Russian and Chinese naval forces have conducted joint military drills in the Pacific Ocean, according to reports from Russian agencies. The exercises focused on improving coordination between the two nations' navies, involving a range of maneuvers aimed at strengthening maritime security and enhancing operational capabilities. This collaboration underscores the growing military ties between Russia and China, amid rising global tensions. The drills are seen as a demonstration of their strategic partnership and readiness to cooperate in key regions like the Pacific.

Russian and Chinese Ships Hold Joint Drills in the Pacific, Russian Agencies Report

UN humanitarian agencies and their partners on Wednesday urged countries to honour their pledges to Afghanistan, as they rush to scale-up delivery of lifesaving aid ahead of the coming winter season there.

Afghanistan was already among the world`s worst humanitarian situations prior to the Taliban assuming power in August, which has deepened existing needs and vulnerabilities.

A USD 606 million flash appeal launched in September to assist more than 10 million vulnerable Afghans is less than 40 per cent funded.

Humanitarians warned that donor pledges and commitments "must urgently be turned into reality" before it is too late.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/women-teachers-face-uncertain-future-after-taliban-bans-them-from-schools-417874">Women teachers face uncertain future after Taliban bans them from schools</a>

"Afghanistan is on borrowed time," said Mary-Ellen McGroarty, Representative of the World Food Progamme (WFP) in the country.

"I have never before seen a crisis unfold at this pace and scale.

" Afghanistan has suffered decades of conflict and displacement, as well as chronic poverty, severe drought, and now the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nearly half the population, more than 18 million people, require aid assistance to survive, while conflict and insecurity have displaced more than 3.5 million, with nearly 700,000 uprooted this year alone.

The country`s health system is failing and the economy is on the brink of collapse.

The rights of women and girls, and minorities, are also seriously under threat.

"We are witnessing a new depth of destitution as the drought and the economic crisis drives up food and fuel prices," said McGroarty, stressing that families desperately need support as the colder weather approaches.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-say-islamic-state-cell-destroyed-after-mosque-attack-418068">Taliban say Islamic State cell destroyed after mosque attack</a>

UN agencies and partner organizations are responding to the crisis despite financial shortfalls, logistical challenges and what they described as "an increasingly complex geo-political situation." Ramiz Alakbarov, the top UN humanitarian official in Afghanistan, said the country`s people "must not pay the price of collective failures", and deserve to live in peace and dignity.

"We will spare no effort to respond to the needs of all women, men, and children in Afghanistan," he said.

"We will continue to advocate for the rights of women and girls, and of minority groups, as well as the rights of all to employment, food, healthcare, education, and safety," he added.&nbsp;

UN humanitarian agencies and their partners on Wednesday urged countries to honour their pledges to Afghanistan, as they rush to scale-up delivery of lifesaving aid ahead of the coming winter season there.

UN humanitarian agencies and their partners on Wednesday urged countries to honour their pledges to Afghanistan, as they rush to scale-up delivery of lifesaving aid ahead of the coming winter season there. Afghanistan was already among the world`s worst humanitarian situations prior to the Taliban assuming power in August, which has deepened existing needs and vulnerabilities. A USD 606 million flash appeal launched in September to assist more than 10 million vulnerable Afghans is less than 40 per cent funded. Humanitarians warned that donor pledges and commitments "must urgently be turned into reality" before it is too late. Also Read | Women teachers face uncertain future after Taliban bans them from schools "Afghanistan is on borrowed time," said Mary-Ellen McGroarty, Representative of the World Food Progamme (WFP) in the country. "I have never before seen a crisis unfold at this pace and scale. " Afghanistan has suffered decades of conflict and displacement, as well as chronic poverty, severe drought, and now the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly half the population, more than 18 million people, require aid assistance to survive, while conflict and insecurity have displaced more than 3.5 million, with nearly 700,000 uprooted this year alone. The country`s health system is failing and the economy is on the brink of collapse. The rights of women and girls, and minorities, are also seriously under threat. "We are witnessing a new depth of destitution as the drought and the economic crisis drives up food and fuel prices," said McGroarty, stressing that families desperately need support as the colder weather approaches. Also Read | Taliban say Islamic State cell destroyed after mosque attack UN agencies and partner organizations are responding to the crisis despite financial shortfalls, logistical challenges and what they described as "an increasingly complex geo-political situation." Ramiz Alakbarov, the top UN humanitarian official in Afghanistan, said the country`s people "must not pay the price of collective failures", and deserve to live in peace and dignity. "We will spare no effort to respond to the needs of all women, men, and children in Afghanistan," he said. "We will continue to advocate for the rights of women and girls, and of minority groups, as well as the rights of all to employment, food, healthcare, education, and safety," he added.

