Who is Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, charged with fraud by the US?
NewsFeed The US has charged one of India’s richest men, Gautam Adani, with fraud alleging a multibillion-dollar bribery scheme. So, who is Gautam Adani? Published On 21 Nov 202421 Nov 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
An A to Z of the children killed by Israel in Gaza
NewsFeed Israel has killed at least 17,400 children in its war on Gaza. These are the most common names of Gaza’s lost children, listed alphabetically from A to Z. Published On 21 Nov 202421 Nov 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
Indian conglomerate chair Gautam Adani indicted in the US
Gautam Adani, the chair of Indian conglomerate Adani Group and one of the world’s richest people, has been indicted in New York over an alleged multibillion-dollar fraud scheme, United States prosecutors have said. On Wednesday authorities charged Adani and two other executives at Adani Green Energy, his nephew Sagar Adani and Vneet Jaain, with agreeing between 2020 and 2024 to pay more than $250m in bribes to Indian government officials to obtain solar energy supply contracts expected to yield $2bn in profits. Prosecutors said the renewable energy company also raised more than $3bn in loans and bonds during this period based on false and misleading statements. Five other people were hit with related criminal conspiracy charges, including two executives of another renewable energy company, and three employees of a Canadian institutional investor. Adani Group did not immediately respond to requests for comment outside business hours in India, where the charges were announced early Thursday morning. India’s embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. According to court records, a judge has issued arrest warrants for Gautam Adani and Sagar Adani, and prosecutors plan to hand those warrants to foreign law enforcement. The case involves alleged violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, a US anti-bribery law. Seven of the eight defendants are Indian citizens and lived in India, while the eighth, Cyril Cabanes, is a dual French-Australian citizen who lived in Singapore, prosecutors said. The US Securities and Exchange Commission filed related civil charges against Gautam Adani, Sagar Adani and Cabanes, 50, an executive at Azure Power Global. Prosecutors identified Cabanes as one of the Canadian investor’s employees. Gautam Adani is worth $69.8bn, according to Forbes magazine, making him the world’s 22nd richest and India’s second-richest person. ‘Elaborate scheme’ “The defendants orchestrated an elaborate scheme to bribe Indian government officials to secure contracts worth billions of dollars and Gautam S Adani, Sagar R Adani and Vneet S Jaain lied about the bribery scheme as they sought to raise capital from US and international investors,” US Attorney Breon Peace said in a statement. “These offenses were allegedly committed by senior executives and directors to obtain and finance massive state energy supply contracts through corruption and fraud at the expense of US investors,” added Deputy Assistant Attorney General Lisa H Miller. On several occasions, Gautam Adani personally met with an Indian government official to advance the bribery scheme, and the defendants held in-person meetings with each other to discuss aspects of its execution, the prosecutors alleged. According to the indictment, some conspirators referred privately to Gautam Adami with the code names “Numero Uno” and “The Big Man”, while Sagar Adani allegedly used his cellphone to track specifics about the bribes. The charges were announced hours after Adani on Wednesday raised $600m from a sale of 20-year “green” bonds. Last week, Gautam Adani said in a post on social media platform X that his conglomerate planned to invest $10bn in US energy security and infrastructure projects, creating a potential 15,000 jobs, without providing a timetable. Adani announced the investment while also congratulating US President-elect Donald Trump on his election win. Trump has pledged to make it easier for energy companies to drill on federal land and build new pipelines. The $32bn (revenues) Adani Group has interests in ports, airports, power generation and transmission, and green energy, among other businesses. Last year in January, US-based short-seller Hindenburg Research accused Adani and his companies of stock market manipulation and fraud, allegations denied by the group. India’s top court ruled in favour of the group a year later. Adblock test (Why?)
