Amid the ongoing Tigray conflict and 13-month war, the Ethiopian government makes territorial gains as it claims back Tigrayan city from rebels.

The Tigray conflict: Reports claims that Alamata is back in the Ethiopian government's hands

Amid the ongoing Tigray conflict and 13-month war, the Ethiopian government claims it has captured back Tigrayan city from rebels.

The Tigray conflict: Ethiopian government claims capture of Tigrayan city from rebels

Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) has started withdrawing the forces from two regions in North Ethiopia as the 13-month brutal war reaches a turning point.

Ethiopia: Tigray rebels withdraw from two regions in North

The Supreme Court on Friday issued a decision allowing abortion providers in Texas to continue challenging a new law that bans most abortions in the state after about six weeks of pregnancy. But while the conservative majority didn’t close the door on abortion in Texas completely, the degree to which it is cracked allows in only a sliver of light.

For now, the law in question, Senate Bill 8, remains on the books. Anyone who assists in providing an illegal abortion — from the provider down to the person who gives a woman a ride to the clinic — can still be sued. Roe v. Wade has essentially been overturned in the state, and soon that astonishing reality may not only become permanent there but may also spread to other states.

A key component of women’s rights and body autonomy is being snatched away as we watch.

In a dissent Friday, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote: “This is a brazen challenge to our federal structure. It echoes the philosophy of John C. Calhoun, a virulent defender of the slaveholding South who insisted that States had the right to ‘veto’ or ‘nullif[y]’ any federal law with which they disagreed.”

I found the invocation of South Carolina’s Calhoun striking. Yes, he was a strong believer in nullification, the idea that states could nullify federal laws, but he was also a raging racist who went further than the slave owners who saw slavery as a “necessary evil,” seeing it instead as a positive good.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-abruptly-cuts-taiwanese-ministers-video-at-summit-for-democracy-2021-436416">Also read |&nbsp;US abruptly cuts Taiwanese minister's video at 'Summit for Democracy 2021'</a>

In 1837, Calhoun railed in a speech on the Senate floor that slavery had “grown up with our society and institutions and is so interwoven with them that to destroy it would be to destroy us as a people.” He continued:

"But let me not be understood as admitting, even by implication, that the existing relations between the two races in the slaveholding states is an evil: Far otherwise; I hold it to be a good, as it has thus far proved itself to be to both and will continue to prove so if not disturbed by the fell spirit of abolition. I appeal to facts. Never before has the Black race of Central Africa, from the dawn of history to the present day, attained a condition so civilized and so improved, not only physically but morally and intellectually."

He would reiterate that slavery was, “instead of an evil, a good — a positive good.”

In fact, Calhoun’s stance on slavery and states’ rights was so severe that he has been called the father of secession and the man who started the Civil War, even though he died 11 years before the war commenced.

In Calhoun’s view, the states had the right to control and oppress Black bodies as they saw fit, regardless of any actions to the contrary on the federal level. States, he felt, should be able to choose whether or not they wanted slavery.

I see too many uneasy parallels between what was happening nearly 200 years ago and what is happening now. I see this country on the verge of another civil war, as the Calhounian impulse is reborn.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/even-as-washington-tries-to-maintain-friendly-relations-with-pakistan-its-actions-indicate-concern-436447">Also read |&nbsp;Even as Washington tries to maintain friendly relations with Pakistan, its actions indicate concern</a>

There are enormous, obvious differences, of course. The civil war I see is not the kind that would leave hundreds of thousands of young men dead in combat. That is not to say that we aren’t seeing spats of violence but rather that this new war will be fought in courts, statehouses and ballot boxes, rather than in the fields.

And this war won’t be only about the subjugation of Black people but also about the subjugation of all who challenge the white racist patriarchy.

It will seek to push back against all the “others”: Black people, immigrants, Muslims, Jews, LGBTQ people and, yes, women, particularly liberal ones.

In some ways, the abortion battle now being waged in the courts is a test case. Can the states make an argument that a civil right can be reversed on the state level? Can they make the case that all that the Constitution has not explicitly spelled out should be reserved for the states?

The Constitution has been silent on quite a bit since it was written in 1787, and the last time it was amended was nearly 30 years ago, in 1992, when the states ratified the 27th Amendment. When did Congress first approve that amendment? In 1789! Having not gotten enough states to ratify it after passage, it simply languished for 200 years.

All of us should be very worried about what we see happening with these abortion cases not just women who might need abortions or relatives and friends of women who might need them.

We should worry about whether or not we are at an inflection point for an age of regression.

The Supreme Court on Friday issued a decision allowing abortion providers in Texas to continue challenging a new law that bans most abortions in the state after about six weeks of pregnancy.

The Supreme Court on Friday issued a decision allowing abortion providers in Texas to continue challenging a new law that bans most abortions in the state after about six weeks of pregnancy. But while the conservative majority didn’t close the door on abortion in Texas completely, the degree to which it is cracked allows in only a sliver of light. For now, the law in question, Senate Bill 8, remains on the books. Anyone who assists in providing an illegal abortion — from the provider down to the person who gives a woman a ride to the clinic — can still be sued. Roe v. Wade has essentially been overturned in the state, and soon that astonishing reality may not only become permanent there but may also spread to other states. A key component of women’s rights and body autonomy is being snatched away as we watch. In a dissent Friday, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote: “This is a brazen challenge to our federal structure. It echoes the philosophy of John C. Calhoun, a virulent defender of the slaveholding South who insisted that States had the right to ‘veto’ or ‘nullif[y]’ any federal law with which they disagreed.” I found the invocation of South Carolina’s Calhoun striking. Yes, he was a strong believer in nullification, the idea that states could nullify federal laws, but he was also a raging racist who went further than the slave owners who saw slavery as a “necessary evil,” seeing it instead as a positive good. Also read | US abruptly cuts Taiwanese minister's video at 'Summit for Democracy 2021' In 1837, Calhoun railed in a speech on the Senate floor that slavery had “grown up with our society and institutions and is so interwoven with them that to destroy it would be to destroy us as a people.” He continued: "But let me not be understood as admitting, even by implication, that the existing relations between the two races in the slaveholding states is an evil: Far otherwise; I hold it to be a good, as it has thus far proved itself to be to both and will continue to prove so if not disturbed by the fell spirit of abolition. I appeal to facts. Never before has the Black race of Central Africa, from the dawn of history to the present day, attained a condition so civilized and so improved, not only physically but morally and intellectually." He would reiterate that slavery was, “instead of an evil, a good — a positive good.” In fact, Calhoun’s stance on slavery and states’ rights was so severe that he has been called the father of secession and the man who started the Civil War, even though he died 11 years before the war commenced. In Calhoun’s view, the states had the right to control and oppress Black bodies as they saw fit, regardless of any actions to the contrary on the federal level. States, he felt, should be able to choose whether or not they wanted slavery. I see too many uneasy parallels between what was happening nearly 200 years ago and what is happening now. I see this country on the verge of another civil war, as the Calhounian impulse is reborn. Also read | Even as Washington tries to maintain friendly relations with Pakistan, its actions indicate concern There are enormous, obvious differences, of course. The civil war I see is not the kind that would leave hundreds of thousands of young men dead in combat. That is not to say that we aren’t seeing spats of violence but rather that this new war will be fought in courts, statehouses and ballot boxes, rather than in the fields. And this war won’t be only about the subjugation of Black people but also about the subjugation of all who challenge the white racist patriarchy. It will seek to push back against all the “others”: Black people, immigrants, Muslims, Jews, LGBTQ people and, yes, women, particularly liberal ones. In some ways, the abortion battle now being waged in the courts is a test case. Can the states make an argument that a civil right can be reversed on the state level? Can they make the case that all that the Constitution has not explicitly spelled out should be reserved for the states? The Constitution has been silent on quite a bit since it was written in 1787, and the last time it was amended was nearly 30 years ago, in 1992, when the states ratified the 27th Amendment. When did Congress first approve that amendment? In 1789! Having not gotten enough states to ratify it after passage, it simply languished for 200 years. All of us should be very worried about what we see happening with these abortion cases not just women who might need abortions or relatives and friends of women who might need them. We should worry about whether or not we are at an inflection point for an age of regression.

We’re edging closer to civil war

It's a storm of crisis for war-torn Afghanistan as 25 out of 34 provinces have been hard hit by drought. Wheat harvests have also declined by 20%.

Post-war, natural calamities are battering Afghanistan

US Military announces that it has completed the transition process of its 2,500 combat troops in Iraq into advisory ones. The troops will remain in Iraq and assist Iraqi forces.

2,500 American combat troops to remain in Iraq & undertake the advisory role to assist Iraqi forces

The growing inability of the international community to restore peace in countries like Yemen, Libya and Ethiopia is forcing humanitarian and refugee organizations to work increasingly during conflicts which they can’t solve despite the expectations of many people caught up in these crises, the U.N. refugee chief warned Tuesday.

Filippo Grandi reminded the U.N. Security Council that in the absence of political solutions to conflicts -- “and those political solutions seem to be more and more scarce and far apart” -- the consequences on people caught in these violent confrontations “continue to become more and more serious.”

The U.N. high commissioner for refugees said his office and other organizations are dealing with about 84 million refugees who fled across borders and people displaced within their own countries, trying to provide humanitarian support, shelter and safety.

Grandi spoke to the council and U.N. correspondents from Geneva where donors pledged a record of more than $1 billion Tuesday to support UNHCR’s work in 2022. While he welcomed their crucial support, Grandi said the pledges won’t be enough to support the growing challenges the agency foresees next year, largely driven by conflict, climate change and COVID-19.

The high commissioner said UNHCR is appealing for nearly $9 billion to cover its operations in 136 countries and territories next year. Almost half the money is for emergencies to assist a record number of forcibly displaced people, especially in the Middle East and Africa as well as millions who have fled their homes in places like Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Myanmar, Venezuela and beyond, he said.

Asked whether he saw any hope for the many millions of refugees and displaced people in 2022, Grandi said “I see glimmers of hope everywhere -- if certain things are done.”

“The question is will these things be done?” he asked. “Will states cooperate more to try and solve these issues? Will more resources be put into responses? Will be will the neutrality and safety of humanitarian operations be granted?”

“I remain not terribly optimistic about progress on these matters, especially on cooperation and the search of solutions,” he said.

Grandi said if it took “excruciating negotiations” in the Security Council to get approval to continue delivery of humanitarian aid through a single crossing point from Turkey into Syria, “then we are in trouble, then we cannot really aim at moving forward.”

“So yes, I think the prospects, unfortunately, are rather grim in terms of the size of the problem and the complexity of the causes,” he said.

Grandi said UNHCR works in highly politicized situations, and increasingly it has to deal with “de facto authorities” who are not internationally recognized but control areas in many countries where it operates because people need help. These situations are very often complicated by political difficulties, sanctions and other restrictions on dialogue and engagement which aggravate the provision of humanitarian needs, he said.

