Seoul, May 23 (IANS) South Korean Democratic Party (DP) presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung was leading his People Power Party (PPP) rival Kim Moon-soo with 45 per cent support against Kim’s 36 per cent, a survey showed Friday.In a Gallup Korea survey conducted on 1,002 adults from Tuesday to Thursday, candidate Lee Jun-seok of the minor New Reform Party came in third with 10 percent. Eight percent said they were undecided.The DP’s Lee declined by 6 percentage points compared with a week earlier, while Kim and Lee Jun-seok saw increases of 7 percentage points and 2 percentage points, respectively.The support for the liberal DP was at 42 per cent, compared with 36 per cent for the conservative PPP.The margin of error was 3.1 percentage points at a 95 per cent confidence level, Yonhap news agency reported.Meanwhile, on Friday, four presidential candidates were set to wrangle over social issues in their second TV debate, with the June 3 election just 11 days away.Lee Jun-seok of the minor New Reform Party (NRP) garnered his first double-digit support, as Kim continued to appeal the NRP candidate to merge their candidacies to better challenge the DP’s Lee.On Thursday, the NRP’s Lee declared that he would not drop his candidacy until Election Day.The three candidates and Kwon Young-kook of the minor Democratic Labor Party will take part in the debate at 8 p.m., hosted by the National Election Commission.During the debate, the candidates will discuss ways to bridge social divisions and promote national unity, as well as pension and health care reforms, and climate change.The DP’s Lee is expected to highlight his vision of becoming a leader capable of bridging ideological and regional divides as he has previously mentioned social cohesion as a top duty of the president.Kim of the PPP is likely to stress his personal integrity by drawing contrast with his DP rival, who is mired in multiple legal controversies, and to criticize Lee’s policy vision of a “basic society” as populist.The NRP’s Lee is also expected to target the DP candidate by bringing up his controversies, which include election law violation and misuse of public funds.During the debate, Kim and the NRP’s Lee may spar over the possibility of their candidacy merger.The upcoming election will choose a successor to former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was impeached over a botched martial law attempt in December.–IANSint/jk/mr

Tokyo, May 23 (IANS) JD(U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, leading an all-party delegation to Japan, as part of India’s global diplomatic outreach, said on Friday that Japan has expressed solidarity with India and supported calls to wipe out terrorism as well as their patrons, where ever they exist. Jha noted that Japanese leaders, including the Foreign Minister and a former Prime Minister, have extended full support to India’s position during their meetings in Tokyo.The all-party delegation led by Jha includes BJP MPs Aparajita Sarangi and Brij Lal, Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee, CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member John Brrittas, and Congress leader Salman Khurshid.Speaking to IANS, Jha said, “We came here yesterday with an all-party delegation. The most important thing is that the attack in Pahalgam targeted innocent people, tourists, who were separated from their families and brutally killed, including children. There were 26 victims. All the sponsorship and training behind this is happening in Pakistan.”Jha emphasised that India has adopted a firm policy under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership. “Three major developments have taken place. First is Operation Sindoor, its purpose is to declare ‘enough is enough.’ If there’s an attack on our civilians, we will strike back, wherever your training infrastructure is,” he said.“Second,” he added, “those governments that promote terrorism will be treated the same as the terrorists themselves. There will be no distinction. Third, countries that cannot maintain neutral relations will not be tolerated. We are making this clear to the world through our outreach.”Referring to global awareness, Jha added, “Anywhere there’s terrorist activity in the world, somehow a link to Pakistan is found. If Osama Bin Laden couldn’t be found anywhere else, where was he eventually found?”Jha also reaffirmed PM Modi’s statement that “blood and water cannot flow together,” and stressed that India will only talk about ending terrorism and reclaiming PoK.“We expect Japan to sensitise people here that terrorism is fully sponsored by Pakistan’s government. This is a sensitive issue, like us, tomorrow other nations may be impacted,” he said.–IANSrs/mr

Seoul, May 23 (IANS) South Korean Police said on Friday that they have seized cellphones…

