SOUTH ASIA

Dhaka, June 28 (IANS) The Chittagong Central Jail of Bangladesh is reportedly housing inmates more than three times its capacity, forcing them to live in overcrowded conditions.

In an effort to address the situation, an initiative was undertaken by the local authorities to construct a new prison. However, no land has been allocated despite repeated appeals by the Prisons Department, local media reported on Saturday.

Citing prison sources, leading Bangladeshi daily Prothom Alo reported that the jail, which can accommodate 1853 prisoners, detains an average of 6000 prisoners daily.

“Currently, there are more than three times as many prisoners in the Chittagong Prison. Despite repeated requests, we are not getting land for a new prison. If there is a new prison, it can be developed as a correctional facility, where there will be arrangements for training prisoners as workers in the fishing and garment industries,” the newspaper quoted Mohammad Motahar Hossain, Director General of the Prisons Department, as saying.

Earlier, the Chittagong district administration stated that lands in Jangal Salimpur remain under illegal occupation, and have yet to be recovered before it can be handed to the prison authorities.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader and the current Mayor of Chittagong City Corporation, Shahadat Hossain, who is imprisoned in the jail in connection with a political case, described the conditions as “inhumane”.

“There is excessive pressure on prisoners. I have seen that instead of 30-40, as many as 100 people are kept in a limited area. This is inhumane. The prisoners suffer in various ways due to a lack of adequate space and washrooms. It is necessary to build a new prison in Chittagong to ensure minimum basic rights and healthcare,” the BNP leader told the Bangladeshi daily.

In October 2024, a data released by the Department of Prisons revealed that Bangladesh’s 68 prisons had a capacity of 42,887 but were housing 53,831 inmates.

Jyotirmoy Barua, a human rights activist and senior lawyer at the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, stated that overcrowded prisons constitute a serious violation of human rights.

“A person is presumed innocent until proven guilty by law, and it is the state’s responsibility to uphold their rights. The government should consider temporary measures to ensure constitutional equality for the accused, except for those who have been convicted,” he added.

–IANS

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Quetta, June 28 (IANS) Nadia Baloch, sister of Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) Central Organiser Mahrang Baloch, on Saturday appealed to lawyers, human rights organisations, the Baloch public, and all political leaders to raise their voice for the immediate release of the BYC leader and other activists who have been “illegally detained” by the Pakistani authorities.

“My sister, Dr. Mahrang Baloch, and her companions were illegally detained on March 22 under the black law of 3MPO or the Maintenance of Public Order. Since then, we’ve knocked on every legal door, exhausted every lawful means to secure their release,” Nadia said in a video message released by the BYC.

“According to the law, their detention period ended on June 22. Bibarg Baloch was due to end on June 25. Under 3MPO, a Review Board including the Chief Justice and senior judges must convene, review their case, and personally hear them. But no such board was ever formed,” she stated.

On repeated queries regarding the legal grounds on which they were still imprisoned she said, “the only response we received was baseless excuses that the ‘situation outside isn’t suitable’, so they are being held for 15 more days”.

Nadia challenged that no individual has the authority to extend their detention and only a formal Review Board can decide, adding that no official notification was provided.

“We went to the jail and waited the entire day. When we insisted, they finally brought a document but strictly forbade us from copying or photographing it. We were shown nothing official. No Review Board ever met. This is a completely illegal act,” she mentioned

Raising concern she said that under such lawlessness, even breathing has become unsafe, and “these black laws are suffocating us all”.

Earlier in the day, in a letter to the Civil Society Friends and Media, Nadia expressed deep concern about her sister, stating that Mahrang is under immense psychological pressure in prison.

She highlighted that the health of the BYC leader has deteriorated dramatically, and she has been sick for the past three days without access to proper medical care.

“Last night, she became severely unwell and experienced repeated vomiting. A doctor was finally called this morning, but the delay in medical attention is unacceptable. I fear that she is being deliberately kept in conditions that are worsening her health, and I am deeply concerned that her food may be contaminated. This morning, I visited the jail to meet her. My sister, Iqra, wasn’t allowed to meet her. I met her only for a couple of minutes. She looked extremely weak, sick, and fragile,” Nadia stated.

Besides that, Nadia mentioned that Mahrang has repeatedly complained about surveillance cameras, the lack of proper beds, food, and the violation of her rights as a political prisoner.

