An Israeli strike in the Lebanese capital Beirut killed Hezbollah's media relations chief Mohammed Afif on Sunday, Times of Israel reported. According to the Times of Israel, Hezbollah has confirmed the death of Mohammad Afif. Afif was killed in an IDF strike on the headquarters of the Syrian Ba'ath Party in central Beirut, Times of Israel reported. Israel is yet to confirm the killing of the Hezbollah spokesman, as per the Times of Israel. According to Al Jazeera, Afif hosted several press conferences for Hezbollah, providing information regarding the Israeli bombardment. Afif managed Hezbollah's Al-Manar television station for several years before taking over as the top media relations officer for the armed group. Afif in his recent statements to reporters had said that Hezbollah had enough weapons to fight a "long war" against Israel, Al Jazeera reported. Afif assassination is another step towards Israel's aim to eliminate Hezbollah leadership. Earlier Israel killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah after Lebanon-based group named Hashem Safieddine as its head. On Sunday, three suspects were arrested for throwing flares at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's home. Two flares were thrown at Netanyahu's private home in Caesarea on Saturday night, which landed in the house's courtyard. The Prime Minister and his family were not home at the time. Netanyahu's private residence was attacked by a Hezbollah drone earlier in October this year. Images published in Israeli media showed cracks in a bedroom window where the drone struck but failed to penetrate. The window was presumably made of reinforced glass and is believed to have other protections. Netanyahu and his family were not there at the time. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
18 November,2024 08:51 AM IST | Tel Avis | ANIAn earthquake of magnitude 4.5 on the Richter scale jolted Afghanistan on Monday, according to the National Centre of Seismology (NCS). The NCS said that the earthquake hit at 2:15 am (IST), at a depth of 15 kilometres. The epicentre of the earthquake was recorded at Latitude 33.13 N and Longitude 68.84 E. EQ of M: 4.5, On: 18/11/2024 02:15:06 IST, Lat: 32.13 N, Long: 68.84 E, Depth: 15 Km, Location: Afghanistan. For more information Download the BhooKamp App https://t.co/5gCOtjdtw0 @DrJitendraSingh @OfficeOfDrJS @Ravi_MoES @Dr_Mishra1966 @ndmaindia pic.twitter.com/oG5hOinAhB — National Center for Seismology (@NCS_Earthquake) November 17, 2024 "EQ of M: 4.5, On: 18/11/2024 02:15:06 IST, Lat: 32.13 N, Long: 68.84 E, Depth: 15 Km, Location: Afghanistan," the National Centre for Seismology said on social media platform X. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
18 November,2024 08:47 AM IST | Kabul | ANIA Russian strike on a nine-storey building in the city of Sumy in northern Ukraine killed eight people and wounded dozens, an official said on Sunday, as Russia launched a massive drone and missile attack described by officials as the largest in recent months. Among the eight killed in Sumy, 40 kilometres from the border with Russia, were two children, said Ukraine's Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko. More than 400 people were evacuated from the building. The rescuers were checking every apartment looking for people who might be still in the damaged building. "Every life destroyed by Russia is a big tragedy," said Klymenko. The drone and missile attack, which targeted Ukraine's energy infrastructure, came as fears are mounting about Moscow's intentions to devastate Ukraine's power generation capacity ahead of the winter. Also on Sunday, President Joe Biden authorised for the first time the use of US-supplied long-range missiles by Ukraine to strike inside Russia, after extensive lobbying by Ukrainian officials. The weapons are likely to be used in response to North Korea's decision to send thousands of troops to support Russia in the Kursk region where Ukraine mounted a military incursion over the summer. It is the second time the US has permitted the use of Western weapons inside Russian territory within limits after permitting the use of HIMARS systems, a shorter-range weapon, to stem Russia's advance in the Kharkiv region in May. The first reaction from Ukraine to the long-awaited decision from the US was notably restrained. "Today, much is being said in the media about us receiving permission for the relevant actions. But strikes are not made with words. Such things are not announced. The missiles will speak for themselves," said Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his nightly video address. Earlier, Zelenskyy said Russia had launched a total of 120 missiles and 90 drones in a large-scale attack across Ukraine. Various types of drones were deployed, he said, including Iranian-made Shaheds, as well as cruise, ballistic and aircraft-launched ballistic missiles. Ukrainian defences shot down 144 out of a total of 210 air targets, Ukraine's air force reported later on Sunday. "The enemy's target was our energy infrastructure throughout Ukraine. Unfortunately, there is damage to objects from hits and falling debris. In Mykolaiv, as a result of a drone attack, two people were killed and six others were injured, including two children," Zelenskyy said. Two more people were killed in the Odesa region, where the attack damaged energy infrastructure and disrupted power and water supplies, said local Governor Oleh Kiper. Both victims were employees of Ukraine's state-owned power grid