Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have geared up for any Iranian assault on Israel after the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on Wednesday morning.

Sources in Israel’s Defense Minister’s office told IANS that after the statement of Iran’s Supreme leader Ali Khamenei about a retaliatory attack on Israel, the IDF has prepared itself for any eventuality.

Iran, according to sources in Israel’s defence ministry, is likely to accelerate attack on it using its proxies Hamas and Hezbollah, and Houtis in the sea.

The killing of Ismail Haniyeh, the public face of Hamas in Tehran where he had rubbed shoulders with other state heads during the swearing-in ceremony of the new Iranian president on Tuesday, had shocked Iran.

Haniyeh, it may be recalled, had a one-to-one meeting with Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei on Tuesday, hours before he was assassinated.

Israel’s defence ministry sources told IANS that according to its intelligence reports, there could be a few strikes by Iran either directly or through its proxies, and added that Israel was prepared for it.

The Israel Security Council, in its urgent meeting on Wednesday, has ordered the strengthening of its military base in Tel Aviv and Haifa following the open threat by Khamenei. AGENCIES

 The Myanmar Rice Producers and Planters Association (MRPPA) recently announced that it will provide agricultural inputs to help monsoon paddy farmers impacted by heavy rain, the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar reported on Thursday.

Heavy rainfall has caused flooding in farm areas, Xinhua news agency reported.

Some farm areas have managed to reduce flooding, while some cannot prevent flooding and damage, the report said.

In response, MRPPA will supply inputs, including pedigree crops and fertilisers, to affected farmers, it added.

MRPPA also urged affiliated associations and members to support agricultural inputs in those farmlands affected by rain to manage crop recovery and minimise yield loss, the report said.

Myanmar Rice Federation also declared support for agricultural inputs to flood-hit farmlands on July 26 to mitigate yield loss, it added. AGENCIES

 The Russian Navy has completed extensive military exercises involving the Baltic, Northern, and Pacific Fleets, as well as the Caspian Flotilla, the Russian Ministry of Defence said in a statement on Thursday.

“Units and formations of the Russian Navy, which participated in scheduled exercises within the operational zones of the Northern, Pacific, and Baltic Fleets, as well as the area of responsibility of the Caspian Flotilla, have begun to withdraw forces. Crews of the ships, which carried out training and combat tasks as assigned, will soon return to their permanent bases,” the statement said.

Commander-in-Chief of the Navy Alexander Moiseyev said that the exercises achieved their goal of assessing the actions of naval command authorities at all levels and verifying the readiness of ship crews, naval aviation units, and coastal troops to perform their designated tasks, Xinhua news agency reported.

Moiseyev added that the Navy’s General Staff will conduct a detailed analysis of the actions of surface forces, naval aviation, and coastal units as part of the comprehensive combat training activities.

Approximately 300 surface ships, boats, submarines, and support vessels, around 50 aircraft, more than 200 pieces of military and special equipment, and over 20,000 military personnel and civilian staff from various units and formations participated in the exercises.

Over several days, ship crews, naval aviation units, and coastal troops executed more than 300 combat exercises with practical weapon use, including anti-aircraft missile firing and artillery shooting at sea and air training targets.

During the exercises, fleet and Caspian Flotilla command authorities also practised coordination with other security agencies and federal executive bodies in organizing the defence of bases, preventing illegal activities at sea, and conducting water rescue operations. AGENCIES

 South Korean Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok on Thursday vowed to beef up monitoring of the global financial market and devise contingency plans to better respond to uncertainties regarding interest rates in the US and other nations.

Choi made the remarks during a macroeconomic meeting meant to assess the Federal Reserve’s rate-setting meeting, where it kept the benchmark interest rate intact at between 5.25-5.5 per cent for an eighth straight time, Yonhap news agency reported.

But Fed Chair Jerome Powell said that “a reduction of policy rate could be on the table at the September meeting,” noting some progress on the path toward the inflation target of 2 per cent.

“Uncertainties linger over when and how much the US will cut interest rates. The government will remain vigilant and maintain close coordination among institutions concerned for proper responses,” Choi said.

The Fed’s latest freeze also kept the gap between the key rates of South Korea and the US at up to 2 percentage points.

