Trump cruises to victory in Iowa, cementing frontrunner status in 2024 race
Trump takes step closer to securing third consecutive nomination for the Republican Party after key ballot. Former United States President Donald Trump has decisively won the Iowa caucuses, cementing his Republican frontrunner status as he bids to retake the White House in 2024. Trump beat former US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in a widely-expected result on Monday, taking him a step closer to securing a third consecutive nomination for the presidency. Trump won at least 17 of 40 delegates, with Haley and DeSantis taking five each, provisional tallies showed, with US media outlets calling the state-wide contest about 30 minutes after the start of voting. Trump’s commanding victory points to his continuing dominance over the Republican Party, even as he faces mounting legal woes including four criminal indictments. On Tuesday, Trump is expected to appear in court in New York as a jury considers whether he should pay further damages to a writer who won a $5m jury award against him for sexual assault and defamation. Trump’s legal challenges have done little to dampen his support among Republicans, many of whom view the cases against him as politically motivated. Iowa has a mixed record of predicting the eventual Republican nominee – George W Bush was the last GOP presidential candidate to win the state in 2000. But the largely rural Midwestern state is seen as an important springboard for candidates competing for delegates in New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina. Iowans braved dangerously cold weather to gather at more than 1,600 schools, community centres and other sites in the first vote in the 2024 presidential race. Ahead of the Iowa caucuses, Trump’s lock on the Republican grassroots was clear, with polls showing the businessman-turned-politician having a double-digit lead over his rivals. Many Republican voters in Iowa cast Trump as the best candidate to address their concerns about the economy, record levels of refugee and migrant arrivals at the southern border and global instability. “We need something different than what we’re doing now. It’s not working. I was making more money than I ever have, and now I’m broker than I’ve ever been,” David Brunell, a 32-year-old Trump supporter, told Al Jazeera before the caucuses. “That says a lot about where the economy is at.” Adblock test (Why?)
Israeli forces kill three Palestinians in occupied West Bank
Two people killed in Dura near Hebron, and one person killed near Tulkarem, according to Palestinian Health Ministry. At least three Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Ministry of Health says. Two Palestinians were shot on Monday during confrontations with the Israeli military in the town of Dura near Hebron in the southern West Bank, the official Palestinian news agency, Wafa, reported. Mohammed Hasan Abu Sabaa, 22, died after he was shot in the heart by Israeli forces, the ministry said. Ahed Mahmoud Mohammed, 23, died after she was shot in the head, the director of Dura Governmental Hospital told Wafa. Ten other people were transported to the hospital with gunshot wounds, the Health Ministry said. The Israeli military said its forces opened fire at a group of about 100 Palestinians taking part in a protest during which bricks and firebombs were thrown at soldiers. The military said the man who was shot had thrown a firebomb, but it did not provide evidence for the allegation. Relatives of Abu Sabaa were given the news of his death at Dura Governmental Hospital after Israeli soldiers shot him during a protest [Mussa Qawasma/Reuters] In a separate incident, Fares Khalifa, 37, was fatally shot by Israeli forces near Tulkarem in the northern West Bank, according to the Health Ministry. Since the war in the besieged Gaza Strip began on October 7, the West Bank has experienced surging violence and attacks by Israeli forces not seen since the second Intifada from 2000 to 2005. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Israeli forces have killed 30 Palestinians, including seven children, in the West Bank in the first 15 days of the year. Last year, 507 Palestinians were killed, the highest annual death toll since OCHA started recording casualties in 2005. Students arrested Separately, Israel arrested students at a university in the occupied West Bank during an early morning raid. The students attend An-Najah National University in Nablus, which called for their immediate release, describing the army raid as “blatant Israeli aggression”. The university and the Palestinian Prisoners Club, an advocacy group, said 25 students were arrested in the raid. The Israeli army said security forces arrested “nine wanted persons associated with a Hamas student cell”. Adblock test (Why?)
Why is Namibia furious at Germany’s ICJ intervention supporting Israel?
Namibia criticises Germany for seeking to appear at court against South Africa’s genocide allegations. Namibia has condemned Germany’s backing of Israel against genocide allegations at the International Court of Justice. It says, given Germany’s colonial past, that it should not support Israel. So, what’s behind this diplomatic dispute – and why now? Presenter: Adrian Finighan Guests: Mutjinde Katjiua – Paramount chief of the Ovaherero Traditional Authority Henning Melber – Associate at the Nordic Africa Institute Matthias Goldmann – Senior Research Fellow at the Max Planck Institute Adblock test (Why?)
