INTERNATIONAL

India ranks among the five countries with the highest number of individuals living in poverty, according to a recent United Nations report. It estimates that 234 million people in India live below the poverty line, contributing to the global total of 1.1 billion individuals enduring acute poverty—more than half of whom are children. The findings were published in the latest update of the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) at the University of Oxford. The report highlights that a significant portion of those living in poverty—approximately 40 percent—reside in conflict-affected nations. In addition to India, the other countries with the largest population...

Iraq's Communications and Media Commission has revoked the license of the Saudi-owned broadcaster MBC after it aired a report labeling Hamas leaders, including Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh, and Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah, as terrorists. The controversial broadcast sparked outrage in Iraq, leading to large-scale protests. Demonstrators stormed the MBC offices in Baghdad, vandalizing property and setting parts of the office on fire. Around 400 to 500 protesters took part, condemning MBC’s portrayal of key figures associated with resistance movements. In response, Hamas criticized the report, calling it a "professional, media, and ethical failure." The suspension of MBC's operations in Iraq was decided during a Board of Commissioners meeting on Saturday, emphasizing the intense backla...

Israeli media reported on Saturday that a Hezbollah resistance drone directly targeted the residence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Caesarea, located south of Haifa. According to the reports, the drone successfully struck its target, leading to casualties following its detonation. Israeli occupation forces acknowledged that their air defenses had failed to intercept the drone, which managed to penetrate the occupied territories. The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office later confirmed the incident, stating that the drone attack in Caesarea specifically aimed at Netanyahu's residence early this morning.

Vikash Yadav, an Indian national previously identified as "CC-1" in legal proceedings, has been charged by the United States Department of Justice (DoJ) in a plot to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, leader of the pro-Khalistan organization Sikhs for Justice (SFJ). Pannun, who holds U.S. citizenship, was targeted in New York last year. Yadav, now believed to be no longer affiliated with the Indian government, faces charges of murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The indictment, unsealed on Thursday, details Yadav's role in directing the plot. He allegedly recruited another Indian national, Nikhil Gupta, who was previously charged and is currently detained in Brooklyn after being arrested in the Czech Republic. Yadav reportedly tasked Gupta with finding a h...

Israeli forces announced Thursday that they are working to verify if Yahya Sinwar, a senior Hamas leader and key architect of the October 7 attacks, was among the three militants killed during a recent operation in Gaza. A senior Israeli official indicated a "high likelihood" that one of the deceased individuals matched Sinwar’s description. The incident occurred when Israeli troops targeted a group of militants inside a Gaza building on Wednesday. After entering the structure, soldiers noticed one of the bodies bore a strong resemblance to Sinwar, however, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that it could not yet confirm his identity. No hostages were found in the area where the militants were killed. The IDF and Shin Bet security forces are operating cautiously in the a...

On Monday, India ordered Canadian diplomats in New Delhi to leave by Saturday, responding to Canada’s investigation of its Indian ambassador and other officials as “persons of interest” following the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year. The move came after Canada expelled six Indian diplomats, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau emphasizing that evidence presented by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) links these individuals to a “campaign of violence” orchestrated by the Indian government. India’s Ministry of External Affairs named the six diplomats, including Acting High Commissioner Stewart Ross Wheeler and other senior officials, demanding their departure by October 19, 2024. The ministry condemned Canada’s allegations as baseless and communic...

Four Israeli soldiers were killed, and several wounded when a Hezbollah unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) targeted an Israeli army base in southern Lebanon on Sunday, according to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). The UAV attack marks a significant escalation in hostilities in the region. The IDF expressed its condolences to the families of the deceased soldiers and urged the public not to spread rumors or share the names of the injured, respecting the privacy of the families involved. "We share in the grief of the bereaved families and will continue to support them," the IDF stated in a post on X. Earlier in the day, the Israeli military detected five projectiles launched from Lebanon, triggering sirens across several regions, including Upper Galilee, Central Galilee, Western Galilee,...

A recent report from the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has highlighted the alarming scale of sexual violence against children worldwide. According to the findings, over 370 million girls and women have been victims of rape or sexual assault during their childhood. Additionally, the report reveals that between 240 and 310 million boys and men—approximately 1 in 11—have faced similar abuse. The report, published ahead of the International Day of the Girl, provides the first global and regional estimates of sexual violence against children. It emphasizes the devastating, lifelong impact, especially on adolescent girls, who are disproportionately affected. The study also shows a rise in 'non-contact' sexual violence, such as online or verbal abuse, wi...

As Gaza marks one year since the onset of a devastating war triggered by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, the humanitarian crisis has escalated to catastrophic proportions. According to Palestinian health officials, nearly 42,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict, with over half of the fatalities comprising women and children. Additionally, more than 96,000 individuals have sustained injuries, although the actual death toll is likely higher, as many victims remain buried under rubble or in areas inaccessible to medical teams. Numerous governments and human rights organizations have condemned the military operations, labeling them as genocidal acts against the Palestinian people. The conflict erupted following Hamas's assault, which resulted in the deaths of...

The families of hundreds of Kashmiri youths studying in Iran are deeply worried over the safety of their wards as West Asia remains on the brink of a full-blown war while many are now wary of sending their children there for higher studies, Press Trust of India reported. Iran is considered to be economically viable for professional courses, including MBBS, and hundreds of students from Kashmir prefer to get admission to various colleges there. The families of such students are deeply perturbed over the unfolding of events, especially in the backdrop of the escalation in the Israel-Hezbollah conflict and Israel-Hamas war. Iran fired around 200 missiles into Israel on October 1 in response to Israel’s killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and other commanders of the militant o...