The domestic financial market remains relatively stable, but there are chances of greater volatility over the Middle East crisis and the US elections, Choi said, pledging responses in accordance with contingency plans, if needed.

Policy focus will also be on such risk factors as household debts and real estate project financing, the minister said. AGENCIES

South Korean army operations troops on Thursday wrapped up an exercise around an island off the west coast designed to strengthen their maritime infiltration capabilities, officials said.

The exercise, which began July 22, took place around Anmyeon Island, 123 kilometers southwest of Seoul, involving some 150 personnel under the Army Special Warfare Command and about 20 pieces of equipment, such as special operations boats, Yonhap news agency reported.

During the drills, the troops trained on infiltrating coastlines aboard the inflatable boats and eliminating threats in target areas, according to the army.

The exercise also mobilized coastal defense personnel from the 32nd Infantry Division to serve as troops defending against the infiltrating special forces, it said.

The army said the exercise served to strengthen the operational capabilities of special forces and coastal defense personnel, adding that it plans to improve training methods to enhance troop readiness. AGENCIES

The Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy has described a new government report on the welfare of First Nations people as deeply troubling.

The Productivity Commission, the government’s primary review and advisory body, on Wednesday published its latest report on Closing the Gap, the national strategy to reduce the structural disadvantages faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, Xinhua news agency reported.

The report found that five of the 19 Closing the Gap targets are on track to be met and that progress on four targets has gone backwards.

According to the new data, the number of Indigenous Australians imprisoned, taking their own lives and losing their children to out-of-home care has increased from baseline levels.

In 2021, 34.3 per cent of Indigenous children commencing school were considered developmentally on track, down from 35.2 per cent in 2018.

McCarthy, the Minister for Indigenous Australians, said in a statement on Thursday that a bipartisan approach was needed to close the gap.

“These figures are deeply troubling, but I am determined to work in partnership with First Nations Australians, the Coalition of Peaks and State and Territory governments to bring about positive change,” she said.

“I will be reaching out to my colleagues across the parliament to seek a bipartisan approach to Indigenous affairs.”

The life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians has narrowed, the report said, but a target of zero gap by 2031 is not on track.

Indigenous people born in 2020-2022 had a life expectancy of 71.9 years for males and 75.6 years for females compared to 81.2 years and 85.3 years for non-Indigenous males and females respectively.

Suicide was the leading cause of death for Indigenous Australians aged 15-39 in 2022.

Targets concerning healthy birth weights of Indigenous children, the proportion of Indigenous children enrolled in preschool, Indigenous employment and the proportion of Australia’s land mass and sea area covered under Indigenous legal rights are on track to be met. AGENCIES

 The US Federal Reserve has left interest rates unchanged at a 22-year high of 5.25 per cent to 5.5 per cent, as inflation continues to cool, hinting that a rate cut might come as soon as September.

“Inflation has eased over the past year but remains somewhat elevated. In recent months, there has been some further progress toward the Committee’s 2 per cent inflation objective,” the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), the Fed’s policy-setting body, said on Wednesday in a statement after a two-day policy meeting.

Regarding the Fed’s statement, the language reflected an improvement compared to the June meeting. Previously, the policy statement mentioned only “modest further progress” in reducing price pressures, Xinhua news agency reported.

The committee reiterated that it does not expect it will be appropriate to reduce the target range until it has gained greater confidence that inflation is moving sustainably toward 2 per cent.

In addition, the committee will continue reducing its holdings of Treasury securities and agency debt and agency mortgage-backed securities, the statement said.

When asked whether a September rate cut is a reasonable expectation, US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell told reporters at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon that “we have made no decisions about future meetings. That includes the September meeting”.

The Fed chair, however, noted that “the broad sense of the committee is that the economy is moving closer to the point at which it will be appropriate to reduce our policy rate”.

Noting that the last couple of inflation readings have “added to confidence”, Powell said, “we’ve seen progress across all three categories of core PCE inflations, goods, non-house services, and housing services.”

In the second quarter, the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index increased 2.6 per cent, compared with an increase of 3.4 per cent in the first quarter, according to the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis. Excluding food and energy prices, the PCE price index increased 2.9 per cent in the second quarter, compared with an increase of 3.7 per cent in the previous quarter.

