In Gaza City, death and famine take hold amid Israel’s war
Gaza City, Gaza Strip – More than four months of Israel’s war on Gaza have left it unrecognisable. In the streets, famine is a reality for nearly all the besieged population while the smell of death is ever-present. With nearly no access to medical care, many are suffering from disease, while infection awaits tens of thousands of men, women and children injured by Israeli attacks. Famine Hunger has taken a heavy toll on everyone. With businesses and banking services either destroyed or unable to operate, there is no cash, no income and little to nothing to meet the cost of feeding their starving families. With Gaza’s ability to produce its own food decimated by Israeli bombs, a hungry population looks for food from outside the Strip, provisions increasingly limited by Israel’s continuing blockade. Agriculture is in ruins. Fertile areas such as Beit Hanoon, Beit Lahiya and Jabalia lie neglected, as winter rains, vital to farmers, fall unheeded. Poultry and livestock have also been destroyed, victims either directly or indirectly of the Israeli bombs. [embedded content] Fish is a luxury lost to the coastal enclave’s population. Famine is a growing reality. Few supplies are left and malnutrition is growing. The international aid that does make it in can barely meet the needs of a hungry population, or prevent the situation from deteriorating. Since the beginning of Israel’s ground offensive, many humanitarian agencies, like the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) have halted operations, meaning hundreds of thousands of people cannot access any aid. The endless waves of bombing have destroyed Gaza’s infrastructure, razing or shuttering the factories producing and processing food. About half the population of Gaza now faces daily shortages of bread, clean water and the basic ingredients for life. In the east of Gaza, canned goods were once processed and bakeries seemed to stand on every street, they are now simply memories for the starving population. As are meat and dairy. What food can be found is either extremely expensive or greatly reduced in quantity, often both. Palestinian child crying amid a crush of children in line to receive food prepared by volunteers for Palestinian families displaced to southern Gaza by Israeli attacks, on February 10, 2024 [Belal Khaled/Anadolu Agency] The struggle extends beyond food. Water has become so scarce that contaminated drinking water has become the norm. As more people, especially children, consume polluted water, severe bacterial illnesses have thrived. For those willing to risk falling buildings or bombs, firewood to boil water can be found, but cooking gas is a distant memory. Disease With uncooked food common, parents, desperate to feed their starving children, feel they have no option but to give them raw food, despite the consequences of doing so. Across the Strip, infrastructure and sewage systems have been destroyed, resulting in a free flow of sewage that contributes to growing respiratory problems as a population weakened by hunger keeps breathing. Added to that is the smell of the dead, decomposing bodies of people and animals lying scattered in the streets or under rubble, polluting the air and raising the risk of disease transmission. Medical facilities in Gaza have nearly all been destroyed, leaving those injured by Israeli attacks isolated and those with more complex or chronic needs, such as prenatal care or treatments like dialysis, without proper care. An injured Palestinian child on her mother’s lap on the floor because there is nowhere else for her t wait for medical attention; in Nasser Hospital after Israeli attacks in Khan Yunis on January 22, 2024 [Belal Khaled/Anadolu Agency] In and around Gaza City, there are only two functioning hospitals: al-Shifa Hospital and Ahli Arab Hospital. In addition to struggling with many of the same circumstances as the rest of the Strip, they struggle with the demands of hundreds of thousands of injured and sick people calling for help. The outcome is predictable. Thousands are slowly dying. Without electricity, large numbers of the injured, the sick, premature newborn babies and those lying in intensive care units (ICUs) must all depend on oxygen pumped by machines reliant on generators, whose fuel supply is uncertain. Everyone is at risk. Prenatal care units are out of service, increasing the risk of babies being born with health problems or complications. Inevitably, as the bombing continues, the incidence of disease and the ever-present need for amputations rarely recedes. All the while, the cold bites, affecting all. Each day begins with a challenge of reaching its end. In Gaza, sadly, that’s enough. [embedded content] Adblock test (Why?)