“Despite these hardships, she remains strong in her spirit. But she is sick and we fear for her life. Internet services were shut down in Quetta today so that we can’t amplify her voice. I urge you all to continue raising your voices for her and all detained Baloch prisoners,” Nadia concluded.

–IANS

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New Delhi: Ukraine’s efforts to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and the European Union (EU) suffered a jolt this week as the NATO Summit at The Hague wrapped up without any mention of the same in the official declaration.

The member countries of NATO, however, agreed to invest five per cent of their GDP, which includes 3.5 per cent GDP into core defence requirements, and 1.5 per cent on defence and security related to investments in infrastructure and industry by the year 2035.

The Summit gave the green signal for more defence equipment manufacturing by the European defence contractors, with the NATO leaders agreeing to ramp up and increase their defence budgets.

US President Donald Trump, while describing this as “a monumental win”, made it clear that NATO members should not rely on the US for any military support.

Driven by Trump, the defence budget of the NATO members is expected to pressurise Russian President Vladimir Putin to stay away from Kyiv.

Europe is trying to inflict maximum damage to Russia, not to contain, but to defeat it. Germany is providing assistance to Ukraine via money, weapons as well as setting up facilities for weapon production. The EU has adopted 17 sanction packages, the most recent being on May 14.

For the first time, Trump’s views were supported and accepted by the NATO member countries, all wanting to keep Europe “safe” from Putin. This summit brought into light a lot of fissures and factions between the US and Europe on Russia’s military might and intentions.

However, a rather laidback response was noted between Trump and the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Analysts reckon that Russia could mount a large-scale military attack on Ukraine in the coming months. While Russia is building up its forces with the aid of North Korea, Ukraine on the other hand is relying on the EU and NATO for more high tech defence equipment, including drones. Zelensky discussed the US Patriot Air Defence Systems (ADS) and joint weapons production with Trump. It has been reported that Trump might consider selling to Kyiv the US Patriot ADS and missiles, to bolster Ukraine’s ADS along with their European partners.

Ukraine would make a payment of USD $ 30-50 billion directly to the US, or via the fund under the US-Ukraine mineral deal, for the ADS. Ukraine has also upgraded its naval drone, Katran, with strike capabilities reaching targets up to a 100 kms away.

The fight against Russian reconnaissance and drones remains a top priority for Ukraine. Ukraine’s drones and missile strikes destroyed up to one-third of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet from 2022 to 2024.The Ukrainian drones are a force multiplier. After manufacturing more than a million drones last year, there have been plans made to cross the number and bring it to over two million this year.

Zelensky called the recent drone attack on the Tupolev nuclear-capable bomber fleet by Ukraine, which targetted five Russian air bases located 3000 km north-South and 5000 km West-East, on June 1, with 117 drones in a single operation called ‘Spider’s Web’, the longest range operation.

The drones were targetted towards Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan and Amur regions. The Russian ADS failed in the Murmansk and Irkutsk regions, with the destruction of at least 41 Russian heavy bombers.

Russia attacked Ukraine with Iranian-designed drones, most of which are now made in the Yelabuga drone factory in Tatarstan, Russia. It is believed that Iran transferred software and expertise to Russia.

Putin mentioned about his aim to annex Ukraine at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

“I have said many times that the Russian and Ukrainian people are one nation, in fact. In this sense, all of Ukraine is ours,” said Putin on June 20.

The Europeans fear that Trump’s plan to put an end to the Russia-Ukraine war might never happen with the increasing intensity of the Russian attacks.

It is believed by the Ukrainians that Trump might not be too consistent or strong when it comes to Putin. Based on figures from Statista, the EU and its institutions provided € 52.1 billion euros in regard to the Russian invasion on Ukraine, from January 24 to 28, 2025.

The US provided 114 billion Euros, the highest value of allocations till now.

The US and the other member countries of NATO agreed to accelerate Ukraine’s membership in NATO in July 2024. However, the same commitment was found to be missing from the NATO Summit at The Hague this year. Zelensky, not pursuing the Minsk-I and II Agreements in September 2014 and February 2015, made his commitment to end the war look ‘remote’.

As agreed in a meeting in Istanbul on June 2, the exchange of prisoners of war still continues.

Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, hopes to find a settlement by bringing Putin and Zelensky together, along with Trump, in Turkey.

