Ghana’s defence, environment ministers killed in helicopter crash
A helicopter crash has killed eight people including the nation’s defence and environment ministers, according to Ghana’s government. Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah and Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed were among the victims of the crash in the southern Ashanti region of the country, said Julius Debrah, chief of staff to President John Mahama, on Wednesday. “The president and the government extend their condolences and solidarity to the families of our comrades and soldiers who fell in their service to the nation,” said Debrah. Also among the victims were Alhaji Mohammad Muniru Limuna, deputy national security coordinator and former minister of agriculture, and Samuel Sarpong, vice chairman of Mahama’s National Democratic Congress (NDC) party. The Ghanaian Air Force had reported earlier Wednesday that a military helicopter had disappeared from radar shortly after taking off from Accra at around 9am (local time and GMT), bound for Obuasi, northwest of the capital. Debrah announced that flags would be flown at half-mast. The presidency said that Mahama had suspended all his official activities for the day. More to come… Adblock test (Why?)
Netanyahu wants to ‘occupy Gaza’, what do Israeli people, military think?
After 22 months of full-scale war, killing more than 60,000 Palestinians and forcing Gaza to the brink of famine, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly preparing to defy international, domestic and military opinion by escalating the war on Gaza still further and ordering its full occupation. “The die is cast – we are going for a full occupation of the Gaza Strip,” Israeli media cited an anonymous official, supposedly quoting Netanyahu, as saying. Meeting with senior security officials on Tuesday, Netanyahu was said to have come out in support of the military taking complete control of Gaza, even if it meant that the remaining Israeli captives there might be harmed or killed. The fate of the captives taken during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, has been a constant theme throughout Israel’s war on Gaza and rescuing them was one of the war aims Netanyahu claimed at its outset. However, despite the destruction of much of Gaza and the displacement and starvation of much of its population, many captives remain and the territory where they are thought to now be is outside Israeli military control. “Netanyahu wants to continue the war,” Ahron Bregman, a political scientist at King’s College London and former Israeli officer, said, echoing a widespread criticism of the prime minister. “He wants time. He wants time to maintain his coalition and time to drag out his corruption trial,” he said of the criminal charges that have dogged Netanyahu since 2019. Advertisement Motivation The specific reason for this latest potential offensive remains unclear. Some have suggested that talk of occupation is a tactic to bring Hamas back to the negotiating table. The siege Israel imposed on Gaza after breaking the last ceasefire in March has caused international outrage because of the starvation it has caused. Others have suggested it may also be a genuine attempt to eradicate Hamas and finally break whatever spirit remains in Gaza’s population and force them into “concentration zone” camps. “It could be any of them,” Israeli political analyst Nimrod Flaschenberg said. “Netanyahu has proven in the past that he doesn’t care about popular opinion or mass protest, as long as his right-wing base is happy. “We saw that in Rafah, which he destroyed, and we saw that with Iran, which he attacked. It doesn’t matter what most people think. He just needs to keep the base on side and worry about elections later. This has been the strategy for much of the last two years.” The real question is whether the army is capable of occupying all of Gaza, Flaschenberg added. Palestinians facing immense difficulties accessing food due to the blockade imposed by Israel wait to receive hot meals in Gaza on August 5, 2025 [Abdalhkem Abu Riash/Anadolu] “There’s huge fatigue within the military, extensive PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder] and massive numbers of both overt and grey [private] refusals,” he said of what was estimated by the Israeli magazine +972 in April to be a shortfall in troops of more than 100,000. “This is not realistic at all,” former US Special Forces commander Colonel Seth Krummrich of international security firm Global Guardian said of Netanyahu’s plans to occupy Gaza. “To capture and hold terrain takes an enormous number of soldiers and resources. The Israeli population is divided on this issue, so there are domestic headwinds that will not support this level of mobilisation,” he said of widespread protests in Israel calling for an end to the war. Refuseniks Irrespective of the politics, many in the Israeli army and security services have opposed Netanyahu’s and his right-wing allies’ plans to occupy Gaza, as well as continuing with the war on the enclave more generally. Several senior Israeli military officers, including Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, are