Grandi said he is often warned by countries that UNHCR should not politicize humanitarian action, but “I keep reminding states that if anybody politicizes humanitarian action it is the states, not the United Nations as an institution, not UNHCR for sure.”

Nonetheless, he said, UNHCR is being accused by all sides in Ethiopia, for example, of supporting the other side which he warned is not safe for its staff or conducive to effective humanitarian action.

“We operate in context in which there is more burden, expectation that humanitarian actors can solve problems, when in reality, the space is reduced even for us to save lives,” he said.

Grandi said he just returned from a tour of Mexico and northern Central America where he saw “the incredible complexity of the causes of displacement” -- conflict, human rights abuses, violence by criminal gangs, poverty, inequality, climate change and an inadequate response by states.

He said the complexity of causes in Central America, Africa’s Sahel region, and elsewhere leads to “increasingly complicated forced displacement.”

Grandi said his message to the Security Council was to focus on one of the causes -- conflict -- because if progress can be made toward stability then perhaps “the vicious circle” leading to the displacement of millions of people can be unblocked.

He also appealed to the council to provide “the widest scope for humanitarian exception” to U.N. sanctions on Afghanistan’s new Taliban rulers to help the 23 million Afghans facing extreme levels of hunger and other humanitarian challenges.

Grandi warned that a widespread implosion of the Afghan economy will almost inevitably trigger a much bigger exodus of Afghans seeking a better life in neighboring countries and beyond.

“This is something that can still be prevented at this point, but it requires quicker action” to ensure that the economy functions including the flow of cash and services, he said. this with its leaders.

The growing inability of the international community to restore peace in countries like Yemen, Libya and Ethiopia is forcing humanitarian and refugee organizations to work increasingly during conflicts which they can’t solve despite the expectations of many people caught up in these crises, the U.

The growing inability of the international community to restore peace in countries like Yemen, Libya and Ethiopia is forcing humanitarian and refugee organizations to work increasingly during conflicts which they can’t solve despite the expectations of many people caught up in these crises, the U.N. refugee chief warned Tuesday. Filippo Grandi reminded the U.N. Security Council that in the absence of political solutions to conflicts -- “and those political solutions seem to be more and more scarce and far apart” -- the consequences on people caught in these violent confrontations “continue to become more and more serious.” The U.N. high commissioner for refugees said his office and other organizations are dealing with about 84 million refugees who fled across borders and people displaced within their own countries, trying to provide humanitarian support, shelter and safety. Grandi spoke to the council and U.N. correspondents from Geneva where donors pledged a record of more than $1 billion Tuesday to support UNHCR’s work in 2022. While he welcomed their crucial support, Grandi said the pledges won’t be enough to support the growing challenges the agency foresees next year, largely driven by conflict, climate change and COVID-19. The high commissioner said UNHCR is appealing for nearly $9 billion to cover its operations in 136 countries and territories next year. Almost half the money is for emergencies to assist a record number of forcibly displaced people, especially in the Middle East and Africa as well as millions who have fled their homes in places like Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Myanmar, Venezuela and beyond, he said. Asked whether he saw any hope for the many millions of refugees and displaced people in 2022, Grandi said “I see glimmers of hope everywhere -- if certain things are done.” “The question is will these things be done?” he asked. “Will states cooperate more to try and solve these issues? Will more resources be put into responses? Will be will the neutrality and safety of humanitarian operations be granted?” “I remain not terribly optimistic about progress on these matters, especially on cooperation and the search of solutions,” he said. Grandi said if it took “excruciating negotiations” in the Security Council to get approval to continue delivery of humanitarian aid through a single crossing point from Turkey into Syria, “then we are in trouble, then we cannot really aim at moving forward.” “So yes, I think the prospects, unfortunately, are rather grim in terms of the size of the problem and the complexity of the causes,” he said. Grandi said UNHCR works in highly politicized situations, and increasingly it has to deal with “de facto authorities” who are not internationally recognized but control areas in many countries where it operates because people need help. These situations are very often complicated by political difficulties, sanctions and other restrictions on dialogue and engagement which aggravate the provision of humanitarian needs, he said. Grandi said he is often warned by countries that UNHCR should not politicize humanitarian action, but “I keep reminding states that if anybody politicizes humanitarian action it is the states, not the United Nations as an institution, not UNHCR for sure.” Nonetheless, he said, UNHCR is being accused by all sides in Ethiopia, for example, of supporting the other side which he warned is not safe for its staff or conducive to effective humanitarian action. “We operate in context in which there is more burden, expectation that humanitarian actors can solve problems, when in reality, the space is reduced even for us to save lives,” he said. Grandi said he just returned from a tour of Mexico and northern Central America where he saw “the incredible complexity of the causes of displacement” -- conflict, human rights abuses, violence by criminal gangs, poverty, inequality, climate change and an inadequate response by states. He said the complexity of causes in Central America, Africa’s Sahel region, and elsewhere leads to “increasingly complicated forced displacement.” Grandi said his message to the Security Council was to focus on one of the causes -- conflict -- because if progress can be made toward stability then perhaps “the vicious circle” leading to the displacement of millions of people can be unblocked. He also appealed to the council to provide “the widest scope for humanitarian exception” to U.N. sanctions on Afghanistan’s new Taliban rulers to help the 23 million Afghans facing extreme levels of hunger and other humanitarian challenges. Grandi warned that a widespread implosion of the Afghan economy will almost inevitably trigger a much bigger exodus of Afghans seeking a better life in neighboring countries and beyond. “This is something that can still be prevented at this point, but it requires quicker action” to ensure that the economy functions including the flow of cash and services, he said. this with its leaders.

UN refugee chief warns of world’s inability to restore peace

In this year, several regions of the world have been forced to live under highly tensed atmosphere. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Be it a conflict on the border or environment of hatred created by sectionalism, people on almost every continent faced sleepless nights lately. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The regions, which have been regularly facing the upheaval, are South China Sea, Taiwan Strait, East China Sea, Koreas, Israel-Palestine region, Afghanistan, Belarus-Poland border, Sudan, Hong Kong, etc. &nbsp;

In some places, the opposite sides are warring due to overlapping claims, while at some, people are just fighting for existence.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/rittenhouse-acquittal-polarises-us-on-political-lines-attracts-sharp-reactions-430653" hreflang="en">Rittenhouse acquittal polarises US on political lines, attracts sharp reactions</a>

Several nations, such as Sudan, witnessed coup while some also had to go through assassinations of top officials like Haiti. &nbsp;&nbsp;

In a nutshell, several people were affected by the worrisome developments around the world. &nbsp;&nbsp;

In Taiwan Strait, China and Taiwan have been fighting a war of words and showing strengths by the way of incursions, military exercises, joining regional pacts, etc. &nbsp;

For a long time, South China Sea seems to have become a bone of contention. After China militarised some artificially constructed islands in the area to assert its claim over the waterway, several countries of the world seem to have been making efforts to push back the Chinese. &nbsp; &nbsp;

China, Taiwan, Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei have overlapping claims in the region. The situation is such that one small clash can lead to a full-scale war anytime. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/wont-tolerate-taiwans-independence-says-china-430759" hreflang="en">Won't tolerate Taiwan's independence, says China</a>

Be it the formation of the Quad or Aukus, the focus of the major powers in the region has been to keep a tab over the increasingly aggressive China. &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Calling it ‘freedom of navigation’, the US, the UK and other countries have been sending their warships to the region as a show of power but with little or no effect on the adversary China. They regularly pass through the area to demonstrate the right to sail through what is considered to be international waters. It seems to have been only making the Beijing more aggressive. &nbsp; &nbsp;

In East China Sea, China has been taking on Japan as both the countries lay claim on same set of islands. &nbsp;

In the Koreas, India-China border, Israel-Palestine region, etc, there has been unusual calmness and slight skirmishes. The war of words, missile tests, flag meetings, firing of rockets, etc are also common. &nbsp;&nbsp;

After the Taliban took over the war-torn Afghanistan, the country has been witnessing poverty, hunger, power crisis, increase in suicide attacks by IS and affiliated groups, etc. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The Belarus-Poland border has been facing migrant crisis, where several people were looking to cross over to Europe but to no avail. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

In this year, several regions of the world have been forced to live under highly tensed atmosphere. Be it a conflict on the border or environment of hatred created by sectionalism, people on almost every continent faced sleepless nights lately.

In this year, several regions of the world have been forced to live under highly tensed atmosphere. Be it a conflict on the border or environment of hatred created by sectionalism, people on almost every continent faced sleepless nights lately. The regions, which have been regularly facing the upheaval, are South China Sea, Taiwan Strait, East China Sea, Koreas, Israel-Palestine region, Afghanistan, Belarus-Poland border, Sudan, Hong Kong, etc. In some places, the opposite sides are warring due to overlapping claims, while at some, people are just fighting for existence. Also Read: Rittenhouse acquittal polarises US on political lines, attracts sharp reactions Several nations, such as Sudan, witnessed coup while some also had to go through assassinations of top officials like Haiti. In a nutshell, several people were affected by the worrisome developments around the world. In Taiwan Strait, China and Taiwan have been fighting a war of words and showing strengths by the way of incursions, military exercises, joining regional pacts, etc. For a long time, South China Sea seems to have become a bone of contention. After China militarised some artificially constructed islands in the area to assert its claim over the waterway, several countries of the world seem to have been making efforts to push back the Chinese. China, Taiwan, Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei have overlapping claims in the region. The situation is such that one small clash can lead to a full-scale war anytime. Also Read: Won't tolerate Taiwan's independence, says China Be it the formation of the Quad or Aukus, the focus of the major powers in the region has been to keep a tab over the increasingly aggressive China. Calling it ‘freedom of navigation’, the US, the UK and other countries have been sending their warships to the region as a show of power but with little or no effect on the adversary China. They regularly pass through the area to demonstrate the right to sail through what is considered to be international waters. It seems to have been only making the Beijing more aggressive. In East China Sea, China has been taking on Japan as both the countries lay claim on same set of islands. In the Koreas, India-China border, Israel-Palestine region, etc, there has been unusual calmness and slight skirmishes. The war of words, missile tests, flag meetings, firing of rockets, etc are also common. After the Taliban took over the war-torn Afghanistan, the country has been witnessing poverty, hunger, power crisis, increase in suicide attacks by IS and affiliated groups, etc. The Belarus-Poland border has been facing migrant crisis, where several people were looking to cross over to Europe but to no avail. (With inputs from agencies)

Weekend Special: Let's revisit world's highly tensed regions

Millions around the world are fleeing war, poverty and climate change. Is it incumbent upon countries to take in the migrant and give them asylum? While forced displacement is heart-breaking, countries too are stretched for resources. Palki Sharma tells you why migrants are a tricky issue.

