Sanaa, July 22 (IANS) Yemen’s Houthi armed group claimed that it had launched five drone…

Beirut, July 22 (IANS) US special envoy Thomas Barrack underscored Washington’s diplomatic efforts to support Lebanon’s sovereignty and peace process, noting that it cannot force Israel to do anything.”The US has no business in trying to compel Israel to do anything,” Barrack told reporters at a press conference following his meeting with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.The US envoy, who also serves as US ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria, arrived in Beirut on Sunday for his third visit since June to meet with senior officials and political and religious figures, Xinhua news agency reported.Barrack said that although a ceasefire agreement had come into effect between Lebanon and Israel, it had not succeeded. He acknowledged that there are reasons for its failure and that addressing those reasons is a collective effort currently underway.He said the US efforts are aimed at leveraging diplomatic influence to help bring the conflict to a peaceful resolution.The US envoy said the disarmament of Hezbollah is “a deeply internal matter,” noting that Washington is ready to work with the Lebanese government to explore ways of providing support.Also on Monday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Monday presented US envoy Thomas Barrack with a draft memorandum outlining Lebanon’s commitments since the ceasefire with Israel, which came into effect on November 27, 2024.According to Lebanon’s presidency, the memorandum reaffirms Lebanon’s intention to assert full state authority across its territory through its armed forces, limit the possession of weapons exclusively to the Lebanese military, and ensure that decisions on war and peace remain under the jurisdiction of Lebanon’s constitutional institutions.The statement added that this process will take place in parallel with the preservation of Lebanese sovereignty along all its international borders, the initiation of reconstruction efforts, and the launch of economic recovery.Despite the US- and French-brokered ceasefire agreement, which called for a complete Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, the Israeli army has occasionally carried out strikes in Lebanon, claiming they are meant to eliminate Hezbollah “threats.” Israel has also maintained a presence at five key positions in the Lebanese border region, despite a February 18 deadline for complete withdrawal.–IANSint/rs

Washington, July 22 (IANS) Gita Gopinath, the First Deputy Managing Director (FDMD) of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), will be stepping down from her role in August 2025 to return to academia at Harvard University, the IMF announced. Gopinath, a trailblazer in international economics, will be taking on the role of the inaugural Gregory and Ania Coffey Professor of Economics at Harvard.The IMF’s Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva confirmed Gopinath’s departure and said a successor will be named “in due course.”Gopinath first joined the IMF in 2019 as Chief Economist, becoming the first woman to hold the position. Her leadership during a time of extraordinary global economic upheaval, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting macroeconomic disruptions, was widely recognised.In January 2022, she was promoted to First Deputy Managing Director, the Fund’s No. 2 position.In a post on X, Gopinath reflected on her nearly seven-year tenure at the Fund and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve at one of the world’s foremost financial institutions.“After nearly 7 amazing years at the IMF, I have decided to return to my academic roots. On September 1, 2025, I will rejoin @HarvardEcon as the inaugural Gregory and Ania Coffey Professor of Economics. I am truly grateful for my time at @IMFnews, first as Chief Economist and then as First Deputy Managing Director,” she wrote.”I have had the privilege of working closely with the IMF’s brilliant and committed staff, colleagues in management, the Executive Board, and country authorities. I am especially thankful to @KGeorgieva and her predecessor, @Lagarde, for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to serve the IMF’s membership during a period of unprecedented challenges. I now return to my roots in academia, where I look forward to continuing to push the research frontier in international finance and macroeconomics to address global challenges, and to training the next generation of economists.”Before joining the IMF, she served as the John Zwaanstra Professor of International Studies and Economics at Harvard University.Under her leadership, the IMF played a key role in shaping the global economic response to crises, including COVID-19, supply chain shocks, debt distress in developing countries, and climate finance challenges.Her successor at the IMF is yet to be announced.–IANSint/rs

London, July 22 (IANS) British Defence Secretary John Healey announced the launch of a 50-day military support campaign for Ukraine, aligning with a recent warning issued by US President Donald Trump to Russia.