Two men charged with murder in shooting at Kansas City Super Bowl parade
Dominic Miller and Lyndell Mays face charges of second-degree murder in the shooting that left one person dead and more than 20 injured. Two men in the United States have been charged with murder for a gunfight on the fringe of a Super Bowl victory rally in Kansas City, which killed one person and wounded more than 20 others, according to prosecutors and court documents. Prosecutors in the state of Missouri told reporters on Tuesday that Lyndell Mays and Dominic Miller were charged with second-degree murder and several weapons counts in the shooting, which began in a quarrel over eye contact. The arrests of Mays and Miller brought to four the number of people facing prosecution in the Valentine’s Day shooting. Two teenagers were also taken into custody last week and charged as juveniles in family court with firearms offences and resisting arrest. Prosecutors have said they would seek to also charge the two minors as adults and that the investigation was continuing. Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said the investigation showed the violence on February 14 stemmed from an argument between Mays and another person who was a stranger to him. Baker told reporters their quarrel “very quickly escalated,” with Mays pulling out a pistol, followed by others in the vicinity “almost immediately” drawing their weapons. Police clear the area after shots were fired after the celebration of the Kansas City Chiefs winning Super Bowl LVIII [David Rainey/Reuters] While both Mays and Miller are charged with murder, Baker said the evidence shows it was a bullet fired from Miller’s weapon that struck and killed Elizabeth Lopez-Galvan, 43, a radio personality. Police have previously said she was one of 23 people struck by gunfire, including at least nine children, but court documents filed against Mays put the total number of known gunshot victims at 25, including Lopez-Galvan. Mays told detectives he began firing after someone in the other group said, “I’m going to get you,” which he took to mean they would try to kill him, according to affidavits. He said he chose a random person from the other group to shoot at as that person was running away, the document says. Miller initially told investigators that he and his friends began running after hearing gunfire and that he was shot in the back, one affidavit says. When investigators told Miller they had video of him chasing someone in Mays’s group and shooting, Miller admitted to firing four to five shots, the affidavit said. Authorities did not release the ages of either man but court records show that Mays is in his early 20s and Miller is 18 or 19. The shooting unfolded following a parade and rally near the city’s landmark Union Station, where police said upward of a million fans had gathered as the Kansas City Chiefs were celebrating their Super Bowl triumph over the San Francisco 49ers. The broadcast of the NFL championship game on February 11 drew a record television audience, in part due to the heightened media attention surrounding the romance between the Chiefs’ Travis Kelce and pop superstar Taylor Swift. She attended the Super Bowl but was not present for the rally. Probable-cause statements filed by prosecutors in conjunction with the criminal complaints lodged against Mays and Miller said that both men were themselves hospitalised by gunshot wounds they sustained during the violence. A conviction for second-degree murder in Missouri is punishable by a prison sentence of 10 to 30 years or life. The incident was at least the 48th mass shooting in the US in 2024, according to the Gun Violence Archive organisation, which counts those in which four or more people are shot, not including a perpetrator. This year, so far, it has registered 55 mass shootings. Adblock test (Why?)
