TEHRAN: Iran launched three domestically built observation satellites into space from Russia on Sunday, state television reported, marking a new step for Tehran&#39;s space programme despite Western sanctions.&nbsp;The country maintains that its aerospace industry is peaceful and complies with UN Security Council resolutions imposed over its nuclear programme.&nbsp;&quot;Three Iranian satellites, Zafar-2, Paya and Kowsar 1.5, were launched into space by a Soyuz rocket from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia,&quot; Iranian television reported.&nbsp;The satellites were to be used for &quot;observation&quot; and were designed by &quot;the private sector&quot;, the official IRNA news agency said.&nbsp;Paya is Iran&#39;s most advanced domestically produced imaging satellite, using artificial intelligence to improve image resolution, IRNA said.&nbsp;It said the satellite would focus on water resource management, environmental monitoring and mapping.&nbsp;The Russian Soyuz launcher was chosen because it is one of the most reliable in the world for transporting sensitive satellites, according to the Fars news agency.&nbsp;Iran has carried out 10 satellite launches in the last two years, including one in July from the same launch site in Russia.&nbsp;Western countries fear that these satellite launch systems incorporate technologies interchangeable with those used in ballistic missiles, potentially capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.&nbsp;Tehran denies those accusations and refutes that it is trying to acquire nuclear weapons.

Asia

Iran launched three domestically built observation satellites from Russia using a Soyuz rocket, marking progress in its space programme. Tehran says the launches are peaceful, despite Western concerns over missile-related technology.

Iran says launched three satellites into space from Russia

PORT SUDAN: Violence in western and southern Sudan displaced more than 10,000 people within three days this week, according to figures released by the United Nations&#39; migration agency on Sunday. Since April 2023, Sudan&#39;s regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have waged what the UN has called a &quot;war of atrocities,&quot; killing tens of thousands of people and uprooting more than 11 million. Between December 25 and 26, attacks on the villages of Um Baru and Kernoi near Sudan&#39;s western border with Chad displaced more than 7,000 people, according to the International Organization for Migration. After its takeover of the North Darfur capital of El-Fasher in October, the RSF has pushed westward in recent days, through enclaves inhabited by the Zaghawa ethnic group and controlled by an army-allied militia. On Friday, two Chadian soldiers were killed by an RSF drone that hit the border town of Tine, a Chadian military source told AFP. Between Christmas Eve and Friday, a further 3,100 people were displaced from the famine-stricken city of Kadugli in South Kordofan, which has been under siege by paramilitary forces for over a year and a half. Resource-rich Kordofan is currently witnessing the fiercest fighting, as the RSF and its allies seek to recapture Sudan&#39;s central corridor, leading from Darfur back towards the capital Khartoum. The conflict has created the world&#39;s largest hunger and displacement crises. It has also effectively split Sudan in two, with the army controlling the north, east and center while the RSF dominates all five state capitals in Darfur and, with its allies, parts of the south.

Africa

Sudan's regular army, paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have waged a war what UN has called a "war of atrocities," killing tens of thousands of people and uprooting more than 11 million.

Over 10,000 people displaced in 3 days in Sudan: UN

Web Desk

India

The killing of Northeastern student Anjel Chakma in Dehradun, motivated by racial hatred, has sparked outrage across India, exposing deep divisions over racism, minority safety, and responsibility, with critics blaming entrenched prejudice and political rhetoric.

