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Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/4/27/israels-war-on-gaza-live-israel-bombards-gaza-as-student-protests-spread

Global attention has turned to universities across the United States, where students have erected encampments to demand action to end Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip. The growing protests have taken root on the campuses of some of the country’s top academic institutions, including Columbia and Harvard. And over the past weeks, they have spurred heated debates around freedom of speech, Palestinian solidarity activism in the US, and the use of force to disperse student protesters, among other issues. But the students at the heart of the movement say the reason they began their demonstrations – the pressing need to end Israel’s deadly bombardment of Gaza – risks being lost amid a cacophony of voices and distractions. “Gaza is why we’re here. Gaza is why we’re doing this,” said Rue, a student at The New School in New York City who asked to only be identified by her first name due to a fear of reprisals. They have also urged an end to reprisals against students who have spoken out in support of Palestinians and for administrators to pledge not to send police or other law enforcement agencies onto the campuses to break up their protests. Images of throngs of New York Police Department (NYPD) officers marching onto the Columbia University campus to disperse a Gaza protest encampment earlier this week galvanised students in other parts of the US to set up their own protest sites, too. A first-year PhD student at New York University (NYU), who spoke to Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity due to a fear of reprisals, said students are acting “on the ideals and the histories that [they’re] being taught”. “As students who are being taught in class about colonialism, about Indigenous rights, about the effect of non-violent protest across history, it would be extremely hypocritical — or it would totally undermine the point of our education — if we didn’t act,” the 25-year-old said. “At the very least we can show that there was resistance” to what is happening in the Gaza Strip, the student added. “The horrors in Gaza are really beyond imagining. These small acts of resistance, these are small sacrifices — [they] are nothing compared to what is happening on the ground in Palestine.” ‘Scholasticide’ in Gaza Like other protesters across the US, many American students have said they felt an impetus to act given the US government’s long-standing support for Israel. The US gives Israel $3.8bn in military assistance annually, and President Joe Biden has continued to provide staunch support to the country amid the Gaza war. On Wednesday, Biden signed into law a massive funding package that will provide an additional $17bn to Israel. The Israeli military’s attacks on Palestinian students, teachers and academic institutions across Gaza during the war also have acted as a catalyst for the university protests, the students said. Last week, a group of United Nations experts noted that 80 percent of schools in the Palestinian enclave have been damaged or destroyed since the war began in early October. Nearly 5,500 students have been killed, alongside 261 teachers and 95 university professors. “It may be reasonable to ask if there is an intentional effort to comprehensively destroy the Palestinian education system, an action known as ‘scholasticide’,” the experts said in a statement on April 18. “These attacks are not isolated incidents. They present a systematic pattern of violence aimed at dismantling the very foundation of Palestinian society.” Etta, a senior at NYU who also asked to only be identified by her first name due to a fear of reprisals, told Al Jazeera that it was “appalling” to see her university fail to acknowledge the destruction of Palestinian academic institutions. “As an institution that should have a function of education, of shaping minds, of academic freedom, they can’t even take the time to acknowledge, to mourn, to discuss the destruction of those institutions in Palestine,” Etta said. “There’s a refusal to even acknowledge that this is going on when we’re all bearing witness [to it].” ‘Bigger than us’ As uncertainty swirls around the future of the US university encampments amid threats they will be dismantled, the students say they remain committed to continuing their protests — and to keeping the focus on what’s happening in Gaza. “Palestine is the centre, liberation is the centre of this conversation,” said Etta. That was echoed by Rue, the student at The New School. “I feel like there’s a moral imperative that everyone does everything that they can to the best of their abilities to protest and fight against and end this genocide,” Rue told Al Jazeera. “We’re a part of something that is bigger than us,” she added. “We are part of a global movement right now and we’re really inspired and strengthened by the incredible solidarity [we’re] seeing across the United States, across different college campuses, across the world.” Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/4/26/with-eyes-on-us-college-campuses-students-stress-gaza-is-why-were-here

Three terrorists including two ringleaders — Sohail aka Azmato and Haji Gul alias Zarkavi — have been killed by security forces in an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Khyber district, Inter-Services Public Relations said on Thursday. The operation was conducted by the security forces on April 24-25 on the reported presence of terrorists in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s tribal district, the military’s media wing said.  Security forces eliminated three terrorists after intense exchange of fire, as well as busted their hideout during the operation, it added. The ISPR further said that weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the killed terrorists, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area. “Locals of the area appreciated the operation. A sanitisation operation is being carried out to eliminate any other terrorist found in the area as security forces are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country,” it concluded. Military pays tribute to martyred Customs officials Separately, the senior army commanders visited the families of eight martyred Customs’ officials who laid their lives in the line of duty in Dera Ismail Khan in two separate incidents that took place earlier this month, the ISPR said on Thursday. In due recognition of this selfless sacrifice in fight against illegal spectrum and as an expression of solidarity, the commanders met the families of the martyred officials at their homes to express condolences, pay tribute and pledge unfliching support on behalf of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir. The familes expressed their gratitude to the Pakistan Army for the support and respect. The military’s media wing said: “Shuhadas and Ghazis are our pride and their respect and honour is binding on each Pakistani. We must never forget that the peace and freedom we enjoy today is due to the ultimate sacrifices rendered by these brave sons of soil.” “We as nation salute Shuhada families for sacrificing their loved ones for Pakistan,” it concluded. Source: https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1182198-security-forces-eliminate-3-terrorists-including-ringleaders-in-khyber-ibo