understood to oppose any further escalation in Gaza at all. On Tuesday, more than 600 former Israeli senior security officials signed an open letter calling on US President Donald Trump to use his influence to help bring the war to a close. “It is our professional judgement that Hamas no longer poses a strategic threat to Israel,” the Commanders for Israel’s Security (CIS) group said in a post on X, where it shared the open letter to President Donald Trump Advertisement CIS describes itself as “Israel’s largest group of former [Israeli military] generals and Mossad, Shin Bet, Police, and Diplomatic Corps equivalents”. “From the military point of view, [Hamas] is totally destroyed. On the other hand, as an ideology, it is getting more and more power among the Palestinian people, within the Arab street around us, and also in the world of Islam,” Ami Ayolon, the former head of Israel’s Shin Bet internal intelligence agency and one of the letter’s signatories, told the BBC. “The lack of support from the upper echelons of the military would also prove vital,” Colonel Krummrich added. “The military leadership has to ‘own’ this operation. If it fails, the military leadership gets blamed. They have to convince their soldiers that it is worth the cost, especially over the long term – potentially stretching into years,” he said. Photo taken during a controlled embed tour with the Israeli army and subsequently edited under military supervision – The Israeli army is reported to be exhausted and suffering critical shortages of reservists [File: Carlos Reyes/AFP] Why would Netanyahu push for the occupation of Gaza? Any further escalation in Gaza is also certain to prove unpopular with the public, which is already tired of the endless war, analysts said. Some polls show widespread public opposition in Israel to the war, with frustration over Netanyahu’s repeated excuses for his government’s failure to reach a ceasefire deal, which could bring the remaining captives home, tangible. Critically, in May, a poll for Israel’s Channel 12 showed that most Israelis thought Netanyahu cared more about clinging to power than he did winning the war. “When you look at the list of people who’ve come out against this, including Zamir, it begs the question
Wildfires and heatwaves grip southern Europe as evacuations ordered
Southern Europe is battling deadly wildfires and extreme heat this week, with record temperatures and dry conditions forcing evacuations across France, Spain and Portugal. An enormous wildfire in southern France’s Aude region has killed one person, injured nine others, marking the country’s largest wildfire this season. The blaze, which erupted on Tuesday, has already scorched at least 15,000 hectares (37,000 acres) – an area larger than the city of Paris – in less than 24 hours. Fires have consumed forests, ravaged villages and damaged or destroyed at least 25 homes, with emergency officials warning that the blaze remains out of control. “All of the nation’s resources are mobilised,” President Emmanuel Macron said in a post on X, urging people to act with “the utmost caution”. More than 1,800 firefighters have been sent to battle the flames, backed by 600 vehicles and water-dropping aircraft. “We have at our disposal in the Aude department the maximum number of personnel and resources that we can have in the south of France in its entirety,” said Remi Recio, deputy prefect of Narbonne. An elderly woman who refused to evacuate was killed, while another person is missing. Two civilians were injured, including one in critical condition with burns, and seven firefighters suffered smoke inhalation. Camping grounds and at least one village were partially evacuated, and roads were closed. “I left everything behind me,” said David Cerdan, 51, who fled the village of Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse. “I’m putting it into perspective. I only have material damage.” Advertisement Officials say the fire has already consumed as much land as all French wildfires in 2024 combined – more than double that of 2023. “The fire is advancing in an area where all the conditions are ripe for it to progress,” said fire official Roesch. “This fire will keep us busy for several days. It’s a long-term operation.” An investigation into the cause is under way. France’s environment ministry said drought conditions and dry vegetation contributed to the spread, with water restrictions already in place in the Aude region. “The risk of fire is greatest in the Mediterranean,” said climate and agriculture analyst Serge Zaka. “In France, it is the hottest and driest area. But with climate change, these fire risks are expected to become more significant during the summer.” Last month, a blaze near Marseille injured about 300 people. Scientists warn that climate change is driving more intense heat and dryness across Europe, the world’s fastest-warming continent. Spain and Portugal face heat-driven blazes In Spain, a prolonged heatwave since Sunday – with temperatures reaching 43C (109F) – has helped fan multiple wildfires across the country. The resort town of Tarifa in Andalusia saw more than 1,500 people and 5,000 