Killing of Northeastern student exposes India’s racial fault lines

LONDON: Britain has imposed visa restrictions on DR Congo nationals over the country&#39;s &quot;poor co-operation&quot; on returning illegal migrants, the UK government said.&nbsp;Further measures, up to a complete halt on visas, will follow unless cooperation &quot;rapidly improves&quot;, the interior ministry said in a statement late Saturday.&nbsp;The curbs mean that DR Congo VIPs and decision makers will lose preferential treatment on visas, while fast-track visa processing has been revoked for all DR Congo nationals.&nbsp;They come after Britain&#39;s Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, in November threatened DR Congo, Angola and Namibia with visa bans unless they accepted the return of irregular migrants.&nbsp;The interior ministry said the three African countries had &quot;continually frustrated&quot; efforts to remove thousands of illegal migrants and criminals.&nbsp;It said they had &quot;unacceptably poor and obstructive returns processes&quot; and accused the countries of refusing to process paperwork and requiring individuals to sign their own documents &ndash; effectively allowing them to block their own deportations.&nbsp;Angola and Namibia had, however, agreed &quot;to improve their processes&quot; and accept the return of &quot;illegal migrants and criminals&quot;, and so will not face such restrictions, the interior ministry said.&nbsp;There had been some recent engagement by the DR Congo, but Mahmood warned the Central African nation needed &quot;to play by the rules&quot;.&nbsp;&quot;If one of their citizens has no right to be here, they must take them back,&quot; she said.&nbsp;&quot;I thank Angola and Namibia and welcome their co-operation. Now is the time for the Democratic Republic of Congo to do the right thing. Take your citizens back or lose the privilege of entering our country.&quot;&nbsp;These visa measures came as part of a package of reforms Mahmood announced in November seeking to tighten up Britain&#39;s asylum rules.&nbsp;Immigration has become a bitterly divisive issue in Britain in recent years, fuelling support for the hard-right Reform UK party, which is currently well in front in opinion polls ahead of next May&#39;s local elections.

United Kingdom

Britain has imposed visa restrictions on DR Congo nationals over poor cooperation on returning illegal migrants, while Angola and Namibia avoided sanctions. The UK warned DR Congo to comply or face further measures amid tightened asylum rules.

UK restricts DR Congo visas over migrant returns

LONDON: Glamorgan announced the death of Hugh Morris, the former chief executive of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), at the age of 62 on Sunday.&nbsp;Morris won three Test caps for England in 1991 as an opening batsman and also led Glamorgan to the Sunday League title two years later as captain.&nbsp;After his playing career came to an end, Morris went on to hold a series of senior positions at the ECB.&nbsp;Following a stint as deputy and acting chief executive, he served as England&#39;s first managing director from 2007 to 2013, during which time the men&#39;s team reached number one in the Test rankings, won three Ashes series and the 2010 T20 World Cup.&nbsp;Morris returned to south Wales in 2013 and enjoyed nine years as Glamorgan chief executive.&nbsp;He was diagnosed with bowel cancer in January 2022 and left his role at the Welsh county in September 2023 to spend time with his family as he underwent treatment.&nbsp;&quot;Everyone here at Glamorgan County Cricket Club and further afield are devastated on hearing the awful news about Hugh,&quot; said Dan Cherry, who succeeded Morris as Glamorgan chief.&nbsp;&quot;As a player and administrator, Hugh led from the front. He leaves us with an outstanding legacy.&quot;

Hugh Morris, former England batsman and ECB chief, has died at 62. He led England to top Test rankings and later served nine years as Glamorgan CEO, leaving a strong legacy in cricket.