Taiwan has been rattled by a cluster of dozens of earthquakes that caused buildings to sway and that the government said were aftershocks from the huge quake that hit the island more than two weeks ago. The strongest of the latest tremors, which the United States Geological Survey measured at a magnitude of 6.1, hit at about 2.30am (18:30 GMT) followed minutes later by a 6.0 tremor. Taipei’s Central Weather Administration put them at 6.0 and 6.3, respectively. The seismic activity, which was centred around Hualien on the east coast, caused buildings across large parts of northern, eastern and western Taiwan to shake throughout the night. There were no reports of casualties. Office worker Kevin Lin, who lives in the capital Taipei, told the AFP news agency that the quake woke him. “I was too scared to move and stayed in bed,” the 53-year-old said. At about 8am (00:00 GMT), a 5.8-magnitude tremor shook the capital as commuters made their way to work. The mountainous county of Hualien, about 150km (93 miles) from Taipei, was the epicentre of a magnitude-7.2 quake that struck the island on April 3, severely damaging buildings in Hualien City and triggering landslides in the surrounding countryside. At least 14 people were killed, and there have been more than 1,100 aftershocks. Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration said the latest cluster of earthquakes were also aftershocks. Seismological Centre Director Wu Chien-fu told reporters that the quakes were a “concentrated release of energy” and that more could be expected, although perhaps not as strong. In Hualien, the government announced that schools and offices would remain closed on Tuesday due to the continuous aftershocks. Buildings that partially collapsed in the April 3 quake, including the Full Hotel and the nearby Tong Shuai Building, were further damaged. Both were empty and have already been marked for demolition. The April 3 quake was the most serious in Taiwan in 25 years, but the toll was relatively contained thanks to widespread public awareness campaigns and stricter building standards. The island of 23 million people lies near the junction of two tectonic plates and is no stranger to powerful earthquakes. Source : https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/4/23/sleepless-night-in-taiwan-as-island-rattled-by-cluster-of-aftershocks

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir said there was a need for “improved coordination” between Pakistan and Iran against terrorists. He made these comments in a meeting with Iranian President Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi, who is currently in Pakistan on a three-day official visit. According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), COAS Munir emphasised the need for improved coordination along the border to prevent terrorists from jeopardising the longstanding brotherly relations between the two neighbouring countries. The statement read that the discussion between the two dignitaries primarily focused on matters of mutual interest, notably regional peace, stability and border security. “Both sides concurred on the necessity to bolster bilateral cooperation while jointly striving for regional stability and economic prosperity,” said the ISPR statement. President Raisi, during the meeting, emphasised that by fostering cooperation between the two armed forces, Islamabad and Tehran can attain peace and stability for both nations and the region. President Raisi’s visit to Pakistan The Iranian head of state arrived in Pakistan on Monday on a three-day official visit, the first by any foreign leader to Pakistan after the February 8 polls. He is being accompanied by his spouse and a high-level delegation, comprising the foreign minister and other members of the cabinet, senior officials and a large business delegation. Following his arrival at the Prime Minister’s House to meet with PM Shehbaz Sharif on April 22, the Iranian president received a guard of honour from the smartly turned-out contingents of the armed forces. The premier welcomed the high-profile guest as he arrived at the venue of the formal welcome ceremony after which the national anthems of both countries were played. In the second leg of his high-profile visit to Pakistan, Raisi will travel to Lahore. Later, the Iranian leader will travel to Karachi where his meetings are scheduled with Governor Kamran Tessori and Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah. Raisi will also visit Quaid’s mausoleum in Karachi and pay his respects to the founder of Pakistan. The foreign leader would stay in Karachi and return to Tehran on Wednesday. The provincial authorities are on high alert due to the high-profile visit and a public holiday has been declared in Karachi and Lahore today.  Source: https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1181415-army-chief-meets-president-raisi-seeks-improved-coordination-with-iran-against-terrorists

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/4/23/israels-war-on-gaza-live-palestinians-urge-donors-to-resume-unrwa-funding

