Longest held Palestinian prisoner released by Israel
NewsFeed Nael Barghouti, the longest held Palestinian prisoner who spent 44 years in an Israeli jail, was released and exiled to Egypt as part of the 7th prisoner-captive exchange between Israel and Hamas. This is his message to Gaza. Published On 27 Feb 202527 Feb 2025 Adblock test (Why?)
Real Madrid win marred by more racism directed towards Vinicius Junior
Real Madrid secured a 1-0 win at Real Sociedad in a Copa del Rey semifinal first-leg clash marred by further racist abuse of Brazilian international Vinicius Junior. Fellow Brazil forward Endrick scored the only goal of the game in the first half at Reale Arena in San Sebastian in the north of Spain. However, there was controversy just before half-time when the match was paused because of chants of “Asencio die” being aimed at Real Madrid defender Raul Asencio. A video subsequently emerged on social media of a Real Sociedad fan appearing to make monkey gestures at Vinicius Junior while the game was stopped. Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid spoke to referee, Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez, in front of Real Sociedad fans before the game was temporarily halted [David Ramos/Getty Images] Fans have aimed the chant at 22-year-old centre-back, Asencio, at various stadiums in recent weeks, but this was the first time the match has been stopped. Asencio is alleged to have shared a sexually explicit video of a minor recorded by two former Real Madrid youth players and is under investigation by a Spanish court. The match was stopped just before half-time after Vinicius reported the chants against Asencio to the referee. “Vinicius spoke to the referee, the referee stopped the game, he applied the protocol, that was what had to happen,” Real Madrid coach Ancelotti told reporters. Advertisement The coach substituted the defender at halftime for Lucas Vazquez. “I took him [Vinicius Jr]off because of two things, he was affected, and he had a yellow card, so I preferred to take him off,” explained Ancelotti. “I think nobody likes that a stadium chants for you to die. I think he was affected in that sense. He wasn’t exactly happy, I preferred to take him off in case how he was feeling could affect the game.” Real Sociedad forward Mikel Oyarzabal added: “The insults should be condemned, we don’t like them … there are other ways to condemn the actions that others may have committed. We don’t think this is the right way.” Real Sociedad’s LED board stated, ‘No to racist, xenophobic and intolerant chants. Encourage and support the team while respecting the rival,’ following an incident involving Vinicius Junior [not pictured] and fans in the first half [David Ramos/Getty Images] The images of the racist abuse aimed at Vinicius were quickly recirculated online, while with the match delayed, Sociedad posted a message on the big screen inside the stadium saying: “No to racist, xenophobic and intolerant chants. Encourage and support the team while respecting the rival.” Vinicius has long been a target of racist abuse in Spanish football. In October, four people were arrested and questioned in Spain on suspicion of conducting an online hate campaign against the 24-year-old. In June last year, three Valencia fans were each sentenced to eight months in prison for hate crimes against the forward. It was a landmark case as they were the first convictions for racist insults in a football stadium in Spain. Advertisement Spanish and European champions Madrid will entertain Sociedad in the second leg on April 1 at their Santiago Bernabeu stadium for the right to meet either Barcelona or Atletico Madrid in the final. Endrick’s 19th-minute strike, finishing with the outside of his boot after racing on to Jude Bellingham’s diagonal ball, was enough to claim the first tie. Madrid were without French superstar Kylian Mbappe after a dental problem as well as Fede Valverde and Thibaut Courtois. Ancelotti chose to rotate his side further ahead of the visit to face Real Betis in LaLiga on Saturday – and next week’s Champions League last 16 clash against Atletico Madrid – by making seven changes in total from Sunday’s 2-0 win against Girona. Real Madrid’s Endrick scored the only goal of the game [Vincent West/Reuters] Despite his many replacements, including starts for Arda Guler, Fran Garcia and Eduardo Camavinga, Madrid put on a solid showing. Endrick sent Los Blancos ahead when Bellingham sent the 18-year-old attacker in on goal. After taking one touch to control, with his second Endrick stroked home stylishly at the near post. It was his sixth goal of the campaign, four of those coming in the Copa del Rey, where Ancelotti has given him the most chance to shine. Bellingham, who missed Madrid’s win at the weekend through suspension, looked refreshed and helped his side stay largely on top. Referee Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez, left, Real Madrid’s head coach Carlo Ancelotti, centre, Real Sociedad’s head coach Imanol Alguacil, right, spoke immediately after the incident reported by Vinicius Junior [Miguel Oses/AP] Vinicius came close with a low shot which Alex Remiro tipped to safety. Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin made a fine double save early in the second half to keep Mikel Oyarzabal and Takefusa Kubo at bay. Advertisement Madrid came close to a second at the other end when Endrick crashed a shot against the bar from the edge of the box. Remiro produced a fine save to push away Bellingham’s deflected strike and then another to thwart the same player from long range in the final stages, keeping Real Sociedad’s hopes of a second-leg comeback alive. In the other semifinal first leg on Tuesday Atletico Madrid fought back to draw 4-4 with record 31-time cup winners Barcelona. Adblock test (Why?)