vehicles evacuated after a fire broke out near La Pena, a wooded area close to the beach. The fire, believed to have started in a camper van, was rapidly spread by strong winds. “What concerns us most right now is the wind, whether it shifts between the west and east,” said Antonio Sanz, Andalusia’s interior minister. Fire crews worked through the night to keep flames away from hotels and tourist accommodation, but the blaze remains active, and residents have not been allowed to return. Elsewhere, a fire near Ponteceso in the Galicia region forced the evacuation of Corme Aldea village. In Cadiz, a blaze that erupted Tuesday led to mass evacuations, according to state broadcaster RTVE. The Spanish meteorological agency AEMET has issued orange alerts across several regions through Friday. Civil protection authorities warn of “high” or “extreme” fire risk in much of the country. Spain’s Ministry of Health reported 1,060 excess deaths linked to extreme heat in July, a 57 percent increase over the same month last year, based on data from the national mortality monitoring system. While the data does not confirm direct causation, it is widely used to estimate heat-related deaths. In neighbouring Portugal, wildfires have already burned more than 42,000 hectares (104,000 acres) in 2025 – the largest area since 2022 and eight times more than this time last year. More than half of that land was scorched in just the past two weeks. Advertisement Firefighters managed to bring a large blaze under control near Vila Real in the north on Wednesday, but others remain active. A fire in the city of Amarante continued to burn, while another in A Coruna reached emergency level 2 due to its proximity to populated areas. Lisbon declared a state of alert until August 7, with more than 100 municipalities on maximum fire risk amid soaring temperatures. Scientists say Southern Europe is on the front line of climate breakdown. Rising global temperatures are creating the conditions for longer and more destructive fire seasons. Adblock test (Why?)
US charges Chinese nationals with illegally shipping Nvidia chips to China
Prosecutors say two men ‘knowingly and willfully’ used California-based company to evade export controls on AI chips. Authorities in the United States have charged two Chinese citizens with shipping tens of millions of dollars’ worth of advanced Nvidia chips to China in breach of export controls. Chuan Geng and Shiwei Yang are alleged to have “knowingly and willfully” exported the graphic processing units (GPUs) used to power artificial intelligence without authorisation from October 2022 to July 2025, the US Department of Justice said on Tuesday. Export records indicate that Geng and Yang, both 28, organised at least 21 shipments through their El Monte, California-based company ALX Solutions Inc to companies in Singapore and Malaysia, the Justice Department said. The exports included a December 2024 shipment of Nvidia H100 GPUs – described as the most powerful chip on the market – that was “falsely labelled” and had not obtained the necessary licence from the US Department of Commerce, the Justice Department said. According to prosecutors, ALX Solutions received payments from firms in Hong Kong and China, including a $1m sum from a China-based company in January 2024, rather than the companies that accepted the shipments. Prosecutors said a search of ALX Solutions’s office and Geng and Yang’s phones last week revealed “incriminating communications”, including communications about shipping chips to China through Malaysia to evade US export restrictions. Geng and Yang face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison if convicted under the Export Control Reform Act. Al Jazeera could not immediately locate the accused’s lawyers for comment. Advertisement Santa Clara, California-based Nvidia said the case showed that “smuggling is a nonstarter”. “We primarily sell our products to well-known partners, including OEMs [original equipment manufacturers], who help us ensure that all sales comply with US export control rules,” a company spokesperson said. “Even relatively small exporters and shipments are subject to thorough review and scrutiny, and any diverted products would have no service, support, or updates.” The US government has banned the export of the most advanced chips to China amid a heated battle for technological supremacy between Washington and Beijing. US officials have claimed that restrictions, many of which were introduced under former US President Joe Biden, are needed to safeguard national security. China, which has hit back with its own export controls against the US, has accused Washington of undermining global trade and abusing its dominance in tech. Last month, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang announced that Washington had agreed to reverse its ban on the sale of its H20 GPU to China following discussions with US President Donald Trump. Huang said the lifting of the export ban on the H20, which was specifically designed for the Chinese market and is less powerful than the H100, would encourage “nations worldwide to choose America” for their AI models. Adblock test (Why?)
