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world news Dialuna 28 Juni 2021

Riots in Lebanon over economy injure 10 soldiers, protesters

(AP) — Lebanese troops severe shortages of vital prod-
deployed in the north- ucts including fuel, medicine
ern city of Tripoli early and medical products, anger-
Sunday taking positions ing the public.
around major state insti-
tutions after a night of Lebanon’s currency hit a re-
protests and riots against cord low Saturday, reaching
worsening living condi- 18,000 pounds to the U.S.
tions left several protest- dollar. The pound has lost
ers and 10 soldiers injured. more than 90% of its value
since the crisis began.
Sporadic protests were re-
ported throughout Lebanon In October 2019 protesters
on Saturday as the country’s called for the removal of the
20-month economic crisis political class that has run
worsened. The World Bank the country since the end of
described the crisis as one of the 1975-90 civil war and has
the worst the world has wit- been blamed for corruption
nessed in 150 years. It is cou- and mismanagement that has
pled with a political deadlock ruined the country’s econo-
that has left Lebanon without my.
a government since August.
The army said rioters on mo-
The largest protests were torcycles threw stun grenades cities in Lebanon were quiet the post in October. Talks 20.3% in 2020 and 6.7% the
in the southern port city of at troops in Tripoli injuring around noon Sunday. with the International Mone- year before.
Sidon and in Tripoli, Leba- nine soldiers, while another The situation in Lebanon is tary Fund over the economic
non’s second largest city and was injured when hit by a not expected to improve as crisis have been suspended Tens of thousands of people
most impoverished. Sporadic stone. Protesters attacked political bickering between since last year. have lost their jobs since late
protests and road closures several state institutions in President Michel Aoun and 2019 in the tiny country of 6
took place in the capital Bei- the city. Prime Minister-designate The World Bank said Leba- million, including a million
rut. Saad Hariri has delayed the non’s gross domestic product Syrian refugees. More than
State-run National News formation of a government is projected to contract 9.5% half the population lives in
Lebanon has been suffering Agency said Tripoli and other since Hariri was named to in 2021, after shrinking by poverty.

Indian police say bomb-laden drones hit air base in Kashmir

(AP) — Indian officials day’s potential drone strike The air base in Jammu is
said Sunday they suspect Two soldiers were lightly The incident, if proven to poses a “huge and serious also used as a civilian airport,
explosives-laden drones wounded in the explosions, have been carried out by an- challenge” for the security and the Press Trust of India
were used to attack an air according to a military offi- ti-India rebels, would mark a apparatus. He said commer- news agency quoted the air-
base in the disputed re- cer who spoke on condition major shift in strategy against cial drones are easily available port’s director, Pravat Ranjan
gion of Kashmir, calling it of anonymity in keeping with New Delhi. Rebels have on the market and don’t need Beuria, as saying there was no
the first such incident of military regulations. primarily used classic guer- advanced technology to be disruption to civilian flights.
its kind in India. rilla tactics such as ambushes, used in attacks.
India’s air force tweeted that hit-and-run attacks, remote- Indian authorities said foren-
Dilbagh Singh, the region’s the attack caused minor dam- controlled explosions and car “Drones have a small visual sic investigators were survey-
police director-general, told age to a building on the base, bombings. signature and traditional ra- ing the area, and were later
the private news channel located in the southern city dars hardly pick them up,” joined by the country’s pre-
New Delhi Television that of Jammu in the Indian-con- Lt. Gen. D.S. Hooda, who Hooda said. “It will require mier anti-terrorism agency,
“drones with payload were trolled portion of Kashmir, was head of the Indian mili- a whole range of new modi- the National Investigating
used in both the blasts.” while the second blast hit an tary’s Northern Command fications for the military to Agency.
Singh called the attack an act open area. It said no military from 2014 to 2016 which intercept and defuse these
of terrorism. equipment was damaged. covers Kashmir, said Sun- kinds of attacks.” Last week, India’s Prime
Minister Narendra Modi
Muslim-majority Kashmir is held a crucial meeting with
divided between India and pro-India politicians from
Pakistan, and the Himalayan Kashmir for the first time
region is claimed by both in since New Delhi stripped the
its entirety. Rebels have been region’s semi-autonomy and
fighting against Indian rule imposed a slew of adminis-
since 1989. Most Muslim trative changes, which many
Kashmiris support the rebel likened to the beginning of
goal that the territory be unit- settler colonialism.
ed either under Pakistani rule
or as an independent country. Indian authorities in recent
years have raised the possibil-
New Delhi deems Kashmir ity of drone attacks by rebels
militancy to be Pakistan- in the region, especially after
sponsored terrorism. Paki- repeatedly accusing Pakistan
stan denies the charge, and of using China-made drones
most Kashmiris call it a legiti- along the frontier to drop
mate freedom struggle. weapons packages for mili-
tant groups since last year.
Both countries claim to have
shot down spy drones in the Tens of thousands of civil-
parts of Kashmir under their ians, rebels and government
respective control. forces have been killed in the
conflict.