Oscar-winning Palestinian director Hamdan Ballal released from detention
Hamdan Ballal, the Palestinian co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land who was detained by the Israeli army after being attacked by settlers, has been released. In a post on social media platform X on Tuesday, his fellow co-director Yuval Abraham said: “After being handcuffed all night and beaten in a military base, Hamdan Ballal is now free and is about to go home to his family.” The Associated Press news agency said its journalists had also seen Ballal and two other Palestinian people leaving the police station where they were being held in the Israeli settlement of Kiryat Arba in the occupied West Bank. Ballal had bruises on his face and blood on his clothes, the AP reported. Ballal said he was held at an army base and forced to sleep under a freezing air conditioner. “I was blindfolded for 24 hours,” he told AP. “All the night I was freezing. It was a room, I couldn’t see anything … I heard the voice of soldiers laughing about me.” Lea Tsemel, the attorney representing the three men, said that they received only minimal care for their injuries from the attack and that she had no access to them for several hours after their arrest. She had earlier said they were accused of throwing stones at a young settler, allegations they deny. Advertisement Ballal and the other directors of No Other Land, which explores the struggles of living under Israeli occupation, had mounted the stage at the 97th Academy Awards in Los Angeles earlier this month when the film won the Oscar award for Best Documentary Feature. On Monday, around two dozen settlers — some masked, some carrying guns and some in military uniforms — attacked the occupied West Bank village of Susiya in the evening as residents were breaking their fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Soldiers who arrived pointed their guns at the Palestinians, while settlers continued throwing stones, residents told the AP. Lamia Ballal, the director’s wife, said she heard her husband being beaten outside their home as she huddled inside with their three children. She heard him screaming, “I’m dying!” and calling for an ambulance. When she looked out the window, she saw three men in uniform beating Ballal with the butts of their rifles and another person in civilian clothes who appeared to be filming the violence. “Of course, after the Oscar, they have come to attack us more,” Lamia said. “I felt afraid.” Human rights group Amnesty International called for accountability for the attack. “Hamdan Billal was forcibly disappeared by Israeli soldiers after having been assaulted by Israeli settlers attacking Palestinians … He has now been released, but those who carried out the attacks must be held accountable,” it said in a post on X. Ballal said he was attacked by a well-known settler who had threatened him in the past. Advertisement The settler can be seen with other masked men in a widely circulated video from August in which they threaten Ballal. “This is my land, I was given it by God,” the settler says in the video, in which he also uses profanity and tries to get Ballal to fight him. “Next time it won’t be nice,” the settler says in the video. On Tuesday, a small bloodstain could be seen outside Ballal’s family home, and the car’s windshield and windows were shattered. Neighbours pointed to a nearby water tank with a hole in the side that they said had been punched by the settlers. Basel Adra – another of the film’s co-directors, who is a prominent Palestinian activist in the area – said there has been a massive upswing in attacks by settlers and Israeli forces since the Oscar win. “Nobody can do anything to stop the pogroms, and soldiers are only there to facilitate and help the attacks,” he said. “We’re living in dark days here, in Gaza, and all of the West Bank … Nobody’s stopping this.” The Israeli military said on Monday that it had detained three Palestinians suspected of hurling rocks at forces and one Israeli civilian involved in what it described as a violent confrontation. Adblock test (Why?)
Indonesia beat Bahrain in crucial World Cup qualifier
Indonesia move clear in fourth spot in Group C of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Asia with 1-0 win against Bahrain. Indonesia secured a crucial 1-0 win in their Group C qualifier against Bahrain in Jakarta to increase their hopes of reaching the 2026 World Cup. It was head coach Patrick Kluivert’s first win in charge after the former Netherlands international lost his opening game 5-1 to Australia last Thursday. Ole Romeny scored the only goal of the game in the 24th minute as he latched onto Marselino Ferdinan’s pass before beating the keeper. The win moves fourth-placed Indonesia three points clear of their opponents and China, who are bottom of the six-team group with both the fifth- and sixth-placed teams holding six points. Ole Romeny, centre, of Indonesia celebrates with teammate Ragnar Oratmangoen, right, after scoring the only goal of the game [Robertus Pudyanto/Getty Images] Japan, who have already secured their qualification for next year’s tournament, were held to a 0-0 draw by third-placed Saudi Arabia. Australia comfortably won 2-0 in China to consolidate second spot, where they are three points clear of Saudi Arabia but still seven behind Japan. The top two teams qualify automatically, while third and fourth head to playoffs and fifth and sixth are eliminated from the qualification process. Second-half Indonesian substitute Tijjani Reijnders blazed a chance high and wide, which would have eased the pressure the home side felt after a much-improved second-half display from Bahrain. Advertisement It was Romeny’s cool first-time finish, after a cross from the right, that handed Indonesia the points as they bid to reach only their second World Cup finals. Their only previous appearance in global football’s showpiece event came in 1938 when they were known as the Dutch East Indies, seven years prior to their independence from the Netherlands. Adblock test (Why?)