World condemns US’s latest UN Security Council veto on Gaza ceasefire
The United States has again vetoed a draft UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution on Israel’s war in Gaza, prompting widespread criticism from rivals and allies alike. The move on Tuesday was the third US veto of a UNSC resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza, and came a day after Washington circulated a resolution that would support a temporary ceasefire linked to the release of all Israeli captives from the Palestinian enclave. The vote in the 15-member council was 13-1, with the United Kingdom abstaining, reflecting the strong support from countries around the globe for ending the devastating conflict that has killed more than 29,000 Palestinians. Here’s how countries and world leaders responded. China Zhang Jun, China’s envoy to the UN, expressed “strong disappointment and dissatisfaction” with the US, according to the Xinhua news agency. “The US veto sends a wrong message, pushing the situation in Gaza into a more dangerous one,” said Zhang, adding that objection to a ceasefire in Gaza is “nothing different from giving the green light to the continued slaughter”. “Only by extinguishing the flames of war in Gaza can the world prevent the fires of hell from engulfing the entire region,” Xinhua quoted him as saying. Russia Russia’s Ambassador to the UN Vasily Nebenzia said the US veto marked “another black page in the history of the Security Council”. He accused the US of trying to play for time so that Israel could complete its “inhumane plans” for Gaza, namely to squeeze the Palestinians out of the territory and completely “cleanse” the enclave. He added that no matter how bitter the “aftertaste” of the vote may be, “we are not in the mood to give up”. France France’s UN envoy Nicolas de Riviere expressed regret that a UNSC ceasefire resolution “could not be adopted, given the disastrous situation” in Gaza. De Riviere added that France, which voted for the resolution, would continue to work towards all captives being released and for a ceasefire to be “implemented immediately”. France regrets that the 🇩🇿 resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza could not be adopted, given the disastrous situation on the ground. All hostages must be released now and a ceasefire must be implemented immediately. France will remain committed at the UNSC to that end. pic.twitter.com/dqwSWwgVQZ — Nicolas de Rivière (@NDeRiviere) February 20, 2024 Algeria Algeria’s envoy said the UNSC has “failed once again” and warned the move could have profound consequences for the Middle East as a whole. “Our message to you today is that the international community should respond to the calls for ending the killing of Palestinians by calling for an immediate ceasefire. All those impeding such calls should review their policies and their calculations because wrong decisions today will have a cost on our region and our world tomorrow. And this cost will be violence and instability,” Amar Bendjama said. “So ask yourselves, examine your conscience. What will your decisions today cause? How will history judge you?” Hamas The Palestinian group said the administration of US President Joe Biden’s decision to block Algeria’s draft resolution benefits the agenda of the Israeli occupation, which aims to “kill and displace” Palestinians. “President Joe Biden and his administration bear direct responsibility for derailing the resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza,” Hamas said in a statement. “The American position is considered a green light for the occupation to commit more massacres and kill our innocent people through bombing and starvation.” Palestinian Authority The office of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the US veto defied the international community and gave Israel “an additional green light for the Israeli occupation to continue its aggression against the people of Gaza and to launch a bloody assault against Rafah”. The Palestinian presidency also said that it holds the US administration responsible for “supporting and providing protection” to Israel’s “barbaric attacks” against children, women and the elderly in Gaza. “This policy makes the United States a partner in the crimes of genocide and ethnic cleansing and the war crimes Israeli forces are committing,” the office said. Qatar Qatar’s UN Ambassador Alya Ahmed Saif Al Thani said she regretted the UNSC’s failure to adopt the Algeria-drafted resolution and pledged to continue facilitating efforts to secure a truce in Gaza. Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry expressed “regret” at the veto and stressed the “need now more than ever to reform the Security Council to carry out its responsibilities in maintaining peace and security with credibility and without double standards”. #Statement | The Foreign Ministry expresses the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s regret over the veto of the draft resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in the #Gaza Strip and its surroundings, which Algeria submitted to the Security Council on behalf of the Arab countries. pic.twitter.com/6S0COWbERD — Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) February 20, 2024 Norway Norway’s mission to the UN said it “regrets” that the council was not able to adopt a resolution on an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. “It is imperative to end the horror in Gaza,” it added. Norway regrets that the #UNSC yet again was unable to adopt a resolution on an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in #Gaza. It is imperative to end the horror in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/9Sh3ntIQty — NorwayUN (@NorwayUN) February 20, 2024 Cuba Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez blasted the US, saying its veto made it complicit in Israel’s crimes against Palestinians. “The US has just vetoed again the UN Security Council resolution that demanded an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the forced displacement of the Palestinian population,” Bermudez said in a social media post. “They are accomplices of this genocide of Israel against Palestine.” Amnesty International Agnes Callamard, the director of the human rights group, said that Washington had a chance to protect Palestinian civilians but chose “the opposite path” at the UNSC. “And yet again… when the US could do the right thing: protect Palestinians against serious risks of genocide; respect international law and universality; prevent massive killings and sufferings – it chose the opposite path,” Callamard