Gravitas: Why migrants are a tricky issue around the World

The European Union says it is being destabilised. The bloc claims Russia & Belarus have weaponised 2,000 migrants. Poland has stationed 15,000 troops to protect its borders. Will 2,000 migrants fleeing war trigger the next war? Palki Sharma tells you more.

Gravitas: Will 2,000 migrants trigger a war in Europe?

The civil war in Ethiopia has turned into a battle of ethnicities. On target are ethnic Tigrayans and some of them have declared war on the govt. They are marching towards the capital to seize control.

Ethiopia: Ethiopian police detains ethnic Tigrayans on suspicion

China is waging a shadow war to take Taiwan. With air incursions, propaganda campaigns and economic coercion - Beijing is trying to break Taiwan psychologically, before striking it militarily. Palki Sharma tells you more.

Gravitas: China wages a shadow war to take Taiwan

The United States said that it has ordered the departure of its non-essential employees from Ethiopia, as the war intensifies. "The Department of State ordered the departure of non-emergency US government employees and their family members from Ethiopia", the State Department said as it issued a new travel advisory.

The United States said that it has ordered the departure of its non-essential employees from Ethiopia, as the war intensifies. "The Department of State ordered the departure of non-emergency US government employees and their family members from Ethiopia", the State Department said as it issued a new travel advisory. Earlier, the US and other nations called for a ceasefire in Ethiopia amid fighting between Tigrayan forces and government troops. The US embassy allowed its staff in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa to leave amid heavy fighting. The Biden administration added that it was "gravely concerned" about the situation. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also called for a ceasefire, saying, "The conflict in Ethiopia must come to an end." The year-long conflict has killed thousands of people and forced more than two million out of their homes. Also read | Twitter temporarily suspends Trends feature in Ethiopia over fear of violence The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) claimed it had reached near Addis Ababa. The government described it as an "existential war". Even the EU and African nations called on both sides to come to the negotiating table. Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) forces have been fighting Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government forces for a year intending to topple the government. The United Nations has said that up to 7 million people in the Ethiopian regions of Tigray, Amhara and Afar need help. This includes 5 million in Tigray where some 400,000 people are estimated to be living in famine-like conditions. The fighting reached its peak in the past few months when Ethiopia's military reportedly used fighter jets and armed drones against the TPLF even as it gained strategic areas in the region. (With input from agencies)

US orders departure of non-essential employees from Ethiopia as war intensifies

5 Big Tech companies have made billions from military contracts. Companies like Google & Amazon are now being seen as the new merchants of war. Employees of these companies are now rebelling. They want to stop the militarisation of their innovations. Palki Sharma has more.

Gravitas: Big Tech companies are making billions from war

Air Force Day is celebrated every year on October 8. This day marks the anniversary of the establishment of the Indian Air Force (IAF) in the year 1932.&nbsp;The IAF is the air wing of the Indian armed forces and the fourth largest air force in the world.&nbsp;

The year 2021 marks 89 years since the IAF's foundation. Like every year, the celebrations will take place at the Hindon air force station in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad in the presence of the Chief of air staff and senior officials of the three armed forces.

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Greetings to our air warriors and their families on Air Force Day. The Indian Air Force is synonymous with courage, diligence and professionalism. They have distinguished themselves in defending the country and through their humanitarian spirit in times of challenges. <a href="https://t.co/UbMSOK3agP">pic.twitter.com/UbMSOK3agP</a>
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1446296777838120961?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
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On this occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "The Indian Air Force is synonymous with courage, diligence and professionalism."&nbsp;He further added, "They have distinguished themselves in defending the country and through their humanitarian spirit in times of challenges."&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/indian-aircraft-show-resolve-capability-on-air-force-day-333488">Also read |&nbsp;Indian aircraft show resolve, capability on Air Force Day</a>

The Indian Air Force was established on October 8, 1932, as a supporting force of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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As a part of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SwarnimVijayVarsh?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SwarnimVijayVarsh</a> celebrations, the Indian Air Force <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IAF?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IAF</a> organised a Tri Service all women cycling expedition from War Memorial, Longewala to National War Memorial, New Delhi. The expedition was flagged off on 25 Sep 21. <a href="https://t.co/XegXugox1K">pic.twitter.com/XegXugox1K</a>
— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) <a href="https://twitter.com/IAF_MCC/status/1446067401955495942?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
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This year, the IAF Day parade will pay tribute to the heroes of the 1971 war, which saw India defeat Pakistan."

There will be a Vinaash formation to showcase the victory in the battle of Longewala. A total of six hunter aircraft are expected to carry out this formation. Also, the IAF will honour its only Param Vir Chakra awardee, Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon, with a Sekhon formation.&nbsp;

This would be done with&nbsp;one aircraft each, including, Rafale, Tejas, Jaguar, MiG-29 and Mirage 2000, flying over the marchpast together.&nbsp;Mi-17 and Chinook helicopters will perform the Meghna formation.

Air Force Day is celebrated every year on October 8. This day marks the anniversary of the establishment of the Indian Air Force (IAF) in the year 1932. The IAF is the air wing of the Indian armed forces and the fourth largest air force in the world.

Air Force Day is celebrated every year on October 8. This day marks the anniversary of the establishment of the Indian Air Force (IAF) in the year 1932. The IAF is the air wing of the Indian armed forces and the fourth largest air force in the world. The year 2021 marks 89 years since the IAF's foundation. Like every year, the celebrations will take place at the Hindon air force station in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad in the presence of the Chief of air staff and senior officials of the three armed forces. Greetings to our air warriors and their families on Air Force Day. The Indian Air Force is synonymous with courage, diligence and professionalism. They have distinguished themselves in defending the country and through their humanitarian spirit in times of challenges. pic.twitter.com/UbMSOK3agP — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 8, 2021 × On this occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "The Indian Air Force is synonymous with courage, diligence and professionalism." He further added, "They have distinguished themselves in defending the country and through their humanitarian spirit in times of challenges." Also read | Indian aircraft show resolve, capability on Air Force Day The Indian Air Force was established on October 8, 1932, as a supporting force of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force. As a part of #SwarnimVijayVarsh celebrations, the Indian Air Force #IAF organised a Tri Service all women cycling expedition from War Memorial, Longewala to National War Memorial, New Delhi. The expedition was flagged off on 25 Sep 21. pic.twitter.com/XegXugox1K — Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) October 7, 2021 × This year, the IAF Day parade will pay tribute to the heroes of the 1971 war, which saw India defeat Pakistan." There will be a Vinaash formation to showcase the victory in the battle of Longewala. A total of six hunter aircraft are expected to carry out this formation. Also, the IAF will honour its only Param Vir Chakra awardee, Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon, with a Sekhon formation. This would be done with one aircraft each, including, Rafale, Tejas, Jaguar, MiG-29 and Mirage 2000, flying over the marchpast together. Mi-17 and Chinook helicopters will perform the Meghna formation.

Air force day 2021: Parade to commemorate 1971 war victory

For years, innocents have been paying the price for America's war on terror. This time in Kabul, failures in US intel have left to the killing of an aid worker and members of his family. WION was first to cast doubt on Pentagon claims over killings.

Afghanistan: Mistaken identity devastates family, civilians killed due to faulty US intelligence?

On Tuesday, US&nbsp;President Joe Biden delivered his first address to the United Nations General Assembly, declaring that the world is at a "inflection point in history" and that the world must act quickly and cooperatively to address the lingering issues of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and human rights violations.

In the midst of rising tensions with China, Biden also stated that the US is “not seeking a new Cold War.”&nbsp;

Biden highlighted growing concerns about rising tensions between the two countries without directly addressing China.

“We are not seeking a new Cold War or a world divided into rigid blocks,” he clarified. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/un-general-assembly-2021-alarm-to-wake-up-world-key-points-from-strong-speech-by-secretary-general-antonio-guterres-414680">Also read | Alarm to wake up world: Key points from strong speech by Secretary General Antonio Guterres</a>

With no lack of issues facing the world, the president emphasised his decision to end America's longest war, in Afghanistan, last month, and set the stage for his administration to shift its focus to intensive diplomacy.

He is motivated by the notion that "to deliver for our own people, we must also engage deeply with the rest of the world," according to him.&nbsp;

He said&nbsp;that the pandemic has been a time of "great grief and incredible possibilities," but that the world now has a chance to make a difference.&nbsp; 
 
WION-USA Direct: Biden to host Modi at White House, counter terrorism &amp; Afghan situation on agenda

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He asserted that at the "beginning of a pivotal decade for our globe," there is a "clear and urgent choice" to "define our futures." 
 
The US president stated that powerful countries will not be able to dominate weaker countries.

Countries must work together to face important challenges such as climate change and COVID-19, he said, "even if we have great disagreement in other areas."&nbsp;

Biden said that countries must now address climate change and prepare for the next pandemic, which he predicts will occur.&nbsp; 
 
WATCH:&nbsp;

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&nbsp;

On Tuesday, US President Joe Biden delivered his first address to the United Nations General Assembly, declaring that the world is at a "inflection point in history" and that the world must act quickly and cooperatively to address the lingering issues of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and human rights violations.

On Tuesday, US President Joe Biden delivered his first address to the United Nations General Assembly, declaring that the world is at a "inflection point in history" and that the world must act quickly and cooperatively to address the lingering issues of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and human rights violations. In the midst of rising tensions with China, Biden also stated that the US is “not seeking a new Cold War.” Biden highlighted growing concerns about rising tensions between the two countries without directly addressing China. “We are not seeking a new Cold War or a world divided into rigid blocks,” he clarified. Also read | Alarm to wake up world: Key points from strong speech by Secretary General Antonio Guterres With no lack of issues facing the world, the president emphasised his decision to end America's longest war, in Afghanistan, last month, and set the stage for his administration to shift its focus to intensive diplomacy. He is motivated by the notion that "to deliver for our own people, we must also engage deeply with the rest of the world," according to him. He said that the pandemic has been a time of "great grief and incredible possibilities," but that the world now has a chance to make a difference. WION-USA Direct: Biden to host Modi at White House, counter terrorism & Afghan situation on agenda He asserted that at the "beginning of a pivotal decade for our globe," there is a "clear and urgent choice" to "define our futures." The US president stated that powerful countries will not be able to dominate weaker countries. Countries must work together to face important challenges such as climate change and COVID-19, he said, "even if we have great disagreement in other areas." Biden said that countries must now address climate change and prepare for the next pandemic, which he predicts will occur. WATCH: ×

UN General Assembly 2021 | 'We are not seeking a new cold war': US President Joe Biden

Ethiopia&nbsp;said on Saturday that more than 150 aid trucks had entered war-torn Tigray over the past two days, after the United Nations warned of a "looming catastrophe" in the northern region.

A senior UN official said this week that a "de facto aid blockade" was exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in Tigray and that millions of people were on the brink of hunger.

And the African Union also urged the Ethiopian government to step up efforts to ensure aid access to the region that has been riven by 10 months of conflict.

