Khartoum, May 19 (IANS) As the world observed International Museum Day, officials and experts reported…

Tel Aviv, May 19 (IANS) Highlighting that Pakistan has for decades pursued cross-border terrorism into India with impunity, India’s Ambassador to Israel J P Singh has said that it is high time that Islamabad hands over chiefs of Pakistan-based global Islamist terror organisations Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) to India.

In an interview with Israel’s i24NEWS, Singh highlighted that these Pakistani outfits have been involved in innumerable terror attacks on India, including the 2001 Parliament attack, the 2008 Mumbai attacks, the Uri base camp and Pathankot air base attacks in 2016, 2019 Pulwama attack, and now the heinous April 22 Pahalgam attack in Jammu and Kashmir, last month.”The root cause is these two groups — Jaish-e-Muhammad and its leader Masood Azhar and Lashkar-e-Taiba and its leader Hafiz Saeed. They (Pakistan) need to do a very simple thing – when the preamble includes goodwill and friendship, they just need to hand over these terrorists to us,” Singh said during the interview.”When the US can extradite Tahawwur Rana (26/11 Mumbai terror attacks accused), why can’t Pakistan hand over Hafiz Saeed and Lakhvi (India’s most wanted and UN-designated terrorist)?” he questioned.The seasoned Indian diplomat also asserted that Operation Sindoor, launched by the Indian Armed Forces on May 7 in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, is paused and not over, adding that the fight against terrorism will continue.”The IWT or the Indus Waters Treaty has been put in abeyance. But, the other IWT – that is, India’s war against terrorism, will continue,” said Singh.In response to a question on the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) by India following the Pahalgam terror attack, Singh said that the treaty was signed in the spirit of goodwill and friendship.”Over the past so many years, what we have seen — we were allowing water to flow and what was Pakistan doing? They were allowing terror to come from Pakistan to the Indian side. There was a lot of frustration among the people that this cannot go on like this. After this attack, our Prime Minister said that blood and water cannot flow together. That was the reason we decided to put IWT in abeyance,” said Ambassador Singh.Speaking about Operation Sindoor, Singh stated that the Indian forces destroyed several terror launching pads and killed over 100 terrorists.He emphasised that it was only after the Indian retaliation that Pakistan panicked and reached out to India, and consequently, both sides entered into a ceasefire on May 10.”We have set a new normal and the new normal is that we will follow an offensive strategy. Wherever terrorists are, we have to kill those terrorists and we have to destroy their terrorist infrastructure… As of now, the ceasefire is intact,” he said.–IANSint/scor/as

Dhaka, May 19 (IANS) In a significant development, the US Charge d’affaires to Bangladesh Tracey Ann Jacobson on Monday met Bangladesh Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman in a bid to make what sources termed as the “last-ditch attempt” to convince Dhaka on the criticality of a ‘humanitarian corridor’ on the Bangladesh-Myanmar border.

