Three people have been arrested in Sri Lanka on suspicion of plotting an attack against Israeli tourists in the eastern coast surfing resort of Arugam Bay, Public Security Minister Vijitha Herath said on Thursday, October 24. He said all the three suspects arrested by the Terrorism Investigation Division of the police are Sri Lankan nationals. The accused are being interrogated to ascertain if they had a plan to carry out the attack targeting Israelis, news agency PTI stated, quoting the minister. Responding to the opposition's criticism that the public was not informed about the threat until the United States (US) embassy issued its travel advisory, he said, "We did not inform the public until the information could be verified." The minister added that the government had taken swift action to provide security at all coastal areas and tourism sites in Sri Lanka after receiving the information. According to Herath, adequate measures have been put in place to ensure the safety of all tourists and also informed that US Ambassador Julie Chung had informed the government of the travel advisory on the Arugam Bay security situation. According to PTI, the US had warned its citizens to avoid the popular tourists' resort on the eastern coast until further notice. Security has been stepped up in the region. Earlier, the police announced the arrest of two people. The arrests came following an alert from Indian intelligence which stated that the attack could take place between October 19 and 23, they said. On Wednesday, the US embassy and the British High Commission in Colombo issued statements warning their citizens that they had received credible information targeting Arugam Bay and urged tourists to avoid the area until further notice. Meanwhile, the police in Sri Lanka said that the security net has been extended to the southern coast and the southeastern resort areas. Sri Lanka's Muslim minority groups have condemned the wars in Gaza and Lebanon by holding continuous anti-Israel protests, reported PTI. Several posts have appeared on social media calling for a boycott of Israeli businesses on the east coast. The police vowed to accord protection to all foreign nationals. A hotline has been set up for tourists to alert authorities of any suspicious activities. (With PTI inputs)
24 October,2024 08:42 PM IST | Colombo | mid-day online correspondentFrance is hosting an international conference in Paris on Thursday to rally military and humanitarian support for Lebanon, according to AP. The conference aims to address the effects of the ongoing conflict between Hezbollah militants and Israel, which has resulted in over 2,500 deaths and the displacement of a million people. This conflict has also deepened Lebanon’s economic crisis, making the situation more dire. The main objective of the conference is to gather aid to help alleviate the humanitarian crisis and strengthen Lebanon’s sovereignty and institutions. Lebanon has been without a president for two years, as political factions struggle to agree on a successor. The country also faces the challenge of Hezbollah, which operates as a state within a state, controlling significant areas of Lebanon, including military and political affairs. France’s historical ties with Lebanon, a former French colony, give it a strong position to lead these international efforts. According to AP reports, Rym Montaz, a Middle East expert and editor in chief of Carnegie Europe's blog Strategic Europe, said that Paris is playing a critical role in coordinating a response to the immense challenges Lebanon is facing. Montaz highlighted that international donors will hear directly from Lebanese representatives, who can explain the most pressing needs. The war, which has seen Israel launch extensive airstrikes and a ground invasion targeting Hezbollah, has severely impacted Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, and other regions. According to the International Organisation for Migration, around 800,000 people have been displaced within Lebanon, with many seeking shelter in overcrowded facilities, and others fleeing to Syria. The Lebanese government, already crippled by years of economic hardship, is ill-equipped to handle the pressure on its healthcare system, and several hospitals have been evacuated due to nearby airstrikes, as per AP. Recently, French President Emmanuel Macron has been more outspoken, repeatedly calling for a ceasefire in both Lebanon and Gaza, and condemning the high human toll. His criticism of Israeli actions, including a call to halt arms exports intended for Gaza, has created tensions between France and Israel. Macron has also condemned what he described as Israel’s “deliberate” targeting of UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, which Israel has denied, according to AP. The conference is set to include ministers and officials from over 70 countries and international organisations, including the European Union. Acting Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati will also attend, having met with Macron earlier in the week. French organisers hope to secure pledges to meet the United Nations’ request for $426 million in humanitarian aid for Lebanon. They also aim to coordinate international support for Lebanon’s armed forces, hoping to strengthen the army’s presence in the south as part of any potential peace agreement. Lebanon’s army, which has around 80,000 troops, is severely underfunded and under-resourced, following years of economic decline. In contrast, Hezbollah, backed by Iran, has over 100,000 fighters and a more advanced arsenal. Strengthening Lebanon’s military would enable better deployment in the south and could encourage Hezbollah to withdraw from the border region, according to AP. Participants at the conference will also discuss support for the UN peacekeeping mission, UNIFIL, with plans to enhance its role. France and other European nations currently contribute about a third of UNIFIL’s forces. As Montaz noted, “Without stronger Lebanese armed forces and UNIFIL, sustainable peace and stability at the border between Lebanon and Israel cannot be achieved,” as per AP reports. (With inputs from AP)
