World

Islamabad, May 6 (IANS) At least five paramilitary personnel were killed and six others injured in a roadside bomb attack targetting a security convoy in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province on Tuesday, security sources said.

The incident happened at about 11:45 am local time (0645 GMT) in the Kachhi district, when an improvised explosive device struck a Frontier Corps convoy, the sources told Xinhua news agency on condition of anonymity.

"The convoy, comprising six vehicles, was on a routine movement when the explosion took place, resulting in the deaths and injuries," officials confirmed.

Security forces cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to trace those responsible for the attack.

The injured were shifted to nearby medical facilities for treatment, with several reported to be in critical condition.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet. However, local security sources noted that the Balochistan Liberation Army-Azad faction (BLA-A) maintains a strong presence in the region, with several other small armed groups also believed to operate in the vicinity.

Last week, a major attack by the Fateh Squad of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) in Balochistan’s Mongochar area of Kalat district, resulted in destruction of several government buildings, and blocking of the Quetta-Karachi highway.

Security sources said that the BLA militants blocked the Quetta-Karachi Highway, halting the traffic and searching several vehicles, including passenger buses.

They said that the armed militants entered the Mongochar market, taking control of several government buildings, including the offices of National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), Judicial Complex and National Bank of Pakistan, setting them on fire.

“The buildings suffered major damage due to the fire. The militants fled the area before the security forces arrived,” sources said.

The attack was claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) Fateh Squad, stating that the operations are part of what they claim as the “struggle for liberation”.

--IANS

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Berlin, May 6 (IANS) Friedrich Merz from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) was elected German Chancellor on Tuesday afternoon's second-round Bundestag voting. In the first round, Merz failed to secure a required majority in the parliament.

A total of 325 members of Germany's Bundestag, the country's lower house of parliament, voted for Merz, surpassing the 316 seats needed. In the first round earlier on Tuesday, Merz received 310 votes. He is also the first Chancellor candidate since World War II to fail to be elected in the first round.

After the failure in the first round, Bundestag President Julia Kloeckner interrupted the plenary session. Parliamentary groups of political parties had hours of discussions before deciding to hold the second round of voting.

Following the election results, Merz headed for the Federal President's official residence, Schloss Bellevue, to be formally appointed by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Merz will officially assume the office of federal Chancellor and lead the new government formed by the Union bloc (CDU/CSU) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD).

Born in 1955 in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, Merz studied law and served as a judge at the district court in Saarbrucken, capital of Saarland, from 1985 to 1986.

He served as a member of the European Parliament from 1989 to 1994, and a member of the German Bundestag, or lower house of parliament, from 1994 to 2009. He led the CDU/CSU parliamentary group from 2000 to 2002.

After leaving active political life in 2009, Merz announced his return in 2018 following then Chancellor Angela Merkel's decision not to seek re-election, Xinhua news agency reported. He became chairman of the CDU and leader of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group.

Besides political life, Merz has worked for an international law firm, served as chairman of the 'Atlantic Bridge' association, which is dedicated to German-American cooperation, and held positions in the business sector.

His close ties to the business community have earned him a reputation as a "pro-business" figure within the CDU. He has promised to revitalise the German economy, aiming for an average annual growth of over two per cent.

Merz advocates for a stronger stance on immigration. On foreign policy, he advocates for reducing Europe's reliance on the United States and rebuilding Germany's international standing.

Analysts believe that Merz would pursue a more conservative political agenda.

--IANS

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Strasbourg, May 6 (IANS) The European Union (EU) doesn't feel pressured to yield to an imbalanced trade agreement with the United States, European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic said Tuesday at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France.

"We do not feel weak. We do not feel under undue pressure to accept a deal which would not be fair for us," Sefcovic told the European Parliament, emphasising that the EU had already tested and put forward proposals to the United States.

