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Israel says it received list of additional names of Palestinian prisoners for release The Israeli PM’s office has confirmed it has received another list of names of Palestinian prisoners to be released and that discussions are continuing. Earlier, Israeli media reported that Hamas had not yet provided the names of 11 captives held in Gaza expected to be released on Monday. Click Israel vs Hamas: Battle for narrative supremacy | The Listening Post Click Israel waiting for Hamas’s response to extending truce: Israeli Army Radio Israeli Army Radio is reporting that the government is awaiting Hamas’s response on extending the four-day truce for an additional day in exchange for the release of 10 detainees. We’ll bring you more on this soon. Click Extension to truce will help secure supplies, grieve Hani Mahmoud Reporting from Khan Younis, southern Gaza Palestinians in Gaza are looking to have a few extra days just to allow them to deal with the sheer amount of destruction around them. They are taking this opportunity to secure necessities such as food and water. It’s also an opportunity to grieve properly and to hold proper funerals. There is also a unanimous agreement here that as long as people who evacuated to the south are unable to go back north  – to their homes and embrace their relatives and loved ones – it is an incomplete and unfair truce. Reporting from occupied East Jerusalem We’ve had some shows of strength from Netanyahu and Hamas, and also indications that extension to the ceasefire deal is still alive. Hamas, by releasing captives, is essentially saying to Israel: Do you think you can convince people that you’ve won in the north of the Gaza Strip? Well, we’re still here. By going to Gaza himself, Netanyahu is doing that classic tough guy, commander-in-chief thing. He’s making a point of being the first Israeli PM to go there since before 2005. Netanyahu reiterated the war aims but did talk about the possibility of extending that ceasefire agreement. The terms are an extra day of truce for every 10 captives released and Hamas would want to see the same deal applied for its prisoners in Israeli jails, with a ratio of one to three. We understood that the Israeli war cabinet is going to be meeting later on at some point to discuss these negotiations. Each side has its own agendas and each side is also fairly sure that this is not going to be the end of the fighting. Click US police searching for suspect in shooting of Palestinian students Police in the US state of Vermont have provided new details about the shooting of three students of Palestinian descent near a university on Saturday. Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad said on Sunday that the students were walking to the home of one of the victim’s relatives when they were confronted by a white man armed with a handgun. “Without speaking, he discharged at least four rounds from the pistol and is believed to have fled,” Murad said. “All three victims were struck, two in their torsos and one in the lower extremities.” Murad said two of the victims were in a stable condition and the other suffered “much more serious injuries”. Murad said police did not yet have any information to suggest a motive for attacking the students, two of whom were wearing Palestinian keffiyeh scarves. “In this charged moment, no one can look at this incident and not suspect that it may have been a hate-motivated crime. The fact is that we don’t yet know as much as we want to right now,” Murad said. “But I urge the public to avoid making conclusions based on statements from uninvolved parties who know even less.” Click Rhetoric from Israel shows desire to continue fighting: Analyst An extension to the ongoing four-day truce is unlikely to happen despite growing calls for Israel to extend it past Monday, according Northwestern University in Qatar’s Professor Ibrahim Abusharif. “The rhetoric coming out of the Israeli leadership suggests they’re going to continue with their bombing and carnage. I don’t have a lot of hope,” he told Al Jazeera. “I also think a ceasefire is not the same as putting out the fire to the original spark – the original point of conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. If they are just extending the truce for a few days, and resuming the carnage, it doesn’t seem like an effective way to move forward. It’s not moving forward at all.” Click here to share on social media HRW says Ahli Hospital blast caused by misfired rocket Human Rights Watch claims that the explosion that caused mass casualties at Gaza’s Ahli Arab Hospital in October was caused by a misfired rocket similar to munitions used by Palestinian groups. It said in a report that the blast was caused by an “apparent rocket-propelled munition, such as those commonly used by Palestinian armed groups”, adding that further investigation is needed to determine who launched the apparent rocket. HRW said its investigation was based on publicly available photos and videos, satellite imagery, interviews with five witnesses, other analyses and expert opinion. Israel, the United States, France, the United Kingdom, and Canada said that intelligence assessments suggested the blast was caused by a failed Palestinian rocket, while Palestinian officials blamed an Israeli air strike. Investigations by Al Jazeera, the New York Times, The Washington Post and Channel 4 News found that a projectile captured in footage before the blast – cited as evidence to support the culpability of Palestinian groups – was likely not related to the explosion. Gaza’s health ministry said 471 people were killed in the explosion, a figure disputed by Israel. US intelligence officials estimated that 100-300 were killed. Israeli air raid kills at least 500 in Gaza hospital ‘massacre’ Click here to share on social media PHOTOS: Glimpses of destruction in Shati refugee camp The brief pause in Israeli’s bombardment of Gaza has allowed glimpses of the scale of destruction in and around

