Category: WORLD

Washington, Aug 2 (IANS) The recent killings in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) are not an isolated collapse of Pakistan’s authority but instead reflect the functioning of a political system that survives by denying people in the occupied region meaningful control over their political and economic future, said an international daily said in its analysis.

The report, published by the US-based Jacobin, argues that although the parts of Kashmir under Pakistan’s occupation are officially projected as politically autonomous and not formally integrated into the Pakistani state, the promised autonomy has “long been a sham”, as Islamabad responds to public demands for genuine democracy through repression and coercive measures.

“In practice, the ongoing dispute involves election manipulation, especially through so-called reserve seats. Islamabad rigs and manipulates elections to install a puppet government in PoK,” the report stated.

Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is currently witnessing the most extensive confrontation between the local population and the Pakistani state in decades. The protests reportedly began on June 5 and have continued to intensify.

An internet shutdown has remained in force across the occupied territory since June 5, with cellular communication services also suspended.

Protesters have alleged that as unrest spread across the occupied territory, Pakistani security forces launched a severe crackdown in which more than 50 people have been killed and hundreds injured over the past several weeks. They also claim that the actual death toll could be significantly higher than officially reported.

The report further states that while the immediate trigger for the protests was the worsening economic situation marked by rising electricity tariffs, soaring fuel prices, inflation and declining living standards, the unrest is rooted in deeper structural grievances.

According to the report, these economic hardships reflect a governance model in which residents of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir bear the consequences of decisions over which they exercise little or no democratic control.

According to the report, although the administration in the occupied territory appears local in structure, “it governs through institutions whose ultimate authority lies elsewhere” — Islamabad.

“Economic exploitation and political subordination, therefore, reinforce one another. The extraction of resources, the imposition of austerity, and the transfer of decision-making power to Islamabad are not separate processes but different expressions of the same structure of domination,” the report read.

“The Pakistani ruling class is not merely defending a particular government or protecting a single administrative institution. It is defending an entire structure of domination whose stability depends upon preventing the people of Jammu Kashmir from exercising effective control over their political and economic future,” it further argued.

Meanwhile, the failure of local authorities in PoK, operating under the direction of Pakistan’s federal government and military, to address the core demands of the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) has fueled mounting public discontent.

The crackdown on civilians by Pakistani security forces in PoK has exposed the contradiction in Islamabad’s longstanding narrative of safeguarding the interests of Kashmiri Muslims.

Despite projecting itself as a champion of the Kashmiri cause, Pakistani forces have killed several civilians in the occupied territory amid escalating unrest in the region.

–IANS

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Kabul, Aug 2 (IANS) Afghan security forces have thwarted a firearms smuggling attempt and seized a cache of 24 assault rifles of various types in eastern Nangarhar province, the provincial government announced in a statement on Sunday.

The contraband weapons were being smuggled into Afghanistan from a neighbouring country when security personnel intercepted them at the Torkham border crossing, according to the statement.

The arms had been concealed inside a vehicle transporting Afghan returnees, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Officials provided no details on whether any individuals were detained in connection with the incident.

The operation forms part of the Afghan government’s wider campaign to collect unauthorised arms and ammunition from individuals outside official security forces and to curb weapons smuggling along border regions through the reinforced deployment of security personnel.

On July 29, police took into custody two persons over keeping weaponry illegally and seized arms and ammunition from their possession in Laghman province, east of Afghanistan, provincial police spokesman Mohammad Yunus Yusufzai said.

Both individuals were arrested in Dawlat Shah district and a quantity of weaponry, including five Kalashnikov assault rifles, three hand grenades and hundreds of bullets and projectiles, was discovered in their possession, the official added.

Police will not allow anyone to take the law into their own hands and create law and order problems by keeping or carrying unauthorised arms in the area, the official noted.

Earlier in June, Afghan security forces seized a cache of weapons and ammunition in eastern Paktia province, the provincial police office said.

According to the police statement, the weapons and ammunition were discovered during a security operation in the Nari Zhwara area of Dand Patan district, a border district adjoining Pakistan.