UN chief calls for ‘immediate’ ceasefire in Gaza
NewsFeed “We need an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called, once again, for a ceasefire in Gaza as the war with Israel has now surpassed 100 days of fighting. Published On 15 Jan 202415 Jan 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
Hamas claims two Israeli captives killed in Gaza air strikes
Israeli military spokesman rejects Hamas claim that the two hostages were killed by Israeli bombing. The armed wing of the Palestinian group Hamas has released a video purporting to show the dead bodies of two Israeli captives it claims were killed in Israeli air strikes on Gaza. The video, released by the Qassam Brigades on Monday, shows three Israeli captives speaking to the camera, likely under duress. In the first part of the unverified video, a female captive identified by Israeli media as Noa Argamani, 26, and two male captives urge Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the assault on Gaza, according to a translation provided by the armed group. In the second part, Argamani said that the two men captives were killed “because of our own [Israeli] air strikes”. The video ends purporting to show the dead bodies of the two captives. It was not clear when the video was taken. In a statement released with the video, the Qassam Brigades said the two men were killed in “the Zionist army’s bombing”. Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari identified hostage Itay Svirsky as one of the men in the latest Hamas video, but did not give the name or other details about the second person as per the family’s request. “Itay was not shot by our forces. That is a Hamas lie. The building in which they were held was not a target and it was not attacked by our forces.” “We don’t attack a place if we know there may be hostages inside,” he said Hamas had previously released another video on Sunday showing the three captives alive. The Palestinian group seized around 240 people as captives when it attacked southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,139 people, according to Israeli authorities. Israel responded to the attack with a devastating bombardment and ground invasion of Gaza in which more than 24,100 people have been killed, according to Palestinian authorities. ‘Nobody will talk to us’ Later on Monday, Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said Hamas was attempting to apply “psychological pressure” to the families of the hostages by releasing the videos. The Israeli army was helping the families, he told a news conference, and keeping them up to date with any developments. “Hamas has been hit hard by the [military],” he said. “What’s left for it is to touch a sensitive nerve in Israeli society through acts of psychological abuse against the family members.” Ruling out a ceasefire in Gaza, Gallant reiterated that the only way to get the captives back home is by continuing to apply “military pressure”. Otherwise, he said, “nobody will talk to us” and we “will not succeed in reaching any agreements”. Gideon Levy, a columnist for Haaretz newspaper, told Al Jazeera that the video was “quite shocking”. “I understand the ideological warfare, but there should be some borders,” he said. “To play [a video] yesterday of them alive and today [a video showing] the opposite … there should be some borders that even Hamas should not cross. Nothing good will come out of it.” The Hamas video comes a day after thousands of people demonstrated in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square to mark 100 days since the captives were seized. Relatives of those still held in Gaza have repeatedly called on the government to prioritise their release and to push for a temporary ceasefire. More than 100 captives were freed during a week-long truce in late November following lengthy negotiations mediated by Qatar and the United States. In exchange, Israel released hundreds of Palestinian prisoners from jails. Adblock test (Why?)
Israeli police investigate ‘terror attack’ near Tel Aviv
NewsFeed One woman has died and at least 17 other people were injured following a car ramming and stabbing attack north of Tel Aviv. Israeli police say two men, who are related and from Hebron, have been arrested in connection to the incident. Published On 15 Jan 202415 Jan 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin released from hospital
Pentagon chief received treatment for an infection following surgery for prostate cancer. United States Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has been released from hospital after spending two weeks there to treat complications from surgery for prostate cancer he kept secret from senior administration officials, including President Joe Biden. Austin, 70, was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on December 22 for prostate cancer surgery, but due to an infection, he was hospitalised again on January 1 and admitted into intensive care. Doctors said he remained in the hospital due to ongoing leg pain from the infection so he could get physical therapy. He was dismissed on Monday and is expected to work from home as he recovers, the Pentagon said in a statement. Biden and senior administration officials were not told about Austin’s hospitalisation until January 4, and Austin kept the cancer diagnosis a secret until January 9. Biden said that while Austin’s decision not to share his hospitalisation was a lapse in judgement, it did not change his confidence in him. However, the lack of transparency about Austin’s hospitalisation triggered administration and Department of Defense reviews on the procedures for notifying the White House if an official needs to transfer decision-making authorities to a deputy. Austin’s secrecy also drew criticism from members of Congress on both sides of the political aisle. Representative Mike Rogers, an Alabama Republican and chairperson of the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee, said he had opened a formal inquiry into the matter. Others have called for Austin to resign, including former President Donald Trump, also a Republican, but the Democrat-run White House has said the secretary’s job is safe. During Austin’s time at Walter Reed, the US launched a series of military strikes on the Houthis in Yemen due to their attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea. From his hospital bed, Austin juggled calls with senior military leaders, including General Erik Kurilla, head of US Central Command, and White House meetings to review the order and ultimately watch the strikes unfold over secure video. Adblock test (Why?)