NEW YORK: US-Canada border crossings near Niagara Falls were closed Wednesday as terrorism investigators responded to a vehicle explosion at Rainbow Bridge, local and state authorities said. Two people were killed in the blast, according to US media citing authorities. Their identities were not yet clear. The cause of the incident was not immediately clear but New York Governor Kathy Hochul said state police and the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force were monitoring all points of entry into the state. US media cited law enforcement sources as saying there were two people in the car, which had passed through one border checkpoint where it was selected for a secondary check. The car then sped up, crashed into a barrier and exploded, the sources said, stressing it was unclear if the blast was the result of a device. “I am traveling to Buffalo to meet with law enforcement and emergency responders and will update New Yorkers when more information becomes available,” Hochul posted on social media. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau´s office said he had been briefed and was in contact with US law enforcement. Multiple Canadian agencies were supporting the investigation, it added. Witnesses reported hearing a deafening explosion and seeing a large cloud of smoke near the inspections station. Ivan Vitalii, a visitor from Ukraine, told the Niagara Gazette he and a friend were at a nearby convenience store on the US side when they saw a car exit a parking lot and travel toward the bridge. “We heard something smash,” he said. “We saw fire and big, black smoke.” Ron Rienas, of the Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority, told ABC News all four bridges connecting the two countries over the Niagara River have been closed. Dramatic images posted to social media, which AFP has not verified, purported to show thick plumes of black smoke rising from a large conflagration at the crossing. Source:https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1131507-two-killed-in-car-explosion-at-niagara-border-prompting-terrorism-task-force-response

RAWALPINDI: Two former officers of the Pakistan Army, Major (retd) Adil Farooq Raja and Captain (retd) Haider Raza Mehdi, were Saturday convicted and sentenced through Field General Court Martial (FGCM) under the Pakistan Army Act, 1952 for “inciting sedition”, the Inter-Services Public Relations said in a statement. According to the military’s media wing, the two retired officers have been charged with inciting sedition among army personnel from the discharge of duties and violation of the provisions of the Official Secrets Act, 1923 related to espionage and acts prejudicial to the safety and interest of the state. Raja has been sentenced to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment, while Mehdi was awarded 12 years of rigorous imprisonment. The court of competent jurisdiction, the ISPR said, convicted and adjudged both the individuals on October 7 and 9 this year, through the due judicial process. “Pursuant to the awarded sentence, the ranks of both officers have been forfeited on 21 November 2023,” the ISPR stated. Both the court-martialled former servicemen are based outside Pakistan at the moment. ‘Military trials of civilians start’ Senior journalist Mazhar Abbas, while speaking to Geo News, said both convicted officers were introduced to the public through social media. “If you watch their vlogs, they talked about the Pakistan Army, and especially the vlogs after May 9 targeted the establishment. In journalism we say that negativity always sells which can be seen [in their vlogs],” said Abbas. He said that he believes this is the beginning of the trials of people who were convicted after May 9 in military courts. “I believe that this is the start of military trials of the civilians. So far, we don’t know how many other retired officers are under custody or are being court-martialled. However, I believe this is the start of the hearing of the people who were charged after the May 9 violence and we can expect that their trials will be fast-paced no matter if they are held in civilian or anti-terrorism courts. I believe that these cases will be concluded very soon,” added the senior journalist. ‘Clear message’ to saboteurs National Security expert Syed Muhammad Ali said that these punishments hold much importance as both of the convicts are retired army officers who escaped from the country and had a lot of corruption cases filed against them. “They started a campaign on social media to keep the attention away from their cases. Through this campaign, they spread hateful and fake propaganda against the army by sitting abroad,” Ali said while speaking to Geo News. “There are four important aspects of the national security in this regard. One of them is that their whole narrative from the last two years is to incite hatred and sedition among