Israel’s war on Gaza: List of key events, day 138
The US vetoes a supported UN resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, while ICJ hearings continue. Here’s how things stand on Wednesday, February 21, 2024: Fighting and humanitarian crisis Doctors Without Borders, known by its French initials MSF, said the Israeli military has bombed a shelter hosting MSF staff in al-Mawasi near Khan Younis in southern Gaza. In the 24 hours between Monday and Tuesday afternoon, 103 Palestinians were reported killed and 142 injured by Israeli attacks on Gaza, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The World Food Programme said it has paused deliveries of food to isolated northern Gaza because of attacks and the breakdown of civil order in the region. The weakening of the aid operations threatens to deepen misery across the territory, where Israel’s air and ground offensive has killed over 29,000 Palestinians. Regional tensions and Diplomacy The US vetoed an Arab-backed and widely supported UN resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. Before the vote, Algeria’s UN Ambassador Amar Bendjama said: “A vote in favour of this draft resolution is a support to the Palestinians’ right to life. Conversely, voting against it implies an endorsement of the brutal violence and collective punishment inflicted against them.” China’s Ambassador to the UN Zhang Jun said that the US’s veto “stifles” an “overwhelming consensus” among the UNSC’s members on a ceasefire in Gaza. Separately, South Africa argued at the United Nations’ top court that Israel is responsible for apartheid against the Palestinians and that Israel’s occupation of land sought for a Palestinian state is “inherently and fundamentally illegal”. Israel rejects such claims. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has described Israeli soldiers’ reported looting of homes in Gaza as a “symptom of genocide and ethnic cleansing”. And in Yemen, the Houthi rebels claimed they struck an Israeli cargo ship, the MSC Silver, in the Gulf of Aden near the entrance to the Red Sea with a number of missiles. At today’s session, Amb. Dr. Riyad Mansour condemned the Security Council’s failure to call for a #ceasefire in #Gaza “By the time this session ends, over 25 #Palestinians will be dead due to the Council’s inaction, It means more babies will be murdered.” @AlgeriaUN @UN #UNSC pic.twitter.com/J9d0LT3bvs — State of Palestine (@Palestine_UN) February 21, 2024 Violence in the occupied West Bank Israeli forces destroyed infrastructure and fired live rounds in Jenin, as raids on dozens of homes continue in the city in the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa. The Israeli military said it had targeted a “terrorist cell” with an air strike in Jenin, killing three people. Palestinian armed groups said they had responded by using explosive devices against Israeli military vehicles. Israeli forces also arrested a minor in the town of al-Khader, south of Bethlehem. Adblock test (Why?)
Putin says Russia has no intention of putting nuclear weapons in space
Last week, the White House claimed that Moscow had obtained ‘troubling’ anti-satellite weapon capability. Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared that Moscow has no intention of deploying nuclear weapons in space, claiming that the country has only developed space capabilities similar to those of the US. Putin’s statement on Tuesday follows the White House claim last week that Russia has obtained a “troubling” anti-satellite weapon capability, although such a weapon is not operational yet. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said it would violate the international Outer Space Treaty, but declined to comment on whether the weapon was nuclear-capable. The treaty, signed by more than 130 countries – including Russia, prohibits the deployment of “nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction” in orbit or the stationing of “weapons in outer space in any other manner”. The White House said it would look to engage the Russians directly about the concerns. “Our position is quite clear and transparent: we have always been and remain categorically opposed to the deployment of nuclear weapons in space,” Putin said. “Just the opposite, we are urging everyone to adhere to all the agreements that exist in this sphere.” He called the accusations part of a “clamour being raised in the West”. Putin said Russia has “many times suggested to strengthen joint cooperation in the [space] sphere but for some reason, in the West, this topic has not come up again”. Speaking during a meeting with his defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, Putin noted that Russia has only developed space capabilities that “other nations, including the US, have”. “And they know it,” he said. “We haven’t deployed any nuclear weapons in space or any elements of them to use against satellites or to create fields where satellites can’t work efficiently,” Shoigu said. Shoigu alleged that the White House could have made the allegations of a new Russian space capability to force Congress to support aid for Ukraine and also encourage Moscow to re-enter nuclear arms control talks that Russia has suspended amid the tensions with the US over Ukraine. Putin did not rule out possible future contacts with the US, but reaffirmed his view that Washington’s push for Russia’s defeat in Ukraine makes such a scenario impossible for now. “The US and the West, for one thing, are calling for Russia’s strategic defeat, while, on the other hand, they would like to have a dialogue on strategic stability, pretending that those things aren’t connected,” he said. “It won’t work.” Adblock test (Why?)
