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Will there be an end to Israel’s killing of civilians in Gaza?

Palestinians are describing the latest Israeli attack on Gaza as a ‘horrific massacre’. More than 90 Palestinians were killed and 300 injured on Saturday in al-Mawasi – an area in Gaza that Israel had designated as safe. Its fighter jets and drones unleashed a barrage of missiles and bombs, obliterating tents that sheltered thousands of displaced families. As the death toll rises and the humanitarian crisis deepens, there are serious questions about Israel’s military conduct and the protection of civilians. Presenter: Mohammed Jamjoom Guests: Ibrahim Yaghi – Writer, poet and activist Tahani Mustafa – Senior Palestine analyst at the International Crisis Group Triestino Mariniello – Professor of law at Liverpool John Moores University, and member of the legal team representing Gaza victims before the International Criminal Court Adblock test (Why?)

Malaysia is building malls like crazy – but shoppers aren’t coming

Petaling Jaya, Malaysia – Looking from behind his counter on a recent Saturday afternoon, computer shop owner Goh Sook Lam surveyed the empty corridors of 3 Damansara shopping mall. Two levels down, shouts rang out from a taekwondo event on the ground floor of the once-popular shopping centre located on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur. “You have a taekwondo competition downstairs, but who is coming up here?” Goh, 48, told Al Jazeera, standing beside longtime customer Rudi Sim, 48, his only spending patron so far for the day. “My regulars are my business. Walk-ins are less … Sometimes I can’t break even.” Goh’s experience is far from isolated in mall-crazy Malaysia, where numerous shopping centres are under construction even as many existing complexes struggle to attract crowds. Home to 33 million people, Malaysia had more than 1,000 shopping complexes at the end of 2023, including centres, arcades and hypermarkets, government data in March showed. As of 2022, nearly 40 percent of malls and retails centres counted by the Malaysia Shopping Malls Association – 727 in total – were located in the greater Kuala Lumpur area alone, according to data shared by the body. While many of the Southeast Asian nation’s prime malls enjoy high foot traffic and near-full occupancies, many tenants of less popular malls are finding it difficult to compete amid an explosion in retail space that even the COVID-19 pandemic failed to stymie. According to a report by the National Property Information Centre (NAPIC), Malaysia’s retail space reached 17.69 million square metres in 2023, up from 16.51 million in 2019. Despite this expansion, national occupancy rates for retail space were lower than before the pandemic, at 77.4 percent last year, according to the report. 3 Damansara is among some 1,000 shopping complexes in Malaysia [Patrick Lee/Al Jazeera] Even before COVID-19, occupancy rates had been in decline, falling from 81.4 percent in 2016 to 79.2 percent in 2019 and 75.4 percent in 2022, the lowest in nearly 20 years, according to the report. Some of the country’s newest malls have been unfazed by waning demand. The Exchange TRX Mall, which boasts 125,000 square metres (1.35 million square feet) of leasable space and a 10-acre (4-hectare) rooftop park, opened in November with 95 percent occupancy. Sitting below Malaysia’s second tallest building, Exchange 106, the mall’s many eateries and premium brand outlets have consistently drawn large crowds since opening. But not all malls have done as well. Even in the capital, where occupancies are among the country’s highest, some locations struggle to pull in much-needed footfall. Opening in early October, the first phase of Pavilion Damansara Heights was relatively empty on a recent weekend visit. Though its lower floors had dozens of customers, its upper levels had hardly any, with people seen passing by boarded-up lots announcing early 2024 openings. Outlets declined requests to comment on the state of business. Some businesses have embraced the challenge of finding ways to stay afloat in less popular malls such as Glo Damansara, which struggles to attract large crowds even on weekends. Attracted by the “affordable” rent, Veronica David, who runs a bakery-cafe with her husband, said her business has managed to grow despite the mall’s quiet location in the suburb of Taman Tun Dr Ismail. Focusing first on corporate clients, they expanded operations to include a lunch menu with more items on the way. “Tenancy (here) was initially low and we thought we were in a wrong location, but within a year we saw positive growth,” the 49-year-old told Al Jazeera. The couple chose the location as most of their clients are based in the area and Glo’s managers were also “extremely friendly” in meeting their needs. “We might not get this assistance from other malls since they can be more strict and rigid,” she said. Pavilion Damansara Heights opened in October [Patrick Lee/Al Jazeera] A restaurant owner at the Hartamas Shopping Centre, who declined to be named, said businesses would only go to malls that were properly built. “If the developer doesn’t do a good job, you don’t attract the right talent,” the man in his early 40s told Al Jazeera. Catering to residents of the upmarket Sri Hartamas area, he said the mall had both “extremely” bad and good days. As such, tenants like him, he said, have to be “very creative” in their marketing to pull in customers. Hartamas Shopping Centre, Glo Damansara, 3 Damansara and Pavilion Damansara Heights did not respond to requests for comment. Malaysia Shopping Malls Association president Phang Sau Lian said retailers need to work harder than ever to stand out in Malaysia’s “crowded” retail landscape. “Consumer trends are lightning fast, and malls must constantly adapt to stay relevant and competitive,” Phang told Al Jazeera, adding that the reasons for underperforming malls include “less than optimum” locations, inaccessibility and oversaturation. Phang said the most significant shift in consumer trends in recent years has been the emergence of food and beverage outlets as the “key driver” of mall traffic. “Their percentage of total leased space (has) soared to nearly 30 percent, compared to a single-digit share a decade ago,” she said, adding that the trend is likely to continue. Foo Gee Jen, an adviser with real estate consultancy CBRE-WTW, said consumers in Malaysia today are often seeking an “experience” beyond just shopping. “It’s no longer just about buying. All the shopping malls are trying to compete in terms of experience,” Foo told Al Jazeera, pointing to facilities such as TRX Mall’s public gardens and arts and culture centres at other complexes. “Ageing malls that have not been upgrading are not able to cope,” Foo said. “If anyone wants to build more malls, they should not be competing against existing ones, but complement (them), because it’s (the scene) very much saturated.” Pavilion Damansara Heights had relatively few shoppers on a recent weekend visit [Patrick Lee/Al Jazeera] The difficult environment has led some mall owners to adopt unorthodox approaches to staying in business. In a since-deleted TikTok video

