Jerusalem, May 18 (IANS) The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that its forces shot and killed a Palestinian man who ran toward them carrying a suspected booby-trapped bag in the West Bank village of Bruqin.

According to the IDF, the incident occurred on Saturday during an ongoing manhunt for the gunman who killed an Israeli woman in the late stage of pregnancy on Wednesday night. She was in a vehicle on the road between the Jewish settlements of Peduel and Berukhin, reportedly en route to the delivery room, Xinhua news agency reported.Her baby is hospitalised in serious condition at Schneider Children’s Medical Centre near Tel Aviv, but is no longer in life-threatening danger.As part of the search for the shooter, the IDF and the Shin Bet security agency on Saturday morning conducted targeted searches and arrested several suspects in Bruqin, located near the attack scene, the Army’s statement said.The statement noted that an investigation into the attack is being led jointly by the Shin Bet and the Israel Police.The terror group Hamas praised the Israeli woman’s killing as “heroic” and called for more such acts, but did not claim responsibility.IDF forces have been surrounding the Palestinian towns of Bruqin and Kafr ad-Dik, located near the site of the attack, amid the hunt for the terrorist, who is believed to have acted alone.Separately, the IDF said on Saturday evening that troops had killed a Palestinian who was allegedly hurling stones at Israeli motorists near the West Bank town of Burqa.The IDF said troops of the 636th Combat Intelligence Collection Unit identified three suspects hurling stones at a main road and opened fire on them, killing one and wounding the other two.The military said that on Thursday, it had killed five Palestinian Islamic Jihad members in the West Bank.The West Bank has seen a surge in violence since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip ignited the war there.Since then, troops have arrested nearly 6,000 wanted Palestinians across the West Bank, including more than 2,350 affiliated with Hamas. According to the Palestinian Authority Health Ministry, more than 950 West Bank Palestinians have been killed in that time. The IDF has said the vast majority of them were gunmen killed in exchanges of fire, rioters who clashed with troops or terrorists carrying out attacks.There has also been a significant increase in settler violence against Palestinians since the start of the war.During the same period, 52 people, including Israeli security personnel, have been killed in terror attacks in Israel and the West Bank. Another eight members of the security forces were killed in clashes with terror operatives in the West Bank.–IANSint/khz

Gaza, May 18 (IANS) At least 64 Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, the Civil Defence in Gaza said.

Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for the Civil Defence, told Xinhua news agency on Saturtday that seven young men were killed and several others wounded when Israeli artillery shelled a group of Palestinians trying to reach their homes in the Shuja’iyya neighbourhood, east of Gaza City.Basal added that four people, including a woman and two children, were killed in an Israeli airstrike that targeted the gate of Salah al-Din School, which houses displaced families in the west of Gaza City, while a fifth person was killed in an airstrike on a residential apartment north of the city, Xinhua news agency reported.At least 11 others were killed in attacks on a Palestinian gathering, while nine others were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a warehouse for distributing humanitarian aid in the city of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, according to Basal.The Hamas-run Gaza government condemned the attack on the warehouse, considering it “a serious and ongoing escalation of the systematic starvation policy pursued by the occupation in the Gaza Strip”.At least 13 others were killed in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, while 19 others were killed in Jabalia, Beit Lahia, and Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip, Basal said.The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement in the early morning of Saturday that over the past day, “the IDF has begun conducting extensive strikes and mobilising troops to achieve operational control in areas of the Gaza Strip.”Since Israel resumed its intensified military campaign on March 18, at least 3,131 Palestinians have been killed and 8,632 others injured, bringing the overall death toll in Gaza since the war began in October 2023 to 53,272, with a total of 120,673 people injured, according to health authorities in Gaza on Saturday.Gaza’s Government Media Office has said that more than 200 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks over the past 48 hours, with 1,000 housing units destroyed.Another 140 victims remain buried in the debris of destroyed buildings with the Israeli military’s “deliberate prevention of ambulance and civil defence crews from reaching the bombed areas in northern Gaza”.–IANSint/khz

Baghdad, May 18 (IANS) Arab leaders have called for an immediate halt to the war in Gaza and voiced their rejection of forced displacement of Palestinians.

