NEW DELHI: Two Indian soldiers were killed in clashes in Kashmir, the military said early Sunday, after security forces exchanged fire with militants in the disputed territory.
Kashmir, particularly its southern Hindu-majority region Jammu, has seen a string of battles with insurgents in recent months.
India’s army wrote on social media that two soldiers had “laid down their lives in the line of duty” in Anantnag district.
The army and police had clashed with militants after launching an operation in the area, according to a social media post by the local military unit.
The Chinar Corps said on X that two civilians were also injured “due to indiscriminate, desperate and reckless firing by terrorists.”
Muslim-majority Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since their independence from British rule in 1947, and each side claims it in full.
Rebel groups have waged an insurgency since 1989, demanding independence or merger with Pakistan, in fighting that has killed tens of thousands of civilians, soldiers and rebels.
New Delhi and Islamabad accuse each other of stoking militancy and espionage to undermine each other, and the nuclear-armed rivals have fought multiple conflicts for control of the region.
In July, at least 11 Indian soldiers were killed in Kashmir following a spate of militant attacks.
Two soldiers killed in Indian-administered Kashmir clashes
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Two soldiers killed in Indian-administered Kashmir clashes
- The Hindu-majority Jammu region has seen a string of battles with insurgents in recent months
- The Indian army and police had clashed with militants after launching an operation in the area
Germany, France, UK slap sanctions on Iran over missiles for Russia
They would also “work toward imposing sanctions on Iran Air”
BERLIN: Germany, France and Britain on Tuesday condemned what they said was Iran’s delivery of ballistic missiles to Russia for use in the Ukraine war and declared new sanctions targeting air transport.
“We will be taking immediate steps to cancel bilateral air services agreements with Iran,” they said in a joint statement, adding that they would also “work toward imposing sanctions on Iran Air.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had said earlier, on a visit to London, that Russia had received shipments of the ballistic missiles and “will likely use them within weeks in Ukraine.”
London, Paris and Berlin said that “we now have confirmation that Iran has made these transfers.”
“This is a further escalation of Iran’s military support to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and will see Iranian missiles reaching European soil, increasing the suffering of the Ukrainian people,” they said.
“This act is an escalation by both Iran and Russia, and is a direct threat to European security.”
The three countries said they “will be taking immediate steps to cancel bilateral air services agreements with Iran.”
“In addition, we will pursue the designations of significant entities and individuals involved with Iran’s ballistic missile program and the transfer of ballistic missiles and other weapons to Russia.
“We will also work toward imposing sanctions on Iran Air,” they said, echoing a step also taken by Washington.
Doctors in Kolkata defy court order, protest for safety after medic murder
- Protesting junior doctors vow to end strike when safety measures are in place
- Top medical body in West Bengal gives ‘unconditional’ support to protesters
NEW DELHI: Junior doctors in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal defied a Supreme Court order requiring them to return to work on Tuesday, as they vowed to continue a weeks-long strike for workplace safety following the gruesome murder of a female doctor.
The 31-year-old trainee doctor was raped and murdered in early August inside the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in West Bengal’s capital, Kolkata, where she worked.
A police volunteer also working at the hospital has been charged with the murder and arrested, but the case has since triggered daily demonstrations by medics calling for greater protection and workplace safety.
On Monday, the Supreme Court, which took up the matter in the wake of nationwide outrage over the incident, ordered the protesting doctors to return to work by 5 p.m. the next day and the state’s authorities to ensure the safety and security of doctors in hospitals.
The West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front, which represents about 7,000 physicians in the state, said it would follow the court’s order only if their safety demands were met by the state.
“The Supreme Court has said that the state can take action after 5 p.m., if they want to. At the same time, the Supreme Court has also asked the state to increase the security measures which has not been done at all,” Dr. Anustup Pal, the association’s member, told Arab News, as protesters gathered in front of the state’s health department to demand the resignation of its key leadership.
“We will continue till the demand is met,” Pal said. “We are unhappy at the representation done by the state at the Supreme Court.”
The protest is supported by the West Bengal chapter of the Indian Medical Association — the country’s top physicians’ body — which issued a statement after the court’s order, saying that no steps were being taken to deliver justice after the brutal murder and that the protest “will not die down.”
Dr. Sourav Datta, member of the association’s central committee, told Arab News that “almost no demand” from the protesting doctors had been fulfilled so far.
“Whatever decision they will take, the IMA will unconditionally give support to them,” he said. “The IMA will be with them.”
EU vows retaliation if Hungary sends buses of migrants to Brussels
- Asked about Hungary’s plan, commission spokeswoman Anitta Hipper said: “It is unacceptable”
- “In addition, it will also undermine the security of the Schengen area as a whole,” she said
BRUSSELS: Hungary’s threat to send a bus convoy of migrants to Brussels in protest against European Union policies is unacceptable and would prompt EU retaliatory action, the bloc’s powerful executive branch warned on Tuesday.
