No safe places left to go in Gaza, Palestinians say
NewsFeed A surgeon in Gaza says his family couldn’t find space to stay in Rafah, so they’re sheltering at his hospital, as Israel’s new offensive on Khan Younis has forced thousands of displaced people into Gaza’s southernmost city. Published On 22 Jan 202422 Jan 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
Virat Kohli to miss India’s first two Tests vs England for personal reasons
Kohli will miss the Tests in Hyderabad and Rajkot, after missing the first T20 against Afghanistan for the same reason. India batter Virat Kohli will miss the his side’s first two Test matches against England due to personal reasons, the country’s cricket board has confirmed. The former national-team captain missed the opening game of the recent T20 series with Afghanistan citing the same reason but returned for the second and third matches. Kohli, 35, has been a regular fixture for India’s Test side and the last time he missed a game was in January 2022, when he was ruled out of the second match of the series against South Africa in Johannesburg through injury. The five-match series against England begins in Hyderabad on Thursday, while the third Test starts on February 15 in Rajkot. “Virat has spoken to captain Rohit Sharma, the team management and the selectors and has emphasised that while representing the country has always been his top priority, certain personal situations demand his presence and undivided attention,” the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said in a statement on Monday. “The BCCI respects his decision and the board and team management has extended its support to the star batter. “The BCCI requests the media and fans to respect Kohli’s privacy during this time and refrain from speculating on the nature of his personal reasons.” The board said a replacement for Kohli will be added to the squad for the first two matches. Prior to the T20 series against Afghanistan, Kohli had only been playing Test cricket for India since the Cricket World Cup final defeat by Australia in December to manage his workload. 🚨 NEWS 🚨 Virat Kohli withdraws from first two Tests against England citing personal reasons. Details 🔽 #TeamIndia | #INDvENGhttps://t.co/q1YfOczwWJ — BCCI (@BCCI) January 22, 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
Relatives of Israeli captives storm Knesset
NewsFeed A group of relatives of Israelis believed to be held captive by Hamas in Gaza stormed a Knesset meeting demanding lawmakers do more to try and free their loved ones. Published On 22 Jan 202422 Jan 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
Dutch court convicts Syrian fighter on war crimes charges
Mustafa A, 35, is sentenced to 12 years in prison for war crimes in Syria by a district court in The Hague. A district court in The Hague has convicted a member of a Syrian pro-government armed group of crimes against humanity for complicity in torture and illegal arrest in Syria and sentenced him to 12 years in prison. Judges ruled on Monday that the 35-year-old man, identified in court only as Mustafa A, was involved in the arrest of a man in 2012 in Syria. He later handed the man over to Syrian Air Force intelligence officials who ran a prison where he was tortured. The court said the defendant was a leading member of the Liwa al-Quds, or the Jerusalem Brigade. Liwa al-Quds is an armed group, comprised mostly of Palestinian refugees living in Syria and founded during the early years of Syria’s more than 12-year war. Mustafa A was convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity for complicity in torture, inhumane treatment and illegal arrest and also for membership in a criminal organisation. Arrested in 2022, he had been living in the Netherlands since 2020 and had applied for asylum there. During the trial’s first session in early November, judges quoted witnesses who said he was involved in their violent arrests and gave details of beatings and torture they endured in prison. Back then, despite being asked numerous times for a reaction to the declarations and excerpts from his own police interviews and intercepted phone calls, Mustafa A invoked his right to remain silent at every turn. Monday’s judgement marks the first time a Dutch court has convicted someone for crimes committed while fighting on the side of President Bashar al-Assad’s government during the war in Syria. There have been a handful of similar convictions in Germany. In recent years, Dutch courts have issued war crimes convictions to several Syrian nationals who were members of opposition militias and other armed groups in Syria. Adblock test (Why?)