Tokyo, May 23 (IANS) The Indian all-party parliamentary delegation led by Janata Dal (United) MP Sanjay Jha on Friday held a meeting with Yasuhiro Hanashi, Acting Chairperson of the Research Committee on Counter-terrorism of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Former Minister of Justice highlighting India’s firm stance against terrorism under the global outreach campaign.“All-Party Delegation from India met Yasuhiro Hanashi, Acting Chairperson of the Research Committee on Counter-terrorism of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Former Minister of Justice. India’s unified and determined stance against terrorism in all its forms was highlighted. Both sides reiterated their zero-tolerance approach to terrorism,” Embassy of India in Japan posted on X.Earlier in the day the delegation actively engaged with the Diplomatic Corps in Tokyo at the Indian Embassy, reaffirming India’s steadfast commitment to combating terrorism.“Proactive engagement by the All-Party Delegation from India with the Diplomatic Corps in Tokyo at the Embassy of India in Japan reaffirms India’s unwavering national resolve against terrorism. United in voice, firm in action,” Embassy of India in Japan posted on X.The delegation led by Sanjay Jha includes BJP MPs Aparajita Sarangi and Brij Lal, Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee, CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member John Barittas, and senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid.Their visit marks the beginning of India’s unprecedented diplomatic campaign to expose Pakistan’s sustained role in cross-border terrorism following the April 22 Pahalgam attack.Earlier on Thursday the Indian delegation attended the Inaugural Session of Raisina Tokyo 2025, joining leaders and experts from India, Japan, and across the Indo-Pacific region. The speakers at the session reiterated Japan’s support for India’s fight against terrorism.The delegation also held key talks with Takashi Endo, Chairman of the Japanese House of Representatives Committee on National Security, and conveyed India’s unified and resolute stance against terrorism in all its forms. Endo expressed Japan’s strong solidarity with India in its fight against terror, according to the Indian Embassy.The delegation also met Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, who reiterated Tokyo’s support and praised India’s restraint in the face of provocation.Iwaya emphasised the need to bring perpetrators of terror to justice and voiced strong support for India’s response to the Pahalgam attack.“Reiterated our national resolve to act firmly against terror and those who support it. Grateful for Japan’s support and for calling for justice against perpetrators of such acts,” Sanjay Jha posted on X after the meeting.Later, the delegation called on former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, currently Vice President of the ruling LDP and Chairman of the Japan-India Association. Suga reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to support India in combating terrorism.The delegation also interacted with prominent Japanese think tanks, briefing them on India’s zero-tolerance policy and presenting detailed accounts of Pakistan’s support for terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM).The session saw strong expressions of support for India’s stance on regional security and combating state-sponsored terrorism.–IANSint/scor/rs

Tokyo, May 23 (IANS) The Indian all-party parliamentary delegation led by Janata Dal (United) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha on Friday actively engaged with the Diplomatic Corps in Tokyo at the Indian Embassy, reaffirming India’s steadfast commitment to combating terrorism under the global outreach campaign of Operation Sindoor.

“Proactive engagement by the All-Party Delegation from India with the Diplomatic Corps in Tokyo at the Embassy of India in Japan reaffirms India’s unwavering national resolve against terrorism. United in voice, firm in action,” Embassy of India in Japan posted on X.The delegation led by Sanjay Jha includes BJP MPs Aparajita Sarangi and Brij Lal, Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee, CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member John Barittas, and senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid.Their visit marks the beginning of India’s unprecedented diplomatic campaign to expose Pakistan’s sustained role in cross-border terrorism following the April 22 Pahalgam attack.Earlier on Thursday the Indian delegation attended the Inaugural Session of Raisina Tokyo 2025, joining leaders and experts from India, Japan, and across the Indo-Pacific region. The speakers at the session reiterated Japan’s support for India’s fight against terrorism.The delegation also held key talks with Takashi Endo, Chairman of the Japanese House of Representatives Committee on National Security, and conveyed India’s unified and resolute stance against terrorism in all its forms. Endo expressed Japan’s strong solidarity with India in its fight against terror, according to the Indian Embassy.The delegation also met Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, who reiterated Tokyo’s support and praised India’s restraint in the face of provocation.Iwaya emphasised the need to bring perpetrators of terror to justice and voiced strong support for India’s response to the Pahalgam attack.“Reiterated our national resolve to act firmly against terror and those who support it. Grateful for Japan’s support and for calling for justice against perpetrators of such acts,” Sanjay Jha posted on X after the meeting.He also felicitated the Japanese minister in traditional Mithila style.Later, the delegation called on former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, currently Vice President of the ruling LDP and Chairman of the Japan-India Association. Suga reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to support India in combating terrorism.The delegation also interacted with prominent Japanese think tanks, briefing them on India’s zero-tolerance policy and presenting detailed accounts of Pakistan’s support for terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM).The session saw strong expressions of support for India’s stance on regional security and combating state-sponsored terrorism.“This dialogue strengthens global partnerships rooted in peace, security, and shared democratic values,” Jha said on X.The Indian lawmakers were received by Ambassador Sibi George upon their arrival in Tokyo on Thursday and briefed on the roadmap for strategic engagements with Japan’s political, diplomatic, and civil society stakeholders.–IANSint/scor/rs