Jacobson was joined by senior US officials, including Political and Economic Counselor Eric Geelan and Defence Attache Lt. Col. Michael DeMichiei, during the meeting.Interestingly, it has been revealed that General Zaman will address all “available officers” in Dhaka at the Army’s Senaprangan facility at 9:30 am BST on May 20.The Army authorities have issued instructions that the attending officers must be dressed in their “combat uniforms”. Following this meeting, Zaman is scheduled to hold a one-on-one meeting with Chief Adviser Mohammad Yunus, the head of the current interim government in the country.Yunus met Khalilur Rahman, the National Security Advisor and High Representative to the Chief Advisor on Rohingya Crisis and Priority Issues, and Lieutenant General Kamrul Hassan, the Principal Staff Officer in the Armed Forces Division (AFD), at his Tejgaon office on Sunday afternoon.Sources confirmed that Yunus, Rahman and Hassan drew up a plan to use the good offices of the American Charge d’Affaires so that she could convince Army Chief Zaman to give in to the necessity of the ‘humanitarian corridor’ for the passage of logistics and supply of provisions to the Rakhine State in Myanmar.Bangladeshi security service sources later said that the Army chief has not budged from his original position.Jacobson also met Rahman in the office of the Chief Advisor on Monday afternoon.It may be recalled that the Bangladesh Army Chief sought the immediate removal of Lt. Gen. Hassan who had rushed to meet Jacobson at the US Embassy in Dhaka’s Baridhara neighbourhood.The AFD’s position on the ‘humanitarian corridor’ issue is that the “only way to effectively address the ongoing border security challenges, maintain a stable humanitarian corridor and reduce the burden on the BGB is by declaring the Bangladesh-Myanmar border a Military Operations Zone (MOZ)”.Sources said that AFD is in favour of allowing the Bangladesh armed forces to take “full control” of the border and secure it effectively, enabling the proper distribution of resources and freeing up the BGB for other important security tasks, including managing the border with India.However, certain sections within the Bangladesh Army view prevailing security situation along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border as an outcome of the geopolitical and geostrategic measures that the United States seeks to play by employing the Bangladesh Army in furtively backing the Arakan Army and other People’s Defence Forces in Myanmar, thus pushing Dhaka in further quagmire.–IANSint/scor/as

Seoul, May 19 (IANS) South Korean police said on Monday that they plan to deploy three layers of security forces to protect presidential candidates ahead of the June 3 election.Park Hyun-soo, acting chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, announced the measure during a regular press briefing, saying six police squads will be mobilised to exclusively guard candidates during campaign rallies.The squads will form the third layer, while the first layer will be made up of a designated security team sent by the National Police Agency. The second layer will be composed of detectives and officers from precinct police stations, Yonhap news agency reported.”In important situations, I plan to personally command the field,” Park said.Police will also use advanced specialised gear at campaign rallies, such as bomb-sniffing dogs, anti-sniper observation equipment and special-purpose binoculars.On election day, they plan to activate the Gapho level of the emergency duty system, the highest level, to mobilise 100 per cent of available forces.Meanwhile, overseas voting for the South Korean June 3 presidential election is set to kick off on Tuesday for a six-day run.A total of 258,254 overseas South Korean nationals, including those registered as absentee voters, will be eligible to vote at 223 polling stations across 118 countries from Tuesday to next Wednesday, according to the National Election Commission (NEC).Polling stations were set up in South Korean overseas missions in Cuba, Luxembourg, Lithuania, and Estonia for the first time, where diplomatic missions were recently established.Eligible voters unable to participate in the overseas voting or those wishing to cast their ballots in South Korea can do so on voting day if they report to regional election commissions between May 26 and June 3, the NEC said.Meanwhile, South Korean Presidential candidates ramped up their campaigns to woo swing voters in the key battleground of Seoul, with the election just 15 days away to pick a successor to former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was ousted over his failed martial law bid.Democratic Party (DP) candidate Lee Jae-myung, the campaign’s front-runner, met elderly voters, while People Power Party (PPP) candidate Kim Moon-soo and Lee Jun-seok of the minor New Reform Party (NRP) joined a forum in Seoul.–IANSint/jk/dan

Dhaka, May 19 (IANS) Bangladesh’s leading actress Nusraat Faria — who portrayed former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in a film — has been sent to jail in connection with the attempted murder case of one Enamul Haque, local media reported on Monday.

