KHAN YUNIS: “It smells like death,” said Maha Thaer, a mother of four, as she returned to the devastated southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis on Sunday, after Israeli troops withdrew.
“We don’t have a city anymore — only rubble. There is absolutely nothing left. I could not stop myself crying as I walked through the streets,” the 38-year-old told AFP.
“All the streets have been bulldozed. And the smell... I watched people digging and bringing out the bodies,” said Thaer, whose home was partially destroyed.
Soon after the Israeli army said its troops were pulling out, people began to emerge into the devastated landscape — the residents of Khan Yunis returning to find what remained of their homes.
Nearly 400,000 people lived in Khan Yunis and its environs before October 7. Much of the area is now in ruins after months of bombardment and heavy fighting between Israeli troops and Palestinian militants.
A straggle of men and boys riding donkey carts, bicycles and the odd pickup truck headed north out of Rafah in the far south of the Gaza Strip, where more than 1.5 million Palestinians had taken refuge from the relentless Israeli ground invasion and bombardment.
They passed the burned-out shell of the Al-Salam hospital, with almost all of the buildings around it razed to the ground.
Thaer, from the upmarket Hamad City district in the west of Khan Yunis, said she was “very shocked and sad.”
“There were no walls or windows. Most of the towers were completely blown up,” she said.
Thaer said she would move back into her badly damaged apartment, “even though it is not suitable for living, but it is better than tents.”
Her neighbors suffered a greater misfortune. “They found their homes destroyed and they don’t know where they will go,” she said.
Other Gazans carried a mattress on their heads in the hope they would still have four walls to put it in.
One of those who left Rafah on Sunday climbed on the top of a heap of rubble in Khan Yunis which once had been a home.
With everything around him in ruins, AFP photographs showed the man standing among smashed concrete and corrugated iron roofing.
Not a single structure within sight appeared untouched by the war.
Other images showed large swathes of the city flattened.
The Israeli army told AFP that it had pulled its 98th division of ground troops out of the southern city on Sunday to “recuperate,” with one official telling the Israeli media it had killed thousands of Hamas fighters there.
“There’s no need for us to remain... We did everything we could there,” an army official told Haaretz newspaper.
The Gaza war broke out on October 7 with an attack by Hamas militants that resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, mostly civilians, Israeli figures show.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 33,175 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
‘It smells like death’: Gazans return to devastated Khan Yunis
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‘It smells like death’: Gazans return to devastated Khan Yunis
- “We don’t have a city anymore — only rubble," Palestinian mother says
Sri Lanka’s left-leaning president swears in new Cabinet after election victory
- Harini Amarasuriya, first woman to head Sri Lankan government, reappointed as PM
- National People’s Power alliance won two-thirds majority in the 225-member parliament
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s new left-leaning president swore in on Monday a 22-member Cabinet after his party coalition secured a landslide victory in a snap parliamentary vote last week.
The alliance of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the National People’s Power, secured 159 seats in the 225-member assembly, giving the new leader a mandate to fulfill his campaign promises of sweeping reforms, including to fight poverty and corruption.
The crisis-hit island nation is still struggling to emerge from the worst economic crisis in its history, after declaring bankruptcy and defaulting on its external debt in 2022.
Dissanayake reappointed Harini Amarasuriya as prime minister and lawmaker Vijitha Herath to helm the foreign affairs, foreign employment and tourism ministries, while the president himself retained the posts of defense and finance minister.
“This power we gained is accountable. To whom? On one hand, it is accountable to the public, and on the other hand, to the movement,” Dissanayake told the new Cabinet after the swearing-in ceremony, referring to his alliance’s aim to create a people-centered national movement.
“We had a lot of good aims. We worked to gain power for that. We struggled a lot … The huge the victory we achieved, the heavier our responsibility,” he said. “Let’s work together to achieve the results our people deserve.”
When Dissanayake won the presidential vote in September, the NPP coalition only had three seats in parliament, prompting him to dissolve it and call for a snap election that took place on Thursday, a year ahead of schedule.
His new, fully-formed Cabinet will govern Sri Lanka after austerity measures imposed by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe — part of a bailout deal with the International Monetary Fund — led to price hikes in food and fuel and caused hardship to millions of Sri Lankans.
During his campaign, Dissanayake said he planned to renegotiate the targets set in the IMF deal to alleviate the burden placed on ordinary people. A team from the fund is in Colombo this week to review the reform program.