Archegos’s Bill Hwang sentenced to 18 years in prison for massive US fraud
Hwang had been convicted in July on 10 criminal charges including wire and securities fraud, market manipulation. Former billionaire investor Sung Kook “Bill” Hwang has been sentenced to 18 years in prison over the collapse of Archegos Capital Management, which cost Wall Street banks more than $10bn. Hwang was sentenced on Wednesday by United States District Judge Alvin Hellerstein in Manhattan, where a jury convicted Hwang in July on 10 criminal charges including wire fraud, securities fraud and market manipulation. “The amount of losses that were caused by your conduct are larger than any other losses I have dealt with,” Hellerstein said before announcing the sentence. Archegos’s March 2021 implosion took less than a week, stunning Wall Street and Hwang’s lenders. The US Attorney’s office in Manhattan sought a 21-year prison term for Hwang – unusually long for a white-collar case – and for him to forfeit $12.35bn and make restitution to victims. “It stands among a rare class of cases that truly could be described as a national calamity,” prosecutor Andrew Thomas said at the sentencing hearing before Hellerstein. Hellerstein did not reach a decision on Wednesday on whether Hwang must forfeit money or pay restitution. The sentencing hearing is expected to resume on Thursday. Before sentencing Hwang, Hellerstein asked the defendant’s lawyer, Dani James, how she thought Hwang compared to Sam Bankman-Fried, who was sentenced in March to 25 years in prison for stealing $8bn from users of the now-bankrupt FTX exchange. “Mr Bankman-Fried was literally stealing from his customers,” James said. “I don’t think that’s what’s happened here.” Hwang had asked for no prison, forfeiture or restitution, and to remain free on bail while he appealed his conviction. James said his low risk of committing more crimes meant a lengthy prison term served no purpose. “The notion that he would commit a crime in the future, it’s just not so,” James said. Bankman-Fried denies wrongdoing and is appealing his conviction. Aggressive borrowing Hwang, 60, was a protege of late hedge-fund billionaire Julian Robertson. He set up Archegos in New York as a family office in 2013, the year after his former hedge fund Tiger Asia Management pleaded guilty to wire fraud in an insider trading case. Prosecutors accused Hwang of lying to banks about Archegos’s portfolio so he could borrow money aggressively and make concentrated bets on media and technology stocks such as ViacomCBS, now called Paramount Global. While Archegos eventually managed $36bn, Hwang’s borrowing helped him amass $160bn of exposure to stocks. His downfall occurred when Hwang was unable to meet margin calls, as the prices of some of his favourite stocks began falling and various banks unloaded stocks that had backed his so-called total return swaps. More than $100bn of market value in Hwang’s stocks was wiped out. Several banks suffered losses, including Credit Suisse, which lost $5.5bn, and Nomura Holdings. Credit Suisse is now part of UBS. Hwang’s lawyers’ request for no punishment also cited Hwang’s Christian faith and his nonprofit Grace and Mercy Foundation, which has, since 2006, donated at least $600m to combat homelessness, poverty and human trafficking, among other causes. In a statement to the court before Hellerstein announced the sentence, Hwang said he hoped the punishment would “allow me to serve as much as I can given the circumstances”. Hwang’s lawyers have said his net worth has fallen to “at most” $55.3m. Hwang’s co-defendant, former Archegos Chief Financial Officer Patrick Halligan, was convicted at the same trial on three criminal charges. His sentencing is scheduled for January 27. Both chose not to testify at their two-month trial. Adblock test (Why?)
