BLINKEN URGES ISRAEL TO SEIZE OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVED TIES WITH ARAB NATIONS

Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, said Tuesday that Israel had “real opportunities” to strengthen ties with Arab nations, as he sought to calm regional violence arising from the Israel-Hamas war and encourage Israel to alleviate Palestinian suffering in order to improve relations with its West Asian neighbours.

Blinken’s comments, in meetings with Israeli officials on Tuesday in Tel Aviv, were a reference to his earlier assertion that Saudi Arabia and other countries remained interested in eventually building normal diplomatic relations with Israel despite the destruction in Gaza and fears of a wider regional conflict. But Arab leaders insist Israel must end the Gaza war and work toward a Palestinian state, Blinken has said.

“I look forward to sharing with you some of what I’ve heard from countries around the region,” Blinken said in public remarks to Israel Katz, the foreign minister, before the start of their meeting on Tuesday morning. “I know your own efforts, over many years, to build much better connectivity and integration in the Middle East, and I think there actually are real opportunities there.” Blinken later met with PM Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli war cabinet in the Kirya, a military base that houses the defence ministry headquarters.

Before flying to Israel on Monday night, Blinken told reporters in the desert oasis town of Al Ula in Saudi Arabia that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had said to him in a meeting there that the Saudis still had “a clear interest” in trying to normalise diplomatic relations with Israel. But there were at least two conditions for that, Blinken said: an end to Israel’s military offensive in Gaza; and Israel agreeing to take practical steps toward establishing a Palestinian state. Blinken has visited Turkiye, Greece, Jordan, Qatar, the UAE and Saudi Arabia since Friday.

‘WORLD CAME CLOSE TO THE CRITICAL 1.5 DEGREE CELSIUS LIMIT IN 2023’

The year 2023 was the hottest on record, with the increase in Earth’s surface temperature nearly crossing the critical threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius, EU climate monitors said.

Climate change intensified heatwaves, droughts and wildfires across the planet, and pushed the global thermometer 1.48 degree Celsius above the pre-industrial benchmark, the Copernicus Climate Change Service reported.

“It is also the first year with all days over one degree warmer than the pre-industrial period,” said Samantha Burgess, deputy head of the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). “Temperatures during 2023 likely exceed those of any period in at least the last 1,00,000 years.”

Nearly half the year exceeded the 1.5 degrees Celsius limit, beyond which climate impacts are more likely to become self-reinforcing and catastrophic.

But even if Earth’s average surface temperature breaches 1.5 degree Celsius in 2024, as some scientists predict, it does not mean the world has failed to meet the Paris Agreement target of capping global warming under that threshold. That would occur only after several successive years above the 1.5 degree Celsius benchmark, and even then the 2015 treaty allows for the possibility of reducing Earth’s temperature after a period of “overshoot”.

HEZBOLLAH TARGETS ISRAEL BASE TO AVENGE KILLINGS IN LEBANON

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah said it targeted an Israeli command base in retaliation for the killings of one of its commanders, Wissam Tawil, and the Hamas deputy leader, Saleh al-Aruri. Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging near-daily fire across the border since the Israel-Hamas war broke out.

ISRAEL SAYS 185 SOLDIERS KILLED IN WAR AGAINST HAMAS SO FAR

The Israeli Army said on Tuesday that 185 soldiers have been killed so far in its offensive against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.

It said nine soldiers died in fighting on Monday, one of the deadliest days for the military since it launched a ground invasion of the Palestinian territory on October 27.

Israel vowed to crush Gaza’s Hamas rulers after they carried out the deadliest attack in the country’s history on October 7. It resulted in the deaths of around 1,140 people in Israel, most of them civilians. Hamas also took around 250 hostages. Israel says 132 of them remain captive.

Israel’s Army has warned its war against Hamas will last throughout 2024.

ISRAEL FACES GAZA ‘GENOCIDE’ CASE BY S. AFRICA AT UN COURT

Israel and South Africa are in a legal dispute at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over allegations of "genocidal acts" by Israel in Gaza. South Africa has called for an immediate suspension of Israel's military operations in Gaza, citing violations of the UN Genocide Convention. Israel vehemently rejects the charges, labeling them as an "absurd blood libel." The ICJ has the authority to order Israel to cease its actions, although compliance is uncertain. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Israel to prevent civilian harm in Gaza during a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv.

AMID BOYCOTT CAMPAIGN IN INDIA, MUIZZU WANTS CHINA TO TOP THE LIST OF TOURIST ARRIVALS

Despite the ongoing "#boycottMaldives" campaign in India, President Mohamed Muizzu, during his visit to China, has called on the country to regain its position as the top source of tourist arrivals in the Maldives. The campaign in India is fueled by recent tensions between the two nations. Muizzu aims to diversify the Maldives' tourism sector and provide new experiences. The controversy, sparked by three junior Ministers' remarks on PM Narendra Modi's visit to Lakshadweep, could have economic repercussions for the Maldives' tourism industry. The Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) strongly condemned the derogatory comments and the government suspended the deputy Ministers involved.

