Israel/Gaza
Israeli military says it has recovered the bodies of two hostages held in Gaza, Palestine.
The couple, identified as Haggais, were killed on October 7,2023 by the Mujahideen Brigade allied to Hamas. Their bodies were taken to Gaza by the group but Israel said it recovered them in an overnight operation led by the Shin Bet, its local security service organization.
They were aged 70 and 72 years of age and lived in the Israeli community of Kibut before they were murdered.
Vatican, Italy
The Bishop of Rome and Catholic Pontiff, Pope Leo XIV is due to meet today with the strategic Abuse Commission of the Church.
The commission is in charge of hearing and determining cases of abuse , particularly of minors, by the clergy.
The close door meeting, coming quite early in the papacy of Leo XIV, speaks to the huge public interest in the emerging wide spread allegations of the sexual abuse of minors by the clergy of the 1.4billion strong Catholic Church, and the determination of its current leadership to tackle it.
The Catholic Church has come under strident criticisms for what critics say is its poor handling of the incidence of abuse.
Washington (America)
American President Trump signs Executive Order banning migration from a total of 19 countries, citing security concerns.
The ban is comprehensive for 12 nations and partial for 7 others.
The countries include Afghanistan,Iran, Eritrea, Sudan, Togo, Haiti, Yemen, Somalia, Libya, Cuba and Burundi.
Trump said the ban was triggered by the recent surge of Anti- Semitism in America where two Israeli Embassy staff were killed and a Jewish community in Colorado violently attacked with Molotov Cocktail (petrol bomb)by an Egyptian illegal immigrant.
Curiously, Egypt was not on the travel ban list.
The attackers in both incidents had yelled “Free Palestine” during their assault.
New York (America)
America has vetoed a United Nations UN Resolution calling for an unconditional end to Israel’s war on Gaza, for the full restoration of humanitarian aid into the embattled enclave, and the release of hostages.
The other members, 14 in all, voted in favour but America vetoed it.
America, France, Russia, China and Britain, are the only veto- wielding members of the Council, and the position of any of them determines the outcome of any subject before it.
The American delegation to the Council, the Executive arm of the UN, said the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation GHF, in spite of its woeful performance so far, was the only viable mechanism to effectively sideline Hamas,which Israel accuses of theft of the aid, from the distribution process.
The GHF is the creation of both Israel and America, and it is run by an American mercenary military group, with Israeli troops providing security.
But its operations have drawn strong criticisms from across the globe following the killing of more than 100 Palestinians trying to access food at the aid distribution centres.
Gaza (Palestine)
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, GHF, today postponed the resumption of aid distribution in the embattled Palestinian enclave of Gaza.
The group, run by an America contractor, but with Israeli military support, had halted its operations on Wednesday and said it would resume today after the review of its modus.
But today, it went back on its promise, without offering an explanation.
The operations of the groups had been widely condemned after more than 100 starving Palestinians were killed in one week at its distribution centres by Israeli troops.
The GHF was created by Israel and America in an attempt to sidestep the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, UNRWA, which had been in charge of United Nations (UN) humanitarian activities in Palestine since the 1950s, before its recent ban by Israel.
The GHF has four aid distribution centres,three of which it had operated haphazardly over the past week.
On its part, UNRWA has 400 such centres.
America
The President of America,Donald Trump has signed an order stopping Harvard University from enrolling foreign students.
The move comes as he signed an order barring citizens of 19 countries from travelling to America.
The ban is two- fold, comprehensive and partial.
It becomes effectIve on Monday.
A total of 12 countries are on full ban, while seven others are on partial prohibition.
The affected countries are of different backdrops.
Trump said the decision was to enhance the security of America.
Gaza.
Israeli attacks this morning has killed 23 Palestinians , including four journalists.
They were killed when the Al-Ahli Hospital, in which they had been sheltering, was struck in the morning raid.
It was the 8th time that Israel has struck the same hospital since it began its 23 – month long war on the enclave following the October 7,2023 attack by Hamas.
Critics have consistently accused Israel of targeting educational, religious and medical facilities in its war on the narrow strip.
Brussels (Belgium)
Defence officials from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO, are meeting in Brussels, Belgium.
The meeting is dwelling on the enhanced security of member states, and it comes ahead of next month’s meeting of leaders if member countries in The Hague.
Today’s meeting comes as American, arrowhead of the group, Seeks to reduce the tempo of its funding of the organization.
Addressing the meeting today, American Secretary of State , Pete Hegseth, called on members to upscale their defence funding to 5 per cent of their annual budgets.
Mecca
About 2 million pilgrims today began the Arafat , the must significant even my of the annual pilgrimage, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
The pilgrims are drawn from around 200 countries.
This year ‘ s pilgrimage comes against the backdrop of extreme heat, with temperatures at the cusp of the 50 Degree Celsius threshold.