Kenya police vow ‘transparent’ probe into dismembered female bodies

At least eight bodies have been found, but reports indicate there may be more as anger over the discovery grows. Police in Kenya have promised a “transparent” investigation into the discovery of eight mutilated female bodies that were found dumped in an abandoned quarry in Mukuru, a collection of slums south of the capital Nairobi. “The entire national police service and I understand the deep concern and distress the tragedy brings to the families, residents of Kware and fellow Kenyans,” acting Police Chief Douglas Kanja said in an address to journalists on Sunday. “We are committed to conducting transparent, thorough and swift investigations,” Kanja said, adding that transparency would extend to a post-mortem operation, and the media would be involved at all stages. The announcement came after Kenya’s acting inspector general of police said officers at the police station in Kware were transferred. Investigations on the bodies, which were found dumped inside plastic bags in a case that has rattled the nation, are expected to conclude within three weeks, according to the acting police chief. Police authorities said they were pursuing possible links to cults, serial killers or rogue medical practitioners as part of their investigation. President William Ruto is under increasing pressure to contain the nationwide crisis that has taken hold over widespread anti-government protests. Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome resigned on Friday amid the ongoing protests, which have left dozens of demonstrators killed. The announcement came a day after Ruto fired nearly his entire cabinet in an effort to respond to the demands of the protesters. Kenya’s police watchdog, the Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA), on Friday said it was investigating whether there was any police involvement in the case of the mutilated bodies, noting that the dumpsite was just 100 metres (328 feet) from the police post. The AFP news agency reported that in the absence of a police search on Sunday, volunteers were combing through the vast piles of rubbish in search of more victims. Locals reportedly tried to take a bag they had hauled out of the quarry to the police station, but were met with canisters of tear gas. Adblock test (Why?)

