ISRAELI MILITARY PRESENTS ALLEGED EVIDENCE OF HAMAS TUNNEL UNDER SHIFA HOSPITAL

Israel's military has released footage claiming a 55-meter fortified tunnel exists beneath the Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, asserting that Hamas uses the medical center for military operations. The videos show a spiral staircase and a cloister-like tunnel with a blastproof door, which the military says is used by Hamas to block Israeli forces. The authenticity of the videos is disputed, with Gaza's health ministry emphasizing the impact of Israel's blockade on health services.

Hamas denies using civilian infrastructure for military purposes, including hospitals, mosques, and residential buildings. The group accuses Israel of committing war crimes by targeting civilian centers. The Israeli military counters these denials, emphasizing its evidence, including the recent tunnel discovery and the release of videos allegedly showing hostages taken inside the Shifa Hospital complex.

Israeli officials released videos, said to be recorded inside the hospital, showing two hostages, a Thai and a Nepalese, escorted by armed fighters on October 7. The military claims this as further evidence of Hamas's use of the hospital for military activities. The hostages' current whereabouts are unknown. The New York Times verified the location but not the identities of those shown or the timestamps on the videos.

The videos were disclosed on the fifth day of the Israeli military's operation inside the Shifa Hospital compound. Earlier, journalists were escorted through the damaged area, revealing a stone-and-concrete shaft on the grounds. Israel asserts that the findings demonstrate Hamas's "cynical manner" of using Gaza residents as human shields. This argument remains central to Israel's justification for the significant death toll resulting from its military campaign in Gaza.

As the situation unfolds, tensions persist in the region, with conflicting narratives shaping the discourse around the ongoing conflict.

HEZBOLLAH ATTACKS ISRAELI TROOPS WITH DRONES, ARTILLERY AND MISSILES

Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement said it targeted troops in northern Israel with drones, artillery and missiles on Monday, claiming a string of new attacks. Hezbollah fighters targeted soldiers west of Kiryat Shmona in northern Israel “with three attack drones” the Iran-backed group said in a statement, adding shortly after that it had also targeted troops in the area with artillery fire. Both statements claimed the attacks were “direct hits”. Earlier Monday, Hezbollah said it had fired “Burkan missiles” at an Israeli barracks, and also claimed a number of other attacks on Israeli positions. Israel’s army said “three UAVs (drones) were identified striking adjacent” to an army post, without specifying where. It added that “no injuries were reported”.

AHEAD OF POLLS, B’DESH CONVICTS 139 OPPN OFFICIALS, ACTIVISTS IN 2 DAYS

Dhaka : Bangladesh has convicted 139 senior opposition party officials and activists in the past two days, prosecutors and lawyers said Monday, as a crackdown on anti-government protesters. Bangladesh goes to polls on January 7, with PM Sheikh Hasina eyeing her fourth consecutive term in power.

Those convicted included scores of activists from the country’s main opposition party Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), including on historic charges over protest violence, arson and obstructing the police, with convictions ranging from a few months to up to three-and-a-half years.

Two prosecutors said at least 132 BNP activists and senior officials were jailed by two magistrate courts in the country’s capital Dhaka on Sunday and Monday. “Judge Md (Mohammed) Ataullah sentenced 70 BNP activists and leaders in four different cases Monday,” prosecutor Shahid Uddin said. “They were found guilty of arson and obstructing police duty.”Uddin said the sentenced BNP men included its influential youth wing chief Sultan Salahuddin Tuku, two former student wing chiefs and adistrict wing chief.

Judge Mohammad Sheikh Sadi sentenced an additional 62 BNP activists to three-and-a-half years in jail each over a 2018 case, the chief public prosecutor of Dhaka Abdullah Abu, said. Seven more BNP activists were also jailed by Judge Sadi, lawyer Nazrul Islam said.

CHINA WELCOMES ARAB FOREIGN MINISTERS FOR TALKS ON GAZA WAR

BEIJING: China’s top diplomat Wang Yi welcomed four Arab Foreign Ministers and the Indonesian one to Beijing, saying his country would work with “our brothers and sisters" in the Arab and Islamic world to try to end the war in Gaza as soon as possible. The tour aims to push for a cease-fire and seek lasting peace in the region.

US DEFENCE SECY IN KYIV TO REASSURE UKRAINE OF SUPPORT

Kyiv : US defence secretary Lloyd Austin made an unannounced visit to Kyiv on Monday in a high-profile push to keep money and weapons flowing to Ukraine even as US and international resources are stretched by the new global risks raised by the Israel-Hamas conflict. Austin, who travelled to Kyiv by train from Poland, met with President Volodymyr Zelensky and was scheduled to meet with the defence minister and other senior officials.

