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Jerusalem, April 17 (IANS) The Israeli military has said it is expanding the "Morag Corridor," a new dividing line in the southern Gaza Strip, and has turned roughly a third of the enclave into "security zones" under full Israeli military control.

An infographic video released by the military showed the "Morag Corridor" running through an area between Rafah and Khan Younis, cutting off Rafah from Khan Younis and central Gaza, Xinhua news agency reported.

In the video, Khan Younis, southern Gaza's largest city, appeared almost completely razed, with only a few severely damaged buildings left.

"As part of the operation, the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) has achieved full operational control over several key areas and routes throughout Gaza. Nearly 30 per cent of the strip's territory is now designated as an Operational Security Perimeter," the military said in a statement.

Apart from the "Morag Corridor," Israel has also established the "Netzarim Corridor" during the war, a military buffer zone in central Gaza aimed at isolating Gaza City and northern Gaza from the rest of the enclave.

Israel has blocked the entry of all humanitarian aid into Gaza since March 2.

It then ended a two-month ceasefire with Hamas on March 18 and resumed deadly air and ground assaults on the enclave.

The military said since March 18, it has carried out airstrikes on about 1,200 targets in Gaza using nearly 350 fighter jets and other aircraft.

The renewed Israeli attacks have so far killed 1,652 Palestinians and injured 4,391 others, Gaza health authorities said on Wednesday, adding the death toll in the enclave since the war began in October 2023 has risen to 51,025, with 116,432 injured.

Israel controls the entry of all aid and supplies to Gaza.

On April 28, the International Court of Justice is set to open hearings on Israel's humanitarian obligations towards Palestinians.

The UN General Assembly approved a resolution in December requesting that The Hague-based top court give an advisory opinion on the matter.

It calls on the ICJ to clarify what Israel is required to do to "ensure and facilitate the unhindered provision of urgently needed supplies essential to the survival of the Palestinian civilian population".

--IANS

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Gaza, April 17 (IANS) Israel's recently-outlined policy of blocking humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip attempts to "militarise" humanitarian aid and displace Palestinians, a Palestinian official said.

"We view with extreme concern the Israeli attempts to militarise humanitarian aid and place it under the control of the army," amid efforts to displace the Gaza population, Amjad al-Shawa, director of the Palestinian Non-Governmental Organisations Network in Gaza, told Xinhua news agency on Wednesday.

"This will deepen the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and deprive large segments of the population of vital supplies," al-Shawa said.

The policy is "a violation of international humanitarian standards," he said, adding that Israel "bears full responsibility for the ongoing humanitarian crisis" in Gaza, Xinhua news agency reported.

He urged the international community to reject the policy and pressure Israel to ensure the unimpeded entry of essential supplies into Gaza.

After a field visit on Tuesday to Gaza with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior military commanders, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz outlined Israel's broader war strategy in a statement earlier on Wednesday, which he said aims to secure the release of hostages and ultimately defeat Hamas.

"Israel's policy is clear -- no humanitarian aid is about to enter Gaza," Katz said.

"No one is currently preparing or intending to bring any humanitarian aid into Gaza under the current circumstances."

According to Katz, aid has been withheld to "undermine Hamas' control over the population and prepare the ground for future (aid) distribution via private companies" without Hamas' involvement.

The Israeli army will not withdraw from areas it has seized and will maintain a presence in designated "security zones" across Gaza, Katz said, warning that if Hamas continues to reject Israel's terms for a hostage deal, "the operation will expand and move to the next phases."

Israel has blocked the entry of all humanitarian aid into Gaza since March 2.

It then ended a two-month ceasefire with Hamas on March 18 and resumed deadly air and ground assaults on the enclave.

The renewed Israeli attacks have so far killed 1,652 Palestinians and injured 4,391 others, Gaza health authorities said on Wednesday, adding the death toll in the enclave since the war began in October 2023 has risen to 51,025, with 116,432 injured.

--IANS

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Rome, April 14 (IANS) A new round of talks between the United States and Iran on Tehran's nuclear programme will be held in Rome, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Monday.

He noted that Italy agreed to host the meeting following requests from the negotiating parties and Oman, which is serving as a mediator. Tajani made the remarks while visiting the Italian pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Ansa news agency reported.

He added that the Italian government is "prepared to do everything necessary to support negotiations that could lead to resolving the nuclear issue and building peace."

A first round of indirect talks between US and Iranian officials was held in Oman on April 12.

