Srinagar, July 30: A powerful undersea earthquake off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula has triggered tsunami warnings across much of the Pacific, with Japan, Hawaii, and parts of the U.S. West Coast issuing urgent advisories.

Japan Issues Widespread Tsunami Alerts

Japanese authorities have issued tsunami warnings across numerous coastal regions. The affected areas include:

• Eastern, Central, and Western Pacific Coasts of Hokkaido
• Pacific Coast of Aomori Prefecture
• Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima Prefectures
• Ibaraki Prefecture
• Kujukuri, Sotobo, and Uchibo Areas in Chiba Prefecture
• Izu and Ogasawara Islands
• Sagami Bay and Miura Peninsula
• Shizuoka Prefecture
• Pacific Coast of Aichi Prefecture
• Southern Mie Prefecture
• Wakayama Prefecture

Citizens in these zones have been urged to stay away from the coastline, seek higher ground, and follow evacuation instructions from local authorities.

Hawaii Closes Harbours as Tsunami Hits Maui

In Hawaii, tsunami waves have already begun reaching the shore. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center confirmed that sea level gauges in Kahului, Maui, recorded a wave height of 4 feet above normal. As a precaution, the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency has closed all commercial harbours statewide.

3-Foot Waves Recorded in Hanalei

Elsewhere in Hawaii, tsunami activity is also being closely monitored in Hanalei, where a 3-foot rise in sea level was recorded. Officials have urged residents and tourists to remain alert and avoid coastal areas.

California’s Monterey County Orders Evacuation at Moss Landing

On the U.S. mainland, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office in California issued an evacuation warning for those living on boats in the Moss Landing harbour. Authorities anticipate tsunami waves to reach the area shortly after midnight local time. While no widespread flooding is expected, the U.S. Coast Guard has warned of dangerous currents and potential harbour damage.

Evacuation orders and tsunami advisories remain active as Pacific nations continue monitoring aftershocks and wave activity. Stay tuned for real-time updates as the situation unfolds.

United Nations, July 30: India told a high-level UN conference that global efforts must now focus on achieving a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict through “purposeful dialogue and diplomacy”.

It also said that one should not be content with paper solutions but strive to achieve practical ones.

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish said on Tuesday that deliberations during the preparation for the UN High-Level International Conference on ‘The Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution’ confirm that the international community continues to believe there is no substitute for a two-state solution.

He said the conference offers an opportunity to reflect on the path traversed so far in the journey towards achieving peace through a two-state solution.

“Our efforts must now focus on how to bring about a two-state solution through purposeful dialogue and diplomacy, and bringing the parties to the conflict to engage directly with each other,” Harish said.

“Reaffirmation of support must take the form of actionable steps that pave the way for the two-state solution. Identification of such steps and their implementation modalities demand our collective attention and effort,” he said in the UN General Assembly.

The high-level conference on July 28-30 is co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France.

A 25-page outcome document titled ‘New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution’ asserted that the war in Gaza must end now and Hamas must free all hostages.

“In the context of ending the war in Gaza, Hamas must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority,” the outcome document said.

It added that following a ceasefire, a transitional administrative committee must be immediately established to operate in Gaza under the umbrella of the Palestinian Authority.

Harish noted that certain action points are emerging from the UN conference, and following up on them is the key.

“Let us not be content with paper solutions but strive to achieve practical solutions that actually make a tangible difference in the daily lives of our Palestinian brothers and sisters,” he said, expressing India’s complete readiness to contribute to this “noble endeavour.”

Harish said India has been clear on the measures that must be undertaken in the short term.

These include an immediate ceasefire, sustained and unimpeded humanitarian assistance, release of all hostages, and the path of dialogue and diplomacy.

“There are no alternatives to these measures,” he said.

Noting that in 1988 India became one of the first countries to recognise the State of Palestine with firm support and commitment to the two-state solution, Harish underlined that the overall sentiment in this forum is clear.

“It is also India’s earnest desire to see peace and calm prevail in the Middle East. Lasting solutions are required to achieve this,” he said.

Asserting that humanitarian aid to Gaza needs to flow without impediments, India said Palestinians in Gaza must have access to food, fuel and other basic necessities without hindrance.

“Humanitarian assistance is vital in sustaining life and must remain outside the realm of politics or conflict,” Harish said, underlining that the humanitarian assistance pillar demands “our immediate attention and action.”

India voiced concern that the human suffering in Gaza continues unabated, tens of thousands have been killed, several medical facilities damaged or destroyed, and children deprived of schooling for more than 20 months.

India also stressed that the plight of the hostages should not be forgotten.

“There can be no justification whatsoever for terrorism, for addressing any root cause or political grievance.”

Noting that civilians, including women and children, have the right to lead normal lives, India said that in the years ahead, “meticulous reconstruction and rehabilitation” efforts of a substantially large scale will be required.

Highlighting the vital aspect of security, India said a stable arrangement that suitably caters to the security needs of both sides is necessary.

“Neither party should feel insecure. A sovereign, viable and independent State of Palestine within recognised and mutually agreed borders, living side by side with Israel in peace and security, is a prerequisite for enduring peace and sustainable development.”

India further said that while aid and support are essential for the Palestinian people in rebuilding their lives, it is equally important to create hope and economic structures conducive for investment and employment.

India has been making concerted efforts to bring about a tangible impact on the daily lives of the Palestinian people by implementing human-centric projects in diverse sectors. The total commitment by India on this front stands at around USD 160 million.

