Blinken says Gaza ceasefire talks are at ‘decisive moment’
NewsFeed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Tel Aviv to meet Israeli leaders to push for a deal between Israel and Hamas to end the war on Gaza, calling it ‘maybe the last opportunity to get the hostages home’. Published On 19 Aug 202419 Aug 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
UK to conduct review on tackling ‘extremist ideologies’, including misogyny
Misogyny, ‘Islamism’ and far-right ‘extremism’ among trends to be analysed, Home Office says. UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has ordered a review of the United Kingdom’s counterterrorism strategy on how to best tackle threats by “extremist ideologies” including misogyny. Other ideological trends to be investigated by the Home Office include “Islamism” and far-right “extremism”. Cooper said the strategy will “map and monitor extremist trends” and gauge how to direct people away from them. Around 460 people have so far appeared in magistrates’ courts relating to UK-wide riots in late July and early August that were sparked by disinformation regarding the suspect in a knife attack in Southport, Sky News reported. At least 72 people under the age of 18 are believed to have been charged. Several were charged for publishing material that contributed to the riots, including publishing written material to stir up racial hatred. While the riots were primarily instigated by far-right provocateurs, many of these figures have also doubled up in the past and peddled misogyny. One social media influencer blamed for spreading false information about incidents that led to the riots is Andrew Tate, who is regularly accused of advancing messaging that is prejudiced against women. Misogyny goes beyond just words, and physical violence against women is still widespread in the UK, with a woman killed by a man every three days, according to the campaign group Femicide Census. The rise in misogyny has also been linked to “incel” culture, referring to people – usually men – who call themselves “involuntarily celibate”, and take out their anger on women and wider society. Jake Davison, 22, killed five people in Plymouth in 2021 before fatally shooting himself, in an incident that was linked to incel ideology. “For too long, governments have failed to address the rise in extremism, both online and on our streets, and we’ve seen the number of young people radicalised online grow,” Cooper, who is part of the UK’s new Labour government, said. “That’s why I have directed the Home Office to conduct a rapid analytical sprint on extremism, to map and monitor extremist trends, to understand the evidence about what works to disrupt and divert people away from extremist views, and to identify any gaps in existing policy which need to be addressed to crack down on those pushing harmful and hateful beliefs and violence.” The review is meant to form a new counter-extremism strategy for the UK. Cooper has previously criticised the previous Conservative government on the issue, saying that its strategy had lacked practical plans. Adblock test (Why?)
Trump vs Harris: Who’s winning over more Americans?
As the new face of the Democrats, Harris is in the ‘honeymoon phase’. But can she beat Trump in November? By replacing President Joe Biden with Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic Party has brought new life to an abysmal presidential campaign. But with more than two months to go before the elections, US public opinion is evenly divided between her and Republican candidate Donald Trump. Harris has painted herself as the young, forward-looking alternative for the country, “and has now made Trump look small and backward”, argues Democratic strategist Simon Rosenberg. But as McClatchy national politics correspondent David Catanese points out, the Democrats are vulnerable on immigration and the economy, so the race is far from over. Adblock test (Why?)
