Foreign Tit Bits Today
America
Trump Orders Release of Jeffrey Epstein Files
American President, Donald Trump, has ordered the Attorney- General to release the files of Jeffrey Epstein.
The order followed the backlash from sundry sources, including Republicans and other interests close to Trump, who accuse the government of holding back facts that they allege might indict it.
Epstein, who died in custody by suicide, was an ally of Trump.
He had been accused of serial sexual offences and was on trial when he allegedly committed suicide in 2019.
His death meant that the trial stalled and the facts related to it, some of which some say might link Trump, remained classified and inaccessible to the public.
But the development has triggered suspicions of a cover up and calls for a revisit of the matter.
Following the mounting calls, Trump has now ordered the release of the files.
However, experts say it would still take time before the files are released since it would require a tedious court process.
Meanwhile, Trump has threatened to sue the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) for alleged defamation.
The WSJ had published a 2003 letter by Trump to Epstein, saying it was proof that Trump was lying that he was not close to Epstein.
Pakistan
65 Die In Pakistani Floods
At least 65 persons have been killed in the last 24 hours in floods in Pakistan.
The tally took to 180 the total number of fatalities in the flood since the last month when the annual monsoon season kicked in.
Particularly affected is the Punjab region where unusually heavy rains swelled local rivers .
In Lahore , locals say that more than 400 millimetres of rain fell in just a few hours , leading to flash floods that swept away ramshackled structures inhabited by the poor .
Pakistan is quite vulnerable to flooding, one of the effects of Climate Change, because of its peculiar geographic location.
Italy
World Paragliding Champion, Felix Baumgartner, dies in fatal fall in Italy
Renowned paraglider, Felix Baumgartner, has died after a fall near the swimming pool of a hotel in Italy.
Full details of the incident have not been made public but Italian government sources said that Felix died while paragliding.
He is thought to have suffered a medical condition while airborne.
Reputed for high risk paragliding engagements, Felix Baumgartner once successfully paraglided from 128,000 feet above the Earth.
Palestine
Israeli Settlers Slaughter 117 Sheep of Palestinians
Israeli settlers have slaughtered more than 100 sheep belonging to Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
Knives and gunshots were used in the attacks, along the Jordan River, locals said.
The attacks took place over the past two days and the incident, in which 117 sheep were killed, is a continuation of the trend of violent attacks by the illegal settlers.
Settlers have significantly increased their violent attacks on indigenous Palestinians in the West Bank since Israel began its war on Gaza in which more than 56,000 persons, mainly children and women, have been killed, and in excess of 100,000 others wounded, according to the Hamas -run Gaza Ministry of Health.
The illegal settlers had, of recent, been setting fires to cars, houses and other property of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, most times, under the protection of Israeli troops.
Israel has 1,500 troops in the territory, but in spite of their presence, more than 800 Palestinians have been killed by the settlers since the Gaza war began.
Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem are illegal under international law and by the resolution of the United Nations (UN).
Syria
Syrian Troops To Return to Suwaydan After Resumed Hostilities
The President of Syria, Ahmed Al- Sharaa, has ordered the redeployment of troops into the troubled Suwaydan Region, following the resumption of violent hostilities.
The hostilities involve militias of the Druze community and Bedouin tribesmen who have a long history of mutual acrimony.
Both sides, as well as the Syrian Army, had reached three truce deals, the latest yesterday, for the cessation of hostilities.
But.like the two others before it, the Wednesday night truce, which had triggered the withdrawal of Syrian troops from the region, broke down on Thursday night, with military confrontations reported between the militias.
In obvious response , the President has ordered the return of the troops to the region, though America, Turkiye and unnamed Arab states which negotiated the Wednesday ceasefire deal, were yet to react to the resumed hostilities,at Press time.
By the same token, Israel, which launched a highly controversial military assault on Damascus and the Syrian troops and their assets, had yet to react.
Israel says it is defending the Druze community which has a strong tie to its Druze community in Israel.
China, and even America, its strong ally, has strongly criticised Israel for the attack on Syria.
America
Washington Carpets Israel for Syrian Attacks
The American government has strongly criticised Israel for its military assaults on Syria.