A timeline of Israel’s weaponisation of aid to Gaza
Israel is again starving Palestinians in Gaza as its renewed bombardment kills hundreds, many of them children. Israel has repeatedly used food and international humanitarian aid as a tool of collective pressure against Palestinians over 17 months of its devastating war on the Gaza Strip. Civilians in the enclave have been subjected to extreme food shortages and famine-like conditions throughout the war. Dozens of children have died of starvation, and countless others have succumbed to wounds or preventable illnesses during a deteriorating man-made humanitarian disaster. Israeli authorities continue to starve Palestinians in the besieged enclave, which is home to 2.3 million people, after having blocked the entry of desperately needed humanitarian aid once again in early March. And on March 18, Israel unilaterally broke a ceasefire that had held since January, relaunching attacks across Gaza, and killing hundreds more Palestinians. The combination of the bombs and debilitating humanitarian situation is rapidly worsening conditions for the people of Gaza, but it has been a constant since the beginning of the war in October 2023. Here’s a closer look at how Israel has used aid to punish Gaza: Advertisement October 2023 October 9: Israel announces a “total blockade” on the Gaza Strip, halting the entry of all food, water, medicine, fuel and electricity. Then-Defence Minister Yoav Gallant promises action against “human animals”, and orders a “complete siege”. Thirteen months later, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issues an arrest warrant against Gallant and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on charges that include the “war crime of starvation as a method of warfare”. October 21: The first aid truck enters Gaza via a land route from Egypt as the Israeli military carries on with two weeks of deadly bombing. The Israeli military eventually allows an extremely limited number of aid trucks to enter the enclave after international pressure. November 2023 November 24: A temporary truce is reached between Israel and Hamas, allowing a slight increase in the humanitarian aid entering Gaza. The United Nations and international aid agencies report that the amount of aid entering Gaza is highly inadequate to meet the needs of the population, most of whom are children. The temporary cessation of attacks enables several limited exchanges of captives held in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, but there is no promise for an end to the war or for the return of Palestinians forced out of their homes as a result of the fighting. A Palestinian girl inspects damage at the site of an Israeli strike on a house in Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on March 25, 2025 [Ramadan Abed/Reuters] The Gaza truce then ends a week after it started, and relentless Israeli attacks restart, killing more civilians, journalists, aid workers and doctors along with Hamas figures. Advertisement February 2024 February 29: Israel kills at least 112 Palestinians and wounds more than 750 when it opens fire on Palestinians waiting for food aid southwest of Gaza City in what is called the “flour massacre”. The Israeli military carries out numerous similar attacks on life-saving aid convoys, often saying “terrorists” are being targeted but without providing evidence. The UN and other international agencies and aid workers repeatedly report that the Israeli authorities intentionally block many aid trucks meant to enter the enclave. Israeli attacks along with blocked aid and dire conditions created by Israeli ground offensives and destruction across Gaza also lead to aid convoys being attacked and looted. Far-right Israelis also on numerous occasions either attack aid convoys or try to stop them from entering Gaza. April 2024 April 1: Israeli drone strikes target an aid convoy with the World Central Kitchen (WCK), killing six international aid workers and a Palestinian driver. The WCK is forced to halt its humanitarian operations, similar to many other international aid organisations that temporarily or permanently stop their assistance to Palestinians. An investigation by Al Jazeera’s Sanad verification agency finds that the three WCK vehicles were intentionally hit, adding to a record death toll of hundreds of mostly Palestinian aid workers killed since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza. October 