Cholera outbreak in Sudan killed at least 22 people, health minister says
Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim has declared a cholera epidemic due to contaminated drinking water and weather conditions. Sudan has been stricken by a cholera outbreak that has killed nearly two dozen people and sickened hundreds more in recent weeks, health authorities said. Health Minister Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim said in a statement on Sunday that at least 22 people have died from the disease, and that at least 354 confirmed cases of cholera have been detected across the war-torn country in recent weeks. On Saturday, he declared a cholera epidemic in Sudan and noted that the outbreak was “because of the weather conditions and because drinking water has been contaminated”. He said the decision was taken in conjunction with authorities in the eastern state of Kassala, United Nations agencies and experts after the “discovery by the public health laboratory of the cholera virus”. An official from the World Health Organization (WHO), Margaret Harris, said in a media call on Friday that 11,327 cholera cases with 316 deaths had been reported in Sudan so far. “We expect to have more than has been reported,” she added. Cholera is a fast-developing, highly contagious infection that causes diarrhoea, leading to severe dehydration and possible death within hours when not treated, according to the WHO. It is transmitted through the ingestion of contaminated food or water and can kill within hours without treatment. Children under five are at particular risk. Cholera is not uncommon in Sudan. A previous major outbreak left at least 700 dead and sickened about 22,000 in less than two months in 2017. But the outbreak of the disease is the latest calamity for the region. Devastating seasonal floods in recent weeks have also compounded the misery. Dozens of people have been killed and critical infrastructure has been washed away in 12 of Sudan’s 18 provinces, according to local authorities. About 118,000 people have been displaced due to the floods, according to the United Nations’ migration agency. To complicate the situation, the civil war, which began in April last year when simmering tensions between the military and a powerful paramilitary group exploded into open warfare across the country, has plunged the region into chaos. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) – under Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as “Hemedti” – have been vying for power and control of the African country of 46 million people. The conflict has turned the capital Khartoum and other urban areas into battlefields, wrecking civilian infrastructure and an already battered healthcare system. Without the basics, many hospitals and medical facilities have closed their doors. The war has also killed thousands of people, displaced more than 10.7 million people and pushed many into starvation, with famine already confirmed in a sprawling camp for displaced people in the wrecked northern region of Darfur. A new round of talks aimed at ending the 16-month conflict in Sudan began in Switzerland on Wednesday, despite the army’s absence. The United States, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, the African Union, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and the United Nations are trying to steer the Sudanese army and the RSF into ceasefire talks. On Sunday, Sudan’s military-controlled sovereign council said it will send a government delegation to meet with US officials in Cairo amid mounting US pressure on the military to join the ongoing truce talks in Switzerland. Adblock test (Why?)
Sudan war mediators welcome new pledges on humanitarian access
Countries call for ‘unhindered’ access to respond to growing humanitarian crisis in war-torn African nation. The international mediators engaged in talks to bring Sudan’s war to an end have welcomed decisions by the warring sides to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian relief to the country. In a joint statement on Saturday, the sponsors of the talks in Switzerland lauded the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces’s commitment to cooperate with humanitarian deliveries to Sudan’s Darfur and Kordofan states. The mediators – the United States, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, the African Union and the United Nations – also praised the Sudanese Armed Forces’s decision to open the Adre border crossing with Chad into North Darfur for three months. “These constructive decisions by both parties will enable the entry of aid needed to stop the famine, address food insecurity and respond to immense humanitarian needs in Darfur and beyond,” they said in a joint statement. They also called on the warring sides to “immediately communicate and coordinate with humanitarian partners to efficiently operationalize these corridors with full and unhindered access”. The talks kicked off in the Swiss city of Geneva on Wednesday in the absence of the Sudanese army, which has objected to the format of the negotiations. The war in Sudan, which began last year, has led to one of the world’s worst humanitarian and displacement crises. The Sudanese army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF – under Mohamad Hamdan Dagalo, better known as “Hemedti” – have been vying for power and control of the African country of 46 million people. Rights groups have called on both sides to avoid civilian harm and enable humanitarian access. More than 25 million people are facing acute hunger across Sudan, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a UN-backed body that monitors global hunger. Earlier this week, the Sudanese army, which dominates the governing Transitional Sovereignty Council, announced the opening of the Adre border crossing into North Darfur. The IPC declared famine in parts of that region on August 1. The RSF had also said it would facilitate the passage of humanitarian convoys through the Debbah crossing, north of Khartoum. “The RSF remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring the safe passage and protection of humanitarian convoys, in strict adherence to international humanitarian law,” the paramilitary group said in a statement. It is not clear whether the two decisions are linked to the Geneva talks. As the negotiations were ongoing in Switzerland, The Associated Press and AFP news agencies reported – citing local and medical sources – that an RSF attack in the Jalgini village in the southeastern state of Sennar killed dozens of people this week. The war in Sudan has displaced more than 10 million people and triggered a public health disaster. On Friday, a World Health Organization (WHO) official said a cholera outbreak has killed at least 316 people in the country. The US has said that the talks in Geneva aim to end the fighting and alleviate the suffering in Sudan. On Friday, Washington called on the Sudanese Armed Forces to join the negotiations. “The opening of Adre border crossing is an important result at a crucial time for humanitarian efforts to deliver assistance to those most in need and to avoid a worsening famine,” US Special Envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello said in a social media post. “We continue our efforts to save Sudanese lives and silence the guns. The RSF remains here ready for talks to start; SAF needs to decide to come.” The US has taken a leading role in the Sudan peace talks. The two countries had bitter ties for years until the removal of longtime Sudanese ruler Omar al-Bashir, who was overthrown by the military after mass protests in 2019. Khartoum and Washington re-established diplomatic ties in 2020. Sudan also agreed to establish relations with Israel – the US’s top Middle East ally – and was removed from the US’s list of “state sponsors of terrorism”. But efforts to bring Sudan under civilian and democratic rule in the post-Bashir era have failed. The Sudanese military staged a coup against the civilian government of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok in October 2021, leading to his resignation in early 2022. The fighting between the army and the RSF broke out the following year, and Hemedti was expelled from the Transitional Sovereignty Council. Adblock test (Why?)