At least 150 people killed over past week in Haiti’s Port-au-Prince: UN
At least 150 people have been killed in Port-au-Prince over the past week, the United Nations says, as the Haitian capital reels from a surge in gang violence. In a statement on Wednesday, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said more than half of the deaths – at least 55 percent – came “from exchanges of fire between gang members and police”. Another 92 people were injured in the violence, and about 20,000 others have been forcibly displaced from their homes. “Port-au-Prince’s estimated four million people are practically being held hostage as gangs now control all the main roads in and out of the capital,” Volker Turk, the high commissioner, said in the statement. “The latest upsurge in violence in Haiti’s capital is a harbinger of worse to come. The gang violence must be promptly halted. Haiti must not be allowed to descend further into chaos.” Haiti has reeled from years of violence as powerful armed groups – often with ties to the country’s political and business leaders – have vied for influence and control of territory. But the situation worsened dramatically after the July 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise, which created a power vacuum. Earlier this year, the gangs launched attacks on prisons and other state institutions across Port-au-Prince, fuelling a renewed political crisis. The campaign of violence led to the resignation of Haiti’s unelected prime minister, the creation of a transitional presidential council, and the deployment of a UN-backed, multinational police mission. That Kenya-led police force – formally known as the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) – has failed to take control back from the gangs, however. Only a fraction of the planned contingent has arrived in Haiti so far, while the United States, the MSS’s key backer, has been pushing to get more funding and personnel to bolster the force. The US also has been pushing to transform the mission into a UN peacekeeping force, a proposal that has the backing of Haitian leaders but is opposed by veto-holding UN Security Council members China and Russia. Monica Juma, a national security adviser to the Kenyan presidency, said during a special UNSC session on Haiti on Wednesday afternoon that Nairobi “strongly supports” that push. Juma said the MSS currently counts 416 “boots on the ground” from Belize, Bahamas, Jamaica and Kenya, but that is “too few for the task ahead”. “The urgency for a surge in the MSS personnel deployment is evident,” she told the council in New York. Many Haitians remain wary of UN interventions, however, saying past deployments have brought more harm than good. A deadly 2010 cholera outbreak was linked to a UN peacekeeping base, for example, and UN forces in Haiti were also accused of rape and sexual abuse. Still, civil society leaders in Haiti have cautiously welcomed the Kenya-led multinational mission as a needed boost in the fight against the gangs while also stressing that the problems facing the Caribbean country will not be solved by force alone. They have called for more support and training for Haiti’s national police force, as well as an end to corruption and a Haitian-led political process. In the meantime, Haitian armed groups are now believed to control at least 80 percent of Port-au-Prince. Planes were hit by gunfire earlier this month at the airport in the capital, prompting international airlines to suspend flights into the city and isolating the country further. The incidents came amid an internal power struggle that saw the transitional presidential council tasked with rebuilding Haitian state institutions vote to dismiss another interim prime minister, Gary Conille, and appoint his replacement, Alix Didier Fils-Aime. Speaking at the UNSC session on Wednesday, Miroslav Jenca, the UN’s assistant secretary-general for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas, said Haiti is facing more than “just another wave of insecurity”. “It is a dramatic escalation that shows no signs of abating,” Jenca told the council. “The human consequences are severe. We are deeply concerned about the safety, basic needs and human rights of people residing in gang-controlled areas, in particular, those of women and children.” Adblock test (Why?)
Israeli “rampage” one year ago “smashed” al-Shifa Hospital
[unable to retrieve full-text content] Mads Gilbert marks the 1 year anniversary of Israel’s attack on Al-Shifa hospital, and Palestinian spirit of resistance.