2024 October 6: The Israeli military commences a massive siege on northern Gaza, designating the entire area a combat zone and issuing forced evacuation orders to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians. Advertisement The siege on the north, which is accompanied by Israeli attacks across other parts of Gaza, lasts until a ceasefire with Hamas comes into effect on January 19, 2025. The entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza is heavily restricted by Israel throughout the winter amid low temperatures. Far-right Israeli government ministers, chief among them Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, call for the blockage of all humanitarian aid and for a military occupation of Gaza, preferring this to the option of a ceasefire. Ben-Gvir, left,, leader of the far-right Jewish Power party, and Smotrich, leader of the far-right Religious Zionist Party, have been against all ceasefire efforts and say Israeli settlements should be built in Gaza [File: Gil Cohen-Magen/AFP] January 2025 January 19: The implementation of the ceasefire allows a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza, something relief organisations say would need to persist for a long time before life could return to any semblance of normality. Israel allows more trucks to enter Gaza in the days after the truce comes into effect, but the volume of aid is much less than what had been agreed upon in the ceasefire. As babies die from the cold, the Israeli government prevents the entry of thousands of mobile homes meant to shelter displaced Palestinians along with heavy equipment required to clear the rubble of destroyed homes and infrastructure. March 2025 March 2: For the second time since the start of the war, Israel halts the entry of all humanitarian aid into Gaza, an order that currently remains in effect. March 10: Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), warns that another hunger crisis looms in Gaza and accuses Israel of
Russia and Ukraine agree to halt Black Sea strikes, US says
Ukraine defence minister says Kyiv will view movement of Russian military vessels beyond eastern Black Sea as violation. Russia and Ukraine have agreed separately to avoid military strikes on vessels in the Black Sea, the United States has announced after talks in Saudi Arabia. In parallel statements, the White House said on Tuesday that each country “agreed to ensure safe navigation, eliminate the use of force and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes in the Black Sea”. Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, who was a member of his country’s delegation in Riyadh, confirmed Kyiv had agreed to the partial ceasefire, specifying that it included attacks on Black Sea shipping and energy infrastructure. He warned in a Facebook post that Kyiv would view any movements of Russian warships “outside the eastern part” of the Black Sea as a violation of the agreement to stop the “use of force”. In such an instance, Ukraine would have the “full right to exercise right to self-defence”, he said. Umerov also called for “additional technical consultations” as soon as possible to agree on “all the details and technical aspects of the implementation, monitoring and control of the arrangements”. Advertisement There was no immediate comment from Russia. The announcement came after US negotiators held separate talks with Russian and Ukrainian teams that were primarily focused on ending attacks on Black Sea shipping with a view to usher in a broader ceasefire in the more than three-year Russia-Ukraine war. During a 12-hour session on Monday, US and Russian officials discussed the possible resumption of the 2022 Black Sea Grain Initiative, an agreement that was supposed to allow Ukraine to ship millions of tonnes of grain and other food exports from its ports. Moscow pulled out of the initiative, brokered by Turkiye and the United Nations, in 2023, accusing the West of failing to uphold its commitments to ease sanctions on Russia’s own exports of farm products and fertilisers. The US said on Tuesday that it would support the resumption of Russian fertiliser exports. “The United States will help restore Russia’s access to the world market for agricultural and fertilizer exports, lower maritime insurance costs and enhance access to ports and payment systems for such transactions,” a White House statement said. Adblock test (Why?)