Pakistan vs Bangladesh – Champions Trophy: Match start time, teams, stream
Who: Pakistan vs BangladeshWhat: ICC Champions Trophy Group A matchWhen: Thursday, February 27 at 2pm (09:00 GMT)Where: Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi, PakistanFollow Al Jazeera’s live text and photo commentary stream from 05:00 GMT. Pakistan’s hurting players will be motivated by pride in their dead rubber against Bangladesh, head coach Aaqib Javed said, after the hosts were dumped out of the Champions Trophy in the group stage. The defending champions’ hopes of reaching the semifinals were ended after defeats to New Zealand and India, leaving their final Group A game in Rawalpindi inconsequential. Rain washed out the Australia-South Africa Group B match on Tuesday and more is predicted on Thursday, leaving Pakistan in danger of finishing fourth and last on net run-rate. Whatever happens, it will be a disappointing conclusion to Pakistan’s first hosting of a major international cricket competition in three decades. “There are no excuses, there shouldn’t be any in life, but I can assure you that the players are more hurt than the fans and want to leave a mark in the last game,” said Aaqib on Wednesday. Advertisement “The players are not satisfied, no one is satisfied after losing, but everyone tries hard to win, and by doing so, we have recently won a series in Australia and South Africa.” Pakistan beat Australia 2-1 in November – their first ODI series win there for 22 years – before whitewashing South Africa 3-0 in the build-up to the Champions Trophy. “This is the Champions Trophy, where the eight best teams are playing, so after two defeats we have to start from zero,” said Aaqib. “Every game is played for pride, so we want to leave a mark on Thursday,” said Aaqib. Their Champions Trophy flop left former Pakistan players and fans angry over the continuous failure of the team, having also crashed out of the 2023 World Cup and Twenty20 World Cup last year, both in the first round. Aaqib admitted losing to archrivals India left fans emotional. “People are more involved in an India-Pakistan match and they do not accept a defeat against India and that defeat in Dubai has left them more dejected,” said Aaqib. Pakistan were below par against a formidable India in Dubai on Sunday, losing by six wickets. “We managed just 241 in batting and when facing a strong batting line-up, you attack in order to get wickets, and in the process, you bowl on both sides,” said Aaqib. A fast bowler himself, who played 22 Tests and 163 ODIs for Pakistan, Aaqib backed his struggling pace trio. “People blamed two, three players, which is not correct,” said Aaqib. “If you assess Shaheen [Afridi], Naseem [Shah] and Haris [Rauf], they are still the best bowlers in the world.” Advertisement Pakistan vs Bangladesh: Head-to-head record In terms of match results, Pakistan hold an upper hand over their South Asian opponents in all formats of the game. In ODIs, the hosts have beaten Bangladesh in 34 of their 39 encounters with the last one coming at the World Cup 2023 in India. Bangladesh’s first of five wins came at the World Cup 1999 in England, where they famously beat the mighty Pakistan side of the 1990s in the group stage. The teams have never faced each other in the Champions Trophy’s eight previous editions. Form guide: Pakistan The hosts came into the tournament on the back of three ODI series wins but swiftly left the form behind to lose their first two group matches. From their misfiring batting lineup to poor fielding and below-par bowling, not much has gone Pakistan’s way in the tournament. Last five ODIs: L W L L L Forum guide: Bangladesh Bangladesh’s form in ODI cricket has been abysmal of late, with the Tigers losing all three matches away to West Indies in December on the back of a 2-1 series loss against Afghanistan in November. Last five ODIs: L L L L L Team news: Pakistan Pakistan could opt to make a couple of changes in their lineup for their last group match as it is inconsequential to their fate in the tournament. Middle-order batter Tayyab Tahir could lose his spot to Kamran Ghulam, while the hosts may also be tempted to slot in Usman Khan for Imam-ul-Haq. Squad: Mohammad Rizwan (captain, wicketkeeper),Salman Ali Agha (vice captain), Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi Advertisement Team news: Bangladesh Bangladesh are expected to field the same XI that faced New Zealand on Monday. Squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Mushfiqur Rahim (wicketkeeper), Towhid Hridoy, Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Mahmudullah, Jaker Ali, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Parvez Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan, Nahid Rana Adblock test (Why?)
