Foreign
Attack on Israel: “Iran made a fatal error – Netanyahu reacts
The Israeli military has vowed to retaliate to a missile attack from Iran, which Iran said was a “rational and legitimate response” to previous Israeli fire.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to retaliate against Iran for its missile attack on Israel on Tuesday evening, which he called a “big mistake.”
He added that Iran would pay for the attack, in which the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said 180 missiles hit Israel causing air raid sirens to sound across the country.
“Whoever attacks us. We attack them,” Netanyahu said as he gathered his Security Cabinet for a late-night meeting.
He called the attack a “failure” and suggested that Iran could face the same fate as Gaza and Lebanon.
Iran issues warnings against retaliation
Iran’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations argued the strike was “legal, rational and legitimate” indicating it was in response to Israeli strikes on the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The country’s UN ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, is warning Israel that its response to any acts of aggression against Tehran “will be swift, decisive and stronger than before.”
He pointed to the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on 31 July, the detonation of pagers in Lebanon in September, and the assassinations of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Iranian General Abbas Nilforoushan in Beirut.
Iravani said the Security Council’s inaction “has allowed Israel to flagrantly breach all red lines and violate the core principles of international law.”
He reiterated Iran’s calls for the council “to urgently and decisively intervene to halt Israel’s continued aggression and war crimes against Lebanon, Gaza and Syria and to prevent the situation from escalating into a full-scale regional war.”
The UN Security Council has scheduled an emergency meeting on the escalating situation in the Middle East for Wednesday, at the request of France and Israel.
World leaders express widespread condemnation
US President Joe Biden said that the US had anticipated Iran’s “brazen” missile attack on Israel in a statement given to reporters at the White House.
Biden added that “intensive planning” had gone into anticipating and defending against the attack, adding that the US and Israel had worked together to defend Israel from the missile barrage which occurred on Tuesday evening.
He reiterated his support for Israel and said that the US was in “constant contact” with its Israeli counterparts.
Biden joins other figures around the world in condemning Iran’s actions. The EU’S foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said “an immediate ceasefire across the region is needed,” in a post on X.
The UK’s prime minister Keir Starmer also had harsh words for Iran over the incident, saying he condemned the attack during a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, echoing the German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who urged Iran against escalating the conflict further.
The IDF said the missiles led to air raid sirens sounding across Israel before concluding that very few citizens had been injured in the attack, with multiple missiles intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome defence system.
Foreign
Ukraine alleges N’Korea is sending troops to Russia
He was speaking days after visiting several European capitals to press his case for more military and financial help in the war against invading Russian forces.
“We see an increasing alliance between Russia and regimes like in North Korea,” Zelensky said in his evening address.
“It is no longer just about transferring weapons. It is actually about the transfer of people from North Korea to the occupier’s military forces.
“Obviously, in such circumstances, our relations with our partners need to be developed. The frontline needs more support,” he said.
Zelensky completed a whirlwind two-day tour of European capitals last week including Berlin, London and Paris to ask for sustained military aid as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine grinds on through its third year.
“When we talk about more long-range capability for Ukraine and more decisive supplies for our forces, it is not just a list of military equipment,” Zelensky said.
“It is about increasing the pressure on the aggressor, which will be stronger for Russia than they can withstand. And it is about preventing a bigger war.”
AFP.
Foreign
Kenyan Governor Detained Over Violent Clan Disputes
A regional governor in Kenya has been taken into custody due to his involvement in clan violence in the Tana River County, where multiple fatalities have occurred.
Dhadho Godhana, along with a local legislator, were arrested separately for failing to comply with summonses regarding the clashes, as stated by the police on Saturday. The accused individuals have not publicly addressed the allegations.
The clashes in southeast Kenya have resulted in the deaths of at least 14 people, leading the authorities to declare two areas in the county as hazardous and insecure for the next 30 days.
According to an official notice from the Interior Ministry, security measures have been intensified in these areas, and residents are prohibited from carrying weapons.
DCI chief Mohamed Amin confirmed that Godhana presented himself at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters in Nairobi on Saturday morning and is being interrogated about the clashes.
Five politicians from Tana River County have been summoned to appear before the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) on Monday for questioning regarding allegations of instigating conflict between two communities.
Tana River has previously experienced ethnic clashes over disputes about grazing rights, resulting in numerous fatalities.
Foreign
North Korea Removed as Observer from Regional Anti-Money Laundering Group
North Korea has lost its observer status in a regional group that fights money laundering. This decision was announced on Monday by the South Korean foreign ministry. The reason for this action is North Korea’s lack of involvement and its failure to fulfill its responsibilities to the group.
The decision was made unanimously at the 26th general assembly of the Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG), which convened last Tuesday in the United Arab Emirates.
The South Korean ministry released a statement explaining the outcome.
Established in 1997, the APG is an intergovernmental body dedicated to enforcing international standards against money laundering and combatting terrorism financing, including preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction.
The group currently consists of 42 member states, including key global powers such as the United States, Japan, China, and South Korea, which joined in 1998.
North Korea gained observer status in the APG in July 2014. However, it was warned by the group that its continued lack of engagement would lead to disqualification. The North failed to meet even the minimal requirements to retain its status, prompting the members to endorse the revocation.
To maintain its observer status, a country is required to permit visits from APG delegations, facilitate information exchange, and cooperate with the group in publishing regular reports on the nation’s anti-money laundering efforts. The APG found that North Korea had not participated in the group’s activities for six consecutive years, nor had it responded to any of the group’s attempts to establish contact.
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In response, North Korea issued a statement through its state-run Chosun Central News Agency on October 3rd, protesting the APG’s decision. The regime claimed the APG had become a “puppet group” serving the interests of the United States and suggested the move was a result of America’s continued “hostile policy” towards the country.
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