Renewed fighting in DR Congo as regional powers step up ceasefire efforts
Rwanda-backed M23 rebels battle pro-government fighters in North Kivu and South Kivu province after regional mediators hold truce talks. Rwanda-backed M23 rebels and pro-government fighters have clashed in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo despite pressure from regional mediators to halt the fighting. The rebels battled pro-government fighters known as Wazalendo on Tuesday in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, a day after 24 members of two regional blocs – the East African Community and the Southern African Development Community – held virtual talks aimed at reviving faltering ceasefire initiatives. The M23’s swift advance since January has seen it take eastern Congo’s two largest cities – Goma and Bukavu – resulting in thousands of deaths and forcing hundreds of thousands more from their homes. On Monday, the conflict flared up again, with rebels reneging on a pledge to withdraw from the strategic town of Walikale in North Kivu province. Muhindo Tafuteni, a local civil society activist, told the news agency Reuters that clashes in North Kivu were taking place on Tuesday near the banks of Lake Edward, which straddles the border between Congo and Uganda. Advertisement In South Kivu, fighting reportedly took place in several towns north of the provincial capital, Bukavu, which M23 captured in February. Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Congo River Alliance of rebel groups that includes the M23, pledged to continue fighting “like people who got nothing to lose in order to secure the future of our country”. The rebel leader also rejected the outcome of last week’s meeting between Congolese and Rwandan leaders in Qatar, saying any moves to achieve peace without his group’s involvement would fail. “Anything regarding us which are done without us, it’s against us,” Nangaa told The Associated Press news agency. Regional peacemakers Leaders from the EAC and the SADC met on Monday to advance a ceasefire plan aimed at ending the conflict, which is rooted in the long fallout from the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and competition for control of mineral riches. Congo’s mineral resources are estimated to be worth $24 trillion and are critical to much of the world’s technology. In a statement afterwards, they said they had appointed five former heads of state to facilitate the peace process. The appointees are Nigeria’s Olusegun Obasanjo, South Africa’s Kgalema Motlanthe, Ethiopia’s Sahle-Work Zewde, Kenya’s Uhuru Kenyatta and Central African Republic’s Catherine Samba Panza. Congo’s presidency said the new panel would name a mediator to replace Angolan President Joao Lourenco, who withdrew from the role on Monday following years of efforts to ease tensions between Rwanda and the DRC. Advertisement A meeting had previously been scheduled in Angola after Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi dropped his longstanding refusal to negotiate with M23, but the rebels withdrew in protest at new European Union sanctions. Tensions with Burundi As fighting continues in DRC, President Evariste Ndayishimiye of Burundi, whose troops have fought in support of DRC’s army against M23, alleged that Rwanda had a plan to attack Burundi. Burundi says it believes Rwanda is supporting the resurgent Red Tabara rebel group, claiming that it is aimed at destabilising the country in the same way M23 has sown mayhem in the DRC. “They would say it’s an internal problem when it’s Rwanda [who is] the problem,” Ndayishimiye said in an interview with the BBC. “Burundians will not accept to be killed as Congolese are being killed. Burundian people are fighters.” Rwanda’s government spokesperson Yolande Makolo expressed surprise at Ndayishimiye’s comments, saying that “Rwandan and Burundian defence and security institutions” had been meeting “to discuss how to secure our common borders”. Adblock test (Why?)
Flavours of the Arab Golden Age – EP 3: Aleppo and the Silk Road
Chef Fadi and historian Kotoz learn about Silk Road merchants who brought exotic spices to Europe and the Arab world. A historian and a chef go on a culinary journey through history to discover the roots of Arab cuisine and its influence on the food and flavours of today. Kotoz Ahmed, a researcher in Arabian food history, and Fadi Kattan, a renowned Palestinian chef, travel Europe in search of recipe manuscripts from the days of the old Arab dynasties and empires. In this final episode, they learn how Cairo became an influential cultural hub, as the Silk Road connected Egypt to China, Russia, India, Iraq and the Levantine merchants, controlling the spice trade during the Mamluk era. Aleppo was also an important melting pot, at the crossroads of several trade routes – one of its 13th-century books introduced the idea of food as pleasure, bringing perfumes, fragrances and medicinal oils into cookery, an innovation at the time. Kotoz finishes by cooking al Mashoka, meaning “The Adored”, using exotic ingredients from Arabia, Aleppo and spices from the Far East. Adblock test (Why?)
Can reconstruction ever begin in Gaza?
Israel has resumed its assault on Gaza, shattering the ceasefire with Hamas. Hundreds of people were killed in the first week of renewed attacks and Palestinians have once again been given evacuation orders. As destruction mounts the hope of rebuilding Gaza is fading fast. This week on Now You Know, we talk to Ms. Paula Gaviria, UN Special Rapporteur for the human rights of internally displaced people. We talk about the challenges involved in planning for the rebuilding of Gaza and ask, Will it ever become a reality? Adblock test (Why?)