Delhi pollution under control centres to be shut from today, know why

The association highlighted that PUC rates were last revised in 2011 after a six-year gap, with a significant 70% increase at that time.

Biden says politics must never be ‘a literal battlefield’ or ‘killing field’ in post-Trump shooting address

President Biden addressed the nation from the Oval Office Sunday night, saying the attempted assassination of former President Trump forces Americans to “take a step back” and “lower the temperature in our politics.” “My fellow Americans, I want to speak to you tonight about the need for us to lower the temperature in our politics,” he said. “Do remember, while we may disagree, we are not enemies. We’re neighbors, we’re friends, coworkers, citizens, and most importantly, we are fellow Americans. We must stand together.” Biden said the attempted assassination of former President Trump “calls on all of us to take a step back, take stock of where we are.”  He added: “Politics must never be a literal battlefield,” Biden said, “God forbid—a killing field.” BIDEN VOWS SECRET SERVICE WILL PROVIDE TRUMP WITH ‘EVERY RESOURCE’ TO ENSURE ‘CONTINUED SAFETY’ Former President Trump was hit as multiple shots were fired towards the stage from an elevated position near the outdoor venue where he was holding a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday. The bullet pierced the upper part of his right ear before the former president was rushed from the stage by Secret Service agents.  TRUMP SAYS HE WAS ‘SHOT WITH A BULLET’ IN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT AT PENNSYLVANIA RALLY The would-be assassin was identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks. Crooks was killed by a Secret Service sniper soon after he opened fire. But Crooks killed one spectator – Corey Comperatore, a former fire chief in Buffalo Township, Pa. Comperatore was fatally shot as he shielded his wife and daughters from the bullets.  Authorities say two other people were critically injured in the attack.  The FBI is investigating the shooting as an assassination attempt.  Biden spoke earlier on Sunday and said he talked with Trump on Saturday night. Biden said he is “sincerely grateful that he’s doing well and recovering. We had a short but good conversation.” Biden, during the remarks from the Roosevelt Room at the White House, vowed to ensure the U.S. Secret Service provides him with “every resource, capability and protective measure necessary to ensure his continued safety.”  LIVE UPDATES ON DEADLY SHOOTING AT TRUMP RALLY Biden also said he has “directed the head of the Secret Service to review all security measures for all security measures for the Republican National Convention, which is scheduled to start tomorrow.”  Biden said he is “directing an independent review of the security at yesterday’s rally to assess exactly what happened, and we’ll share the results of that independent review with the American people as well.”  The Biden campaign on Saturday night announced it would be pausing all outbound communications and pulling down their campaign ads targeting Trump. The campaign was in the middle of a $50 million ad blitz this month, with spots running in all the key battleground states. 

Shooter’s perch at Trump rally an ‘obvious threat,’ rooftop was a ‘no-brainer’ to secure: expert