Trump threatens 25% tariffs on EU, claims bloc was formed to ‘screw’ US
European Commission says it will react ‘firmly and immediately’ against unjustified trade barriers. United States President Donald Trump has said he will impose a 25 percent tariff on imports from the European Union, claiming that the bloc was created to “screw” his country. Speaking at the first meeting of his cabinet on Wednesday, Trump said a decision on tariffs had been made and would be announced “very soon”. “It’ll be 25 percent, generally speaking,” Trump told reporters. “And that’ll be on cars and all other things.” Returning to his regular talking point that the US is treated unfairly in trade, Trump claimed that the 27-member union does not accept US cars and farm products while the US takes “everything from them”. The EU currently imposes a 10 percent tariff on US vehicle imports, which is four times the tariff applied by the US to European passenger car imports. The US, however, applies a 25 percent tariff to imported pick-up trucks. “Look, let’s be honest, the European Union was formed in order to screw the United States,” Trump said. “That’s the purpose of it, and they’ve done a good job of it.” Advertisement Trump’s comments drew a swift response from the European Commission, the bloc’s executive arm, which said the world’s largest single market area had been “a boon” for the US. “The EU will react firmly and immediately against unjustified barriers to free and fair trade, including when tariffs are used to challenge legal and non-discriminatory policies,” a spokesperson said. “The EU will always protect European businesses, workers and consumers from unjustified tariffs.” Carl Bildt, Sweden’s prime minister from 1991 to 1994, said on X that Trump had a “seriously distorted” view of history and that the EU had been actually set up to “prevent war on the European continent”. Trump’s latest trade salvo comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Brussels over his administration’s “America First” approach to international affairs. On top of stoking trade tensions, Trump has prompted concern about his commitment to Europe’s security and the future of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) with his outreach to Russian President Vladimir Putin and verbal attacks on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. With Trump pledging to bring a swift end to the war in Ukraine, officials in Kyiv and Brussels fear that the US president is inclined towards striking a peace deal that heavily favours Russia, including by letting Moscow keep Ukrainian land it seized during its invasion. On Monday, Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz said his country must achieve “independence” from the US because “Americans, or at least this portion of the Americans … care very little about the fate of Europe.” Advertisement Merz, who is seeking to form a coalition government after his Christian Democratic Union-Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) alliance won the most seats in parliamentary elections on Sunday, said he was not sure that NATO would exist in its current form by the middle of this year, “or whether we will have to establish an independent European defence capability much more quickly”. In an interview with Fox News on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sought to assuage concerns about NATO’s future while calling on European governments to invest more in their own defence. “My reaction is NATO is not in jeopardy. The only thing that puts NATO in jeopardy is the fact that we have NATO Allies who barely have militaries or whose militaries are not very capable because they’ve spent 40 years not spending any money on it,” Rubio said when asked about Merz’s comments. “These are rich countries, especially in Western Europe,” Rubio added. “They have plenty of money. They should be investing that in their national security, and they’re not.” Adblock test (Why?)
