Photo by Al Jazeera

Palestinians returning home: Nothing to seen but destruction

(By web desk): After more than 47000 Palestinians have been killed of which nearly 70 percent are children and women in the Israel Gaza war, the dislodged and refugee Gazans have started returning homes. Gaza’s Government Media Office was reported saying more than 300,000 people have crossed from southern Gaza into the north after 15 months long war of Israel against them ended this month. Palestinians are finding “nothing but destruction” on returning home to the north of the territory, reported Al Jazeera.

The UN special rapporteurs and independent experts say Israel’s repression of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank is escalating with “no end in sight.” Israel’s war on Gaza left at least 111,494 Palestinians wounded since October 7, 2023.

Meanwhile the reports said that US President Donald Trump says Israel’s Prime Minister would meet him soon to discuss two-state solution. He hoped Egypt and Jordan will comply with his request to take Palestinians. He said he’d like to have Palestinians “living in an area where they can live without disruption and revolution and violence.” “You know, when you look at the Gaza Strip, it’s been hell for so many years,” he said adding “There have been various civilizations on that strip. It didn’t start here. It started thousands of years before, and there’s always been violence associated with it,” he said. Mr. Trump said he would be discussing that with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu when he visits Washington “in the not-so-distant future.”

The UN special rapporteur on the human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territory has called out Western politicians for their silence as Israel’s military kills children in the occupied West Bank. “As Israel continues to kill Palestinian children from the River to the Sea, is any Western politician there to be heard or seen?” Francesca Albanese asked. She made her comment while reposting an Israeli news article about the killing of a two-year-old Palestinian toddler who was shot in the head when Israeli soldiers opened fire on a house when the family was having its dinner in the West Bank.

Russ-Ukraine war glimpses

·     Began in February 2022 the Russia’s war against Ukraine
has so far exceeded 1066 days. This war actually began in February 2014 when
Russia captured the Ukrainian autonomous republic of Crimea

·  Defense Ministry of Russia on Sunday reportedly claimed
its troops had made their way into the strategically important eastern
Ukrainian town of Velyka Novosilka. Ukraine says Russia launched 61 drones and
two missiles against it in an overnight attack. It shot down both missiles and
46 drones.

·        
Moscow claims interception of 121 Ukrainian
drones

·        
Ukraine claims Russian forces are failing to go
around in Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region – The area serves as a crucial
logistics hub for Ukrainian forces

·        
Reportedly an analysis by the Oryx Project
suggests Russia has lost 20,000 units of military equipment since February 2022
while 852 damaged. The BBC and independent outlet Mediazona have identified the
names of 90,019 Russian soldiers who died in Ukraine

·        
In February 2024 Ukraine confirmed loss of its 31,000
soldiers. In November 2024, the Economist estimated Ukrainian losses at between
60,000 and 100,000 killed and 400,000 wounded

·        
Russian President Vladimir Putin suggests a meeting
in person with US President Donald Trump to discuss an end to the Ukraine war. Putin
was reported saying he always had a “pragmatic and trusting” relationship with
Trump and supported his view that he was the real winner of the 2020 US
election

·        
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accuses Putin
of seeking to manipulate Trump to secure an end to the war on Moscow’s conditions

·        
The US freezes all foreign aid for 90 days in a
sweeping executive order that also put a halt to development and military
assistance to Ukraine, including billions of dollars in weapons. Sales of US
military equipment to foreign governments in 2024 surged 29 percent to a record
$318.7bn, the State Department said, as countries sought to replenish stocks
sent to Ukraine and prepare for other conflicts

·        
Trump tells Putin to end war or face more sanctions.
He warned imposition of high tariffs if Putin fails to end the war. Writing on
his social media platform Truth Social, he said that by pushing to settle the
war he was doing Russia and its president a “very big favor.” Trump had
previously said he would negotiate a settlement to Russia’s full-scale invasion
launched in February 2022, in a single day

On Tuesday, Mr. Trump
said he would soon speak to Putin. “I’m going to do Russia, whose Economy is
failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR,” he wrote. “Settle
now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE. If we don’t
make a ‘deal’, and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of
Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the US, and
various other participating countries.” Continuing, he wrote: “Let’s
get this war, which never would have started if I were President, over with! We
can do it the easy way, or the hard way – and the easy way is always better.
It’s time to ‘MAKE A DEAL’.”