Argentina close on World Cup as Messi helps Martinez level up with Maradona
Holders Argentina close on World Cup place as Lautaro Martinez joins Diego Maradona as country’s fifth leading scorer. A second-half strike from Lautaro Martinez gave Argentina a 1-0 home win over Peru in South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday night, with the striker’s goal moving him level with Diego Maradona as the country’s fifth all-time scorer. The 27-year-old Inter Milan forward notched his 32nd international goal 10 minutes after the break, capitalising on a fine cross from Lionel Messi to fire home a half-volley into the top-right corner. “I’m happy because my whole family came and I always want to give my best. This year was very positive and luckily we closed it with a victory,” Martinez told local TV. “It was a spectacular year in terms of performance, goals, games played. We have to keep playing and improving day by day. Everyone wants to beat us. Argentina’s national team are always the main characters. There are things to improve but we have to continue on this path.” Until Martínez scored, Argentina’s best chance was in the 21st minute, when striker Julian Alvarez hit the Peruvian goalkeeper’s right post. Messi once again had a modest performance, as he did in his team’s 2-1 defeat in Paraguay on Thursday. The World Cup holders lead the CONMEBOL standings with 25 points, five clear of Uruguay. Peru are bottom of the 10-team table with seven points after 12 games. The top six qualify automatically for the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada. “We are Copa America champions, we are first in the qualifiers. We have to be proud,” Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez added. Inter Miami forward, Messi, remains the country’s record goal scorer netting 112 times. Former striker Gabriel Batistuta, who enjoyed a long career with Fiorentina in Italy, is second on the list with 55 goals. Brazil’s players were given a frosty reception as they left the field following the home draw with Uruguay [Heuler Andrey/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images] Argentina’s rivals Brazil face fan backlash as stutter continues Brazil fans at home in Salvador jeered their team after the final whistle following their 1-1 draw against Uruguay. In a match with few opportunities for either side, Uruguay seemed closer to winning for most of the second half with Federico Valverde opening the scoring in the 55th minute after Brazilian defenders failed three times to clear the ball from their penalty area. The Real Madrid midfielder hit the ball to the left corner to score. Gerson equalized in the 61st minute in similar fashion at the Arena Fonte Nova. Brazil, who remain without the services of their injured forward Neymar, lag in fifth position with 18 points after several uninspiring performances. Striker Raphinha said he understood the frustration of his team’s fans but disagreed with their reaction at the end. “We played great. We did everything we could to leave here with a victory. We must have our heads high up, it will be very tough to beat us,” he said. Also on Tuesday, Ecuador won 1-0 at Colombia with a goal by Enner Valencia in the seventh minute, in which he dribbled through three players before scoring. Ecuador lost defender Piero Hincapie to a red card in the 34th minute but held on for the win. Bolivia and Paraguay drew 2-2 in a match between teams that could end up fighting for the seventh position in the region’s qualifying. Chile, one of the worst-performing teams in the region this year, showed some fighting spirit and beat Venezuela 4-2. Adblock test (Why?)
From far-right gains to the economy: What’s at stake in Germany’s election?
Berlin, Germany – In some countries, a snap election is held in a matter of weeks. Germany, by contrast, will enjoy a leisurely three months before it goes to the polls in an election that is likely to be overshadowed by the return of Donald Trump to the White House, an increasingly perilous situation in Ukraine, and a flagging domestic economy. Germany’s ruling “traffic light” coalition, formed by the Social Democratic Party (SPD), Greens and Free Democrats (FDP) collapsed on November 6, after Chancellor Olaf Scholz dismissed his finance minister, FDP leader Christian Lindner. Scholz has announced a vote of confidence will take place on December 16. The snap poll is expected to take place on February 23. Why did the coalition collapse? The three-way alliance formed after the 2021 elections was a rarity for Germany, and the FDP’s fiscal hawkishness always made an uneasy marriage with its centre-left partners, who campaigned in the 2021 elections on increased social and climate spending. The final break came during preparations for the 2025 budget, with Scholz arguing to pause Germany’s “debt brake”, which tightly limits public borrowing. Lindner insisted on demanding major public spending cuts and rolling back climate targets. Last week in the Bundestag, Scholz accused the FDP leader of pitting the government’s financial and military support for Ukraine against German pensioners. The national weekly newspaper Die