The attacks happened over several days beginning on Sunday night, and targeted core installations such as the Presidential Palace, the Ministry of Defence and tanks and other military assets.
Tammy Bruce, spokesperson of the American State Department, said the attacks were unnecessary.
She said that the Donald Trump Presidency had made known its position on the attacks to the Israeli government.
According to her, the American government believes in a stable Middle East, where the sovereignty of every country would be respected by all.
The open criticism of Israel by America is quite rare, and reflects growing unease in relations between both countries.
Israel had said that its attacks were to prevent the alleged ongoing attacks on the Druze community which has a long standing tie with it.
Aside from occupying the Syrian Golan Heights since the 1970s, Israel has seized much of the land of Syria bordering it and insists on the demilitarisation of all its border with Syria.
Palestine
Funeral Held for Victims of Israeli Attack on Gaza Church
The funeral has been held for three persons killed in Israel ‘s military attack on a church in the embattled enclave of Gaza.
The dead included two women .
The attack on the Holy Family Catholic Church on Thursday also wounded many others, including the parish priest.
Locals say the attack was launched with a missile fired from a fighter jet.
More than 500 persons, mainly Christians, were taking refuge in the church before it was hit on Thursday, allegedly without prior warning.
The Israeli government said that it regretted the attack which, it said, could be the effect of a technical problem with the Ordnance used.
Israel had offered a similar explanation for its last week’s assault on a group of children waiting to fetch water.
At least five children died in that attack.
Meanwhile, the head of the Catholic Church and Bishop of Rome, Pope Leo XIV, has called for an end to the Gaza war, which has caused hundreds of thousands of casualties and split global public opinion.
Germany
Germany to Deport “Criminal” Afghans
The German government says it is set to deport those it called Afghan Criminals.
The German law forbids the deportation of migrants and a court has recently declared the move illegal.
But the administration of Chancellor Mertz has repeatedly said it would act in that regard to safeguard Germans.
The government has set no date for the deportation, or disclosed how many would be affected.
But the move comes ahead of a meeting of 11 European countries in Germany on the subject of migration today.
The move followed a recent meeting on the subject between Mertz and the British Prime Minister, Keith Starmer.
Ukraine
Ukraine Initiates Reward For Successful Hits Against Russia
Outgunned and outnumbered, Ukraine has introduced an enticing reward for troops who successfully hit Russian targets.
The move comes as the country continues to come under intense military pressure from Russia which has either fully or partially seized four regions of Ukraine.
It is now using data to assess attacks on Russian targets.
On the scale of scores, the killing of a Russian soldier earns the attacker and his unit six points, while the capture of one attracts more points.
A source, who works in the secret data office in Kiyev, would not give what point the successful capture of a Russian troop attracts.
But he said that, based on the computation, cash and other rewards are handed out to the troops and their units.
The reward system was introduced as the Trump administration approved the resumption of shipment of high calibre arms to Ukraine via the European Union (EU) which is also paying for them.
The arms to be delivered include Patriot Missile which is the only one that can down incoming Russian cruise and ballistic missiles.
Slovenia
Slovenia Govt Impose Restrictions on Israeli Officials
The government of Slovenia has imposed sanctions on two Israeli government officials.
The sanctions affect the Finance Minister ,Smotrich and the National Security Adviser, Ben Gvir.
It declared both of them persona nongrata, meaning that they are restricted from entering the country.
The move is the first by a European Union (EU) member .
Both Gvir and Smotrich are self- confessed far right ministers in the Israeli coalition government which has adopted harsh political and military action against Palestinians,especially in the occupied West Bank and Gaza where it is waging a high heel military campaign.
Slovenia is one of the sound 100 countries that have recognized the state of Palestine.
Belgium
EU Impuses Miore Sanctions on Russia
The European Union( EU) has imposed a new tranche of sanctions on Russia.
It is the 18th set of sanctions to be imposed on Russia by the 27- member bloc.
The sanctions target the oil, gas and banking sectors of the Russian economy.
They will also have secondary effect, meaning the sanctions would apply to countries that trade with Russia.
The major trading partners of Russia are China, North Korea, Turkiye and Iran, all of which have low appetite for the diets imposed on Russia.
