Britain ‘deeply concerned’ by Israel’s operation in occupied West Bank

Palestinians assess the damage at the scene of an Israeli strike on a car near Jenin in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. (File/Reuters)
Palestinians assess the damage at the scene of an Israeli strike on a car near Jenin in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. (File/Reuters)
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Updated 30 August 2024

Britain ‘deeply concerned’ by Israel’s operation in occupied West Bank

Britain ‘deeply concerned’ by Israel’s operation in occupied West Bank
  • More than 660 people — combatants and civilians — have been killed
  • Israeli troops killed a local commander of the Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad movement in the West Bank and four other militants

LONDON: The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said on Friday it was “deeply concerned” by Israel’s military operation in the occupied West Bank.

An FCDO statement said it defended Israel’s right to self-defense but urged restraint in its methods in the Palestinian territory.

“We recognize Israel’s need to defend itself against security threats, but we are deeply worried by the methods Israel has employed and by reports of civilian casualties and the destruction of civilian infrastructure,” it said.

“The risk of instability is serious and the need for de-escalation urgent. We continue to call on Israeli authorities to exercise restraint, adhere to international law, and clamp down on the actions of those who seek to inflame tensions.

“The UK strongly condemns settler violence and inciteful remarks such as those made by Israel’s National Security Minister (Itamar) Ben-Gvir, which threaten the status-quo of the Holy Sites in Jerusalem.

“It is in no one’s interest for further conflict and instability to spread in the West Bank,” it added.

On Friday the Israeli military said it killed a local Hamas commander in the West Bank city of Jenin as it continued its major operation in the territory for a third day.

At least 17 Palestinians have been killed since Wednesday, including the local commander of the Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad forces in Tulkarm.


South Sudan’s president fires finance minister, seventh since 2020

South Sudan’s president fires finance minister, seventh since 2020
Updated 6 sec ago

South Sudan’s president fires finance minister, seventh since 2020

South Sudan’s president fires finance minister, seventh since 2020
  • South Sudan’s economic performance has faced hurdles in recent years amid communal violence, with crude oil export revenue having dwindled since the 2013-2018 civil war

NAIROBI, Aug 22 : South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has fired the country’s finance minister, state-owned radio announced, the seventh replacement to the position since 2020.
Kiir gave no reason for firing Marial Dongrin Ater, who had held the post since July 2024. State radio said late on Thursday that Athian Ding Athian would take up the position, which he previously held between 2020 and 2021.
Kiir also fired the minister in charge of investment, the radio reported.
South Sudan’s economic performance has faced hurdles in recent years amid communal violence, with crude oil export revenue having dwindled since a 2013-2018 civil war and more recently export disruptions due to war in neighboring Sudan.
The International Monetary Fund forecasts a 4.3 percent contraction of the economy for 2025, and inflation of 65.7 percent for the same period.
Kiir became South Sudan’s first president in 2011 when it gained independence from Sudan.
In March, First Vice President Riek Machar was put under house arrest, eliciting fears of renewed conflict.
Information Minister Michael Makuei said the arrest was due to Machar contacting his supporters and “agitating them to rebel against the government with the aim of disrupting peace so that elections are not held and South Sudan goes back to war.”
Machar’s party denies the accusations.


India’s top court modifies earlier order to move stray dogs to shelters

India’s top court modifies earlier order to move stray dogs to shelters
Updated 45 min 6 sec ago

India’s top court modifies earlier order to move stray dogs to shelters

India’s top court modifies earlier order to move stray dogs to shelters
  • Animal lovers had filed an appeal against the Supreme Court’s earlier order
  • The court’s decision to relocate them had drawn criticism over its implementation

NEW DELHI: India’s top court modified its earlier ruling in a case involving stray dogs on Friday, ordering authorities in capital Delhi and its suburbs to release picked-up dogs in the same area after sterilization and immunization.
Animal lovers had filed an appeal against the Supreme Court’s earlier order to authorities to relocate all stray dogs to shelters after media reports of a rise in cases of rabies, especially among children.
The decision to relocate them had drawn criticism over its implementation, citing lack of infrastructure and medical treatment. Many animal lovers took to the streets to protest against the order.