Faria was detained by police at the Dhaka airport on Sunday while she was on her way to Thailand. She was subsequently shown as arrested in the case related to the July 2024 movement.Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Nasrin Akter issued the order to send her to jail on Monday.Bangladesh’s Home Affairs Advisor Lieutenant General (Retd.) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has confirmed that a legal case is ongoing against the actress and that the investigation is currently underway. He assured that the government remains committed to ensuring justice.”Measures will be taken so that only offenders are brought under the law and punished. At the same time, it will be ensured that no innocent individual faces punishment under any circumstance,” Chowdhury reportedly stated.It may be recalled that in July 2024, Enamul Haque took part in the July movement in an area under Vatara police station. On that day, he was shot in the leg and later admitted to the hospital in an unconscious state. After recovering, he filed the case on May 3, 2025.The case names 283 individuals as accused, including former PM Hasina and 17 artists.Faria has been listed as the 207th accused. The case identifies her as a “financial supporter” of the Awami League.Faria played the role of Sheikh Hasina in the Bangabandhu biopic, ‘Mujib: The Making of a Nation’ – 2023 epic biographical film based on the life of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman which was directed by late Indian film director Shyam Benegal.Bangladesh’s Cultural Affairs Advisor Sarwar Farooki has termed the arrest of Faria as “an embarrassing incident” for the government.In a social media post on Monday, Farooki expressed concern over the arrest.”Following the backlash over the former president Abdul Hamid’s foreign trip, there may have been an overreaction driven by nervousness. A similar incident happened a few days ago involving Barrister Andaleeve Rahman Partho’s wife.These incidents are by no means justifiable. I believe Faria will get legal remedy,” said Farooki.He added: “The government’s job is to prosecute the actual transgressors during the July Uprising. Our stated policy has been clear, no one will be arrested in broad, indiscriminate cases unless preliminary investigation establishes involvement. That policy had been followed.”Several key members of the Bangladesh Cholochitro Shilpi Samiti, or the artistes’ association, including Ashfaque Nipun, Azmeri Haque ‘Badhon,’ Khairul Basar, Sharaf Ahmed ‘Jibon,’ Tabib Mahmud, slammed the decision taken by the “Fascist Yunus administration” which, they insist, can’t be accepted.The development has also been criticised all over the world.”It now appears that simply being a known supporter of the Awami League, or having close associations with the party, is enough to make one a target. We have I think reached the point where such individuals can no longer feel safe in Bangladesh—where arbitrary arrest on baseless charges becomes a legitimate fear,” said noted British journalist David Bergman.”The interim government appears to be struggling with its moral and political direction; The country’s new civil society seem indifferent to due process and fairness—focused instead on vengeance and score-settling; And, there is no major political force left to champion basic human rights,” he added while detailing how it has taken “just nine months” to reach this “dangerous threshold”.–IANSint/scor/as

Jakarta, May 19 (IANS) Indonesia’s Centre for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation has elevated the alert status of Mount Lewotobi in East Nusa Tenggara Province and expanded the danger zone as volcanic eruptions continue.The alert status was raised on Sunday night following multiple eruptions, with the strongest sending an ash column 6 km into the sky.Authorities have extended the danger zone from 6 to 7 km for areas northwest, north, and northeast of the crater. Outside these areas, the 6-km restriction remains in effect.On Monday, Mt. Lewotobi erupted again at 15:47 local time, spewing an ash plume 5 km high. Thick gray clouds are drifting northward and northwestward from the volcano.The Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation remains at a red-level warning, the highest alert, Xinhua news agency reported. It prohibits flights below 6 km near the volcano and advises caution due to volcanic ash, which can disrupt aircraft operations.Communities near the volcano, as well as tourists and visitors, are barred from any activities within a 7-km radius of the crater in the west, north, and northeast sectors. Outside these areas, the 6-km restriction applies.Residents near the volcano are urged to remain vigilant against potential lava floods caused by rainfall in rivers originating from the summit. Those in ash-affected areas should wear face masks or nose coverings for protection.Last month, flight warnings and safety advisories were issued by the Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Centre after Mount Lewotobi erupted and released a column of ash up to 3,500 metres into the sky.It was advised on April 16 that the communities living near the volcano should be aware of the potential for lava floods induced by rivers originating from the peak of the volcano when heavy rains occur.On March 20, a similar eruption released a column of ash up to 8,000 metres high.Mount Lewotobi, standing at 1,584 metres, is one of Indonesia’s 127 active volcanoes. Indonesia is an archipelago of 270 million people with frequent seismic activity. It has 120 active volcanos and sits along the ‘Ring of Fire’, a horseshoe-shaped series of seismic fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.Indonesia sits on the boundary of several major tectonic plates: the Eurasian, Australian, and Pacific plates and has experienced some of the world’s deadliest and most powerful eruptions, such as the eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815, further highlighting the country’s vulnerability to volcanic hazards.–IANSint/as