24 October,2024 11:30 AM IST | ParisFinance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday underscored the need for a roadmap for reforms of Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) to deal with the growing needs of emerging economies. "The Bretton Woods institutions should not allow themselves to have a 'Mission Drift' and should address it. IMF resources will have to be available for all countries," Sitharaman said during a panel discussion organised by the Centre for Global Development. The minister arrived here on Tuesday afternoon to attend the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. The Bretton Woods Institutions are the IMF and the World Bank Group, established in 1944 at a conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire in the US. "We need to have a roadmap for concrete reform-based steps to be initiated. We started it during our G20 Presidency after a lot of thinking and introspection. A shift in thinking of Bretton Woods institutions to meet the needs of the next decade is absolutely necessary," she said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi once said India's priority is not to impose its dominance, she said, adding that India has followed the policy of strategic and peaceful multilateralism and the country has always stood in favour of multilateral institutions. Multilateral institutions should focus on their core competencies and strengthen themselves for the global good, she said. "Shaping the future is one very ambitious goal which we need to follow and we need to have Bretton Woods institutions work on that," she said. Pointing towards the slow and lengthy process adopted by the IMF, the minister said that much before the IMF reaches some countries in the neighbourhood in times of distress, India has given sums of money with no conditions attached. "We have extended 'Line of Credit' at highly discounted rates to many African countries for building their institutions, bridges, railway stations, ports and secretariats. We will continue to do it because we think the Global South is with us, we want to be with them and help them," she said. Ownership doesn't only come with just quantum of money being given, she said, adding that it can also come when decisions are made in consultations, when decisions can be transparent and made to benefit the recipient and not so uni-focused on the donor. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
24 October,2024 09:51 AM IST | Washington | PTIAt least five people have been killed and 22 others were injured in an attack on the headquarters of Turkiye's aerospace and defence company Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAS) near Ankara on Wednesday, Al Jazeera reported citing Turkiye's Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya. In a post on X, Ali Yerlikaya stated, "Two terrorists were neutralised" in the incident. He stated, "Sadly, we have 5 martyrs and 22 wounded in the attack. Three of the injured were already discharged from hospital, 19 of them under treatment." At the time of the attack, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was holding talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Erdogan condemned what he termed a "heinous terrorist attack," Al Jazeera reported. Footage from the site of the incident broadcast by local media just after the attack that took place at 3:30 pm (local time) showed huge clouds of smoke and a large fire raging at the site in Kahramankazan. A loud explosion occurred at the site and there was subsequent gunfire, according to local media reports. Security camera images from the attack shown by broadcasters showed a man carrying a backpack and holding an assault rifle. The pictures also seemed to show a woman carrying a weapon. So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the attack. However, Turkiye's Justice Minister said that a probe has been initiated. Yerlikaya stressed that the attack was "probably linked" to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been involved in a decades-long insurgency against the government, according to Al Jazeera report. Yerlikaya said, "The identification process and the search for fingerprints are continuing and we will say which terrorist organisation was behind the attack," adding that "the way in which this action was carried out is very probably linked to the PKK." Earlier this week, the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader, who belongs to Erdogan's ruling coalition, invited jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan to address parliament to announce his movement's dissolution, Al Jazeera reported. Turkish lawmakers and world leaders have condemned the attack. At the start of his meeting with Erdogan in Kazan on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit, Putin offered his "condolences in connection with the terror attack." North Atlantic Treaty Alliance (NATO) Secretary-General Mark Rutte offered support to Turkiye. In a post on X, Rutte wrote, "Deeply concerning reports of dead and wounded in Ankara. #NATO stands with our Ally #Turkey. We strongly condemn terrorism in all its forms and are monitoring developments closely." Footage from the site of the incident broadcast by local media just after the attack that took place at 3:30 pm (local time) showed huge clouds of smoke and a large fire raging at the site in Kahramankazan. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