·        
President Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov says Russia
sees nothing new in US threats of sanctions. Mr. Putin repeatedly said he is
prepared to negotiate an end to the war, which first began in 2014, but that
Ukraine would have to accept the reality of Russian territorial gains, which
are currently about 20% of its land. He also refuses to accept Ukraine joining
NATO

·        
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban threatened
to block the renewal of EU sanctions on Russia

·        
Kyiv does not want to give up its territory,
although Mr. Volodymyr Zelensky has conceded he may have to cede some currently
occupied land temporarily. He told the World Economic Forum on Tuesday that at
least 200,000 peacekeepers would be needed under any agreement. He told Bloomberg
that any peacekeeping force for his country would have to include US troops to
pose a realistic deterrent to Russia. “It can’t be without the United
States… Even if some European friends think it can be, no, it will not
be,” he said, adding that no-one else would risk such a move without the
US.

Donald Trump to hold White House today

The elect US President Donald Trump is taking White House today after surviving two impeachment trials, a felony conviction, two assassination attempts and an prosecution for attempting to downturn his 2020 election damages. Trump is taking the president’s office as the 47th president of the US with commitments to push the limits of executive power, deport immigrants, payback against his political enemies and transform the role of America. His incoming vice president JD Vance will also be sworn in today.

The new president is scheduled to deliver an inaugural address, unfolding his plans for the next four years. He has promised a flood of executive actions about immigration, energy and tariffs. He sought to claim credit for restoring TikTok to American users. The 78-year-old Republican announced he would act with “historic speed” from day one of his White House comeback.

Trump had also promised retaliation against his foes with majorities in both Congress chambers. Vowing to take America back Mr. Trump was reported saying “today at noon the curtain closes on four long years of American decline and we begin a brand new day of American strength and prosperity, dignity and pride.” “We’re going to stop the invasion of our borders,” Trump promised. “We’re going to unlock the liquid gold that’s right under our feet … We’re going to bring back law and order to our cities … We’re going to get radical woke ideology the hell out of our military.” He promised he would strength his country and thwart every crisis.

Trump added: “The border security measures I will outline in my inaugural address will be the most aggressive, sweeping effort to restore our borders that the world has ever seen.” He also hinted to immediately undo the prosecutions of his supporters who stormed the Capitol on 6 January 2021 in an effort to keep him in office. “Tomorrow everybody in this very large arena will be very happy with my decision on the J6 hostages,” he said. His inauguration will be the first attended by foreign leaders’ Chinese vice-president Han Zheng, Argentina’s President Javier Milei and Italy’s Premier Giorgia Meloni.

Trump’s opponent Kamala Harris will also attend as JD Vance takes her place as the vice-president. Harris was the Democratic presidential nominee after Biden was withdraw from the race in July. She frames Trump as an ultimate threat to democracy and exploiter his power to settle political scores while ignoring Americans.

Trump’s team plans to kick off a major raid in Chicago starting on Tuesday with up to 200 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) officers descending on the city, targeting undocumented people with criminal records as minor as traffic violations, the Wall Street Journal reported. After Trump takes office, Biden will departing the White House.

Israel Gaza War: Israel and Hamas ceasefire agreed

(By web desk): Israel and Hamas have agreed a ceasefire starting on Sunday,  Qatar’s Prime Minister said. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said the deal will lead to the release of Israeli captives and access of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Benjamin Netanyahu’s office was reported saying several clauses in Gaza deal remained “unresolved” but hope will be tonight.”

Meanwhile, Israeli forces have beefed up bombing across the Strip and have killed at least 62 people including children within 24 hours. Israel has killed
at least 46,707 Palestinians and wounded 110,265 since October 7, 2023. out of the total deaths at 70 percent are women and children. Mediators are reported to have said that the deal will go into effect on Sunday and starts with a 42-day period that would see the release of 33 Israeli captives and a number of Palestinian prisoners. 

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus welcomed ceasefire saying peace is the ‘best medicine.’ 

Trump hopeful of hostage and ceasefire deal by week’s end

Progress is being made in Gaza ceasefire talks

Israelis demonstrate for and against a Gaza ceasefire deal

(By web desk): The elect US President Donald Trump believes a hostage and ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas could potentially be completed by the end of the week. “And I understand it’s, it’s been – there’s been a handshake and they’re getting it finished,” Trump said in a Newsmax interview on Monday. “But it has to take place.” Last week he warned “all hell” would be unleashed on Hamas if a deal is not reached before his inauguration on Jan. 20. 