Among the seized items were eight Kalashnikov rifles, 12 pistols, 20 Kalashnikov barrels, three M4 rifle barrels, and a thousand rounds of pistol ammunition, the statement said.

Authorities said the weapons and ammunition were being smuggled into Afghanistan when security forces intercepted and confiscated the shipment.

–IANS

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Frankfurt, August 2 (IANS) South Korean President Lee Jae Myung arrived in Frankfurt on Sunday, where he was scheduled to meet with members of the Korean community in Germany before returning to Seoul.

Frankfurt is the final stop in his five-nation tour, which began July 24 in San Francisco, where he met with the heads of global tech companies to promote South Korea’s vision to become a global hub for artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductors, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Since then, Lee has visited Brazil, Chile and Argentina, where he held summits with the countries’ leaders to strengthen cooperation on critical mineral supplies and other bilateral issues.

In Frankfurt, Lee will meet with members of the Korean community in Germany before returning to Seoul later Sunday.

President Lee Jae Myung arrived in Frankfurt after wrapping up his visit to Argentina.

In Buenos Aires, Lee held a summit with his Argentine counterpart, President Javier Milei, during which the two leaders agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation on critical minerals, including by pursuing joint projects across the entire lithium value chain.

They also agreed to enhance cooperation on South Korea’s imports of Argentine crude oil beginning next year while pledging to work toward the prompt resumption of negotiations on a free trade agreement between South Korea and the South American trade bloc Mercosur.

On Friday, President Lee Jae Myung said that South Korea and Argentina will usher in a new era of cooperation, saying closer bilateral collaboration is strategically more important than ever. Lee made the remarks at a meeting with members of the South Korean community in Argentina.

“I am confident that a new era of cooperation between Argentina and South Korea will fully unfold,” the president said.

“Amid the changing international order, from the artificial intelligence revolution to shifts in global supply chains, strategic bilateral cooperation is more important than ever,” he said.

Lee stressed that cooperation between South Korea and Argentina is entering a stage of tangible results, with bilateral collaboration expanding to critical minerals, including lithium, as well as energy and infrastructure.

–IANS

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Cairo, Aug 2 (IANS) The US embassies in some 10 Middle East countries on Saturday warned American citizens to exercise caution and “consider departing or be prepared to depart should there be escalation.”

On their websites, the US embassies in countries including Israel, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia issued similar security alerts, reports Xinhua news agency.

“Due to heightened tensions in the Middle East, the security environment remains complex with the potential for unforeseen escalation,” the alerts said, adding that Americans in the region should consider departing, or be prepared to depart should there be escalation.

The embassies advised US citizens in the Middle East to exercise caution and heightened vigilance and to be prepared for flight cancellations, periodic airspace closures, and potential travel disruptions.

They also advised US citizens outside the region to “seriously reconsider travel to and through the Middle East.”

Earlier on Saturday, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that Iran has prepared an “extensive” plan to respond to potential attacks on Iranian infrastructure.

Tasnim cited a senior security official as saying that Iran has prepared an “extensive” plan in response to US media’s recent claims about possible US and Israeli strikes against its infrastructure. The plan reportedly involves targeting vital Israeli infrastructure and US energy infrastructure in the Middle East.

The developments came amid renewed exchanges of airstrikes between the United States and Iran after days of pause, as well as the emergence of a new Red Sea front involving Yemen’s Houthis and Saudi Arabia.

On February 28, the United States and Israel launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities, killing Iran’s then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, senior military commanders and civilians. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone attacks on US and Israeli bases and assets in the region, while tightening control over the Strait of Hormuz.

–IANS

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Washington, Aug 2 (IANS) US President Donald Trump on Sunday said the United States had agreed to hold off a planned military attack on Iran after Tehran and several Middle Eastern countries requested a pause, claiming that the framework of a potential agreement had been reached.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the US remained fully prepared for military action but had decided to suspend the planned strike to allow diplomacy to move forward.