These were the first such discussions since the United States withdrew in 2018 from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which was signed in 2015.

Earlier in the day, Iran said that the next round of "indirect" talks with the United States over its nuclear programme will take place outside Oman, though the structure and mediation of the negotiations will remain unchanged, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei, Tehran does not consider the location of the talks to be as significant as the framework in which they are held. He indicated that the discussions will continue to be conducted indirectly, with Oman maintaining its mediating role.

Baghaei said Muscat will coordinate the new venue for the upcoming round and expressed appreciation for Oman's role in hosting the initial phase of negotiations.

Baghaei also dismissed the possibility of direct engagement with Washington, saying Iran does not view that format as effective. He said indirect talks are not unusual, and have been used previously in dealings between the two countries.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi will travel to Russia later this week for talks on recent developments in indirect negotiations with the United States, Iran's Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

Baghaei told reporters that Tehran remains committed to consultations with all signatories of the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), stressing that maintaining such interactions is "beneficial."

Russia's Foreign Ministry confirmed the visit, saying Araghchi will meet with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and other senior officials during his trip.

Iran signed a nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, with six major countries -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States -- in July 2015, accepting restrictions on its nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief.

However, the United States withdrew from the deal in May 2018 and reinstated sanctions, prompting Iran to scale back some of its nuclear commitments. Efforts to revive the nuclear deal have not achieved substantial progress.

--IANS

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Islamabad, April 14 (IANS) A joint operation between Islamabad district administration and the local police sealed at least nine Sheesha cafes and arrested 60 men and four women in Pakistan's capital, on Monday.

Pakistan has imposed a ban on sale of 'Sheeshas' at restaurants and public spaces for years now. However, many indoor cafes continue to sell 'Sheeshas' during late night hours in different cafes across the country even as the authorities continue to crack down against selling of Sheesha in the capital.

In the latest development, authorities carried out late night raids in different cafes located in Islamabad's Bahria Town housing society. As per police authorities, raids were conducted after information was received about the sale of Sheesha during the late hours.

During the raids, at least three Sheesha cafes were sealed in Bahria Town. Police also seized 110 hubble bubbles along with different flavours. During the raids, the police authorities also recovered four smoking sheeshas, three Sheesha flavours and a music sound system. Police officials stated that raids were done after complaints were received of sheesha being served at private parties in different cafes in Bahria Town.

Cases have also been registered against the arrested men and women and investigation launched into the cases.

Previously, similar raids were conducted during February, during which police authorities arrested 24 accused including five women during a raid in Ghalib Market in Punjab's provincial capital Lahore.

Pakistan imposed a complete ban on Sheesha smoking and its sale across the country in 2023. As per the government's directive, sale of Sheesha was banned in hotels, restaurants and public spaces. Moreover, opening of new Sheesha cafes and the import and making of ingredients were also banned across the country.

The ban in 2023 was a continuation of the previous ban during the year 2016, when the government imposed a complete ban on import of tobacco used in Sheesha.

Several reports have also indicated drug mafia operating under the cover of Sheesha cafes throughout the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).

"These cafes have become hubs for dangerous substances such as flavoured tobacco and have transformed into a market for narcotics destroying our youth and families alike," said Rana Imran Latif, Chairman of non-profit organisation Piyass International.

--IANS

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Juba, April 14 (IANS) The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) announced Monday that it has supported the deployment of judges, prosecutors, and investigators to Leer County to deliver formal justice through a mobile court.

Leer County, located in the Unity State, Greater Upper Nile region, is among the areas hardest hit by conflict and has lacked access to formal justice mechanisms for over a decade.

The initiative, a joint effort by the Judiciary of South Sudan, the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, and the Unity State government, is set to begin Tuesday and will run through May 9.

"Mobile courts, while not a substitute for formal justice structures, play a vital and innovative role in restoring public faith in South Sudan's rule of law architecture," Guang Cong, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General (Political) for South Sudan and Deputy Head of UNMISS, said in a statement issued in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.

According to the statement, the Leer mobile court will focus on adjudicating serious criminal cases, including murder, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (SGBV), Conflict-related Sexual Violence (CRSV), and forced or early marriage.

The deployment follows the recent training of 20 new investigators in southern Unity State, with specialised instruction on handling SGBV and CRSV cases.

On March 28, UNMISS facilitated the early deployment of prosecutors and investigators to begin receiving and processing criminal complaints, Xinhua news agency reported. More than 60 cases were reported prior to the court's arrival, with additional filings expected in the coming days. The court is set to handle both criminal and civil cases.