At least 63 persons were killed and 78 others injured in the recent rain-related incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said on Sunday. “The dead include 33 children, 15 men and 15 women,” the PDMA said in its report, adding, 17 women, 37 men, and 24 children were injured. According to the report, 477 houses were destroyed and 2,725 suffered damage. Various districts, including Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshera Khyber, Lower Chitral, Upper Chitral, Upper Dir, Lower Dir, Swat, Bajaur, Shangla, Mansehra, Mohmand, Malakand, Karak, Tank, Mardan, Buner, Hangu, Battagram, Bannu, North and South Waziristan, Kohat, Dera Ismail Khan and Orakzai suffered financial losses due to rain. On the directive of chief minister, the PDMA released Rs110 million to the administration of affected districts thus far, the report said, adding that Rs90 million were released for relief activities in the newly merged districts. Along with financial support, it added, the PDMA provided relief items to the most-affected districts of Peshawar, Nowshera, Chitral, Swat, Bajaur, Lower Kohistan, Mohmand, Upper Dir, Tank, Shangla and Torghar, etc. The relief items included tents, mats, kitchen sets, blankets, beds, tarpaulins, solar lamps, and other daily life items. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the PDMA said that relief activities were ongoing in the rain-affected districts. He said the PDMA had already cautioned officials of all the districts to take precautionary measures ahead of the third spell of rain which was likely to hit the province. Source: https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1181009-death-toll-from-kp-rains-put-at-63

Ukraine launched attacks on eight Russian regions with long-range strike drones in the early hours of Saturday morning, targeting a fuel depot and power substations, according to a statement from a Ukrainian special services source. The overnight attacks, which were confirmed by the Russian Defense Ministry, come amid a renewed effort by Moscow to disable Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and plunge its citizens into darkness, using the freezing temperatures as a weapon of war. “Russian Defense Ministry is complaining that dozens of Ukrainian drones popped up in some eight regions – Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk, Tula, Smolensk, Ryazan, Kaluga regions, and even Moscow region. At least three power substations and a fuel storage facility were damaged and caught fire,” the source said, adding that the attacks were part of a joint operation by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), Defence Intelligence, and the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The source added that the “energy infrastructure that feeds the Russian military-industrial facilities was the target. Some areas experienced troubles with power and water supply following the attacks.” Video shared on social media showed the aftermath of drone strikes on a fuel depot in Russia’s Smolensk region, which caught fire in the early hours of the morning. “At around 2 a.m. this morning, there was an attempted attack by Ukrainian UAVs on a fuel and energy facility in Kardymovsky district. Air defense forces shot down the aerial devices. Information on casualties is being clarified,” Smolensk regional governor Vasiliy Anokhin wrote on Telegram. According to Anokhin, the falling UAV debris caused a fire in a fuel and lubricants tank, and crews with Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations were responding to the blaze. In a separate post, the governor of Smolensk reported that air defenses repelled one more UAV attack on the regional center later Saturday morning. The Russian Defense Ministry reported intercepting one drone over the Smolensk region, and said that its air defense systems intercepted or destroyed 50 Ukrainian drones in the past day. Aleksandr Bogomaz, governor of the southwestern region of Bryansk in Russia, reported on Saturday that “a downed Ukrainian UAV caused a fire at an energy infrastructure facility.” “Fire and rescue units and emergency crews of PJSC Rosseti are operating at the site, ensuring uninterrupted power supply to consumers,” Bogomaz said in a Telegram update on Saturday. Smoke billows after Ukraine’s SBU drone strikes a refinery, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Ryazan, Ryazan Region, Russia, in this screen grab from a video obtained by Reuters, March 13, 2024. Video obtained by Reuters In recent months, Ukraine has stepped up drone attacks deep inside Russian territory, targeting energy infrastructure like oil refineries and terminals, as well as airfields. After strikes on three refineries in mid-March, a Ukrainian defense source told CNN on that Ukraine is “implementing a well-planned strategy to decrease Russian economic potential.” The attacks have been made possible by the use of drones with longer ranges and more advanced capabilities, some of which have even begun to integrate a basic form of artificial intelligence to help them navigate and avoid being jammed, a source close to Ukraine’s drone program told CNN. News of the drone attacks come as the situation on Ukraine’s eastern front has “worsened significantly,” the military’s top commander Oleksandr Syrskyi said a few days ago – a message backed up by video evidence, analysts, and interviews conducted by CNN with Ukrainian soldiers. Ukrainians were waiting Saturday in anticipation of a highly-anticipated vote in the US House of Representatives that could finally unlock nearly $61 billion of military aid for the country, as frontline troops find themselves withdrawing from key terrain, or getting pounded from the air as they try to hold on to important towns. Of that total, about $23 billion would be used to replenish US weapons, stockpiles and facilities, and more than $11 billion would fund current US military operations in the region. Nearly $14 billion included in the bill would help Ukraine buy advanced weapons systems and other defense equipment. Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2024/04/20/europe/ukraine-drone-attacks-russia-intl/index.html