“The U.S.A. is locked and loaded and ready to go against the Islamic Republic of Iran, at levels of Military Terror, Strength, and Power not seen since World War II,” Trump wrote.

He said Iran and other countries in the Middle East had urged Washington to delay military action because “the perimeters of a deal has been agreed to.”

According to Trump, the proposed agreement would include the “Immediate, Complete, and Total OPENING OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT, and an end to Iran’s nuclear threat.”

“Based on this request, I have agreed, for the future benefit of the WORLD and, likewise, the survival of a successful and prosperous Iran, to cancel the attack, subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL,” Trump said.

He also claimed that Israel supported the decision to pursue the diplomatic path.

“The Country of Israel joins me in this commitment. Get to work, everybody, and get it DONE,” he added.

Trump did not provide further details about the proposed agreement, its timeline, or whether Iran or Israel had officially confirmed the claims made in his post.

Earlier, Trump said the US would continue military action against Iran until Tehran was no longer able to threaten American forces or pursue a nuclear weapon, while expressing diminishing confidence that negotiations with the Iranian leadership would succeed.

Speaking to reporters after chairing the first live televised Cabinet meeting ever held at Camp David, Trump said the administration would maintain pressure on Iran despite ongoing diplomatic contacts.

“Well, we’ll be hitting – we’ll be hitting them very hard and, you know, at some point they’re going to say, we just can’t take it anymore,” Trump said when asked what to expect in the coming weeks.

He reiterated that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon remained Washington’s central objective.

“They cannot have a nuclear weapon. Iran will not have a nuclear weapon, and they can’t have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said. “If they did, the Middle East would have been wiped out by now.”

The President said Iran had suffered extensive military losses but insisted it still retained limited capabilities.

–IANS

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Tokyo, Aug 2 (IANS) The death toll from a powerful earthquake that struck Japan’s Kumamoto Prefecture has risen to 38, the prefectural government said Sunday.

At a disaster response headquarters meeting held Sunday morning, Kumamoto Prefecture Government officials announced that 38 people had died, including those whose deaths are still being investigated to determine whether they were caused by the magnitude 7.1 tremor, Xinhua news agency reported.

At a Nippon Paper factory in Yatsushiro City, where the earthquake caused a smokestack to collapse, rescue teams pulled 10 people from the site. Eight of them were confirmed dead, while two sustained injuries. Another person who had been missing was found in the rubble shortly after noon on Thursday, though the individual’s condition has not yet been disclosed.

At Aeon Mall Kumamoto in Kashima Town, where a large explosion occurred after the earthquake, 12 people have been rescued. Seven of them were confirmed dead, and five were injured. Police and firefighters are continuing search operations to determine whether anyone else remains trapped inside the building.

More than 9,400 people are currently staying at 406 evacuation shelters across the prefecture, officials said.

The earthquake has also left approximately 79,700 households without water. Local authorities said there is currently no timetable for restoring water service in any of the affected municipalities.

Meanwhile, around 19,000 households remained without electricity as of Thursday afternoon. According to Kyushu Electric Power, power is expected to be restored by Friday evening if repair work proceeds as planned.

On Wednesday, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi held the Second Extraordinary Disaster Countermeasures Headquarters Meeting for the Kumamoto earthquake. Kumamoto Prefecture Governor Kimura, as well as Deputy Minister Tsushima of the Cabinet Office, attended the meeting virtually.

Takaichi offered condolences to the victims and expressed sympathies with the bereaved families. She assured that the Japanese government is working swiftly to assess the damage caused by the earthquake, while relevant ministries and agencies are working to address initial responses.

–IANS

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Tehran, Aug 2 (IANS) Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi warned the United States against taking any “adventurous” actions, saying those responsible would bear the consequences, according to Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency.

Araghchi made the remarks during separate phone conversations with Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, during which they exchanged views on the latest regional developments, Mehr said in a report.

Araghchi told Munir and Fidan that Iran was fully prepared to safeguard its national sovereignty, territorial integrity and national security, and would respond decisively to any act of aggression, reports Xinhua news agency.

