Gaza/Jerusalem, July 9
At least 17 Palestinians, including several women and children, were killed today, as the death toll rose to 44 in two days of Israeli bombardment of militant positions in Gaza while almost the whole of Israel came under rocket fire from Hamas for the first time.

We demand that Israel must immediately stop its air campaign. The Palestinian Authority will go to all international organisations to seek protection for the Palestinian people Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian Authority President Israel will not tolerate the firing of rockets on our cities and towns. We have therefore significantly expanded our operations against Hamas and the other terrorist organisations in Gaza. Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel Prime Minister

Hamas-ruled Gaza witnessed its bloodiest day since November 2012 as Israel's military said it targeted 118 concealed rocket launchers, 10 Hamas command-and-control centres and 10 tunnels, overnight injuring nearly 300.

It brought to 440 the number of targets in Gaza attacked as part of "Operation Protective Edge".

The military said 117 rockets had hit Israel yesterday, with the Iron Dome interceptor system shooting down 20 while three rockets landed around Jerusalem, the BBC reported.

At least one militant was among the 17 killed today as well as six children and five women, Palestinian emergency services spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said.

Israeli Air Force strikes across the coastal strip which targeted 160 sites, including homes of eight senior Hamas operatives, Muhammad Sinwar and Ra'ed Atar, as efforts to stop rocket attacks on Israel's southern areas intensified.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said their houses served as Hamas command centres and were used in coordinating the rocket fire on Israel's south.

Israeli warplanes also bombed the home of a senior Islamic Jihad militant in Beit Hanoun post-midnight, killing him and five members of his family.

A Gaza health ministry spokesman confirmed that the attack killed Hafiz Hamad and five members of his family.

The deaths brought to 28 the number of casualties since the launch of Israel's 'Operation Protective Edge' early yesterday, with the Israeli army not ruling out the possibility of a major ground offensive having called 40,000 reservists on duty.

Twenty-four of those killed in Gaza died in air strikes yesterday, four Hamas militants were killed staging a beachfront assault on an army base just north of the besieged strip, and nine others were killed just before the start of the operation.

Residents of Jerusalem were caught off-guard yesterday evening as sirens wailed across the Holy City and three loud explosions were heard and a series of flashes lit the sky.

Israeli Police said that one rocket fell in the vicinity of Ramat Raziel, some 10 km from the city's southwestern flank and two more fell in outlying areas, but caused no casualty.

The Israeli offensive intensified after calls from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to make Hamas pay for their rocket attacks and instructions to the army to "take off the gloves" in dealing with the Islamist faction that has controlled the Gaza Strip since June 2007. — PTI

Jakarta, July 9
Both sides claimed victory today in Indonesia's tightest and most divisive presidential election since the end of authoritarian rule, as unofficial tallies showed Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo leading ex-general Prabowo Subianto.

Widodo, the first serious presidential contender without roots in the era of dictator Suharto, declared victory in the world's third largest democracy after the tallies from reliable polling agencies showed him leading by four to five percentage points.

But shortly afterwards Prabowo, who has admitted human rights abuses during the Suharto era and was formerly married to one of the strongman's daughters, also claimed victory.

Prabowo said survey institutes used by his campaign team showed that he and running mate Hatta Rajasa "have received the support and mandate from the people of Indonesia".

A spokesman for Widodo's campaign called on Prabowo and his running mate to behave like "statesmen".

It was an unprecedented standoff in Indonesia since Suharto's downfall in 1998. The only two other direct presidential elections since then were won resoundingly by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. — AFP

Kabul, July 9
Fighting in Afghanistan is spreading into populated areas and taking a record toll on civilians, the UN warned today, as presidential candidates urged supporters not to raise tensions after the disputed election result.

Political deadlock and soaring civilian casualties have caused deep disquiet among Afghanistan's international backers, who sent tens of thousands of NATO-led soldiers and billions of dollars in aid to the country after 2001.

Claims that a functioning state has replaced the harsh Taliban regime look to be in jeopardy after presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah rejected the result of the June 14 run-off election, saying he was the victim of systematic fraud.

Security gains also appear fragile as the final 50,000 NATO troops end their combat mission by December, after 13 years of fighting that have failed decisively to defeat the Taliban insurgents.

Underlining the extent of the violence plaguing Afghanistan, a UN report revealed that civilian casualties of the conflict soared by 24 percent in the first half of 2014.

Ground combat is now causing more deaths and injuries than improvised explosive devices in a worrying sign of spreading conflict.

"The nature of the conflict in Afghanistan is changing in 2014 with an escalation of ground engagements in civilian-populated areas," warned Jan Kubis, chief of the UN mission chief in Afghanistan known as UNAMA.

"The impact on civilians, including the most vulnerable Afghans, is proving to be devastating." In the first six months of this year, UNAMA documented 4,853 civilian casualties — up 24 per cent on the same period in 2013. — AFP

Lahore, July 9
An anti-terrorism court trying the seven accused in the 2008 Mumbai attacks case today adjourned the hearing for the fifth time in the past three months till July 16 after no prosecution lawyer and witnesses turned up.

On May 28, Jun 4, 18 and July 2 hearings, the prosecution lawyers did not appear in the Anti-Terrorism Court in Rawalpindi reportedly due to security reasons.

Prosecutor Syed Abuzar filed an application in the court saying he was indisposed and could not attend today’s hearing. Prosecution chief Chaudhry Azhar, too, did not show up. “Security concerns” is the reason behind his ‘long absence’. The court adjourned the hearing till next Wednesday.

The prosecution lawyers have been skipping the hearings on regular basis in order to draw the court’s attention to ensure their security in the face of threats they allegedly received from Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) activists, sources told PTI. The witnesses summoned for today’s hearing also did not turn up, sources said. — PTI