Security experts are questioning why the building whose roof served as a shooter’s perch for the assailant responsible for Saturday’s assassination attempt on former President Trump appeared to not have been secured in advance by law enforcement officials. “It’s a no-brainer,” Kevin Maloy, a former retired special agent with the State Department, told Fox News Digital. “Anybody with a security mindset looked at this and goes, ‘What were they thinking? Why was no one there?’” Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, fired his weapon at the 45th president from a rooftop about 150 yards away from where Trump was speaking. Crooks pierced the former president’s ear, killed one attendee and critically injured two others before a U.S. Secret Service sniper took him out. Security professionals were baffled why the building in Butler, Pennsylvania, which seemed to pose such an “obvious threat,” hadn’t been secured.  PHOTO GALLERY: ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP “For an elevated shooting platform within 130 or 150 yards of the podium to not be posted or guarded by a policeman or Secret Service person, or at least, access to that platform be restricted, [is a] clear, fundamental failure of the most simple, rudimentary aspects of a security advance,” Maloy said. “The security advance is where it all happens. That’s where you do your planning. You lay down your requirements for what is needed to secure the venue.” The Secret Service did not immediately reply to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. Local authorities were alerted to a suspicious individual by attendees of the rally but could not locate Crooks before he climbed onto the roof and opened fire, Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said on Sunday. When Secret Service agents first saw the gunman, he was already on the roof firing, according to Guglielmi. At that point, “a Secret Service Counter Sniper neutralized him,” Guglielmi said. But experts said they were perplexed about how Crooks was able to climb on top of the roof in the first place.  HOW SECRET SERVICE PROTOCOL HAS CHANGED AMID PRESIDENTIAL ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTS THROUGH THE YEARS “Normally you would have had somebody posted on either that roof, because of proximity and everything – putting extra bodies on those buildings would have been a normal protocol,” a former White House advance associate told Fox News Digital in an interview. “Or you would have had, what they were probably thinking was, that they had those areas secured by locals because it was far enough out of the bubble.” Normal presidential advance protocol involves Secret Service leadership reviewing and approving security plans, the associate added. Ken Cuccinelli, the former deputy secretary of Homeland Security, explained that while several law enforcement agency partners are often collaborating to secure campaign rallies and other types of events involving presidential figures, “the Secret Service is always in charge of the protection of their protectees. They don’t cede that authority to anyone else, and the law is consistent with that.”  EMOTIONAL GRAHAM DELIVERS MESSAGE OF ‘LOVE’ FOR TRUMP, SAYS US NEEDS ‘SOUL-SEARCHING’ “But,” he said, especially ahead of the GOP convention, the agency is under a lot of “manpower demands.” “There is a major manpower ramp up in presidential campaign years,” Cuccinelli said. “They are also occupied preparing and being responsible preparing this national convention.” He added, “I do not understand why that roof wasn’t secured. It’s too close right to the platform. I don’t know why there weren’t police officers, not Secret Service agents, but police officers on that roof.” Gary Seidman, a former Green Beret chief warrant officer, told Fox News Digital that the operation appeared to be a “botch in security of preparation and defense of exterior perimeters.” “The guy that did the actual shooting obtained high ground,” Seidman said. “The Secret Service did not do proper assessment and exterior assessment.” He continued, “When some guy with a long gun, meaning not a pistol, climbs up a building and everybody sees it but the Secret Service, that is wrong. And there’s something drastically wrong with that.”