the people against the army and to damage the trust they have in the armed forces,” he mentioned. Their second goal, the expert added, was to spread misconception and sedition against the military among the army personnel and the third was to cover their corruption cases. The fourth one is that both these officers belonged to a family which had a lot of members in the army, he stated. “This is very embarrassing and a big mark on their families’ sacrifices. They were given multiple chances to defend themselves in the last couple of years, however, they did not come forward to defend themselves as all the proofs were available against them,” he added. “These punishments are important to maintain the morale of the rank and file of the army, to maintain discipline and to tell the people that if people within the army act against their institution, harm the national security, or promote foreign agenda then they will also be punished.” “But their case cannot be completely viewed in relation to the May 9 as since the last two years, almost every single one of their vlogs was to spread hatred against the army, mutiny among army personnel, malign the army, and harm Pakistan’s name internationally,” he added. When asked if they will be called back to Pakistan through Interpol, Ali said that the process has already been started as steps have been taken regarding their passports and ID cards. “Their red warrants will be issued through Interpol and they will be extradited to Pakistan so that they can be punished,” he said. Source:https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1132360-two-former-pak-army-officers-sentenced-for-inciting-sedition-ispr

Displaced Palestinians used short pause in fighting to return to their homes, only to find utter destruction. More prisoners and captives are set for release on the second day of four-day truce between Hamas and Israel, as humanitarian aid trucks arrive in northern Gaza. Thirty-nine Palestinians and 13 Israelis were welcomed home after release from Israeli prisons and captivity in Gaza, respectively. Ten Thais and one Filipino were also freed from Gaza and will soon be travelling home. More than 14,800 Palestinians, including 6,150 children, have been killed in Gaza since October 7. In Israel, the official death toll from Hamas’s attack stands at 1,200. What to know about the release of prisoners and captives now We are awaiting the release of a further Palestinian prisoners in Israel and captives being held in Gaza. It’s expected to be completed within the coming hours. Here’s what to know: Between 39 and 42 Palestinians held in Israeli jails are expected to be freed today. Fourteen captives held in Gaza are also expected to be handed to the Red Cross as part of their transfer to Israel. The exact timing of the releases is not yet clear. Yesterday, 39 Palestinian prisoners and 13 Israeli captives were released under the truce agreement. Hamas also released an additional 10 Thai nationals and one Philippine citizen outside the framework of that deal. Central Gaza market crowded with people Shoppers have flooded the Nuseirat market in the central Gaza Strip on the second day of the truce in order to secure much-needed food supplies. Photojournalist Attia Darwish captured the scenes in this video verified by Al Jazeera: PRCS delivers ‘largest’ batch of aid assistance to northern Gaza since war began The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said on social media that it had delivered a convoy of 61 trucks carrying aid assistance to “Gaza [City] and the North governates”, calling it the largest such delivery since the war began on October 7. The Gaza Strip is divided into five governorates: North Gaza, Gaza City, Deir el-Balah, Khan Younis and Rafah. The trucks were “loaded with food and non-food items, water, primary health care medicines, and emergency medical supplies,” the PRCS said on X. More than two million in Gaza need food assistance As part of the four-day truce deal between Hamas and Israel, 137 aid trucks entered Gaza on Friday. However, aid agencies say much more is needed to assist the 2.3 million people living in the besieged enclave, calling the conditions on the ground “catastrophic”. Here is a summary of the humanitarian situation in Gaza: More than 1.7 million people have been forcibly displaced. Many are seeking safety in UN schools and shelters, which are experiencing severe overcrowding. The United Nations says some 2.2 million people need food assistance to survive. More than 44,000 cases of diarrhoea and 70,000 cases of respiratory infections have been reported. Gaza civilians facing immediate risk of starvation: WFP Click Three lessons from day one of the truce Sultan Barakat, professor of Public Policy at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, told Al Jazeera that one thing learned from the first day of the temporary pause in fighting is that much of what was accomplished could have been “achieved without having to kill 14,000 people”. “And that’s lesson number one. They could have talked … and they could have resolved these issues without having to unleash this whole damage on Gaza,” he said, adding that from the beginning of the war, Hamas said they were willing to release captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Another lesson from the truce, Barakat said, is that it showed the similarities between captives taken by Hamas and Palestinian prisoners in Israel. Israel has “now