Although Russia laid out two options for complete ceasefire, it had not provided the memorandum for peace settlement to Ukraine before the meeting, which prolonged the negotiation process further. Russia also rejected Ukraine’s proposal for a 90-day ceasefire.

With the troubled bilateral ties between the US and the EU member states, the trans-Atlantic unity has been possible because of Ukraine.

Ukraine’s entry into NATO and the EU has stalled, with Trump replacing Joe Biden as the US President. Putin’s key condition is that NATO should be placed back from Russia’s borders to the position that existed in the 1990s.

Russia will not support or allow the eastward expansion of NATO at any cost.

The Trump administration has worked well to accommodate Russia in Ukraine and Putin’s Russia is happy with Trump returning to the White House.

(The writer is an expert on South Asia and Eurasia. He was formerly with Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses. Views expressed are personal)

–IANS

Sanaa/Jerusalem, June 28 (IANS) Yemen’s Houthi group announced Saturday that it had launched a ballistic missile targetting a “sensitive” site in southern Israel, activating air defence sirens in Israel for the first time since a ceasefire for the Israel-Iran conflict went into effect on Tuesday.

The strike, using a Zulfiqar ballistic missile, had “successfully hit its target,” Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a televised statement aired by the group’s al-Masirah TV channel.

Saree added that earlier in the week, Houthi forces carried out “several military operations” targetting “sensitive” sites and military facilities in three Israeli cities: Beer Sheva, Jaffa (Tel Aviv), and Haifa, using a number of ballistic missiles and drones. All of the operations, he said, were “successfully executed.”

He said the operations were “a form of support for the oppressed Palestinian people,” vowing that the group would continue its “supportive military operations until the aggression on Gaza ceases and the blockade is lifted.”

Meanwhile, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said in a statement that a missile fired from Yemen towards Israel on Saturday morning was “most likely successfully intercepted.”

Israel’s national emergency service, Magen David Adom, said that there were no immediate reports of hits or casualties, Xinhua news agency reported.

Following the launch, air defence sirens sounded across large areas of southern Israel, including the cities of Beer Sheva and Dimona as well as the Dead Sea region, sending hundreds of thousands of residents to shelters.

On Thursday, Yemen’s Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said that his forces have launched 309 ballistic, hypersonic missiles, and drones at Israel since mid-March, as part of what the group calls the second phase of its military campaign.

In a televised speech marking the Islamic New Year, broadcast by the Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV, al-Houthi said 25 missiles and drones were launched this month alone in what he described as “qualitative military operations in support of Gaza.”

He reaffirmed that the Red Sea remains closed to Israeli-linked maritime traffic and accused Israel of continuing its offensive in Gaza with US backing.

Yemen’s internationally recognised government, meanwhile, accused Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of directly controlling the missile systems used by Houthi forces.

Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani said Tehran was using Yemen as “an advanced missile platform” to threaten regional and international security while avoiding direct confrontation.

The Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen, began targetting Israel in November 2023, weeks after the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza, in what they say is an act of solidarity with the Palestinian people.

–IANS

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Tehran, June 28 (IANS) Iran on Saturday held a state funeral for the military commanders and nuclear scientists killed during a 12-day conflict with Israel.

The ceremony was attended by the families of those killed in the attacks as well as high-ranking Iranian officials and military commanders, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and senior advisor to Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Shamkhani, who was severely injured in the Israeli airstrikes on Tehran.

On June 13, Israel launched major airstrikes on different areas in Iran, including nuclear and military sites, killing several senior commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians. Iran responded by launching several waves of missile and drone attacks on Israel.

Following the 12-day war, a ceasefire between Iran and Israel was achieved on Tuesday.

The mourners waved Iran’s flags while chanting slogans against Israel and the United States, Xinhua news agency reported. They carried pictures of the “martyred” commanders and nuclear scientists, including Chief Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Hossein Salami, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Mohammad Bagheri, Chief Commander of the IRGC’s Aerospace Division Amir Ali Hajizadeh and Chief Commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters and his successor, Gholam Ali Rashid and Ali Shadmani, respectively.

Iran’s Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni said at the ceremony that the United States and Israel proved that they failed to honour any of their commitments.

He emphasised that the Iranian armed forces were highly vigilant to give a decisive response to any “malicious action” or breach of promises by the “enemy”.