Judges withdrew from Unity State in 2013 due to ongoing conflict and insecurity, leaving residents to rely exclusively on customary courts, even for serious crimes outside their jurisdiction.

These mobile courts, which have been previously deployed in Unity, Western Bahr El Ghazal, and Warrap states in 2024 and 2023, are transforming justice delivery, changing attitudes towards sexual violence and children's rights, and instilling hope in communities that fair trials are possible and perpetrators face justice.

--IANS

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Tehran, April 14 (IANS) Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi will travel to Russia later this week for talks on recent developments in indirect negotiations with the United States, Iran's Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told reporters that Tehran remains committed to consultations with all signatories of the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), stressing that maintaining such interactions is "beneficial."

Russia's Foreign Ministry confirmed the visit, saying Araghchi will meet with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and other senior officials during his trip.

According to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Araghchi and US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff held "indirect" talks centered on Tehran's nuclear issue and sanctions relief on Saturday in the Omani capital of Muscat in a "constructive" atmosphere, and the two countries will hold the second round of negotiations on April 19 outside Oman, though the structure and mediation of the negotiations will remain unchanged, Xinhua news agency reported.

Iran and the United States are set to hold a second round of talks on April 19, following what both sides described as a "constructive" first round in the Omani capital on Saturday.

The meeting, which lasted two and a half hours, marked a rare thaw in a long-frozen relationship fraught with sanctions, military brinkmanship and regional rivalries.

The "indirect" talks, held between Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, focused on Iran's nuclear issue and sanctions relief, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Iran signed a nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, with six major countries -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States -- in July 2015, accepting restrictions on its nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief.

However, the United States withdrew from the deal in May 2018 and reinstated sanctions, prompting Iran to scale back some of its nuclear commitments. Efforts to revive the nuclear deal have not achieved substantial progress.

--IANS

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Jerusalem, April 14 (IANS) The Israeli military said Monday it launched a new wave of strikes across the Gaza Strip, hitting about 35 targets, while Gaza health authorities said the death toll from renewed Israeli attacks had reached 1,613.

Among the sites hit were a weapons manufacturing facility in southern Gaza and a launch site containing rocket launchers aimed at Israeli territory, the military said in a statement.

In northern Gaza, Israeli soldiers identified an "ambush" of militants several hundred metres from their position, opened fire, and eliminated the "terrorists" in coordination with the Israeli Air Force, the military added.

It did not specify the location of the incident or the number of fatalities.

In southern Gaza's Rafah, where Israel has completed construction of a new "security zone" cutting off the city, Israeli troops destroyed a 20-metre-deep, several-hundred-metre-long tunnel route, the military said.

The tunnel had been used as "a gathering place for Hamas terrorists" and connected several tunnel routes in the area, it said.

Elsewhere in Gaza, Israeli troops located a Hamas weapons cache, including mortars, hand grenades, and explosives, according to the statement, Xinhua news agency reported.

Israel has blocked the entry of all humanitarian aid into Gaza since March 2. It then ended a two-month ceasefire with Hamas on March 18 and resumed deadly air and ground assaults on the enclave.

The renewed Israeli attacks have so far killed 1,613 Palestinians and injured 4,233 others, Gaza health authorities said Monday, adding that the death toll in the enclave since the war began in October 2023 has risen to 50,983, with 116,274 injured.

Last week, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said that Israel will soon expand its operations to most of the Gaza Strip territory.

He told Gaza residents in a message that they have to evacuate due to the expected operations.

"For those who are interested, voluntary crossing to several countries will also be possible" under Washington's plan, which Israel is "working to implement," Katz said, referring to US President Donald Trump's controversial relocation proposal for Gaza residents.

"This is the last moment to remove Hamas, release all the Israeli hostages, and bring an end to the war," Katz remarked.

--IANS

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New Delhi, April 13 (IANS) The US is planning to go in for a tariff hike on pharmaceutical products, especially those being imported from China, in the next month or two, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in an interview with a media outlet on Sunday.

"We can't be relying on China for fundamental things that we need such as our medicines and our semiconductors which need to be built in America," Howard Lutnick said.

"We can't be beholden and rely upon foreign countries for fundamental things that we need," he said.

The statement comes close on the heels of President Donald Trump’s declaration at the National Republican Congressional Committee that the U.S. would soon impose a “major” tariff on imported drugs.