Tehran, May 23 (IANS) Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has said that there will…

Los Angeles, May 23 (IANS) At least two people were killed and eight others were injured after a small plane crashed into a neighbourhood in US southwestern city of San Diego, authorities said.
The incident took place early Thursday morning.The crash occurred around 3:45 a.m. local time in a military housing complex in the Tierrasanta neighbourhood, local officials said.The crash site is a little more than 2 miles east of Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport, Xinhua news agency reported.Police said they believed no one on the ground was killed but could not immediately confirm that.The San Diego Police Department said in a post on X that the crash also damaged around 10 buildings in the neighbourhood.Local officials confirmed that the small plane, a Cessna jet, crashed into the Murphy Canyon neighbourhood just before 4 a.m. local time.The crash sparked fires in multiple residences and vehicles, Dan Eddy, assistant chief of the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, told the media.”We have jet fuel all over the place. We have hazmat on scene right now, and we’ve asked for more resources to come for that,” Eddy said.Eddy said that all of the fatalities were on the plane, which could hold up to 10 people.Officials do not yet know how many were on board.About 100 local residents were evacuated following the crash. Officials confirmed that the affected residences were military housing units.The tract where the crash occurred is managed by Liberty Military Housing, officials said.”We are actively working with all military families affected, specifically within this region, because they may be out of their homes for a while,” said Captain Bob Heely, commanding officer of Naval Base San Diego.Heely said he was working with Liberty Military Housing and the Red Cross to provide temporary housing to the affected families.”As you can see, the damage behind us is incredibly significant, was life-threatening, and thank God nobody on the ground was killed,” Raul Campillo, a member of the San Diego City Council, said at a news conference near the crash site.The crash will be investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.–IANSint/khz

Jerusalem, May 23 (IANS) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has named a senior army officer as the next head of the Shin Bet domestic intelligence agency, drawing immediate criticism from the Attorney General, who warned the appointment was tainted by a conflict of interest.
The Prime Minister’s Office said Major General David Zini would succeed Ronen Bar as Shin Bet Director.Zini has held a series of senior operational posts in the Israeli military, including with the elite Sayeret Matkal special forces and as head of the Commando Brigade.Within minutes of the announcement, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara issued a public rebuke, saying Netanyahu had disregarded legal advice and may have made the decision while in a state of conflict of interest.”The Prime Minister acted in violation of legal guidance, raising serious concerns that he did so while in a state of conflict of interest, rendering the appointment process fundamentally flawed,” she said in a statement.The warning follows a Supreme Court ruling on Wednesday that found Netanyahu’s dismissal of outgoing Shin Bet Chief Ronen Bar was unlawful.The court said Netanyahu’s conflict of interest influenced the move due to ongoing investigations involving his associates in the so-called “Qatar-Gate” affair.Bar’s removal came amid growing political fallout over intelligence lapses ahead of the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023.He had called for a state commission of inquiry into the performance of Israel’s security services and government before and during the assault.Legal challenges to Zini’s appointment are expected.Baharav-Miara had cautioned Netanyahu against moving forward until safeguards were in place to ensure the integrity of the selection process.Netanyahu is currently standing trial on corruption charges, which he denies.He has repeatedly described the proceedings as politically motivated and part of a “witch hunt”.Zini, the son of immigrants from France and the grandson of a Holocaust survivor, has held “many” operational and command positions in the Israeli military, Thursday’s announcement said, including for some elite units and combat brigades.The announcement comes after more than two months of political and legal wrangling over who should head the powerful agency.In March, Netanyahu said that he was dismissing Bar due to “ongoing lack of trust”.The move was challenged in court by non-profit organisations and the political opposition, which decried it as a sign of anti-democratic drift on the part of Netanyahu’s right-wing government.Following Thursday’s announcement, Opposition leader Yair Lapid called on “General Zini to announce that he cannot accept his appointment until the Supreme Court rules on the matter”.The NGO Movement for Quality Government in Israel, meanwhile, said it will file a legal petition “in the coming days against this invalid appointment, and will continue to stand firm against attempts to defy the legal system and the rule of law”.Bar himself suggested that his ouster was linked to investigations into Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack “and other serious matters”.He has since said he will step down in June.Baharav-Miara has suggested Netanyahu’s conflict of interest in removing Bar stems from a case, dubbed “Qatargate” by Israeli media, involving close advisers to the premier under investigation for allegedly receiving money from the Gulf emirate, which has long hosted the political office of Hamas.Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said on Thursday that “the authority to appoint the head of the Shin Bet is legally granted solely to the Prime Minister — and it is good that the Prime Minister exercised this authority and appointed a very worthy individual”.–IANSint/khz

San Francisco, May 23 (IANS) The US-led Donald Trump administration has revoked Harvard University’s certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), effectively barring the institution from enrolling new international students.