The burial ceremonies are scheduled to be held on Sunday.

Bagheri will be buried alongside his wife and daughter, local media reported.

The “historic” funeral ceremony in Tehran to honour 60 individuals, including senior military commanders and prominent Nuclear scientists, began at 8 A.M. local time at Enghelab (Revolution) Square in central Tehran.

Following the official tributes, a large-scale funeral procession proceeded to Azadi Square, approximately 11 kilometres away, where further rites took place.

The Iranian state media described the occasion as one of the most consequential public funerals in recent memory.

–IANS

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Dhaka, June 28 (IANS) The Awami League on Saturday strongly condemned the ongoing “inhuman persecution” of Hindu community and devastation of their places of worship under the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government in Bangladesh.

“Attacks on homes of religious minorities, looting, arson, and indiscriminate killings continue unabated — acts that amount to genocide. While these atrocities were previously carried out under the protection of this illegitimate, fascist Yunus regime, it is now the regime itself that is launching attacks on the Hindu community,” read a statement issued by the Awami League party.

Earlier this week, the Durga temple in Dhaka’s Khilkhet area was bulldozed by local authorities as atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh continue to rise at an alarming level following the fall of Sheikh Hasina government in August 2024.

“We have witnessed, for the first time, police and government officials physically participating in the demolition of temples and smashing of idols — claiming these were ‘illegal structures’ on railway land. Yet, the Hindu community has been performing religious rituals on this land for generations. Hundreds of other illegal structures remain on the same land — so why destroy only the Hindu temple? It is clear that this unlawful, fascist regime is deliberately empowering militant, ultra-communal ideologies, and turning Hindus and other minorities into stateless people within their own country,” the statement added.

The Awami League revealed a disturbing trend where members of the Hindu community are being falsely framed to justify their persecution.

“Under fabricated charges of ‘blasphemy’, communal attacks are being launched. Recently in Lalmonirhat, a 69-year-old man, Paresh Chandra Shil, was physically assaulted under such a pretext. When his son stepped forward to save him, he too was not spared,” the party mentioned.

The party stressed that if anyone defames a religion, they should be held accountable under the law of the land — not by unlawful mob violence. Such impunity it stated becomes possible only when the government actively protects “extremist militant groups”.

The party also asserted that it is observing with deep alarm as the “fascist Yunus clique”, representative of “ultra-communal militant forces” have unlawfully seized state power and are carrying out systematic repression not only against the Awami League and other progressive, pro-Liberation War political forces but also against Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, and other religious minorities under direct state sponsorship.

“The Bangladesh Awami League strongly condemns and categorically protests this unconstitutional and undemocratic regime’s despicable actions. The wave of persecution against Hindus and other religious minorities over the past 10 months reflects a state character that stands in direct contradiction to the ideals, values, and founding principles of Bangladesh,” the party mentioned.

“We defeated the Pakistani occupation forces through a united struggle of people from all ethnicities, religions, and communities. Every citizen in this country is entitled to equal rights. No one has the right — on the basis of race, religion, or ethnicity — to diminish the rights of another. Violating this principle erodes the foundations of justice and equality,” it added.

The Awami League mentioned that day after day, Bangladesh is witnessing the destruction of Hindu homes, land grabs, murders and attempted murders, abductions, abuse of women, and threats that force minorities to leave the country.

Former PM Hasina’s party unequivocally condemned and protested these “disgraceful and dangerous actions” by the “illegal regime” under Yunus.

The Awami League also reaffirmed its commitment to the ongoing political struggle to establish a system where equal opportunity is guaranteed to all, adding that their only goal is to build a future Bangladesh based on equality and the spirit of the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971.

India on Thursday had also strongly condemned the demolition of the Durga Mandir (temple) in Dhaka, criticising the role of Muhammad Yunus-led interim government in allowing the destruction and projecting it as a case of illegal land use.

“We understand that extremists were clamouring for demolishing the Durga temple in Khilkhet, Dhaka. The interim government, instead of providing security to the temple, projected the episode as a case of illegal land use and allowed the destruction of the temple today,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a weekly media briefing in New Delhi.

“This has resulted in damage to the deity before it was shifted. We are dismayed that such incidents continue to recur in Bangladesh. Let me underline that it is the responsibility of the interim government of Bangladesh to protect Hindus, their properties, and their religious institutions,” he stated.