More than half of former lawmakers chose not to run for re-election. No contenders were seen from the powerful Rajapaksa family, including former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his brother Gotabaya, also a former president, who was ousted in 2022 and largely blamed for the crisis.
Thursday’s election saw the United People’s Power of Sajith Premadasa retain its role from the previous parliament as the largest opposition party, winning 40 seats.
Sri Lanka People’s Front, the party loyal to the Rajapaksa family, secured only three seats in the new parliament.
Saudi project clears 614 Houthi mines in Yemen
RIYADH: Members of Saudi Arabia’s Project Masam removed 614 explosive devices from various regions of Yemen last week.
The total included three anti-personnel mines, 36 anti-tank mines, 574 unexploded ordnances and one explosive device, according to a recent report.
Ousama Al-Gosaibi, the initiative’s managing director, said a total of 469,576 mines had been cleared since its inception in 2018.
The explosives were planted indiscriminately and posed a threat to civilians, including children, women and the elderly.
The demining operations took place in Marib, Aden, Jouf, Shabwa, Taiz, Hodeidah, Lahij, Sanaa, Al-Bayda, Al-Dhale and Saada.
The initiative trains local demining engineers and provides them with modern equipment. It also offers support to Yemenis injured by the devices.
Teams are tasked with clearing villages, roads and schools to facilitate safe movement for civilians and the delivery of humanitarian aid.
About 5 million people have been forced to flee their homes since the start of the conflict in Yemen, many of them displaced by the presence of land mines.
PCB urges India to discuss ‘concerns’ related to Pakistan-hosted Champions Trophy
- India has refused to send its cricket team to Pakistan for Champions Trophy tournament in February 2025
- PCB appoints former fast bowler Aqib Javed as temporary white-ball head coach until Champions Trophy
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi on Monday urged India to discuss concerns on sending its national cricket team to Pakistan, reiterating that the multi-nation tournament will be held in Pakistan next year.
Pakistan is scheduled to host the Champions Trophy 2025 tournament from Feb. 9 to Mar. 19 next year. However, the International Cricket Council (ICC) this month informed Pakistan that India had declined to play any matches in Pakistan, prompting the PCB to seek a clarification from the ICC on the refusal. Officially the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not informed the PCB of its decision.
India has not sent its cricket team to Pakistan since 2008 due to political tensions between the two countries. Pakistan was forced to agree to a “hybrid” model for the 2023 Asia Cup through which all of India’s matches were shifted to Sri Lanka. Pakistan has said it will not agree to a similar model for the Champions Trophy tournament.
“Right now, all the teams that have qualified for the Champions Trophy are ready to come [to Pakistan] and nobody has an issue,” Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I will say it today too that if India has any concern, they should talk to us, we will address their concern. I don’t think there is any reason because of which the Indian team cannot come here.”
The ICC’s Champions Trophy tour kicked off on Saturday from Islamabad but did not head to Muzaffarabad in the first leg of its journey. The BCCI had objected to the trophy’s original route, which included Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The territory is disputed by the two countries.
The ICC Men’s World Cup 2023 trophy was brought to India’s Ladakh region in July this year, a territory in Indian-administered Kashmir disputed by both countries. When asked about the ICC canceling the trophy tour in Muzaffarabad, Naqi said:
“I think the ICC will have to think about its credibility [and consider] that it is a body of all cricket organizations in the world,” Naqvi said. “Even now, the tour has not been canceled, it has been rescheduled.”
The PCB chairman disclosed that it has appointed former fast bowler and selection committee member Aqib Javed as the interim white-ball head coach of the men’s national squad till the Champions Trophy tournament. He said the decision was taken so that the board does not rush into appointing a new white-ball coach for Pakistan after Gary Kirsten’s resignation.
“This is just temporary and we are about to start the process [to appoint] a head coach in the next 10-15 days so that we can search and bring in a nice head coach,” he said.
The development takes place a day after the PCB denied speculation Javed would replace Pakistan’s incumbent interim head coach in the Test match format, Jason Gillespie, saying that the Australian will continue to coach the men’s side till the South Africa series in December/January 2025.
The white-ball coaching role had become vacant following Kirsten’s resignation in October. Red-ball head coach Gillespie had coached the side during the recent white-ball tour of Australia, who will now rejoin the side for the upcoming Test series in South Africa.
In a separate statement, the PCB said Javed will continue to serve as a senior member of the men’s selection committee and will be assigned additional responsibilities following the conclusion of the Champions Trophy tournament.
