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Israeli occupier attacks threaten historic Christian presence in West Bank town

In Taybeh, one of the few Palestinian communities with a Christian majority in the occupied West Bank, fears are growing that Israeli occupier attacks on farmland and property could push more families to emigrate, threatening the town’s demographic character and historic Christian presence. Local officials and clergy warned of the impact of rising violence by Israeli occupiers, which has coincided with worsening living and economic conditions in the town. Taybeh, east of Ramallah, is one of the few Palestinian towns in the West Bank that still has a Christian majority, according to church and local accounts. Residents say the town’s Christian roots go back thousands of years. Residents say the attacks have deepened fears in the town, even as they stress their determination to remain on their land. Also Read: Pakistan raises red flag over illegal settlements in West Bank, calls for Israel accountability In recent years, Israeli occupiers have established several ill...

India, Brazil sign mining pact as Modi targets $20 billion trade in five years

India moved to deepen trade ties with Brazil on Saturday, signing a pact to expand cooperation in mining and minerals as it seeks to meet rising domestic steel demand and support capacity expansion amid a global race for raw materials. The agreement was signed in the presence of India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who arrived in New Delhi earlier this week for a three-day visit. Brazil is among the world's top producers of iron ore and holds large reserves of minerals critical to steelmaking. Closer cooperation is expected to improve India's access to raw materials and technologies needed to sustain long-term growth in its steel sector, an Indian government statement said. The cooperation will focus on attracting investment in exploration, mining and steel sector infrastructure, the statement said. India has a steelmaking capacity of 218 million metric tonnes, and companies are expanding output to meet rising domestic demand driven by infrastructure development and industrialisation. Read More: Europe and India seek closer ties with ‘mother of all deals’ Addressing a meeting with a Brazilian delegation led by Lula, Modi said their talks had focused on ways to deepen the India-Brazil trade partnership. "We are committed to taking bilateral trade much beyond $20 billion in the next five years," Modi said. Bilateral trade between the two countries currently stands at about $15b. "Our nations will also work closely in areas such as technology, innovation, digital public infrastructure, AI, semiconductors and more," Modi said. Largest trading partner in Latin America India and Brazil have been strategic partners since 2006, with cooperation spanning trade, defence, energy, agriculture, health, critical minerals, technology and digital infrastructure. Brazil is India's largest trading partner in the Latin America and Caribbean region, and the two countries work closely on global issues such as UN reform, climate change and counter-terrorism. Also Read: Why Trump is tightening up India's screws Lula on Thursday advocated for Brazil and India to conduct trade in their own currencies rather than settling transactions in US dollars, but dismissed speculation that the BRICS group of countries, of which both nations are members, would create a common currency.

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