"As you can imagine, it's not easy," he noted, adding that despite the EU's sincere efforts, the negotiations with the US may ultimately fail to reach a successful outcome.

The EU is currently subject to 25 percent US tariffs on steel, aluminum, and automobiles, along with 10 per cent reciprocal tariffs on most other exports. The bloc has been preparing for the possible end of a 90-day tariff truce, after which these levies could rise to 20 per cent when the pause expires on July 8.

Sefcovic reiterated that the EU is prepared to reintroduce rebalancing measures if negotiations fail,Xinhua news agency reported. "We are preparing for the possible and might-be-needed rebalancing," he said, referring to retaliatory tariffs the EU had initially suspended to allow room for talks.

Sefcovic also signaled that the EU may pursue legal action against US tariffs through the World Trade Organisation, describing the tariffs as "simply unjust, unfair, and in total breach of international commercial law."

He noted that beyond the transatlantic relationship, the EU is diversifying efforts to expand its trade ties with other global partners, emphasizing the need to tap into the 87 per cent of global trade that does not involve the United States.

In recent months, the bloc has advanced or finalised trade agreements with the South American trade bloc Mercosur, the United Arab Emirates, and Canada, in clear steps toward diversifying its economic partnerships.

--IANS

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Gaza, May 4 (IANS) Dozens of journalists held a protest in southern Gaza's Khan Younis, urging the international community to protect media workers from repeated Israeli targeting.

The protest was organised by the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate to mark World Press Freedom Day on Saturday, Xinhua news agency reported.

The journalists gathered at the Nasser Medical Complex in the city and held up signs reading "Stop Killing Journalists".

In a speech during the protest, Tahseen Al-Astal, the syndicate's deputy head, accused Israel of committing "a crime against Palestinian journalists by directly killing them and destroying their homes".

Al-Astal considered the media situation in Gaza to be among "the most dangerous in the world, given the complete absence of any safety guarantees, the destruction of press institutions, and the deprivation of the most basic work tools".

The syndicate reported that 210 Palestinian journalists have been killed in the last 17 months of the Israeli war on Gaza, with hundreds wounded or losing family members, along with the destruction of media facilities and thousands of violations against media workers in the West Bank.

Saying the Israeli occupation is fully responsible for these crimes, he called on international institutions to take serious action to "hold the killers accountable".

Since the Gaza war began on October 7, 2023, Israel has killed 212 journalists, injured 409, and arrested 48 others, the Hamas-run media office reported on Saturday.

The journalist body demanded the immediate release of all imprisoned journalists and international action to hold Israeli leaders accountable for crimes against media personnel.

"The world celebrates press freedom while Palestine endures unprecedented attacks on journalism," it said.

World Press Freedom Day was established by a UN General Assembly resolution in December 1993 to defend media independence worldwide.

This year's commemoration comes amid what media freedom organisations describe as the deadliest period for journalists in modern history, with Palestinian reporters bearing the brunt of the casualties.

The Israeli army renewed its assault on Gaza on March 18, shattering a January 19 ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement with the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas.

More than 52,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in a brutal Israeli onslaught since October 2023, most of them women and children.

--IANS

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Tehran, May 4 (IANS) Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei has condemned a drone attack, allegedly carried out by Israel, on a ship carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza.

He referred to an incident reported by the international non-governmental organisation Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which said on Saturday that its Gaza aid ship "Conscience" was bombed by drones in international waters off the coast of Malta early on Friday, blaming the strike on Israel.

In a statement released by his Ministry, Baghaei said the attack on the ship was carried out in line with Israel's plan against the Palestinians and to ensure the continuation of the Gaza aid blockade, calling it "a clear crime against Palestinians and a terrorist action against maritime security and safety".

He stressed that depriving Gaza residents, particularly children, women, and the wounded, of food, water, and medicines was considered "a clear instance of war crimes and crimes against humanity".

Baghaei also described the US and other supporters of Israel as accomplices in "these crimes," voicing Iran's solidarity with the "oppressed" Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, Xinhua news agency reported.