‘Failure of security’: Trump shooting sparks ‘solemn’ talks on House GOP safety

House Republicans huddled for a somber safety discussion less than 12 hours after the attempted assassination of former President Trump. House GOP lawmakers spoke with their sergeant at arms via conference call on Sunday afternoon where questions about security at the Republican National Convention dominated discussion. “I think most are angered by the failure of security yesterday,” one House Republican on the call told Fox News Digital. That lawmaker said they felt safe “overall” but noted they now had local police stationed by their driveway. TRUMP SHOOTING: ‘GOD’S HAND OF PROTECTION WAS ON HIM,’ SAYS REV FRANKLIN GRAHAM, OTHERS Another House GOP lawmaker said they sensed “low confidence” among members on the call. When asked if they felt that way in relation to the RNC or lawmakers’ safety overall, they replied, “All of it.” That second member said they felt “a lot less safe” in the wake of Trump’s shooting. “Tone was pretty muted and solemn but unified, obviously,” a third House GOP lawmaker said of the meeting. They said they were “comfortable” with their campaign’s security but pointed out that there was always a risk to members who aren’t in leadership. “The rank and files are generally vulnerable every day we aren’t in the Capitol, unless we have special events with deputies there etc.,” that Republican said. “You kind of have to assume a level of risk, unfortunately. And pray there aren’t crazies there that day.” There is renewed scrutiny on the safety of elected officials in the U.S. in the hours after a gunman opened fire at Trump’s Butler, Pennsylvania, rally on Saturday afternoon. EMOTIONAL GRAHAM DELIVERS MESSAGE OF ‘LOVE’ FOR TRUMP, SAYS US NEEDS ‘SOUL-SEARCHING’ “Are elected officials safe[?] All you have to [do] is witness the violent [protests] over the last few years where cities have been destroyed, innocent lives have been lost, and anarchy has destroyed our rule of law,” Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., told Fox News Digital via text message. House Republicans who spoke with Axios said they were taking added “precautions” at events in the near future and “discussing with our security advisors on how to proceed.” Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have since called on each other to ease up on divisive rhetoric and called for unity in the wake of the deadly shooting, which killed one rally attendee and saw two others critically injured. The shooter was killed by the Secret Service. Trump was injured but escorted to safety by Secret Service agents, but not before pumping his fist on the stage and saying “fight” twice. LIVE UPDATES: FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP SURVIVES ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT, FBI IDs SHOOTER AS THOMAS MATTHEW CROOKS  “We’ve got to turn the temperature down in this country. We need leaders of all parties on both sides to call that out and make sure that happens so that we can go forward and maintain our free society that we all are blessed to have,” Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said on NBC’s “Today” show on Sunday morning. Meanwhile, Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, released a statement condemning the current political environment, which he said is leading to “a dark and almost hopeless future of diminishing freedom, increasing violence, and growing instability led by unserious people who care more about their own personal well-being than the nation’s.” “In the pursuit of short-term political gain, they are eager to exaggerate our differences and cast their political opponents as diabolical caricatures bent on destroying the country,” he said.

Trump ‘extremely lucky’ to have survived assassination attempt, former special forces soldiers say

Former President Trump is “extremely lucky” to be alive after a deadly assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, according to two special forces soldiers. “He is extremely lucky to be alive,” James Pechi, a Marine veteran who later served as a Green Beret, said of the former president in an interview with Fox News Digital. “I was trying to look at this, trying to figure out what was the shot, what was going on,” he added. “It sounded like he shot five times, and then it looked like he grazed [Trump’s] ear or something. … It obviously did some damage.” Pechi – who took part in the Special Operations Target Interdiction Course (SOTIC), now known as the Special Forces Sniper Course, during his tenure in the military – insisted “there’s no ifs, ands or buts about” the fact that Trump could have lost his life at the rally if the bullet had come into closer contact. SENATE HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT AND SECURITY FAILURE Echoing Pechi, Gary Seideman, a former Green Beret chief warrant officer, said Trump was the beneficiary of “good fortune” after surviving the shooter’s attempt to take his life. “The biggest thing is the way he turned, the way it hit his ear and everything, it was just good fortune, and that’s all it was,” Seideman said. “It’s unfortunate the other person was killed there.” “So basically, how Trump was [positioned], if it was at a different angle … Trump’s head would have exploded,” he added. PHOTO GALLERY: ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP Regarding the shooter – identified by the FBI as Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old man from western Pennsylvania – Pechi said, “This was someone that has, obviously, some serious mental health issues.” Crooks reportedly shot at Trump from a rooftop perch some 130 yards away during a rally in the small town, striking the upper part of Trump’s right ear while the former president was speaking to rallygoers ahead of this week’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. One attendee was killed and two others were injured during the incident, the agency said, and Crooks was shot dead. The Pennsylvania State Police identified the victims on Sunday: 50-year-old Corey Comperatore, who was killed; 57-year-old David Dutch, who is in stable condition; and 74-year-old James Copenhaver, who is also in stable condition. “Regardless of what anyone says, how mentally unhealthy they are, you would never shoot into a group of people like that and not expect to kill someone,” Pechi said. “It almost sounded like it was a .22 style instead of a .223, 5.56, almost like a range gun,” Pechi added, speculating about the type of weapon that Crooks may have used. “But with the audio and everything else going on there, you know, it could have been bigger.” Crooks was from Bethel Park, which is a Pittsburgh suburb about an hour south from where the assassination attempt took place. Crooks graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022. He was one of nearly two dozen students from the school to earn a $500 “star award” from the National Math and Science Initiative. An online recording of his graduation ceremony shows him walking the stage to minimal applause and briefly posing with a school official, the New York Times reported. Fox News’ Andrea Vacchiano and Scott McDonald contributed to this report.

