UNITED NATIONS, June 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United States announced a draft Security Council resolution supporting the Israel-Hamas ceasefire plan outlined by US Pres Joe Biden last week, urging Hamas to accept it.

“Numerous leaders and governments, including in the region, have endorsed this plan,” said US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield.

The draft text “welcomes the new deal announced on May 31, and calls upon Hamas to accept it fully and implement its terms without delay and without condition.”

03 June 2024; MEMO: British coffee chain Pret A Manger has cancelled plans to open in Israel due to the ongoing war on the Gaza Strip.

Pret had announced last year plans to open its first outlet in Tel Aviv by the end of 2024 and establish more than 40 branches in the apartheid state over the next ten years.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday emphasised that Pakistan's all-weather relationship with China was "unshakable" as he embarked on a five-day official visit to Beijing to further bolster bilateral ties and to launch the second phase of the multi-billion dollar CPEC projects in his country.

Sharif will be in China from June 4 to 8 at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

CANBERRA, Jun 4 (NNN-AAP) – Foreigners who have lived in Australia for at least 12 months will be eligible to join the nation’s armed forces from 2025, the federal government announced.

Richard Marles, the minister for defence and deputy prime minister, and Defence Personnel Minister, Matt Keogh, announced the initiative today in Canberra, saying, it would help grow the Australian Defence Force (ADF).

ISLAMABAD: A top court here on Tuesday ordered authorities to de-seal the central office of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, nearly two weeks after it was shut down.

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) on May 24 raided the PTI office in Islamabad and closed the building, alleging that it was built by violating laws.

The party had challenged the action in the Islamabad High Court where Justice Saman Rizvi on Monday reserved judgement after concluding the hearing.

VIENNA, May 31. /TASS/. Iran continues to increase stockpiles of uranium that is enriched to 60%, International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi said.

He said he submitted a report on the IAEA safeguards agreement with Iran to the organization.

"You will note that Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium continues to increase, including that enriched up to 60%," Grossi said in an introductory statement to the IAEA Board of Governors.

TUNIS, June 4 (NNN-XINHUA) — Tunisia dismantled a human trafficking network of eight Tunisians, including five women and a migrant smuggler, in a joint operation, the Tunisian National Guard said.

This network is involved in human trafficking and financing illegal border crossings by sub-Saharan Africans, the Tunisian National Guard said in a statement posted on its Facebook page.

30 May 2024; MEMO: Turkiye has begun mass producing its first domestically-manufactured battle tank, in the latest boost to the country’s defence industry.

According to the head of the Turkiye’s Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB), Haluk Gorgun, who spoke to the channel, TRT Haber, “we have started the mass production of our national tank. There are countries that want to work with us on this internationally, and we are continuing our negotiations with them”.

30 May 2024; MEMO: Turkiye announced the suspension of an agreement with Afghanistan for visa exemption to holders of diplomatic passports, Daily Sabah reports.

According to the report, the presidential office said the agreement on mutual removal of visas with Afghanistan for diplomatic passport holders, which was approved by the Turkish government in 2008, would be suspended starting on 1 June.

AHMEDABAD: A petition challenging the validity and legality of the returning officer's decision to reject the nomination of the Congress' Surat Lok Sabha candidate Nilesh Kumbhani was filed in the Gujarat High Court on Monday.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Mukesh Dalal was declared winner unopposed after Kumbhani's nomination was rejected and other candidates withdrew from the race.

04 June 2024; MEMO: A session of UN climate negotiations in the German city of Bonn was suspended yesterday after climate activists took to the conference stage and demonstrated against Israel’s war in Gaza, Reuters reported police saying.

The Bonn Climate Change Conference is designed to prepare decisions for adoption at the COP29 gathering in Azerbaijan in November.

MUMBAI/SINGAPORE, June 4 (Reuters) - Indian stocks suffered their worst intraday fall since March 2020 on Tuesday, as vote counting trends in the general election suggested Prime Minister Narendra Modi's alliance was unlikely to win the overwhelming majority predicted by exit polls.