Yemen’s Houthis hit US-owned ship in missile attack, US military says
US military says the container ship was hit off the coast of Yemen, but continued its journey. Houthi rebels in Yemen have struck a US-owned and operated container ship with an anti-ship ballistic missile off the coast of Yemen, the United States Central Command said. In a statement on Monday, the US military said that no injuries or significant damage were reported and that the Marshall Islands-flagged Gibraltar Eagle was continuing its journey after the incident in the Gulf of Aden. The Yemeni rebel group has claimed responsibility for the attack. “All American and British ships and warships involved in the aggression against our country are considered hostile targets,” military spokesperson Yahya Saree said, before adding that no future American or British attack on Yemen would go “unpunished”. Earlier, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said that a vessel was hit from above by a missile 95 nautical miles southeast of Aden, without identifying the vessel. British Maritime Security firm Ambrey said three missiles were reportedly launched by the Houthis, with two not reaching the sea and the third striking the bulk carrier. It said that the impact reportedly caused a fire in a hold, but that the bulker remained seaworthy with no injuries on board. It assessed the vessel was not Israel-affiliated. The attack on the ship comes less than a day after the Houthis launched an anti-ship cruise missile toward a US destroyer in the Red Sea, US officials said. The Houthis control western Yemen, including the strategically critical Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which leads into the Red Sea and up to the Suez Canal. Since Israel’s war in Gaza began, they have been attacking ships in the area that they say are linked to Israel or bound for Israeli ports. They say they are attacking the vessels to pressure Israel to halt its assault on Gaza and ease restrictions on supplies of humanitarian aid for its Palestinian population. Israel has been at war with Hamas, the group that governs Gaza, for more than three months. US and British forces responded to the Houthi attacks last week by carrying out dozens of air and sea strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen. [embedded content] Abdel-Malik al-Houthi, the leader of the Houthis, has pledged revenge. On Thursday, he said that “any attack on Yemen’s Houthis on the part of the United States will not go without a response.” Reporting from Washington, DC, Al Jazeera’s Mike Hanna said that US officials believe that after the strikes last week, the Houthis retained about three-quarters of their capacity to fire missiles and launch drones. “This recent attack on a US-owned freighter was launched, it would appear, from the city of Hodeidah, which was a target of US-UK strikes in recent days,” Hanna said. “So, the ante is rising in terms of what is happening … the situation is very dire and something that US intelligence is watching very closely.” Omar Rahman, a fellow with the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, said one-off strikes targeting Houthi installations would not reduce the group’s capability or deter them from attacking ships in the Red Sea. “What the US and UK are doing is not strategically justifiable. It’s only justifiable if you look at what the Houthis are doing in the Red Sea in isolation from what’s happening in Gaza and in the rest of the region,” he told Al Jazeera. “The US and UK are ignoring the source of the crisis, which is the genocide in Gaza, but they’re also enabling it,” Rahman said. “They’re trying to prevent a wider regional escalation by taking military action against the flashpoints that are occurring as a result of what’s happening in Gaza.” [embedded content] Adblock test (Why?)
