Can Israeli leader’s threat to invade Rafah derail Gaza ceasefire talks?
US secretary of state says a deal is achievable as he makes another diplomatic push to pause the fighting in Gaza. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says a strong proposal for a truce in Israel’s war on Gaza is on the table as he makes his seventh visit to the Middle East since fighting began in October. The comments come as indirect talks for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas carry on in Egypt. But questions are being raised about the chances of an agreement being reached after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his plan to invade Rafah. Can Netanyahu’s threat disrupt talks to end the war that has killed more than 34,500 Palestinians? Presenter: Nick Clark Guests: Daniel Levy – President of the US Middle East Project Nour Odeh – Political analyst William Lawrence – Professor at American University Adblock test (Why?)
US increases pressure on Israel over Gaza aid as truce talks continue
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged Israeli officials to improve the facilitation of humanitarian aid supplies to Gaza amid warnings from the United Nations and aid agencies of a looming famine in parts of the war-ravaged Palestinian territory. Blinken on Wednesday travelled to Kerem Shalom, an Israeli entry point into Gaza about 3km (2 miles) from the southern city of Rafah that is known to Palestinians as Karem Abu Salem. The top United States diplomat also visited Israel’s main port, Ashdod, highlighting “progress” made in recent weeks on humanitarian access, but stressed once again that more needs to be done. “The progress is real but given the need, given the immense need in Gaza, it needs to be accelerated, it needs to be sustained,” he said. Blinken asked Israel’s government to take a set of specific steps to facilitate aid to Gaza, where nearly half the population are suffering catastrophic hunger, he said. Israel has sought to demonstrate it is not blocking aid to Gaza, especially since US President Joe Biden issued a stark warning to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying Washington’s policy could shift if Israel fails to take steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and the safety of aid workers. Earlier on Wednesday, Jordan’s foreign ministry said Israeli settlers attacked two of its humanitarian aid convoys as they made their way towards Gaza. “Two Jordanian aid convoys carrying food, flour and other humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip were attacked by settlers,” the ministry said, without giving details of what happened. Jordanian public service media outlet Al-Mamlaka TV reported that a Jordanian aid convoy consisting of 31 trucks entered Gaza via the Beit Hanoon crossing, known as the Erez crossing to Israelis. This is its first opening since the start of the war. Rafah During his earlier meeting with Netanyahu, Blinken also reiterated that Washington would not support a military operation in Rafah without a plan to ensure civilians were protected. “We cannot, will not support a major military operation in Rafah absent an effective plan to make sure that civilians are not harmed and no, we’ve not seen such a plan,” Blinken told reporters. The United Nations and humanitarian groups have long warned that a military operation there, where more than 1.5 million people are crammed in, would cause a catastrophe. “There are other ways, and in our judgement better ways, of dealing with the … ongoing challenge of Hamas that does not require a major military operation in Rafah,” he said, adding that it was the subject of ongoing talks with Israeli officials. But an Israeli government spokesperson said Israel remained determined to destroy the remaining Hamas fighting formations. “When it comes to Rafah – we are committed to remove the last four of five Hamas battalions in Rafah – we are sharing our plans with Secretary of State Blinken,” the spokesperson told a regular briefing. While facing international calls to hold off on any Rafah offensive, Netanyahu has faced pressure from the religious nationalist partners he depends on for the survival of his coalition government to press ahead. Negotiations Israel is the final stop on the top US diplomat’s Middle East tour amid renewed efforts to secure a ceasefire and exchange of hostages for prisoners. Blinken urged Hamas to accept a truce deal proposed by Egyptian mediators, which would see 33 hostages released in exchange for a larger number of Palestinian prisoners and a halt to the fighting, with the possibility of further steps towards a comprehensive deal later. “Israel has made very important compromises,” he said. “There’s no time for further haggling. The deal is there. They [Hamas] should take it.” A senior official for Hamas said the group was studying the proposed deal and accused Blinken of failing to respect both sides and described Israel as the real obstacle. “Blinken’s comments contradict reality,” Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters. Israel is holding off sending a delegation to Cairo for follow-up truce talks, pending a response from Hamas’s leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, an Israeli official told Reuters. “Only after he responds will we decide what to do.” Israeli media reported on Wednesday that Netanyahu was still refusing to accept Hamas’s central demand that any deal would have to include a permanent ceasefire and a withdrawal of Israeli troops. The Israeli news site Ynet, citing the Prime Minister’s Office, said Netanyahu told Blinken a Rafah operation “was not contingent on anything” and that he rejected any truce proposals that would end the Gaza war. Adblock test (Why?)