Zeit reported that the FDP had deliberately provoked Scholz to collapse the coalition and force an early election, which the party has denied. “It was difficult to reconcile those three very different political ideas and ideologies,” said Markus Ziener, a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund think tank, who believes infighting has weakened Germany’s position within the European Union at a time when the bloc is sorely in need of leadership. “The hope could be that the next elections will bring much more stable conditions to form a reliable government.” Who’s leading opinion polls now? The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party are currently polling at 32 percent, according to a recent INSA poll, more than all three of the coalition parties put together. Friedrich Merz, a former BlackRock board member who has moved the party rightward since becoming leader in 2022, is therefore well-placed to become the next chancellor. Based on current polling, he could lead a government with the SPD – based on the latest predictions likely to secure 16 percent, as a junior partner, a return to the familiar “grand coalition” that was in place for three of Angela Merkel’s four terms, or with the Greens, which are polling at 12 percent. Merz has promised to roll back several of the coalition’s reforms, including on climate. He wants to lower taxes, reduce social welfare spending and tighten the country’s borders. “It is time for a fundamental course correction in migration, security, foreign and economic policy,” Merz told the Bundestag last week. Scholz, now the least popular chancellor in post-war German history according to polls, has indicated that he will run again as the party’s candidate. But many senior figures in the SPD want to make a clear break with his tenure, and quickly. If he is to be deposed, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius is likely to replace him. How popular are far-right and leftist parties? The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is on course to record a historic result. Assessments from Germany’s domestic intelligence agency that several of the party’s state branches are right-wing extremist organisations have not prevented the party from polling second, at 20 percent. Though all other parties refuse to form a coalition with the AfD, a strong performance could increase its influence on powerful parliamentary committees. Meanwhile, the FDP and the socialist Left party are currently below the 5 percent threshold required to enter parliament. The newly formed, left-wing Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance is at 7 percent. What are the key foreign policy and domestic economic issues? Trump’s campaign promise to bring a quick end to the conflict in Ukraine, and threats to pull military assistance to President Volodymr Zelenskyy’s government, come at a time when the war-torn nation is losing ground to Russia in the east and facing major attacks on its energy infrastructure ahead of winter. If Trump follows through, Germany, Ukraine’s second-largest backer, will be expected to dig deep and massively increase its military spending. Scholz recently spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time in two years. He tends to tread a more careful approach and has refused to deliver long-range Taurus missiles out of fears of escalating the conflict. By comparison, Merz has been more hawkish on weapons deliveries and indicated he would approve the transfer, in line with the policies of the United Kingdom, France and the United States. Potentially adding further strain to the budget, Trump’s plans to slap 20 percent tariffs on all imports and 60 percent on Chinese imports would have severe consequences for the economy, as Germany remains heavily reliant on exporting manufactured goods. Europe’s largest economy is also its slowest growing. Though it has narrowly skirted recession, Germany’s central bank said on Tuesday that the present stagnation is likely to continue in the face of weak international demand and investment, and the prospect of new US tariffs. “We’re basically in a squeeze here. On the one hand, we probably have to deal with direct additional customs in the United States,” said Ziener. “On the other hand, we will probably be very much affected by high duties against Chinese products.” How do politicians plan to fix the economy? With no end in sight to the economic woes, more financial institutions and business representatives are calling for a reform of Germany’s debt brake to increase public investment, which has lagged for years. Merz, long known as a fiscal disciplinarian, has recently suggested an openness to reforming it, a possible sign of a shifting consensus. The constitutional-anchored measure limits borrowing to 0.35 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), but special investment off-budget funds
Prosecutors open to delaying Trump’s sentencing in hush money case
