Afghanistan
At Least 800 Perish in Afghan Quake..
..More than 1,000 Others Wounded
At least 800 persons have died and more than 1000 others wounded in an overnight earthquake in Eastern Afghanistan.
The quake, which measured 6.0 on the Richter Scale, destroyed several villages and triggered several after shocks, some of which reached far- flung areas of China and India.
Rescue efforts are ongoing to pick survivors of the tremor which spewed landslides that puked mud that blocked highways and hampered rescue efforts.
Locals say that the slides and their effects have impaired efforts to reach remote impacted villages , especially those located in the epicentre.
The Taliban government, which runs the country, has sought international support for the humanitarian supplies needed to meet the emergency triggered by the quake.
Afghanistan is prone to quakes and its effects because of its location at the seat of the confluence of the seismic plate of the Indian- Eurasian Earth Crust and its tectonic belt.
China
China Set to Display Its Huge Military Arsena As Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit Ends
China, the second single largest economy and the most populous country on Earth is set to mount a far – fetched military parade in Beijing as the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization ends in Tianjin East oif the country.
The summit,which ends today, attracted more than 20 World Leaders, including those of India, Turkiye, Pakistan, South Africa and Russia.
As the summit draws to an end, China is firming up preparations for its far- fetched military parade at which it intends to display its core military assets, especially its armada of warships.
Beijing,which has been invaded more than 200 times in its history, is now reputed to have the largest naval force in the world, with the armada including submarines, aircraft carriers and frigates.
China reportedly builds at least 200 war and commercial ships every year.
America
Trump Set To Deploy National Guard Troops To Chicago
American President, Donald Trump, is set to despatch troops of the National Guard and Federal Government agents into Chicago to check what he calls the unacceptable crime wave there.
No public statements have been put out on the matter but sources familiar with it say that the deployments may come early as Friday this week.
This followed an earlier social.nedia post in which Trump called out the authorities of the state and warned that unless there was a concrete potent action to whittle the crime incident in the area, he would deploy Federal troops to take charge.
However, the move, which is already generating controversy like his previous similar actions, is already creating crisis following the signing of an Executive Order by the Mayor of Chicago, Brandon Johnson, threatening not to cooperate with the guards and agents if they get deployed.
Trp recently began deploying troops of the National Guard and Federal agents in implementing his controversial migration policy that seeks to deport hundreds of thousands of migrants to their home countries .
Many of the deportees are arrested in the most inauspicious of places, including offices and schools, and forbibly deported.
China
Putin Thanks China, India for Interest In Ending Ukraine War
….Says has an understanding With Trump
Russian President, Vladimir Viktor Putin, has commended both China and India for their interest in selekng to end the war between his country and Ukraine.
He said that Russia, contrary to the narratives of Ukraine and its Western backers, was quite interested in a peaceful resolution of the war by first fully addressing the underlying issues.
According to him, Ukraine and its allies, rather than Russia, started the war by their actions in Ukraine and other neighbouring countries to Russia, hence the onus is on them to seek honest ways to end it.
He claimed that he had an understanding with American leader, Trump, on how to end the war
He did not disclose details of the understanding with Trump who had given him two weeks ultimatum to reach a peace deal with Ukraine or face stiff American sanctions.
The deadline runs full cycle today
Trimp had separately met both Putin and the President of Ukraine, Volodymr Zelensky, in an effort to make them strike a deal to end the war
Israel
Israel Claims To Have Killed Hamas Spokesman, Abu Obeida
Israel has claimed to have eliminated a spokesman for Hamas in Gaza.
The Israeli Defence Force( IDF) said it eliminated Abu Obeida in a strike in the city of Gaza within the enclave by that name.
Hamas has yet to confirm or deny the claim.
If confirmed, it would be the first major strike success of the IDF in Gaza City since it began its military campaign to seize it , a few days ago, and also mark the continuation of the targeting of the leadership of the militant group by Israel.
Meanwhile more than 30 persons have been killed by Israeli troops in Gaza since dawn on Monday.
Most of the victims were killed in strikes on their make shift tents.
In the interim, Israel has destroyed dozens of apartments in the city as it continued its efforts to capture and annext the city.
Locals say Israeli troops were using remote- controlled drones packed with tons of explosives, to attack and destroy the homes.
Yemen
Houthis Hold Funeral For PM Rahawi Killed In Israeli Strikes
Houthis Rebels are today holding funerals for their appointed Prime Minister Ahmed Al- Rahawi and others killed in Israeli military strikes on Thursday.
Aside from Rahawi, the titular leader of the Houthis, several other senior officials of the group, including the Defence Minister and the Chief of Staff were also killed in the attack which targeted a residential block in Sanaa, capital of Yemen
The group has vowed to avenge the death of the PM and the others .
Meanwhile the United Nations (UN) has urged the rebel group to promptly release all its staff allegedly being held by the rebels.
A local UN official said that all of those arrested, reportedly during a mass operation by operatives of the group, must be released promptly and unconditionally.
Ukraine
Govt Eases Restriction On Youth Conscription Rules
Ukraine has eased rules governing its conscription into the military.
The government had imposed the rules when the country was invaded by Russia.
Under the rules, all men between 18 and 60 years were prohibited from leaving the country, as part of efforts to raise manpower for the under- staffed military.
The move followed the shock find that most people within the age bracket, were leaving the country in droves in an effort to avoid the war.
However, following mounting criticisms, the rule has now been reviewed to enable males under 22 years to study in Ukraine in order to fully imbibe Ukrainian culture at the critical stages of their lives.
The Ukrainian military is reportedly facing serious manpower shortfalls as it battles to restrain slowly advancing Russian troops at the front lines, especially in the Donbas Region .
Barcelona
Another Aid Flotilla Sets Sail From Gaza
Another aid flotilla has left the Spanish city of Barcelona, for the embattled Palestinian enclave of Gaza.
The flotilla comprises many boats aboard which are about 200 journalists and rights activists, drawn from 44 different countries.
The effort is the third major attempt by aid ships to reach the blockaded enclave.
Two previous attempts ended in failure after Israeli troops,in a commando style, boarded the boats, arrested and detained everyone on board before releasing them.
Organizers of the humanitarian boats seek to use the publicity around the harsh Israeli reactions to their attempts to reawaken global awareness to the effects of Israel’ s ongoing blockade of the strip.