24 October,2024 09:49 AM IST | Ankara (Turkiye) | ANIVice President Kamala Harris, who is the presidential nominee of the ruling Democratic party, plans to make a closing argument of the electrifying election campaign at the iconic Ellipse, the park just outside the White House on October 29, exactly a week ahead of the November 5 general elections. Expected to be attended by thousands of her supporters, Harris (60) plans to make a passionate appeal to the nation and urge her fellow countrymen to vote for a new vision and "turn the page" during her address from the historic Ellipse on Tuesday, October 29, multiple media reports said Wednesday. The oval-shaped park is near the White House South Lawn. In doing so, Harris is expected to draw the contrast between her campaign and that of her Republican rival former president Donald Trump, 78. This is the same place where Trump had addressed a rally on January 6, 2021. Following the rally, thousands of his supporters marched towards the Capitol Hill, resulting in one of the darkest moments in American democracy wherein his supporters forcibly entered the US Congress and went violent. "Coming a week ahead of Election Day, Harris will use the major address to contrast her own vision of the presidency with her rival's, painting pictures both of what her first term would look like and a dire portrait of Trump's potential return," CNN reported. "Ms. Harris will make her closing argument against Mr. Trump, contrasting how their administrations would operate and highlighting the risk she believes he presents to the nation," The New York Times reported. "Harris is expected to use the speech near the White House to describe what a first Harris term or a second Trump term, in her view, would look like for the nation, her campaign said," The Wall Street Journal reported. According to NBC News, Harris will argue it's time to turn the page on Trump and choose a new way forward. The address will contrast what a Harris term in office would be like compared with another Trump presidency, the news channel reported. Harris is the first ever Indian American and African American woman to have been nominated by either of the Democratic and Republican Party to run for the US presidency. She is the first-ever woman to have been elected as the vice president of the United States. In her childhood, she has had frequent travels to India along with her mother, who migrated to the US for higher studies from her hometown of Chennai. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
24 October,2024 09:46 AM IST | Washington | PTITwo weeks before the US presidential elections, as many as 21 million Americans have already cast their vote in the middle of an intense election campaign between Vice President Kamala Harris from the Democratic Party and former president Donald Trump from the Republican Party. According to data from the Election Lab at the University of Florida, about 7.8 million votes have come in through early in-person methods while over 13.3 million votes have been cast through mail ballots. Unlike the Indian general elections, wherein campaigning stops 36 hours before the start of the voting, both campaigning and voting go parallel to each other at least for about four weeks. The US presidential elections are scheduled to be held on November 5. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
24 October,2024 07:52 AM IST | Washington | AgenciesA large communications satellite has broken up in orbit, affecting users in Europe, Central Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Australia, and adding to the growing swarm of space junk clouding our planet’s neighbourhood. The Boeing-made Intelsat 33e satellite provided broadband communication from some 35,000 km above the Indian Ocean, in a geostationary orbit around the equator. Initial reports on October 20 said Intelsat 33e had experienced a sudden power loss. Later, the US confirmed the satellite appears to have broken up into at least 20 pieces. There is no information on the cause of the breakup. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
24 October,2024 07:47 AM IST | Melbourne | AgenciesA Polish radio station has triggered controversy after dismissing its journalists and relaunching this week with AI-generated “presenters”. Weeks after letting its journalists go, OFF Radio Krakow relaunched this week, with “the first experiment in Poland in which journalists... are virtual characters created by AI”. The station in Krakow city said its three avatars are designed to reach younger listeners by speaking about cultural, art and social issues including the concerns of LGBTQ+ people. Mateusz Demski, a journalist who hosted a show on the station, published a letter on Tuesday in protest. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
24 October,2024 07:41 AM IST | Warsaw | AgenciesThe US has said it would not be fully satisfied until there is "meaningful accountability" resulting from India's investigations into the alleged foiled plot to assassinate Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil. The Indian government has denied its association or involvement with such a plot to kill an American national on US soil. Following allegations by the US, New Delhi had set up an inquiry committee to investigate the matter. “We continue to expect and want to see accountability based on the results of that investigation, and certainly the United States won't be fully satisfied until there is meaningful accountability resulting from that investigation,” State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters at a news conference. “There was valuable engagement with India's inquiry committee last week, and information was exchanged between our two governments to further our respective investigations. We understand that the committee will continue its investigation, and we expect to see further steps based on last week's conversations,” Patel said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