Afghanistan: UN humanitarian agencies call for greater support as winter approaches

The White House says it believes US government agencies largely fended off the latest cyberespionage onslaught blamed on Russian intelligence operatives, saying the spear-phishing campaign should not further damage relations with Moscow ahead of next month's planned presidential summit.&nbsp;

Officials downplayed the cyber assault as 'basic phishing' in which hackers used malware-laden emails to target the computer systems of US and foreign government agencies, think tanks and humanitarian groups. Microsoft, which disclosed the effort on Friday, said it believed most of the e-mails were blocked by automated systems that marked them as spam.&nbsp;

As of Friday, the company said it was "not seeing evidence of any significant number of compromised organisations at this time?”&nbsp;

Even so, the revelation of a new spy campaign so close to the June 16 summit between President Joe Biden and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin adds to the urgency of White House efforts to confront the Kremlin over aggressive cyber activity that criminal indictments and diplomatic sanctions have done little to deter.&nbsp;

"I don't think it'll create a new point of tension because the point of tension is already so big," said James Lewis, a senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.&nbsp;

"This clearly has to be on the summit agenda. The president has to lay down some markers ‘to make clear’ that the days when you people could do whatever you want are over."&nbsp;

The summit comes amid simmering tensions driven in part by election interference by Moscow and by a massive breach of US government agencies and private corporations by Russian elite cyber spies, who infected the software supply chain with malicious code. The US responded with sanctions last month, prompting the Kremlin to warn of retribution.&nbsp;

Asked on Friday whether the latest hacking effort would affect the Biden-Putin summit, principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, "We're going to move forward with that."&nbsp;

The US, which has previously called out Russia or criminal groups based there for hacking operations, did not blame anyone for the latest incident.&nbsp;

In this case, hackers gained access to an email marketing account of the US Agency for International Development, and masquerading as the government body, targeted about 3,000 email accounts at more than 150 different organizations. At least a quarter of them involved in international development, humanitarian and human rights work, Microsoft Vice President Tom Burt said in a blog post late on Thursday.&nbsp;

The company did not say what portion of the attempts may have led to successful intrusions but said in a separate technical blog post that most were blocked by automated systems that marked them as spam. The White House said even if an email eluded those systems, a user would still have to click on the link to activate the malicious payload.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The White House says it believes US government agencies largely fended off the latest cyberespionage onslaught blamed on Russian intelligence operatives, saying the spear-phishing campaign should not further damage relations with Moscow ahead of next month's planned presidential summit.

The White House says it believes US government agencies largely fended off the latest cyberespionage onslaught blamed on Russian intelligence operatives, saying the spear-phishing campaign should not further damage relations with Moscow ahead of next month's planned presidential summit. Officials downplayed the cyber assault as 'basic phishing' in which hackers used malware-laden emails to target the computer systems of US and foreign government agencies, think tanks and humanitarian groups. Microsoft, which disclosed the effort on Friday, said it believed most of the e-mails were blocked by automated systems that marked them as spam. As of Friday, the company said it was "not seeing evidence of any significant number of compromised organisations at this time?” Even so, the revelation of a new spy campaign so close to the June 16 summit between President Joe Biden and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin adds to the urgency of White House efforts to confront the Kremlin over aggressive cyber activity that criminal indictments and diplomatic sanctions have done little to deter. "I don't think it'll create a new point of tension because the point of tension is already so big," said James Lewis, a senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "This clearly has to be on the summit agenda. The president has to lay down some markers ‘to make clear’ that the days when you people could do whatever you want are over." The summit comes amid simmering tensions driven in part by election interference by Moscow and by a massive breach of US government agencies and private corporations by Russian elite cyber spies, who infected the software supply chain with malicious code. The US responded with sanctions last month, prompting the Kremlin to warn of retribution. Asked on Friday whether the latest hacking effort would affect the Biden-Putin summit, principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, "We're going to move forward with that." The US, which has previously called out Russia or criminal groups based there for hacking operations, did not blame anyone for the latest incident. In this case, hackers gained access to an email marketing account of the US Agency for International Development, and masquerading as the government body, targeted about 3,000 email accounts at more than 150 different organizations. At least a quarter of them involved in international development, humanitarian and human rights work, Microsoft Vice President Tom Burt said in a blog post late on Thursday. The company did not say what portion of the attempts may have led to successful intrusions but said in a separate technical blog post that most were blocked by automated systems that marked them as spam. The White House said even if an email eluded those systems, a user would still have to click on the link to activate the malicious payload. (With inputs from agencies)

