UKRAINE NOT READY FOR NATO MEMBERSHIP, SAYS JOE BIDEN

Washington: Ukraine is not yet ready for a NATO membership, US President Joe Biden said, adding that Russia needs to first end its ongoing invasion of Kiev, only then can the military alliance consider adding the war-torn nation to its ranks.

In a CNN interview on Sunday night, the President said that although talks of granting Kiev a NATO membership was "premature", the US and its allies in the military allinace will continue to provide Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his forces the security and weaponry they need to try to end the war with Russia.

“I don’t think there is unanimity in NATO about whether or not to bring Ukraine into the NATO family now, at this moment, in the middle of a war, ” Biden said.

“For example, if you did that, then, you know -- and I mean what I say -- we’re determined to commit every inch of territory that is NATO territory. It’s a commitment that we’ve all made no matter what. If the war is going on, then we’re all in war. We’re at war with Russia, if that were the case.”

The President said that he has spoken to Zelensky at length about the issue, saying that he has told his Ukrainian counterpart that the US would keep providing security and weaponry for Ukraine like it does for Israel while the process plays out.

“I think we have to lay out a rational path for Ukraine to be able to qualify to be able to get into NATO, ” Biden told CNN, while noting that he refused Russian President Vladimir Putin’s demands before the war for a commitment not to admit Ukraine because the alliance has “an open-door policy.”

“But I think it’s premature to say, to call for a vote, you know, in now, because there’s other qualifications that need to be met, including democratisation and some of those issues."

Biden made the remarks before embarking on a week-long trip to Europe during which he will attend the NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania on Tuesday and Wednesday.

SHARIF: IMRAN BEHIND ‘VILE’ DRIVE AGAINST PAK ARMY CHIEF

Islamabad : Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday slammed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman and former PM Imran Khan for launching a “vile, sinister and malicious” social media campaign about an assassination attempt on army chief General Asim Munir.

Sharif, whose term in office ends next month, ordered the authorities to take legal action against those involved in such “malicious” campaigns both at home and abroad. He lashed out at Imran a day after hundreds of Pakistani-Americans had gathered outside the White House in Washington, demanding an end to state and government actions against the PTI chief and workers. He noted that similar minds were involved in the conspiracy ofMay 9, when PTI demonstrators attacked government and army’s facilities.

According to Sharif, Imran’s trick of using proxies to threaten the army chief by alleging an assassination attempt has been badly exposed.

“The former PM (Imran) was desperately working to coerce his way back into power after failure in a methodically planned attack on the state symbols,” The PTI chief, the PM said, fails to realise that “the time of his politics of intimidation, violence and hatred is over”.

He reiterated that the people of Pakistan and the political parties strongly stood behind Army Chief Gen Munir and the armed forces, and they would thwart any attempt and conspiracy at undermining Pakistan Army’s prestige, honour and integrity.

ZELENSKY SEEKS CLEAR SIGNAL ON NATO ENTRY

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday voiced hope for the “best possible result” from an upcoming Nato summit where Kyiv is hoping for a clear signal that it could one day join the alliance. After meeting his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda, he said the two discussed the summit starting in Vilnius on Tuesday and agreed to “work together to get the best possible result for Ukraine”. Zelensky has said he does not expect Ukraine to actually join Nato until after the war but he hopes the summit will give a “clear signal” on the intention to bring Ukraine into the alliance.

FAR-RIGHT PARTIES GAINING GROUND IN EUROPE. WILL SPAIN BE NEXT?

The rise of hard-right parties across Europe is becoming a significant trend, with some of them gaining power by entering government as junior partners. These parties share concerns about the economic impact of globalization and the loss of national identity due to migration and what they perceive as an EU that primarily benefits the elites. The question arises of whether the hard right should be marginalized or brought into governing to normalize them. Examples include Sweden's government depending on a party with neo-Nazi roots for parliamentary votes, Finland's nationalist party risking the stability of the governing coalition, the collapse of the Dutch government due to tensions over migration, and the far-right Alternative for Germany party gaining popularity. While specific proposals may differ, hard-right parties generally advocate for stricter migration policies, limited LGBTQ rights, and protectionist trade measures. They may also express skepticism towards NATO, climate change, and foreign intervention.

YELLEN: US WILL LISTEN TO CHINA’S CURBS COMPLAINTS

Beijing : Treasury secretary Janet Yellen on Sunday said she agreed Washington will listen to Chinese complaints about security-related curbs on US technology exports and might “respond to unintended consequences” as she ended a visit to Beijing aimed at reviving strained relations. Yellen defended “targeted measures” on trade that China’s leaders complain are aimed at hurting its fledgling tech industries.