Trump again warning to Hamas said “If they don’t get it done, there’s going to be a lot of trouble out there, a lot of trouble like they have never seen before.” It is important to note that Mr. Trump’s incoming Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff is already in the region and has met with Israeli and Qatari officials.

The U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken said it was important to include Trump’s Middle East envoy, in the latest round of talks because if a ceasefire can be reached, it will be up to the Trump team in part to ensure it survives beyond Inauguration Day. “Everyone wants to know – and it’s very useful as well to have Steve a part of this – they want to make sure that the deal that the president’s put on the table and that we’ve negotiated, the Trump administration will continue to back,” Blinken said.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan was reported saying progress has been made in the Israel-Hamas hostage and ceasefire talks and “there is a definite possibility that we can get this deal done just before President Biden leaves office.” “We’ve been close before and haven’t gotten across the finish line,” said Sullivan.

Meanwhile, around 1,000 Israelis blocked the main highway entering Jerusalem and demonstrated against a ceasefire deal, marching with a sign that read “You have no mandate to surrender to Hamas.”

ICJ’s chief named Lebanon’s new prime minister

(By web desk): The former President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Nawaf Salam has been nominated as Lebanon’s new Prime Minister. He received the backing of a parliamentary majority during consultations led by newly-installed President Joseph Aoun yesterday.
Salam’s nomination follows the election of Aoun as the country’s president last
week that ended a two-year power vacuum. Lebanon had been without a president since October 2022, and during the prolonged political stalemate, a caretaker government was headed by Najib Mikati.

Salam gained recognition as a technocratic candidate during Lebanon’s October 2019 uprising and re-emerged after the Beirut port explosion in August 2020. Renowned for his reformist and independent stance, Salam is a vocal critic of Hezbollah’s influence in Lebanese politics. He advocates for limiting the possession and use of arms to the Lebanese military and official security forces entrusted with safeguarding the nation’s sovereignty. 

During the presidential crisis, Salam was a contender for caretaker Prime Minister but was vetoed by Hezbollah and its political allies in favour of Mikati. However, this time Salam secured the support of 84 MPs out of 128, far surpassing Mikati’s nine votes. Under Lebanon’s power-sharing system, the President must be a Maronite Christian, the Prime Minister a Sunni Muslim, and the Speaker of Parliament a Shia Muslim. 

As part of his long career in the In 2018, Salam was appointed as Lebanon’s judge at the ICJ, later becoming the court’s President in 2024. His tenure at the ICJ drew widespread attention, particularly due to his outspoken criticism of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories. Shortly after assuming his ICJ presidency, Israel launched a devastating war on Gaza, resulting in the deaths of over 46,500 Palestinians, most of whom are civilians. 

President – General Joseph Aoun – has asked prominent jurist and diplomat Nawaf Salam to form the country’s new government. Salam’s nomination was made by Western-backed groups as well as independents in the Lebanese parliament. Salam has the support of Saudi Arabia and Western countries as well. Many see his nomination as a glimpse of hope after the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war that left 4,000 people dead and more than 16,000 wounded and caused destruction totaling hundreds of millions of dollars.

Salam’s nomination and Aoun’s selection as president last week are likely to attract handsome funds from Western and Arab nations to help in the reconstruction process. Meanwhile, the state news agency of the UAE reported a high-level delegation from the oil-rich nation is in Beirut to undertake all necessary arrangements to reopen the UAE Embassy in Lebanon. The UAE withdrew its diplomats from Lebanon in October 2021 in protest to comments by a Lebanese Cabinet minister about the war in Yemen.

Palestinians honored Jimmy Carter

(By web desk): A number of Palestinians in memory of late U.S President Jimmy Carter have planted a grove of 250 young olive trees in the occupied West Bank. The planted those describing Carter as a staunch advocate for the Palestinian cause. Abbas Melhem, executive manager of the Palestinian Farmers Union, was reported saying the former president’s legacy is “rooted” among Palestinians and across the world he was one of the few world leaders who “stood firmly supporting the struggle of the Palestinians for independence and for freedom.”