Earlier this week, the Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM) had highlighted another such incident, terming the vandalization of a Mahastri Manasa and Durga Temple in Dinajpur district by miscreants as a horrifying act of terrorising the Hindu minority community in the country.

“The assailants vandalised the temple, smashed idols, and severed the head of the Goddess Manasa’s idol — an act of deep sacrilege designed to humiliate the minority community and instill fear. As the attackers fled, they threatened local Hindus with further violence, vowing to kill community members at the next opportunity,” read a statement issued by the HRCBM.

“The institutionalised fear prevalent among Bangladesh’s Hindu community — fueled by years of targetted violence, social marginalization, and systemic failures was painfully evident in this case,” it added.

–IANS

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Islamabad, June 28 (IANS) As many as 13 Pakistani soldiers were killed and 29 others injured, including 19 civilians, in a suicide attack early Saturday morning in Khadi area of North Waziristan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Citing security agencies, Pakistani media outlet Mashriq TV stated that a suicide bomber crashed an explosive-laden vehicle into a mine-resistant Improvised Explosive Device (IED) vehicle belonging to the Bomb Disposal Unit amid a curfew imposed due to military movement in the area. The powerful blast resulted in the killing of 13 military personnel and injuring 24 people, including 14 civilians.

There were reports of indiscriminate firing also which caused injuries to 19 civilians, including women and children, in the area.

Reports suggest that the rescue operations were launched immediately following the blast. According to local authorities, the condition of several injured, including women and children, remains critical and the number of casualties might rise significantly.

The Usud al-Harab organisation, a sub-faction of the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group affiliated with Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) Pakistan, has reportedly taken responsibility for the suicide attack.

The incident is termed as the deadliest attack in North Waziristan in recent months, raising serious concerns over the deteriorating security conditions in the area.

The Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Army, has not yet commented on the attack.

According to reports, the security forces have cordoned off the area and launched a search operation in the region.

Last month, a car bomb explosion in Gulistan Area of Qila Abdullah, a border area of Pakistan’s Balochistan province with Afghanistan, killed at least four people and injured more than 20 others, eight of them critically injured.

The explosion occurred in Jabbar commercial market situated on the Quetta–Chaman National Highway in Gulistan town, adjacent to the fort of Pakistan’s Frontier Corps (FC).

As per details, the massive explosion destroyed many shops and vehicles parked in the area and walls of the FC Fort were also damaged. Locals said that many shops in the market also caught fire.

Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan had claimed responsibility for the attack with Pakistani analysts suggesting a clear coordination between the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and the TTP, who have intensified their attacks in the recent past.

At the same time, the BLA has also intensified its attacks on security forces in the province.

–IANS

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Islamabad, June 28 (IANS) At least 11 people lost their lives and six others were injured after torrential rains triggered sudden flash floods in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The flooding caused a sharp rise in the Swat River, leading to widespread damage. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) confirmed the casualties, as local media reported extensive rescue and relief operations underway in the affected areas.

According to the PDMA, those who lost their lives during the flood included four men, three women, and four children. It also reported that flash floods damaged as many as 56 houses, with 6 homes destroyed and 50 partially affected.

The Swat region has reportedly suffered significant loss of life and property, with confirmed 11 fatalities

The disaster management authority termed the flood level “very high,” as officials reported that dozens remained trapped while authorities went into action to deal with the aftermath of two days of continuous downpours. PDMA also issued alerts to authorities in Peshawar, Charsadda, and Nowshera to prepare for possible floodwaters risk from the Swat region, Pakistani leading daily The Express Tribune reported.

The Deputy Commissioner of Swat, Shahzad Mehboob, stated that flash floods in the Swat River have left 73 people trapped across multiple locations.

He also confirmed that 17 of the two tourist families died after 18 of them were carried away by flash floods on Friday in the Swat River.

The incident occurred in the Fizagat area, where the members of two families were having breakfast near the riverbank when a sudden rise in the water level swept away many of them, local media reported.

According to the rescue officials, three individuals have been pulled to safety during the rescue operation

“We received information about the drowning of these people around 8 am. There were guests on the bypass who were sitting on the bank of the river. These people were not aware of the water relay,” a rescue official said.

A horrific video capturing the tragic incident went viral on social media, which showed women and children stranded in the river as onlookers appeared visibly shocked.

