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Time of India
32 minutes ago
- Time of India
Syria-Israel Security Deal Hits A Roadblock? Al-Sharaa Rejects Israeli Air Access Demand
Peace talks between Israel and Syria have hit a major roadblock over a key demand from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel insists on retaining the right to carry out military strikes in Syria even after a peace deal, a condition President Ahmed al-Sharaa has flatly rejected. Al-Sharaa, who rose to power after overthrowing Bashar al-Assad, has been labeled a terrorist by Israeli leaders, but remains open to future normalization, possibly through the Abraham Accords. Despite some progress, both sides remain far apart, with Israel occupying a 1974 buffer zone and Syria unwilling to concede sovereignty. Officials say any potential agreement would likely begin as a cold peace focused on security cooperation, with no immediate public warmth or cultural exchange expected.#Israel #Syria #middleeast #PeaceTalks #AbrahamAccords #Geopolitics #Diplomacy #ConflictResolution #RegionalTensions #MiddleEastPeace #AhmedAlSharaa #netanyahu
Indian Express
35 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Hamas says ‘ready' for a ceasefire but it must put an end to war in Gaza
Hamas on Wednesday signalled openness to a ceasefire agreement with Israel but stopped short of accepting a US-backed proposal unveiled by President Donald Trump just hours earlier. The group reiterated its long-standing demand that any deal must bring a complete end to the war in Gaza. Trump said Tuesday that Israel had agreed to a 60-day ceasefire and urged Hamas to accept the terms before the situation worsens. The US president has stepped up pressure on both Israel and Hamas to secure a ceasefire, facilitate hostage releases, and move toward ending the war. 'The 60-day period would be used to work toward ending the war,' Trump said, though Israel has maintained that the conflict won't end until Hamas is defeated. Trump suggested a deal might materialise as early as next week. Hamas official Taher al-Nunu said the group is 'ready and serious regarding reaching an agreement' and is open to 'any initiative that clearly leads to the complete end to the war,' a report by AP reported. A Hamas delegation is expected in Cairo on Wednesday for talks with Egyptian and Qatari mediators, according to an Egyptian official who spoke anonymously, the report added. A major stumbling block throughout the 21-month war has been the opposing views on how the conflict should end. Hamas says it is willing to release the remaining 50 hostages, fewer than half of whom are believed to be alive, in exchange for a complete Israeli withdrawal and a formal end to hostilities. Israel, however, insists that the war will only end with Hamas' surrender, disarmament, and exile, terms Hamas continues to reject. It remains unclear how many hostages would be freed under this proposal, though earlier plans suggested the release of around 10 individuals. Israel has not yet publicly responded to Trump's announcement. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to visit the White House on Monday for talks, following a recent meeting between senior adviser Ron Dermer and top US officials. On Tuesday, Trump posted on social media that Israel had 'agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize the 60 Day CEASEFIRE,' adding: 'I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better — IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE.' Even before the last ceasefire expired in March, the US president had issued multiple ultimatums, urging Hamas to accept extended pauses in the conflict in exchange for aid and hostage releases. More than 56,000 people have died in the Palestinian territory, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which reports that over half of the dead are women and children. The ministry does not distinguish between combatants and civilians. The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking approximately 250 hostages. Since then, much of Gaza has been reduced to rubble. Over 90% of the territory's 2.3 million people have been displaced, many multiple times, and the region is facing an escalating humanitarian crisis.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Himachal Pradesh minister booked for ‘assaulting' NHAI officials: Who is Anirudh Singh?
Not a stranger to controversies, three-time Congress MLA and Himachal Pradesh Minister Anirudh Singh yet again finds himself at the centre of a row after being booked for allegedly assaulting two National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) officials over the collapse of a multi-storey house following heavy rains. On Wednesday, Singh denied the allegations and maintained that NHAI officials had lodged a complaint against him only to cover up their negligence. 'At least 700 complaints are pending against NHAI employees and officials for damaging private properties under the garb of widening roads across the state,' he said. A scion of the erstwhile princely state of Koti, till recently, Singh was considered one of the contenders for the post of state Congress chief. However, insiders said he was unlikely to helm the state unit as the party is keen to elevate a Dalit leader. The 48-year-old Singh, whom Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu wanted in his Cabinet and was given the key Rural Development and Panchayati Raj portfolio, completed his schooling in the prestigious St Edward's School in Shimla. A graduate from Himachal University, he began his political career with the Youth Congress in 1998. In 2011, he was elected Zila Parishad member from Chamyana, incidentally the place where he allegedly assaulted the NHAI officials. Chamyana falls under the Kasumpti Assembly seat that Singh has retained since winning it for the first time in 2012. Ahead of his induction into the Cabinet in 2022, Singh was appointed All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary and was made the party's co-incharge for Assam in 2021. A political firebrand, Singh is known for making statements that appear to go against the party line. After the Sanjauli mosque row erupted last September, he vocally advocated for the rights of Himachalis on the floor of the House, 'People from one community have been living in large numbers for a long time in areas such as Nahan, Chamba, Paonta Sahib, and Kasumpti. No such incidents happened in the past. We need to find the reason why they are occurring now. New people are entering the state. Koi Jamaat wale aa rahe hain, jinka koi ata-pata nahi hai. Kya ye Rohingya musalman hai (People from a certain Muslim sect are arriving here about whom we have no information. Are these Rohingya Muslims)? I request that the respected CM verify them. I know of at least two people who are from Bangladesh. Their verification should also be done.' A Congress worker from Kasumpti said Singh could go to any extent for his constituents. 'His stand in support of Himachalis and doubts over the presence of outsiders and Bangladeshis in Shimla drew applause even from BJP MLAs,' he said, adding that the minister's remarks had struck a chord with many people across the state. Ahead of the Ram Temple consecration in Ayodhya in January 2024, Singh's nuanced political positioning was on display. Days before state PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh went against the party line and publicly expressed interest in attending the ceremony, the minister spelt out his plans to hold a religious event in Shimla and support people from his constituency who planned to visit the temple. Even as he stressed that his participation would be finalised after consultations with party workers, Singh targeted the BJP for 'politicising a religious occasion'. According to his election affidavit, Singh has assets worth more than Rs 16 crore and four pending cases against him.