Elon Musk’s X to shut operations in Brazil amid bitter legal fight
Social media platform says shutdown ‘effective immediately’ but Brazilian users will still have access to X. Social media giant X has announced it will shutter its operations in Brazil following a legal tussle with a top Brazilian judge over the platform’s rights and responsibilities to counter disinformation. The platform, previously known as Twitter, said on Saturday the shutdown was “effective immediately” but that Brazilian users would still have access to X. “We are deeply saddened that we have been forced to make this decision,” the company said, adding that responsibility for the decision “lies solely” with Brazilian Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes. The move is the apparent culmination of a continuing legal battle between Moraes, who has said he is trying to fight the spread of disinformation online, and Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X. Earlier this year, Moraes ordered X to block certain accounts accused of spreading false news and hate messages, including some belonging to supporters of Brazil’s former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro repeatedly peddled false claims that Brazil’s electronic voting system was vulnerable to fraud before a tightly contested 2022 election. Months after he was defeated by left-wing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a mob of Bolsonaro’s supporters stormed the top state institutions in the South American country in anger over the results. “Freedom of expression doesn’t mean freedom of aggression,” Moraes, who presides over Brazil’s Superior Electoral Tribunal, has said. “It doesn’t mean the freedom to defend tyranny.” Due to demands by “Justice” @Alexandre in Brazil that would require us to break (in secret) Brazilian, Argentinian, American and international law, 𝕏 has no choice but to close our local operations in Brazil. He is an utter disgrace to justice. https://t.co/yAvX1TpuRp — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 17, 2024 On Saturday, X claimed Moraes secretly threatened one of the company’s legal representatives in Brazil with arrest if it did not comply with legal orders to take down some content from its platform. The social media giant published pictures of a document allegedly signed by Moraes that says a daily fine of 20,000 reais ($3,653) and an arrest decree would be imposed against X representative Rachel Nova Conceicao if the platform did not fully comply with Moraes’s orders. Brazil’s Supreme Court told the Reuters news agency that it would not speak on the matter and would not confirm nor deny the authenticity of the document shared by X. In a separate social media post on Saturday, Musk called Moraes “an utter disgrace to justice”. “The decision to close the X office in Brazil was difficult,” said Musk, adding that if the company had agreed to the judge’s orders, “there was no way we could explain our actions without being ashamed.” Moraes opened an inquiry earlier this year into the billionaire after Musk said he would reactivate accounts on X that the judge had ordered blocked. After Musk’s challenges, X representatives reversed course and told Brazil’s Supreme Court that the social media giant would comply with the legal rulings. Lawyers representing X in Brazil in April told the Supreme Court that “operational faults” have allowed users who were ordered blocked to stay active on the platform, after Moraes had asked X to explain why it allegedly had not fully complied with his decisions. Adblock test (Why?)