Andy Murray contemplates future after first-round exit at Australian Open
Five-time finalist Andy Murray has said there was a “definite possibility” that he has played his final Australian Open tournament after slumping out at the first hurdle. The 36-year-old put up stiff resistance in a 61-minute first set against Argentine Tomas Martin Etcheverry on Monday, but the 30th seed slowly ground him down to win 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 at the year’s first tennis Grand Slam. Murray had a frustrating end to 2023, winning just one match in his last four tournaments, and said previously that unless his form picked up the curtain could be coming down on his career. “Yeah, it’s a definite possibility that will be the last time I play here,” he said. “In comparison to the matches that I played here last year, it’s the complete opposite feeling walking off the court. Wish I involved the crowd more. Just disappointed with the way I played. Tough, tough way to finish.” The British player, who won Wimbledon in 2013 and 2016 and also took the US Open title in 2012, is part of a golden generation coming towards the end of trophy-laden careers. Roger Federer retired in 2022 and Rafael Nadal had an injury-blighted 2023 and is absent from the Australian Open with a muscle tear. At 36, Djokovic is still hoping to add to his record haul of 24 Grand Slam titles before hanging up his racquet. Murray said he had spoken to his family and coaching staff about when he might quit. “They’re very aware of how I feel about things, where I would like to finish playing, when that would be,” he said. “I haven’t made any definite decisions on that. It’s not like it hasn’t been something that’s been on my mind.” He added that the time frame on when he will retire “narrows when you play and have results like today”. “I haven’t gained in belief from today’s match that at some stage I’m going to start playing really well again or winning tournaments or getting to the latter stages of major events.” Whatever it is, it always has and always will be a pleasure @andy_murray ❤️@AustralianOpen | #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/5VwMRhxP1n — ATP Tour (@atptour) January 15, 2024 Meanwhile, two-time finalist Daniil Medvedev and US Open champion Coco Gauff swept into the second round, but Wimbledon winner Marketa Vondrousova was also sent packing. On a baking-hot day at Melbourne Park, men’s seventh seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and women’s sixth seed Ons Jabeur also tasted victory, ahead of Naomi Osaka’s Grand Slam comeback in the evening session. Adblock test (Why?)
UN calls for $4.2bn in 2024 humanitarian aid for war-ravaged Ukraine
UN agency seeks funding to deliver aid to 8.5 million people in war-ravaged spots and 2.3 million refugees. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has appealed for $4.2bn in humanitarian aid for Ukraine in 2024. The UN agency called on Monday for donors to provide the funds to support Ukrainian communities and refugees, as the war sparked by Russia’s invasion nears its second anniversary. “Hundreds of thousands of children live in communities on the front lines of the war, terrified, traumatised and deprived of their basic needs,” said UN aid chief Martin Griffiths. “That fact alone should compel us to do everything we can to bring more humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.” “Homes, schools and hospitals are repeatedly hit, as are water, gas and power systems,” he added. “The very fabric of society is under attack with devastating consequences.” As part of the appeal for funding, OCHA is asking for $3.1bn to help 8.5 million people in dire need of humanitarian aid this year. The UN agency is also seeking $1.1bn to support 2.3 million Ukrainian refugees and their host communities. OCHA received just 67 percent of the $3.9bn for which it appealed last year. It said it has reduced its appeal for Ukraine in 2024 in view of other humanitarian crises around the globe, including in Gaza and Sudan, that also require urgent funding. “The competition for funding is getting greater, there is no question about it,” Griffiths said. “As we go into 2024, the competition for funding is going to be more difficult than 2023.” Millions in need OCHA said more than 14.6 million people, or 40 percent of Ukraine’s population, will need humanitarian assistance this year due to Russia’s invasion and attacks. More than 3.3 million of these live in front-line communities in the east and the south of the country, including in territories occupied by Russia, which OCHA humanitarian convoys have been unable to access since the start of the conflict. “We continue to remain in negotiation with the Russian government about how to get access to those people who are perhaps in the most urgent of need, since it has now been two years since any real, effective, regular, reliable humanitarian aid has reached them,” Griffiths said. The UN said that Ukrainian refugees in neighbouring countries “also need increased and sustained support.” It said that only half of school-age refugee children are enrolled in schools, only 40-60 percent of adults are employed, and “many remain vulnerable with no means to support themselves”. Russia’s invasion, launched in February 2022, has forced some 6.3 million people to flee abroad. Four million people, including nearly one million children, remain displaced within the country, according to OCHA. “Host countries continue to extend protection and include them in society, but many vulnerable refugees still need help,” said Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. “They shouldn’t feel pressed to return because they cannot make ends meet in exile.” Adblock test (Why?)