Hungary’s anti-immigrant government signaled last week that it is serious about giving migrants free one-way travel to Brussels, a measure meant to pressure the European Commission into dropping heavy fines imposed on Hungary over its restrictive asylum policies.
In June, the European Court of Justice ordered Hungary to pay a fine of 200 million euros ($216 million) for persistently breaking the bloc’s asylum rules, and an additional 1 million euros per day until it brings policies into line with EU law. The government in Budapest is delaying payment.
Asked about Hungary’s plan, commission spokeswoman Anitta Hipper said: “It is unacceptable.”
“This action, if carried out, would be in clear breach of the EU law, but also it would be in clear breach of the principle of sincere and loyal cooperation, but also of mutual trust,” Hipper told reporters. The commission has its headquarters in the Belgian capital.
“In addition, it will also undermine the security of the Schengen area as a whole,” she said, in reference to the 29-country zone where people and goods can cross borders without document checks.
The commission is in contact with the Hungarian authorities and those in any neighboring countries that the convoy might pass through should it leave.
Traveling overland, the buses would have to cross either France or Germany – which along with Luxembourg and the Netherlands surround Belgium – and possibly other EU member countries like Austria, Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia or the Czech Republic.
“We are also standing ready to use all our powers under the treaty to ensure that EU law is respected,” Hipper said. But the most effective step would certainly be for other member countries to stop the buses by reintroducing border checks.
Hipper did not elaborate on what action the commission is able to take, but it is difficult to see what kind of punishment might dissuade Hungary given that the country is already defying a court order to pay 200 million euros in fines.
On Monday, Belgium’s top migration official, Nicole de Moor, said Hungary’s threat “undermines solidarity and cooperation within the Union.” Her office said the Belgian authorities will “not provide access” to any such migrant arrivals.
Philippines opens Muslim women-dedicated beach in top resort island
- Boracay is globally known for its white sand beaches and coral reefs
- Marhaba beachfront is located in the island’s Newcoast township
MANILA: Philippine tourism authorities inaugurated on Tuesday a beach for Muslim women travelers in Boracay, the country’s top resort island, to attract visitors from neighboring Muslim-majority countries and the Middle East.
Located in the province of Aklan, in the center of the Philippine archipelago, Boracay is known for its white sand beaches and coral reefs that make it one of the world’s most popular holiday islands.
Developing Muslim-friendly properties and attractions in Boracay has been on the Philippine Tourism Department’s agenda since earlier this year, as it undertook initiatives to ensure that visitors have access to halal products and services.
The new Muslim-friendly cove area — Marhaba Boracay — is located in Boracay Newcoast township and is a place “where Muslims, especially women, would feel comfortable,” Tourism Undersecretary Myra Paz Abubakar told Arab News.
“We know that a lot of foreign visitors go to Boracay. So, it’s also a good invitation for our Muslim brothers and sisters to consider also to visit Boracay because now we have something to offer there, like halal food. Then this beachfront is also for our Muslim friends.”
The Philippines is enjoying an increasing number of visitors from neighboring Muslim-majority Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei, as well as from Middle Eastern countries.
“Marhaba cove represents our dedication to ensuring that all travelers, regardless of faith, can enjoy the world-renowned shores of Boracay,” Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said during the inauguration ceremony.
“We reaffirm our commitment to transforming the Philippines into a destination for everyone to enjoy.”
In 2023, visitor arrivals from Muslim-majority countries increased by 120 percent compared with the previous year, according to data from the Department of Trade and Industry. Last year, Muslim visitors comprised nearly 11 percent of the Philippines’ total foreign arrivals.
“This year, we are on track to continue this positive trajectory with nearly 270,000 Muslim visitors recorded in just the first half of 2024,” Frasco said.
“The Department of Tourism has also proactively ensured that our Muslim guests feel at home during their stay. Hence, we have accredited 289 Muslim-friendly accommodation establishments and 237 restaurants across the country with significant concentrations in certain areas of the country.”
The Marhaba cove is developed by Megaworld, one of the largest Philippine hospitality chains, with whom the DTI signed an agreement earlier this year that all of its properties would be converted into Muslim-friendly tourism establishments.
The US accuses Iran of sending Russia short-range ballistic missiles to use in Ukraine
- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that sanctions would be announced later Tuesday
- His comments came as he and Lammy prepare to make a joint visit to Ukraine on Wednesday
LONDON: The United States formally accused Iran on Tuesday of supplying short-range ballistic missiles to Russia for its war in Ukraine and will take measures to punish those involved.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, speaking alongside British Foreign Secretary David Lammy during a visit to London, said that sanctions would be announced later Tuesday.
“Russia has now received shipments of these ballistic missiles and will likely use them within weeks in Ukraine, against Ukrainians,” Blinken said.
His comments came as he and Lammy prepare to make a joint visit to Ukraine on Wednesday.
Word of the alleged transfers began to emerge over the weekend with reports that intelligence indicated they were underway, according to US officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. Blinken said Tuesday that the transfers appear to have been completed.
Iran, as it has with previous US intelligence findings, has denied providing Russia with weapons for its war in Ukraine.