Lemon trees, safety, hope: Memories of my Gaza home before war came
When Israel’s war on Gaza began and we got ready to leave our house, I packed makeup and a favourite book – items that now might seem superfluous. I thought that small reminders of home would bring comfort while we were away waiting out the latest assault. But I didn’t expect to be gone so long – none of us did. We thought this war would be like all the others and it would take a week, maybe a month or two, for the Israeli army to unleash its rage. Now that I’ve lived more than 10 months away from home – the idea of it – is what I miss most. I wonder if I’ll ever enjoy reading on my rooftop or sleeping in my bed again. Is my home even recognisable? I wonder. And will I ever have a home again? I was born in 2002 and raised in Gaza City. I’ve spent 17 of my 21 years living under siege, surviving at least five Israeli military assaults on Gaza. But none of those compare to the length and intensity of this current genocide. These are the cruellest, most painful and surreal days any of us here in Gaza have experienced. For more than 10 months, it has felt like we are reliving the same day over and over – except each day the heartache intensifies. It is always a bomb, a bullet, a shelling, a wave of fright. As the death toll soars, it feels like we are getting further away from negotiations to end this hell. Israel has killed at least 40,005 Palestinians in Gaza. The death toll could be actually closer to 186,000, say researchers writing in the medical journal The Lancet, with countless bodies still trapped under bombed buildings and unknown numbers of people dying from starvation, lack of medical care and collapses in public infrastructure. Those of us living through this hell already know that the death toll is higher. There are houses near us that have been bombed with people inside but until now, no one has been able to clear away the rubble. Nour’s rooftop where she painted and read [Courtesy of Nour Elassy] ‘Where can we go?’ With every bomb dropped, we ask ourselves: “Where do we go? Where can we go?” To me, home was not just my house. It was the feeling of safety within the warmth of its walls, seeing my dresses, the comfort of my pillow. It was the sound of my mother moving around inside. It was the mouthwatering smell of my favourite dish, musakhan – sumac-spiced roast chicken with caramelised onion flatbread – filling up the house. Home was outside, too. It was my university and the road leading to it, the smells of spices in the air, the markets, the yellow lights during the evenings of Ramadan, and the sounds of people praying together and reciting the Quran. In displacement, home has come to mean something else. It is now a place where we can find walls, a bathroom, water, a mattress to lie on and a blanket for cover. At one time, I thought that covering my face with a blanket could somehow protect me during an attack. I don’t believe that any more. The nightstand in Nour’s Gaza City home [Courtesy of Nour Elassy] The day everything changed I will never forget October 7. It was not only the day we left our home in the north, it was also the day we left our hopes for the future behind. I once dreamed of becoming a writer, of finishing my Bachelor’s in literature and completing my Master’s abroad. I would return to Gaza and educate young people about our history and heritage. I also wanted to continue painting and eventually open an art gallery. However, my biggest dream was to see my country free. Early on that Saturday, about 6am, there was a barrage of rockets across the skies of north Gaza. My younger sister was preparing to go to high school. Little did we know that it would be the last day of school – not just for her, but for everyone, that both students and institutions would be obliterated. The sound of explosions woke me. I was terrified. I had no idea what was happening. My brother, who lived in Deir el-Balah, called my father. He was worried: Our house is very close to the eastern border, and it made us potentially vulnerable in a land invasion. Together, they agreed that it would be best to move to my brother’s house – in central Gaza, and further away from the border. Today, we still remain displaced in Deir el-Balah. Nour lit a candle to celebrate her 21st birthday on September 28, 2023. This photo was taken in her room in Gaza City [Courtesy of Nour Elassy] Simple pleasures War makes us miss the simple – even banal – pleasures of daily life. I miss our garden back home, with its fragrant roses and olive, palm and orange trees. Most of all I miss the lemon trees – the delicate scent of their white blossoms. On summer evenings, my family would spend time among the trees, and in winters, we would build a fire to stay warm. I miss Gaza City’s youthful cafes and bustling streets – its life – even when there was little water or no power due to constant electricity cuts. And I loved climbing up on our rooftop with a coffee and vanilla cupcakes to read. When we left on October 7, I didn’t spend much time thinking about what to take. I brought a copy of Wuthering Heights, my pyjamas and makeup – everyday items to help make displacement feel a tiny bit normal. I even packed some vanilla cupcakes – some sweet solace for what may come. I haven’t eaten cake since. All we have is dry bread and whatever canned food we manage to buy. A typical morning with a cupcake (L) before
