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Modi stresses there should be no ‘double standards’ on terrorism

By
IFP Media Wire
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Speaking at the 25th Council of SCO Heads of State meeting in Tianjin on Monday Modi said there needed to be “unity” in the fight against terror.

Referring to the April terrorist attack in Pahalgam in the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir that claimed 26 lives, he stated “many friendly countries” stood by India.

“We must clearly and unanimously declare that double standards on terrorism are unacceptable,” Modi added.

”We must collectively oppose terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. This is our duty to humanity.”

In his speech, the Indian leader made a veiled reference to SCO member Pakistan, who India has blamed for the April terror attack.

“It raises a serious question – should a country openly supporting terrorism be acceptable to any of us,” Modi asked.

SCO members voiced their support for India and expressed their deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the dead and the wounded in the Kashmir attack.

“The Member States strongly condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, stress that double standards in the fight against terrorism are unacceptable, and call on the international community to combat terrorism, including cross-border movement of terrorists,” a joint statement on Monday read.

European ‘war party’ hindering Ukraine peace process: Russia

By
IFP Media Wire
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Kremlin

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron have for months floated the idea of sending a joint military contingent to Ukraine in a so-called peacekeeping capacity if Kiev and Moscow reach a truce or peace deal. Moscow has strongly opposed the presence of NATO troops in Ukraine in any role.

On Sunday, Peskov said the stance of the “European war party” is “in stark contrast to the approach pursued” by Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“The Europeans are hindering the [peace] efforts,” as part of their strategy to “contain” Russia, the Kremlin spokesperson told journalists.

He added that certain NATO member states have been encouraging Ukraine to refuse to negotiate with Russia in good faith – a strategy that “will do no good to the Kiev regime.”

“Russia is still ready to settle the [conflict] by political-diplomatic means,” Peskov stated, but Kiev has to show reciprocity for the hostilities to end.

Last weekend, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov argued that European nations “don’t want peace” in Ukraine, citing their reaction to the Putin-Trump summit in Alaska earlier this month.

Last week, speaking to reporters after a follow-up meeting between the US president and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, as well as several European leaders at the White House, Macron insisted that Europe “will need to help Ukraine with boots on the ground.”

Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Romania, and Croatia have ruled out taking part in the mission.

On Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reported that a significant proportion of the EU population is “opposed to any deployment that places troops in harm’s way.”

Houthis arrest UN staff in Yemen

By
IFP Media Wire
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The raids came in response to an Israeli airstrike on Thursday that killed Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser al-Rahawi, the Yemeni group’s prime minister, along with several senior officials.

A Yemeni security source told AFP that the Houthis also arrested dozens of others across Sanaa and surrounding areas on suspicion of collaborating with Israel.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the fighters forcibly entered World Food Program facilities, seized UN property, and attempted to break into other agency offices.

Hans Grundberg, the UN special envoy for Yemen, condemned “the new wave of arbitrary detentions of UN personnel” and demanded they be released “immediately and unconditionally.”

“The work of UN personnel is designed and conducted under the principles of neutrality, impartiality, independence, and humanity,” he stressed, adding, “These arrests violate the fundamental obligation to respect and protect their safety, dignity, and ability to carry out their essential work in Yemen.”

According to Grundberg, the Houthis were already holding 23 UN staff, some since 2021. One died in custody earlier this year.

The group previously accused detained aid workers of involvement in “an American-Israeli spy network,” an allegation the UN rejects.

Since the outbreak of the Gaza war, Houthi forces have expanded their operations beyond Yemen, launching drones and missiles at Israel and targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea in what they describe as solidarity with the Palestinian cause.

Israel has responded with repeated airstrikes on Houthi positions in Yemen, including last week’s attack on the presidential palace in Sanaa.

Following the death of al-Rahawi, the Houthis vowed to escalate their campaign against Israel.

The group issued a series of statements warning of a strong retaliation. Major General Mohammed Nasser Al-Atifi, the Houthi defense minister, stated that their armed forces are fully prepared to confront Israel and claimed that “America is targeting civilians in Yemen, just as it is doing in Gaza.”

Injured brown bear in Iran succumbs to severe infection despite treatment efforts

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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According to Leila Joulai, head of the Wildlife Protection and Management Office, the bear had been transferred to a treatment facility after being found with a deep leg wound. Despite extensive veterinary efforts, the animal did not survive.

“The bear suffered from extreme physical weakness and a severe infection caused by a deep wound in its leg, which damaged the nerve and left it unable to move for a long period, preventing it from accessing food and water,” Joulai explained.

The brown bear is classified as an endangered species in Iran. The main habitats of the brown bears in Iran are Caspian forest areas, Arsbaran forests and Zagros forests as well as high mountain meadows near the forests and downstream valleys.

Longest lunar eclipse of the century to be visible across Iran on Sep. 7

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Longest Lunar Eclipse of Century_in iran

According to astronomer Alireza Bayat, the rare total lunar eclipse will begin at 6:58 p.m. local time, with the partial eclipse phase starting at 7:57 p.m.

The total eclipse will commence at 9:00 p.m., reaching its peak at 9:41 p.m. and 46 seconds, before ending at 10:23 p.m. The moon will completely exit the Earth’s shadow by 12:25 a.m. on September 8.

Bayat explained that the moon will take on a coppery red hue during the total eclipse due to the scattering of sunlight in Earth’s atmosphere, the same phenomenon that gives sunrises and sunsets their distinctive colors.

Approximately 77% of the global population will be able to observe this event. In Iran, all phases will be clearly visible, offering sky watchers a rare opportunity to witness the celestial display from start to finish.

