USA: Wildfires In California Cause 52,000 Early Deaths In Decade: Study

SACRAMENTO, Jun 9 (NNN-XINHUA) – The U.S. state of California saw over 52,000 people die prematurely in a decade, due to smoke from wildfires, according to a new study.

The study, published in Science Advances, attributed an estimated number of 52,480 to 55,710 premature deaths to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution, caused by wildfires, from 2008 to 2018, which translated to an economic impact of 432 billion to 456 billion U.S. dollars.

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Israel pounds central Gaza as Palestinian death toll in hostage rescue raid rises to 274

CAIRO, June 9 (Reuters) - Israeli forces pounded central Gaza anew on Sunday, a day after killing 274 Palestinians during a hostage rescue raid, and tanks advanced into further areas of Rafah in an apparent bid to seal off part of the southern city, residents and Hamas media said.

China's natural gas consumption up 11.9 pct in January-April

BEIJING, June 9 (Xinhua) -- China's natural gas consumption saw strong growth in the first four months of 2024, with the country intensifying its green development efforts, official data showed.

The apparent consumption of natural gas in this period totaled 143.73 billion cubic meters, up 11.9 percent year on year, according to the National Development and Reform Commission.

In April alone, consumption rose by 11.8 percent compared with the same period last year to total 35.46 billion cubic meters, said the commission.

French President Calls For Immediate Ceasefire In Gaza

PARIS, Jun 9 (NNN-XINHUA) – French President, Emmanuel Macron, yesterday, urged for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and called for a political solution, while meeting with his United States counterpart, Joe Biden, who is on a state visit to France.

“After nine months of conflict, the situation in Rafah, and the human toll, are unacceptable,” Macron said at a joint press conference.

UN adds Israel to blacklist for harming children in conflict zones

07 June 2024; MEMO: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has notified Israel’s Defence Attache in the United States, Major General Hidai Zilberman, of his decision to add Israel to the blacklist of countries and organisations harming children in conflict zones.

Hezbollah targets Israeli army's gathering, positions near borders with Lebanon

09 June 2024; MEMO: The Lebanese Hezbollah group on Friday announced more attacks against the Israeli army’s positions and soldiers’ gatherings near the border areas with Lebanon, Anadolu Agency reports.

In a statement, the group said its fighters targeted a deployment of Israeli soldiers in an area known as Horsh Matawa, northern Israel, with missiles.

Hezbollah also targeted military vehicles inside the Birkat Risha site with rockets, and claimed to achieve a direct hit.

‘Gaza is the largest mass grave in the world’; Qatar defence minister

08 June 2024; MEMO: Qatari Defence Minister Khalid Bin Mohamed Al-Attiyah on Friday described Gaza as: “The largest open prison in the world and now the largest mass grave” as a result of the devastating Israeli war on the Strip, which has entered its ninth month.

Israeli government faced ‘complete humiliation’ in Gaza; opposition leader

08 June 2024; MEMO: Israeli opposition leader Avigdor Lieberman said Friday that Israel’s government faced “complete humiliation” in Gaza, while “losing the north and continuing to surrender” to Hezbollah, Anadolu Agency reports.

“The Israeli government lost the north and continues to surrender to Hezbollah, which does everything it can,” the head of Yisrael Beiteinu party wrote on X.

Israel’s obstruction of investigation into 7 October rape allegations risks truth never being found, advocates warn

09 June 2024; MEMO: Israel’s leadership is pushing the allegations that Hamas fighters raped Israeli women during the October 7 attacks for its own political objectives while the government’s ongoing refusal to allow the United Nations to conduct a full investigation into the matter threatens to hinder any evidence, advocates have warned.

Colombia To Suspend Coal Exports To Israel: President

BOGOTA, Jun 9 (NNN-XINHUA) – Colombian President, Gustavo Petro, announced yesterday, on his social media account that, his country will suspend coal export to Israel due to its attacks on the Gaza Strip, which he again called a “genocide.”

The draft decree shared by Petro will be published by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism on its website, between Jun 11 and 17, for comments before entering into force.

Turkiye signs letter of offer, acceptance for F-16 jets from US

07 June 2024; MEMO: Turkiye has signed a letter of offer and acceptance for the purchase of F-16 fighter jets from the United States, the US State Department confirmed, Daily Sabah reports.

“Getting this particular sale over the finish line took some time,” State Department spokesperson, Matthew Miller, told a news conference late Thursday.

“This is good for US national security, Turkish national security and NATO interoperability,” he added while thanking the “hard work” of Turkish defence and foreign affairs ministries.

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India: Plea in Supreme Court seeks Centre, SEBI to submit report in Jun 4 stock market crash

NEW DELHI: A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court, seeking directions to the Centre and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to submit a detailed report into the stock market crash on the day of election results on June 4, when investors lost billions of rupees.

Turkish foreign minister holds meeting with Hamas leader in Qatar

09 June 2024; MEMO: Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a meeting Sunday in Qatar with the head of the Palestinian group Hamas’ Political Bureau, Anadolu Agency reports..

“Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan met with Ismail Haniyeh, Head of Hamas Political Bureau, on the margins of the Sixth Ministerial Meeting of Türkiye-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) High Level Strategic Dialogue, in Doha,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on X after the meeting in the Gulf nation.

'Our people will not surrender, resistance will continue,' says Hamas political chief

08 June 2024; MEMO: The head of Hamas’ Political Bureau reaffirmed Saturday that resistance forces would continue to defend Palestinian rights against Israel after attacks on the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, Anadolu Agency reports.