NBA playoffs: Bucks and 76ers win to stay alive, Cavs take lead over Magic
Injury-riddled Milwaukee Bucks score a 115-92 win over Indiana Pacers, while Philadelphia 76ers beat NY Knicks 112-106. Tyrese Maxey scored 46 points and Kelly Oubre Jr hit a tiebreaking layup in overtime as the visiting Philadelphia 76ers avoided elimination with a 112-106 victory over the New York Knicks in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series. Game 6 of the Eastern Conference series is on Thursday in Philadelphia, and if the 76ers can continue to stay alive, the teams will play a seventh game on Saturday in New York. Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 40 points. The Knicks were 28.9 seconds away from closing out the series on Tuesday night after Miles McBride’s 14-footer put them up 96-90. Following a timeout, Maxey, who scored a career playoff high in points, converted a four-point play with 25.4 seconds left in regulation. After New York’s Josh Hart split two free throws, Maxey buried a 35-foot trey with 8.5 seconds remaining for a tie at 97. Maxey made 17 of 30 shots overall and hit seven 3-pointers for the Sixers, who survived Joel Embiid hobbling throughout the game. Embiid added 19 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists after missing the morning shootaround with a migraine. ▪️ Sixers win, force Game 6▪️ Cavs win, take 3-2 lead▪️ Bucks win, force Game 6#NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel continue Wednesday on TNT! pic.twitter.com/SzMVWX4qd9 — NBA (@NBA) May 1, 2024 Bucks 115, Pacers 92 Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis scored 29 points apiece and injury-riddled Milwaukee stayed alive with a victory over visiting Indiana in Game 5 of an Eastern Conference first-round playoff series. The Bucks controlled the contest despite Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) and Damian Lillard (Achilles) sitting out. Antetokounmpo has missed the entire series and Lillard has sat out the past two games. Tyrese Haliburton scored 16 points and Myles Turner added 13 for the Pacers. Milwaukee outscored Indiana 64-36 over the two middle quarters to take control. The Bucks pulled within 3-2 in the series. “I told our coaches we were coming to play and win tonight,” Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers said after the game. “That was not a team walking through the walkthrough thinking this was it. That was a team thinking it could win, and it showed.” Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton (22) shoots against Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin during the second quarter during Game 5 of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs [Jeff Hanisch/USA Today Sports via Reuters] Cavaliers 104, Magic 103 Evan Mobley blocked Franz Wagner’s attempted layup with 5.1 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, helping host Cleveland secure a win over Orlando in Game 5 of an Eastern Conference first-round playoff series. Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell erupted for 28 points, and Darius Garland scored 17 of his 23 points in the first quarter. Mobley collected 14 points and 13 rebounds. Orlando’s Paolo Banchero recorded 39 points and eight rebounds after being limited to just nine points on 4-of-14 shooting from the floor in Game 4. Adblock test (Why?)
Malaysia’s Anwar unveils record public pay hike amid ringgit’s slide
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says pay hike of more than 13 percent will be ‘best increase in history’. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has announced a record hike in civil servants’ pay of more than 13 percent, amid rising prices and a weakening local currency. In a speech to mark Labour Day on Wednesday, Anwar said 10 billion ringgit ($2.10bn) would be allocated to support the “best increase in history” from December. Anwar, who is also finance minister, said the salary hike would ensure that civil servants earn a minimum income of 2,000 ringgit ($420) per month. “Currently the overall minimum income, which includes salary and fixed allowances, is 1,795RM per month,” Anwar was quoted as saying by state-run news agency Bernama. Anwar also called on companies making “huge profits” to share their gains by raising wages for their employees. The Malaysian leader, who last year flagged plans to increase taxes and cut subsidies to shore up the country’s finances, made the announcement as a decline in the value of the ringgit puts pressure on household budgets. The ringgit has lost nearly 4 percent of its value against the US dollar so far this year. In February, the currency slumped to a 26-year low, dropping to 4.7965 ringgit per dollar, lower than at any point since the 1998 Asian financial crisis. While helping exporters to sell their products more cheaply overseas, the currency’s slide has raised the cost of essential imports, including food and fuel. Anwar has described the currency’s slide as “concerning” but “under control.” Southeast Asia’s fifth-largest economy grew 3.7 percent last year, below government projections and sharply down from a 22-year high of 8.7 percent in 2022. Gross domestic product (GDP) expanded an estimated 3.9 percent in the first quarter of this year, according to advance estimates released by the country’s statistics agency. Malaysia’s central bank has said it expects GDP growth of 4-5 percent in 2024. Adblock test (Why?)