What is the chikungunya virus, how are countries such as China battling it?
United States health officials are urging travellers to remain vigilant as a mosquito-borne virus continues to circulate across parts of Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Indian Ocean. Since the beginning of 2025, there have been approximately 240,000 chikungunya virus infections and 90 deaths in 16 countries, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). In China, an outbreak has infected roughly 7,000 people since late June, with most cases concentrated in the city of Foshan, in Guangdong province, just north of Hong Kong. This marks the country’s largest chikungunya outbreak since the virus was first identified there in 2008. Here is what we know about the disease and how it is spreading. What is the chikungunya virus? Chikungunya is a viral disease that is spread through the bite of infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. These mosquitoes also carry and spread dengue, yellow fever and the Zika virus. The name, chikungunya, derives from a word in the Kimakonde language, spoken in Tanzania and Mozambique, meaning “to become contorted”. In most cases, patients will feel better within a week. In many cases, however, the joint pain can last for months or even years. There is no cure for the chikungunya virus, but deaths are rare. If an infected mosquito bites a healthy human, it injects the virus into the bloodstream. People most at risk of serious illness from chikungunya include newborns, older adults and those with existing health problems such as heart disease or diabetes. Advertisement There is no cure for the chikungunya virus, but the death rate is low, except in high-risk populations. If an infected mosquito bites a healthy human, it injects the virus into the bloodstream. If a non-infected mosquito bites a person who is already infected, it sucks the virus from that person’s blood and becomes a carrier capable of transmitting the virus to others through bites. How bad is the current spread of the virus? According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the current surge in cases began in early 2025, with major outbreaks in Indian Ocean Islands, including La Reunion, Mayotte and Mauritius. In La Reunion, more than 47,500 cases of chikungunya and 12 associated deaths were reported up to May 2025, with sustained high transmission across the island, according to the WHO. The ECDC also reports that as of July 18, there were more than 54,000 cases reported from La Reunion. This is now the most serious chikungunya outbreak in La Reunion since the 2005–2006 epidemic, which saw an estimated 244,000 to more than 300,000 cases, and prompted large-scale public health efforts to control mosquito breeding and limit transmission. The virus has also spread to other countries, including Madagascar, Somalia and Kenya, and has shown signs of epidemic-level transmission in parts of Southeast Asia, as well as India, where financial capital Mumbai has seen a surge in cases since July. The WHO has also raised concerns about the rising number of imported chikungunya cases in Europe. Since May 1, about 800 imported cases have been reported in mainland France. According to the ECDC, the Americas as a region have reported the highest number of chikungunya cases globally. As of mid-July 2025, the countries with the most cases in the region include Brazil (185,553), Bolivia (4,721), Argentina (2,836) and Peru (55). In China, infections have been reported in at least 12 cities across southern Guangdong province, in addition to Foshan. Chinese authorities said that an “imported case triggered local transmission” in July, but did not specify where the infection originated. According to experts, rising global temperatures have led to warmer and wetter weather, allowing mosquitoes to thrive. Separately, on Saturday, Hong Kong confirmed its first case of chikungunya: a 12-year-old boy who developed a fever, rash and joint pain since July 31, after visiting Foshan. This was the territory’s first case of the virus in six years. How are China and other countries fighting the spread? According to a Bloomberg news report, China has promised to take swift and decisive action to contain the spread of the chikungunya virus. Advertisement Drones are being used to find places where mosquitoes are breeding. At the same time, scientists are releasing large “elephant mosquitoes” – about 2cm (0.8 inches) long – whose larvae eat the smaller mosquitoes that spread the virus. Health experts