International News
UN calls for end to education gap
The UN’s Transforming Education Summit has offered an opportunity to galvanise global action to recover learning losses and rethink education systems.
With Covid-19 exposing the fault lines of education systems globally, more than 130 countries have committed to rebooting their education systems and accelerating action to end the learning crisis, said the organisers of the summit, which UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres convened, reports Xinhua news agency.
Education is in a deep crisis. Instead of being the great enabler, education is fast becoming the great divider, said Guterres in his speech to the opening of the leaders’ meeting day of the summit.
The summit was held on the sidelines of this year’s UN General Assembly high-level week.
Some 70 per cent of 10-year-olds in poor countries cannot read a basic text. Even in developed countries, education systems often entrench rather than reduce inequality, reproducing it across generations. The rich have access to the best resources, schools and universities, leading to the best jobs. At the same time, the poor, especially girls, face huge obstacles to getting the qualifications that could change their lives, said Guterres.
Displaced people and students with disabilities face the highest obstacles of all. The Covid-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on learning worldwide. But the education crisis began long before, and runs much deeper, he said.
Education systems are failing students and societies. Too often, curricula are outdated and narrow. Education systems take little account of life-long learning. Teachers are under-trained, undervalued and underpaid. The digital divide penalizes poor students. The education financing gap yawns wider than ever, said Guterres.
“We will not end this crisis by simply doing more of the same, faster or better. Now is the time to transform education systems,” he said.
The UN chief called for action in five areas to transform education.
First, more work is needed to protect the right to quality education for everyone, especially girls, everywhere.
He said today’s teachers need to be facilitators in the classroom, promoting learning rather than merely transmitting answers.
“We also need to tackle the global shortage of teachers, and look at increasing their quality by raising their status and ensuring they have decent working conditions and continuous training and learning opportunities and receive adequate salaries,” he said.
Schools must also become safe, healthy spaces with no place for violence, stigma or intimidation. Education systems should promote the physical and mental health of all students, including their sexual and reproductive health, he said, adding that the digital revolution must benefit all learners.
He said that none of the above will be possible without a surge in education financing and global solidarity.
Guterres and Gordon Brown, the UN special envoy for global education, launched the International Facility on Financing for Education during the summit, a first-of-its-kind tool that aims to mobilize $10 billion to help 700 million children in lower-middle-income countries to access quality education.
The tool combines direct grants and guarantees that can multiply donor resources.
It uses donor guarantees to provide a new form of quasi-equity to multilateral development banks, which can raise additional financing in capital markets and provide funding to countries for education.
Setting out a vision statement at the summit, he called on countries to revisit the purposes of education, proposing that curricula must respond to broad purposes, including learning to learn, learning to live together, learning to do and learning to be.
International News
US CENTCOM completes fresh strikes on Iran, warns of continued military readiness amid Middle East tensions
Washington, July 21: The US Central Command (CENTCOM) has carried out another round of strikes against Iran, targeting military facilities and capabilities as Washington seeks to reduce Tehran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
In a post on X, CENTCOM said: “U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) completed another round of strikes against Iran at 9 p.m. ET, July 20. US forces struck Iranian military command centres, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and air defence systems to degrade Iran’s ability to continue attacking commercial vessels flowing through the Strait of Hormuz.”
According to CENTCOM, commercial vessel transits through the vital international maritime corridor continue. “Since early May, CENTCOM forces have helped facilitate the transit of approximately 900 commercial vessels and 450 million barrels of crude oil.”
US forces remained prepared to take further action against Iran, accusing Tehran of carrying out what it described as unwarranted aggression against civilian mariners seeking to transit the Strait of Hormuz freely and openly.
CENTCOM said the strikes were aimed at weakening Iran’s military infrastructure linked to attacks on maritime traffic in the strategically important waterway. The Strait of Hormuz is a key global energy route through which a significant volume of international oil shipments passes.
The latest military action comes amid heightened tensions across the Middle East, with concerns growing over possible further escalation and threats to regional security.
Meanwhile, the US Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs issued a worldwide caution notice, warning American citizens about the complex security environment.
In a post on X, the department said: “Worldwide Caution: Due to heightened tensions in the Middle East, the security environment remains complex with the potential for unforeseen escalation.”
It added: “Americans currently in the Middle East should exercise caution and heightened vigilance and should be prepared for possible flight cancellations, periodic airspace closures, and potential travel disruptions. Please monitor embassy and consular security alerts, local authorities, and the news for breaking developments.”
The advisory further warned that US diplomatic facilities and American interests could face threats.
“U.S. diplomatic facilities, including outside the Middle East, have been targeted. Iran and groups supportive of Iran may target other U.S. interests overseas or at locations associated with the United States and Americans throughout the world,” the department said.
The State Department urged US citizens to stay informed through official channels and security alerts, saying: “Enroll at http://step.state.gov to receive the latest security alerts and follow the “U.S. Department of State – Security Updates for U.S. Citizens” channel on WhatsApp or @TravelGov on X.”
The department also advised travellers to review official travel advisories and destination-specific information before making plans amid the uncertain security situation.
International News
Explosions heard in Iran amid renewed US strikes; Kuwait says confronting ‘hostile’ missile attacks
Tehran, July 21: Several explosions were heard in southern and central Iran on Monday night and early Tuesday, Iranian media reported, as US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the launch of a new round of strikes against the country.
Blasts were reported on Monday night in the counties of Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Bandar Lengeh and Qeshm in the southern province of Hormozgan, as well as the counties of Chabahar and Konarak in the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan, Xinhua news agency reported quoting Iranian media.