US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem announced the decision, Xinhua news agency reported.”Let this serve as a warning to all universities and academic institutions across the country,” Noem said in a statement.”Enrolling international students is a privilege — not a right — and that privilege has been revoked due to Harvard’s repeated failure to comply with federal law.”Taking to social media platform X, Noem wrote: “The administration in April froze $2.2 billion in federal grants to Harvard, after the university rejected demands that it eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, and evaluate international students for ideological concerns. As of the fall 2023 semester, international students made up over 27 per cent of Harvard’s student body, according to university data. This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus. It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enroll foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments to help pad their multibillion-dollar endowments. Harvard had plenty of opportunity to do the right thing. It refused. They have lost their Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification as a result of their failure to adhere to the law. Let this serve as a warning to all universities and academic institutions across the country.”However, in the letter sent to Harvard University, it was mentioned that, if Harvard wants the opportunity of regaining Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification before the upcoming academic school year back, they should provide the “information required” within “72 hours”.DHS said that in addition to barring enrollment of future international students, “existing foreign students must transfer to lose their legal status.”This move by the Trump administration will force existing students to transfer to other schools or lose their legal status, the Department of Homeland Security said on Thursday.Harvard University has said that the move is a retaliatory action that threatens serious harm to the university.”The government’s action is unlawful. We are fully committed to maintaining Harvard’s ability to host international students and scholars, who hail from more than 140 countries and enrich the University – and this nation – immeasurably,” the university said in a statement.”We are working quickly to provide guidance and support to members of our community. This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country, and undermines Harvard’s academic and research mission.”In April, US President Donald Trump had called Harvard a “joke” and said it should lose its government research contracts after the prestigious university refused demands that it accept outside political supervision.”Harvard can no longer be considered even a decent place of learning, and should not be considered on any list of the World’s Great Universities or Colleges,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.He had threatened to ban the famed seat of learning from accepting foreign students unless it bowed to the requirements, as early as April.Each year, anywhere from 500-800 Indian students and scholars study at Harvard, according to the official website of the university.Currently, 788 students from India are enrolled at Harvard University.–IANSkhz/

Jerusalem, May 23 (IANS) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the return of the Israeli delegation from Doha, a senior Israeli official confirmed to media, describing it as “an impasse” in the negotiations with Hamas over a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said on Thursday that Israel had recalled its senior negotiation team on Tuesday for consultations after a week of indirect talks, and now the remaining working-level team still in Doha will also return.Hamas, in a statement on Tuesday, accused the Israeli government of derailing the talks, saying the low-level Israeli team left in Doha had no mandate to finalise an agreement.The group accused Netanyahu of “misleading world public opinion and pretending to participate in the negotiation process,” claiming no substantive negotiations had taken place since Saturday.Citing an Israeli diplomatic source, Israel’s state-owned Kan TV reported that the talks broke down over a key disagreement — Israel insisted on a deal involving a temporary truce in return to the release of only some hostages, while Hamas demanded international guarantees, primarily from the US, that Israel would not resume fighting, in exchange for the release of all hostages.”The sides failed to bridge the gaps, despite pressure from Washington,” the diplomat said.In January, Hamas released 33 Israeli hostages under the first phase of a three-stage ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal, as well as five Thai nationals who were not part of the agreement. In March, Israel refused to advance to the second phase of the deal after a two-month ceasefire, resuming its military offensive.Since then, Israel has rejected international calls to halt the war and allow humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave, where United Nations experts warn famine is spreading.On Saturday, Israel launched Operation Gideon’s Chariots, marking a significant escalation in its 19-month offensive.Israeli officials say the goal is to defeat Hamas and return 58 hostages still held in Gaza.The operation includes seizing the entire Gaza Strip, maintaining military control over the territory, and pushing the population southward, according to Israeli sources.The Palestinian death toll has reached 53,762 since the war began, according to the Gaza health authorities’ update on Thursday.–IANSint/khz