hope these mosquito helpers will play an important role in stopping the outbreak. According to a report by the BBC, residents of affected areas in China have been ordered to eliminate standing water in and around their homes – including in flowerpots, coffee machines and empty bottles. Noncompliance may result in fines of up to 10,000 yuan (approximately $1,400), and in more serious cases, people could face criminal charges for “obstructing the prevention of infectious diseases”. Citing local sources, The New York Times said that in some instances, infected residents in Foshan are being moved to “quarantine wards”, where they are kept behind mosquito nets and screens. Some patients also say they were given no choice but to seek treatment at their own expense. In other places, such as La Reunion and Mayotte, authorities have also launched enhanced surveillance, mosquito control initiatives and targeted vaccination efforts. The Basque Country in Spain activated preventive protocols after a case was detected in Hendaye, just across the border in France. The protocols include increased surveillance in border towns and encouraging people to make reports through apps such as Mosquito Alert. How can chikungunya be prevented and treated? Health authorities advise protecting oneself against mosquito bites as the most effective strategy against the spread of chikungunya. This may involve wearing long sleeves and trousers, applying mosquito repellents, removing bodies of standing water where mosquitoes can breed, and staying in closed, air-conditioned spaces indoors or behind mosquito netting when outdoors. While there are no specific medicines to treat the virus, rest, fluids and pain relievers may help alleviate symptoms, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). However, some pain relievers may be
Trump to host Armenia, Azerbaijan leaders for peace talks: Report
Armenia and Azerbaijan’s leaders met in the UAE last month, but no breakthrough in their decades-long conflict was reached. United States President Donald Trump will host the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan for peace talks at the White House, a US official said. The official told the Reuters news agency on Tuesday that there is a possibility a framework for a peace agreement could be announced at Friday’s meeting in Washington, DC. The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan met in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, for peace talks last month, but no breakthrough in the decades-old conflict was announced. [Al Jazeera] The two South Caucasus countries have been in conflict with each other since the late 1980s, when Nagorno-Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijan with support from Armenia. The region, which was claimed by both Azerbaijan and Armenia after the fall of the Russian Empire in 1917, had a mostly ethnic Armenian population at the time. Azerbaijan recaptured Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023, prompting almost all of the territory’s 100,000 Armenians to flee to Armenia. Armenia has accused Azerbaijan of “erasing all traces” of the presence of ethnic Armenians in the contested territory, in a case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The case stems from the 2020 war over Nagorno-Karabakh, which left more than 6,600 people dead, one of three full-scale wars that the two countries have fought over the region. The United Nations’s top court has ordered Azerbaijan to allow ethnic Armenians who fled Nagorno-Karabakh to return. Azerbaijan says it is committed to ensuring all residents’ safety and security, regardless of national or ethnic origin, and that it has not forced ethnic Armenians, who are mostly Christian, to leave the Karabakh region. Advertisement Azerbaijan, whose inhabitants are mostly Muslim, links its historical identity to the territory, too, and has accused the Armenians of driving out Azeris who lived near the region in the 1990s. The meeting in Abu Dhabi last month between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev came after the two countries finalised a draft peace deal in March. The two leaders “agreed to continue bilateral negotiations and confidence-building measures between the two countries”, but no more concrete steps were outlined in the final statement from the talks. Ceasefire violations along the heavily militarised 1,000km (620-mile) shared Armenia-Azerbaijan border surged soon after the draft deal was announced in March, but later diminished. Adblock test (Why?)
