets launched from Lebanon toward the settlement.”

Israeli media outlets said that five explosions were heard and that a missile landed in Kiryat Shmona.

Hezbollah said that it bombed “the command headquarters of the 769th Brigade in the Kiryat Shmona barracks with a salvo of Katyusha rockets, in response to Israel’s attacks on Hanaouay.” It also targeted a “gathering of Israeli soldiers in the vicinity of Metula with missile weapons.”

In response to the attack on Naqoura, Hezbollah launched a squadron of precision drones on the command headquarters of the coastal battalion belonging to the newly established Western Brigade in Liman, “targeting the positions and concentrations of its officers and soldiers.”

The group said that “it hit its targets accurately and inflicted confirmed casualties.”

Hezbollah attacked the “Al-Sammaqa site in the occupied Lebanese Kfarchouba Hills with rocket weapons” and “a building used by soldiers in the Manara settlement.”

Israeli airstrikes hit the town of Tallouseh in the Marjeyoun district, coinciding with artillery shelling on the city.

Israeli strike kills senior Hamas figure in south Lebanon

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International

Two dead, buildings destroyed in American factory explosion

Published

11 hours ago

November 13, 2024

Trends Admin

Two dead, buildings destroyed in American factory explosion

Two employees of Givaudan sense colour, a factory known for making colourings for beverages, located in Louisville, Kentucky, United States (US) were killed in an explosion that took place at the company’s facility.

The factory reported that the incident which took place on Tuesday, November 12 in the afternoon have also destroyed buildings around the company.

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Louisville Mayor, Craig Greenberg stated that firefighters managed to rescue and evacuate numerous individuals from the site, including some who sustained life-threatening injuries.

He also confirmed that all employees present at the plant during the explosion have been accounted for.

Earlier reports indicated that at least 11 workers were hospitalized.

The cause of the explosion is still under investigation.

Two dead, buildings destroyed in American factory explosion

International

Local security chief arrested over murder of mayor in Mexico

Published

19 hours ago

November 13, 2024

Trends Admin

Alejandro Arcos

Local security chief arrested over murder of mayor in Mexico

German Reyes, a local security official in Chilpancingo, Mexico has been arrested for the murder of the city’s mayor, Alejandro Arcos.

The Mexican authorities announced his arrest via a statement on Tuesday, November 12.

The Mayor was killed in the month of October as security officials discovered his lifeless body in his pick-up truck with his head chopped off and placed on his body.

The brutal killing and decapitation of Mayor Alejandro Arcos, which occurred just days after he assumed office, stunned the nation.

Guerrero prosecutors confirmed the detention of the security official who was identified as German ‘N,’ in line with Mexican practice of withholding the full names of suspects.

However, a local government official later identified him as German Reyes, who was the security chief for Chilpancingo, a city of around 280,000 residents in southwestern Mexico prior to his arrest.

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“The Guerrero prosecutor’s office, the Mexican army and the National Guard, arrested a man for the crime of qualified homicide in Chilpancingo,” the statement said.

The arrest seems to provide more proof of the extensive infiltration of organized crime in local governments across large parts of Mexico, as well as the corruption among local officials.

Reyes had a lengthy career in Mexico’s military, according to his public profile.

Further reports by the police revealed that the Mayor had prior to his death, left Chilpancingo in his truck without a driver or security detail, heading toward the nearby town of Petaquillas, Mexico.

Local media also suggested that Arcos had met with members of Los Ardillos, a criminal group operating in Guerrero, Mexico.

Local security chief arrested over murder of mayor in Mexico

International

COP29: Islamic bank supports WHO Impact Investment with $10m

Published

1 day ago

November 12, 2024

Trends Admin

COP29: Islamic bank supports WHO Impact Investment with $10m

The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) has committed a $10 million grant to the World Health Organization (WHO) to support the Health Impact Investment Platform (HIIP), bolstering its mission to strengthen primary healthcare systems worldwide.

Announced on November 12, 2024, during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, the grant highlights IsDB’s dedication to enhancing health resilience and climate adaptation in low- and middle-income countries.

In a statement on Tuesday, IsDB described HIIP as a groundbreaking partnership among Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), WHO and nations seeking robust health and climate solutions.

“This initiative focuses on the investment in essential, climate and crisis-resilient primary health care services and systems,” the bank stated, emphasizing the aim to reinforce the health system, especially in low- and middle-income countries and in underserved communities, ultimately aiming to foster resilience against emerging health threats and climate challenges.

Fifteen countries are identified as part of phase one of the Health Impact Investment Platform: Burundi, Central African Republic, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia Guinea Bissau .

Other countries included Jordan, Maldives Morocco, Senegal, South Sudan, The Gambia, Tunisia and Zambia.

Supporting WHO’s technical assistance goals

The $10 million grant will specifically support the technical assistance that WHO provides to countries around the world to assess investment needs and to design the most impactful health projects.

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“These projects will serve as the foundation for co-investment by the MDBs, ensuring that resources are directed toward areas with the greatest potential for positive health outcomes,”IsDB added.

Over the next four years, WHO aims to strengthen climate resilience as part of its Fourteenth General Programme of Work, which includes implementing national climate adaptation plans and making 10,000 health facilities fully operational, including solar-powered electrification.

Unlocking $500m in health investments across the region

In addition to the $10 million grant, IsDB’s contribution is projected to unlock at least $500 million in health investments across the region.

“This collective goal is part of a broader effort to mobilize a total of US$ 1.5 billion in concessional loans and grants, focusing on critical areas, this way addressing national health priorities.”

Advancing health resilience, leadership statements

IsDB President Dr. Muhammad Al Jasser said, the Islamic Development Bank is proud to support the Health Impact Investment Platform as part of our unwavering commitment to advancing universal health coverage and resilience in our Member Countries.

“These Multilateral Development Banks and WHO partnerships enable us to scale up primary health care where it is needed most, creating a stronger foundation to withstand future crises and addressing the pressing health challenges of today.”

“Together, we are fostering a healthier, more equitable future for communities across the globe,” he said.

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that low- and middle-income countries need access to sustainable financing to strengthen their health systems through primary health care, to make them both more resilient to pandemics and more equitable in delivering essential health services.

“The Health Impact Investment Platform combines WHO’s public health expertise and on-the-ground presence with the resources and financing expertise of the Islamic Development Bank and other multilateral development banks. By working together, we can make a significant difference in improving health outcomes and creating a healthier future for all.”

The IsDB, along with its partners, remains committed to fostering partnerships that will advance healthcare and improve quality of life globally.