In the final statement of the 34th Arab League Summit, which kicked off in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on Saturday, the leaders of the bloc’s 22 member states demanded “an immediate halt to the war in Gaza and all hostilities exacerbating civilian suffering”.The statement urged the international community, particularly influential states, to fulfill their moral and legal obligations to advocate for a cessation of bloodshed and ensure unhindered humanitarian aid to Gaza, Xinhua news agency reported.They also reiterated their rejection of forced displacement of the Palestinian people, which constitutes a violation of international law, the statement added.It called on all countries to provide political, financial, and legal support for the reconstruction and recovery plans for the Gaza Strip, welcoming Iraq’s call to establish a fund for the reconstruction of Gaza.The leaders affirmed that the Palestinian issue remains the core cause of the Arab nation and the key to regional stability, said the statement, adding that they fully support the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including freedom, self-determination, and the establishment of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.The statement stressed that the Arab leaders condemn all illegitimate measures and practices by Israel that target the Palestinian people and deprive them of their right to freedom, life, and human dignity.The leaders supported a call of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to convene an international peace conference and take steps to implement the two-state solution.The statement also addressed other issues across the Arab world, including Sudan, Lebanon, Syria, Libya, and Yemen, and reiterated the Arab leaders’ condemnation of all forms of terrorism, particularly the terrorist acts by the Islamic State (IS) group.The summit witnessed the participation of leaders and top diplomats of 22 Arab League member states, as well as representatives from regional and international organisations.Trump’s meeting with Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa was the first meeting between a US and Syrian leader in a quarter century.During the meeting, Trump urged Sharaa to join the Abraham Accords, which normalised ties between Israel and four Arab nations during the US President’s first term.Despite its misgivings, Israel has reportedly been holding secret talks with Syrian officials on the possibility.Sharaa confirmed last week that security-related talks were being held through mediators, though he did not comment on potential diplomatic relations.–IANSint/khz

Gaza/Jerusalem, May 17 (IANS) Indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel resumed on Saturday in the Qatari capital Doha, according to senior Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi.Mardawi said the talks are being held under Qatari and US mediation in an effort to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and finalize a hostage exchange deal, without preconditions.A source close to Hamas told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that the talks are based on a proposal submitted by US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, which Hamas had amended substantially.According to the source, the guarantees provided by the United States in the current round of Gaza ceasefire talks appeared to be “more serious,” including clear commitments to implementing the terms of any potential agreement.Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed on Saturday the resumption of negotiations with Hamas, saying Hamas’ return to the negotiation table marks a shift from what he described as a refusal position it has taken so far.According to Katz, the change followed the launch of Israel’s newly initiated military operation codenamed “Gideon’s Chariots” which aims to expand the scope of fighting in Gaza and advance key war objectives, including the release of hostages and the dismantling of Hamas.On Friday night, the Israeli military announced that it had escalated operations in Gaza, carrying out a wave of airstrikes and deploying additional ground forces, noting that the intensified assault marks the start of the “Gideon’s Chariots” operation.Israeli public radio Kan reported that the current proposal under discussion in Doha includes the release of approximately 10 or more hostages in exchange for a limited ceasefire. Israel estimates that 20 hostages are still alive in Gaza.Despite the renewed efforts, Hamas has voiced reservations about proceeding with the talks while the Israeli blockade on Gaza, imposed since March 2, remains in place.–IANSint/as

Dhaka, May 17 (IANS) The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media division of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, on Saturday announced a ban on all kinds of gatherings, rallies, processions, demonstrations, and protests in several important areas of the Bangladesh’s capital city Dhaka, effective from Sunday until further notice.