Thousands in Sudan’s besieged el-Fasher at ‘risk of starvation’, UN warns
Thousands of families trapped in the besieged city of el-Fasher in western Sudan are at “risk of starvation”, the World Food Programme (WFP) warns as the country’s brutal civil war rages well into its third year. Since May last year, el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, has been under siege by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has been at war with the government-aligned Sudanese armed forces (SAF) since April 2023. The RSF has encircled the city, blocking all major roads and trapping hundreds of thousands of civilians, who have dwindling food supplies and limited humanitarian access. “Everyone in el-Fasher is facing a daily struggle to survive,” said Eric Perdison, the WFP’s regional director for East and Southern Africa. “People’s coping mechanisms have been completely exhausted by over two years of war. Without immediate and sustained access, lives will be lost.” El-Fasher is the last major city in the Darfur region still held by the SAF. It has come under renewed attack by RSF fighters this year since the paramilitary was ousted from Sudan’s capital, Khartoum. A major RSF assault on the Zamzam displacement camp near el-Fasher in April forced hundreds of thousands of civilians to flee. Many have sought shelter in the state capital. According to the WFP, prices for staple foods like sorghum and wheat, used to make traditional flatbreads and porridge, are as much as 460 percent higher in el-Fasher than in other parts of Sudan. Markets and clinics have been attacked while community kitchens that once fed displaced families have largely shut down due to a lack of supplies, the United Nations agency added. Advertisement Desperate families are reportedly surviving on animal fodder and food waste while acute malnutrition is soaring, especially among children. According to the UN, nearly 40 percent of children under five in el-Fasher are now acutely malnourished, and 11 percent are suffering from severe acute malnutrition. The rainy season, which peaks in August, is further hampering efforts to reach the city as roads rapidly deteriorate. Last year, famine was first declared in Zamzam and later spread to two other nearby camps – al-Salam and Abu Shouk – and some parts of southern Sudan, according to the UN. ‘Irreversible damage’ The war has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced millions and created what the UN describes as the world’s largest displacement and hunger crises. The country in effect is split in two with the army controlling the north, east and centre of Sudan and the RSF dominating nearly all of Darfur and parts of the south. Last month, a Sudanese coalition led by the RSF announced it was establishing an alternative government in a challenge to the military-led authorities in Khartoum. The new self-proclaimed government could deepen divisions, worsen the humanitarian crisis and lead to competing institutions as the war rages. The crises are happening as UN agencies face one of their worst funding cuts in decades, compounded by decisions by the United States and other donor states to slash their foreign aid funding. Funding cuts are now driving an entire generation of children in Sudan to the brink of irreversible harm amid a scaling-back in support, UNICEF warned on Tuesday. “Children have limited access to safe water, food, healthcare. Malnutrition is rife, and many good children are reduced to just skin, bones,” Sheldon Yett, UNICEF’s representative in Sudan, said, speaking via videolink from Port Sudan. Children were being cut off from life-saving services due to funding cuts while the scale of need is staggering, UNICEF said. “With recent funding cuts, many of our partners in Khartoum and elsewhere have been forced to scale back. … We are being stretched to the limit across Sudan with children dying of hunger,” Yett said. “We are on the verge of irreversible damage being done to an entire generation of children in Sudan.” Only 23 percent of the $4.16bn global humanitarian response plan for Sudan has been funded, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). “It has been one year since famine was confirmed in Zamzam camp, and no food has reached this area. El-Fasher remains under siege. We need that access now,” Jens Laerke of OCHA said. Advertisement Meanwhile, a cholera outbreak in North Darfur has further added to the desperation of families there. Deaths due to the water-borne disease have risen to 191 in the region, according to Adam Rijal, spokesman for the General Coordination for Displaced Persons and Refugees in Darfur. At least 62 people have died from the disease in Tawila in North Darfur, Rijal said in a statement. Nearly 100 people have also died in the Kalma and Otash camps, both displacement camps located in the city of Nyala in South Darfur state. About 4,000 cases of cholera have been reported in the region, according to the statement. Adblock test (Why?)