BHUTAN EX-PM WINS ELECTIONS OVERSHADOWED BY ECONOMIC STRIFE

Thimphu : Bhutan's People’s Democratic Party secured victory in the parliamentary elections with 30 of 47 National Assembly seats, promising to address the economic crisis in the Himalayan nation. Former PM Tshering Tobgay's PDP defeated the Bhutan Tendrel Party, led by Pema Chewang. This election, overshadowed by economic challenges, marks the fourth since Bhutan's transition to a parliamentary system in 2008. Candidates focused on tackling unemployment and retaining young talent, addressing the chronic economic issues facing the country, with the Election Commission set to make the final declaration on Wednesday.

HAFIZ SAEED IN PAK CUSTODY SERVING 78-YEAR IMPRISONMENT, UPDATES UN

United Nations : Mumbai terror attack mastermind and outlawed Jamat-ud-Dawah chief Hafiz Saeed is in the custody of Pakistan serving a 78-year-imprisonment sentence as a result of a conviction in seven terror financing cases, the UN said in updated information. In December, India had asked Pakistan to extradite Saeed, a UN-proscribed terrorist who is wanted by Indian probe agencies in anumber of terror cases.

Saeed, who was designated as a global terrorist by the UN Security Council’s 1267 Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee in December 2008, is “in (the) custody of the Government of Pakistan, serving a 78-year imprisonment sentence since 12 February 2020 as a result of conviction in seven terror financing cases,” the sanctions committee said in an amended entry.

Last month, the Security Council committee enacted amendments to certain entries in its ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions List of individuals and entities subject to the assets freeze, travel ban, and arms embargo. Under these amendments, the Sanctions Committee also noted that Hafiz Abdul Salam Bhuttavi, founding member of Lashkar-eTaiba (LeT) and Saeed’s deputy, is “confirmed deceased”.

Bhuttavi, an UN-designated terrorist who trained LeT attackers for the 2008 Mumbai attack and acted as the terror outfit’s chief on at least two occasions, died in jail last May in Pakistan while serving a sentence for terror financing.

GABRIEL ATTAL APPOINTED AS FRANCE'S YOUNGEST AND FIRST OPENLY GAY PRIME MINISTER

Paris: President Emmanuel Macron has named Gabriel Attal, 34, as France's youngest-ever prime minister and its first openly gay leader. Attal, a media-savvy rising star, succeeds Elisabeth Borne, who resigned amid controversy over an immigration law. Macron aims to rejuvenate his centrist party ahead of the European Parliament elections in June.

Macron, referencing Attal's appointment, alluded to the 'spirit of 2017,' emphasizing boldness and movement. Speculation arises about Attal potentially succeeding Macron at the Elysee Palace. During the handover ceremony, Attal prioritized security and pledged to enhance public services, including education and healthcare, while advocating for better immigration control.

Critics question Attal's limited experience, Parisian background, and loyalty to Macron. However, political observers suggest Macron intends to prepare for the EU elections, where far-right populists are expected to gain influence. Attal, who joined Macron's political movement in 2016, served as spokesperson from 2020 to 2022 and was appointed education minister in July, implementing a ban on long robes in classrooms to uphold secularism.

IMRAN, HIS WIFE INDICTED IN STATE GIFT GRAFT CASE

Islamabad : A court on Tuesday indicted imprisoned former PM Imran Khan and his wife on graft charges of retaining state gifts from when Khan was in power, including jewellery from Saudi Arabia’s government, authorities said. The latest indictment was another blow to Khan and his political party ahead of the elections on Feb. 8. Officials said Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, pleaded not guilty when the charges were read out at a court at the prison in Rawalpindi. Khan is serving time on a corruption conviction and has multiple other legal cases hanging over him.

SOUTH KOREA PARLIAMENT PASSES BILL BANNING DOG MEAT TRADE

SEOUL: South Korea’s Parliament passed a Bill banning breeding, slaughtering and selling dogs for their meat, a traditional practice that activists have called an embarrassment for the country. Dog meat has long been a part of South Korean cuisine, and up to a million dogs were killed for the trade every year.

CHINA SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHES SATELLITE, TRIGGERING FEAR IN TAIWAN

BEIJING: China successfully launched its satellite into space aiming to unveil “the violent and little-known aspects of the cosmos”. As Einstein Probe set off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in southwestern Sichuan — around 2,000 km from Taiwan’s capital Taipei — it also triggered concern in the self-ruled island nation.