Harris and Trump zero in on key swing state as US election race heats up
Democratic and Republican presidential candidates are campaigning in battleground state of Pennsylvania this weekend. Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are holding campaign events in the key US swing state of Pennsylvania this weekend, as the race between the United States presidential candidates heats up before November’s election. Trump will hold a rally in the small town of Wilkes-Barre on Saturday while Harris is expected to make several stops on a bus tour around the city of Pittsburgh on Sunday. The focus on Pennsylvania — one of several battleground states expected to be critical in deciding the election — comes as recent polling shows a close fight between the Republican and Democratic candidates in key parts of the country. A New York Times/Siena College poll on Saturday showed that Harris, who launched her campaign after President Joe Biden dropped his re-election bid last month, had gained ground in four states that Trump had looked set to win comfortably over Biden. The US vice president and Democratic nominee was leading Trump among likely voters in Arizona and North Carolina, the poll showed, and had narrowed the former Republican president’s lead in Georgia and Nevada. An earlier New York Times/Siena College poll released last week also showed Harris with 50 percent support among voters in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, compared with Trump’s 46 percent support in each state. Harris’s push for the White House has reinvigorated an election race that had largely failed to inspire many Americans frustrated by a choice between Trump and Biden. The pair had faced off in 2020, with Biden defeating his predecessor in a race Trump falsely claimed was marred by widespread fraud. Trump lost to Biden in Pennsylvania in that election by a narrow margin, but he has strong support in rural areas and small towns. With Harris now atop the Democratic Party’s 2024 ticket, Trump has struggled to find an effective way to counter her campaign. Recent statements from Trump’s team have focused on issues such as immigration and inflation, but he has spent large parts of recent speeches launching personal attacks against Harris‘s identity. “Hard-working Americans are suffering because of the Harris-Biden administration’s dangerously liberal policies,” the Trump campaign said in a statement in advance of Saturday’s rally in Wilkes-Barre. “Prices are excruciatingly high, cost of living has soared, crime has skyrocketed, and illegal immigrants are pouring into our country,” it said, although a recent crackdown on the US-Mexico border has stemmed much of the flow of migrants and asylum seekers. He also hammered Harris on Thursday over the economy, saying she has a “very strong communist lean” that would bring the “death of the American dream”. For her part, Harris — who will be travelling to Chicago for the Democratic National Convention next week — has promised to “bring down costs and increase economic security for all Americans”. In one of her first major policy speeches of the campaign, on Friday, she put forward a set of proposals that she said would help boost the economy and combat food “price gouging”. “I will be laser-focused on creating opportunities for the middle class,” Harris told a crowd of supporters in North Carolina. “Together, we will build what I call an opportunity economy.” Adblock test (Why?)
What are the prospects for talks to end Israel’s war on Gaza?
Discussions brokered by the US, Qatar and Egypt to resume in Cairo. As Israel continues its relentless war on Gaza, Palestinians are pinning their hopes on talks that have paused in Doha but are set to resume in Cairo next week. Israel and Hamas are studying proposals from mediators Qatar, Egypt and the United States. But what are the chances of a ceasefire this time? Presenter: Hashem Ahelbarra Guests: Alon Pinkas – Former Israeli ambassador and previous government adviser Rami Khouri – Distinguished fellow at the American University of Beirut Niall Stanage – White House columnist for the publication, The Hill Adblock test (Why?)