released 17 minors, in Israel’s definition, children, that were captured by Israel over the last couple of years without going on trial. What’s the difference between them and other children being taken hostages [by Hamas]?” he said. The third lesson learned, according to Barakat, is that the exchange has highlighted that none of the prisoners released by Israel were “necessarily associated directly with Hamas”. “None of these people released by Israel have been caught after the 7th of October. They’re all a long-term issue in relation to the occupation,” he said. “And I think what Hamas is also trying to score here is that most of them are returning to the West Bank. None of them is returning to territories that are under control of Hamas.” Click here to share on social media Dozens of people have gathered outside the office of Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles in Geelong to protest against the government’s stance on Israel’s war on Gaza. The protesters wrote  “Shame on you” on the exterior wall of the office, where they also placed the Palestinian flag. Australia’s centre-left Labor government, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, has been opposing calls for a ceasefire. Meanwhile earlier this month, Palestinian and Australian human rights organisations launched a legal challenge in Australia’s high court seeking to shed light on the country’s shadowy arms trade. Committee to press for permanent ceasefire at upcoming UNSC Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi says “security will only be achieved” by settling the conflict and the two-state solution. “Israel will not enjoy security by killing the Palestinians,” he said during a joint news conference with his Portuguese and Slovenian counterparts, Joao Gomez Cravinho, and Tanja Fajon. “This year is considered the bloodiest for Palestinians in more than 10 years,” Safadi added. He said at the upcoming UN Security Council meeting on Wednesday, the Arab-Islamic Liaison Committee will press for a permanent ceasefire. “Israel attacks anyone who does not agree with its policy, and it cannot remain above international law. We all want this truce to turn into a permanent ceasefire and a complete end to this aggression,” Safadi added. “If this decision is not taken, the Security Council is responsible for perpetuating this barbarity represented by the Israeli aggression against our people in Gaza.” Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi [Mazen Mahdi/AFP] Click

Seeing no end to insurgency in their own country, Afghan immigrants living in Pakistan for the past many years were hoping that they would become Pakistani nationals one day, however their dreams shattered as the current caretaker government suddenly decided to send them back to Afghanistan. Journalist Zia Ur Rehman made this remark during a talk at the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) on Thursday. Rehman along with economist Uzair Younus and lawyer Abira Ashfaq was on a panel for a discussion titled ‘No country to call home: Behind Pakistan’s expulsion of Afghan refugees’ moderated by IBA lecturer Yumna Fatima. The journalist shared the story of an Afghan immigrant man who went to buy vegetables but was stopped by police in the market for checking his identity document, which he did not carry, and was consequently forced to sit in a bus and sent along with other persons caught in a similar manner to the Chaman border for deportation to Afghanistan. “The man did not have any money and he contacted his family from Chaman and told them about the incident,” Rehman said, adding that in many Afghan immigrant families living in the country, some members are documented and some are undocumented, and the government’s repatriation drive have been dividing many such families. Besides immigrants, he added, there was another category of Afghan people, including former law enforcement and security personnel and journalists who arrived in Pakistan a couple of years ago on visas to escape persecution at the hands of Taliban, but now their visas were not being extended. He said that stereotyping against Afghan immigrants had been taking place for long now and because of this, divisions were formed even in the civil society on the issue. The journalist said the authorities had warned landlords in many parts of the country not to rent out their places to Afghan immigrants or else they would face legal action. Abira was of the view that a narrative had been built to scapegoat Afghan immigrants for the failure of the authorities to curb crime and maintain governance. She called the ongoing repatriation drive an imperialist adventure. She added that many Sindhi and Baloch nationalists were divided on this issue, with some supporting the government’s deportation move while others opposing it. She said that instead of talking about the mining for petroleum and minerals happening in parts of Sindh and Balochistan causing harm to the environment and indigenous people, people had been indoctrinated through mass media to accept the state’s narrative. She advised the audience to look at things from a decolonisation lens. She said that Afghan immigrants were not allowed to go to public educational institutions, but they could opt for private ones if they could afford them. She remarked that this reeked of an institutional discrimination and a ‘racial apartheid’ against Afghan immigrants, even though they did contribute to the country’s