Jakarta, May 19 (IANS) Rescuers on Monday discovered five more bodies of victims of flash floods and landslides in Indonesia’s West Papua province, bringing the death toll to six, while over 14 others remain missing, an official said.According to Yefri Sabaruddin, head of the provincial search and rescue office, some of the bodies were found on the surface, while others were buried beneath piles of wood and branches in the disaster-hit areas of Gunung Arfak Regency.”Five bodies have been found today. They have been taken to a temporary post,” Sabaruddin told Xinhua news agency. “Our focus now is on searching for the 14 missing people. We will try to find them.”Following the recovery of the bodies, the next phase of the search and rescue operation will shift to downstream areas of the rivers flowing through the disaster site.”There is a possibility that the victims were swept downstream,” Sabaruddin explained.The operation has been carried out manually due to the challenging terrain in the mountainous region, which prevents the use of heavy machinery.However, Sabaruddin noted that the search has been temporarily suspended due to ongoing high-intensity rainfall in the area.”We are anticipating the risk of further flash floods or landslides, which could endanger the safety of the rescuers,” he said.The operation is expected to resume on Tuesday, but may be delayed again if weather conditions do not improve.The flash floods and landslides struck Gunung Arfak Regency on Thursday night following heavy rainfall. Poor communication access in the area led to delays in reporting the disaster to rescue teams.–IANSint/as

Seoul, May 19 (IANS) South Korean Presidential candidates ramped up their campaigns on Monday to woo swing voters in the key battleground of Seoul, with the election just 15 days away to pick a successor to former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was ousted over his failed martial law bid.Democratic Party (DP) candidate Lee Jae-myung, the campaign’s front-runner, met elderly voters, while People Power Party (PPP) candidate Kim Moon-soo and Lee Jun-seok of the minor New Reform Party (NRP) joined a forum in Seoul.Although the minor party’s Lee, who had served as a leader of the PPP, has ruled out merging his campaign with Kim, the forum drew attention as speculation persists over a potential merger of their candidacies to challenge the DP’s Lee.Speaking to reporters after the forum, the NRP’s Lee said he is “not interested” in discussing a merger.After attending the presidential candidates’ first televised debate the previous day, Kim said he remains open to a merger with the minor party’s Lee.A Realmeter survey showed Monday that the DP’s Lee was leading Kim with 50.2 per cent support against Kim’s 35.6 per cent. The minor party’s Lee came in third with 8.7 per cent.After meeting elderly voters, the DP’s Lee held a campaign rally at Yongsan Station and is set to head to the wards of Yeongdeungpo and Mapo.Meanwhile, Kim announced his pledge for the youth at Cheonggye Plaza in central Seoul in commemoration of Coming of Age Day.He proposed policies that aim to ease the burden of housing and marriage for the youth, ensure fair hiring and adopt a system that recognises military service as work experience at private companies, as part of efforts to expand opportunities for young people and help reduce their financial burden.Kim later attended a special luncheon meeting with the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea, announcing his plans to push for a summit meeting with US President Donald Trump, if he is elected, Yonhap news agency reported.”If elected President, I will visit the United States in June to hold an early summit with President Trump and promptly resolve issues hindering economic cooperation between the two countries,” Kim said.He pledged to explore new opportunities for mutual growth, including in the shipbuilding sector, which the US takes an interest in, to “usher in a new era of joint prosperity,” though stressing the national interests of South Korea remain his top priority.He also addressed concerns over the potential US troop drawdown in South Korea.”Our economy cannot be maintained if there is a nuclear threat from North Korea and a risk of the withdrawal of US troops in terms of defence security,” he said.”What makes us concerned is the possibility that President Trump might propose increasing South Korea’s share of defence costs, and I think a moderate increase is acceptable, but I am worried about the potential reduction or withdrawal of US troops,” he said.Kim will later hold a rally near Seoul Station during the evening rush hour.–IANSint/jk/vd