She said the Biden administration wants to “avoid unnecessary repercussions” but gave no indication of possible changes. A key Chinese complaint is limits on access to processor chips and other US technology on security grounds that threaten to hamper the ruling Communist Party’s development of smartphones, artificial intelligence and other industries.

MAN ON SCOOTER SHOOTS RANDOMLY IN NYC, ONE DEAD

New York : A scooter-riding gunman killed an 87-year-old man and wounded three others in a string of random shootings that stretched across two New York City boroughs, policesaid. A25-year-old man was taken into custody without incident and his identity was not revealed by police, assistant police chief Joseph Kenny said at on Saturday. A 9-mm handgun with an extended magazine and a scooter wererecovered.

The New York Police Department pulled an image of the gunman from video and sent it to phones of officers, some of whom spotted the suspect about two hours after the firstshooting. “We don’t know the motive. It seems his acts were random,” Kenny said. In all, the NYPD said there were five shootings carried out during the spree by someone on a scooter, one in Brooklyn and four in Queens. No one was injured.

IRAN OFFICIAL SAYS WOMEN CAN ATTEND FOOTBALL LEAGUE GAMES

Tehran : Women in Iran will be allowed to attend football matches in stadiums during the upcoming season, according to Mehdi Taj, the head of Iran's Football Federation. The decision marks a significant change as women have been largely barred from stadiums since the Islamic revolution in 1979. Clerics have previously argued that women should be shielded from the masculine atmosphere and the sight of semi-clad male athletes. However, no law explicitly bans women from attending matches. Some stadiums in cities such as Isfahan, Kerman, and Ahvaz are reportedly prepared to host women, although the capital Tehran is not mentioned. This follows previous instances where women were allowed to attend specific matches, such as a national football championship match in August 2022 and a World Cup qualifier in October 2019.

MIGRANT BOAT FROM SENEGAL CARRYING 200 PEOPLE MISSING OFF CANARY ISLANDS

Spanish rescuers are searching waters off the Canary Islands for a boat carrying at least 200 African migrants who went missing more than a week ago.

The aid group Walking Borders says the fishing boat sailed from Kafountine, a coastal town in southern Senegal that is roughly 1,700km (1,057 miles) from Tenerife.

The group says many children are on board, Spain's Efe news agency reports.

Two similar boats carrying dozens more people are also said to be missing.

The boat carrying about 200 people left Kafountine on 27 June, heading for the Canary Islands.

Spain's maritime rescue service told Efe that a plane had joined the search.

There are few details about the other two boats. Reuters news agency quoted Helena Maleno of Walking Borders as saying that one has about 65 people on board, the other up to 60, which would bring the total number of people missing across the three boats to more than 300.

The voyage from West Africa to the Canary Islands is among the most dangerous routes for migrants, not least because they usually sail in simple dugout fishing boats that are easily tossed by powerful Atlantic currents.

BRICS SUMMIT WILL BE ‘IN-PERSON’ DESPITE PUTIN WARRANT: RAMAPHOSA

JOHANNESBURG: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Sunday that next month’s BRICS summit, which Russian President Vladimir Putin has been invited to, will be held in-person despite an arrest warrant on the Russian leader. As a member of the ICC, South Africa would be expected to arrest Putin if he sets foot in the country.

NEW ZEALAND PM HIPKINS SIGNS ‘AMBITIOUS’ TRADE DEAL WITH EU

BRUSSELS: New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins on Sunday signed a free trade agreement with the European Union which can lift exchanges between the two by 30% within a decade. The deal, agreed in June 2022 after four years of tough negotiations, is “ambitious”, said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

CONTESTED BOSNIAN SERB LAWS COME INTO FORCE

Two controversial laws signed by Bosnian Serb President Milorad Dodik which Washington says undermine a peace deal that ended Bosnia's 1990s war, entered into force on Sunday.

The law allows the Bosnian Serb entity to bypass decisions made by the top international envoy to Bosnia.

AHEAD OF U.S. DIPLOMATS’ VISIT, EU SENDS ELECTION TEAM TO BANGLADESH

A six-member Election Exploratory Mission of the European Union (EU) has begun a two-week visit to Bangladesh ahead of the arrival of high-ranking American diplomats. The EU delegation will meet leaders from various parties, including the opposition BNP, as well as heads of ministries and religious minority organizations. The purpose of the visit is to assess the feasibility, planning, budget, logistics, and security of a potential main election observation mission. The EU's interest in a free and fair election in Bangladesh aligns with the stance taken by the US, which has imposed a visa ban on individuals involved in undermining the democratic election process. The government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has reiterated its commitment to holding a transparent election, but the demand from the main opposition BNP for a caretaker administration before the election has fueled discussions on the country's political landscape.