The blockade also constitutes a breach of the principles of international humanitarian law, he added.

Reiterating Iran's solidarity with the oppressed Palestinian people, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson called on the international community and Islamic countries to firmly condemn Israel and hold the regime's officials accountable for their actions.

On Friday, Malta's government confirmed that maritime authorities had received a distress call from a vessel outside the country's territorial waters and offered immediate assistance.

Local media said the vessel's crew members were rescued, with no injuries reported.

The media reports noted that an Israeli military aircraft hovered around Malta hours before the vessel was attacked.

Israel has not officially commented on the incident or related reports so far.

In March, the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, banned aid deliveries into Gaza in a move he said was meant to pressure the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas into accepting an extension of the first stage of the ceasefire deal, which Israel broke.

The Israeli Minister in-charge of military affairs, Israel Katz, recently said no preparations were being made to bring supplies into the strip.

He added that the Israeli government would not allow any humanitarian aid to enter Gaza, confirming that food is being used as a tool of pressure against Hamas.

Israel has blocked the entry of food, medicine, and other critical supplies to Gaza for weeks.

Aid agencies say there are concerns of a full-blown famine taking hold across the blockaded Palestinian territory.

--IANS

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United Nations, May 3 (IANS) Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, has called for intensifying international intervention in the tense situation between his country and India, saying that there was "imminent threat of kinetic action" by New Delhi.

He lamented that their "impact" on India to de-escalate was not there in an acknowledgement of Islamabad's failure to rally support for its cause.

Speaking at a news conference here on Friday, he reiterated his country's claim that withholding Indus waters "will be considered as an 'Act of War'" and said that Islamabad will retaliate and "exercise its inherent and legitimate right to self-defence".

He said with the continuing escalation of the situation, Pakistan will consider calling for a meeting of the UN Security Council.

Efforts by "common friends of both India and Pakistan" should continue to de-escalate the situation, he added.

"But there is a sense that, you know, the impact that is desirable, especially on the Indian side, to de-escalate is not yet there," he said.

"So that's why we're saying that there is a need to intensify," he added.

Tension has been building up in the region following last month's terrorist attack in Pahalgam for which The Resistance Front, a front outfit of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba, owned responsibility.

A conflict has "the potential for far-reaching and disastrous consequences," and "that's why I'm emphasising the need for these preventive actions, preventive diplomacy and dialogue to calm down," Ahmad said.

He added that he has met twice with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Islamabad has invited him to visit the region, "that would mean both India and Pakistan".

Guterres' Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said that "good officers only work if all the parties involved accepted it".

India is opposed to any third-party involvement in the disputes with Pakistan citing the 1972 Simla Agreement between the leaders of the two countries that declared their issues to be bilateral matters to be dealt with between themselves.

While Guterres has spoken with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, his contact with India has only been at the level of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.

Ahmad said that he had also had a range of meetings, including with UN Security Council President Evangelos Sekeris, UN General Assembly President Philomen Yang, and representatives of the Security Council members and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

He added that "there is reasonable intelligence indicating towards imminent threat of kinetic action by India against Pakistan," but would not explain what the reports were based on.

"Pakistan does not seek escalation. This has been made clear by the political leadership and at all levels. At the same time, we are fully prepared to defend our sovereignty and territorial integrity," he said.

Ahmad asserted that "Pakistan categorically rejects any attempt to associate it with the April 22 terrorist incident in Pahalgam," adding, "We are concerned over the loss of lives in the Pahalgam attack."

But when pressed by a reporter about Islamabad's links to terrorism and Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif's recent admission that his country trained and provided assistance to terrorists, he did not give a direct reply and instead flung allegations about India.

He was asked about the Mumbai 26/11 attackers who came from Pakistan and the presence of internationally declared terrorists like Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of that attack, and even Osama bin Laden.