In talks with his Saudi counterpart, Araghchi warned that any hostile US or Israeli action, as well as any regional support for it, would draw a firm, proportionate response from Iran’s armed forces, it added.

Also on Saturday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry accused the United States of violating the peace memorandum of understanding they reached mid-June, citing its continued strikes on Iranian targets, blockade on Iranian ports and commercial shipping, and stepped-up economic pressure.

In a statement, the ministry vowed to continue to resist US “unlawful aggression” and to firmly defend its national dignity and independence.

The remarks followed renewed exchanges of airstrikes between the United States and Iran after days of pause.

Before the pause, the United States had launched multiple waves of strikes against Iranian targets, saying they were in response to Iranian attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and aimed at “degrading Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping.”

Earlier, Araghchi has warned Britain against any military cooperation with the United States in carrying out strikes on Iran.

Araghchi made the remarks during a phone call with British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband on Friday, stressing that any cooperation with “aggressors,” including under the pretext of existing defense agreements, would be “unacceptable,” according to a statement issued by the Iranian Foreign Ministry on Saturday.

–IANS

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San Francisco, Aug 2 (IANS) At least three people were killed and at least two others injured in a shooting in the area of an In-N-Out restaurant in Twin Falls, in the northwestern US state of Idaho, on Saturday, local officials said.

The shooting began inside the restaurant before 2:30 p.m. local time (2030 GMT), CBS News reported, citing Joshua Palmer, public information coordinator for the city of Twin Falls. Details surrounding the incident remained unclear.

Meanwhile, police were responding to an active shooter incident near an In-N-Out Burger restaurant in Twin Falls, in the US state of Idaho, authorities said Saturday.

The Twin Falls Police Department said in a public safety alert that officers were working in the area and asked residents and visitors to stay away so that law enforcement officers and first responders could operate safely, Xinhua news agency reported.

In a news conference Saturday night, Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks told reporters that there were fatalities, but he could not confirm an exact number.

Hicks said there were “a number of people being treated for injuries” at a local hospital.

The suspected gunman was dead, Hicks disclosed, but he did not detail how the person was killed.

“We are working, trying to ascertain his identity and the motivation behind that,” said Chief of the Twin Falls Police Department.

Roads in the area, including a nearby bridge, were closed, police said, urging motorists to use alternate routes and not attempt to enter the restricted area.

Official information regarding the identity or number of shooters, and any possible arrests is still awaited. Authorities said additional details will be released as they become available.

Earlier in July, two people were killed and five others injured in a shooting at Seattle Center, where the Bite of Seattle food festival was underway, authorities said.

The Seattle Fire Department said two victims were pronounced dead at the scene. Four others — a two-year-old boy, a 23-year-old man and two adult women — were taken to Harborview Medical Center.

A 40-year-old woman with minor injuries was treated at the scene and declined transportation to a hospital.

Harborview Medical Center said one woman was in critical condition and undergoing surgery, while the other hospitalised patients were in satisfactory condition.

Police and emergency crews responded shortly after the shooting occurred and evacuated the area.

–IANS

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Quetta, Aug 1 (IANS) Amid mounting concerns over enforced disappearances of Baloch civilians across Pakistan, a leading human rights organisation on Saturday alleged that another five civilians were forcibly disappeared by Pakistani forces.

Paank, the Baloch National Movement’s Human Rights Department, revealed that 24-year-old farmer Younas Baloch was taken by personnel of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on the night of July 29 from Tando Allahyar district in Sindh province.

In a separate incident on the same day, 35-year-old plumber Abdul Majid was forcibly disappeared by Pakistan Rangers from Karachi, while returning home from work.

The rights body mentioned that Sher Khan, a resident of Gwadar district in Balochistan, was abducted by Pakistani intelligence agencies and military personnel on the night of July 27. Since then, it said, his family has received no official information regarding his fate or whereabouts.

Additionally, 19-year-old student Nuneeb Baloch was forcibly disappeared during a raid on his home on July 12 by Pakistani security forces. Even his whereabouts remain unknown.