Former England cricket boss Morris dies aged 62

KHAN YUNIS: It only took a matter of minutes after the heavy overnight rain first began to fall for Jamil al-Sharafi&#39;s tent in southern Gaza to flood, drenching his food and leaving his blankets sopping wet.&nbsp;The winter rains have made an already precarious life worse for people like Sharafi, who is among the hundreds of thousands in the Palestinian territory displaced by the war, many of whom now survive on aid provided by humanitarian organisations.&nbsp;&quot;My children are shivering from cold and fear... The tent was completely flooded within minutes,&quot; Sharafi, 47, said on Sunday.&nbsp;&quot;We lost our blankets, and all the food is soaked,&quot; added the father of six, who lives in a makeshift shelter with his children in the coastal area of Al-Mawasi.&nbsp;A fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has been in place since October 10, following two years of devastating fighting.&nbsp;But despite the truce, Gazans still face a severe humanitarian crisis, and most of those displaced by the war have been left with little or nothing.&nbsp;Families are crowded into camps of tents hastily erected from tarpaulins, which are often surrounded by mud and standing water when it rains.&nbsp;&quot;As an elderly woman, I cannot live in tents. Living in tents means we die from the cold in the rain and from the heat in the summer,&quot; said Umm Rami Bulbul.&nbsp;&quot;We don&#39;t want reconstruction right now, just provide us and our children with mobile homes.&quot;&nbsp;Nighttime temperatures in Gaza have ranged between eight and 12 degrees Celsius in recent days.&nbsp;Insufficient aidNearly 80 percent of buildings in the Gaza Strip have been destroyed or damaged by the war, according to United Nations data.&nbsp;And about 1.5 million of Gaza&#39;s 2.2 million residents have lost their homes, said Amjad Al-Shawa, director of the Palestinian NGO Network in Gaza.&nbsp;Of more than 300,000 tents requested to shelter displaced people, &quot;we have received only 60,000&quot;, Shawa told AFP, pointing to Israeli restrictions on the delivery of humanitarian aid into the territory.&nbsp;The UN refugee agency for Palestinians, UNRWA, said the harsh weather had compounded the misery of Gazans.&nbsp;&quot;People in Gaza are surviving in flimsy, waterlogged tents &amp; among ruins,&quot; UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini wrote on X.&nbsp;&quot;There is nothing inevitable about this. Aid supplies are not being allowed in at the scale required.&quot;&nbsp;COGAT, the Israeli defence ministry body responsible for Palestinian civilian affairs, said in mid-December that &quot;close to 310,000 tents and tarpaulins entered the Gaza Strip recently&quot; as part of an increase in aid under the ceasefire.&nbsp;Earlier this month, Gaza experienced a similar spell of heavy rain and cold.&nbsp;The weather caused at least 18 deaths due to the collapse of war-damaged buildings or exposure to cold, according to Gaza&#39;s civil defence agency, which operates under Hamas authority.&nbsp;On December 18, the UN&#39;s humanitarian office said that 17 buildings collapsed during the storm, while 42,000 tents and makeshift shelters were fully or partially damaged.&nbsp;&quot;Look at the state of my children and the tent,&quot; said Samia Abu Jabba.&nbsp;&quot;I sleep in the cold, and water floods us and my children&#39;s clothes. I have no clothes for them to wear. They are freezing,&quot; she said.&nbsp;&quot;What did the people of Gaza and their children do to deserve this?&quot;<figure class="fr-media"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic"> </figcaption></figure>

Middle East

Winter rains in Gaza flood tents of displaced families, compounding the humanitarian crisis. Limited aid, destroyed homes, and freezing temperatures leave hundreds of thousands struggling for shelter, food, and basic survival.

'Shivering from cold and fear': winter rains batter displaced Gazans

MOGADISHU, Somalia: Israel&#39;s recognition of the breakaway region of Somaliland &quot;is (a) threat to the security and stability of the world and the region,&quot; Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud told an emergency parliamentary session Sunday.&nbsp;Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu&#39;s Friday announcement, making his country the first to recognise Somaliland, &quot;is tantamount to a blunt aggression against the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and the unity of the people of the Somali Republic,&quot; Mohamud said.&nbsp;Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 and has for decades pushed for international recognition.&nbsp;A self-proclaimed republic, it enjoys a strategic position on the Gulf of Aden and has its own money, passports and army.&nbsp;But it has been diplomatically isolated since its unilateral declaration of independence.&nbsp;Somalia&#39;s government and the African Union reacted angrily Friday after Israel&#39;s announcement.&nbsp;Mogadishu denounced a &quot;deliberate attack&quot; on its sovereignty, while Egypt, Turkey, the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council and the Saudi-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation all condemned the decision.

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said Israel’s recognition of Somaliland threatens regional and global stability, calling it an act of aggression against Somalia’s sovereignty, as African Union members and key regional states condemned the move.