operator, Ukrenergo, the company said hours later. The combined drone and missile attack was the most powerful in three months, according to the head of Kyiv's City Military Administration, Serhii Popko. One person was injured after the roof of a five-storey residential building caught fire in Kyiv's historic centre, according to Popko. A thermal power plant operated by private energy company DTEK was "seriously damaged", the company said. Russian strikes have hammered Ukraine's power infrastructure since Moscow's all-out invasion of its neighbour in February 2022, prompting repeated emergency power shutdowns and nationwide rolling blackouts. Ukrainian officials have routinely urged Western allies to bolster the country's air defences to counter assaults and allow for repairs. Explosions were heard across Ukraine on Sunday, including in the capital, Kyiv, the key southern port of Odesa, as well as the country's west and central regions, according to local reports. The operational command of Poland's armed forces wrote on X that Polish and allied aircraft, including fighter jets, have been mobilised in Polish airspace because of the "massive" Russian attack on neighbouring Ukraine. The steps were aimed to provide safety in Poland's border areas, it said. Russia's Defence Ministry on Sunday acknowledged carrying out a "mass" missile and drone attack on "critical energy infrastructure" in Ukraine, but claimed all targeted facilities were tied to Kyiv's military industry. Although Ukraine's nuclear plants were not directly impacted, several electrical substations on which they depend suffered further damage, the UN's nuclear energy watchdog said in a statement on Sunday. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, only two of Ukraine's nine operational reactors continue to generate power at full capacity. A local journalist also died on Sunday as Ukrainian drones struck Russia's embattled Kursk region, its Governor Aleksei Smirnov reported. Moscow's forces have for months strained to dislodge Ukrainian troops from the southern province after a bold incursion in August that constituted the largest attack on Russia since World War II and saw battle-hardened Ukrainian units swiftly take hundreds of square kilometres of territory. In Russia's Belgorod province, near Ukraine, a man died on the spot after a Ukrainian drone dropped explosives on his car, local Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported. Another Ukrainian drone on Sunday targeted a drone factory in Izhevsk, deep inside Russia, according to anti-Kremlin Russian news channels on the Telegram messaging app. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
18 November,2024 08:38 AM IST | Kyiv | APA powerful typhoon wrecked houses, caused towering tidal surges and forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee to emergency shelters as it cut across the northern Philippines on Sunday in the sixth major storm to hit the country in less than a month. Typhoon Man-yi slammed into the eastern island province of Catanduanes on Saturday night with sustained winds of up to 195 kmph and gusts of up to 240 kmph. The country’s weather agency warned of a “potentially catastrophic and life-threatening situation” in provinces along its path. There were no immediate reports of casualties from the typhoon, which was forecast to blow northwestward on Sunday across northern Luzon, the archipelago’s most populous region. The capital region of metropolitan Manila would likely be spared from a direct hit but was placed, along with outlying regions, under storm alerts and warned of dangerous coastal storm surges. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
18 November,2024 08:01 AM IST | Manila | AgenciesIn a major development, over 40 American lawmakers have called upon US President Joe Biden to advocate for the immediate release of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, along with all other political prisoners in the country and ensure their safety in line with the findings of the UN Working Group report, Geo TV reported. In a letter to outgoing President Biden, as many as 46 members of Congress urged Biden to take steps and act for the release of the incarcerated PM. The details were shared by Imran Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI), American Wing, on the social media platform, X. It noted that “46 members of the US House of Representatives, including members from both the Republican and Democratic parties, have written a letter to President Joe Biden calling for urgent action for the release of Imran Khan”. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
18 November,2024 07:46 AM IST | Washington | AgenciesIsraeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip overnight and into Sunday killed 12 people, according to Palestinian medical officials. Police in Israel, meanwhile, arrested three suspects after flares were fired at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s private residence in the coastal city of Caesarea. Authorities said Netanyahu and his family were not at the residence when two flares were fired at it overnight, and there were no injuries. A drone launched by Hezbollah struck the residence last month, also when Netanyahu and his family were away. The police did not provide details about the suspects, but officials pointed to domestic political critics of Netanyahu. Israel’s largely ceremonial president, Isaac Herzog, condemned the incident and warned against “an escalation of the violence in the public sphere”. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