Israeli military chief threatens to assassinate Hamas leaders abroad

By
IFP Media Wire
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“Our actions are not yet complete; most of the remaining Hamas leadership is abroad, and we will reach them as well,” Zamir said in comments cited by a military statement.

He added the Israeli army is “operating offensively, with initiative and operational superiority, across all arenas and at all times,” including “significant IDF (army) strikes in Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, and other arenas.”

Early on Sunday, Defense Minister Israel Katz claimed that Hamas’ military spokesman Abu Obeida was killed in a joint operation launched by the army and the Shin Bet domestic security agency in Gaza.

There was no confirmation from Hamas of the Israeli claim.

Israel has killed nearly 63,500 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

Iran offers aid after deadly earthquake strikes eastern Afghanistan

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-

Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said in a message on Monday that Iran stands “in full solidarity with the resilient people of Afghanistan” and is prepared to dispatch emergency, medical, and humanitarian aid to affected areas.

“In these difficult moments, we share the grief of the Afghan nation and the bereaved families,” Araghchi wrote, emphasizing the importance of regional cooperation in overcoming the disaster.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei also reiterated Iran’s readiness to assist Afghan authorities in rescue and relief operations, extending prayers for the recovery of those injured.

According to Afghan and international agencies, the 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck several eastern provinces, including Kunar, Nuristan, Nangarhar, and Laghman, at 11:47 p.m. local time, followed by multiple aftershocks. Preliminary reports suggest significant casualties and damage, with some estimates indicating the death toll exceeded 600.

Rescue operations are underway as officials warn that the number of victims may rise in remote areas yet to be reached by emergency teams.

SCO leaders sign over 20 agreements, condemn Israeli, US Strikes against Iran

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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The documents cover a wide range of cooperation, including the establishment of a comprehensive center for addressing security threats, a center for combating drug trafficking, the SCO’s 10-year strategy, initiatives in artificial intelligence, green industries, scientific and technological cooperation, multilateral trade, and sustainable energy development.

In a strongly worded statement, SCO members condemned the Israeli and US military strikes on Iranian facilities in June, which targeted non-military infrastructure and resulted in civilian casualties.

The statement slammed the attacks as “a blatant violation of international law and the United Nations Charter,” stressing that such actions undermine regional and global security.

Member states also reiterated their support for UN Security Council Resolution 2231, calling for full compliance and constructive dialogue to prevent further escalation.

The summit also addressed the ongoing conflict in Gaza, urging an immediate and lasting ceasefire, unhindered humanitarian access, and a renewed push for a comprehensive and just resolution to the Palestinian issue.

Israel tells US of plans to annex occupied West Bank: Report

By
IFP Media Wire
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Israeli settlement

Israeli news outlet Walla, citing sources familiar with the matter, said Saar posted Rubio during their meeting in Washington on Wednesday about Israel’s preparations to annex the occupied territory in the coming months.

The broadcaster added a consensus has been reached within the Israeli government over the move, but there are disagreements on the timing of the announcement.

Israel’s Knesset (parliament) has already begun discussing the West Bank annexation in the last meeting, the sources stated.

In August, Israel approved a major settlement project, called E1, which aims to split the occupied West Bank into two parts, cutting off the northern cities of Ramallah and Nablus from Bethlehem and Hebron in the south and isolating East Jerusalem.

The international community, including the UN, considers the Israeli settlements illegal under international law. The UN has repeatedly warned that continued settlement expansion threatens the viability of a two-state solution, a framework seen as key to resolving the decades-long Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Since the start of Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip in October 2023, at least 1,016 Palestinians have been killed and more than 7,000 injured in the West Bank by Israeli forces and illegal settlers, according to the Health Ministry.

In an advisory opinion last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

UN warns catastrophic rains, floods to trigger food shortages in Pakistan

By
IFP Media Wire
-

The raging floods struck the northeastern Punjab, the country’s largest province and food basket, last week, submerging hundreds of villages, schools and health centers, washing away livestock and destroying crops, aside from killing around 50 people and triggering evacuations.

The surging floods have so far affected more than 2 million people, in addition to evacuation of more than 700,000 people, according to official statistics.

The water is flowing further south to fall into the mighty Indus River and is feared to wreak havoc on southern Sindh province in coming days.

“This isn’t normal—yet it’s becoming the new normal. Monsoons, driven by climate change, now bring fear and devastation to communities across Pakistan,” Mo Yahya, the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator, said in a post on US social media company X, after visiting the flood-hit areas.

“Flooded rice fields stretch as far as the eye can see. Farmers now face months without crops or income until the next planting season,” he stated, while posting a video of flooded farmlands in Hafizabad district.

“This is only the beginning — more intense rains are expected in the coming weeks. As the water flows further south, it will threaten more families with displacement and destruction,” Yahya added.

“This is not just another natural disaster; this is #ClimateChange.”

Endorsing the warning, Waqar Ahmad, the secretary general of Kisan Board of Pakistan, a nationwide farmers body, said that the catastrophic floods have destroyed the three main crops of rice, sugarcane and sesame (oil-rich seeds) across Punjab.

“Rice crop has particularly taken a toll as the floods have hit the major rice-producing districts,” Rizvi told Anadolu.

According to him, 70% of the standing rice crop has been destroyed by the latest floods.

He cautioned that if neighboring India releases another deluge of floodwaters towards Pakistan, the remaining amounts of the standing crops will be badly affected.

Waheed Ahmad, the head of Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exports Association, fears that the latest floods would likely to cause food inflation as massive deluges have destroyed huge amounts of crops, and vegetables across Punjab and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.

He urged the government to lift the levy on vegetable and fruit imports from neighboring Afghanistan and Iran to cope with the looming food shortages.

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