Israel's recognition of Somaliland 'threat' to regional stability: Somali president

PRISTINA: Kosovo citizens are voting Sunday in snap parliamentary elections, hoping to end ten months of political deadlock.&nbsp;Vetevendosje, the party of incumbent Prime Minister Albin Kurti, won the most votes in last February&#39;s parliamentary elections, but its 42 percent was not enough to secure a majority in the 120-seat parliament.&nbsp;MPs needed more than 50 sessions to agree on a speaker, but no coalition or government emerged, forcing the country to go back to the polls.&nbsp;By 11 am local time (10 GMT), 8.27 percent of citizens had voted, broadly in line with turnout in February, which ended with just 40.6 percent of voters turning out.&nbsp;Arben Xhelili, 42, an economist from Pristina, was not optimistic after casting his vote. &quot;I expect the same situation after the elections,&quot; he said.&nbsp;Brikenda Rexhepi, editor-in-chief of Koha Media Group, said that &quot;beyond political instability and public disappointment, the deadlock has had clear economic and diplomatic costs.&quot;&nbsp;She said this election offers the opportunity to form &quot;functioning institutions after a year of failed attempts&quot;.&nbsp;In front of one of the polling stations in Pristina, Arefik Mexhmejli, a 66-year-old pensioner, said whoever wins &quot;should work harder for the economy&quot;.&nbsp;Economy in focusSeen as the frontrunner, Kurti hopes, after a rapid two-week campaign, to &quot;win by a wide margin&quot; and &quot;go beyond 50 percent,&quot; he told AFP in an interview on Tuesday.&nbsp;While he campaigned in February on a promise to govern Kosovo &quot;from one end to the other&quot; including Serb-majority areas where Belgrade&rsquo;s influence often outweighs Pristina&rsquo;s Kurti has now focused on the economy, sidelining relations with Serbia which has never recognized the secession of its former province in 2008.&nbsp;&quot;Beyond the controversies, the economy is doing very well and this year again we will record GDP growth of 4 percent. Throughout my term, we have never fallen below 4 percent,&quot; Kurti told AFP.&nbsp;In recent days, he has also announced that the government would pay 100 euros ($117) to pensioners and to every family with young children by the end of the year.&nbsp;&quot;Electoral corruption,&quot; responded the two other main parties, the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK).&nbsp;They have also campaigned on the economy and the most vulnerable groups but by attacking the government record.&nbsp;&quot;Kosovo has been poorly governed. Prices have risen by 40 to 50 percent, electricity has become more expensive, while wages and pensions have remained almost unchanged. That will change with a PDK government,&quot; promised PDK leader Bedri Hamza.&nbsp;&quot;Development projects have never progressed because of poor political choices,&quot; and &quot;inflation has eaten away at incomes,&quot; echoed Lumir Abdixhiku, the LDK candidate.&nbsp;He criticised Kurti&rsquo;s hard-line policy towards the Serb minority, which has also been lambasted by allies, including the United States.&nbsp;&quot;We have lost allies, we have lost the trust of the international community, institutions have been blocked,&quot; Abdixhiku accused.&nbsp;More than two million people are eligible to vote, including tens of thousands registered abroad in Sunday&#39;s election.&nbsp;&quot;We expect better than what it is now,&quot; Suzana Simnica, 53, said after voting in Pristina.&nbsp;High expectations were also voiced by Fatmir Vehapi, 65, who came from Switzerland just to vote.&nbsp;In addition to the three main parties, voters must also choose representatives for the 20 seats reserved for minorities, 10 for the Serb minority, four for Roma, Ashkali and Balkan Egyptians, three for Bosniaks, two for Turks and one for Gorani.

Europe

Kosovo voted in snap elections after ten months of deadlock, as PM Albin Kurti seeks a majority while opposition criticizes rising prices, stalled institutions and diplomacy, and voters hope the vote produces stable, functioning government.