economy through taxes. The lawyer said Pakistan’s immigration law had problems that led to structural discrimination. She maintained that there was currently no law that could protect Afghan immigrants from deportation, even those who were born in the country and lived here for generations. She asked the young audience to resist such moves, or else morality in society may die forever. Younus said that Afghan immigrants were being punished because a superpower, from which he apparently meant the US, was a bit salty over what happened to it in Afghanistan in the past 20 years. He said that Afghans were out of their country because they did not want to live under the Taliban rule, and now unfortunately were being forced towards it. He said the Taliban government in Afghanistan was running a budget deficit of USD8 billion annually with no access to international support. He opined that they would rely on drug trade and taxation on trade at border. He feared that they may also react aggressively through the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan against Pakistan to maintain coherence in their society. The economist said that anecdotal data suggested that Afghan immigrants worked in labour-intensive fields in Pakistan, with investments in local business. He added that when you expropriate business, it affected the economy negatively. He lamented tjat although Afghan immigrants contributed positively to the economy, a polling data showed deportation drive as a popular policy choice. He said that even in a half-decent democracy, this repatriation policy would have been discussed in Parliament before being implemented. Source:https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1131946-afghans-in-pakistan-wanted-to-escape-taliban-rule-but-we-shattered-their-hopes

An Australian warship has sailed through the Taiwan Strait, the sensitive and narrow waterway that separates Taiwan from China, provoking a warning from Beijing. Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence did not name the ship in a statement released on Friday but said it entered the strait the previous day and sailed through in a southerly direction. Taiwan’s military kept watch throughout, the statement added without giving details. end of list An Australian official, quoted by the Reuters news agency, confirmed that the Toowoomba frigate had transited the international waters of the Taiwan Strait as part of a regional deployment. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the country’s position on the issue has been “consistent and clear”. “We urge the parties concerned to refrain from taking provocative actions and causing trouble towards the peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait,” ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said in a regular briefing. The sailing came at a difficult time in Australian-Chinese relations even as the two countries seek to get their ties back on track. Last week, Canberra complained of an incident involving a Chinese warship and the same Australian navy vessel in Japan’s exclusive economic zone, in which an Australian military diver was injured. ‘Routine’ US transits The US navy sends ships through the strait about once a month in what it calls “routine” transits. China also routinely objects to the voyages. Euan Graham, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said the Australian navy has regularly transited through the Taiwan Strait but “chooses not to publicise it”. The analyst told Reuters that the Australian navy uses the Taiwan Strait because it is the shortest route between the East China Sea and South China Sea, and he warned against reading too much into the timing of the latest sailing. “It’s a befitting coincidence but shouldn’t be misinterpreted as Australia going out of its way to make a point to China after the [earlier] incident,” he said. “Transits through the Taiwan Strait shouldn’t be controversial, just lawfully going from the East China Sea to the South China Sea via the shortest route.” Taiwan has complained over the past four years of repeated Chinese military activity around the the democratically governed island, especially in the strait. China considers Taiwan a breakaway province. Taiwan, which rejects China’s sovereignty claims, is gearing up for presidential and parliamentary elections on January 13. Source:https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/11/24/australian-warship-sails-through-taiwan

After seven weeks of war, Palestinians in bombarded Gaza welcome first truce agreed by Hamas and Israel with mixed feelings. Under the Qatar-mediated deal for a four-day pause, 39 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails and 13 captives in Gaza expected to be released in the coming hours, with aid trucks also crossing into Gaza. Gaza endures another night of heavy bombardment from air, land, and sea ahead of the start of the truce, while Israeli military raids continue across the occupied West Bank. More than 14,800 people killed in Gaza since October 7. In Israel, the official death toll from Hamas’s attacks stands at about 1,200. Palestinians shot by the Israeli army Many displaced Palestinians have attempted to reach their homes in northern Gaza, despite the Israeli military’s warnings. At least two people were shot and killed by Israeli troops and another 11 were wounded in the legs, according to AP. A journalist with the news agency saw the two bodies and the wounded