Trends, trash and truth: Fast fashion phenomena
Fast fashion has made clothing more affordable, but behind the low prices lie exploitative labour practices and environmental destruction. Workers in the Global South receive low salaries and often work in unsafe conditions while textile waste pollutes ecosystems. As consumers push for ethical alternatives, slow fashion promotes sustainability and fair wages – but is it accessible for everyone? Can consumer choices drive real change, or does the industry need systemic reform? We explore the high cost of cheap clothes. Guests: Venetia La Manna – fair fashion campaigner Walden Lam – president and co-founder, Unspun Katia Osei – lead researcher and bioengineer, Or Foundation Joy Buchanan – associate professor, Samford University Presenter: Anelise Borges Adblock test (Why?)
UN says it will ‘reduce footprint in Gaza’ amid renewed Israeli assault
NewsFeed The United Nations says it will reduce its footprint in Gaza amid Israel’s renewed assault on the strip, with one-third of its international staff of 100 leaving. A spokesperson added that the organisation had determined an Israeli tank was behind an attack on a UN facility last week that killed one staff member and injured six others. Published On 24 Mar 202524 Mar 2025 Adblock test (Why?)
Thousands rally in Serbia against Trump son-in-law’s real estate project
Demonstrators protest Jared Kushner’s plans to transform former army HQ bombed by NATO into luxury hotel and shopping site. Thousands of people have taken to the streets in Serbia’s capital Belgrade to voice discontent over a luxury real estate project spearheaded by Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of United States President Donald Trump. The protests took place on Monday in front of the country’s former army headquarters, which were destroyed in a US-led NATO bombing campaign in 1999 as part of the Kosovo war, and are now being leased by the Serbian authorities to Kushner’s Affinity Partners investment firm, so they can be transformed into a high-end compound. “It is the 26th anniversary of the NATO bombing. And we protest because this building has been given to someone to make profit,” said Ognjen Pjevac, a 20-year-old University of Belgrade student. “But it should remain here as it is a testimony to NATO aggression.” Protesters demanded that the site, comprised of two buildings designed by Serbian architect Nikola Dobrovic that were damaged by NATO’s bombing of what was then Yugoslavia, be reinstated as a heritage site and that plans for the development project be scrapped. Advertisement Serbia’s architects, engineers and opposition parties have opposed the government’s multimillion-dollar contract with Kushner, which includes a 99-year lease on the prime land in the heart of Belgrade. The demonstration was the latest in a series of massive protests against the government of President Aleksandar Vucic, who has been in power for 12 years as prime minister or president and is accused by critics of corruption and democratic backsliding. Last November’s collapse of a roof at a train station in Serbia’s second-biggest city of Novi Sad, a disaster that claimed the lives of 15 people, became a lightning rod for dissatisfaction with Vucic’s administration, bringing thousands onto the streets in sustained demonstrations. Critics blamed the crash on government corruption, negligence and disrespect for construction safety rules during renovation. Earlier in 2024, there were also mass protests against the government’s greenlighting of plans for a controversial lithium mine set to serve as a vital power source in Europe’s green energy transition, which opponents say will pollute water sources and endanger public health. Serbia maintains a balancing act between its historical ties with the European Union and Russia. But has leaned closely to Moscow for decades now. Earlier this month, Vucic posted on Instagram that Russian President Vladimir Putin had expressed his support for Serbia’s authorities amid what he called the “coloured revolution”, a reference to popular uprisings experienced by former Soviet states. Advertisement Monday also marked Remembrance Day for the victims of NATO’s 78-day bombing campaign that started on March 24, 1999. The US-led NATO air war, launched to stop Belgrade’s crackdown against separatist ethnic Albanians in Kosovo, still provokes strong emotions in Serbia. Kosovo became an independent state in 2008 but some in Serbia still call for its reintegration. The bombed-out former army compound had become a symbol of Serb resistance. If transformed by Kushner, it would feature a Trump hotel, luxury apartments, office spaces and shops, along with a memorial for the victims of the bombing. Adblock test (Why?)