UN CHIEF EMPHASIZES ACCOUNTABILITY UNDER INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW

Antonio Guterres, the United Nations Secretary-General, made a strong statement on Tuesday, emphasizing that all parties involved in an armed conflict must abide by international humanitarian law. He expressed deep concern about the continuous and intense bombardment of the Gaza Strip, governed by Hamas, by Israeli forces. Guterres called on all parties to de-escalate the situation to prevent further violence.

He pointed out the "clear violations of international humanitarian law" occurring in Gaza and stressed that no party involved in an armed conflict is exempt from adhering to these laws. In response, Israel's UN Ambassador, Gilad Erdan, labeled Guterres' speech as "shocking" and called for his resignation. Another Israeli representative, Cohen, announced the cancellation of a planned meeting with Guterres, asserting that there is no room for a balanced approach and that Hamas must be eliminated.

While Guterres unequivocally condemned the "horrifying and unprecedented" acts of terror committed by Hamas in Israel on October 7, he also emphasized that these attacks did not occur in isolation. He highlighted the longstanding grievances of the Palestinian people due to 56 years of occupation, land loss to settlements, violence, economic difficulties, displacement, and home demolitions. He acknowledged that the Palestinians' hopes for a political solution have been fading.

However, he made it clear that the Palestinian people's grievances do not justify the heinous attacks by Hamas, nor do these attacks justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian population. Guterres called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to alleviate the immense suffering and facilitate safer aid delivery in Gaza.

He described the humanitarian relief reaching Gaza as merely "a drop of aid in an ocean of need." In a parallel drawn between the terrorist attacks by Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba in Mumbai and those by Hamas in Israel, U.S. Secretary of State Blinken asserted that all acts of terrorism are unlawful and unjustifiable. He called for the United Nations Security Council to denounce member states that support, fund, and train terrorist groups. Blinken stressed the right of any nation to defend itself and prevent such horrors from happening again, emphasizing the global stance against the slaughter of innocent people.

PENTAGON RUSHES MILITARY ADVISERS

Washington : The Biden administration has expressed concerns over Israel's military objectives in the Gaza Strip and their readiness for a ground invasion. While reiterating support for Israel's actions, the Pentagon has dispatched military advisers to help address the challenges of urban warfare. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stressed the need for careful planning, emphasizing the difficulty of urban combat and the importance of civilian protection in discussions with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant. The U.S. remains engaged but is not making decisions for Israel.

FRANCE’S MACRON MOOTS COALITION AGAINST HAMAS

French President Emmanuel Macron suggested on Tuesday that the international coalition fighting against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria should also encompass efforts against the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza. While he didn't provide specific details on how the U.S.-led coalition, in which Israel is not a member, would participate, Macron emphasized that terrorism is a common enemy shared by France and Israel. He expressed readiness for the coalition, which operates against ISIS, to also address the threat posed by Hamas. Macron underscored that the fight against Hamas should be relentless but conducted with adherence to established rules.

CHINA DISMISSES DEFENSE MINISTER AND KEY OFFICIALS IN SURPRISE MOVES

"China's Defense Minister Li Shangfu, who has been absent from public view for two months, was officially removed from his position on Tuesday, as reported by state media. No successor has been announced. Former Foreign Minister Qin Gang, who also disappeared from public life earlier, was relieved of his state council role and has already been replaced by Wang Yi.

Additionally, Science and Technology Minister Wang Zhigang and Finance Minister Liu Kun were dismissed from their posts. They have been succeeded by Yin Hejun and Lan Fo'an. The ousting of Li and Qin is considered a misstep on the part of Chinese President Xi Jinping, who personally selected them for these significant positions.

Li was last seen delivering a speech on August 29 and was known to be a close associate of Xi. His absence was first noted when he failed to attend a meeting with senior Vietnamese defense officials on September 7. He was also conspicuously absent from footage of a military meeting held last month."

700 KILLED IN OVERNIGHT STRIKES: GAZA OFFICIALS

Gaza officials reported over 700 Palestinian deaths in overnight Israeli air strikes, marking the highest 24-hour death toll during the ongoing conflict. The Israeli military claimed to have targeted over 400 Hamas militant sites and killed multiple fighters, emphasizing that it would take time to weaken Gaza's ruling Islamist group. United Nations agencies urgently appealed for unimpeded emergency aid to support the Palestinian population in Gaza, as resources have become scarce. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres voiced concerns about violations of international humanitarian law and called for civilian protection. The World Health Organization (WHO) called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to facilitate safe aid deliveries. Hospitals in Gaza are overwhelmed, and thousands have been displaced due to the heavy bombardment. The health ministry reported a total of 5,791 Palestinians killed, including 2,360 children, since October 7, with 704 deaths occurring in the previous 24 hours. Medical centers have ceased operations due to fuel shortages and damage from Israeli airstrikes.