Protesters rally in Venezuela’s capital as post-election crisis persists
Opposition protesters are taking to the streets of Venezuela’s capital once more to denounce the results of a recent election that saw President Nicolas Maduro secure another term in power. Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado urged her supporters “to remain firm and united” in a social media post on Saturday, shortly after she called for people to demonstrate in hundreds of cities across the country and abroad. “We won’t leave the streets,” Machado told the crowd in Caracas, where hundreds of demonstrators waved the national flag and printed copies of election records that the opposition says is proof of its election victory. “With intelligence, prudence, resilience, boldness … peaceful protest is our right,” she said. The South American nation has seen weeks of unrest following the July 28 election, which opposition leaders said was marred by fraud. The National Electoral Council (CNE) formally declared Maduro the vote winner, saying in early August that he had secured 52 percent support compared with 43 percent for main opposition challenger Edmundo Gonzalez. However, the opposition has said its tally of the votes showed Gonzalez had defeated the incumbent, spurring international calls for Maduro’s government to release the full breakdown of votes. At least 25 people have been killed in post-election protests so far, with nearly 200 injured and more than 2,400 arrested — and the continued crisis has fuelled fears the Venezuelan authorities could launch a wider crackdown on opposition leaders and protesters. Reporting from Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Saturday, Al Jazeera’s Teresa Bo said relatives of many of those who have been detained in recent weeks in Venezuela say they don’t know where their loved-ones are. “Human rights organisations [have been] expressing their concern about what’s been happening,” Bo reported. “The opposition have asked people to gather with their families at protests, saying Venezuelans should remain united … They have also asked people to go with Venezuela flags and tally sheets — the centre of the dispute,” Bo said. “Until now, the Venezuelan government has been unable to provide proof of the election results,” she added. “The government is saying that the system was hacked and that’s why the results have not been provided.” Machado, who had her presidential candidacy blocked by institutions loyal to Maduro, is expected to take part in the march in the capital, Caracas, on Saturday. A heavy security presence was deployed in the city before the start of the rally. Access to the vast Petare neighbourhood, a few kilometres from the opposition’s announced gathering point, was controlled by two National Guard armoured vehicles and backed by about 40 motorcycle-mounted troops. Local media reported similar deployments in other key areas. “I came today to support Maria Corina and Edmundo to be able to have a future in this country and have a family,” Jesus Aguilar, a 21-year-old theology student, said at the rally in Caracas. “We know that with this government there are no possibilities for growth, I’ve even seen myself trying to leave the country.” Maduro, who came to power in 2013 following the death of his mentor and predecessor Hugo Chavez, has presided over an economic collapse that has pushed millions of people to leave Venezuela over the past years. In the aftermath of July’s election, he accused his political opponents of trying to carry out a “coup d’etat”, and he has called for the arrests of Machado and Gonzalez. “Maduro says there is a plan by the opposition to get him out of office,” Al Jazeera’s Bo reported, noting that the Venezuelan leader has accused the United States of being involved, as well. Maduro’s government also urged its supporters to take to the streets later on Saturday as the embattled president continues to strike a defiant tone. But Maduro continues to face both domestic and international pressure to provide a full accounting of the vote. Last week, Colombia and Brazil called for new elections in Venezuela, but Machado — the opposition leader — said this would show “a lack of respect” for the popular will already expressed on July 28. On Friday, Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, traditionally a left-wing ally of Maduro, took a harsh tone, describing the regime in Caracas as “very unpleasant” as he insisted it release a detailed vote breakdown. In a radio interview, Lula declined to label the Maduro government a dictatorship, but said it had an “authoritarian bias”. The Organization of American States (OAS) approved a resolution in Washington on Friday urging Caracas to “expeditiously publish the presidential election records, including the voting results at the level of each polling station”. In a joint statement that same day, the European Union and 22 other countries also called for an “impartial verification” of the election outcome. Meanwhile, protests also broke out in other countries around the world to show support for the Venezuelan opposition. Australia held one of the first demonstrations on Saturday, where more than 100 Venezuelans rallied in Sydney, waving national flags. “This is a strong message to our people in Venezuela. We are with you, and we want the world to listen to what we are saying,” protest organiser Rina Rivas told the AFP news agency. Members of the Venezuelan community also rallied in Melbourne. Members of the Venezuelan community protest the recent election results in Venezuela during a rally in Melbourne, Australia [William West/AFP] Adblock test (Why?)