Melhem said the 2.5 acre grove in the city of Tulkarem, titled “Freedom Farm,” would be fenced in to protect it from animals and extremist Jewish settlers, who have attacked Palestinian olive trees in the past. The former U.S President – Carter – died last month at the age of 100. He brokered the Camp David peace accords between Israel and Egypt in 1978 and he was highly critical of Israel’s rule over the Palestinians saying the situation in the West Bank amounted to apartheid.

Israel commits genocide in Gaza, Amnesty International

(By web desk): The Amnesty International concludes Israel has carried out acts prohibited under the Genocide Convention, intending to destroy Palestinians in Gaza. These acts include killings, causing serious bodily or mental harm and acts to bring about physical destruction of the people of Gaza. The organization’s research reveals Israel has committed and is continuing to commit genocide against Palestinians in the Strip. 

Amnesty International yesterday published a report “You Feel Like You Are Subhuman’: Israel’s Genocide Against Palestinians in Gaza. It documents how Israel’s military aggression in response to Hamas-led attacks on 7 October 2023, unleashed hell and destruction on Palestinians and is continuing it with total impunity. 

“Month after month, Israel has treated Palestinians in Gaza as a subhuman group undeserving of human rights and dignity, indicating its intent to physically destroy them,” said Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of the organization adding, “Our findings must serve as a wake-up call to the international community: this is genocide. It must stop now. States that continue to transfer arms to Israel at this time must know they are violating their obligation to prevent genocide and are at risk of becoming complicit in genocide.”

“All states with influence over Israel, particularly key arms suppliers like the USA and Germany, but also other EU member states, the UK and others, must act now to bring Israel’s brutalities against Palestinians in Gaza to an immediate end. Our research reveals that Israel has persisted in committing genocidal acts, fully aware of the irreparable harm it was inflicting on Palestinians in Gaza. 

It continued to do so in defiance of countless warnings about the catastrophic humanitarian situation and of legally binding decisions from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordering it to take immediate measures to enable the provision of humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza,” he said.  

The organization interviewed people, including Palestinian victims and witnesses, local authorities in Gaza, healthcare workers, conducted fieldwork and analyzed an extensive range of visual and digital evidence, including satellite imagery to reach to the conclusion that Israel has and is committing genocide. 

The report said Israel imposed conditions of life in Gaza that created a deadly mixture of malnutrition, hunger and diseases, and exposed Palestinians to a slow, calculated death. It has caused unprecedented destruction, which experts say occurred at a level and speed not seen in any other conflict in the 21st century.

After 7 October, Israel imposed a total siege on Gaza cutting off electricity, water and fuel. In the nine months reviewed for this report, Israel maintained a suffocating, unlawful blockade, tightly controlled access to energy sources, failed to facilitate meaningful humanitarian access within Gaza, and obstructed the import and delivery of life-saving goods and humanitarian aid, particularly to areas north of Wadi Gaza.

The Secretary General said, “The International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity issued last month offer real hope of long-overdue justice for victims. 

States must demonstrate their respect for the court’s decision and for universal international law principles by arresting and handing over those wanted by the ICC.“ “We are calling on the Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC to urgently consider adding genocide to the list of crimes it is investigating and for all states to use every legal avenue to bring perpetrators to justice. No one should be allowed to commit genocide and remain unpunished.”

However, it is important to note that the U.S. and Arab mediators are said to have made some progress in their efforts to reach a ceasefire accord between Israel and Hamas, but is it really something that America and Israel desire for? The answer to this question, flipping through the history tells it is perhaps not desired. If it is done than there remains no justification for creating troubles in Iraq, Libya, Syria, Egypt and etc.

If it happens than what will happen to the designs for the expansion of the Jewish state and containing of China, Pakistan and Iran. The elect US President – Donald Trump – a days ago has hinted at military moves in Middle East stating “all hell will break out in this region if Israeli captives in Gaza aren’t released.” The Israeli Prime Minister – Benjamin Netanyahu – right after that unveiled a map of “greater Israel”, which controversially includes not only the occupied Palestinian
territories but also part of Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and other Arab nations.

So far more than 46,000 people have been killed in the Gaza war, according to Palestinian health officials. Much of the enclave has been turned into rubble which according to the United Nations may take years to get clean. Nearly 2.1 million people of this territory have been displaced multiple times and face acute shortages of food and medicine, humanitarian agencies have said. Out of the total casualties in Gaza since the said month 70 percent are women and children. 