as they arrived at a hospital. [Adel Hana/AP Photo] [Adel Hana/AP Photo] [Adel Hana/AP Photo] [Adel Hana/AP Photo] Click here to share on social media Photos: Israeli forces warn Palestinians against moving to the north This leaflet was dropped on Rafah in southern Gaza says the war is not over yet and calls northern Gaza a combat zone. [Abed Zagout/Anadolu via Getty Images] [Abed Zagout/Anadolu via Getty Images] [Abed Zagout/Anadolu via Getty Images] Israel says preparations for receiving captives completed The army says it has prepared several locations dedicated to the initial reception of the released captives, including with necessary medical provisions and support. “After the initial reception and medical treatment, the released hostages will continue to hospitals, where they will be reunited with their families,” it said in a statement. The Israeli army added that four helicopters with medical teams and soldiers on board will be tasked with completing the return of the captives after their reception. Click here to share on social media Hamas open to releasing more civilian captives including men Ghazi Hamad, member of Hamas’s political bureau, says the group is open to negotiating to release even more civilian captives currently held in Gaza, including men. However, in regards to Israeli soldiers held captive, Hamad told Al Jazeera, “This is another story”. “At this phase, we are talking about the civilian hostages. Regarding others, we are looking for a comprehensive swap and exchange to release all [7,200] prisoners in Israeli detention centres. This is our goal and aim,” Hamad said. “But we will wait and see. We have full patience, power and energy to do that … Israel must release all the prisoners, and we are ready to release the Israeli soldiers.” Click here to share on social media Click here to share on social media Foreign minister says unable to confirm if Thai captives will be freed Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara says he has not been able to confirm if the 23 Thai workers held as captives in Gaza are set to be released. Thailand’s foreign minister said preparations to receive the hostages if and when they are released are under way. Bahiddha-Nukara’s Iranian counterpart, serving as an intermediary with Hamas, told him there would be “good news soon”. He said Qatari officials, who mediated the truce agreement, will have a meeting about the matter, and by this afternoon, Thai officials are expecting to know more. A woman cycles next to a billboard calling for the return of the hostage in Tel Aviv, Israel [Ohad Zwigenberg/AP Photo] Click here to share on social media Where things stand right now It’s 12:25pm (10:25 GMT) in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel, and these are the most significant developments in the past few hours: Displaced Palestinians are trying to get to their homes but Israel says movement to northern Gaza is not allowed. Gaza residents say their happiness about the pause in Israeli attacks is accompanied by feelings of grief and uncertainty about the future. Trucks carrying humanitarian aid, including tankers with fuel and cooking gas, are moving into Gaza from Rafah crossing. Families of Palestinian prisoners and captives held in Gaza wait for news of their loved ones ahead of expected release later on Friday of 39 and 13 people, respectively. Palestinians try to cross back into northern Gaza as an Israeli tank blocks the Salah al-Din road in the central Gaza Strip Source:https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2023/11/24/israel-hamas-war-live-israel-continues-gaza-attacks-ahead-of-truce.

ISLAMABAD/RISALPUR – Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Tuesday said peace in the region could not be guaranteed till the resolution of the dispute of Jammu and Kashmir between Pakistan and India. “Let me make it clear that there can be no peace without the settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir issue,” he said in his address at the graduation ceremony of the officers here at the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Academy Asghar Khan. PM Kakar said Pakistan was a peace-loving nation and wished to maintain friendly relations with all countries, especially its neighbours. He, however, categorically stated that the country’s desire for peace “must not be understood as weakness”. The prime minister strongly condemned the ongoing grave human rights situation in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). Pakistan, he said, would not indulge in any arm race but would continue to enhance its capability in line with evolving technology to deter any aggression. The prime minis­ter highlighted that the rapidly changing geo-strategic environ­ment had a profound impact on Pakistan and rest of the region. No plans for electoral alliance with PTI, says PPP “Therefore, the situation de­mands advancements in space networks, cyber technology, nano technology and artificial in­telligence,” he said. He expressed satisfaction that PAF modernised itself though smart induction of cutting-edge niche technol­ogy and achieved great prog­ress in cyber space and non-con­tact warfare through indigenous means. PM Kakar termed the Armed Forces of Pakistan as pro­fessionally competent and well-trained to cope with all internal and external challenges. “The nation holds our Armed Forc­es in high esteem for the sacri­fices they rendered for national defence and for their