At least five people were killed and three others injured in an armed assault at a mine in Camilo Ponce Enriquez in southern Ecuador’s Azuay province, said the police.

“This morning an attack was reported between members of organised armed groups that caused the death of five people and the injury of three others,” the police force said on social media X.

Authorities are investigating the incident in the region of the Andean province, where both legal and illegal mining activities are expanding, Xinhua news agency reported.

The region is under a “state of exception” and a curfew has been imposed to allow security forces “to neutralise organised crime” and combat violence.

According to official statistics, the area has seen an 82 per cent increase in murders so far this year. AGENCIES

The United States will continue to monitor the possibility of North Korea conducting another nuclear test, a Pentagon spokesperson said, amid concerns that Pyongyang could engage in provocative acts around the US presidential election in November.

Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh made the remarks on Friday after South Korean Defence Minister Shin Won-sik said in a recent interview with Bloomberg that South Korea is not ruling out the possibility of a North Korean nuclear test before or after the US general election, Yonhap news agency reported.

“It’s something that we’re going to continue to monitor and something that we will always work with our ROK and Japanese allies on and coordinate on,” she said, referring to South Korea by its official name, the Republic of Korea.

“But any tests like that are incredibly destabilising to the region, and we will continue to monitor,” she added.

Singh also reiterated that the US wants to see the “denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.”

In the interview with Bloomberg, Shin said that Pyongyang has completed preparations to conduct what would be its seventh nuclear test “when a decision is made” and that the North could conduct it before or after the election to “raise its leverage against the US.” agencies

South Korea’s science ministry on Monday said that it has selected four joint science research projects with global top-tier research institutes to support for up to 10 years.

According to the Ministry of Science and ICT, the projects include cooperation between Seoul’s Institute for Basic Science and Tokyo’s National Research and Development Agency on researching technologies for creating rare isotopes through RAON, a heavy-ion accelerator developed by South Korea, Yonhap news agency reported.

The ministry will also support joint research on hydrogen technologies by Seoul National University and Stanford University in the US, as well as a project on creating an advanced lab to test autonomous driving technologies by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

The Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology plans to join hands with Belgium’s Rega Institute for Medical Research to develop vaccines and treatments for viruses with the potential to cause a pandemic.AGENCIES

 A new evacuation order for parts of Gaza, including from parts of a “humanitarian zone,” reportedly is forcing families into overcrowded, sparse shelter areas, UN humanitarians said.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Monday said it received initial reports that families are starting to flee toward Deir al Balah and western Khan Younis, following Israeli military evacuation orders.

Both areas are already heavily overcrowded, with limited services and shelter spaces available, Xinhua news agency reported.

OCHA said the latest evacuation order includes areas located in the eastern part of what had been designated by the Israeli military and described as a “humanitarian zone” in Khan Younis.

OCHA said relentless hostilities and frequent evacuation orders are further devastating Gaza’s health system, making it increasingly difficult for people repeatedly displaced to access essential services. In the latest challenge for the health system, Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis has issued a new call for people to donate blood, with reports the facility received dozens of casualties on Monday.

The UN Relief Agency for Palestinians, known as UNRWA, reported that Israeli forces shot at a UN convoy heading to Gaza City on Sunday. UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said there were no casualties, but UNRWA’s teams, travelling in clearly marked UN armoured cars and wearing UN vests, had to take cover.

He said one vehicle was severely damaged while waiting near the Israeli forces’ checkpoint south of Wadi Gaza. That vehicle left the convoy. After the teams re-assembled, they were able to reach Gaza City. Lazzarini said the convoy’s movement was coordinated with the Israeli authorities. He said those responsible for the incident must be held accountable.

“It is extremely worrying,” said Stephane Dujarric, chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. “We have seen an unprecedented number of colleagues have been killed in this operation. We have seen what happened to the World Central Kitchen (WCK). We need to get to the bottom of this, and this also comes within the context of some very harsh words by a number of Israeli officials regarding UNRWA.”

Israeli officials have repeatedly accused UNRWA employees of taking part in the deadly October 7 Hamas attack on Israelis.

Seven WCK employees were killed in an April Israeli drone attack on their convoy, previously cleared by authorities.

“As always, wherever we operate, we operate under the protection of the authorities of where we work,” Dujarric told correspondents at a regular briefing. The United Nations in Gaza is not armed. We do not have armed security with us. It is incumbent on all the parties in this conflict to ensure the protection of the UN and all humanitarian workers.”

He said humanitarian operations in Gaza will continue.

“Our humanitarian partners report that people in Gaza continue to face severe water shortages,” OCHA said. “Between July 8-21, the daily average water supply was about 90,000 cubic meters, about a quarter of the amount produced before October of last year.”

Damage to infrastructure, the lack of electricity and shortages of fuel, spare parts and chlorine continue to hamper water production, purification and sewage pumping. This is despite some improvements, including the installation of a solar-powered desalination plant in Deir al Balah, with the support of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

The fund reported that, on average, one Palestinian child was killed every two days in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since October.