Pakistan government deal agreed despite opposition from Imran Khan’s PTI
Pakistan People’s Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz to form a coalition with Shehbaz Sharif selected as candidate for PM. Two of Pakistan’s leading political parties have reached a formal agreement to form a coalition government, they say, days after inconclusive national elections did not return a clear majority. The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) now have the “required numbers” to form a government, PMLN President and former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Tuesday. Sitting beside Sharif at a news conference in Islamabad, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, former foreign minister and chairperson of the PPP, confirmed that Sharif would be their coalition’s candidate for prime minister. He added that his father, Asif Ali Zardari, would be the alliance’s candidate for president. Sharif, who is the younger brother of another former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, said the PMLN-PPP coalition also had the support of other smaller parties. The announcement comes after 10 days of intense negotiations following the February 8 elections, which resulted in a hung National Assembly when no party secured the 134 seats needed for a simple majority and to form government on its own. Independent candidates aligned with another leading political party – jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) – won the most seats at 93 but did not have the numbers or a political party or coalition that would enable them to govern. PTI-aligned candidates were forced to run as independents in the face of state restrictions against the party. The PMLN is the largest party with 79 seats, and the PPP is second with 54. They along with four other smaller parties have a comfortable majority in the legislature of 264 seats. Vote rigging In response to the announcement by the two parties, the PTI, which had also been trying to form coalitions with smaller parties, branded their rivals “mandate thieves” in a post on the social media platform X. PDM 2.0 = #MandateThieves pic.twitter.com/9ukk4oJZvF — PTI (@PTIofficial) February 20, 2024 The PTI has alleged there was widespread vote rigging in the elections, a claim that was seemingly backed up when a senior bureaucrat on Saturday admitted to his involvement in changing election results. The PTI faced a severe crackdown from government agencies and security forces in the weeks before the elections. In January, the party was even denied the use of its election symbol, the cricket bat, which resulted in its candidates running as independents instead of as members of the party itself. Meanwhile, the social media platform X has been disrupted across Pakistan since Saturday when the vote manipulation admission was made public and people went out into the streets to protest. “X has been inaccessible in Pakistan [since Saturday] because it is used by the public to protest,” Usama Khilji, a digital rights activist told the Agence France-Presse news agency. However, Pakistan’s government has not acknowledged the outage. The delay in forming a government in Pakistan – a nuclear-armed nation of 241 million people – has caused concern as the country grapples with an economic crisis amid slow growth and record inflation and rising violence by armed groups. It needs a stable administration with the authority to take tough decisions. Bhutto Zardari said on Tuesday that the PPP and PMLN would push to form a government as soon as possible. According to the country’s constitution, a session of parliament has to be called by February 29, after which a vote for a new prime minister will take place. Adblock test (Why?)
Who is Julian Assange and why does the United States want him so badly?