US says agencies largely fended off latest Russian hack 

Declared a proclaimed offender in a money laundering case and wanted in India, liquor baron Vijay Mallya was spotted at a book launch event at the London School of Economics this week that was attended by Indian High Commissioner Navtej Sarna, causing flutters back home. 
 
Social media was in a frenzy after it emerged that Sarna, who was one of the special guests at the event on Thursday evening to mark the launch of socialite Suhel Seth&#39;s new book, was also present at the event when the business tycoon arrived. 
 
As television news channels showed pictures of Sarna and Mallya in the hall where the event was held, questions were raised over the presence of the high commissioner at an event where a personality wanted by enforcement agencies in India was also present. 
 
While Suhel Seth contended that it was an open event at the LSE, where anyone could come because of the open invitation, Mallya was not invited to the high commission reception nor was he present. 
 
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also got into the act when it issued a statement, saying Sarna left the event without waiting for the interactive session after he spotted Mallya. 
 
&quot;When the High Commissioner spotted Mallya in the audience he left the stage and venue immediately after making his comments and without waiting for the interactive session,&quot; the MEA said in the statement. 
 
The MEA said, &quot;there were two clear segments, the book launch by UK Minister Jo Johnson and discussion at LSE, and later a reception at the High Commission for select guests. 
 
&quot;The list of invitations for the LSE event was determined by LSE. They have written to the High Commissioner that Mallya was not on their list. They have also said that the event was advertised widely through social media and attendees were not required to register in advance. 
 
&quot;Mallya was certainly not an invitee to the reception at the High Commission for which the invitations were issued by the High Commission, and was not present.&quot; 
(PTI)&nbsp;

Questions are being raised after India's high commissioner and a man wanted by enforcement agencies appear in the same room on TV

Declared a proclaimed offender in a money laundering case and wanted in India, liquor baron Vijay Mallya was spotted at a book launch event at the London School of Economics this week that was attended by Indian High Commissioner Navtej Sarna, causing flutters back home. Social media was in a frenzy after it emerged that Sarna, who was one of the special guests at the event on Thursday evening to mark the launch of socialite Suhel Seth's new book, was also present at the event when the business tycoon arrived. As television news channels showed pictures of Sarna and Mallya in the hall where the event was held, questions were raised over the presence of the high commissioner at an event where a personality wanted by enforcement agencies in India was also present. While Suhel Seth contended that it was an open event at the LSE, where anyone could come because of the open invitation, Mallya was not invited to the high commission reception nor was he present. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also got into the act when it issued a statement, saying Sarna left the event without waiting for the interactive session after he spotted Mallya. "When the High Commissioner spotted Mallya in the audience he left the stage and venue immediately after making his comments and without waiting for the interactive session," the MEA said in the statement. The MEA said, "there were two clear segments, the book launch by UK Minister Jo Johnson and discussion at LSE, and later a reception at the High Commission for select guests. "The list of invitations for the LSE event was determined by LSE. They have written to the High Commissioner that Mallya was not on their list. They have also said that the event was advertised widely through social media and attendees were not required to register in advance. "Mallya was certainly not an invitee to the reception at the High Commission for which the invitations were issued by the High Commission, and was not present." (PTI)

Mallya seen at book launch event attended by India's UK envoy

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