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said the situation has deteriorated significantly, coinciding with the escalation of hostilities inside Gaza. AGENCIES

 Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited (TPREL) on Thursday joined NHPC Renewable Energy Limited (NHPC-REL) to spearhead the installation of rooftop solar projects on government buildings across the country.

This initiative, under the ambitious PM Surya Ghar Yojna Scheme, aims for 100 per cent solarisation of government-owned buildings by December 2025.

“By leveraging our combined strengths, we are confident in achieving our goal of 100 per cent solarisation by 2025, setting a benchmark for renewable energy projects in the country,” said Deepesh Nanda, CEO and MD of TPREL, a subsidiary of the Tata Power Company Limited.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has appointed NHPC Limited as a scheme implementing partner (SIP) to drive the rooftop solar projects, which will be carried out by its wholly-owned subsidiary, NHPC-REL.

By combining forces, TPREL and NHPC-REL are poised to make significant strides toward India’s renewable energy objectives, setting new standards for future endeavours in the industry.

“This initiative will not only help us meet our solarisation targets but also contribute significantly to reducing the carbon footprint of government buildings,” said RP Goyal, CMD, NHPC.

The strategic alliance will help implement rooftop solar projects across Central ministries, states and Union Territories. AGENCIES

 Samsung Electronics said on Friday it has participated in a Series D investment round for the US biotech company Element Biosciences as a strategic investor, expecting to create synergy in the potential medical and digital health care sectors.

Samsung Electronics joins other investors, including Fidelity and Foresite Capital, in the US company’s $277 million Series D round, reports Yonhap news agency.

The South Korean tech giant said the investment will help it explore new business opportunities in a wide range of fields, from medical devices to digital health, by combining Element Bioscience’s DNA analysis technology with its AI capabilities, medical devices and digital health technologies.

“Their products set a new industry standard and are foundational to the next wave of biological innovation,” said Vice Chairman Han Jong-hee of Samsung. “We are incredibly excited about Element’s vision to make precision medicine affordable and are impressed with the team they built together.”

Founded in 2017, Element Bioscience is known for disruptive DNA sequencing and multi-omics technologies for the research market. It posted $25 million in sales last year.

DNA sequencing is a technology that determines the exact sequence of nucleotides, or bases, in a DNA molecule. The sequence of the bases, often called the blueprint of life, encodes the biological information that cells use to develop and operate.

In the future, DNA sequencing data will be combined with clinical data from hospitals and everyday life data, such as sleep and exercise, to enable personalised health care. AGENCIES

A man has been arrested on Thursday after a woman was found dead at his house in Sydney’s inner-west. New South Wales Police Force said in a statement that just after 11:00 a.m. local time, emergency services were called to a home on Clements Street in Russell Lea, following reports of a domestic incident.

With nearly 5,000 residents, the suburb is located 6 km west of Sydney’s central business district, Xinhua news agency reported.

Upon arrival, officers found the body of a woman in her 50s, whose identity has not been formally confirmed.

A 42-year-old man, known to the woman, was arrested at the scene before being taken to Burwood police station.

Detective Superintendent Christine McDonald told local media that the female victim sustained “significant and multiple” stab injuries to her upper body.

Police are currently investigating the stabbing as a domestic violence incident, as the pair lived together, while it is not believed that they were in an intimate relationship, McDonald noted at a press conference.

AGENCIES

India has dismissed Pakistan’s attempt to inject Kashmir into a discussion of the workings of the Security Council as an undignified misuse of the General Assembly forum.

Pratik Mathur, a minister at India’s UN mission, reacting to Pakistan bringing up Kashmir, said that it “misused this forum to spread baseless and deceitful narratives, which is not a surprise.”

“I will not dignify these remarks with any response just to save valuable time of this august body,” he added witheringly.

Mathur, who did not name Pakistan and referred to it as “one delegation” was reacting to Pakistan’s Permanent Representative Munir Akram’s suggestion to set up a Security Council body to monitor the implementation of its resolutions on Kashmir.

But the target of his condescending dismissal was clear.

Regardless of the topic under discussion or its relevance, Pakistan consistently brings up Kashmir.

While India does directly take on Pakistan by naming it by exercising its formal right of reply on major issues, New Delhi does not name it on other occasions like on Tuesday to deprive Islamabad of an opportunity to prolong the issue, which is ignored by almost all the other 192 members of the UN, but at the same time making a clear rebuttal.

Since it was not named, Pakistan did not get a right to reply when it could amplify its statement.

Because Kashmir does not get traction at the UN, Akram repeatedly tries to link it to Palestine – as he did on Tuesday – but with no effect.

For example, in last year’s high-level session of the General Assembly, only one country besides Pakistan even mentioned Kashmir – which means 191 nations ignored it.

Even that was an anodyne remark made in the passing by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who only said that resolving the dispute through dialogue by India and Pakistan “will pave the way for regional peace, stability and prosperity in South Asia.”