NewsFeed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been fighting for years against being sent to the United States – where he could be jailed for life if convicted on spying charges. Virginia Pietromarchi explains who the whistleblower is and why he’s wanted in the US. Published On 20 Feb 202420 Feb 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
US vetoes UN resolution calling for immediate Gaza ceasefire
NewsFeed The United States has vetoed an Arab-backed United Nations Security Council draft resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The US ambassador to the UN said proceeding with the vote was ‘wishful and irresponsible’ and proposed a rival draft instead. Published On 20 Feb 202420 Feb 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
All you need to know about Major League Soccer 2024 and its Messi mania
The new Major League Soccer season is set to get under way in North America with the spotlight shining brightly on one man: Lionel Messi. Argentina’s World Cup-winning captain joined David Beckham’s MLS club, Inter Miami, in the middle of the US’s regular football season last year and delivered instant results. The club won the first match Messi played after a streak of 10 winless games and, what’s more, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner landed the side its first trophy – the Leagues Cup. Messi and his former Barcelona teammates Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, have transformed the team in a matter of months. Now, with Messi fully established as the centrepiece and playing his first full campaign for the club’s fourth year of existence, Miami will be eyeing the big prize: a first MLS Cup. The 29-team championship gets under way on February 22, when Miami host Salt Lake City at the DRK PNV Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. Two. More. Days. ⏳ Messi & @InterMiamiCF take on @realsaltlake to kickoff the season! 📺 #MLSSeasonPass on @AppleTV: https://t.co/D7skJOK7bn pic.twitter.com/xoe19Wm6jQ — Major League Soccer (@MLS) February 19, 2024 Here’s what you need to know about the upcoming MLS season: Who are the biggest names in MLS? Inter Miami: Inter Miami brought Messi mania to the MLS for the end of their last season and the Qatar World Cup 2022 winner arrived in a media whirlwind. Soon, Messi’s good friend Suarez was signed in the off-season to bolster the team’s ranks. The Uruguayan has set out his motive for joining the club: “to try to win [the] MLS”. Busquets, Alba and Paraguayan midfielder Diego Gomez complete Miami’s star-studded lineup. Columbus Crew: The defending champions are led in attack by Columbian star Cucho Hernandez. He scored 16 goals and produced seven assists last season. Atlanta United: Thiago Almada, who was part of Messi’s World Cup-winning team in 2022, is central to Atlanta United’s hopes. The midfielder scored 13 goals in his 35 appearances last season. Chicago Fire: Belgian striker Hugo Cuypers was a club-record $12m signing for the Eastern Conference side, where Switzerland international and former Liverpool forward Xherdan Shaqiri netted seven goals last season. Toronto FC: Lorenzo Insigne is the Canadian club’s star name. The winger won the last of his 54 caps for Italy in their failed World Cup qualification bid in 2022 and moved to Canada the same year following a 15-year career with Napoli. Los Angeles FC: French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris moved to the West Coast from Tottenham Hotspur in January, ending an 11-year association with the London club. New year, new signings, new stars. ✨ pic.twitter.com/UR6h1XjIj7 — Major League Soccer (@MLS) February 19, 2024 How has Messi transformed the MLS? Inter Miami’s managing owner Jorge Mas termed the player’s arrival a “seminal moment” for the sport in the US last year. Meanwhile, MLS Commissioner Don Garber believes Messi’s presence will “put MLS on a different trajectory.” “And who knows what that’s going to look like years from now? But certainly, we’re in a different position today than we had been, with Messi in our league.” If numbers provided by Garber are anything to go by this season, MLS season ticket sales have seen a 15 percent increase, league sponsorship revenue is up by 17 percent, club revenue has received a 15 percent boost and merchandise sales have shot up by 44 percent. Shirts of Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez are displayed for sale outside the Cuscatlan stadium prior to a friendly match between El Salvador’s national team and Inter Miami in San Salvador, El Salvador on January 19, 2024 [File: Moises Castillo/AP] What are conferences? The 29 teams are broken into two conferences to reduce travel. The Eastern Conference features 15 teams, and 14 are in the Western Conference. Which teams are in the conferences? Eastern Conference: Atlatana FC, CF Montreal, Charlotte FC, Chicago Fire FC, Columbus Crew, DC United, FC Cincinnati, FC Inter Miami, Nashville SC, New England Revolution, New York City FC, New York Red Bulls, Orlando City SC, Philadelphia Union, Toronto FC. Western Conference: Austin FC, Colorado Rapids, FC Dallas, Houston Dynamos FC, LA Galaxy, Los Angeles FC, Minnesota United FC, Portland Timbers, Real Salt Lake, San Jose Earthquakes, Seattle Sounders, Sporting Kansas City, St Louis City SC, Vancouver Whitecaps FC. What is up for grabs in the North American season? The Eastern and Western Conferences will primarily play for two titles in the MLS. The overall leader from the two