In a statement, Ismail Haniyeh asserted that Israel “continues to massacre Palestinian children and women in the Nuseirat Refugee Camp and Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.”

Two vessels catch fire after missile strikes off Yemen's Aden

CAIRO, June 9 (Reuters) - Two ships caught on fire after being hit by projectiles off Yemen's Aden, two UK maritime agencies reported on Sunday.

The British security firm Ambrey said on Sunday an Antigua- and Barbuda-flagged general cargo ship was struck by a missile 83 nautical miles southeast of Aden and caught fire. The fire was later contained.

Earlier, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it had received a report from a captain of a vessel of an incident 80 nautical miles southeast of Aden.

Those responsible for massacre in Gaza will be held accountable: Turkish foreign minister

08 June 2024; MEMO: Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Saturday that there is no doubt those who perpetrated the massacre in Gaza will eventually be held accountable, Anadolu Agency reports.

Speaking at the opening of the Extraordinary Meeting of the D-8 Council of Foreign Ministers in Istanbul, Fidan said those who stand for peace in Palestine will prevail.

The meeting was hosted by Turkiye at the Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul to discuss the situation in Gaza.

Palestine: Several Hostages Killed In Israeli Attacks On Central Gaza

GAZA, Jun 9 (NNN-WAFA) – During its operation to release four hostages in the central Gaza Strip, the Zionist army had killed several other hostages, held there, Hamas Al-Qassam Brigades said, yesterday.

In a statement, Al-Qassam denounced the Israeli military operation in the Nuseirat area, in central Gaza as “a complex war crime,” saying, “the first to be harmed by it” were the Israeli hostages.

India: Two planes land, take off within close interval on same runway at Mum airport; DGCA probes incident

MUMBAI: Aviation regulator DGCA is probing an incident of an IndiGo plane landing and an Air India aircraft taking off from the same runway in less than a minute at the Mumbai airport, officials said on Sunday.

The watchdog has derostered the Air Traffic Controller (ATC) who was on duty at the time of the incident on Saturday, while IndiGo has initiated a probe into the matter, they added.

A purported video of one plane landing and another taking off from the same runway has been shared on social media.

German enterprises embrace business opportunities in China

STUTTGART, Germany, June 9 (Xinhua) -- Amid a sluggish global economic recovery, German executives voiced their dedication to enhancing their market presence in China during a promotion event for the China International Import Expo (CIIE) held in Stuttgart.

German enterprises are leveraging the CIIE to align their development with the demands of the Chinese market, according to the executives at the event, which gathered about 150 Chinese and German officials, business representatives, and trade delegates.

Pakistan to send 1,000 students to China for agriculture training, announces PM Sharif

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced sending as many as 1,000 students of the country to China for advanced training in the agriculture sector as it strives to increase output, according to a media report on Sunday.

The premier, who concluded his five-day official visit to China, made the announcement during a visit to Yangling Agricultural Demonstration Base in Xi’an city on Saturday, Radio Pakistan reported.

Yemen: Houthis detain Yemeni staff for UN, US organisations

07 June 2024; MEMO: Houthi security forces have detained 11 United Nations personnel in Yemen over the past three days and the UN is seeking their safe and unconditional release as soon as possible, UN spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, said on Friday, Reuters reports.

He said the UN was very concerned about the developments and was seeking clarification from the Houthis about why the Yemeni staff was detained. The two women and nine men work for five different UN agencies and the UN envoy for Yemen.

Articles and Interviews

US changes how it categorizes people by race and ethnicity. It’s the first revision in 27 years

by MIKE SCHNEIDER

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — For the first time in 27 years, the U.S. government is changing how it categorizes people by race and ethnicity, an effort that federal officials believe will more accurately count residents who identify as Hispanic and of Middle Eastern and North African heritage.

Opinions

Israel’s economy is creaking under the effects of its assault on Gaza

by Aziz Mustafa

The consequences of Israel’s military assault against the Palestinians in Gaza are ongoing, dealing blows to the occupation state from every direction, the latest of which is at the economic level. Newspaper headlines report from time to time that yet another global ranking company has rated Israel as low. That is what international credit rating companies have done, while the regime in Tel Aviv fears that the ongoing assault on Gaza will contribute to the apparently endless wave of price increases in Israeli markets.

Pro-Palestine students shattered American taboo against criticizing Israel: Columbia University professor

22 May 2024; AA: Criticizing Israel is no longer a taboo in America, especially among young people, said a Greek poet and professor of comparative literature at New York’s Columbia University who has witnessed the student mobilization firsthand.

‘The political-media-industrial complex’ undermining truth and democracy in service of Israel

by Nasim Ahmed

In the relentless propaganda war waged against Palestinians, the scales have been heavily tipped in favour of Israel. Disinformation and half-truths are routinely employed to depict Palestinians as aggressors, terrorists or simply as non-existent entities within their own homeland.

Israeli attack on Iranian embassy may escalate regional tensions

by Hummam Sheikh Ali

DAMASCUS, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Israel on Monday afternoon launched a missile attack on the consulate building of the Iranian embassy in Damascus, killing at least seven officers.

Following the Israeli missile strike, Iranian Ambassador to Syria Hossein Akbari vowed that Iran would respond to Israel's attack with equal force.

He said that Israel's F-35 fighter jets had launched six missiles from the occupied Golan Heights in a "criminal," targeted offense on the Iranian consulate's building.

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