Acute hunger crisis in Gaza amid tight Israeli blockade of humanitarian supplies

Bantwal, June 26: In a significant development for commuters traveling along National Highway 75, both lanes of the 2.1-km-long Kalladka flyover have been opened to vehicular traffic as of Wednesday, June 25. The flyover, a crucial link in the ongoing BC Road–Addahole highway expansion, is expected to ease congestion and improve travel time between key destinations in Dakshina Kannada.

The move comes just weeks after the Bengaluru–Mangaluru side of the flyover was opened on June 2. At that time, only one lane was accessible, officially for vehicles moving from Mani to BC Road. However, due to mounting traffic demands, vehicles from both directions were using the same side, leading to bottlenecks and delays.

Now, with the central structure of the flyover nearing completion, two-way traffic is permitted. This marks a turning point in the region’s long-pending highway modernization project. However, officials have urged caution while using the flyover, as certain finishing works remain incomplete. The construction of dividers and retaining walls at the entry and exit points is still underway, and rainwater runoff issues persist in some areas due to unfinished drainage pipeline installations.

A Long Road to Progress

The BC Road–Addahole highway development project spans 64 kilometers and is being executed in two main packages:

1.    Periyashanthi to Addahole (15.13 km) – Approximately 95% complete, this stretch is moving slower due to a court stay order affecting a 400-meter segment. This portion passes through environmentally sensitive wildlife corridors and is being handled by S.M. Autade Private Limited at a cost of ₹400 crore.

2.    BC Road to Periyashanthi (48.48 km) – About 85% complete, this more extensive segment is under the supervision of KNR Constructions and was awarded at an estimated cost of ₹1,100 crore. This phase includes the Kalladka flyover, as well as elevated roads at Melkar, Panemangalore, Mani, Nekkilady, Uppinangady, and Subrahmanya Cross. The Nellyadi elevated road is still under construction.

The highway upgrade project was first launched in 2017, with Larsen & Toubro (L&T) initially tasked with execution. After L&T withdrew, the project was split into the two aforementioned segments.

Improving Travel Conditions

Authorities, including Dakshina Kannada MP Capt. Brijesh Chowta, have been actively involved in fast-tracking the opening of critical infrastructure components due to the early arrival of the monsoon and resulting travel difficulties. The newly opened flyovers and underpasses aim to provide smoother travel for those navigating the Bengaluru–Mangaluru highway corridor.

Capt. Chowta also directed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to resolve waterlogging issues at Thumbe, near BC Road. In response, the NHAI is constructing a pipe culvert to improve rainwater drainage in the area.

In addition to the Kalladka flyover, two-lane vehicular underpasses at Mani and Uppinangady have also been made operational. A one-way concrete road on Narahari Hill has further enhanced traffic flow in the region. However, sections between Perne Junction and the Uppinangady–Nellyadi stretch are still awaiting final touches, particularly the concrete work on service roads under the elevated corridors.

Looking Ahead

With about 70 spans, the Kalladka flyover is among the most technically significant components of the project. Its full opening is expected to dramatically reduce travel times and ease pressure on existing road infrastructure. Once all related works are completed, the BC Road–Addahole highway is set to become a safer, more efficient artery for both passenger and commercial traffic in coastal Karnataka.

Moscow, July 4: Russia has officially recognized the Taliban government as Afghanistan's rightful government, the first country to do so nearly four years since the extremists took power. The action is a diplomatic victory for the Taliban and underscores Russia's increasing influence in Central Asia and South Asia, the New York Times reported.

In a statement on X, Afghanistan's Foreign Ministry confirmed that Russian Ambassador Dmitry Zhirnov conveyed the Kremlin's acknowledgement during a meeting in Kabul with Taliban foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. The Russian Foreign Ministry declared the move would provide "impetus to the development of productive bilateral cooperation" in trade, energy, and infrastructure.

A diplomatic win for the Taliban

The formal acknowledgment is a major victory for the Taliban. In spite of repeated attempts at rapprochement, the movement had not managed to gain legitimacy, since Western and most Islamic countries had maintained diplomatic ties at a bare minimum.

However, with time, attitudes have changed globally. With the Taliban firmly in place and with no sign of internal collapse, different countries have begun exploring pragmatic contacts, albeit short of recognition. The Russian step is a continuation of those steps, following China's infrastructure overtures, India's resumption of visa grants, and low-key diplomatic moves by Germany and others.

"Such acknowledgment by Russia provides not only diplomatic legitimacy but also bargaining power for the Taliban to demand more action from unwilling countries," according to Tom Ramage, Brussels-based foreign policy analyst.

The designation is the culmination of heightened ties between Moscow and Kabul over the past few years. In April, Russia's supreme court removed the Taliban from its official list of terrorist organizations, a designation that had been in place more than two decades previously. That move set the stage for more collaboration on security, notably against the Islamic State affiliate ISIS-K, which has become a common threat to both regimes.

ISIS-K launched a vicious attack in March 2024 against a Moscow-region concert hall that killed over 130. The group also targeted the Russian Embassy in Kabul in the past, giving Moscow all the more impetus to assist the Taliban in counterterrorism and intelligence efforts.

Russia's Foreign Ministry emphasized that enhanced cooperation would include energy, agriculture, and transport infrastructure. Moscow is keen on better access to Afghan mineral wealth and trade routes linking Central Asia with South Asia and beyond.