Rwanda slams UK sanctions over DR Congo violence
Kigali condemns London’s sanctions over the M23 advance in DR Congo as ‘punitive measures’. Rwanda has said international sanctions will reduce the likelihood of peace with M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), after the United Kingdom said it would pause some bilateral aid and impose other diplomatic sanctions on Kigali. “The punitive measures announced today by the UK government in response to the conflict in eastern DRC – where the UK has now clearly chosen a side – are regrettable,” Rwanda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Tuesday. “The measures do nothing to help the Democratic Republic of Congo, nor do they contribute to achieving a sustainable political solution to the conflict in eastern DRC.” The UK said the measures on Kigali would remain in force until there was significant progress in ending hostilities and a withdrawal of all Rwandan soldiers from Congolese territory, estimated by the United Nations to number several thousand. Rwanda denies providing arms and troops to M23 and says its forces are acting in self-defence against the Congolese army and groups hostile to Kigali. Advertisement M23 has seized large swaths of the mineral-rich eastern DRC, including the main cities of Goma and Bukavu, in a conflict that has displaced about half a million people since January. The diplomatic sanctions undertaken by the UK include ending high-level attendance at events hosted by the government of Rwanda and limiting trade promotion activity. In a statement, it said it would also coordinate with partners on potential new sanctions, suspend future defence training assistance and review export licences for the Rwandan Defence Force. Direct bilateral financial aid would be put on hold, excluding support to the poorest and most vulnerable. “Rwanda may have security concerns but it is unacceptable to resolve these militarily. There can only be a political solution to this conflict,” a UK government spokesperson said. “We encourage DRC to engage with M23 as part of an inclusive dialogue. We will continue to keep our policy under review.” UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy met last week with Rwandan President Paul Kagame in Kigali and DRC President Felix Tshisekedi in Kinshasa. A UK government spokesperson said Lammy had “been clear that there would be a strong response from the international community in response to the escalating conflict”. Similarly, the US Department of the Treasury last week imposed sanctions on a Rwandan government minister and a senior member of an armed group for their alleged role in the conflict. It said Rwanda’s Minister of State for Regional Integration James Kabarebe was being targeted because he is “central to Rwanda’s support” for the M23 armed group. Advertisement The US sanctions also targeted Lawrence Kanyuka Kingston, a senior member and spokesperson for the Congo River Alliance – which includes the M23 – and two companies he controls in the UK and France. Adblock test (Why?)
Echoes of Water: Morocco | Africa’s New Directions
Morocco tackles pressing water scarcity through a blend of ancient and modern solutions. Morocco has always had water supply challenges, and they are becoming more urgent. It has set out to integrate ancient and modern water management techniques to combat water scarcity and ensure sustainability, but there are technical, financial and logistical limitations. Villagers with innovative solutions contrast with the government’s large-scale interventions. Can Morocco reduce its water dependency and become self-sufficient in the face of environmental challenges? Adblock test (Why?)
Were noncitizens on ‘terror’ list ‘let loose’ in the US? It’s complicated
A United States House Judiciary Committee report says 99 noncitizens on the “terrorist watchlist” were released in the country. Is this true? Claudia Tenney, a member of the US House of Representatives, recently claimed that people on the watchlist were “let loose” in the US. The claim came as part of her argument against New York state’s law that grants driver’s licences to New Yorkers regardless of their immigration status. “New York is one of the worst,” the Republican representative said on Fox News. “We had almost 99 people I think, or 100 people, on the terror watchlist just let loose. That’s the ones we know of.” Tenney, whose congressional district includes more than a dozen counties along the shores of Lake Ontario, which shares borders with Canada, also claimed that people who appear on the list can get licences. We will focus on her claim that 99 or 100 immigrants who appear on the “terror watchlist” were “let loose”. What does US CBP data show? US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers encounter citizens and noncitizens at the border who have “terrorism-related” records, including those from the government’s Terrorist Screening Dataset. This list contains names of people who are known or suspected to have ties to “terrorism”, though critics say the list is overly broad, containing two million names. It contains not just suspicious people, but also people connected to them. Advertisement Noncitizens who try to cross the border at land ports of entry and match a “terrorism” record “are most commonly found inadmissible to our country and immediately repatriated or removed”, according to CBP. They could also be turned over to another government agency for enforcement action. If CBP officers encounter them after they have entered the country without being screened, “these noncitizens are most commonly detained and removed or turned over to another government agency for subsequent detention and law enforcement action, as appropriate”. Data from fiscal year 2024, which ended on September 30, shows that there were 410 encounters with all people who matched in ‘terrorism’ records, which could include US citizens, at ports of entry. “Encounters” could represent multiple attempts by the same person to cross the border. This represents a small fraction of the 2.9 million total enforcement encounters at the border that year. Since 2022, most of these encounters occurred at the US-Canada border. In 2024, 358 of these encounters occurred at the northern border and 52 at the southwest border. The agency also tracks encounters between ports of entry of noncitizens who match a “terrorism” record. There are far fewer of these, just 106 in the year that ended September 30, with 103 of those at the southwest border, and 13 from October 1 to January, all at the southwest border. We