"You know this is the kind of discussion I would like to avoid," he said.

--IANS

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Muzaffarabad, May 2 (IANS) In the wake of rising tensions and fears of an aggressive military operation by India in response to the Pahalgam incident, the legislative government of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) has instructed residents living along the de-facto border, the Line of Control (LoC) with India to stockpile food and other essential items for at least two months. The instructions have been given the Prime Minister of PoK Chaudhry Anwar-ul-Haq.

The instructions were issued during a session of the legislative Assembly on Friday when PM of the PoK said that precautionary measures are being done to safeguard the lives of Kashmiris amid looming fears of an attack by India.

“Instructions have been issued to stock food supplies for two months in the 13-constituencies along the Line of Control (LoC),” said Chaudhry Anwar ul Haq.

An emergency fund has also been created of $3.5 million (One billion rupees) to ensure that basic necessities including food and medicines are facilitated through the 13 constituencies situated along the LoC.

Moreover, the legislative government has deployed government and private owned machinery to maintain clearance of roads in the borderline areas.

Following the Pahalgam incident, India claims has clear prints of Pakistan’s involvement and tensions have escalated along the Line of Control (LoC) as both sides have had heavy exchanges of fire, causing considerable damages on both sides.

“Indian and Pakistani security forces have exchanged gunfire for eight consecutive night along the militarised Line of Control,” said a local journalist from Muzaffarabad, Pakistan occupied Kashmir.

Pakistan has categorically denied any involvement in the Pahalgam incident, calling for a neutral and credible investigation by a third party or parties.

Both Pakistan and India have taken some major decisions in a tit-for-tat measures, among which the most notable and crucial one is the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) by India, and closing down of airspace by Pakistan.

Both sides have also shut down the Wagah-Attari border crossing and directed all Pakistanis nationals in India and Indian nationals in Pakistan to leave the country with immediate effect.

Islamabad maintains that it would not be the first to attack India, however, it asserts that any misadventure by New Delhi will be responded to with full force and decisive response.

Pakistan has also claimed that it has credible intelligence that India is planning to conduct military attacks within the coming days, prompting the legislative government of Pakistan Administered Kashmir to take immediate pre-emptive and precautionary measures, including closure of over 1000 religious seminaries in Kashmir for at least 10 days and instructing residents in 13 constituencies to stockpile food for at least two months.

--IANS

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Jerusalem/Damascus, May 2 (IANS) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz, in a joint statement, said on Friday that Israel carried out overnight attacks near the presidential palace in Syria's capital, Damascus.

The strike followed the deadly clashes that intensified earlier this week between local Druze fighters and pro-government forces south of Damascus.

"This is a clear message to the Syrian regime," the Israeli statement said.

"We will not allow the move of forces south of Damascus and any danger to the Druze community."

Meanwhile, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said Israeli airstrikes targeted early Friday a site near the Syrian presidential residence in Damascus, causing loud explosions but no immediate casualties.

The observatory described the strikes as a "warning message" as they took place near one of the most fortified and symbolic locations of the Syrian government.

The Syrian authorities have yet to comment on the Israeli air raids.

Amid the sectarian unrest, two wounded Druze Syrians were evacuated on Thursday to Ziv Medical Centre in Safed in northern Israel for medical treatment. On the same day, Katz warned of harsh responses if clashes with the Druze community continue in Syria.

Before dawn on Friday, hundreds of Israeli Druze protesters demonstrated in front of Netanyahu's private residence in Israel's northern coastal town of Caesarea, demanding that the Israeli army intervene and protect the Druze in Syria, according to reports by Israeli media outlets.

Earlier on Thursday night, thousands of Druze residents took to the streets in northern Israel, blocking major highways, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to a SOHR update on Thursday, the death toll from two days of sectarian clashes near Damascus has climbed to 101, including nine field executions.