Healey said on social media platform X that at the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG) meeting held on Monday, participating countries reached a new agreement to supply critical air defence ammunition to Ukraine, “as part of a 50-day drive to arm Ukraine and force Putin to the negotiating table.”Last week, Trump said that he had secured an agreement with NATO allies to facilitate large-scale arms deliveries to Ukraine. He also warned Russia that it would face a second round of tariffs if it fails to reach a peace deal within 50 days, Xinhua news agency reported.At the UDCG meeting, Healey affirmed Britain’s support, saying that Britain “backs this policy” and will fully participate to ensure its success.Healey also revealed that Britain and Germany have agreed to jointly provide air defence missiles to Ukraine. The partnership is part of a wider European initiative aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s defensive capabilities.According to a press release from the British Ministry of Defence on Monday, Britain has already delivered more than 150 million pounds ($202.5 million) worth of air defence missiles and artillery to Ukraine over the past two months. The country is also ramping up procurement efforts to provide hundreds more air defence missiles and thousands of artillery shells.In total, Britain is expected to spend at least 700 million pounds on air defence and artillery support for Ukraine this year, including the 150 million pounds worth of equipment already delivered, according to the release. (1 pound = 1.35 US dollars)–IANSint/rs

Washington, July 22 (IANS) US President Donald Trump’s Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced that the administration has released over 230,000 pages of documents related to the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK).

The related files were released after nearly 60 years of questions surrounding the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., Gabbard said in a post on social media platform X.”The documents include details about the FBI’s investigation into the assassination of MLK, discussion of potential leads, internal FBI memos detailing the progress of the case, information about James Earl Ray’s former cellmate who stated he discussed with Ray an alleged assassination plot, and more,” according to Gabbard.On January 23, three days after taking office, Trump signed an executive order to declassify any remaining files from the assassinations of former President John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert F. Kennedy, and MLK, Xinhua news agency reported.After a court’s order in 1977, the records gathered by the FBI which totaled to more than 240,000 pages were blocked from public viewing and were in turn kept in the National Archives and Records Administration.King’s family, including his two living children, Martin III and Bernice, were informed about the decision by the Trump administration to release the files and their own teams were reviewing the records. However, several members of the King’s family opposed the release of documents.MLK stands as one of the most prominent figures in the American civil rights movement. He is widely celebrated for his commitment to nonviolent campaigns against racial segregation and inequality, as well as his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.–IANSint/rs

Islamabad, July 21 (IANS) A Baloch human rights organisation on Monday slammed the Pakistani authorities for forcibly evicting Baloch protestors – including women, children and elderly members – from their flat after cutting off water supply and exposing them to extreme weather conditions in Islamabad.”Islamabad authorities have now forcibly evicted Baloch protestors from their flat after cutting off water and subjecting them to rain and heat. Pressuring landlords to displace peaceful demonstrators is cruel and unacceptable,” said the Baloch Voice for Justice.According to the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), Sunday marked the fifth consecutive day of the sit-in protest by the families of forcibly disappeared persons and detained leaders of the BYC in Islamabad. Since the beginning of the camp, the protestors have been denied the right to set up the camp in front of the Islamabad Press Club.Nadia Baloch, sister of BYC Central Organiser Mahrang Baloch, on Monday criticised the Islamabad Police and state institutions, accusing them of mistreating Baloch women in a manner unimaginable even for immigrants anywhere in the world.”Islamabad police and state institutions are treating Baloch women in a manner that is not even meted out to immigrants anywhere in the world. For years, our people have been forcibly disappeared, and then their mutilated bodies are dumped in desolate places. Occupying Baloch resources, state control over our land, imposing artificial leadership on our politics, and imprisoning our true leaders—despite doing all this, the State is still not satisfied. Now, we are apparently not even given the right to live in the capital of our own country, Islamabad,” Nadia posted on X”Evicting Baloch children, mothers, and elders from their homes in the darkness of last night and leaving them on the streets is not just insensitivity but the worst form of state oppression, fascism, and racial discrimination. Islamabad police and state institutions should clearly state: Are Baloch equal citizens of this state or not? If we are not given the right to live, speak, or demand justice in Islamabad, then we too will have to think about what this state means to us,” the post added.Nadia asserted that the Baloch community have always demanded their rights through peaceful protests while remaining within the constitutional framework. But if the State does not change its attitude, she stated, then the “Baloch mothers, sisters, and daughters will not remain silent either”.”This country does not belong only to the powerful elites; it is ours too. If you do not consider us citizens of this country, then we will also speak the language you understand. And this path will not be easy for you either,” Nadia emphasised.The BYC highlighted that even on the fifth day of the protest, the Islamabad Police continued to obstruct the families from carrying on with their protest.”Now, on Day 5, Islamabad police are actively preventing the families from continuing their sit-in in front of the Islamabad Press Club. This comes after a series of repressive tactics: Roads sealed to restrict access to the protest site. No tents or shade allowed, despite extreme weather. Elderly women and children fainting under heat and arrival of a police bus, raising fears of forced deportation back to Balochistan,” the BYC stated, detailing the restriction imposed by the Islamabad Police.”This is not only a denial of the right to peaceful assembly, but a clear attempt to suppress and erase the voices of those demanding justice. These families have come from far and are only asking for what is owed to them: freedom for the detained, and accountability for the disappeared,” it added.–IANSscor/as