The Pakistan men’s side are scheduled to play three ODIs and three T20Is in Zimbabwe from Nov. 24 to Dec. 5 and as many white-ball matches in South Africa from Dec. 10-22. In the lead up to the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Pakistan will host New Zealand and South Africa for an ODI triangular series from Feb. 8-14.
Javed rose in influence in the cricket board after he was named to a revamped selection committee featuring Aleem Dar, Hassan Cheema and former batter Azhar Ali. His tactic to turn the batting friendly Multan track into a spin-friendly one helped Pakistan secure a 2-1 series victory over England, after Pakistan lost the first Test by an innings.
Following Pakistan’s triumph over England, the South Asian team won their first ODI series in Australia since 2002 by beating the hosts 2-1 this month. The green shirts, however, lost the three-match T20I series 3-0 to the hosts.
Pakistan’s Punjab to reopen schools from tomorrow as air quality improves in most districts
- Province’s Environmental Protection Agency says its directive is not for Lahore and Multan where smog persists
- Smog has been a recurring problem during winter months, with authorities yet to find any sustainable solutions
ISLAMABAD: Educational institutions across Pakistan’s most populous Punjab province, except for Lahore and Multan divisions, will reopen tomorrow, according to a notification issued by the province’s Environmental Protection Agency on Monday, following an improvement in air quality as smog conditions eased.
Toxic smog began affecting various cities in Punjab last month, as cold air trapped dust, diesel fumes and smoke from illegal stubble burning. In response, provincial authorities closed schools, restricted heavy transport on designated days and banned access to public spaces such as parks and playgrounds.
“The ambient air quality has improved in most districts of Punjab, due to rain in upper parts of Punjab, change in wind direction and speed,” the notification, signed by the EPA director general, said. “Therefore, all the educational institutions, except [in] Lahore and Multan divisions, shall be opened [with effect from] 19-11-2024 (Tuesday) with physical presence of students/staff.”
The notification announced students and staff must adhere to safety protocols, including wearing face masks, while outdoor sports and co-curricular activities would remain banned until further notice.
The decision follows weeks of severe smog that forced authorities in Punjab to close schools or shift them to online learning in several districts.
Smog has been a recurring problem during the winter months in the country, with authorities yet to find a sustainable solution to the crisis.
Earlier this month, NASA’s satellite imagery revealed a dense layer of smog stretching between Pakistan’s Lahore and India’s New Delhi, underscoring the severity of the environmental crisis.
The development has prompted climate experts to demand urgent action, as Pakistan’s meteorological department forecasts smog to persist until mid-December.
With schools reopening in most districts of Punjab, the EPA emphasized the importance of continued vigilance and compliance with safety measures, warning that smog could return if weather patterns shift or mitigation efforts are relaxed.
Kingdom launches new framework to standardize digital services
- The initiative aims to unify platform designs, ensuring a seamless and consistent digital user experience
- The event gathered dignitaries, digital transformation leaders from public and private sectors, and key stakeholders
RIYADH: The Digital Government Authority has launched the Platform Code, a national framework for designing and developing government platform interfaces in Saudi Arabia.
Unveiled during an event in Riyadh, the initiative aims to unify platform designs, ensuring a seamless and consistent digital user experience.
The event gathered dignitaries, digital transformation leaders from public and private sectors, and key stakeholders.
Ahmed Al-Suwaiyan, governor of the Digital Government Authority, said that the Platform Code aligns with local and global digital standards.
He described it as a critical step toward comprehensive digital transformation, enhancing compliance, and fostering efficient and impactful services aligned with Saudi Arabia’s strategic digital goals.
The Platform Code, an open-source design system, integrates coding frameworks, design tools, and community guidelines, enabling rapid development of unified user experiences. It allows designers and developers to address specific needs using pre-built assets.
The authority also unveiled the Saudi Digital Strategy, focused on growing the digital economy and expanding opportunities for public and private sector products.
Other initiatives included the Digital Transformation Ambassador program, fostering an integrated digital community, and the Scene Program, promoting holistic user experiences locally and globally through advanced frameworks and tools.
Committed to advancing digital governance, the authority aims to position Saudi Arabia as a global leader in innovative digital services.
It leverages cutting-edge technologies like AI and emerging tech while offering consultancy programs and fostering leadership in digital transformation.
These efforts contribute to Vision 2030’s goals of enhanced service quality and economic growth.