Ethiopia's Ministry of Peace said on Saturday there had been efforts since last week "to better coordinate and facilitate the movement of humanitarian aid" to Tigray.

It said in a statement posted on Twitter that about 500 trucks with food and other aid had entered the region, including 152 in the past two days, and that the number of checkpoints had been reduced to two from seven.

The conflict erupted in November when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent in troops to topple the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), the regional ruling party, saying the move was in response to attacks on army camps.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/second-afghan-boy-dies-of-mushroom-poisoning-in-poland-410687">Also read |&nbsp;Second Afghan boy dies of mushroom poisoning in Poland</a>

Although the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize winner vowed a swift victory, the war has dragged on and spread into the neighbouring Afar and Amhara regions.

The Ethiopian authorities and Tigrayan rebels have repeatedly accused the other of obstructing humanitarian convoys trying to reach Tigray.

'Worsen dramatically'

The UN's humanitarian agency OCHA had said in a briefing note on Thursday that the only route to the region,&nbsp;the Semera-Abala corridor in Afar, had not been accessible since August 22.

It said Afar armed police had blocked a UN mission travelling to Abala on August 24 and forcefully entered UN vehicles to send them back to Semera, "verbally abusing, harassing and threatening" the team.

OCHA also complained that while there were twice-weekly UN flights from Addis Ababa to Tigray's capital Mekele, there had been delays and all passengers including senior UN officials faced "intrusive and intensive searches" at the airport in the Ethiopian capital.

The UN's Acting Humanitarian Coordinator for&nbsp;Ethiopia, Grant Leaity, warned Thursday that the situation in the north was set to "worsen dramatically" and called on all sides to allow in relief supplies "to avert this looming catastrophe".

An estimated 5.2 million people, or 90 percent of the population in Tigray, urgently need assistance, he said, including 400,000 already facing famine-like conditions.

Millions were on the brink of going hungry, including 1.7 million people in Afar and Amhara, he added, saying "stocks of relief aid, cash and fuel are running very low or are completely depleted".

The African Union&nbsp;which is headquartered in Addis Ababa on Friday also urged the Ethiopian government to do more to prevent starvation in the region.

Last month, the AU announced it had appointed former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo as mediator in the conflict, but the Tigrayan rebels accused the bloc of "partiality" towards the Ethiopian government.&nbsp;

Ethiopia said on Saturday that more than 150 aid trucks had entered war-torn Tigray over the past two days, after the United Nations warned of a "looming catastrophe" in the northern region.

Ethiopia said on Saturday that more than 150 aid trucks had entered war-torn Tigray over the past two days, after the United Nations warned of a "looming catastrophe" in the northern region. A senior UN official said this week that a "de facto aid blockade" was exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in Tigray and that millions of people were on the brink of hunger. And the African Union also urged the Ethiopian government to step up efforts to ensure aid access to the region that has been riven by 10 months of conflict. Ethiopia's Ministry of Peace said on Saturday there had been efforts since last week "to better coordinate and facilitate the movement of humanitarian aid" to Tigray. It said in a statement posted on Twitter that about 500 trucks with food and other aid had entered the region, including 152 in the past two days, and that the number of checkpoints had been reduced to two from seven. The conflict erupted in November when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent in troops to topple the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), the regional ruling party, saying the move was in response to attacks on army camps. Also read | Second Afghan boy dies of mushroom poisoning in Poland Although the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize winner vowed a swift victory, the war has dragged on and spread into the neighbouring Afar and Amhara regions. The Ethiopian authorities and Tigrayan rebels have repeatedly accused the other of obstructing humanitarian convoys trying to reach Tigray. 'Worsen dramatically' The UN's humanitarian agency OCHA had said in a briefing note on Thursday that the only route to the region, the Semera-Abala corridor in Afar, had not been accessible since August 22. It said Afar armed police had blocked a UN mission travelling to Abala on August 24 and forcefully entered UN vehicles to send them back to Semera, "verbally abusing, harassing and threatening" the team. OCHA also complained that while there were twice-weekly UN flights from Addis Ababa to Tigray's capital Mekele, there had been delays and all passengers including senior UN officials faced "intrusive and intensive searches" at the airport in the Ethiopian capital. The UN's Acting Humanitarian Coordinator for Ethiopia, Grant Leaity, warned Thursday that the situation in the north was set to "worsen dramatically" and called on all sides to allow in relief supplies "to avert this looming catastrophe". An estimated 5.2 million people, or 90 percent of the population in Tigray, urgently need assistance, he said, including 400,000 already facing famine-like conditions. Millions were on the brink of going hungry, including 1.7 million people in Afar and Amhara, he added, saying "stocks of relief aid, cash and fuel are running very low or are completely depleted". The African Union which is headquartered in Addis Ababa on Friday also urged the Ethiopian government to do more to prevent starvation in the region. Last month, the AU announced it had appointed former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo as mediator in the conflict, but the Tigrayan rebels accused the bloc of "partiality" towards the Ethiopian government.

Ethiopia says more aid trucks enter war-hit Tigray

The war was over in Afghanistan, said a spokesman for the Taliban's political office on Sunday&nbsp;in an interview with Al Jazeera TV. &nbsp;

The spokesman also called for peaceful relations with the international community. Mohammad Naeem, spokesman for the group, said the Taliban did not want to live in isolation and the type of rule and the form of regime would be clear soon. &nbsp;

Naeem added, the group has respected women's and minorities' rights and freedom of expression within Sharia law. The group is also ready to have a dialogue with all Afghan figures and will guarantee them necessary protection. &nbsp;

After Taliban insurgents entered Kabul on Sunday, President Ashraf Ghani left the country saying he wanted to avoid bloodshed. It brought the group close to taking over the country two decades after they were overthrown by a US-led invasion. &nbsp;

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden and other top officials were left stunned by the pace of the Taliban's nearly complete takeover of Afghanistan. The planned withdrawal of US forces has now become a mission to ensure a safe evacuation. &nbsp;

The Afghan government's rapid collapse and the ensuing chaos raised several questions. While referring to the Afghan military, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CNN, "We've seen that that force has been unable to defend the country, and that has happened more quickly than we anticipated." &nbsp;

Several netizens also said the images of US helicopters circling the Kabul embassy evoked the humiliating departure of its personnel from Vietnam many years ago. &nbsp;

A US State Department official also said the country’s flag is no longer flying at embassy amid evacuations from the capital. Nearly all embassy personnel have been relocated to the city's international airport. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The war was over in Afghanistan, said a spokesman for the Taliban's political office on Sunday in an interview with Al Jazeera TV. The spokesman also called for peaceful relations with the international community.

The war was over in Afghanistan, said a spokesman for the Taliban's political office on Sunday in an interview with Al Jazeera TV. The spokesman also called for peaceful relations with the international community. Mohammad Naeem, spokesman for the group, said the Taliban did not want to live in isolation and the type of rule and the form of regime would be clear soon. Naeem added, the group has respected women's and minorities' rights and freedom of expression within Sharia law. The group is also ready to have a dialogue with all Afghan figures and will guarantee them necessary protection. After Taliban insurgents entered Kabul on Sunday, President Ashraf Ghani left the country saying he wanted to avoid bloodshed. It brought the group close to taking over the country two decades after they were overthrown by a US-led invasion. Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden and other top officials were left stunned by the pace of the Taliban's nearly complete takeover of Afghanistan. The planned withdrawal of US forces has now become a mission to ensure a safe evacuation. The Afghan government's rapid collapse and the ensuing chaos raised several questions. While referring to the Afghan military, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CNN, "We've seen that that force has been unable to defend the country, and that has happened more quickly than we anticipated." Several netizens also said the images of US helicopters circling the Kabul embassy evoked the humiliating departure of its personnel from Vietnam many years ago. A US State Department official also said the country’s flag is no longer flying at embassy amid evacuations from the capital. Nearly all embassy personnel have been relocated to the city's international airport. (With inputs from agencies)

'War is over in Afghanistan', says Taliban as US is stunned by Ghani govt’s collapse

Deadly rocket and mortar fire on Israeli cities by Palestinian militant groups during a May conflict in and around Gaza constituted war crimes, Human Rights Watch said Thursday.

The New York-based rights group analysed attacks from Gaza that resulted in the deaths of 12 Israeli civilians and injuries to dozens more.

Rockets that misfired or fell short also killed or wounded "an undetermined number of Palestinians in Gaza," the group said, with at least seven Palestinian civilians killed.&nbsp;

The rockets were fired during an 11-day conflict that saw Israel pound Gaza with air strikes as militants in the blockaded enclave fired more than 4,000 rockets towards Israel.

Israeli strikes killed some 260 people in Gaza, including militants, while munitions from Gaza killed 13 people in Israel, including a soldier.

The report comes a day after the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA condemned "the existence and potential use by Palestinian armed groups" of tunnels under its schools in Gaza, saying they placed pupils and staff "at risk".

The agency issued its statement following a demand by Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, to freeze its funding after Israeli public television reported Hamas blocked UN inspectors from inspecting a tunnel near an UNRWA school.

Human Rights Watch previously accused Israel of war crimes for strikes that killed dozens of civilians despite "no evident military targets in the vicinity" during the conflict that ended with a May 21 ceasefire.&nbsp;

In Thursday's report, the rights group cited statements by Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas and other militant groups announcing barrages of rockets at Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/semen-terrorism-angers-women-in-south-korea-404805">Also read |&nbsp;'Semen terrorism' angers women in South Korea</a>

After one such statement, shrapnel from a rocket killed a 63-year-old Israeli woman south of Tel Aviv. Another rocket killed a father and his teenage daughter in a village about 20 kilometres from Tel Aviv.&nbsp;

"Under international humanitarian law, or the laws of war, warring parties may only attack military objectives," Human Rights Watch said, adding, "launching such rockets to attack civilian areas is a war crime."

The group suggested the International Criminal Court, which is investigating allegations of Israeli war crimes, should include "unlawful Palestinian rocket attacks against Israel, as well as unlawful Israeli attacks in Gaza."

In April, Human Rights Watch accused Israel of committing the crime of "apartheid" by seeking to maintain Jewish "domination" over Palestinians and its own Arab population, an allegation Israel firmly rejected.

Deadly rocket and mortar fire on Israeli cities by Palestinian militant groups during a May conflict in and around Gaza constituted war crimes, Human Rights Watch said Thursday.