contacted Tenney’s office to get evidence for her claim, but received no response. What’s the basis for Tenney’s claims? It is likely that Tenney’s source is a report released in August from the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee, chaired by Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio. The report cited “information provided” by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS). However, it did not supply any other corroboration or details. It states at least 99 noncitizens who were matches on the “terrorist watchlist” were released into the US from 2021 to 2023. Advertisement An additional 34 immigrants from the list were in DHS custody. The report uses language to suggest that immigration authorities knew at the time of release that the noncitizens were on the list. The report states the 99 came from a pool of 250 noncitizens who tried to cross at the southern border and who were identified as being on the list. CBP statistics show 250 encounters with people on the watchlist during the years 2021 through 2023 at the southern border. There could be multiple encounters with the same person in those statistics. The report notes other instances in which people on the list crossed undetected and were subsequently arrested, including the case of eight Tajik nationals with potential ties to the ISIL (ISIS) group who entered the country and were arrested in June. Their possible “terror” ties were not known when they crossed the border, according to NBC News. A similar case involved an Uzbek man who stayed for two years without detection. Other examples involve migrants whose place on the watchlist was initially unverified. The report also claims that immigration judges granted bonds to 27 migrants who appeared on a “terrorist watchlist” but came over the border between ports of entry from 2021 to 2023. However, the judges might not have known about the migrants’ status on the list, the report states. Four others on the list were granted asylum. A Venezuelan citizen who was known by authorities to appear on the watchlist was released into the US over concerns about COVID-19 in detention facilities, according to government documents a reporter obtained. Advertisement CBP referred our questions about the report’s veracity to DHS, which did not respond to our inquiries. So what’s the truth behind the claims that people on the ‘terror watchlist’ were released in the US? Migrants with possible “terror” ties have been in the news recently. There have also been at least two other reported cases where migrants should have been detained because they were on the “terrorist watchlist” but were not. NBC News reported in April about an Afghan migrant who was on the watchlist and released. He was arrested a year later in Texas, hours after the NBC report. The man was not held initially because border agents did not have enough information to corroborate his place on the list, the network reported. The Daily Caller reported in 2024 about the release of a migrant whose name did not match a name on the watchlist. He was arrested nearly a year later, two days after authorities confirmed his ties to a Somali “terrorist” group. A counterterrorism expert told PolitiFact that there is no credible reporting that any kind of state, local, or
Video: Military plane crashes in Sudan
[unable to retrieve full-text content] Sources in Sudan say several people have been killed after a military plane crashed into a residential area.
Counting the climate cost of AI
[unable to retrieve full-text content] What’s the hidden climate cost of AI?
Israel bombs ‘military targets’ in southern Syria, outside Damascus
The Israeli military conducts air raids on what it described as military bases and command centres. The Israeli military has conducted air raids targeting what it described as military bases and command centres in southern Syria and outside the capital, Damascus. Israeli warplanes hit the town of Kisweh, approximately 20km (12 miles) south of Damascus, as well as the southern province of Deraa late on Tuesday, residents, security sources and local broadcaster Syria TV said. The Israeli army said it struck “military targets in southern Syria, including command centres and multiple sites containing weapons”, without specifying exact locations. Residents of Damascus reported hearing the sound of planes flying several low passes over the capital and a series of blasts. “The Air Force is attacking strongly in southern Syria as part of the new policy we have defined of pacifying southern Syria – and the message is clear: we will not allow southern Syria to become southern Lebanon,” Defence Minister Israel Katz’s spokesperson said in a statement. “Any attempt by the Syrian regime forces and the country’s terrorist organisations to establish themselves in the security zone in southern Syria will be met with fire,” the statement added. Advertisement The bombardment came hours after Syria condemned Israel’s incursion into the country’s south and demanded it withdraw, according to the closing statement of a national dialogue summit. The summit, organised by Syria’s new government, aimed to outline the country’s political roadmap after the toppling of President Bashar al-Assad in December. Israel moved forces into a United Nations-monitored demilitarised zone within Syria after al-Assad’s removal, a move that violated the 1974 disengagement agreement with Syria. On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for the “demilitarisation” of southern Syria, saying Israel “will not allow the new Syrian army to move into territory south of Damascus”. Palestinian group Hamas condemned the air strikes in the “strongest terms”, calling them “a blatant attack on Syrian sovereignty” and a continuation of Israel’s aggression against Arab nations. The attacks complicate efforts by Syria’s new administration to reunify the country, said Qutaiba Idlbi, a resident senior fellow for Syria at the Atlantic Council. He said the air raids coincided with the national dialogue summit on Syria’s political transition, which has already faced challenges, particularly in negotiations with the Druze community in the south and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the northeast. “The strikes on Damascus are only going to serve to delay such agreement, as the powers in northeast and southern Syria will feel more empowered to seek deals and perhaps military support from external actors to increase their leverage in negotiations with Damascus,” Idlbi told Al Jazeera. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)