Air defenses were activated in the southern port city of Bushehr to “engage with hostile aircraft,” the official news agency IRNA reported on Monday night.
On early Tuesday, an explosion was heard in the southern city of Shiraz, and two explosions were heard in the central city of Isfahan, according to the IRNA and the semi-official Mehr news agency.
The incidents occurred as CENTCOM announced Monday night a new round of strikes against Iran on social media platform X, saying they are designed “to further degrade Iranian military capabilities used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.”
Separately, the General Staff of the Kuwaiti Army said early Tuesday on X that its air defenses are currently responding to “hostile missile and drone threats.”
Over the past week, the United States has launched multiple strikes on Iran, saying they were aimed at “degrading Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping.”
Iran has responded with waves of missile and drone attacks targeting U.S. military bases and facilities in regional countries, including Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan.
On Monday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian declared a “full-scale war” with the United States, though Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Iran had received mediation proposals and keeps its diplomatic channels open.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Monday that its forces earlier in the day launched retaliatory missile and drone strikes against US assets and facilities in Jordan and Kuwait.
In statements published on its official news outlet Sepah News, the IRGC said it struck with ballistic missiles the US Boeing C-17 Globemaster III and Boeing P-8 Poseidon aircraft at an airport in Jordan’s port city of Aqaba, and heavily damaged a number of them.
It added that its forces attacked with drones and destroyed an American early warning radar system in Kuwait, and targeted a warehouse of equipment and aircraft parts as well as a hangar of MQ-9 Reaper drones at the Ali Al Salem Air Base, setting on fire a number of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
The IRGC said the attacks were in retaliation to the US’ frequent “aggressions” against Iran’s territory.
Tehran, July 20: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Monday that its forces earlier in the day launched retaliatory missile and drone strikes against US assets and facilities in Jordan and Kuwait.
In statements published on its official news outlet Sepah News, the IRGC said it struck with ballistic missiles the US Boeing C-17 Globemaster III and Boeing P-8 Poseidon aircraft at an airport in Jordan’s port city of Aqaba, and heavily damaged a number of them.
It added that its forces attacked with drones and destroyed an American early warning radar system in Kuwait, and targeted a warehouse of equipment and aircraft parts as well as a hangar of MQ-9 Reaper drones at the Ali Al Salem Air Base, setting on fire a number of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
The IRGC said the attacks were in retaliation to the US’ frequent “aggressions” against Iran’s territory, Xinhua News Agency reported.
In a post on social media platform X early Monday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces had “successfully completed the ninth consecutive evening of strikes against Iran.”
It added, “CENTCOM assets targeted Iranian military command centres, air defence and coastal surveillance sites, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and communications networks to further diminish Iran’s ability to attack commercial vessels and civilian mariners transiting the Strait of Hormuz.”
In another statement released early Monday, the IRGC reiterated its warning that as long as the United States continues its “malicious actions” in the West Asia region, the Strait of Hormuz will not be safe for the shipment of oil, gas and chemical fertilisers.
Earlier in the day, the IRGC also said that it had attacked a US early-warning radar system and several military facilities in Kuwait’s Ali Al Salem Air Base.
In a statement on Monday, the IRGC said that the US early-warning radar system was “completely destroyed” in a drone strike. It said that a warehouse sheltering aviation equipment, spare parts and a drone hangar at Ali Al Salem Air Base was struck in a separate attack, setting several drones ablaze, Iran’s official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported.
Mumbai: Ruckus over Aurangzeb’s picture being hoisted during protest at Dadar Chetana Bhoomi, police ordered to investigate, 8 FIRs registered so far
Police evict Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav from dharna near PM’s residence
Raj Thackeray criticises Centre over CJP protest clashes
There is no opposition to peaceful protests, but violence broke out during protests in Delhi, conspiracy to create unrest during protests: Devendra Fadnavis
Abu Asim Azmi demands resignation of Education Minister and Supreme Court intervention regarding police action on paper leak
BJP’s patriotism, Hindutva a sham: Shiv Sena(UBT) in ‘Saamana’
Delhi Police bust ‘digital arrest’ cyber fraud syndicate, nab three from Bengal
Gold, silver trade lower amid weak global cues
Stock markets remain closed on account of Muharram
Shia Muslim mourners join Muharram procession in J&K’s Srinagar
-
Crime4 years agoClass 10 student jumps to death in Jaipur
-
Maharashtra2 years agoMumbai Local Train Update: Central Railway’s New Timetable Comes Into Effect; Check Full List Of Revised Timings & Stations
-
Maharashtra2 years agoMumbai To Go Toll-Free Tonight! Maharashtra Govt Announces Complete Toll Waiver For Light Motor Vehicles At All 5 Entry Points Of City
-
Maharashtra2 years agoFalse photo of Imtiaz Jaleel’s rally, exposing the fooling conspiracy
-
National News2 years agoMinistry of Railways rolls out Special Drive 4.0 with focus on digitisation, cleanliness, inclusiveness and grievance redressal
-
Maharashtra2 years agoMaharashtra Elections 2024: Mumbai Metro & BEST Services Extended Till Midnight On Voting Day
-
National News2 years agoJ&K: 4 Jawans Killed, 28 Injured After Bus Carrying BSF Personnel For Poll Duty Falls Into Gorge In Budgam; Terrifying Visuals Surface
-
Crime2 years agoBaba Siddique Murder: Mumbai Police Unable To Get Lawrence Bishnoi Custody Due To Home Ministry Order, Says Report