24 October,2024 07:35 AM IST | Washington | AgenciesAssailants set off explosives and opened fire in a terror attack in Turkey on Wednesday, October 23, on the premises of the state-run aerospace and defence company TUSAS, killing four people, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said. At least two of the attackers died, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said. "We have four martyrs and 14 wounded. I condemn this heinous terrorist attack and wish mercy on our martyrs," Erdogan said during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the sidelines of a BRICS meeting in Kazan, Russia. Putin offered him condolences over the attack, reported news agency AP. Selim Cirpanoglu, the mayor of the district of Kahramankazan, told AP that the attack on the company in the outskirts of the capital, Ankara, had abated but could not provide more details. It was not clear who may be behind it. Kurdish militants, the Islamic State group and leftist extremists have carried out attacks in the country in the past. Security camera images from the attack, aired on television, showed a man in plainclothes carrying a backpack and holding an assault rifle. Turkish media said three assailants, including a woman, arrived at an entry to the complex inside a taxi. The assailants, who were carrying assault weapons, then detonated an explosive device next to the taxi, causing panic and allowing them to enter the complex, AP reported. Multiple gunshots were heard after Turkish security forces entered the site, the DHA news agency and other media reported. Helicopters were seen flying above the premises. TUSAS designs, manufactures and assembles both civilian and military aircrafts, unmanned aerial vehicles and other defense industry and space systems. The UAVs have been instrumental in Turkiye gaining an upper hand in its fight against Kurdish militants in Turkiye and across the border in Iraq. Vice-President Cevdet Yilmaz said the target of the attack was Turkiye's "success in the defence industry". "It should be known that these attacks will not be able to deter the heroic employees of defence industry," This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
24 October,2024 12:41 AM IST | Ankara | APBangladesh's interim government on Wednesday said it is "consulting all stakeholders" to decide the fate of President Mohammed Shahabuddin, as authorities beefed up security around his residence in the wake of protests demanding his removal over comments that raised questions on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's resignation, news agency PTI reported. Several hundred protesters on Tuesday tried to storm Bangabhaban, the president's official residence, demanding the resignation of Shahabuddin, who in an interview with Bangla daily Manab Zamin last week said that he did not have any documentary evidence of Hasina resigning as prime minister before leaving the country on August 5. "The interim government has not made any decision regarding the removal of President Mohammed Shahabuddin from office," Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus' Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam was quoted saying by the Daily Star newspaper. The interim cabinet is likely to discuss the issue this week, according to the media reports. "We will inform you of any developments regarding the matter," Shafiqul told reporters after a meeting between Chief Adviser Yunus and a delegation from Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) at the state guesthouse, Jamuna, on Wednesday. Following the attempted breach at the presidential palace late last night and violent clashes with police, authorities imposed a strict security lockdown to prevent further incidents, PTI stated. "We have increased the security of Bangabhaban," Shafiqul told reporters. In a separate interaction with reporters, Information Adviser Nahid Islam said a decision regarding President Shahabuddin can be reached through political consensus and national unity, rather than following legal or constitutional procedures, reported PTI. "There is no need to stage a demonstration in front of Bangabhaban and elsewhere. We got the message of the people and a decision has to be taken through discussion," he was quoted as saying by the newspaper. The interim government, Islam said, "is consulting all stakeholders, and a decision may be forthcoming after discussion in this regard...Whether the president will remain in office or not is not currently a legal or constitutional question. It is a political decision. To take the decision, we are prioritising stability, security and discipline in the state." Meanwhile, barbed wire fencing was installed alongside barricades at the main gate of Bangabhaban, while APBN (Armed Police Battalion), BGB (Border Guard Bangladesh), police, and army personnel have been deployed in armed positions around the area. Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), water cannons, and riot control vehicles have also been readied in case the protests escalate further, the newspaper reported. However, tensions remained high as protests continued to surge, with various groups demonstrating outside Bangabhaban since Tuesday. A robust four-layer security cordon was established along the main road leading to Bangabhaban, bolstered by a three-layer barbed wire fence to deter unauthorised access. Nobel laureate Yunus, 84, became Bangladesh's interim government's Chief Adviser on August 8 after Prime Minister Hasina fled to India on August 5 amidst student-led mass protests. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
23 October,2024 06:06 PM IST | Dhaka | PTIADVERTISEMENT
