Nine countries pledge to enforce arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
New Delhi: Nine nations have pledged to take action against Israel, including upholding The Hague's arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, as part of efforts to end Israel's occupation of Palestine and address its operations in Gaza.
Organized under the 'Hague Group,' the countries—Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Honduras, Malaysia, Namibia, Senegal, and South Africa—announced their commitment on January 31. They also vowed to prevent the supply of arms and munitions to Israel where there is a clear risk they may be used to violate international law, and to block vessels carrying military fuel or weapons to Israel from docking at their ports.
The group cited violations of international humanitarian law, human rights law, and the prohibition of genocide in Palestine as the basis for their stance. Their decision was influenced by Israel's disregard for rulings by international courts, including the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC).
South Africa, one of the member countries, previously brought a case before the ICJ alleging Israel's genocide in Gaza, a case expected to take years to conclude.
“The Hague Group’s formation sends a clear message: no nation is above the law, and no crime will go unanswered,” said South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola.
Progressive International (PI), the organization convening the group's meeting, called for renewed international efforts to hold Israel accountable for its actions. PI also quoted Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, stating that Israel's violations of international law extend beyond the persecution of Palestinians and threaten the very foundations of global law.
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ISRO successfully conducts second integrated air drop test for Gaganyaan mission
New Delhi (PTI): Space agency ISRO has successfully conducted the second integrated air drop test (IADT-02) for the upcoming Gaganyaan mission at the space station in Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota.
The system is essential to ensure a safe recovery of the crew module -- the capsule in which astronauts sit during a human flight -- during re-entry and landing.
Union minister Jitendra Singh congratulated the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for successfully conducting the test.
"Congratulations #ISRO for the successful accomplishment of Second Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-02) for #Gaganyaan, India's first Human Space flight scheduled next year. The second Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-02) was successfully conducted at Satish Dhawan Space Station Sriharikota," Singh said in a post on X.
The IADT-02 follows the successful completion of the first IADT, which took place on August 24, 2025, at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
Air drop tests recreate the last leg of a spacecraft's return to Earth. An aircraft or helicopter drops the spacecraft from a height to test various systems under different scenarios.
These are the deployment of the parachute system in case the mission is aborted mid-flight, system performance when one parachute fails to open and the spacecraft's orientation and safety during splashdown etc.
In the IADT-02 test, a simulated crew module, weighing about 5.7 tonnes, was lifted by an Indian Air Force Chinook helicopter to an altitude of about three kilometres and released over a designated drop zone in the sea, near the Sriharikota coast.
In a statement, the ISRO said, "Ten parachutes of four types were deployed in a precise sequence during the descent of the crew module, gradually reducing the velocity for safe touchdown. Subsequently, the simulated crew module was successfully recovered in coordination with the Indian Navy."