–IANS

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Nice (France), June 11 (IANS) Some of the world’s marine fisheries are recovering under strong, science-based management, but many others remain under pressure, said a report released on Wednesday at the UN Ocean Conference by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).

It shows just how far effective governance can go and how urgently those gains need to be replicated.

The review of the state of world marine fishery resources — 2025 reports on the biological sustainability of 2,570 individual fish stocks, a major increase from previous editions of the report.

Informed by over 650 experts from more than 200 institutions and over 90 countries, this participatory and inclusive report analyses trends across all FAO marine fishing areas and offers the clearest picture to date of how global marine fisheries are faring.

The report confirms that 64.5 per cent of all fishery stocks are exploited within biologically sustainable levels, with 35.5 per cent of stocks classified as overfished.

When weighted by their production levels, 77.2 per cent of the fisheries landings globally come from biologically sustainable stocks.

In marine fishing areas under effective fisheries management, sustainability rates far exceed the global average.

In the Northeast Pacific, for example, 92.7 per cent of stocks are sustainably fished.

“Effective management remains the most powerful tool for conserving fisheries resources. This review provides an unprecedentedly comprehensive understanding, enabling more informed decision-making based on data,” said QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General.

“This report gives governments the evidence they need to shape policy and coordinate coherently.”

Nearly two-thirds of marine stocks are fished within biologically sustainable levels globally and in recent years overfishing has been rising by about one per cent per year on average.

In addition, the gap between well-managed and underperforming areas remains stark.

In the Northeast Pacific (Area 67) and Southwest Pacific (Area 81), long-term investment and robust management frameworks are paying off.

Sustainability rates of all individual stocks reach 92.7 per cent and 85 per cent respectively, and these stocks are responsible for an estimated 99 per cent and 95.7 per cent of the 2021 landings in these regions.

In the Antarctic (Areas 48, 58, and 88), 100 per cent of the stocks assessed are fished sustainably.

This is the first time this region has been included in this report, and while small in volume these fisheries demonstrate what is possible with ecosystem-based management and international cooperation.

“Positive outcomes like the Antarctic, Northeast Pacific, and Southwest Pacific reflect the benefit for sustainable fishery management of having strong institutions, consistent and comprehensive monitoring, the integration of scientific evidence into management decisions and the implementation of precautionary and ecosystem-based approaches,” said David Agnew, Executive Secretary of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, who contributed to the review.

The Mediterranean and the Black Sea (Area 37) show early signs of recovery.

Although only 35.1 per cent of stocks are sustainably fished, fishing pressure has dropped 30 per cent, and biomass has risen 15 per cent since 2013.

This shows that regional cooperation and national efforts are starting to make a difference.

(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in)

–IANS

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Tel Aviv, June 12 (IANS) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the bodies of two hostages had been recovered from Gaza in a joint operation carried out by the Israeli military and the domestic intelligence agency, Shin Bet.

In a statement on Thursday, Netanyahu confirmed that one of the recovered hostages was Yair Yaakov, while the identity of the second individual has not yet been made public.

“In an operational activity by the IDF and Shin Bet in the Gaza Strip, the bodies of two of our abductees were returned to Israel – the late Yair Yaakov, and another abductee whose name has not yet been released (his family has been informed of this),” he said in a post on X.

The Israeli military said Yaakov, 59, was abducted and killed by the Palestinian group Islamic Jihad during the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel.

“Together with all citizens of Israel, my wife and I extend our heartfelt condolences to the families who lost their dearest loved ones. I thank the fighters and commanders for another successful execution of the sacred mission to recover our hostages. We will not rest or be silent until we bring all our captives home — both the living and the dead,” Netanyahu added.

Yaakov’s partner, Meirav Tal, and two of his children, Or and Yagil, were also taken hostage during the attack but were later released.

The operation to recover the bodies was conducted in the Khan Younis area in southern Gaza.

The military said the family of the second recovered hostage has been informed, though further details have not yet been disclosed.

There are still 53 hostages believed to be in Gaza, with fewer than half presumed to be alive.

The latest recovery brings the total number of hostage bodies retrieved by Israeli forces this month to five.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a surprise assault into southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and abducting 251 others.

In response, Israel launched a retaliatory military campaign against Hamas in Gaza.

–IANS

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