HAMAS FACES DWINDLING PROSPECTS AS NETANYAHU ISSUES STARK WARNING OVER HOSTAGES

The Israeli military declared successful control over the vicinity of Hamas's former headquarters in Gaza City. Engaging in fierce confrontations across three identified strongholds within the Gaza Strip, the military persists in efforts to curb the group’s influence, particularly in the southern region, a zone marked by the UN as at risk of a humanitarian crisis.

Persisting in their elusive pursuit, Israeli forces are yet to apprehend Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, believed to be evading capture in southern Gaza. Admiral Hagari underscores the strategic importance of neutralizing Sinwar, a central objective as the conflict enters its third month. Dismissing exile as a viable resolution, Tzahi Hanegbi, director of Israel’s national security council, firmly rejects sparing Sinwar's life and other top Hamas leaders.

In a reciprocal threat, Hamas warned of severe consequences for the 137 hostages still in their custody unless Israel accedes to their demands for the release of additional Palestinian prisoners. Responding assertively, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu urged the group to "surrender now," confidently proclaiming it as the "beginning of the end of Hamas." The ongoing conflict continues to exacerbate the dire conditions in Gaza, where restricted aid access has led to severe shortages of essential resources, including food and water.

HARVARD PRESIDENT ALSO FACES MOUNTING CALLS TO STEP DOWN AMIDST ANTISEMITISM CONTROVERSY

Harvard University President Claudine Gay is facing heightened calls for her resignation as influential alumni, donors, and politicians join the chorus. While some faculty members have rallied to support her, asserting that she is facing undue criticism for a moment of poorly chosen words regarding antisemitism, the pressure on her to step down is mounting. Over 500 Harvard faculty members have signed a petition urging resistance against political pressures that conflict with the university's commitment to academic freedom. With approximately 2,300 faculty members at Harvard, the controversy has sparked a debate on campus. Claudine Gay, the first Black woman to lead Harvard, assumed the role less than six months ago. The University of Pennsylvania's President, Liz Magill, resigned in the wake of a similar dispute late Saturday.

PALESTINIANS GO ON STRIKE OVER GAZA ONSLAUGHT

Shops, schools and government offices shut across the occupied West Bank and annexed east Jerusalem on Monday as Palestinians staged a general strike protesting against Israel’s relentless onslaught in the Gaza Strip.

In Lebanon, public institutions, banks, schools and universities closed after the government decided on a nationwide strike in solidarity with Gaza.

The stoppage was also observed in Istanbul’s western Esenyurt district, where many businesses are owned by residents from the Palestinian territories, Syria, Yemen and Iran.

DRAFT CLIMATE DEAL FAILS TO ‘PHASE OUT’ FOSSIL FUEL

After a week of expectations that negotiators at the ongoing climate talks in Dubai might agree to a ‘phase out’ of fossil fuels, the phrase has been edited out, according to the latest draft made public late in the evening on Monday. However, the text has emplyed stronger language against coal, with a recommendation to “rapidly phase down unabated coal,” that countries such as India, Indonesia and China — major consumers of coal power and developing countries at that — could find objectionable.

Observers of COP-28 say that even a mention of the need to do away with fossil fuels in the final text, which is expected today, would be a significant step towards bringing parity between coal, oil and gas, and the need to do away with them to keep temperature increase below 1.5°C by the end of the century.

On fossil fuels, the text now exhorts countries to “reduce both consumption and production of fossil fuels, in a just, orderly and equitable manner so as to achieve net zero by, before, or around 2050 in keeping with the science.”

Burning of fossil fuel contributes nearly 80% of the greenhouse gas emissions of which coal makes up about 40% and oil and gas collectively constitute the rest. Humanity’s best chance at keeping global temperature-increase below 1.5°C is by cutting emissions down to 43% of the 2019 levels by 2030. However, the reality is that emissions are increasing year on year and despite pledges by countries to spruce up their renewable energy infrastructure.

“The latest Global Stocktake text on fossil fuels represents a significant regression from previous versions. It has dropped explicit language on the phasing out fossil fuels, opting instead for a vague commitment to ‘reduce both consumption and production’ by 2050. This is a clear indication of the fossil fuel industry’s lobbying power, influencing global policies to favour prolonged fossil fuel use,” said Harjeet Singh, Head — Global Political Strategy, Climate Action Network International.

Others say that the venue of the conference, in a petro-state, has influenced the wording of the text. “On fossil fuels this text lays the ground for change. It is good to recognise this is the first COP where the word fossil fuel is included in the draft decision. This is the beginning of the end of the fossil fuel era. It appears to be a compromise between Saudi Arabia who didn’t want any mention of fossil fuels and the progressive countries who called for an outright fossil fuel phase out,” said Mohamed Adow, Director Powershift Africa.