Citing reports, Paank mentioned that a 20-year-old shopkeeper, Kifayatullah Baloch, was forcibly disappeared last month by Pakistan’s Frontier Corps (FC) from Kalat district in Balochistan.

Paank called on the Pakistani authorities to immediately disclose the fate and whereabouts of the missing individuals, ensure their protection and access to legal counsel and their families, and conduct prompt, impartial, and transparent investigations to hold those responsible accountable.

“The continued practice of enforced disappearances violates Pakistan’s obligations under international human rights law and perpetuates suffering for victims’ families,” it noted.

These latest incidents come against the backdrop of a growing wave of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances across the province.

In its latest report, the Human Rights Council of Balochistan (HRCB) highlighted escalating abuses by Pakistani forces in Balochistan, documenting 77 killings and 63 cases of enforced disappearance during the month of June.

Among the 63 documented victims of enforced disappearance, the HRCB said that two were women and three were teenagers. It added that only 17 of those forcibly disappeared were released during the month, while the remaining victims continue to be held incommunicado.

The report identified the FC as the primary perpetrator in enforced disappearances, accounting for 36 cases, followed by Pakistani intelligence agencies with 16 cases, state-backed death squads with six cases and the CTD with five cases.

“House raids continued to be the primary method used to carry out enforced disappearances, accounting for 27 cases (42.86%). Detentions accounted for 20 cases (31.75%), while 10 victims (15.87%) were forcibly disappeared during military operations. Three victims disappeared after being summoned to an FC camp (4.76%), and another three were detained at a security checkpoint (4.76%),” the HRCB report mentioned.

–IANS

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Dhaka, Aug 1 (IANS) Bangladesh’s Child Development Centres are grappling with a severe humanitarian crisis, operating at more than double their intended capacity. The crisis has been compounded by prolonged legal hurdles, delayed judicial proceedings and major infrastructure gaps, leaving the facilities struggling to provide a safe environment, a report has stated.

“Severe overcrowding, intense heat, and congested living conditions have left resident children enduring inhumane suffering. Even more concerning, due to loopholes in child laws and complexities surrounding age determination, these juvenile facilities are seeing a growing presence of adults and young adults- a factor that severely jeopardises the safety and psychological development of younger inmates,” according to a report in Pressenza International Press Agency.

A recent research report released by the Law Commission of Bangladesh, titled ‘Children Act, 2013: Doubts, Inconsistencies, and Confusion’, has highlighted these disturbing findings. Citing field inspections by Bangladesh’s Law Commission and recent findings, the report noted that the country’s two main facilities for boys – located in Gazipur and Jessore districts – are housing detainees far beyond their sanctioned capacity.

At Gazipur Child Development Centre, the report said that despite an official capacity of 300 inmates and an infrastructural capacity of just 200, the facility currently accommodates 578 children and young adults.

“Recent reports indicate that the total inmate population has spiked to around 780. Former inmates report that rooms designed to hold a maximum of 10 people are routinely crammed with 15 to 20 children,” it added.

The report found that the Jessore Child Development Centre houses 295 residents against a capacity of 300, while the official ages of 69 inmates are completely unrecorded.

Additionally, the Gazipur Child Development Centre (Girls), Bangladesh’s only facility for females with a capacity of 150, currently houses 92 residents, including 56 children in conflict with or in contact with the law.

“Living in such packed quarters during hot weather poses extreme health risks and forces these children into inhumane conditions, fundamentally undermining the primary objective of social and psychological rehabilitation,” the report noted.

Referring to data from the Law Commission, the report highlighted that at least 70 residents across these centres have already crossed the age of 18 — including 53 at Gazipur Boys, 16 at Jessore Boys and one at Gazipur Girls. It further noted that 91 inmates at the Gazipur Boys facility have no recorded age, while young adults aged 19 to 20 continue to be housed alongside minors.

“Human rights advocates emphasise that alongside expanding physical infrastructure, speeding up judicial trials for minors and establishing dedicated, separate units for detainees over the age of 18 remain crucial steps to resolving the ongoing crisis,” Pressenza mentioned.

–IANS

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