Quetta, July 21 (IANS) A Baloch human rights organisation on Monday strongly condemned the abduction of four civilians by Pakistani security forces amid the ongoing wave of enforced disappearances across the provinces of Balochistan and Sindh.Paank, the Baloch National Movement’s Human Rights Department, mentioned that the victims include Muhammad Hussain, a farmer from Naseerabad district in Balochistan, who was taken from his home on July 5, and Zahid Ali, a rickshaw driver from Karachi’s Lyari area who was abducted on July 17.Additionally, Mesho, from Dera Bugti in Balochistan, was forcibly disappeared in broad daylight on July 19, while Paneeri Bugti, a farmer from Pat Feeder in Naseerabad district, was abducted on June 27 after being summoned to Sui Military Camp in Balochistan.”These acts are clear violations of human rights and international law. Paank denounces this systematic campaign of abductions and demands the immediate release of all disappeared persons,” said the rights body.Meanwhile, the Human Rights Council of Balochistan (HRCB) presented its Annual Report for 2024 on Sunday, documenting an alarming rise in human rights violations across Balochistan. The report revealed that over the course of the year, at least 830 individuals were forcibly disappeared, while 480 were extrajudicially killed. It further highlighted “a brutal and systematic crackdown on peaceful protestors, particularly those demanding justice for missing persons”.”These figures include only reported and verified cases; the actual scale is likely higher due to media censorship, restricted access, and fear among victims’ families,” the HRCB stated.The human rights body asserted that compared to 2023, when HRCB recorded 601 enforced disappearances and 525 killings, 2024 marked a sharp 38 per cent rise in enforced disappearances.However, the crisis has escalated further in 2025. In just the first six months, HRCB documented 814 enforced disappearances — nearly equal to the entire total of 2024 — and 365 killings, already accounting for over 75 per cent of the previous year’s total.Raising concern, the HRCB stated that Pakistan’s security forces and intelligence agencies operated with increasing impunity, and the alarming trend reflected “the deepening human rights emergency in Balochistan, with state violence accelerating year after year”.”Victims included students, political activists, women, and children — many abducted from their homes or public spaces without any legal process. In numerous instances, bodies were later found bearing signs of torture. Peaceful protests, particularly those calling for the recovery of missing persons, were met with live fire, arbitrary arrests, and criminal charges, further shrinking the civic space in Balochistan,” read the HRCB report.–IANSscor/as

Naypyidaw, July 21 (IANS) India-Myanmar United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping Training Course, which began in Naypyidaw on Monday, will equip 30 mid-level officers of Myanmar security forces with essential peacekeeping skills in conflict situations.The 14-day training programme, being held from July 21 to August 1, is conducted by New Delhi’s Centre for UN Peacekeeping (CUNPK), with major focus on de-escalation, conflict management and protection of civilians.The training course would be conducted by a three-member Indian Mobile Training team from the CUNPK, preparing mid level officers from Myanmar security forces with necessary and essential skills for peacekeeping.Seven similar training programmes have been conducted between India and Myanmar from 2016 to 2019.India’s Ambassador to Myanmar, Abhay Thakur and the Vice Chairman of the State Administration Council and Deputy Prime Minister Vice Senior General Soe Win inaugurated the training programme on Monday.The Indian Ambassador recapitulated India’s commitment to the programme as well as constitutionalism and federalism in the context of Myanmar’s ongoing peace process.Thakur also mentioned India’s significant contribution to international peacekeeping, recalling its assistance with over 290,000 peacekeepers since 1950, along with over 5000 peacekeepers currently deployed in nine out of 11 active UN Missions.Focusing on enabling participants with the skills to de-escalate and manage conflicts, rules of engagement for protection of civilians and operational planning in complex peacekeeping operations, the CUNPK will also provide practical insights for executing missions in diverse and challenging conditions and maintaining stability.Defence cooperation has been a strong pillar of bilateral relations between the two countries. High-level visits, enhanced training, capacity building and support in provision of specific equipment and technologies have led to a more wholesome relationship and better understanding of mutual security concerns.Additionally, India has been offering avenues of capacity building to Myanmar under various schemes like Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC), Indian Council for Cultural Affairs (ICCR) Scholarships and other training programmes.–IANSint/bpd/as