ZELENSKY IN US TO SECURE WAR AID

Ukrainian President Zelensky told a US military audience on Monday that he hoped he can still count on the US as he started a critical visit to Washington amid questions over vital American security assistance. US President Joe Biden’s administration has warned Congress that a failure to renew military assistance to Ukraine could tip the war in Russia’s favour. Zelensky has been invited for meetings at the White House and with members of Congress on Tuesday. Many Republican lawmakers have questioned continued aid to Ukraine.

PUTIN FOE NAVALNY GOES MISSING FROM PRISON

Alexei Navalny, Russia’s most prominent opposition leader, who is currently serving a 19-year sentence in a Russian penal colony, missed another court date on Monday as his allies expressed concern at not having heard from him for more than five days.

Navalny, 47, was scheduled to appear in a district court in the city of Kovrov via a video link. But the screen in the courtroom remained dark and his allies said they had not been in touch with Navalny since Tuesday, Kira Yarmysh, his spokesperson, said.

Later on Monday, hints emerged that Navalny could be getting transferred to another prison. Yarmysh said that an official from his current penal colony, in the Vladimir region, had told Navalny’s lawyer that such a prisoner was no longer listed there. In August, court said Navalny was to be transferred to a different kind of penal colony, one of Russia’s strictest, known as “special regime.” But officials at the nearest onetold lawyers Navalny was not there either. “We still don’t know where Alexei is,” Yarmysh posted on X.

TOUGHER ENGLISH TEST FOR STUDENTS UNDER AUS’ NEW MIGRATION STRATEGY

Australia is set to implement a robust migration strategy that includes a tougher English test for students and increased scrutiny on their genuine intentions. Within two years, the country aims to halve net migration, reducing the intake from the current high of 510,000. Overseas students, numbering over 650,000, will face stringent tests, and those unable to prove they are genuine students may be turned away.

To combat the issue of students extending their stay by pursuing additional courses, the government contemplates measures like capping student numbers or imposing higher visa fees. The visa integrity unit will be expanded to identify non-genuine students, ensuring compliance. The policies also target "visa hopping," preventing individuals from switching between migration claims to extend their stay for unskilled work.

Notably, the changes are unlikely to affect Indian students, as they are safeguarded by the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement. Australian High Commissioner Philip Green assures that commitments under the agreement will be upheld, allowing Indian graduates to stay temporarily based on their degree qualifications.

As part of the broader strategy, Australia plans to introduce a "skills in demand" visa with priority given to skilled foreign workers committed to working in regional areas.

SUNAK DEFENDS GOVT’S HANDLING OF PANDEMIC

London : PM Rishi Sunak defended Britain’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic on Monday, telling an official inquiry he did not recognise testimony describing a dysfunctional government and saying his hospitality scheme was supported at the time. The inquiry is examining Britain’s response to the pandemic which killed more than 230,000 people in the country.

Sunak was promoted to finance minister on the eve of the pandemic. He has come under fire over his “Eat out to help out” subsidised meal scheme, which encouraged people to visit restaurants and pubs in August 2020. Some scientists have questioned whether Sunak’s policy may have contributed to awave of infections, but Sunak said scientists and other ministers did not raise any objections during meetings in the month leading up to the scheme. Sunak said that “Eat out to help out” took place within guidelines for the safe re-opening of hospitality in July and that was why the policy went ahead. “My primary concern was protecting millions of jobs of particularly vulnerable people who worked in this industry (hospitality),” Sunak said. He told the inquiry he wanted to say how “deeply sorry” he was to those who had lost loved ones.

IN A PRO-EU SHIFT, POLAND PICKS DONALD TUSK AS PM

Poland’s parliament voted in favour of Donald Tusk becoming PM on Monday, putting an end to eight years of nationalist rule and setting the stage for a thawing of relations with the EU. Poland has seen tens of billions of euros of EU funds frozen due to a dispute with Brussels over democratic standards, but Tusk, a former European Council president, has vowed to mend ties and unblock the cash. The vote was 248-201 in support of Tusk in the 460-seat lower house of parliament, the Sejm, with no abstentions.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA WILL NOT BE ‘RECKLESS’ WITH CHINA LOANS: PM

SYDNEY: Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister James Marape has promised to tread carefully with Belt and Road funding from China, saying he would not be “reckless” with foreign loans. China and the U.S. are jockeying for influence in the South Pacific state, which sits atop deposits of gas and minerals and peers over key shipping lanes.