New York prosecutors say they are opposed to dismissing United States President-elect Donald Trump’s hush money case but have expressed openness to delaying his sentencing until after his second term. In a court filing Tuesday, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office argued that Trump’s forthcoming presidency does not warrant dismissing a case that has already gone through the courts. However, “given the need to balance competing constitutional interests”, prosecutors said that “consideration must be given” to possibly pumping the brakes on the case until Trump exits office again. The case has long been plagued by delays. Last week, Judge Juan Merchan delayed ruling on Trump’s previous efforts to overturn his conviction related to a July ruling by the US Supreme Court, which allows a president’s immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts in office. It is unclear when the judge could rule on the matter. He could opt to delay the case for an undisclosed period of time or wait to see how a federal appeals court rules on Trump’s simultaneous attempts to move the case out of state court. In Tuesday’s court filing, prosecutors argued that “no current law establishes that a president’s temporary immunity from prosecution requires the dismissal of a post-trial criminal proceeding that was initiated at a time when the defendant was not immune from criminal prosecution and that’s based on unofficial conduct for which the defendant is also not immune”. Prosecutors stressed the need to “proceed in a manner that preserves both the independence of the Executive and the integrity of the criminal justice system”. Trump was found guilty on all counts in May of falsifying business records in a historic trial, becoming the first US president in history to be charged and convicted of a crime. The reality star billionaire had faced 34 felony counts of falsifying business documents tied to a $130,000 hush money payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in the run-up to the 2016 US presidential election. A possible dismissal of the case would automatically dispose of Trump’s criminal record and a potential prison term. Former US President Donald Trump returns to the courtroom during his hush money trial at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 30, 2024, in New York City [Michael M Santiago/Reuters] Trump’s sentencing had been set for November 26. Following his victory in the November 5 presidential election, Trump’s lawyers pressed Merchan to toss it. They argued the case must be thrown out “to facilitate the orderly transition of executive power — and in the interests of justice”. On Tuesday, the incoming White House communications director, Steven Cheung, blasted prosecutors’ latest filing as a major win for Trump. “This is a total and definitive victory for President Trump and the American People who elected him in a landslide,” Cheung said in a statement, cited by The Associated Press. “President Trump’s legal team is moving to get it dismissed once and for all.” Prosecutors say Trump engaged in the hush money scheme with former lawyer-fixer Michael Cohen to facilitate a payment to Daniels to buy her silence regarding a tryst a decade earlier. Trump, who later paid Cohen back, recorded the payments as legal expenses in an effort to obscure their true nature, according to prosecutors. Trump has pledged to appeal the verdict if the case is not dismissed. He has long denied any wrongdoing or that he had sexual relations with Daniels. He called the verdict against him “rigged” and “disgraceful”, singling out the efforts of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg as part of a vengeful “witch-hunt” bent on smearing his campaign. Al Jazeera has reached out to Bragg’s office for comment. Some legal analysts, however, say prosecutors could face an uphill battle in ultimately securing a sentence against Trump. Supporters of Republican presidential candidate and former US President Donald Trump wait outside the Manhattan criminal court on May 30, 2024, to hear a verdict in Trump’s criminal trial over charges that he falsified business records to conceal money paid to silence porn actress Stormy Daniels in 2016 [Cheney Orr/ Reuters] David Shapiro, a lecturer at New York’s John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a financial crimes expert, said he was not surprised by prosecutors’ latest filing, noting that Bragg’s office had assumed a “risk-averse” posture in pushing back against Trump’s legal teams’ efforts to dismiss the case. He highlighted, however, the highly unusual legal scenario of delaying a potential sentencing until 2029, when Trump leaves office. “It’s unprecedented,” Shapiro told Al Jazeera. “The idea that this matter should be postponed until the end of the president’s term – it does not strike me as a just resolution,” Shapiro said. “I think the best outcome of this war for justice is for somebody to make a decision to make it final.” Shapiro laid out several possible legal routes Merchan could take in the coming days and weeks. “One, the judge can say, ‘I’m sentencing you. This doesn’t involve any immunity issues. We’re going to sentence you before you’re inaugurated.’” Shapiro said he could also see the presiding judge issuing an unconditional discharge in the matter, instead of officially sentencing Trump, a pathway