US police clear out Gaza protesters at Columbia University
NewsFeed US police cleared a building occupied by protesters and the main protest camp at Columbia University on Tuesday, arresting dozens of demonstrators who defied a deadline to leave. Published On 1 May 20241 May 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
Abu Dhabi-backed group ends bid to take over Telegraph newspaper
The move comes after the UK said it would bring forward legislation to block such state-backed takeover deals in media. An Abu Dhabi-backed group planning to take over Britain’s Telegraph Media Group (TMG) has said it will withdraw after the UK government moved to block the deal. RedBird IMI, a joint venture between US firm RedBird Capital and Abu Dhabi’s International Media Investments, struck a 1.2 billion-pound ($1.5bn) deal with TMG’s previous owners, the Barclay family, in November. The agreement, which has faced opposition over its potential impact on free speech given Abu Dhabi’s press freedom record, saw RedBird IMI pay off bank debts in exchange for control of the media group. However, last month the United Kingdom’s government said it would bring forward legislation to block such state-backed takeover deals in the industry, while Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer also considered a full regulatory probe. The regulatory hurdles appear to have prompted RedBird IMI to now abandon the endeavour to own and control TMG, which also includes The Spectator magazine. “RedBird IMI has today confirmed that it intends to withdraw from its proposed acquisition of the Telegraph Media Group and proceed with a sale,” it said in a statement on Tuesday. “We continue to believe this approach would have benefited the Telegraph and Spectator’s readers, their journalists and the UK media landscape more widely. “Regrettably, it is clear this approach is no longer feasible.” RedBird IMI said it now plans to bring certainty to employees and readers of the publications by seeking new owners for the titles. It said the titles “remain highly attractive” to potential suitors, with speculation they could be sold separately or as a package. ‘Cornerstone’ Frazer said she had acted to “ensure that media freedom was protected while there was an investigation into those concerns”. “I will now allow the parties to conduct an orderly transition and I will monitor the outcome with a view to taking any further regulatory action as required,” she added. “The free press is a cornerstone of our democracy, and we cannot take it for granted.” Frazer noted the government would continue to intervene “where necessary to protect the integrity and independence of these publications, given the unique role they play in our democracy”. RedBird IMI’s original ownership plans sparked an uproar in some British media circles, including among some lawmakers in the ruling Conservative Party. It has long enjoyed a close ideological relationship with the right-leaning Telegraph titles. The Spectator – once edited by former Tory prime minister and Brexit figurehead Boris Johnson – is widely considered the “Tory bible”. Redbird IMI is majority-owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, vice president of the United Arab Emirates and owner of Manchester City Football Club. It is run by former CNN president Jeff Zucker. Adblock test (Why?)
ICJ rejects Nicaragua’s request to halt German arms sales to Israel
NewsFeed The UN’s top court has thrown out Nicaragua’s request to halt German arms sales to Israel. In its ruling the ICJ said the circumstances, as they present themselves now, do not require the exercise of power. However, the court said it remains “deeply concerned about the catastrophic living conditions” in Gaza and reminded all countries they have an obligation to abide by international law. Published On 30 Apr 202430 Apr 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
UN chief calls for independent probe into Gaza mass graves
Antonio Guterres says it is ‘imperative’ that independent investigators are allowed the immediate access to mass graves in Gaza to determine the circumstances behind the deaths. United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has demanded an independent investigation into reports by Palestinian authorities of mass graves discovered in Gaza after bodies with hands tied or medical tubes attached to them were found in multiple sites, including two hospitals. “It is imperative that independent international investigators with forensic expertise are allowed the immediate access to the sites of these mass graves to establish the precise circumstances under which the Palestinians lost their lives and were buried or reburied,” Guterres said on Tuesday. The UN secretary-general also urged Israel against invading southern Gaza’s city of Rafah, the last refuge for more than 1.4 million Palestinians, after the Israeli prime minister said an offensive would go forward regardless of the outcome of truce talks with Hamas. A military assault on Rafah would “be an unbearable escalation, killing thousands more civilians and forcing hundreds of thousands to flee,” he told reporters. He added that while there has been “incremental progress” towards averting “an entirely preventable, human-made famine” in northern Gaza, much more is urgently needed, including for Israel to follow through on its promise to open “two crossing points between Israel and northern Gaza, so that aid can be brought into Gaza from Ashdod port and Jordan”. He cited the lack of security for aid workers and civilians as the major obstacle to distributing aid across Gaza. “I again call on the Israeli authorities to allow and facilitate safe, rapid and unimpeded access for humanitarian aid and humanitarian workers, including UNRWA, throughout Gaza,” he said. UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini told journalists on Tuesday that aid supplies into Gaza had improved in April, but listed a series of continuing difficulties including regular crossing closures “because they [Israel] are dumping released detainees or dumping sometimes bodies taken to Israel and back to the Gaza Strip.” Juliette Touma, a spokesperson for the UN’s refugee agency for Palestinians, said that Israel had sent 225 bodies to Gaza in three containers since December that were then transported by the UN agency to local health authorities for burial, shutting the crossing temporarily. She did not have details of the circumstances of their deaths and said it was not UNRWA’s mandate to investigate. Palestinian authorities have previously said that Israel has returned bodies after confirming they were not hostages. They said they were trying to identify them and figure out where they were killed. Tensions are high between Israel and UNRWA, with the former accusing 19 UNRWA staff of involvement in the October 7 Hamas-led attack against Israel that killed at least 1,139 people, according to an Al Jazeera tally based on Israeli statistics. Israel’s allegations are being examined by UN investigators although a separate review found Israel has yet to provide evidence for accusations that hundreds of UNRWA staff are members of armed groups. More than 34,000 people have been killed in Israel’s war on Gaza since October 7, according to Palestinian authorities. Adblock test (Why?)