“Economic prospects and viability for a Palestinian state are crucial,” Harish said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the conference that the central question for Middle East peace is the implementation of the two-state solution.

“My central question to those who stand in the way is this: What is the alternative?” Guterres said, questioning whether the alternative is a one-state reality where Palestinians are denied equal rights, and forced to live under perpetual occupation and inequality or a one-state reality where Palestinians are expelled from their land.

“That is not peace. That is not justice. That is not in accordance with international law. And that is not acceptable,” the UN chief said.

Guterres stressed that statehood for the Palestinians is a right, not a reward. “And the denial of statehood would be a gift to extremists everywhere.”

UN agencies warn that key food and nutrition indicators in Gaza have exceeded famine thresholds, reaching their worst levels so far.

United Nations, July 30: The Resistance Front (TRF) had twice claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam terror attack and “published a photograph of the attack site”, the UN Security Council’s sanctions monitoring team has said.

The team in a report also cited assertions that the attack could not have happened without the support of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT).

The 36th report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team concerning ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaeda and associated individuals and entities, released here on Tuesday, mentions the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 civilians were killed, saying “five terrorists attacked a tourist spot in Pahalgam, in Jammu and Kashmir”.

“The attack was claimed that same day by The Resistance Front (TRF), who in parallel published a photograph of the attack site,” said the report, which was submitted to the 1267 ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaeda sanctions committee of the UN Security Council.

The report said that the “claim of responsibility” by TRF was “repeated the following day. On 26 April, however, TRF retracted its claim. There was no further communication from TRF, and no other group claimed responsibility,” it said.

The report cited a member state which said that “the attack could not have happened without Lashkar-e-Taiba support, and that there was a relationship between LeT and TRF. Another member state said that the attack was carried out by TRF, which was synonymous with LeT.”

It also noted that one member state “rejected” these views and said that LeT was “defunct”.

The report added that regional relations remain fragile.

“There is a risk that terrorist groups may exploit these regional tensions.”

This month, the US listed TRF as a designated Foreign Terrorist Organisation and Specially Designated Global Terrorist.

Following the Pahalgam attack, the 15-nation Security Council had on April 25 issued a press statement, underlining the need to hold perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of the reprehensible act of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice.

However, the statement did not mention TRF as the group responsible for the attack after Pakistan managed to get the name removed.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in the Indian Parliament on Monday that when the Security Council was discussing the press statement, Pakistan tried to get any mention of TRF excluded.

India had launched ‘Operation Sindoor’ targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack.

The Sanctions Monitoring Team report further said that ISIL-K continued to represent the most serious threat, both regionally in Central and South Asia and internationally.

With about 2,000 fighters, ISIL-K (The Islamic State – Khorasan Province) continued to recruit both inside and outside Afghanistan, including among Central Asian States and the Russian North Caucasus.

“In North Afghanistan and areas close to the Pakistani borders, ISIL-K indoctrinated children in madrassas, establishing a suicide training course for minors aged approximately 14 years old,” the report said.

It added that ISIL-K tried to establish operations in the countries neighbouring Afghanistan and globally.

“There were reported to be several Al-Qaeda-related training sites across Afghanistan, and three newer sites were identified, although these were likely to be small and rudimentary,” it said, adding that these sites reportedly trained both Al-Qaeda and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters.

The TTP had approximately 6,000 fighters and continued to receive substantial logistical and operational support from the de facto authorities in Afghanistan. Some member states reported that the TTP maintained tactical-level connections with ISIL-K.

The TTP continued to carry out high-profile attacks in the region, some of which incurred mass casualties. It was reported that the TTP had continued access to a range of weapons, enhancing the lethality of attacks.

“One member state reported that, in January 2025, TTP provided training to terrorists in Baluchistan.”

The report said some member states suggested that there was close coordination between the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) (including its Majeed Brigade) and TTP in parts of southern Afghanistan. One member state reported that they shared four training camps (e.g. Walikot, Shorabak), and that Al-Qaida provided ideological and weapons training.

Some BLA attacks showed a high degree of complexity, the report said, citing the March 11 hijack by the BLA of the Jaffar Express train in an isolated mountainous region with improvised explosive devices and other weapons, killing 31, including 21 hostages, “which demonstrated in a high-profile manner the rise in the group’s capacity and brutality.”

There were also concerns that the confidence and ambition of Al-Qaiea in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) were increasing, it said.

Washington, July 30: US President Donald Trump said that his 10-day “deadline” for Moscow to end the conflict with Ukraine is in effect, cutting short the 50-day timeline he announced two weeks ago.

Russia has “10 days from today” to reach a ceasefire agreement, Trump told reporters on his flight back to Washington following his visit to Scotland. Otherwise, “We’re going to put on tariffs and stuff,” he added.

On July 14, Trump threatened Russia with “severe tariffs” unless it agrees to a ceasefire with Ukraine within 50 days.

He shortened the deadline to “10 or 12 days” on Monday during his meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, citing disappointment with “Moscow’s lack of willingness to compromise.”

In response, the Kremlin said it has “taken note of” Trump’s statement, and its special operation in Ukraine continues, Xinhua news agency reported.

“The special military operation continues,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday, noting, “We also remain committed to the peace process to resolve the conflict around Ukraine and to ensuring our interests in the course of this settlement.”

Meanwhile, the conflict in Ukraine continues, with Russian drone and missile strikes hitting the country’s north-eastern Sumy region on Sunday, wounding four people.

Russian officials also claimed to have shot down 150 Ukrainian drones, with one person killed and three others injured near St Petersburg.

–IANS

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