Seoul, May (IANS) Overseas voting for the South Korean June 3 presidential election is set to kick off on Tuesday for a six-day run, the election watchdog said on Monday.A total of 258,254 overseas South Korean nationals, including those registered as absentee voters, will be eligible to vote at 223 polling stations across 118 countries from Tuesday to next Wednesday, according to the National Election Commission (NEC).Polling stations were set up in South Korean overseas missions in Cuba, Luxembourg, Lithuania, and Estonia for the first time, where diplomatic missions were recently established, Yonhap news agency reported.Eligible voters unable to participate in the overseas voting or those wishing to cast their ballots in South Korea can do so on voting day if they report to regional election commissions between May 26-June 3, the NEC said.Meanwhile, South Korean Presidential candidates ramped up their campaigns on Monday to woo swing voters in the key battleground of Seoul, with the election just 15 days away to pick a successor to former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was ousted over his failed martial law bid.Democratic Party (DP) candidate Lee Jae-myung, the campaign’s front-runner, met elderly voters, while People Power Party (PPP) candidate Kim Moon-soo and Lee Jun-seok of the minor New Reform Party (NRP) joined a forum in Seoul.Although the minor party’s Lee, who had served as a leader of the PPP, has ruled out merging his campaign with Kim, the forum drew attention as speculation persists over a potential merger of their candidacies to challenge the DP’s Lee.Speaking to reporters after the forum, the NRP’s Lee said he is “not interested” in discussing a merger.After attending the presidential candidates’ first televised debate the previous day, Kim said he remains open to a merger with the minor party’s Lee.A Realmeter survey showed Monday that the DP’s Lee was leading Kim with 50.2 per cent support against Kim’s 35.6 per cent. The minor party’s Lee came in third with 8.7 per cent.After meeting elderly voters, the DP’s Lee held a campaign rally at Yongsan Station and is set to head to the wards of Yeongdeungpo and Mapo.–IANSint/jk/

Kathmandu, May 19 (IANS) Nepal on Monday warned its citizens travelling to Gulf countries through India against using fake documents, citing increased detentions by immigration authorities.Nepali Embassy in India urged the Nepali citizens travelling to foreign countries for employment to obtain labour approval (Labour Permit) and No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from Nepal’s Department of Foreign Employment or the embassy in New Delhi.It further mentioned that without obtaining the NOC, travel will not be permitted.In an advisory issued, the embassy stated that it has come to the attention of the Government of Nepal through concerned authorities in India that the number of people travelling via Indian airports to Gulf countries without obtaining labour approval NOCs from the Department of Foreign Employment has been increasing.The embassy warned citizens against using forged documents, citing that several Nepali citizens have faced interrogation, detention, and even been barred from flying.Last year, the Nepal Embassy eased NOC requirements for migrant workers using Indian airports, stating that Nepali citizens holding a valid foreign employment permit issued by the Department of Foreign Employment were not required to obtain a NOC when travelling through Indian airports.The embassy, in its notice in November, specified that other travellers heading to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Bahrain, Iraq, Libya, and Lebanon via Indian airports must secure an NOC.Additionally, those travelling to Russia, except for recipients of scholarships from the Russian government and business visa holders, must obtain an NOC from the embassy or the Department of Consular Services of Nepal.According to a report in the leading Nepalese daily, The Kathmandu Post, the rapid rise in economic woes and unemployment in Nepal is leading more people to travel to foreign countries in a desperate search for work.Last year, official figures revealed that more than 300,000 Nepalis have gone abroad, most of them to the Gulf states and Malaysia, on a work visa.–IANSint/scor/sd/