China’s Coast Guard warns Philippines to immediately cease ‘provocations’

China’s Coast Guard warns Philippines to immediately cease ‘provocations’
Updated 22 August 2025

China’s Coast Guard warns Philippines to immediately cease ‘provocations’

China’s Coast Guard warns Philippines to immediately cease ‘provocations’
  • Chinese Coast Guard would carry out protection of rights and law enforcement in the waters of Second Thomas Shoal in accordance with the law

HONG KONG: China’s Coast Guard spokesperson Gan Yu warned the Philippines on Friday to immediately cease “provocations and hype,” saying that its vessels approached a Chinese Coast Guard ship “in an unprofessional and dangerous manner.”
The Chinese Coast Guard would carry out protection of rights and law enforcement in the waters of Second Thomas Shoal in accordance with the law, safeguarding national sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, its spokesman said.
The Philippine embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to an emailed query about the incident.


Car bomb and attack on a helicopter in Colombia kill at least 17, including police officers

Car bomb and attack on a helicopter in Colombia kill at least 17, including police officers
Updated 22 August 2025

Car bomb and attack on a helicopter in Colombia kill at least 17, including police officers

Car bomb and attack on a helicopter in Colombia kill at least 17, including police officers
  • The Antioquia governor had said on X that a drone attacked the helicopter as it flew over coca leaf crops
  • At least 12 police officers died in the attack on a helicopter that according to authorities was transporting personnel to an area in Antioquia in northern Colombia

BOGOTA: A car bomb and a separate attack on a police helicopter in Colombia killed at least 17 people Thursday, according to authorities. President Gustavo Petro attributed both attacks to dissidents of the defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, commonly known as FARC.
At least 12 police officers died in the attack on a helicopter that according to authorities was transporting personnel to an area in Antioquia in northern Colombia, to eradicate coca leaf crops, the raw material for cocaine. Petro had reported initially eight officers killed, but Antioquia Gov. Andrés Julián said four others died later and three remain injured.
The Antioquia governor had said on X that a drone attacked the helicopter as it flew over coca leaf crops. Colombian Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez said preliminary information indicates the attack caused a fire in the aircraft.
Meanwhile, authorities in the southwest city of Cali reported that a vehicle loaded with explosives detonated near a military aviation school, killing five people and injuring more than 30. The Colombian air force did not immediately provide additional details of the explosion.
Petro initially blamed the Gulf Clan, the country’s largest active drug cartel, for the attack on the helicopter. He said the aircraft was targeted in retaliation for a cocaine seizure that allegedly belonged to the group.
The president said an alleged member of the dissident group was arrested in the area of the explosion.
FARC dissidents, who rejected a peace agreement with the government in 2016, and members of the Gulf Clan both operate in Antioquia.
Coca leaf cultivation is on the rise in Colombia. The area under cultivation reached a record 253,000 hectares in 2023, according to the latest report available from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.


Another US military mini shuttle launches on a secret mission

Another US military mini shuttle launches on a secret mission
Updated 22 August 2025

Another US military mini shuttle launches on a secret mission

Another US military mini shuttle launches on a secret mission
  • Launched by SpaceX, the space plane with no one aboard took off from Cape Canaveral, Florida
  • It is the eighth such flight for the test vehicles known as X-37B

Another US military mini shuttle blasted off Thursday night to conduct classified experiments in space.
Launched by SpaceX, the space plane with no one aboard took off from Cape Canaveral, Florida. It’s the eighth such flight for the test vehicles known as X-37B. This one will test laser communications and safe navigation without GPS, according to the US Space Force.
It’s not yet clear how long the mini shuttle will remain aloft. The last X-37B circled the globe for a little over a year before returning to Earth in March. Previous missions have lasted months to years.
The Boeing-made reusable space planes were first launched in 2010 and are 9 meters long with a wingspan of almost 4.5 meters.