Abbott reprimands CenterPoint and calls for an investigation into the utility’s response to Beryl blackouts

Abbott demanded that the utility company produce a plan by the end of July outlining how it will improve power reliability ahead of future storms.

Trump rally witness is not surprised by assassination attempt, says WWII veteran showed heroism

A Pennsylvania woman attended the rally held by former President Trump on Saturday with her husband and, initially, was uncertain if the pops she heard were directly related to a gun, as she assumed, because of the fun-loving atmosphere, that someone set off fireworks. “It was truly a lovely day and as we were sitting there, it really sounded like firecrackers,” Chris Konopka, 56, of McMurray, Pennsylvania, told Fox News Digital over the phone. “There was no panic on my part because I immediately thought, ‘OK, who’s the idiot that did this because he’s ruining it for everybody?’” Konopka described the day as an incredibly hot one, but lively and full of “happy, pleasant and helpful” rally goers. “Nobody was drinking, chanting, screaming; none of it,” she said. TRUMP RALLY VICTIM IDENTIFIED AS COREY COMPERATORE, ‘HERO’ SHIELDED WIFE AND GIRLS FROM BULLETS Konopka, a first-time rally attendee, and her husband, small business owners near Bethel Park where the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was from, were seated about 20 feet behind Trump and the stage. She said it wasn’t until the couple got home that they understood the gravity of the situation as iPhone service at Butler Farm Show Grounds was limited and only text messages from her mom were coming through. Trump was struck by a bullet on his ear. “I did not see the blood on his face,” Konopka said. “The bleachers to the right of us where the gentleman actually did get killed, I assumed, ‘Oh, that’s where the noise came from, they got the guy that was doing the fireworks,’ not knowing that guy had gotten shot.” She added that there was no stampede of attendees and bystanders remained calm as they filed out to their cars in an orderly fashion. “We were all just walking and being ushered out, everybody waited their turn to be ushered out,” she said. “That atmosphere, too, made me think ‘OK, I’m gonna sit back and not react right away.’ It all happened so quickly.” Among those in the crowd nearby was a young girl, who Konopka believed to be 10 years old, crying. “It was so said,” she said. DRAMATIC IMAGES: FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP SURVIVES APPARENT ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT Konopka said that, though she’d never been to a rally before, she was particularly alert as to the lack of protection as she walked into the outdoor venue. She described the security scene, including one metal detector, as “lax.” “I remember my husband saying, ‘You know, I don’t know about this,’” she said. “In my humble opinion, they made that very, very easy for that 20-year-old.” Though she said she’s unsure if some security personnel were undercover, she believes Trump is at too high of a risk to have such little protection. “It was kind of surreal but then again, I’m going to be honest, I was not surprised and I kind of thought it was coming,” Konopka said of an assassination attempt on Trump. “I just didn’t know I was going to have a front seat. We shouldn’t be surprised.” Konopka is most curious as to where the bullet that struck Trump is presently located. GOFUNDME ‘AUTHORIZED’ BY TRUMP FOR BUTLER, PA, VICTIMS EXCEEDS $2M; VIVEK RAMASWAMY DONATES $30K “It probably should have hit somebody two rows above me because a bullet doesn’t stop and there was nothing behind that podium to stop it besides more people,” she said. “Where is it?” She doesn’t believe that Crooks had enough access to weaponry and intelligence to act alone and Konopka says Americans aren’t asking enough questions. Konopka said she extends her condolences to the family of the man who lost his life, and though disheartened by the loss, she said she was especially taken aback by the heroism of one WWII veteran in attendance. “Everyone was ducking,” she said. “He stood straight up and went straight to that podium without even thinking about it.” She added that it was a “pretty incredible” sight and gave her new hope for the future.