Deadly rocket and mortar fire on Israeli cities by Palestinian militant groups during a May conflict in and around Gaza constituted war crimes, Human Rights Watch said Thursday. The New York-based rights group analysed attacks from Gaza that resulted in the deaths of 12 Israeli civilians and injuries to dozens more. Rockets that misfired or fell short also killed or wounded "an undetermined number of Palestinians in Gaza," the group said, with at least seven Palestinian civilians killed. The rockets were fired during an 11-day conflict that saw Israel pound Gaza with air strikes as militants in the blockaded enclave fired more than 4,000 rockets towards Israel. Israeli strikes killed some 260 people in Gaza, including militants, while munitions from Gaza killed 13 people in Israel, including a soldier. The report comes a day after the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA condemned "the existence and potential use by Palestinian armed groups" of tunnels under its schools in Gaza, saying they placed pupils and staff "at risk". The agency issued its statement following a demand by Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, to freeze its funding after Israeli public television reported Hamas blocked UN inspectors from inspecting a tunnel near an UNRWA school. Human Rights Watch previously accused Israel of war crimes for strikes that killed dozens of civilians despite "no evident military targets in the vicinity" during the conflict that ended with a May 21 ceasefire. In Thursday's report, the rights group cited statements by Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas and other militant groups announcing barrages of rockets at Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities Also read | 'Semen terrorism' angers women in South Korea After one such statement, shrapnel from a rocket killed a 63-year-old Israeli woman south of Tel Aviv. Another rocket killed a father and his teenage daughter in a village about 20 kilometres from Tel Aviv. "Under international humanitarian law, or the laws of war, warring parties may only attack military objectives," Human Rights Watch said, adding, "launching such rockets to attack civilian areas is a war crime." The group suggested the International Criminal Court, which is investigating allegations of Israeli war crimes, should include "unlawful Palestinian rocket attacks against Israel, as well as unlawful Israeli attacks in Gaza." In April, Human Rights Watch accused Israel of committing the crime of "apartheid" by seeking to maintain Jewish "domination" over Palestinians and its own Arab population, an allegation Israel firmly rejected.

Palestinian groups in Gaza committed 'war crimes': HRW

Deadly rocket and mortar fire on Israeli cities by Palestinian militant groups during a May conflict in and around Gaza constituted war crimes, Human Rights Watch said Thursday.

The New York-based rights group analysed attacks from Gaza that resulted in the deaths of 12 Israeli civilians and injuries to dozens more.

Rockets that misfired or fell short also killed or wounded "an undetermined number of Palestinians in Gaza," the group said, with at least seven Palestinian civilians killed.&nbsp;

The rockets were fired during an 11-day conflict that saw Israel pound Gaza with air strikes as militants in the blockaded enclave fired more than 4,000 rockets towards Israel.

Israeli strikes killed some 260 people in Gaza, including militants, while munitions from Gaza killed 13 people in Israel, including a soldier.

The report comes a day after the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA condemned "the existence and potential use by Palestinian armed groups" of tunnels under its schools in Gaza, saying they placed pupils and staff "at risk".

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/semen-terrorism-angers-women-in-south-korea-404805">Also read |&nbsp;'Semen terrorism' angers women in South Korea</a>

The agency issued its statement following a demand by Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, to freeze its funding after Israeli public television reported Hamas blocked UN inspectors from inspecting a tunnel near an UNRWA school.

Human Rights Watch previously accused Israel of war crimes for strikes that killed dozens of civilians despite "no evident military targets in the vicinity" during the conflict that ended with a May 21 ceasefire.&nbsp;

In Thursday's report, the rights group cited statements by Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas and other militant groups announcing barrages of rockets at Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities&nbsp;

After one such statement, shrapnel from a rocket killed a 63-year-old Israeli woman south of Tel Aviv. Another rocket killed a father and his teenage daughter in a village about 20 kilometres from Tel Aviv.&nbsp;

"Under international humanitarian law, or the laws of war, warring parties may only attack military objectives," Human Rights Watch said, adding, "launching such rockets to attack civilian areas is a war crime."

The group suggested the International Criminal Court, which is investigating allegations of Israeli war crimes, should include "unlawful Palestinian rocket attacks against Israel, as well as unlawful Israeli attacks in Gaza."

In April, Human Rights Watch accused Israel of committing the crime of "apartheid" by seeking to maintain Jewish "domination" over Palestinians and its own Arab population, an allegation Israel firmly rejected.

Deadly rocket and mortar fire on Israeli cities by Palestinian militant groups during a May conflict in and around Gaza constituted war crimes, Human Rights Watch said Thursday. The New York-based rights group analysed attacks from Gaza that resulted in the deaths of 12 Israeli civilians and injuries to dozens more. Rockets that misfired or fell short also killed or wounded "an undetermined number of Palestinians in Gaza," the group said, with at least seven Palestinian civilians killed. The rockets were fired during an 11-day conflict that saw Israel pound Gaza with air strikes as militants in the blockaded enclave fired more than 4,000 rockets towards Israel. Israeli strikes killed some 260 people in Gaza, including militants, while munitions from Gaza killed 13 people in Israel, including a soldier. The report comes a day after the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA condemned "the existence and potential use by Palestinian armed groups" of tunnels under its schools in Gaza, saying they placed pupils and staff "at risk". Also read | 'Semen terrorism' angers women in South Korea The agency issued its statement following a demand by Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, to freeze its funding after Israeli public television reported Hamas blocked UN inspectors from inspecting a tunnel near an UNRWA school. Human Rights Watch previously accused Israel of war crimes for strikes that killed dozens of civilians despite "no evident military targets in the vicinity" during the conflict that ended with a May 21 ceasefire. In Thursday's report, the rights group cited statements by Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas and other militant groups announcing barrages of rockets at Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities After one such statement, shrapnel from a rocket killed a 63-year-old Israeli woman south of Tel Aviv. Another rocket killed a father and his teenage daughter in a village about 20 kilometres from Tel Aviv. "Under international humanitarian law, or the laws of war, warring parties may only attack military objectives," Human Rights Watch said, adding, "launching such rockets to attack civilian areas is a war crime." The group suggested the International Criminal Court, which is investigating allegations of Israeli war crimes, should include "unlawful Palestinian rocket attacks against Israel, as well as unlawful Israeli attacks in Gaza." In April, Human Rights Watch accused Israel of committing the crime of "apartheid" by seeking to maintain Jewish "domination" over Palestinians and its own Arab population, an allegation Israel firmly rejected.

US President Joe Biden on Tuesday warned that if the United States ended up in a "real shooting war" with a "major power" it could be the result of a significant cyber attack on the country, highlighting what Washington sees as growing threats posed by Russia and China. 
 
Cybersecurity has risen to the top of the agenda for the Biden administration after a series of high-profile attacks on entities such as network management company SolarWinds, the Colonial Pipeline company, meat processing company JBS and software firm Kaseya hurt the US&nbsp;far beyond just the companies hacked. Some of the attacks affected fuel and food supplies in parts of the United States. 
 
"I think it's more than likely we're going to end up, if we end up in a war - a real shooting war with a major power - it's going to be as a consequence of a cyber breach of great consequence and it's increasing exponentially, the capabilities," Biden said during a half-hour speech while visiting the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). 
 
During a June 16 summit in Geneva between Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Biden shared a list of critical infrastructure the US&nbsp;considers off-limits to nation-state actors. 
 
Since then, senior members of the Biden administration's national security team have been in constant contact with senior members of the Kremlin over cyber attacks on the United States, the White House has said. 
 
Biden also highlighted the threats posed by China, referring to President Xi Jinping as "deadly earnest about becoming the most powerful military force in the world, as well as the largest and most prominent economy in the world by the mid-40s, the 2040s."

US President Joe Biden on Tuesday warned that if the United States ended up in a "real shooting war" with a "major power" it could be the result of a significant cyber attack on the country, highlighting what Washington sees as growing threats posed by Russia and China.

US President Joe Biden on Tuesday warned that if the United States ended up in a "real shooting war" with a "major power" it could be the result of a significant cyber attack on the country, highlighting what Washington sees as growing threats posed by Russia and China. Cybersecurity has risen to the top of the agenda for the Biden administration after a series of high-profile attacks on entities such as network management company SolarWinds, the Colonial Pipeline company, meat processing company JBS and software firm Kaseya hurt the US far beyond just the companies hacked. Some of the attacks affected fuel and food supplies in parts of the United States. "I think it's more than likely we're going to end up, if we end up in a war - a real shooting war with a major power - it's going to be as a consequence of a cyber breach of great consequence and it's increasing exponentially, the capabilities," Biden said during a half-hour speech while visiting the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). During a June 16 summit in Geneva between Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Biden shared a list of critical infrastructure the US considers off-limits to nation-state actors. Since then, senior members of the Biden administration's national security team have been in constant contact with senior members of the Kremlin over cyber attacks on the United States, the White House has said. Biden also highlighted the threats posed by China, referring to President Xi Jinping as "deadly earnest about becoming the most powerful military force in the world, as well as the largest and most prominent economy in the world by the mid-40s, the 2040s."

Biden: If US has 'real shooting war' it could be result of cyber attacks

In order to commemorate the sacrifices made by soldiers in the war where the Indian Army recaptured all the Indian posts in Kargil that had been occupied by Pakistan's army, July 26 every year is observed as Kargil Vijay Diwas.&nbsp;

The conflict is believed to have been orchestrated by the then Pakistan army chief General Pervez Musharraf without the knowledge of the then Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

The war took place between May and July of 1999 in Jammu and Kashmir's Kargil district.&nbsp;

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Tomorrow, 26th July, our nation will mark Kargil Vijay Diwas. 
 
Let us pay tributes to those who made our nation proud in 1999. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MannKiBaat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MannKiBaat</a> <a href="https://t.co/hfeF9RMX0d">pic.twitter.com/hfeF9RMX0d</a>
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It started when Pakistani troops and terrorists infiltrated Indian territory.&nbsp;They positioned themselves in key locations.&nbsp;

This was done so that they get a strategic advantage during the start of the conflict.&nbsp;

Based on information provided by local shepherds, the Indian Army was able to ascertain the points of incursion and launch what is termed as 'Operation Vijay'.

It started when on May 2, 1999, a man called Tashi Namgyal, a local shepherd living in a small village called Gharkon near mountainous Batalik town of Kargil spotted six men breaking stones and clearing the snow when he was looking for his list Yak.

This was unusual for Tashi as he saw no footprints leading to the spot and it was clear that they had come from the other side.

The men wore Pathani dress and army uniforms, few of them carried weapons too. &nbsp;

Tashi was the first to report the infiltration in Kargil to the army and it was after his information that a team was sent to scan the area. What the group of 20-25 Indian army men found was surprising...men with arms and ammunition getting ready. On his information, the Indian army moved quickly and minimised the possible damage.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/kargil-war-shepherd-who-informed-indian-army-of-pakistan-infiltration-still-awaits-recognition-238499">Also read |&nbsp;Kargil War: Shepherd who informed Indian army of Pakistan infiltration still awaits recognition</a>

However, the victory for the Indian army came at a high price as the death toll on the Indian side was 527, while that on the Pakistani side was between 357 and 453.

"Operation Vijay was a perfect blend of strong and determined political, military and diplomatic actions which enabled us to transform an adverse situation into a military and diplomatic victory," VP Malik who was the Army Chief during Kargil War summed up in a 2002 article.

Pakistan faced global pressure, with the then US President Bill Clinton persuading Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to pull out from Kargil in early July through a telephonic conversation.&nbsp;

The Kargil War officially ended on July 26.