The airdrops on Gaza are a PR stunt, not a humanitarian operation
Last week, I saw aid dropping from the sky near my central Gaza neighbourhood of az-Zawayda. Neither I nor any of my neighbours had the courage to chase after it because we knew that the moment it hit the ground, a battle would erupt. If the aid survived the air, it wouldn’t survive the looters. It is almost always the same scene. Gunfire breaks out the second the plane drops the boxes. Armed gangs are already waiting on the ground, ready to take the goods by force. Whoever gets there first, whoever shoots first, also walks away with the food. It is never those who need it the most. Later, we would see those same “aid boxes” in the market in Deir el-Balah, their contents up for sale at exorbitant prices. Recently, my little brother was craving a biscuit. I saw biscuits from an aid package at the market and asked for the price. It was 20 shekels ($5) for a biscuit, something we could not afford. The aid dropped from the sky not only fails to feed the hungry, but it also kills them. On Monday, an airdropped pallet hit a tent for the displaced and killed Uday al-Quraan, a medic working at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. A week ago, 11 people were injured when another airdropped pallet hit tents in northern Gaza. Last year, in other failed airdrops, people also died. Five were killed in the Shati refugee camp in Gaza City when the parachute of a pallet did not open; 12 drowned trying to reach boxes that dropped into the sea; six were killed in a stampede after a crowd of people rushed to an airdrop location. Advertisement The idea for these latest airdrops came from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who called on the world to help with the process. Many governments welcomed the idea and some joined the effort, including Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and European countries. But Netanyahu knows very well that the airdrops will not stop the starvation of Palestinians, which is why he called for them instead of opening the land crossings into Gaza and allowing United Nations agencies to distribute aid in a fair and orderly fashion, just like they have always done. While, the global public may be deceived that something is being done about the hunger, inside Gaza, these airdrops aren’t seen as a real solution or a humanitarian gesture. We see them as nothing more than a PR show – a way to cover up a crime that hasn’t stopped: starving an entire population under tight siege by preventing thousands of trucks from entering while a few boxes fall from the sky for the cameras. It’s all part of a strategy to extend the starvation and ease international pressure on Israel. And so the famine proceeds at full speed. According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, more than 180 people have died from hunger, including 92 children. It is not just in Gaza that airdrops are seen as inefficient and dangerous. In Afghanistan in 2001, airdropped aid was packaged in the same way as cluster bombs. The latter would get mistaken for food boxes by children who would get killed running after them. In Syria, aid airdropped into a besieged area did not reach the starving civilians because it was either damaged or fell into ISIL (ISIS)-held territory. It is well known that airdrops do not work and when other options are available, there is no reason to use them. The UN has repeatedly said this method is ineffective and ground delivery is safer and far better. A truck can carry four to 10 times more aid than a parachute. It is also much cheaper. Thousands of trucks are waiting on the Egyptian side of the border, enough to feed people and prevent more deaths from starvation. And yet, we see this futile spectacle once again in Gaza. Here we know not to look to the sky with hope. The same sky that drops bombs can’t be trusted to drop food. This “humanity with parachutes” is a fig leaf deployed to try to cover the world’s shame and its decision to silently watch starvation. Gaza is not only under siege by bombs but also by lies, by complicity, by soft language covering bloody massacres. Everyone who stays silent, who justifies, who treats the killer and victim as equal is a partner in this crime. Advertisement And we, the Palestinians, are not just victims – we are witnesses. We see the world refuse to act, we see countries continue to arm Israel, to trade with it, to give it diplomatic cover. We see governments think of pitiful excuses not to impose embargoes – as they are obliged to do under international law – on a nation committing genocide. And tomorrow, when history is written, it won’t be in the language of diplomacy with euphemisms and excuses. It will be in the language of facts with the names of those complicit in the mass killing and starvation of Palestinians written in clear letters. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance. Adblock test (Why?)