Druze people primarily live in Lebanon, Syria, and Israel, with smaller groups in Jordan. Israel has been working to solidify ties with the Druze community since expanding its territorial control near the border with Syria and in the Golan Heights following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's government in December 2024.

--IANS

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Phnom Penh, May 2 (IANS) With India's assistance, Cambodia on Friday declared the Botum Sakor district in Koh Kong as mine-free, ensuring the safety and sustainable development of the region.

"Towards a Mine-Free Future: India Supports Cambodia's Progress! With grant assistance from India, Botum Sakor District in Koh Kong has been declared mine-free—enabling safer land use, improved livelihoods, and sustainable development," the Embassy of India in Phnom Penh posted on X.

India and the Cambodia Mine Action and Victims Assistance Authority (CMAA) had signed an agreement in 2023 for making Botum Sakor, Srae Ambel, Thma Bang districts, and Trapeang Rung Commune in Koh Kong province mine-free with a total Indian grant of $426,709.

The Indian assistance was announced by Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar during his visit to Cambodia in November 2022 during a meeting with then Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen.

The agreement was signed by India's Ambassador to Cambodia and Ly Thuch, Senior Minister and First Vice-President of CMAA.

Thuch, in his speech, appreciated India for its contribution in demining activities in Cambodia to boost the mine clearance work and help Cambodia achieve its goal of becoming a mine-free nation by 2025.

He had mentioned that India has been assisting in making four villages in Koh Kong Province mine-free under the Quick Impact Project with a grant of USD$ 50,000.

Thuch said that CMAA is looking forward to working with the Indian Embassy for the successful implementation of the grant assistance projects in Koh Kong.

Earlier this month, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Mane called for global support to work towards the national goal of making Cambodia mine-free by 2030.

Cambodia, one of the worst affected countries by landmines and Explosive Remnants of War (ERW), has extended its mine-free goal to 2030 from the previous 2025 target, due to geographical difficulties for mine search and clearance along the border.

An estimated four to six million landmines and other munitions have been left over from three decades of war and internal conflicts that ended in 1998.

According to an official report, landmine and ERW explosions claimed 19,830 lives and either injured or amputated 45,242 others in Cambodia from 1979 to June 2024.

--IANS

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Lilongwe, May 2 (IANS) Malawi recorded one more confirmed mpox case, bringing the total number of cases to six since the first three were confirmed in April.

The Public Health Institute of Malawi (PHIM) announced the update on Thursday, saying the latest case is an 18-year-old student from the capital, Lilongwe.

According to the PHIM, the patient had his samples collected on Wednesday, at a local health facility after presenting with symptoms including fever, fatigue, shortness of breath, and a skin rash. The samples tested positive for mpox.

Malawi declared a mpox outbreak on April 17, following the confirmation of the first three cases a day earlier, Xinhua news agency reported.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Malawian government have established an emergency treatment centre at Kamuzu Central Hospital, one of the country's major regional referral facilities located in Lilongwe.

According to the WHO, Mpox is an infectious disease that can cause a painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes, fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain and low energy. Most people fully recover, but some get very sick.

Mpox spreads from person to person mainly through close contact with someone who has mpox, including members of a household. Close contact includes skin-to-skin and mouth-to-mouth or mouth-to-skin contact, and it can also include being face-to-face with someone who has mpox (such as talking or breathing close to one another, which can generate infectious respiratory particles).

Mpox causes signs and symptoms which usually begin within a week but can start 1–21 days after exposure. Symptoms typically last 2–4 weeks but may last longer in someone with a weakened immune system.

For some people, the first symptom of mpox is a rash, while others may have a fever, muscle aches, or sore throat first.

The mpox rash often begins on the face and spreads over the body, extending to the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. It can also start on other parts of the body where contact is made, such as the genitals. It starts as a flat sore, which develops into a blister filled with liquid that may be itchy or painful. As the rash heals, the lesions dry up, crust over, and fall off.

--IANS

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