As per an Indian Express article which is available in the MEA archives there is a part of a paper by Bruce Riedel, a director on the Bill Clinton administration's National Security Council.&nbsp;

It says that the conflict saw “furious artillery clashes, air battles and costly infantry assaults by Indian troops against well dug-in Pakistani forces. Pakistan denied its troops were involved, claiming that only Kashmiri militants were doing the fighting — a claim not taken seriously anywhere.”

In order to commemorate the sacrifices made by soldiers in the war where the Indian Army recaptured all the Indian posts in Kargil that had been occupied by Pakistan's army, July 26 every year is observed as Kargil Vijay Diwas.

In order to commemorate the sacrifices made by soldiers in the war where the Indian Army recaptured all the Indian posts in Kargil that had been occupied by Pakistan's army, July 26 every year is observed as Kargil Vijay Diwas. The conflict is believed to have been orchestrated by the then Pakistan army chief General Pervez Musharraf without the knowledge of the then Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The war took place between May and July of 1999 in Jammu and Kashmir's Kargil district. Tomorrow, 26th July, our nation will mark Kargil Vijay Diwas. Let us pay tributes to those who made our nation proud in 1999. #MannKiBaat pic.twitter.com/hfeF9RMX0d — PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 25, 2021 × It started when Pakistani troops and terrorists infiltrated Indian territory. They positioned themselves in key locations. This was done so that they get a strategic advantage during the start of the conflict. Based on information provided by local shepherds, the Indian Army was able to ascertain the points of incursion and launch what is termed as 'Operation Vijay'. It started when on May 2, 1999, a man called Tashi Namgyal, a local shepherd living in a small village called Gharkon near mountainous Batalik town of Kargil spotted six men breaking stones and clearing the snow when he was looking for his list Yak. This was unusual for Tashi as he saw no footprints leading to the spot and it was clear that they had come from the other side. The men wore Pathani dress and army uniforms, few of them carried weapons too. Tashi was the first to report the infiltration in Kargil to the army and it was after his information that a team was sent to scan the area. What the group of 20-25 Indian army men found was surprising...men with arms and ammunition getting ready. On his information, the Indian army moved quickly and minimised the possible damage. Also read | Kargil War: Shepherd who informed Indian army of Pakistan infiltration still awaits recognition However, the victory for the Indian army came at a high price as the death toll on the Indian side was 527, while that on the Pakistani side was between 357 and 453. "Operation Vijay was a perfect blend of strong and determined political, military and diplomatic actions which enabled us to transform an adverse situation into a military and diplomatic victory," VP Malik who was the Army Chief during Kargil War summed up in a 2002 article. Pakistan faced global pressure, with the then US President Bill Clinton persuading Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to pull out from Kargil in early July through a telephonic conversation. The Kargil War officially ended on July 26. As per an Indian Express article which is available in the MEA archives there is a part of a paper by Bruce Riedel, a director on the Bill Clinton administration's National Security Council. It says that the conflict saw “furious artillery clashes, air battles and costly infantry assaults by Indian troops against well dug-in Pakistani forces. Pakistan denied its troops were involved, claiming that only Kashmiri militants were doing the fighting — a claim not taken seriously anywhere.”

22 years of Kargil Vijay Diwas: Here is all you need to know

Children in rural Colombia are being taught by the non-profit organization Halo Trust how to identify anti-personnel mines near their communities. During the country's civil war, landmines were placed by armed groups throughout conflict zones.

Colombian children learn to identify landmines buried during their country's long civil war

The US&nbsp;general leading the war in Afghanistan, Austin Miller, relinquished command at a ceremony on Monday and quietly left the country, a symbolic end to America's longest conflict while Taliban insurgents gain momentum.

Miller, America's last four-star commander to serve on the ground in Afghanistan, climbed aboard a helicopter and lifted off from the military base in Kabul that long had been the nerve center for the two-decade-old war effort.

President Joe Biden has set a formal end to the US&nbsp;military mission for August&nbsp;31 as he looks to disengage from a conflict triggered by al Qaeda's attacks on the United States on September&nbsp;11, 2001.

About 2,400 US&nbsp;service members have been killed in Afghanistan and many thousands have been wounded.

Addressing a small group of US&nbsp;and Afghan officials, Miller vowed to remember lives lost in the fighting and called on the Taliban to halt attacks that have given them control of more territory than at any time since the conflict began. 
"What I tell the Taliban is they're responsible too. The violence that's going on is against the will of the Afghan people, and it needs to stop," Miller said.

US&nbsp;Marine General Kenneth McKenzie, whose Florida-based Central Command oversees US&nbsp;forces in hot spots including Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, flew into Kabul to underscore America's future assistance to Afghan security forces, albeit mostly from overseas.

"You can count on our support in the dangerous and difficult days ahead. We will be with you," McKenzie said in his address.

Speaking separately to a small group of reporters, McKenzie cautioned that the Taliban, in his view, were seeking 'a military solution' to a war that the United States has unsuccessfully tried to end with a peace agreement between the Taliban and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's government.

"We need to see some gesture from the Taliban here that they're not just completely intent on winning the military victory," McKenzie said.

"We're at a crossroads period right now in the history of Afghanistan." He said provincial capitals were at risk and added the Taliban appeared interested in taking Kandahar, Afghanistan's second-largest city and the Taliban birthplace. While voicing confidence in Afghan forces, he also warned of the consequences a Taliban victory could have for the people of Afghanistan.

"If this government is overthrown, if the Taliban prevail, I think we're going to expect a return to medieval standards here in Afghanistan, particularly in the domain of women's rights, human rights, education and so many other things," he said.

Afghan national security adviser Hamdullah Mohib acknowledged problems resupplying over-stretched Afghan troops but told reporters that planning was under way to focus the war effort on "where we needed to defend the most."

McKenzie will be able to authorise US&nbsp;air strikes against the Taliban through August&nbsp;31 in support of Ghani's Western-backed government.&nbsp;But after that, the Marine general said that when it comes to US&nbsp;strikes in Afghanistan, his focus will shift squarely to counter-terrorism operations against al Qaeda and Islamic State.

The US general leading the war in Afghanistan, Austin Miller, relinquished command at a ceremony on Monday and quietly left the country, a symbolic end to America's longest conflict while Taliban insurgents gain momentum.

The US general leading the war in Afghanistan, Austin Miller, relinquished command at a ceremony on Monday and quietly left the country, a symbolic end to America's longest conflict while Taliban insurgents gain momentum. Miller, America's last four-star commander to serve on the ground in Afghanistan, climbed aboard a helicopter and lifted off from the military base in Kabul that long had been the nerve center for the two-decade-old war effort. President Joe Biden has set a formal end to the US military mission for August 31 as he looks to disengage from a conflict triggered by al Qaeda's attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001. About 2,400 US service members have been killed in Afghanistan and many thousands have been wounded. Addressing a small group of US and Afghan officials, Miller vowed to remember lives lost in the fighting and called on the Taliban to halt attacks that have given them control of more territory than at any time since the conflict began. "What I tell the Taliban is they're responsible too. The violence that's going on is against the will of the Afghan people, and it needs to stop," Miller said. US Marine General Kenneth McKenzie, whose Florida-based Central Command oversees US forces in hot spots including Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, flew into Kabul to underscore America's future assistance to Afghan security forces, albeit mostly from overseas. "You can count on our support in the dangerous and difficult days ahead. We will be with you," McKenzie said in his address. Speaking separately to a small group of reporters, McKenzie cautioned that the Taliban, in his view, were seeking 'a military solution' to a war that the United States has unsuccessfully tried to end with a peace agreement between the Taliban and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's government. "We need to see some gesture from the Taliban here that they're not just completely intent on winning the military victory," McKenzie said. "We're at a crossroads period right now in the history of Afghanistan." He said provincial capitals were at risk and added the Taliban appeared interested in taking Kandahar, Afghanistan's second-largest city and the Taliban birthplace. While voicing confidence in Afghan forces, he also warned of the consequences a Taliban victory could have for the people of Afghanistan. "If this government is overthrown, if the Taliban prevail, I think we're going to expect a return to medieval standards here in Afghanistan, particularly in the domain of women's rights, human rights, education and so many other things," he said. Afghan national security adviser Hamdullah Mohib acknowledged problems resupplying over-stretched Afghan troops but told reporters that planning was under way to focus the war effort on "where we needed to defend the most." McKenzie will be able to authorise US air strikes against the Taliban through August 31 in support of Ghani's Western-backed government. But after that, the Marine general said that when it comes to US strikes in Afghanistan, his focus will shift squarely to counter-terrorism operations against al Qaeda and Islamic State.

In symbolic end to war, US general departs Afghanistan

Over 400,000 people have "crossed the threshold into famine" in Ethiopia's war-torn Tigray region, a senior UN official said Friday, appealing for urgent humanitarian action to help the millions affected by the brutal eight-month long conflict.

Fighting between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) was reignited last month when the rebels launched a major counter-offensive that saw them retake their regional capital of Mekele.

This week Ethiopian forces destroyed two key bridges allowing desperately-needed aid into the region, prompting charges Addis Ababa was seeking to choke off humanitarian assistance.

Friday saw the UN Security Council hold its first public meeting on a conflict that has left thousands of dead and plunged hundreds of thousands into hunger.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-drops-sanctions-on-three-iranians-says-move-unrelated-to-nuclear-talks-395452">Also Read |&nbsp;US drops sanctions on three Iranians, says move unrelated to nuclear talks</a>

Ramesh Rajasingham, Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, told that meeting that the situation had "worsened dramatically" as the conflict had reignited in recent weeks.

"More than 400,000 people are estimated to have crossed the threshold into famine and another 1.8 million people are on the brink of famine," he said. "Some are suggesting that the numbers are even higher. 33,000 children are severely malnourished."

"The lives of many of these people (in Tigray) depend on our ability to reach them with food, medicine, nutrition supplies and other humanitarian assistance," he added. "We need to reach them now. Not next week. Now."

Ethiopia has rejected charges that it planned to choke off aid to the region.

"The insinuation that we are planning to suffocate the Tigrayan people by denying humanitarian access and using hunger as a weapon of war is beyond the pale," Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen told diplomats gathered at a hotel in the capital Addis Ababa.

Officials are "using every ounce of our strength to extricate" Tigrayan civilians "from the dire situation they find themselves in", he added.&nbsp;

Ceasefire 'a joke'&nbsp;

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, winner of the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize, sent troops into Tigray last November to detain and disarm leaders of the regional ruling party, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).&nbsp;

He said the move was in response to TPLF attacks on federal army camps and declared victory within weeks after federal forces took the regional capital Mekele.&nbsp;

But after the rebels -- having rebranded themselves the Tigray Defence Forces (TDF) -- retook Mekele and asserted control over most of the region, the government announced a unilateral ceasefire that the TDF has dismissed as "a joke."