Boxer and MMA fighter Francis Ngannou’s 15-month-old son Kobe dies
‘Too soon to leave but yet he’s gone,’ Ngannou wrote in a social media post annoucing his son’s death. Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou’s 15-month-old son Kobe has died, the boxer said in a social media post. Ngannou, 37, posted a black and white photo with his son late on Monday and wrote, “Too soon to leave but yet he’s gone. My little boy, my mate, my partner Kobe was full of life and joy.” “Now, he’s laying without life. I shouted his name over and over but he’s not responding. “I was my best self next to him and now I have no clue of who I am. Life is so unfair to hit us where it hurts the most,” Ngannou added. 💔 pic.twitter.com/aHD685fbMQ — Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) April 29, 2024 After leaving the UFC, the French Cameroonian fighter switched to professional boxing. Ngannou was knocked out by Anthony Joshua in Saudi Arabia last month, his second heavyweight defeat since switching from MMA. Ngannou had pushed world champion Tyson Fury during a controversial points defeat in his first professional boxing match in Saudi Arabia last October. A few hours before revealing Kobe’s death, Ngannou had posted on X, without reference to his son: “What’s the purpose of life if what we’re fighting tooth and nail to get away from is what finally hit us the hardest? “Why is life so unfair and merciless?” The fight world reacted with messages of condolence. “I am so sorry to hear of your loss Francis, my prayers are with you and your family at this time,” wrote fellow UFC fighter Conor McGregor on X. The fighter’s manager, Marquel Martin, posted: “Please respect @francis_ngannou and his family during this traumatic time. I along with millions (of) others will be praying for their strength.” Veteran ring announcer Michael Buffer said on social media: “The entire world of sports and beyond stand crushed and painfully supportive with Francis at this time. “Please know that millions of us embrace little Kobe with our prayers.” Adblock test (Why?)
Gunman kills at least six in attack on mosque in Afghanistan’s Herat
Government spokesman says unknown armed person shot at worshippers in a mosque in Herat province, killing at least six people. A gunman stormed a mosque in western Afghanistan and killed six people, a government spokesman says. Ministry of Interior Affairs spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani said “an unknown armed person shot at civilian worshippers in a mosque” at about 9pm (16:30 GMT) on Monday in Andisheh town of Guzara district in Herat province. “Six civilians were martyred and one civilian was injured,” he wrote on social media platform X early on Tuesday morning. The state-run Bakhtar News Agency gave the same death toll for the attack. Citing local sources, local media channel Tolo reported the mosque belonged to Afghanistan’s minority Shia community. A prayer leader, known as Imam, was also killed in the attack, local media reports said. The Iranian embassy in Kabul condemned the attack. While no group has yet claimed the attack, the regional chapter of ISIL (ISIS) is the largest security threat in Afghanistan and has frequently targeted Shia communities. The Taliban government has pledged to protect religious and ethnic minorities since returning to power in August 2021, but rights monitors say they have done little to make good on that promise. The most notorious attack linked to ISIL since the Taliban takeover was in 2022, when at least 53 people – including 46 girls and young women – were slain in the suicide bombing at an education centre in a Shia neighbourhood of Kabul. Taliban officials blamed ISIL for the attack. Kabul’s new rulers claim to have eliminated ISIL from Afghanistan and are highly sensitive to suggestions the group has found safe haven in the country since the withdrawal of foreign forces. Taliban authorities have frequently given death tolls lower than other sources after bombings and gun attacks, in an apparent attempt to downplay security threats. A United Nations Security Council report released in January said there had been a decrease in ISIL attacks in Afghanistan because of “counter-terrorism efforts by the Taliban”. But the report also said ISIL still had “substantial” recruitment in the country and that the armed group had “the ability to project a threat into the region and beyond”. The ISIL’s chapter spanning Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia claimed responsibility for the March attack on the Crocus City Hall concert venue in Moscow, where more than 140 people were killed. It was the deadliest attack in Russia in two decades. Adblock test (Why?)