“We think the time (for a rate cut) is approaching. If we get the data that we hope we get, a reduction or policy rate could be on the table at the September meeting,” the Fed chief said. AGENCIES

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro submitted an appeal to the Electoral Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice to audit and certify the results of presidential elections amid calls for greater transparency.

Maduro asked the highest court to summon the pertinent institutions “to compare all the elements of evidence and certify, by carrying out an expert opinion of the highest technical level, the electoral results of July 28”, Xinhua news agency reported.

He went to the Supreme Court accompanied by First Lady Cilia Flores, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez, Attorney General Reinaldo Munoz and Foreign Affairs Minister Yvan Gil, among other members of his cabinet.

In remarks to the press upon leaving the court, Maduro said: “I have told the Electoral Chamber that I am willing to be summoned, interrogated … investigated by the Electoral Chamber as the winning presidential candidate of Sunday’s elections and as head of state; I am showing up, I am submitting to justice.”

The Great Patriotic Pole and the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, which backed Maduro’s reelection bid, are ready “to present 100 per cent of the electoral records that are in our hands,” he said, adding that the Electoral Chamber should expect the same from each candidate and political organisation.

On Monday, Venezuela’s National Electoral Council declared Maduro the winner of the presidential elections, paving the way for his third six-year term, from 2025 to 2031. AGENCIES

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has submitted an appeal to the Electoral Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice to audit and certify the results of Sunday’s presidential elections amid calls for greater transparency.

Maduro on Wednesday asked the highest court to summon the pertinent institutions “to compare all the elements of evidence and certify, by carrying out an expert opinion of the highest technical level, the electoral results of July 28”, Xinhua news agency reported.

He went to the Supreme Court accompanied by First Lady Cilia Flores, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez, Attorney General Reinaldo Munoz and Foreign Affairs Minister Yvan Gil, among other members of his cabinet.

In remarks to the press upon leaving the court, Maduro said: “I have told the Electoral Chamber that I am willing to be summoned, interrogated … investigated by the Electoral Chamber as the winning presidential candidate of Sunday’s elections and as head of state; I am showing up, I am submitting to justice.”

The Great Patriotic Pole and the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, which backed Maduro’s reelection bid, are ready “to present 100 per cent of the electoral records that are in our hands”, he said, adding that the Electoral Chamber should expect the same from each candidate and political organization.

On Monday, Venezuela’s National Electoral Council declared Maduro the winner of the presidential elections, paving the way for his third six-year term, from 2025 to 2031.AGENCIES

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday.

During this, PM Modi received his counterpart, and both leaders shared a warm hug as they greeted each other. After this, the Vietnamese PM inspected a Guard of Honour by the Indian defence forces.

PM Modi and Pham Minh Chinh then met the ministers and delegations of the two countries.

Later, Pham Minh paid his tribute to the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, at Rajghat.

He will engage in bilateral discussions with PM Modi, who will also host a luncheon in honour of the visiting delegation.

Chinh reached New Delhi late on Tuesday evening for a three-day state visit, aiming to further strengthen the age-old ties between the two countries.

The Vietnam PM is also scheduled to call on President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar during the visit.

On Wednesday, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishanakar called on the visiting Prime Minister and appreciated his guidance in bolstering the India-Vietnam bilateral relations.

“Honoured to call on PM Pham Minh Chinh of Vietnam during his State visit to India. Appreciate his guidance on our bilateral relationship and on regional and global issues of mutual interest,” the EAM said in a post on ‘X’.

The Vietnamese Prime Minister also addressed a business event organised in the national capital on Wednesday. He stated that India’s interest in exploring investments in Vietnam will extend cooperation into new areas such as transportation, economy, digitalisation and energy.

He also appreciated the economic and trade cooperation as a “beacon of cooperation” between the two nations and called on to raise the bilateral trade to $20 billion.

He also hailed the development of India under the leadership of PM Modi.

India-Vietnam relations have been on the upswing since the establishment of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during PM Modi’s visit to Hanoi in 2016.

PM Modi has maintained Vietnam’s importance as an important pillar of India’s ‘Act East’ policy and the Indo-Pacific vision while seeking to enhance the scope of the bilateral relationship, including defence partnership, besides working for expeditious progress on the existing initiatives. AGENCIES