18 November,2024 07:40 AM IST | Tel Aviv | AgenciesRussia on Sunday launched a massive drone and missile attack on Ukraine, described by officials as the largest over the past months, targeting energy infrastructure and killing civilians. The attack came as fears are mounting about Moscow’s intentions to devastate Ukraine’s power generation capacity ahead of the cold winter. Ukraie’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia had launched a total of 120 missiles and 90 drones in a large-scale attack across Ukraine. Various types of drones were deployed, he said, including Iranian-made Shaheds, as well as cruise, ballistic and aircraft-launched ballistic missiles. Ukrainian defense forces shot down 140 air targets, Zelensky said in a statement on Telegram. “The enemy’s target was our energy infrastructure throughout Ukraine. Unfortunately, there is damage to objects from hits and falling debris. In Mykolaiv, as a result of a drone attack, two people were killed and six others were injured, including two children,” Zelensky said. The combined drone and missile attack was the most powerful in three months, according to the head of Kyiv’s City Military Administration Serhii Popko. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
18 November,2024 07:37 AM IST | Kyiv | AgenciesOn Sunday, Russia launched a massive drone and missile assault on Ukraine, described by officials as the largest in recent months. The primary targets were energy infrastructure, and the attack resulted in civilian casualties. The strike raised concerns about Moscow's intentions to cripple Ukraine’s power-generation capacity as the country approaches the cold winter months, news agency AP reported. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Russia had fired a total of 120 missiles and 90 drones in the extensive attack across the country. Among the drones deployed were Iranian-made Shaheds, alongside cruise, ballistic, and aircraft-launched ballistic missiles. Ukrainian defence forces managed to intercept and shoot down 140 air targets, Zelenskyy said in a statement on Telegram. "The enemy's target was our energy infrastructure throughout Ukraine. Unfortunately, there is damage to facilities from hits and falling debris. In Mykolaiv, as a result of a drone strike, two people were killed and six others were injured, including two children," said Zelenskyy. The combined missile and drone offensive marked the most powerful such attack in three months, according to Serhii Popko, head of Kyiv’s City Military Administration. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, strikes targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure have caused widespread damage, leading to regular power outages and nationwide blackouts. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly called on Western allies to strengthen the country’s air defences to protect vital infrastructure and enable repairs. According to AP, explosions were reported across Ukraine on Sunday, including in Kyiv, the southern port city of Odesa, as well as in central and western regions, according to local reports. In response to the Russian attack, Poland’s armed forces announced the mobilisation of Polish and allied aircraft, including fighter jets, to secure Polish airspace and ensure the safety of areas near the border with Ukraine. In Kyiv, a fire broke out on the roof of a five-storey residential building in the historic city centre following the airstrikes, injuring one person, Popko said. In Mykolaiv, at least two people were killed and six others wounded, including two children, according to the region's governor, Vitalii Kim. A thermal power plant operated by the private energy company DTEK was also “seriously damaged” in the attack, the company confirmed in a statement on Telegram. (With AP inputs)
17 November,2024 05:18 PM IST | Kyiv | mid-day online correspondentAn earthquake of magnitude 4.7 on the Richter scale jolted Afghanistan on Sunday, the National Centre of Seismology (NCS) said. The NCS said that the earthquake hit at 4:43 am (IST), at a depth of 160 kilometres. The epicentre of the earthquake was recorded at Latitude 36.12 N and Longitude 71.16 E. EQ of M: 4.7, On: 17/11/2024 04:43:20 IST, Lat: 36.12 N, Long: 71.16 E, Depth: 160 Km, Location: Afghanistan. For more information Download the BhooKamp App https://t.co/5gCOtjdtw0 @DrJitendraSingh @OfficeOfDrJS @Ravi_MoES @Dr_Mishra1966 @ndmaindia pic.twitter.com/NWGtAkKXHI — National Center for Seismology (@NCS_Earthquake) November 16, 2024 "EQ of M: 4.7, On: 17/11/2024 04:43:20 IST, Lat: 36.12 N, Long: 71.16 E, Depth: 160 Km, Location: Afghanistan," the National Centre for Seismology said on social media platform X. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
17 November,2024 03:41 PM IST | Afghanistan | ANIThe Lebanese Ministry of Health announced today that Israeli airstrikes across various areas in Lebanon resulted in the death of 7 people while 65 others were wounded over the past 24 hours. The Lebanese National News Agency reported that the total toll since the beginning of the aggression up until yesterday has reached 3,452 dead and 14,664 wounded. In the past 24 hours, 145 airstrikes and shelling attacks were recorded on various regions of Lebanon, bringing the total number of assaults since the beginning of the aggression to 13,222. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