Kosovo votes in bid to break a year-long political deadlock

ISLAMABAD: The commissioning parade of the 124th Midshipmen and 32nd Short Service Commission Course was held at the Pakistan Naval Academy in Karachi, marking the passing out of 90 midshipmen and 34 short service commission cadets, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Friday. Commander Royal Bahrain Naval Force Rear Admiral Ahmed Mohamed Ebrahim Al Bin Ali attended the ceremony as the chief guest and was received by Admiral Naveed Ashraf, Chief of the Naval Staff, according to ISPR. The military&rsquo;s media wing said the chief guest, an alumnus of the Pakistan Naval Academy, &ldquo;expressed pride in reviewing the Commissioning Parade at his alma mater and lauded the professional competence of the Pakistan Navy as a key regional force.&rdquo; He highlighted Pakistan Navy&rsquo;s role in training officers from friendly countries, noting the service&rsquo;s &ldquo;longstanding tradition of imparting high quality training to cadets from friendly countries,&rdquo; with participants from Bahrain, Iraq, the Republic of Djibouti, Sri Lanka, and T&uuml;rkiye taking part in the parade, ISPR said. The press release added that the chief guest &ldquo;reaffirmed the enduring bonds, shared values and commitment to mutual progress between Pakistan and Bahrain.&rdquo; During the ceremony, prizes were awarded to outstanding cadets. Midshipman Muhammad Uzair Abbas won the Sword of Honour for overall best performance, while Midshipman Shahab Ahmed received the Academy&rsquo;s Dirk, ISPR stated. Officer Cadet Umar Mukhtar from Pakistan and Officer Cadet Aldhahabi Fahad Husam Fareed from Iraq were awarded the Chief of the Naval Staff Gold Medals, while Officer Cadet Syed Saad Shahid from the Short Service Commission Course won the Commandant Gold Medal, ISPR said. The Proficiency Banner was claimed by Quarterdeck Squadron. The ceremony was attended by senior military officers, dignitaries, and parents of the graduating cadets, ISPR said.

The Commissioning Parade of 124ᵗʰ Midshipmen and 32ⁿᵈ Short Service Commission Course (SSC) was held at Pakistan Naval Academy, Karachi (ISPR)

Security

The commissioning parade of the 124th Midshipmen and 32nd Short Service Commission Course was held at the Pakistan Naval Academy in Karachi.

90 midshipmen, 34 cadets graduate from Pakistan Naval Academy

DHAKA:&nbsp;Bangladesh police on Sunday said the alleged killers of popular student leader Sharif Osman Hadi had fled to India, in comments likely to further strain relations with its neighbor. Hadi, a vocal India critic who took part in last year&#39;s mass uprising, was shot by masked assailants in Dhaka earlier this month and later succumbed to his injuries at a hospital in Singapore. His death set off violent protests with angry mobs torching several buildings, including two major newspapers deemed to favor India, as well as a prominent cultural institution. With protests being held across the country almost daily, pressure has been growing on Bangladesh&#39;s interim government to arrest the killers of Hadi, who was set to contest the general elections in February next year. &lsquo;Killing was premeditated&rsquo;&quot;The killing was premeditated. Those behind it have been identified,&quot; SN Nazrul Islam, a senior Dhaka Metropolitan Police officer, said at a news conference. Suspects Faisal Karim Masud and Alamgir Sheikh left Bangladesh through the Haluaghat border with India shortly after attacking Hadi on December 12, Islam said. They were received at the border by two Indian citizens, who escorted them into the northeastern state of Meghalaya before handing them over to two accomplices. Bangladeshi investigators were in contact with their Indian counterparts, who had arrested the two suspected accomplices, Islam said. &ldquo;We are communicating with Meghalaya police, who have confirmed the arrest of two Indian nationals,&rdquo; he added. Two senior Meghalaya police officers, however, did not comment when contacted by AFP. The Indian foreign ministry had earlier said it rejects &ldquo;false narratives&rdquo; about New Delhi&#39;s involvement in Hadi&rsquo;s killing. Hasina&rsquo;s extradition &nbsp;Ties between the neighbors have deteriorated since the ousted prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, fled the pro-democracy uprising and sought refuge in India. India says it is still considering Dhaka&#39;s requests to extradite Hasina, who was sentenced to death in absentia for orchestrating a deadly crackdown on the uprising.

Bangladesh

Hadi, a vocal India critic who took part in last year's mass uprising, was shot by masked assailants in Dhaka earlier this month and later succumbed to his injuries at a hospital in Singapore.

Iran says launched three satellites into space from Russia

Latest News

Over 10,000 people displaced in 3 days in Sudan: UN

Iran says launched three satellites into space from Russia

Killing of Northeastern student exposes India’s racial fault lines

UK restricts DR Congo visas over migrant returns

Former England cricket boss Morris dies aged 62