The ISPR said the restriction has been imposed in the interest of ensuring smooth public movement and maintaining law and order.The prohibited areas in the capital city included Kachukhet Road, Bijoy Sarani to the Jahangir Gate via the Chief Advisor’s office, BAF Shaheen College to Mohakhali flyover, Sainik Club intersection, Bhashantek, Matikata, ECB Chattar, and surrounding areas.Bangladesh has recently been witnessing several protest movements against the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus.On Saturday, several supporters of BNP leader Ishraque Hossain held a demonstration in front of the Nagar Bhaban, the main office of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), demanding that their leader should be considered for the mayoral post of DSCC.Later, the protestors backing Ishraque Hossain as Mayor locked all the gates of Nagar Bhaban, effectively halting all service-related operations from the building.On Friday thousands of women thronged Dhaka, marching under ‘Women’s March for Solidarity’ demanding that the interim government act against the threats that women and minority communities face in the country. They also alleged a misinformation campaign against the Women’s Affairs Reform Commission, local media reported.The demonstrators said that women in Bangladesh continue to face daily harassment, exclusion from decision-making, and online abuse, aimed at deterring their political participation.Earlier on Thursday, several students of Jagannath University blocked Kakrail intersection in Dhaka, causing traffic congestion in surrounding areas. Additionally hundreds of students and some teachers, including the Vice-Chancellor, participated in a sit-in protest in Dhaka’s Kakrail intersection, near Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus’ official residence Jamuna, in order to press home their demands.Furthermore, students of seven colleges in Dhaka on Saturday also issued a 24-hour ultimatum demanding the issuance of a gazette notification for the formation of an interim administrative body.They warned that if their demand is not met by Sunday, they will launch stricter protests, including a gherao at the relevant ministry, starting May 19.On the other hand, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which has been demanding that the interim government announce a clear roadmap for the upcoming election and hold the election this year, has also threatened to take to the streets if the elections are delayed.There has been a surge in street protests in Bangladesh carried out by different groups, exposing the deteriorating law and order situation in the country, ever since the interim government led by Yunus came to power in August 2024.–IANSint/scor/as

Hanoi, May 17 (IANS) The holy relics of Lord Buddha sent from India were enshrined at the famous Buddhist temple of Tam Chuc Pagoda in Ha Nam province of Vietnam on Saturday with ceremonial prayers and procession. The event saw participation of Chairman of Ha Nam Provincial People’s Committee, Standing Vice President of Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, former Vice President of Vietnam, Indian Ambassador to the country and venerable monks. A large number of people across Vietnam also gathered to pay respect to the sacred relics.”Sacred Buddha Relics from India were enshrined today at the renowned Tam Chuc Pagoda, Ha Nam with due ceremonies, prayers and procession with the Chairman of Ha Nam Provincial People’s Committee, Standing Vice President of Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, former Vice President of Vietnam, Indian Ambassador and venerable monks. The reverence of a large number of people across Vietnam for the Relics is very touching and highly valued,” the Embassy of India in Hanoi posted on X.The holy relics were brought from India on May 2 by an Indian delegation led by Union Minister of Parliamentary and Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju which also included Andhra Pradesh Minister Kandula Durgesh and senior monks and officials.The holy relics will remain in Vietnam until May 21 as part of the UN Day of Vesak celebrations. The relics were earlier displayed at Thanh Tam Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City, and then in Ba Den Mountain in Tay Ninh province and were in Quan Su Pagoda in Hanoi till Friday.Earlier this week, the Indian Embassy in Vietnam shared information on relics of Lord Buddha and upcoming projects with the local media.Terming it as a “national treasure” of India, the Embassy stated that the visit of Lord Buddha’s relics to Vietnam is the result of the cooperation between both governments, the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha and other organisations.India’s sending of the holy relics to Vietnam had been appreciated by Vietnamese President Luong Cuong as a gesture that further strengthened the strong spiritual and cultural ties between both countries.–IANSint/scor/as

Geneva, May 17 (IANS) The Swiss parliamentarians from the Swiss Parliamentary Group for Tibet on…