17 November,2024 03:40 PM IST | Beirut | ANIChina's leader Xi Jinping met for the last time with US President Joe Biden on Saturday but was already looking ahead to President-elect Donald Trump and his "America first" policies, saying Beijing "is ready to work with a new US administration". During their talks on the sidelines of the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, Xi cautioned that a stable China-US relationship was critical not only to the two nations but also the "future and destiny of humanity". "Make the wise choice," he cautioned. "Keep exploring the right way for two major countries to get along well with each other." Without mentioning Trump's name, Xi appeared to signal his concern that the incoming president's protectionist rhetoric on the campaign trail could send the US-China relationship into another valley. "China is ready to work with a new US administration to maintain communication, expand cooperation and manage differences so as to strive for a steady transition of the China-US relationship for the benefit of the two peoples," Xi said through an interpreter. Xi, who is firmly entrenched atop China's political hierarchy, spoke forcefully in his brief remarks before reporters. Biden, who is winding down more than 50 years of public service, talked in broader brushstrokes about where the relationship between the two countries has gone. He reflected not just on the past four years but the decades the two have known each other. "We haven't always agreed, but our conversations have always been candid and always been frank. We've never kidded one another," Biden said. "These conversations prevent miscalculations, and they ensure the competition between our two countries will not veer into conflict." Biden urged Xi to dissuade North Korea from further deepening its support for Russia's war on Ukraine. The leaders, with top aides surrounding them, gathered around a long rectangle of tables in an expansive conference room at Lima's Defines Hotel and Conference Center. China "hosted" the meeting this year, after Xi and Biden met a year ago on the APEC sidelines in northern California, a gathering hosted by the US. They had much to discuss, including China's indirect support for Russia, human rights issues, technology and Taiwan, the self-ruled democracy that Beijing claims as its own. On artificial intelligence, the two agreed on the need to maintain human control over the decision to use nuclear weapons. There's much uncertainty about what lies ahead in the US-China relationship under Trump, who campaigned promising to levy 60 per cent tariffs on Chinese imports. Already, many American companies, including Nike and eyewear retailer Warby Parker, have been diversifying their sourcing away from China. Shoe brand Steve Madden says it plans to cut imports from China by as much as 45 per cent next year. In a congratulatory message to Trump after his victory over Vice-President Kamala Harris, Xi called for the US and China to manage their differences and get along in a new era. In front of the cameras Saturday, Xi spoke to Biden -- but it was unmistakable that his message was directed at Trump. "In a major flourishing sci-tech revolution, neither decoupling nor supply chain disruption is a solution," Xi said. "Only mutual, beneficial cooperation can lead to common development. Small yard, high fence is not what a major country should pursue." Biden administration officials would advise the Trump team that managing the intense competition with Beijing will likely be the most significant foreign policy challenge they will face, White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan said. On Saturday, Sullivan said Biden had reinforced to Xi "that these next two months are a time of transition", and the president would like to pass it off "in stable terms" to the new administration. Biden has viewed his relationship with Xi as among the most consequential on the international stage and put much effort into cultivating it. The two first got to know each other on travels across the US and China when both were vice-presidents, interactions that both have said left a lasting impression. But the last four years have presented a steady stream of difficult moments. The FBI this week offered new details of a federal investigation into Chinese government efforts to hack into US telecommunications networks. The initial findings have revealed a "broad and significant" cyberespionage campaign aimed at stealing information from Americans who work in government and politics. US intelligence officials also have assessed China has surged sales to Russia of machine tools, microelectronics and other technology that Moscow is using to produce missiles, tanks, aircraft and other weaponry for use in its war against Ukraine. Biden is looking for Xi to step up Chinese engagement to prevent an already dangerous moment with North Korea from further escalating. Biden, South Korean President Yoon Seok Yul and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Friday condemned North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's decision to send thousands of troops to help Moscow repel Ukrainian forces who have seized territory in Russia's Kursk border region. Biden called it "dangerous and destabilising cooperation". White House officials have expressed frustration with Beijing, which accounts for the vast majority of North Korea's trade, for not doing more to rein in Pyongyang. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
17 November,2024 03:39 PM IST | Lima | APADVERTISEMENT