"So this is not like a permanent sort of exemption. He's just clarifying that these are not available to be negotiated away by countries. These are things that are national security that we need to be made in America," Lutnick said.

Pharmaceuticals have until now been kept out of the USA’s broader tariff rates as the country is dependent on cheap generic drugs available from countries like China and India to run their healthcare system. This is a great help as US multinationals sell the same medicines at very high prices that are often out of reach for common consumers.

Since China is locked in a trade war with the USA, drug exports from the communist country are clearly the first target. This would only increase the dependence on Indian generic drugs for the short term, according to industry sources.

More than 45 per cent of the generic drugs used in the US are made in India. India pharma giants such as Dr Reddy's, Aurobindo Pharma, Zydus Lifesciences, Sun Pharma and Gland Pharma earn up to half of their revenues from American consumers.

India's pharmaceutical industry is closely linked to the United States. In FY24, the U.S. accounted for $8.7 billion of India’s total $27.9 billion pharma exports, according to the Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India.

The US relies heavily dependent on low-cost Indian generics and hiking duties would push up prices and trigger shortages of essential drugs, especially antibiotics and common treatments.

Besides, India is engaged in talks with the US for a bilateral trade agreement. It is expected that the fact that essential generic medicines are available at cheap prices for American consumers will be kept in mind during the negotiations.

--IANS

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Moscow, April 13 (IANS) The Russian Defence Ministry on Sunday announced that its forces have shot down a US-designed F-16 fighter jet operated by Ukraine, but did not specify the location.

This is the first time that the Russian military has announced it had destroyed an F-16 since some European countries began deliveries of the fourth-generation fighter aircraft to Ukraine in summer last year.

"An F-16 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force was shot down by air defense means," the ministry said in its daily briefing without revealing any further details, RT reported.

On Saturday, the Ukrainian Air Force reported the loss of one of its F-16 fighters. An interdepartmental commission was then established to find out what caused the plane to go down, it added.

President Vladimir Zelensky later confirmed that Ukrainian pilot Pavel Ivanov had been killed "during an F-16 combat mission" and asserted that there would be a "strong and precise" response, hinting at Russia's role in shooting it down.

BBC Ukraine cited a Ukrainian source as saying that the F-16 had been shot down by the Russian military. "In total, the Russians fired three missiles at the plane. It was either a guided anti-aircraft missile from a S-400 ground-based system or an R-37 air-to-air missile," it claimed.

The source also ruled out friendly fire as a reason for the loss of the jet, claiming that Ukrainian air defenses have not been active in that area.

The fighter's destruction is the second confirmed loss of an F-16 by Ukraine. The first was destroyed and its pilot killed last August, but the report of the investigation into the incident was never revealed publicly. However, multiple media reports indicated that the plane was likely shot down by Ukrainian anti-aircraft defences by mistake.

Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway pledged to supply Kiev with up to 80 F-16s after receiving permission to do so from then US President Joe Biden's administration, though most of them will take years to arrive. In 2024, Ukraine received about 18 aircraft.

--IANS

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Washington, April 13 (IANS) A day after the US exempted electronics imports, including semiconductors, from reciprocal tariffs, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on Sunday the country is set to launch "separate tariffs" for imports of smartphones, computers, semiconductors, and other components in the next one to two months.

Lutnick also highlighted the need to build chips and flat-panel televisions in the US, compared to relying on imports from South Asian nations.

Speaking to ABC News, the Commerce Secretary said all those products are going to come under semiconductors, and they're going to have a special focus type of tariff to make sure that those products get reshored.

"We need to have semiconductors, we need to have chips, and we need to have flat panels -- we need to have these things made in America. We can't be reliant on Southeast Asia for all the things that operate for us," he was quoted as saying in the report.

The US Commerce Secretary highlighted that smartphone and computer imports are removed from the reciprocal tariff list but will now be added to the semiconductor tariffs within the next two months.

“What President Donald Trump is doing is that he's saying they're exempt from the reciprocal tariffs, but they're included in the semiconductor tariffs, which are coming in probably a month or two. So, these are coming soon,” he told the news portal.

On Saturday, the US government announced it would exempt smartphones and computers imported into the country from the latest tariffs.

According to a US Customs and Border Protection notice, the exemption applies to products entering the US or removed from warehouses as early as April 5.

The exemptions also include other electronic devices and components, including semiconductors, solar cells, and memory cards.

—IANS

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