Hospitals, schools, infrastructure, business, homes, shelters and everything erased. World’s concerns from the platform of UN, rulings of the International Courts, protests of peace loving nations, and all was put into dustbin. Who did this is not something unknown. The US Secretary of State – Antony Blinken – earlier has said a ceasefire deal that would see the release of Israeli captives in Gaza is “very close.”

Trump nominates relatives and debatable to hold key offices

(By web desk): The elect US president Donald Trump has nominated more than two dozen of his near ones to hold key positions despite some of whom are controversial. Trump is scheduled to hold his office on January 20, 2025. He was elected after he defeated Kamala Harris of Democrats in November’s election.

Earlier he was president between 2017 and 2021. His vice president is JD Vance who previously was his strong criticizer. Among the nominees is Fox News presenter and military veteran Pete Hesgeth as Defense secretary.

Hesgeth is being questioned about his qualifications and is being alleged for a sexual assault that he denies. The newly pick health secretary is Robert F Kennedy Jr. who has repeatedly stated widely exposed claims about vaccine harm. Trump designated his longtime ally Pam Bondi as attorney general. His first choice, Matt Gaetz, former Congressman withdrew after facing allegations related to drugs, bribes and sex. 

Billionaire Elon Musk will head the newly-announced Department of Government Efficiency (Doge). The elect president has chosen his daughter Tiffany’s father-in-law – Massad Boulos – as an adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs; his second daughter (Ivanka)’s father-in-law – Charles Kushner – as ambassador to France.  

Important to note is that Mr. Trump’s return to the presidency is said to reshape US foreign policy, and promise potentially radical shifts on multiple fronts. During his campaign, Trump made broad policy pledges, often lacking specific details. His opponents accuse him of cozying up to Russian President – Vladimir Putin – and say his approach amounts to surrender for Ukraine. His “America First” approach also extends to the future of the NATO, they think.

Equally important to note is that Trump enacted strongly pro-Israel policies, named Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Trump the “best friend that Israel has ever had in the White House.” What Trump’s administration will do to support India against China and Israel to control Iran and expand its hand in the Arab world are the top issues being discussed these days after Trump came into power. It is worth mentioning here that America’s approach to China is its most strategically important area of foreign policy – and one which has the biggest implications for global security and trade.

Trump has praised Chinese President Xi Jinxing as both “brilliant” and “dangerous” and a highly effective leader who controls 1.4 billion people with an “iron fist.” 

World University Ranking: The apathy of Pakistani and Indian universities

Oxford continues to be the world’s topper since nine consecutive years

(By web desk): The World University Rankings 2025 reveals the apathy of Pakistani and Indian universities. The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025 says only one out of 47 universities of Pakistan in the race stands at number 401 out of 500 while the number of Indian universities at this position is three. In Pakistan 10 universities declined from their previous year’s position while seven institutions marked improvement.

According to the reported details, the said body in its ranking for the year 2025 evaluated over 2,000 educational institutions from 115 countries across the world. It marked 9.7% year-on-year increase in the number of ranked universities this year from 6% rise last year. It said Pakistan has 47 ranked universities, making it the 14th most-represented nation globally, alongside Taiwan. The country’s top-ranked institution, Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU), remains in the 401-500 band and stands at its previous year’s position.

Mahatma Gandhi University, Anna University, and Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management of India were placed in the 501-600 band in 2024 but improved this year by securing a place in the 401-500 band.

It also said only seven Pakistani universities very minutely improved their rankings, while 10 have speedily declined. The ranking tells QUA is the top-ranked educational institution of Pakistan. Eight of the ranked universities are in the 601-800 band. The University of Malakand moves up by swapping Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan from number 801 to 601 out of 1100. The Sukkur IBA University also entered the 601-800 band this year.

After Oxford stand the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University at second and third place respectively. University of Cambridge holds fourth position. The Princeton University, California Institute of Technology, and University of California, of the USA respectively stand at number 5, 6 and 7.

The Imperial College London and Yale University of the USA secured 8th and 10th positions in the first 500. According to the further details, in Asia, 853 universities from 35 countries were ranked this year that made Pakistan the 6th most-represented nation in this continent.

A total of 2,860 institutions submitted their data this year to the ranking body out of which 768 institutions achieved “reporter” status that means they submitted data but did not meet the eligibility criteria to be ranked.

The performance indicators followed by the mentioned body in this ranking were around 18 divided into five key pillars including: teaching, research, knowledge transfer, and internationalization.