Senior UN official Rosemary DiCarlo urged the group Friday to "immediately and completely" endorse the ceasefire.

"A ceasefire observed by all parties would not only facilitate the provision of humanitarian aid but would also be a starting point for the necessary political efforts to chart a way out of the crisis," DiCarlo said.

'Lives will be lost'

The war has already exerted a staggering humanitarian toll, with the United States estimating 900,000 civilians are "likely already experiencing famine conditions".&nbsp;

The UN's World Food Programme (WFP) says 5.2 million people, or 91 per cent of Tigray's population, need emergency food assistance.&nbsp;

On Friday, the WFP said it had resumed aid operations after a two-day pause but added that lives were still in the balance after the two major bridges leading into Tigray were destroyed.

"Lives will be lost if supply routes into Tigray do not fully open and parties to the conflict continue to disrupt or endanger free movement of cargo for WFP and other emergency responders."

The UN has said one of the bridges was "reportedly" blown up by security forces from the Amhara region, south of Tigray, but the government on Friday blamed Tigrayan forces.&nbsp;

In his comments to diplomats Friday, Demeke reiterated the government's position that the ceasefire was motivated by humanitarian concerns and to facilitate farming.&nbsp;

But with electricity and telecommunications cut off, flights suspended and most roads into the region now impassable, UN officials and diplomats fear the situation could deteriorate further.

"A credible ceasefire means doing everything possible so that aid reaches the millions of children, women and men who urgently need it," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Twitter.

Path to dialogue?&nbsp;

Demeke also said that, following national elections last month that is expected to give Abiy a new term, the government was preparing for an "inclusive dialogue" to resolve the crisis. The polls were postponed in Tigray.&nbsp;

Such a dialogue has long been sought by diplomats lobbying for a political resolution of the war.&nbsp;

But in a closed question-and-answer session with diplomats, officials indicated that dialogue with the TPLF leadership remained off the table.

In May lawmakers designated the TPLF a terrorist organisation.

When pressed by diplomats on how that might affect whatever dialogue takes place, Demeke said some TPLF members were "innocent" and could be included, according to three attendees.

But both Demeke and Redwan Hussein, spokesman for a government task force on the Tigray conflict, told diplomats that Addis Ababa was committed to "accountability" for TPLF leaders, the diplomats said.

Over 400,000 people have "crossed the threshold into famine" in Ethiopia's war-torn Tigray region, a senior UN official said Friday, appealing for urgent humanitarian action to help the millions affected by the brutal eight-month long conflict.

Over 400,000 people have "crossed the threshold into famine" in Ethiopia's war-torn Tigray region, a senior UN official said Friday, appealing for urgent humanitarian action to help the millions affected by the brutal eight-month long conflict. Fighting between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) was reignited last month when the rebels launched a major counter-offensive that saw them retake their regional capital of Mekele. This week Ethiopian forces destroyed two key bridges allowing desperately-needed aid into the region, prompting charges Addis Ababa was seeking to choke off humanitarian assistance. Friday saw the UN Security Council hold its first public meeting on a conflict that has left thousands of dead and plunged hundreds of thousands into hunger. Also Read | US drops sanctions on three Iranians, says move unrelated to nuclear talks Ramesh Rajasingham, Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, told that meeting that the situation had "worsened dramatically" as the conflict had reignited in recent weeks. "More than 400,000 people are estimated to have crossed the threshold into famine and another 1.8 million people are on the brink of famine," he said. "Some are suggesting that the numbers are even higher. 33,000 children are severely malnourished." "The lives of many of these people (in Tigray) depend on our ability to reach them with food, medicine, nutrition supplies and other humanitarian assistance," he added. "We need to reach them now. Not next week. Now." Ethiopia has rejected charges that it planned to choke off aid to the region. "The insinuation that we are planning to suffocate the Tigrayan people by denying humanitarian access and using hunger as a weapon of war is beyond the pale," Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen told diplomats gathered at a hotel in the capital Addis Ababa. Officials are "using every ounce of our strength to extricate" Tigrayan civilians "from the dire situation they find themselves in", he added. Ceasefire 'a joke' Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, winner of the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize, sent troops into Tigray last November to detain and disarm leaders of the regional ruling party, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). He said the move was in response to TPLF attacks on federal army camps and declared victory within weeks after federal forces took the regional capital Mekele. But after the rebels -- having rebranded themselves the Tigray Defence Forces (TDF) -- retook Mekele and asserted control over most of the region, the government announced a unilateral ceasefire that the TDF has dismissed as "a joke." Senior UN official Rosemary DiCarlo urged the group Friday to "immediately and completely" endorse the ceasefire. "A ceasefire observed by all parties would not only facilitate the provision of humanitarian aid but would also be a starting point for the necessary political efforts to chart a way out of the crisis," DiCarlo said. 'Lives will be lost' The war has already exerted a staggering humanitarian toll, with the United States estimating 900,000 civilians are "likely already experiencing famine conditions". The UN's World Food Programme (WFP) says 5.2 million people, or 91 per cent of Tigray's population, need emergency food assistance. On Friday, the WFP said it had resumed aid operations after a two-day pause but added that lives were still in the balance after the two major bridges leading into Tigray were destroyed. "Lives will be lost if supply routes into Tigray do not fully open and parties to the conflict continue to disrupt or endanger free movement of cargo for WFP and other emergency responders." The UN has said one of the bridges was "reportedly" blown up by security forces from the Amhara region, south of Tigray, but the government on Friday blamed Tigrayan forces. In his comments to diplomats Friday, Demeke reiterated the government's position that the ceasefire was motivated by humanitarian concerns and to facilitate farming. But with electricity and telecommunications cut off, flights suspended and most roads into the region now impassable, UN officials and diplomats fear the situation could deteriorate further. "A credible ceasefire means doing everything possible so that aid reaches the millions of children, women and men who urgently need it," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Twitter. Path to dialogue? Demeke also said that, following national elections last month that is expected to give Abiy a new term, the government was preparing for an "inclusive dialogue" to resolve the crisis. The polls were postponed in Tigray. Such a dialogue has long been sought by diplomats lobbying for a political resolution of the war. But in a closed question-and-answer session with diplomats, officials indicated that dialogue with the TPLF leadership remained off the table. In May lawmakers designated the TPLF a terrorist organisation. When pressed by diplomats on how that might affect whatever dialogue takes place, Demeke said some TPLF members were "innocent" and could be included, according to three attendees. But both Demeke and Redwan Hussein, spokesman for a government task force on the Tigray conflict, told diplomats that Addis Ababa was committed to "accountability" for TPLF leaders, the diplomats said.

400,000 people facing famine in war-torn Tigray, says UN

A bronze statue of the main God of the kingdom of Saba, located in what is now the Yemeni province of Marib, lies in a dark and fortified room of the Sanaa National Museum. The piece was made by a man named Hawtar Athat in the first half of the sixth century BC. It has been lucky enough to survive the latest war in Yemen. Many other artefacts have not.

As war destroys Yemen's present, museums struggle to preserve its past

Is a war inevitable between Russia & Ukraine? The situation has become quite precarious, but both sides deny stoking up tensions. What's the reality on ground? WION's Palki Sharma gets you a report.

Gravitas: The Russia-Ukraine conflict explained

At 13, she left home to join the guerrillas. Now, at 15, Yeimi Sofía Vega lay in a coffin, killed during a military operation ordered by her government.

Some of the youngest children in her town, Puerto Cachicamo, led her funeral procession, waving small white flags as they wound past the school, with its mildewed books and broken benches, past the shuttered health clinic and their small wooden houses.

“We don’t want bombs,” the children chanted, marching down a dusty road to the cemetery. “We want opportunities.”

Nearly five years after Colombia signed a historic peace accord with its largest rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, the country’s internal war is far from over.

Remote towns like Puerto Cachicamo have yet to see the schools, clinics and jobs the government promised in the agreement. Thousands of dissident FARC combatants have returned to battle, or never laid down their arms, and are fighting rivals for control of illicit markets. Mass killings and forced displacement are again regular occurrences.

And young people — trapped between an often absent state, the aggressive recruitment of armed groups and the firepower of the military — are once again the conflict’s most vulnerable targets.

That was evident this month, when the government bombed a rebel camp in an effort to take out a high-profile dissident FARC leader known by the alias Gentil Duarte. The camp turned out to be full of young people who had been recruited by the group — and the operation killed at least two minors, including Yeimi Sofía.

The defense minister, Diego Molano, blamed the rebels for the deaths, pointing out that they were the ones turning adolescents into government targets by converting them into “machines of war.”

The phrase electrified Colombian society, with some saying Molano was being blunt but precise, and others saying it was this rhetoric — characterizing poor children as enemies of the state, instead of victims of its neglect — that was once again driving young people to the guerrillas.

Child recruitment was a common feature of the country’s decadeslong war. Now, rebels are at it again, circling town plazas, hanging recruitment posters, passing money to adolescents, charming the girls, then persuading them to join the fight.

The bombing also raised critical questions of accountability in a country still grappling with atrocities committed by all sides during a conflict that left at least 220,000 dead: Did authorities know there were minors at the camp? Was the attack launched anyway?

Puerto Cachicamo sits on the Guayabero River, at the intersection of the Andes Mountains, the Amazon region, and the country’s vast plains. One of its defining characteristics is the near total absence of the state.

Before the peace deal, the FARC had a grip on this region, punishing petty criminals, issuing taxes and organizing work crews, all under the threat of violence. They also commonly recruited young people.

In 2016, when the FARC signed the peace deal and demobilized, its fighters left in a fleet of boats on the Guayabero River.

Three months later, the FARC dissidents arrived, said Jhon Albert Montilla, 36, the father of another girl killed in the military bombing, Danna Liseth Montilla, 16.

The last time Montilla saw his daughter was Jan. 1, he said. Danna, who turned 16 in October, was an aspiring journalist who had begun working with Voces del Guayabero, a group of citizen documentarians.

Just as the pandemic began, the government had stepped up coca eradication in the area, prompting protests from locals who saw their livelihoods in danger. Cameramen from Voces rushed to the scenes.

As the military clashed with protesters — shooting several civilians during different encounters — Danna sat in a small shop, one of the few places in Puerto Cachicamo with reliable electricity, editing the videos and uploading them to the internet over a feeble connection.

“But her desire was to be with us in the field,” said Fernando Montes Osorio, a cameraman with Voces who was shot in one clash, leaving his hand permanently mangled.

Because Danna was young, he kept her in the editing room, he said. But they spoke often. “She was focused on the idea that things had to change.”

Then one day in January, she disappeared.

This was not the first time since the peace accord that the government has killed minors in a military operation.

The bombing of another FARC dissident camp in 2019 led to the deaths of eight children and adolescents. Guillermo Botero, then minister of defense, was forced to resign months later, after an opposition senator revealed that he had hidden the victims’ ages from the public.

