AP, Gaza City
An international human rights group on Monday accused Israel of barring foreign researchers from entering the Gaza Strip to document abuses, saying the restrictions call into question Israel’s stated commitment to investigating possible rights violations.
In a 47-page report, Human Rights Watch accused Israel of “systematically” preventing its researchers from visiting Gaza since 2008, only granting them one exceptional permit last year.
China vows to ramp up battle on pollution
Reuters, Beijing
China’s smoggiest cities have pledged to ramp up the battle on pollution after air quality deteriorated in the first few months of this year, the China Daily reported on Monday, as smog blanketed the capital, Beijing, and the surrounding region. Top officials from seven districts in Beijing, Tianjin and cities in Hebei and Shanxi provinces were scolded at the weekend by the environmental watchdog for lax control of pollution this year, the paper said.
Policeman killed in Kashmir
AFP, Srinagar
A grenade explosion killed a police officer and injured 10 other security personnel in Indian-administered Kashmir on Sunday, police said, hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the tense region.
Suspected rebels lobbed a grenade at a group of police and paramilitary troops in the main city of Srinagar following protests against Modi’s visit.
US presents formula for Afghan peace
AP, Washington
The US Department of Defence announced on Saturday that at least 2,248 members of its military had died in Afghanistan since 2001 while a total of 4,520 had been killed in Iraq since 2003. The statistics would be another cause of concern for the Trump administration, which has vowed to reduce US war losses and is busy reviewing policy for the Pak-Afghan region.