Hospitals cut off as Israel batters southern Gaza
With bombing from all sides and in areas including hospitals and universities, there is no safe corridor for people to escape. Israeli shells have battered Khan Younis, cutting off two hospitals as the city in southern Gaza saw the bloodiest fighting since the New Year. Tanks closed in on Al-Amal Hospital and Al-Khair Hospital on Monday, part of an Israeli offensive that began last week to take control of Khan Younis, with Israel saying the city is now the main headquarters of the Palestinian group Hamas. The bombardment marks a revitalised Israeli offensive in the war, which began on October 7 when Hamas attacked Israel, killing some 1,139 people. Israel’s retaliation has killed 25,295 Palestinians since. Residents told AFP that it was the most intense bombing they had witnessed since the war began. The fighting around the hospitals has made the provision of medical care difficult and halted most ambulance services, cutting the wounded off from medical care. Attack drones have targeted hospitals and Al-Aqsa University, the enclave’s largest, as the area is bombed by land, air and sea, with no safe corridor for people to escape, said Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Rafah in southern Gaza. Israeli ground troops were also assaulting residential buildings, he added. The city, under heavy bombardment for over a month, was once designated a “safe zone” by Israel, with thousands having fled there from the north. “Now it’s just a scene of devastation and suffering as Israeli forces push deeper into the city,” Mahmoud said. No refuge The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) reported that its ambulance centre had been attacked, preventing first responders from reaching the wounded. The rescue agency also said it had lost contact with its staff at its Khan Younis main base. 🚨Urgent: PRCS ambulances unable to reach the wounded in Khan Yunis. Israeli occupation forces are besieging the PRCS ambulance center, and targeting anyone attempting to move in the area.#Gaza #NotATarget ❌#IHL pic.twitter.com/NXOT2Zzvlv — PRCS (@PalestineRCS) January 22, 2024 Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, just like all the hospitals in southern Gaza, is also under intense attack, PRCS spokesperson Nebal Farsakh told Al Jazeera, with ambulances unable to respond to calls. Health officials said at least 20 dead bodies had arrived overnight when the hospital was still accessible. “The occupation has overnight launched an unprecedented ground and air war on Khan Younis. People are trapped near Mawasi, people are trapped in Al-Amal Hospital, in Al-Aqsa University. People are carrying the dead and wounded on donkey carts,” said a medic inside Nasser Hospital. Gaza Ministry of Health spokesperson Ashraf Al-Qudra said that dozens of dead and wounded were trapped in areas targeted by Israeli troops. “The Israeli occupation is preventing ambulance vehicles from moving to recover bodies of martyrs and the wounded from western Khan Younis,” he said. Dark days It seems there’s little chance that the fighting will ease in the near future. Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said on Monday that military operations will not only continue, but will be expanded. The majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents are now caged in two towns, Deir el-Balah and Rafah, just north and south of Khan Younis respectively. Around 85 percent of the territory’s population has been displaced, with thousands sheltering in United Nations-run camps in squalid conditions, with disease and hunger rife. “Very dark days ahead as the situation gets worse by the hour,” said Mahmoud. Adblock test (Why?)
Modi opens controversial Ram temple in India
NewsFeed India’s prime minister has fulfilled a campaign promise by opening a Hindu temple built on the site of a centuries-old mosque destroyed by far-right mobs in 1992. Published On 22 Jan 202422 Jan 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
Families of hostages storm Israeli parliament meeting
The demonstration signals growing anger over the fate of the hostages in the fourth month of the Gaza war. Relatives of Israelis being held hostage in Gaza by Hamas have stormed a parliamentary committee session in Jerusalem, demanding lawmakers do more to free their loved ones. The action by a group of around 20 relatives on Monday illustrated the growing anger over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to agree to a deal with the Palestinian group as the Gaza war grinds through a fourth month. One woman held up pictures of three family members who were among the 253 people seized in the cross-border Hamas rampage of October 7 that triggered the massive Israeli operation in the enclave. Around 100 of the hostages were released during a week-long truce in November. Some 130 remain held in Gaza. “Just one I’d like to get back alive, one out of three!” the woman protester cried after pushing into the Knesset Finance Committee discussion. Other protesters, clad in black T-shirts, held up signs reading: “You will not sit here while they die there.” “Release them now, now, now!” they chanted. Riveted US, Qatari and Egyptian efforts at mediation seem far from reconciling the two sides. Netanyahu has insisted that Israel will continue its campaign until Hamas is destroyed. The Palestinian group demands that Israel withdraw and free all of the thousands of Palestinians from its prisons for Israeli captives to be released. The fate of the hostages – 27 of whom Tel Aviv says have died in captivity – has riveted Israel. However, the relatives fear that war fatigue could soften that focus. Demonstrations that initially promoted national unity have become more aggressive. Parliament ushers, often quick to eject hecklers or protesters, stood by during the ruckus in the Knesset Finance Committee. One lawmaker covered her face with her hands. Panel chairman Moshe Gafni, head of an ultra-Orthodox Jewish party in Netanyahu’s coalition, stood up, called a halt to the economic briefing under way and sought to calm the protester. “Redeeming captives is the most important precept in Judaism, especially in this case, where there is an urgency to preserving life,” he said, but added: “Quitting the coalition would not achieve anything.” Rally The anger of the families has not been confined to official buildings. Relatives and supporters of the hostages once again rallied near Netanyahu’s residence in West Jerusalem on Sunday night. “We are asking our government to listen, to sit down at the negotiating table and decide whether to accept this agreement or any other that would suit Israel,” said Gilad Korenbloom, whose son is a hostage in Gaza. Jon Polin, father of a hostage, said Israelis serve their country and in return “we expect the government to ensure our safety”. “We are asking the government to play its part, to propose an agreement, to bring it to a successful conclusion and to bring the remaining hostages back alive,” Polin said. Demonstrators have also been camping outside Netanyahu’s coastal home as well as the Knesset building, some demanding a unilateral end to the war or an election that might topple the hard-right government. On Sunday, Netanyahu rejected conditions presented by Hamas to end the war and release hostages that would include Israel’s complete withdrawal and leaving Hamas in power in Gaza. Following that, the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum demanded that Netanyahu “clearly state that we will not abandon civilians, soldiers, and others kidnapped in the October debacle”. “If the prime minister decides to sacrifice the hostages, he should show leadership and honestly share his position with the Israeli public,” it said in a statement. Adblock test (Why?)