A change in the international landscape

While Russia's move is singular in that it was the only complete recognition, it is one aspect of a broader rebalancing of foreign relations towards Afghanistan. China has pledged to extend its Belt and Road infrastructure projects into the country, and the United Arab Emirates and Iran remain two of Afghanistan's largest trade partners.

Germany, in turn, is considering a deal with the Taliban to deport Afghan nationals residing illegally in Germany. Though not an official recognition, it does acknowledge the de facto rule of the Taliban over the state machinery.

The United States is also firmly opposed to recognition, pointing to the continued oppression of women by the Taliban, such as banning girls from schooling beyond sixth grade and restricting the employment of women. US officials have also rejected any effort to release Afghan central bank funds unless there are concrete human rights guarantees.

A complicated history

Russia's move has a historic significance. The Soviet Union had invaded Afghanistan in 1979 and engaged in a long, harsh conflict with US-supported mujahedeen fighters for a decade, killing almost 15,000 Soviet troops. Now, Moscow is seeking influence in the area through diplomacy, not military might, trying to fill a void left by the United States after it withdrew from the country in 2021.

Foreign Minister Muttaqi welcomed the recognition as "an opportunity for other countries to follow." The Taliban hopes it will lead to greater economic investment and increased legitimacy, though obstacles remain. While Russia welcomed the Taliban, most of the world still denies it legitimacy in its form of government, and aid only comes in under tight controls.

As Moscow makes a comeback as an international player and Kabul looks for partners willing to ignore its human rights abuses, Thursday's statement marks a turning point in the geopolitics of post-US Afghanistan.

Gaza, July 4: As the humanitarian crisis deepens in the besieged Gaza Strip, Israeli airstrikes on Friday killed nearly 50 Palestinians—including civilians seeking food at aid distribution centers—according to medical sources.

In one of the most lethal events of the day, 15 individuals lost their lives and 90 others sustained injuries while waiting for humanitarian aid near the al-Tahlia roundabout in eastern Khan Younis, southern Gaza.

Eight Palestinians, including women and children, were killed when Israeli forces targeted a tent housing displaced individuals near Tiba Towers in al-Mawasi, located to the west of Khan Yunis.

The majority of the victims were individuals from the same family whose residence was directly struck near the Tiba Towers, as reported by eyewitnesses. Additionally, several others were injured during the attack.

In a separate nearby attack, three more individuals, among them two children, lost their lives close to the British field hospital.

Airstrikes also targeted two tents on the Khan Yunis beachfront, resulting in the deaths of four civilians, primarily women and children.

The official Palestinian Wafa news agency reported that Israeli artillery targeted tents accommodating displaced civilians in al-Mawasi, Rafah, in southern Gaza, causing further casualties.

In the central region of Gaza, four individuals lost their lives in the al-Bureij refugee camp as a family's residence was struck during a nighttime offensive.

In the meantime, three more people lost their lives in southern Gaza City as a result of a strike on a family residence located in the al-Sabra neighborhood.

Israeli forces also targeted a school that was providing shelter for displaced individuals; though, there were no immediate reports about the number of possible casualties.

Separately, eyewitnesses stated that Israeli forces razed multiple residential buildings in the northern flank of Khan Younis.

The latest attacks come as the UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory said on Thursday that Israel is “responsible for one of the cruelest genocides in modern history.”

Francesca Albanese made the remarks at the UN Human Rights Council as he presented her latest report, condemning the Tel Aviv regime over weaponizing Gaza as a testing ground and calling for sweeping international action.

“The situation in the occupied Palestinian territory is apocalyptic,” she said. “In Gaza, Palestinians continue to endure suffering beyond imagination. Israel is responsible for one of the cruelest genocides in modern history.”

Albanese stated that official statistics indicate more than 200,000 Palestinians have been killed or injured; however, prominent health experts believe that “the true toll is far higher.” 

She criticized the so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation – Israel's newly established aid system in Gaza, which has been linked to hundreds of deaths thus far – labeling it as “a death trap – engineered to kill or force the flight of a starved, bombarded, emaciated population marked for.”

Albanese noted that arms manufacturers have garnered substantial profits by providing Israel with munitions used in the bombardment of Gaza.

“Arms companies have turned near-record profits by equipping Israel with cutting-edge weaponry to unleash 85,000 tons of explosives – six times the power of Hiroshima – to destroy Gaza,” she said.

The senior UN official denounced Israel over using the Gaza war to “test new weapons, customized surveillance, lethal drones, (and) radar systems,” warning that Palestine’s defenselessness had made it “an ideal laboratory for the Israeli military-industrial complex.”

She also called on businesses to act, stressing, “Corporate entities must urgently cease all business activities and terminate relationships directly linked with, contributing to, and causing human rights violations and international crimes against the Palestinian people.”

Albanese said she no longer believed ignorance or ideology were sufficient explanations for global inaction. “In the face of genocide – so visible, so livestreamed – these explanations fall short.”

She concluded with a call for civil society to play its part, saying, “Trade unions, lawyers, civil society groups, and ordinary citizens should encourage such behavioral change from the side of businesses and governments by pressing for boycotts, divestments, sanctions, and accountability. What comes next depends on all of us.”