Pakistan’s former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has himself pathetically admitted Islamabad’s failure to get support for its cause.

“We face a particularly uphill task to try and get Kashmir onto the centre of the agenda at the United Nations,” he said at a news conference here last year.

India “strongly object vociferously object and they perpetuate a post facto narrative” to shut out Kashmir, he lamented.

India maintains that Kashmir and all disputes between the neighbours are bilateral matters under the 1972 Simla Agreement signed by Bilawal’s grandfather Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, who was then Pakistan’s President, and India’s Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Moreover, when harping on the implementation of the Security Council resolution on plebiscite Kashmir, Islamabad ignores a key element that required it to first withdraw from all areas of Kashmir it occupied.

Security Council Resolution 47 adopted on April 21, 1948, requires the Pakistani government first to secure the withdrawal from the State of Jammu and Kashmir of tribesmen and Pakistani nationals not normally resident therein who have entered the State for the purpose of fighting and to prevent any intrusion into the State of such elements and any furnishing of material aid to those fighting in the State.

The “tribesmen” referred to in the resolution are Pakistani soldiers sent in disguised as tribesmen.

That resolution also requires Islamabad to not fund or arm terrorists who continue attacks in Kashmir, which element Pakistan ignores. AGENCIES

India’s non-banking financial sector has grown to become the third largest in the world, next only to the United States and the United Kingdom, according to an SBI (NS:SBI) report that highlights the growing strength of the country’s financial sector.Non-banking financial institutions do not possess a full banking licence and thus, cannot accept public deposits. These entities focus on giving loans to consumers and businesses which play a key role in driving up economic growth.

Over the past decade, the Indian banking system has demonstrated remarkable resilience, overcoming numerous challenges posed by both domestic and international economic environments, the report states.

It said that the improvement in asset quality and the strong macroeconomic fundamentals have played a crucial role in improving the Indian banking sector.

It highlighted that the Indian government and regulatory bodies have focused on creating a level playing field for financial institutions. This has involved initiatives such as the creation of strong banks through mergers and capital infusion, improving governance practices, expanding the reach and quality of financial services, and enhancing the adoption of digital banking.

During the pandemic, the government maintained the financial sector’s stability through substantial capital and liquidity buffers. This resilience is credited to the proactive measures taken by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

The report also points out that the RBI’s efforts in strengthening the financial system included enforcing the regulatory measures that ensured the sector remained well-cushioned against economic shocks. These measures have not only helped in maintaining stability but also in fostering growth and innovation within the sector.

Recently India’s digital banking landscape has also seen significant advancements. The push towards digital banking has been a major contributor to the sector’s growth. This transition to digital platforms has expanded access to financial services, making them more inclusive and efficient.

The report also highlights that the government and regulatory bodies have prioritised customer protection, ensuring that the interests of the public are safeguarded amidst the digital transformation. AGENCIES

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday expressed his gratitude to several world leaders for their best wishes as he formed the BJP-led NDA government for the third consecutive time.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau extended his congratulations via a post on X, to which PM Modi responded, “Thank you @CanadianPM for the congratulatory message. India looks forward to working with Canada based on mutual understanding and respect for each other’s concerns.”

Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo also congratulated Modi, writing: “Warmest congratulations to Prime Minister of India @narendramodi for your third consecutive term as Prime Minister and the formation of a new Government. Looking forward to continuing to expand our relations and work together for the common good and the well-being of our peoples.”

PM Modi thanked the Finnish PM and said that the nation looks forward to deepening bilateral relations.

PM Modi also appreciated the greetings from Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob and assured a continued close partnership between the two nations in his third term.

Ugandan President Yoweri K Museveni also congratulated PM Modi, emphasising the shared aspirations between Africa and India.

“The people of Africa share common aspirations and goals with Indians. When India won her independence in 1947, Africans were inspired to fight and overthrow the yoke of colonialism. Today, all of Africa enjoys political freedom,” said Museveni, adding that Uganda views India as a “strategic ally” and looks forward to strengthening bilateral relations.

PM Modi thanked Museveni, highlighting the strong partnership and the significance of the African Union becoming a permanent member of the G20 during India’s presidency.

Hamid Karzai, the former President of The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan also congratulated PM Modi for retaining the post for the third time.

Extending his best wishes, he expressed confidence in PM Modi’s leadership and India’s progress.

The Prime Minister thanked Hamid Karzai for his warm wishes.

Meanwhile, Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, also congratulated PM Modi on X.

“Congratulations to @narendramodi on winning a third term as Prime Minister. You have strengthened India’s position as a source of innovation for global progress in sectors like health, agriculture, women-led development, and digital transformation. Look forward to a continued partnership to enhance the lives of people across India and the world,” Gates wrote.

PM Modi thanked Gates, recalling their recent conversation and expressing optimism about their partnership driving innovation in governance, healthcare, climate change, and sustainable development.

AGENCIES