which he deemed more likely. Trump’s guilty verdict would effectively stand, but he would not face any type of prison sentence or fines. “That way, everybody saves face,” Shapiro explained. “Mr Trump can appeal it, and whatever. The prosecutors save face. The judge saves face. And the United States is not harmed by an impaired president.” The hush money trial is one of four criminal indictments Trump has faced following the end of his first term in office, all of which are currently in limbo following this month’s presidential election. Special Counsel Jack Smith is in the midst of closing two of his open cases against Trump, which involve Trump’s alleged involvement in overturning the 2020 election and separate accusations that he stashed troves of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. Another case in Georgia involving allegations of state election interference there is
Israeli attack kills 3 more Lebanese soldiers as death toll passes 40
The number of Lebanese troops killed in Israeli attacks since October 2023 is reported to have reached 41 after latest attack kills three soldiers in southern Lebanon. Three Lebanese soldiers have been killed in an Israeli air strike on an army base in southern Lebanon’s town of Sarafand, while at least 17 civilians living nearby the facility were injured, the country’s military and Ministry of Public Health said. “The Israeli enemy targeted an army centre in the town of Sarafand in the south, which led to the martyrdom of three soldiers,” the Lebanese military said in a post on social media late on Tuesday. Lebanon’s Health Ministry said that 17 people were injured in the strike after reporting earlier that Israeli attacks across the country over the previous 24 hours had killed 28 people and wounded 107 – bringing the death toll in Lebanon since fighting erupted between Hezbollah and Israel in October 2023 to 3,544 dead and more than 15,000 injured. The Lebanese army’s spokesperson, Fadi Eid, told The Associated Press (AP) news agency before the attack in Sarafand that 38 soldiers had been killed in Israeli strikes since October last year. The three latest casualties bring the overall death toll in the Lebanese army to 41, the AP reported. استهدف العدو الإسرائيلي مركزًا للجيش في بلدة الصرفند- الجنوب، ما أدى إلى استشهاد ٣ عسكريين.#الجيش_اللبناني #LebaneseArmy pic.twitter.com/QKy5BcCTYe — الجيش اللبناني (@LebarmyOfficial) November 19, 2024 Translation: The Israeli enemy targeted an army centre in the town of Sarafand in the south, which led to the martyrdom of three soldiers. On Sunday, Israeli forces bombed a Lebanese military post in Mari, in the southeastern Hasbaiyya province, killing two soldiers and critically injuring three others. The Israeli military has not yet commented on its latest killing of Lebanese soldiers who have for months provided security for Lebanese civilians and engaged in search and rescue efforts amid the fighting between Hezbollah and Israel. Lebanon’s government said on Monday that it plans to file a formal complaint with the United Nations Security Council over “repeated attacks” by Israel on its army, and accused Israeli forces of repeated violations of international law. Earlier on Tuesday, Italy’s Ministry of Defence reported that eight rockets hit the headquarters of the Italian contingent of the UN peacekeeping force, UNIFIL, in Chama, in southern Lebanon, and Ghanaian peacekeepers were injured in a rocket explosion in nearby Ramyah. “Four Ghanaian peacekeepers on duty sustained injuries as a rocket – fired most likely by non-state actors within Lebanon – hit their base” in the village of Ramyah, UNIFIL said in a statement. Though no injuries were reported, five Italian soldiers are being monitored in the Chama base’s medical facility after the rocket attack, Italy’s Defence Ministry said in its statement. Investigations are also under way to determine where the rockets originated and to identify those responsible for the attack, which hit some outdoor areas and the base’s supply warehouse. Also on Tuesday, Argentina informed UNIFIL that it would be pulling out of the peacekeeping mission in Lebanon. “Argentina has asked its officers to go back [to Argentina],” UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said in response to a question about a newspaper report. He declined to comment on the reason for the Argentinian departure, referring the question to Argentina’s government. Argentina is one of 48 countries contributing peacekeepers to UNIFIL, with a total of three staff currently in Lebanon, according to a UN website. UNIFIL has previously referred to “unacceptable pressures being exerted on the mission through various channels”, amid demands by the Israeli military for UN personnel to leave their bases and withdraw from southern Lebanon. More than 20 peacekeepers have been injured in the past two months and several UNIFIL bases have been damaged by Israeli air attacks, which Israel has claimed were unintentional. Israel accuses UNIFIL peacekeeping bases of shielding Hezbollah fighters. UNIFIL has rejected Israel’s demands to evacuate from southern Lebanon for its own safety. Adblock test (Why?)