TEL AVIV MOVES MAY BACKFIRE: OBAMA

Some of Israel’s actions in its war against Hamas, like cutting off food and water for Gaza, could “harden Palestinian attitudes for generations” and weaken international support for Israel, former US President Barack Obama said on Monday. In rare comments on an active foreign policy crisis, Obama said any Israeli military strategy that ignores the human costs of the war “could ultimately backfire”.

LEBANON PM VISITS TENSE ISRAEL BORDER

Lebanon’s caretaker PM Tuesday visited troops deployed near the border with Israel and UN peacekeepers, as Hezbollah militants and Israeli troops clash for a third week.

The visit by PM Najib Mikati to the tense southern province is his first since clashes erupted along the border .

It also came two days after Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu visitedtroops along the border on Sunday.

DOZENS OF U.S. STATES SUE META OVER PROFITING FROM ‘CHILDREN’S PAIN’

SAN FRANCISCO: Over 40 U.S. States accused Facebook and Instagram owner Meta of profiting “from children’s pain,” damaging their mental health and misleading people about its safety. Meta exploited young users by creating a business model designed to maximise time they spend on the platform despite harm to their health, they argued.

KREMLIN LAUGHS OFF PUTIN ‘ILL AND BODY DOUBLE’ RUMOURS

Moscow : The Kremlin on Tuesday denied a report that President Vladimir Putin was ill, and laughed off persistent rumours that he used body doubles to cover for him in public appearances. “Everything is fine with him, this is absolutely another fake,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when asked about an unsourced report by a Russian Telegram channel, picked up by some Western media, that the president had suffered a cardiac arrest on Sunday evening. The spokesman laughed in response to a further question about body doubles, and denied that Putin had any. “This belongs to the category of absurd information hoaxes that a whole series of media discuss with enviable tenacity. This evokes nothing but a smile,” Peskov said.

Putin, a judo enthusiast who has long cultivated an “action man” image, turned 71 on October 7. He maintains an intensive schedule of meetings and public appearances, many of them televised. His recent programme included a visit to China last week, with stop-offs in two Russian cities on the way back. In a 2020 interview, Putin denied longstanding rumours that he uses body doubles, although he said he had been offered the chance to use one in the past for security reasons.

BACK IN PAK, NAWAZ GETS BAIL IN CORRUPTION CASES

Islamabad : A Pakistan HC on Tuesday granted bail to three-times former PM Nawaz Sharif in corruption cases until October 26, his lawyersaid. Sharif was convicted on corruption charges in two cases after his ouster as PM in 2017.

He returned to Pakistan last week after four years in self-exile in London, promising to work toward an economic recovery for the South Asian country, which is experiencing record inflation of over30%. The Islamabad HC extended the protective bail for Sharif after prosecutors from the anti-graft agency said they did not have any objection to the extension as long as he turned up for the trial, said Sharif’s lawyer, Azam Nazeer Tarar.

Sharif had not set foot in Pakistan since leaving for London in 2019 to receive medical treatment while serving a 14-year prison sentence for corruption. His convictions remain in force, but a court on Thursday barred authorities from arresting him until Tuesday, when he is to appear in court.

The court also accepted Sharif’s plea to pursue appeals against the convictions. While he cannot run for or hold public office because of his convictions, his legal team says the appeals would pave a way for overturning the convictions. His party says he aims to become PM for a fourth time. Sharif’s biggest challenge will be to wrest back his support base from his main rival, former premier Imran Khan.

SRI LANKA ANNOUNCES FREE VISAS FOR INDIANS TO BOOST TOURISM

Sri Lanka has removed visa fees for Indian tourists and visitors from six other nations as part of its efforts to revive the tourism industry and restore its economy after a severe financial crisis last year.

India remains Sri Lanka's primary source of tourists, with over 200,000 Indian visitors accounting for 20% of total arrivals this year until September. The Cabinet announced the implementation of a pilot project to provide free tourist visas to travelers from China, India, Russia, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Japan until March 31, 2024.

This decision is one of several new programs aimed at boosting Sri Lanka's tourism industry, a key contributor to the country's foreign exchange earnings. Previously, Indian tourists had to pay a $20 fee for their online visa applications. The elimination of this fee is expected to encourage more tourists to visit Sri Lanka, particularly from India.