contribu­tion towards nation-building,” he said. He mentioned that the country’s brave Armed Forces always showed great courage during testing times to keep the national flag high. “I assure you that as a na­tion we have surmounted chal­lenges in the past and Insha’Al­lah, we will do so in future and make the country prosperous,” he said. The prime minister con­gratulated the cadets graduated from the colleges of flying train­ing and aeronautical engineer­ing and expressed confidence that they would give their best professional performance with commitment and diligence. “Be­ing the custodians of the PAF, you carry the hopes of this na­tion and must work hard to keep abreast with modern technolo­gy and trends related to modern warfare,” he told the graduates. Imam-e-Kaaba urges world community to stop Gaza crimes The PAF graduates includ­ed 148 General Duty Pilots, 94 Aeronautical Engineers, 104 air defence and 130 of combat support course officers. Earlier, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu received the prime min­ister on the venue. Bugles were blown when PM Kakar as chief guest of the ceremony entered the arena. The prime minis­ter onboard a PAF jeep inspect­ed the formation of the smart­ly turned out contingents of the PAF falcons. He awarded the prestigious Quaid-e-Azam Banner to the Champions No. 3 Squadron on its consistently best perfor­mance in all semesters. The prime minister also pinned badges on the professional­ly distinguished graduating ca­dets. The Chief of the Air Staff tro­phies for best performance were given to Muhammad Moo­sa Jawad (best pilot), Muham­mad Ali Gohar (general avia­tion), Sajid Sikandar Abbas (air defence), Syed Saad Ali (com­bat support) and Sohaib Saeed (aeronautical engineering). ECP to release final list of constituencies on Nov 30 The Swords of Honour were awarded to Aviation Cadets Ahmed Malik (flying) and Sohaib Saeed (engineering). The prime minister witnessed a thrilling fly-past of the formations of PAF jets including Mirage, F-7P, JF-17 Thunder and J-10C. Source: https://www.nation.com.pk/22-Nov-2023/v

NEW YORK: US-Canada border crossings near Niagara Falls were closed Wednesday as terrorism investigators responded to a vehicle explosion at Rainbow Bridge, local and state authorities said. Two people were killed in the blast, according to US media citing authorities. Their identities were not yet clear. The cause of the incident was not immediately clear but New York Governor Kathy Hochul said state police and the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force were monitoring all points of entry into the state. US media cited law enforcement sources as saying there were two people in the car, which had passed through one border checkpoint where it was selected for a secondary check. The car then sped up, crashed into a barrier and exploded, the sources said, stressing it was unclear if the blast was the result of a device. “I am traveling to Buffalo to meet with law enforcement and emergency responders and will update New Yorkers when more information becomes available,” Hochul posted on social media. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau´s office said he had been briefed and was in contact with US law enforcement. Multiple Canadian agencies were supporting the investigation, it added. Witnesses reported hearing a deafening explosion and seeing a large cloud of smoke near the inspections station. Ivan Vitalii, a visitor from Ukraine, told the Niagara Gazette he and a friend were at a nearby convenience store on the US side when they saw a car exit a parking lot and travel toward the bridge. “We heard something smash,” he said. “We saw fire and big, black smoke.” Ron Rienas, of the Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority, told ABC News all four bridges connecting the two countries over the Niagara River have been closed. Dramatic images posted to social media, which AFP has not verified, purported to show thick plumes of black smoke rising from a large conflagration at the crossing. Source: https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1131507-two-killed-in-car-explosion-at-niagara-border-prompting-terrorism-task-force-response

Israel intensified its attacks across the Gaza Strip late Wednesday shortly before a humanitarian pause in fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas fighters was set to take effect. The Israeli army struck several areas across the Gaza Strip, particularly in the northern parts, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported. It said a number of people were killed in a series of Israeli airstrikes on residential homes in the Nuseirat refugee camp. The agency cited local sources as saying that Israeli artillery bombed the vicinity of Khalifa School in Beit Lahia in northern Gaza, which is home to more than 8,000 displaced people, leaving many injured. In Gaza City, Israeli warplanes struck the Sheikh Ridwan and Shejaiya neighborhoods. Artillery shelling was also reported in Al-Fukhari east of Khan Younis in the southern the Gaza Strip and another airstrike on a home in Rafah which left at least three people injured, WAFA said. The latest attacks come as a humanitarian pause is expected to come into effect as a result of Qatari, Egyptian and US mediation between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. Source: https://www.nation.com.pk/23-Nov-2023/israel-intensifies-attacks-across-gaza-ahead-of-humanitarian-pause