US officials said Austin intended to tell Ukrainian officials that American support for efforts to defeat Russia’s invasion is steadfast and will continue. “I’m here today to deliver an important message — the US will continue to stand with Ukraine in their fight for freedom against Russia’s aggression, both now and into the future,” Austin said on X.

CHINA KEEN TO EXTEND MYANMAR ECONOMIC CORRIDOR TO SRI LANKA

China is “prioritising” the extension of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC) to Sri Lanka, the country’s Special Envoy told President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Monday, in an indication that China is looking to scale up the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) project in South Asia.

Paying a courtesy call on the Sri Lankan President, Special envoy of the Chinese President and state councillor Shen Yiqin said China is prioritising the extension of the Corridor to the island nation. “Additionally, both parties agreed to expedite the implementation of the China-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement,” the statement said.

The CMEC is the newest of the six land corridors under the BRI, and has assumed prominence in place of the Bangladesh China India Myanmar (BCIM) corridor which has largely been stalled. India and Bhutan are the only countries in South Asia that have stayed out of the BRI and China’s more recent Global Development Initiative. Mr. Wickremesinghe noted that countries such as Sri Lanka, which are participants in the BRI, “are prepared to embark on the second phase of the initiative, which is expected to make a more substantial economic contribution.”

PAK FOILS ATTACK BID IN PUNJAB, ARRESTS 7 TERRORISTS: POLICE

Lahore : Law enforcement authorities arrested seven terrorists, including a key commander of the Tehreek-iTaliban Pakistan, who were planning a major terror attack in the country’s Punjab province, police said Monday.

The terrorists were arrested from different places in Punjab province Sunday after the counter terrorism department of the provincial police received intelligence about their attack plan. A CTD spokesperson said the terrorists were arrested from Sahiwal, Pakpattan, Rawalpindi and Sargodha districts while the commander was held from the Bahawalpur area. “Some 955gm of explosives, two hand grenades, two ISD bombs, nine detonators, 41 feet of safety fuse wire, 3.5 feet of prima card and banned literature have been recovered from them,” it said.

AUS SLAMS CHINA WARSHIP’S SONAR USE WHICH HURT DIVER

Sydney : Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanesesaid a Chinese warship acted in a dangerous manner during an incident with an Australian navy vessel that injured a military diver, his first comments on the matter which he said had damaged ties.

HMAS Toowoomba — a long-range frigate — was conducting a diving operation on November 14 to clear fishing nets from its propellers when the incident occurred, defence minister Richard Marles said Saturday.

Albanese, who met briefly with Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the APECforum last week, has come under domestic political pressure over whether he raised the matter with the Chinese president.

Albanese said the incident hurt one person, and showed need for “communication gu ardrails” between militaries. “This was dangerous, it was unsafe and unprofessional from the Chinese warship.”

A People’s Liberation Army Navy destroyer closed towards HMAS Toowoomba, despite the Australian vessel notifying the Chinese warship of a diving operation, and operated its hull-mounted sonar in a manner that posed a safety risk, Marles had said. China’s defence ministry responded Monday saying Australia’s remarks were inconsistent with the facts and Beijing had lodged complaint to Canberra. The Chinese destroyer Ningbo monitored and identified HMAS Toowoomba, all while keeping a safe distance, and did not carry out any activities that might affect diving operations of the Australian side, it added.

‘MORE THAN 4,00,000 AFGHANS HAVE RETURNED HOME FROM PAKISTAN’

ISLAMABAD: More than 4,00,000 Afghans returned to their country following the ongoing crackdown on illegal foreigners in the country. An estimated 1.7 million Afghans had been living in Pakistan when authorities announced its crackdown, saying that anyone without proper documents had to leave the country by October 31.

ALTMAN’S EXIT: OPENAI FACES EXODUS THREAT

Hundreds of staff at OpenAI threatened to quit the leading artificial intelligence company on Monday and join Microsoft.

They would follow OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman, who said he was starting an AI subsidiary at Microsoft following his shock sacking from the company whose ChatGPT chatbot has led the rapid rise of artificial intelligence technology.

In a letter, some of OpenAI’s most senior staff members threatened to leave the company if the board did not get its members replaced.

“Your actions have made it obvious that you are incapable of overseeing OpenAI,” said the letter, which was first released to Wired.