Man Utd and Newcastle make Sesko bids as Leipzig admit ‘concrete’ interest
Benjamin Sesko tops the summer’s transfer targets, with striker’s club Leipzig revealing ‘concrete interest’. Premier League sides Manchester United and Newcastle have both placed competing bids for in-demand RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko, German tabloid Bild reported Tuesday. Bild said the Red Devils made an initial bid of 85 million euros ($98.2) on Tuesday for the 22-year-old centre forward. Newcastle had offered a reported 80 million euros ($92.4) for the striker on Saturday, upping that to 85 million ($98.2) with bonuses on Monday. The Slovenian striker scored 13 goals and laid on five assists in a disappointing league campaign for Leipzig last season. He has scored 16 times in 41 appearances at the international level. Sesko was stood down from Saturday’s home friendly against Serie A side Atalanta, won 2-1 by the visitors, due to a potential transfer. Leipzig sporting director Marcel Schafer confirmed this, saying Sesko would not play “due to the very concrete interests from several clubs”. United are rebuilding after their worst top-flight campaign in 51 years, along with defeat to Tottenham in the Europa League final. United were toothless in attack and have already brought in forwards Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo in the summer window. Sesko’s arrival could push under-pressure striker Rasmus Hojlund towards the exit, with reports emerging that United could sell the Denmark forward for 35 million ($40.4) euros, less than half of what they paid to bring him from Atalanta in 2023. Newcastle qualified for the Champions League with a fifth-placed finish last season, but are reportedly in danger of losing striker Alexander Isak to Premier League champions Liverpool. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)
Australia’s FM warns of ‘risk there will be no Palestine left to recognise’
Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong has told the country’s media that “there is a risk there will be no Palestine left to recognise”, amid Israel’s devastating war on Gaza and increasing violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Wong, who did not indicate that Australia plans to change its stance and recognise Palestinian statehood, made her comments in an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation ( ABC) on Tuesday morning, where she responded to questions about a mass protest in Sydney attended by hundreds of thousands of people rallying against Israel’s war on Gaza. Organisers said that between 200,000 and 300,000 people joined the protest across the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge on Sunday. Police had initially estimated that about 90,000 people took part. Wong said the Australian government shared the protesters “desire for peace and a ceasefire”, and that the huge turnout reflected “the broad Australian community’s horror” and the “distress of Australians, on what we are seeing unfolding in Gaza, the catastrophic humanitarian situation, the deaths of women and children, the withholding of aid”. However, asked if Australia was considering taking any more concrete actions, such as imposing sanctions on Israel, Wong said: “We don’t speculate on sanctions for the obvious reason that they have more effect if they are not flagged.” She noted that Australia had already imposed sanctions on two far-right ministers in Netanyahu’s government, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, in June this year, as well as “extremist” Israeli settlers. Advertisement On Australia’s position regarding Palestinian statehood, Wong said: “In relation to recognition, I’ve said for over a year now, it’s a matter of when, not if.” Wong’s interview came as Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is reportedly seeking to speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the wake of Sunday’s protest. Responding to questions about what he plans to discuss with Netanyahu, Albanese said he would again express his support for a two-state solution. Rawan Arraf, the executive director of the Australian Centre for International Justice, said that the “only business” that Albanese should be discussing with Netanyahu is cancelling the “two-way arms trade between Australia and and Israel, new sanctions measures, and Netanyahu’s one-way trip to the [International Criminal Court] to face war crimes and crimes against humanity charges“. Albanese “must not give legitimacy to an accused war criminal”, Arraf wrote in a post on X. While both Albanese and Wong have continued to emphasise the importance of a two-state solution, Australia has yet to follow other countries, including France and Canada, that have recently announced their plans to recognise Palestinian statehood, and join the vast majority of countries which already do so. Albanese also had a phone call with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday, the first publicly recorded call between the pair since November 2023, according to the ABC. Responding to questions about the Sydney protest rally, Albanese said: “It’s not surprising that so many Australians have been affected in order to want to show their concern at people being deprived of food and water and essential services.” But the state government in New South Wales, which is led by Albanese’s Labor Party, had sought to prevent the march from crossing the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the week leading up to the protest. The protest only went ahead after State Supreme Court Justice Belinda Rigg ruled that “the march at this location is motivated by the belief that the horror and urgency of the situation in Gaza demands an urgent and extraordinary response from the people of the world”. “The evidence indicates there is significant support for the march,” Rigg added. A number of state and federal Labor ministers also took part in the march, in an indication of a growing divide within Albanese’s party. Independent journalist Antony Loewenstein told Al Jazeera that Sunday’s march showed that Australians are “frustrated that our government is doing little more than talk at this point”. Advertisement “People are so outraged, not just by what Israel is doing in Gaza, but also the Australian government’s complicity,” said Loewenstein, who spoke at the march on Sunday. Australia “is part of the global supply chain for the F-35 fighter jet, which Israel is using over Gaza every day, and the parts that are amongst those parts in the plane are probably coming from Australia”, he said. Adblock test (Why?)