IOM makes ‘global appeal’ for $7.9bn to help 140 million people
The appeal comes as the number of people forced to migrate reached 117 million by the end of 2022, the IOM said. The United Nations migration agency has launched its first “global appeal”, aiming to drum up $7.9bn to help those forced to leave their homes due to everything from conflict to climate change. The UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) made its annual appeal Monday, as it seeks to bolster efforts to protect migrants, reduce displacement and expand avenues to migrate legally. The appeal comes at a time when top donor governments face tight budgets. The IOM says it hopes funding will come from individual and private-sector donors in addition to governments. The agency’s new director-general, Amy Pope, said the funding will benefit 140 million people – both migrants and the communities that house them. The appeal comes as the number of people forced to migrate reached 117 million by the end of 2022, the IOM said in a report accompanying the appeal. “Irregular and forced migration have reached unprecedented levels and the challenges we face are increasingly complex,” Pope said. “The evidence is overwhelming that migration, when well-managed, is a major contributor to global prosperity and progress.” Pope said that organisations need to be planning for future migration rather than reacting to waves of migration as they happen. “The evidence shows us that only being reactive means that more people are dying and being exploited as they migrate. This appeal will allow us to save more lives and work together more responsibly,” she said. Migrants often make harrowing, perilous journeys to escape their conditions at home, many dying in the process. The IOM’s “Missing Migrants” project estimates at least 60,000 people have died or disappeared making such journeys in the last nine years, especially those crossing into Libya, then heading across the Mediterranean to reach Europe. IOM data shows that 281 million international migrants, from manual labourers to white-collar jobholders, generate nearly 10 percent of global economic output. Adblock test (Why?)
Russia hands down criminal charges following rare large protest
Activists in Bashkortostan face 15 years in prison on charges of organising ‘mass riots’, assaulting public officials. Russian authorities have laid serious criminal charges against four people following a large protest in the central region of Bashkortosan. Security forces in the city of Ufa, in the Urals mountains, arrested the fourth suspect on Sunday evening, local media reported. The charges follow protests by thousands last week over the jailing of an Indigenous rights activist. Police were swift to crack down on what was a rare large showing of dissent in Russia since Moscow’s war against Ukraine started. Dim Davletkildin was detained after being summoned by police in the town of Baymak, the scene of the rally, which was sparked by the sentencing on Wednesday of Fail Alsynov to four years in a penal colony. Among the charges faced by Alsynov’s fellow activists are organisation of “mass riots” and assault of public officials, reported the OVN-Info monitoring group. The charges carry a potential sentence of 15 years. OVD-Info added that authorities have already opened dozens of lesser administrative cases, accusing demonstrators of joining unsanctioned rallies. The same court in Baymak, 1,400km (870 miles) east of Moscow, that last week sentenced Alsynov for inciting ethnic hatred has jailed several people for eight to 15 days for taking part in the protest, which saw police pelted with snowballs. The authorities responded with tear gas. The charges against Alsynov followed a speech he delivered last year as locals opposed plans for the development of a gold mine. The regional governor said the activist had made racist comments about people from Central Asia and the Caucasus. Alsynov claims that his words were mistranslated from the Bashkir language. The protesters said the verdict was delayed revenge for his role in protests years prior, when activists successfully blocked plans to mine for soda on a hill considered sacred by locals. Large protests are rare in Russia due to the risks of arrests. Thousands of people have been detained in the past two years for opposing the war. Often coming from regions with few economic prospects, Indigenous peoples from across Russia have been actively courted by recruitment officials and heavily represented in the ranks that Russia has sent to the front line in Ukraine. Alsynov was fined last year for criticising the invasion online, saying the war was not in Bashkortostan’s interests. He heads Bashkort, a grassroots movement working to preserve the culture, language and ethnic identity of the region’s people that was banned as an “extremist organisation” in 2020. Bashkortostan is an oil-producing region of 4.1 million people and is one of more than 80 entities that make up the Russian Federation. The Bashkir ethnic minority are among Russia’s 260,000 people who are recognised as Indigenous to Russia. Indigenous peoples living in Russia have long fought for their rights and to protect their traditional territory, which is often located in areas that are used for natural resource extraction, such as mining. Adblock test (Why?)
Spain’s Housing Battles: A pensioner-turned-activist fights evictions
Under threat of eviction, Antonio emerges from his quiet retirement to fight for housing rights in Spain. Antonio and Maria are a Spanish couple in their 80s from Madrid. For the first time in their lives, they are finding it difficult to afford gas and electricity bills. They are struggling with the rising cost of living taking grip across Europe. To make matters worse, their rent has just been increased and there are no housing laws to protect them. Antonio and his wife have nowhere else to go. They decide to join their neighbours who are applying pressure on the Spanish authorities to bring in fair rental regulations. Faced with the possibility of losing his home, Antonio unwittingly goes from a quiet retirement to becoming the face of a grassroots movement that is giving hope to his community. Spain’s Housing Battles is a documentary film by Rodrigo Hernandez and Adriana Cardoso. Adblock test (Why?)