groups is awarded the Supporters’ Shield, while the winners of the end-of-season playoffs will lift the MLS Cup. The Leagues Cup, which is a knockout competition also available to clubs from Mexico’s Liga MX, offers teams another route to the continental club competition CONCACAF Champions Cup. This has already been a happy hunting ground for Messi and Miami, as the Argentinian helped the Florida-based team to lift the revamped tournament last season to qualify for the prestigious Champions Cup. Miami will enter that tournament in the last-16 stage in March and will vie for a place at the expanded FIFA 2025 Club World Cup set to be hosted in the US. The US Open Cup is the fifth crown that Messi can challenge for with Miami this season and is another knockout competition but this one is open to clubs outside the MLS conferences in both the US and Canada. Houston beat Miami in the final last season. FC Cincinnati were winners of the Eastern Conference, as well as the Supporters Shield, while St Louis City finished atop the Western Conference in the team’s first season. Lionel Messi guided Inter Miami to the Leagues Cup Championship win last year [File: Christopher Hanewinckel/USA Today Sports] Who are the favourites? Inter Miami’s spending spree and the capture of Messi will mount pressure on them to challenge in all competition this season, but they have their work cut out having finished 27th out of 29 teams last season. With the late addition of Rossi to
South Africa to hold general election on May 29
Ruling ANC faces a tough challenge to retain its majority in the seventh election since the end of the apartheid system. South Africa will hold national and provincial elections on May 29, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office has said. Ramaphosa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) party is expected to face a tough challenge to retain its parliamentary majority in the country’s seventh democratic election since the end of the apartheid system in 1994. “The 2024 elections coincide with South Africa’s celebration of 30 years of freedom and democracy,” the presidency said in a statement posted on X on Tuesday. In 1994, the country held its first democratic elections after the fall of the racially segregationist system of apartheid that had brutally oppressed Black and other non-white South Africans since 1948. “Beyond the fulfilment of our constitutional obligation, these upcoming elections are also a celebration of our democratic journey and a determination of the future that we all desire,” Ramaphosa said. PRESIDENT RAMAPHOSA ANNOUNCES 2024 GENERAL ELECTION DATE President @CyrilRamaphosa has in accordance with section 49(2) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, read with section 17 of the Electoral act of 1998, determined 29 May 2024, as the date for the 2024… — #SONA2024 | Presidency 🇿🇦 (@PresidencyZA) February 20, 2024 The statement echoed sentiments he shared in his State of the Nation Address earlier this month, where he used much of his speech to highlight how far the country has come in three decades and what role his governing party has played. Ramaphosa, 71, is seeking a second term as president in a vote that may prove historic, with opinion polls showing opposition parties gaining ground over his African National Congress (ANC) in some areas. The ANC has led the country since 1994. But the party is now struggling in the polls, and many analysts say this year it will for the first time get less than the 50 percent parliamentary majority it has won in past elections. Power cuts and employment crisis The Democratic Alliance (DA) and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) are the main opposition parties. Former President Jacob Zuma has backed the newly formed uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) or Spear of the Nation party, in a move that could potentially attract some traditional ANC voters. Zuma – who still enjoys huge popularity despite ongoing court cases and allegations of corruption against him – was part of the ANC until he was suspended in January. Political analysts also say record power cuts, poor service delivery and high levels of unemployment are likely to hurt the ANC at the polls in May. Daily blackouts, known locally as “load shedding”, have plagued the country for years, showing no sign of ending despite the president’s recent remarks that “the worst is behind us”. The power crisis has affected local businesses and the economy. The country’s unemployment rate reached 32.1 percent in December, the national statistics agency StatsSA said on Tuesday. On the foreign policy front, South Africa has put its weight behind securing an end to Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza and an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine more broadly. It has filed a case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing Israel of genocide, and also contributed to another case on the legality of the Israeli occupation. Even though there is overwhelming support for South Africa’s actions on the domestic front – as South Africa and Palestine have long enjoyed close ties – Ramaphosa’s intentions are also being scrutinised, with some accusing the president of being “opportunistic” in a key election year. On May 29, South Africans will elect a new National Assembly as well as the provincial legislature in each of the country’s nine provinces before the National Assembly elects the president. Adblock test (Why?)