The scandal was a major test for newly installed President Iván Duque, a conservative whose party vociferously opposed the peace deal.

His critics say his post-accord strategy focuses too much on taking out big-name criminal leaders, and not enough on implementing social programs that were supposed to address the root causes of the war.

His supporters have urged patience. “We cannot undo 56 years of war in just two years,” said Duque’s high commissioner for peace, Miguel Ceballos, in an interview last year.

A total of 12 people died in the operation this month, and it’s still unclear how many of them were minors.

The bombing killed 10 people, according to the military, while two died in confrontations afterward. Most of the dead identified so far by the national medical examiner’s office are between the ages of 19 and 23.&nbsp;It’s unclear whether the March bombing was legal, said René Provost, a professor of international law at McGill University.

Under international law, children who join an armed group can become combatants, and can therefore be legally attacked by governments.

But the law also requires state actors to investigate whether minors are present at a particular target, and if they are, to search for alternative strategies that might spare the children, or to consider whether the value of the target is high enough to justify the deaths of adolescents.

“Humanitarian law imposes a duty to exercise restraints in attacks against child soldiers,” he said, “and if such duties were ignored, it opens the door for criminal accountability for those who took the decisions.”

In the most extreme circumstance, if a government fails to investigate and punish those responsible, such a case could be taken up by the International Criminal Court.

In an interview, defense minister Diego Molano said that the attack fit within the parameters of international law.

He declined repeatedly to say whether the military knew if minors were present at the camp, adding that it was generally “very difficult” to determine the ages of people present at a military target.

But he has also said that the presence of children would not necessarily stop such an operation.

“What criminals like Gentil Duarte have to take into account is that they cannot continue to recruit young people and hope that this will limit the use of the legitimate force of the state,” he told the newspaper El Espectador. “Children must be protected when appropriate, but force must also be used.”

At 13, she left home to join the guerrillas. Now, at 15, Yeimi Sofía Vega lay in a coffin, killed during a military operation ordered by her government. Some of the youngest children in her town, Puerto Cachicamo, led her funeral procession, waving small white flags as they wound past the school, with its mildewed books and broken benches, past the shuttered health clinic and their small wooden houses.

At 13, she left home to join the guerrillas. Now, at 15, Yeimi Sofía Vega lay in a coffin, killed during a military operation ordered by her government. Some of the youngest children in her town, Puerto Cachicamo, led her funeral procession, waving small white flags as they wound past the school, with its mildewed books and broken benches, past the shuttered health clinic and their small wooden houses. “We don’t want bombs,” the children chanted, marching down a dusty road to the cemetery. “We want opportunities.” Nearly five years after Colombia signed a historic peace accord with its largest rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, the country’s internal war is far from over. Remote towns like Puerto Cachicamo have yet to see the schools, clinics and jobs the government promised in the agreement. Thousands of dissident FARC combatants have returned to battle, or never laid down their arms, and are fighting rivals for control of illicit markets. Mass killings and forced displacement are again regular occurrences. And young people — trapped between an often absent state, the aggressive recruitment of armed groups and the firepower of the military — are once again the conflict’s most vulnerable targets. That was evident this month, when the government bombed a rebel camp in an effort to take out a high-profile dissident FARC leader known by the alias Gentil Duarte. The camp turned out to be full of young people who had been recruited by the group — and the operation killed at least two minors, including Yeimi Sofía. The defense minister, Diego Molano, blamed the rebels for the deaths, pointing out that they were the ones turning adolescents into government targets by converting them into “machines of war.” The phrase electrified Colombian society, with some saying Molano was being blunt but precise, and others saying it was this rhetoric — characterizing poor children as enemies of the state, instead of victims of its neglect — that was once again driving young people to the guerrillas. Child recruitment was a common feature of the country’s decadeslong war. Now, rebels are at it again, circling town plazas, hanging recruitment posters, passing money to adolescents, charming the girls, then persuading them to join the fight. The bombing also raised critical questions of accountability in a country still grappling with atrocities committed by all sides during a conflict that left at least 220,000 dead: Did authorities know there were minors at the camp? Was the attack launched anyway? Puerto Cachicamo sits on the Guayabero River, at the intersection of the Andes Mountains, the Amazon region, and the country’s vast plains. One of its defining characteristics is the near total absence of the state. Before the peace deal, the FARC had a grip on this region, punishing petty criminals, issuing taxes and organizing work crews, all under the threat of violence. They also commonly recruited young people. In 2016, when the FARC signed the peace deal and demobilized, its fighters left in a fleet of boats on the Guayabero River. Three months later, the FARC dissidents arrived, said Jhon Albert Montilla, 36, the father of another girl killed in the military bombing, Danna Liseth Montilla, 16. The last time Montilla saw his daughter was Jan. 1, he said. Danna, who turned 16 in October, was an aspiring journalist who had begun working with Voces del Guayabero, a group of citizen documentarians. Just as the pandemic began, the government had stepped up coca eradication in the area, prompting protests from locals who saw their livelihoods in danger. Cameramen from Voces rushed to the scenes. As the military clashed with protesters — shooting several civilians during different encounters — Danna sat in a small shop, one of the few places in Puerto Cachicamo with reliable electricity, editing the videos and uploading them to the internet over a feeble connection. “But her desire was to be with us in the field,” said Fernando Montes Osorio, a cameraman with Voces who was shot in one clash, leaving his hand permanently mangled. Because Danna was young, he kept her in the editing room, he said. But they spoke often. “She was focused on the idea that things had to change.” Then one day in January, she disappeared. This was not the first time since the peace accord that the government has killed minors in a military operation. The bombing of another FARC dissident camp in 2019 led to the deaths of eight children and adolescents. Guillermo Botero, then minister of defense, was forced to resign months later, after an opposition senator revealed that he had hidden the victims’ ages from the public. The scandal was a major test for newly installed President Iván Duque, a conservative whose party vociferously opposed the peace deal. His critics say his post-accord strategy focuses too much on taking out big-name criminal leaders, and not enough on implementing social programs that were supposed to address the root causes of the war. His supporters have urged patience. “We cannot undo 56 years of war in just two years,” said Duque’s high commissioner for peace, Miguel Ceballos, in an interview last year. A total of 12 people died in the operation this month, and it’s still unclear how many of them were minors. The bombing killed 10 people, according to the military, while two died in confrontations afterward. Most of the dead identified so far by the national medical examiner’s office are between the ages of 19 and 23. It’s unclear whether the March bombing was legal, said René Provost, a professor of international law at McGill University. Under international law, children who join an armed group can become combatants, and can therefore be legally attacked by governments. But the law also requires state actors to investigate whether minors are present at a particular target, and if they are, to search for alternative strategies that might spare the children, or to consider whether the value of the target is high enough to justify the deaths of adolescents. “Humanitarian law imposes a duty to exercise restraints in attacks against child soldiers,” he said, “and if such duties were ignored, it opens the door for criminal accountability for those who took the decisions.” In the most extreme circumstance, if a government fails to investigate and punish those responsible, such a case could be taken up by the International Criminal Court. In an interview, defense minister Diego Molano said that the attack fit within the parameters of international law. He declined repeatedly to say whether the military knew if minors were present at the camp, adding that it was generally “very difficult” to determine the ages of people present at a military target. But he has also said that the presence of children would not necessarily stop such an operation. “What criminals like Gentil Duarte have to take into account is that they cannot continue to recruit young people and hope that this will limit the use of the legitimate force of the state,” he told the newspaper El Espectador. “Children must be protected when appropriate, but force must also be used.”

Children trapped by Colombia’s war, five years after peace deal

Yemen's warring factions declared their readiness to act after US President Joe Biden called for renewed efforts to end their conflict, but experts said on Friday that a real solution appears out of reach.&nbsp;

The grinding six-year war in Yemen has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions, triggering what the United Nations calls the world's worst humanitarian disaster.&nbsp;

In his first major foreign policy speech since replacing Donald Trump last month, Biden appointed an envoy to push for peace and said the US would end all support for Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen.&nbsp;

"This war has to end," Biden said.&nbsp;

"To underscore our commitment, we are ending all American support for offensive operations in the war in Yemen, including relevant arm sales."&nbsp;

Yemen's internationally recognised government, which is backed by a Saudi-led military coalition, welcomed his remarks and stressed the "importance of supporting diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis".&nbsp;

It hailed Timothy Lenderking's appointment as US envoy, describing it as "another important step" taken by the US to "end the war caused by the Iran-backed Huthis".&nbsp;

The Huthi rebels, who control much of the country, including the capital Sanaa, said they supported the approach of the new US administration.&nbsp;

"The real proof to achieve peace in Yemen is an end to the aggression and a lifting of the blockade," Huthi spokesman Mohamed Abdel Salam in a tweet.&nbsp;

"Yemen's missiles are for the defence of Yemen and stopping them comes when an end to the aggression and a lifting of the blockade are totally achieved," he added.&nbsp;

Saudi Arabia reacted by reasserting its commitment to a political solution in Yemen.&nbsp;

The kingdom also welcomed Biden's "commitment to cooperate with the kingdom to defend its sovereignty and counter threats against it," according to the official Saudi Press Agency.&nbsp;

But like the Yemeni government, it did not address Biden's decision to end military support to the war in Yemen.&nbsp;

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Yemen's warring factions declared their readiness to act after US President Joe Biden called for renewed efforts to end their conflict, but experts said on Friday that a real solution appears out of reach.

Yemen's warring factions declared their readiness to act after US President Joe Biden called for renewed efforts to end their conflict, but experts said on Friday that a real solution appears out of reach. The grinding six-year war in Yemen has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions, triggering what the United Nations calls the world's worst humanitarian disaster. In his first major foreign policy speech since replacing Donald Trump last month, Biden appointed an envoy to push for peace and said the US would end all support for Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen. "This war has to end," Biden said. "To underscore our commitment, we are ending all American support for offensive operations in the war in Yemen, including relevant arm sales." Yemen's internationally recognised government, which is backed by a Saudi-led military coalition, welcomed his remarks and stressed the "importance of supporting diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis". It hailed Timothy Lenderking's appointment as US envoy, describing it as "another important step" taken by the US to "end the war caused by the Iran-backed Huthis". The Huthi rebels, who control much of the country, including the capital Sanaa, said they supported the approach of the new US administration. "The real proof to achieve peace in Yemen is an end to the aggression and a lifting of the blockade," Huthi spokesman Mohamed Abdel Salam in a tweet. "Yemen's missiles are for the defence of Yemen and stopping them comes when an end to the aggression and a lifting of the blockade are totally achieved," he added. Saudi Arabia reacted by reasserting its commitment to a political solution in Yemen. The kingdom also welcomed Biden's "commitment to cooperate with the kingdom to defend its sovereignty and counter threats against it," according to the official Saudi Press Agency. But like the Yemeni government, it did not address Biden's decision to end military support to the war in Yemen.

Warring factions welcome Biden peace push in Yemen

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