Dhaka, May 17 (IANS) The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Saturday expressed concerns that their December election deadline may quietly pass away as the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus is showing no indication of launching preparations for the polls.Some senior BNP leaders stated that nine months after the Yunus-led interim government came to power, there is still no talk about holding elections in the country. Additionally, many controversial moves, such as allowing human corridors to Rakhine and outsourcing port operations, have raised serious doubts about the government’s true intentions.The leaders further mentioned that the party rank and file is exerting pressure to take to the streets in order to put pressure on the interim government to announce a clear election roadmap and hold elections this year.Local media reported that a BNP leader, wishing to remain anonymous, said the party fears that the ban on activities of the Awami League, increasing contradictions among the National Citizen Party (NCP) and Jamaat-e-Islami are leading to unnecessary street protests, which might further complicate the political scenario in the coming days.Further, the BNP suspects that the recent ban on the activities of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s party, Awami League, and the subsequent suspension of the party’s registration by the Election Commission are part of a larger conspiracy by local and international actors to prolong the power of the interim government.“Every now and then, new issues are brought forward, reforms are dragged out, and the overall situation is kept in a state of flux. It appears to be part of a larger conspiracy to defer elections indefinitely,” a member of the BNP Standing Committee told UNB on condition of anonymity.“Our youth rally will be held on May 28 with a massive showdown in Dhaka. From that rally, the BNP will send out a strong message to the government not to unnecessarily delay the election,” said another BNP leaderEarlier this week, senior BNP leader Mirza Abbas alleged that many dubious foreigners are arriving in Bangladesh and accused the interim government of serving the interests of others rather than the people of the country.Recently, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia returned to Bangladesh after four months of medical treatment in London. Reports suggest that the return of the BNP chief is seen as a step to add pressure on the Yunus-led interim government to hold national elections in the country.Last month, BNP Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas alleged that the deliberate attempt to delay the election is visible. “There are people openly talking about keeping Yunus in power for five years. But those trying to do that will not only damage his reputation but also cause serious harm to the country,” said Abbas.BNP had expressed doubts about the possibility of national parliamentary elections being held in December on several occasions over the past few months with the party’s senior leaders alleging a “conspiracy” to delay the polls.The much-flaunted unity of the political outfits in Bangladesh, which was on full display during the ousting of the democratically elected Awami League government led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, seems to have faded gradually.–IANSint/scor/as

Jerusalem, May 17 (IANS) The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that it struck and killed a Hezbollah commander in southern Lebanon on Saturday.According to the statement, the commander, whose name was not given, was killed in the village of Mazraat Jemjim, north of Tyre city.Several Israeli media outlets reported that the Hezbollah commander was attacked by a drone while inside a car.The IDF statement accused him of “being involved in the reestablishment of Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure in the area,” calling such rebuilding efforts and related activity “a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon”.On Thursday, Israeli drones carried out multiple airstrikes across southern Lebanon, killing a Hezbollah member and destroying several prefabricated structures, Lebanese security and official sources said.Lebanon’s Ministry of Health said in a statement that an Israeli drone strike targetting a vehicle on the Arnoun-Yohmor road killed one person.A Lebanese security source identified the victim as Mohammad Ali Marouni, a Hezbollah member from the town of Arnoun in the Nabatieh District, deep in southern Lebanon.According to Lebanese official sources, three Hezbollah members were killed and a fourth wounded in separate Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon.In a related incident, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that an Israeli Apache helicopter carried out three consecutive strikes within half an hour on the village of Houla in southeastern Lebanon, targetting a prefabricated structure belonging to the Wataawano Association.The agency added that at dawn, the Israeli army struck another prefabricated building in the village of Adaisseh. Separately, a drone dropped a stun grenade on a house in Kfar Kila, while another drone dropped a similar device over the ruins of al-Dhahira School in the western sector of southern Lebanon.The cross-border strikes come despite a ceasefire agreement reached on November 27, 2024, intended to halt more than a year of hostilities tied to the war in Gaza. The truce, mediated by the United States and France, has largely held, though sporadic flare-ups have continued, Xinhua news agency reported.Israel has said its strikes are intended to neutralize Hezbollah threats. However, the Lebanese government and several Arab states have accused Israel of repeatedly violating the ceasefire agreement.–IANSint/as

Kathmandu, May 17 (IANS) Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, on…