Copenhagen, July 21 (IANS) A man was killed with two others injured in a shooting in Denmark’s capital of Copenhagen, local media reported on Monday, citing local police.
A 32-year-old man was shot dead in the city’s northwestern neighbourhood of Tingbjerg on Sunday, while two other men, aged 21 and 22, were injured in the incident but are expected to survive.As of Monday morning, no arrests had been made, the Copenhagen police told the Danish broadcaster DR.According to the police, the shooting occurred around 19:00 local time (1700 GMT) in the area known as Ruten in Tingbjerg. The police received several reports of gunfire and quickly responded to the scene. The two injured arrived at the hospital on their own for treatment, Xinhua news agency reported.Authorities have launched an investigation and are actively searching for the suspect, who was reportedly seen fleeing the scene. It remains unclear how the suspect left the area and whether a vehicle was used.The motive for the shooting is still unknown. Despite the suspect being at large, the police assured the public that there is no indication of ongoing danger to local residents.Last year, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen had expressed deep concern over the recent surge in violent incidents in Copenhagen, many of which involved Swedish perpetrators.”The violent incidents in our streets must be stopped. It is completely unacceptable,” Frederiksen told Ritzau news agency, an English-language Scandinavian news service based in Copenhagen, in August 2024. “This is not the Denmark that we want.”To combat the rising violence, Frederiksen urged police to crack down on gangs and their activities.Denmark has already escalated border controls with Sweden due to the growing involvement of Swedish criminals in activities in Copenhagen.Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard had said that the situation had become so critical that Danish police would “significantly increase controls at the border.”The enhanced measures include more rigorous physical checks on cross-border trains and the deployment of additional cameras to scan license plates at border crossings between Denmark and Sweden.–IANSint/bpd/as

Moscow, July 21 (IANS) Russian forces launched an overnight group strike on Ukraine’s military-industrial complex and the infrastructure of military airfields, the Russian Defence Ministry said Monday.
The raid involved long-range high-precision weapons launched from air, land and sea-based platforms, including “Kinzhal” air-launched hypersonic ballistic missiles and combat drones, the ministry said in a statement.Meanwhile, Russia’s air defence intercepted 74 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 23 in the Moscow Region, it added.Airports in Moscow introduced air restrictions in the early hours of Monday for flight safety reasons, which were subsequently lifted, according to Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency.Downed drone debris caused a fire on the roof of the railway station in the village of Kamenolomni in the Rostov Region, and more than 50 trains were delayed, said Russian Railways, Xinhua news agency reported.Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Sunday said that Russia is ready to move quickly towards a settlement on Ukraine, but the main objective is to achieve its goals.President Vladimir Putin “has repeatedly spoken of his desire to bring the Ukrainian settlement to a peaceful conclusion as soon as possible,” Peskov told state television in an interview on Sunday. “This is a long process, it requires effort, and it is not easy.””Our goals are clear, they are obvious, they do not change,” he added.Russian officials have said repeatedly that any peace deal hinges on Ukraine withdrawing forces from four regions, renouncing its NATO bid and halting NATO troop deployments.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that his officials have proposed holding a new round of peace talks with Moscow this week. “Everything should be done to achieve a ceasefire,” he said in his evening address to the nation.Russia rejected Trump’s 50-day ultimatum, dismissing the threat as unacceptable.–IANSint/bpd/as