Pakistan’s senate approves resolution to delay February 8 general elections
Independent senator moves the non-binding resolution to delay the vote, citing security concerns and harsh weather. Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistan’s senate has passed a non-binding resolution demanding a delay in the national general elections, scheduled on February 8. The upper house of the country’s parliament on Friday approved the resolution at a session attended by just 14 of the 97 senators, with one member voting against the resolution. The resolution, moved by independent legislator Dilawar Khan, sought to push the election date, citing the “prevailing security conditions” in the country as well as the cold weather. In his resolution, Khan said Pakistan’s interior ministry has “conveyed serious threats to [the] lives of prominent politicians” and highlighted an increasing number of security incidents, mainly in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces. He further said the harsh winter makes it difficult for the political parties to campaign, which might also affect the voter turnout in the polls. “The elections scheduled for 8th February 2024 may be postponed to facilitate the effective participation of people from all areas of Pakistan and belonging to all political shades in the electioneering process,” the resolution said. Out of 11 previous general elections in Pakistan’s 75-year history, three (1985, 1997 and 2008) took place in the month of February. Pakistan was scheduled to hold the general elections in November last year after its lower house of parliament was dissolved in August. A caretaker government under Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar was then set up to oversee the vote. But the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said it needed more time to redraw constituencies based on the country’s population census, which concluded last year. The South Asian country of 241 million people has been in a political and economic turmoil for years. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan, leader of the main opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has been in jail since August where he is being tried for allegedly leaking state secrets. His party, meanwhile, faced a severe crackdown from the previous government, led by Shehbaz Sharif, with many PTI leaders deserting the party, allegedly under the pressure of the powerful military, which has directly ruled over the country for nearly half of its independent history through coups. Recently, Khan’s nomination papers for the February 8 elections were rejected by the election commission on account of his conviction in a corruption case. The papers of thousands of other opposition candidates were also rejected by the commission. Khan’s party is also fighting a legal battle to save its election symbol – a cricket bat – from a possible ban. Meanwhile, the security situation in the country has also deteriorated, with 2023 witnessing more than 600 attacks by armed groups, an increase of more than 60 percent from 2022, according to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), an Islamabad-based research organisation. The PICSS data says almost 93 percent of those attacks took place in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces. Adblock test (Why?)
What do we know about the school shooting in Iowa?
A sixth grade student has been killed and four others, including three students and a school administrator, have been injured in a school shooting in Iowa. Only one victim has been identified by name. Here are the details: When did the shooting happen? The shooting took place at Perry Middle and High School, in Perry, Iowa at 7:30am (13:30 GMT) on Thursday before the first day of classes had even begun. The shooting triggered an immediate police response as emergency vehicles and armed units rushed to the school. Responding authorities also found a “pretty rudimentary” improvised explosive device in the school, which they disabled. Among those injured was a school administrator, who was later identified by his alma mater as Principal Dan Marburger. He is the only victim of the shooting who has been identified by name. Who was the shooter in Iowa? Authorities identified the shooter, who was found dead at the scene, as Dylan Butler, 17, but have so far provided no information about a possible motive. Authorities said Butler had a pump-action shotgun and a small-calibre handgun. Butler is believed to have shot himself. “Officers immediately attempted to locate the source of the threat and quickly found what appeared to be the shooter with a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” Mitch Mortvedt, assistant director of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation told reporters Butler’s mother, alongside two of his friends, told The Associated Press that he was a quiet person who had been bullied for years. Where in Iowa did the shooting take place? Perry is about 65km (40 miles) northwest of Des Moines, on the edge of the state capital’s metropolitan area. It is home to a relatively diverse population of about 8,000 people living in low-slung, single-storey homes spread among trees now shorn of their leaves by winter. Census figures show 31 percent of Perry’s residents are Hispanic. This compares with fewer than 7 percent across the state. The high school and middle school are connected, sitting on the east edge of the town. How have US Republicans reacted to the Iowa shooting? This shooting comes a week before the Iowa caucuses, a series of local meetings held throughout the state during which Republicans usually indicate their preference for a presidential nominee to represent the party in the November presidential election. The incident sparked responses and prayers from Republican candidates but no policy proposals have emerged. Guns are likely to once again be a hot topic of debate during this election cycle, with little legislative action expected. Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy posted a video on X of him meeting two parents whose daughter was at Perry’s nearby elementary school that day. We pray for the victims of the tragic high school shooting in Perry, Iowa. I happened to be there today right after it happened, we canceled our event and converted it to a prayer & open conversation. Strikingly, the first two people who spoke to us each said they “weren’t… pic.twitter.com/bw3VoXPvoF — Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) January 4, 2024 “Our purpose here was to pray and reflect, to make sure something like this never happens again,” Ramaswamy said. Republican candidate Nikki Haley also extended her sympathies on X. “My heart aches for the victims of Perry, Iowa and the entire community,” she wrote. No parent, student, or teacher should have to wake up and face news about a school shooting. My heart aches for the victims of Perry, Iowa and the entire community. — Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) January 4, 2024 Gun violence in the US This is the fifth recorded incident of gun violence in the United States in 2024, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a non-governmental organisation that defines a mass shooting as one which results in four or more people wounded or killed. Gun violence is ubiquitous in the US – with more guns than people in the country. Attempts to curb the spread are often met with stiff political resistance. Last year there were a total of 656 shootings. News outlet Education Week said that 37 school shootings in 2023 resulted in injuries or deaths. The day before the Iowa shooting, a 15-year-old allegedly shot a man outside a high school in Virginia. No one was identified in the case and it was not clear if either were students. According to a database maintained by news outlet Education Week, this makes the Perry incident the second school shooting so far this year, bringing the number of recorded shootings to 183 since 2018. Since July 2021, Iowa has not required gun owners to hold a permit before they can buy a handgun or carry a firearm in public, although it does require a background check on anyone buying a handgun without a permit. Adblock test (Why?)
India navy says responding to Liberian-flagged vessel hijack in Arabian Sea
Navy says it has sent a warship to render assistance after the vessel issues a hijacking distress call. India’s navy says its warship is moving towards a hijacked Liberian-flagged vessel in the Arabian Sea, and aircraft are closely monitoring the situation. A statement by the navy on Friday said it “responded swiftly to a maritime incident in Arabian Sea involving a hijacking attempt” of a bulk carrier ship. The ship sent a message on the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations portal, saying five to six unknown armed personnel had boarded on Thursday evening, the statement said. At least 15 Indian crew members were on board the MV Lila Norfolk, which was hijacked near Somalia’s coast and the navy received information about it on Thursday evening, Indian media reports said, citing military officials. An Indian warship, the INS Chennai, was diverted and deployed to assist the vessel, the navy statement said, adding that a naval aircraft overflew the hijacked vessel on Friday and had established contact with it. The navy said it “remains committed to ensuring [the] safety of merchant shipping in the region along with international partners and friendly foreign countries”. The Indian navy has increased its surveillance of the Arabian Sea after a recent spate of attacks in the region. Earlier this week, the navy said it had investigated a large number of fishing vessels and boarded vessels of interest in the north and central Arabian Sea. “India plays the role of a net security provider in the entire Indian Ocean region. We will ensure that maritime trade in this region rises from the sea to the heights of the sky,” Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said last month of the increased surveillance in the region. Adblock test (Why?)
North Korea fires artillery towards South’s islands, prompting evacuations
South Korea condemns move as ‘act of provocation that escalates tension and threatens peace on the Korean peninsula’. North Korea has fired more than 200 rounds of artillery shells into the sea near a tense maritime border and towards two South Korean islands, which Seoul called “an act of provocation”. On Friday, residents on the islands of Yeonpyeong and Baengnyeong were ordered to seek shelter due to an unspecified “situation”. South Korea’s military said the firing caused no civilian or military damage, adding that all the shells landed on the northern side of the sea border. “This is an act of provocation that escalates tension and threatens peace on the Korean peninsula,” said Lee Sung-joon, a spokesperson for the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff. The defence ministry in Seoul said: “We sternly warn that North Korea bears full responsibility for this escalating crisis and strongly urge them to immediately cease these actions. “Our military closely tracks and monitors the situation in close coordination with the United States, and will take appropriate measures in response to North Korea’s provocations,” the ministry statement added. However, the defence ministry was yet to confirm whether the evacuation order was a response to Pyongyang’s artillery fire or Seoul’s military drills. An official on Yeonpyeong island, which sits just south of the disputed Northern Limit Line (NLL) sea border, residents were told to move into bomb shelters on the island at the request of the South Korean military. A text message sent to residents and confirmed by an island official cited “naval fire” to be conducted by South Korean troops from 3pm (06:00 GMT) on Friday. The South Korean military informed the affected village that there was sea firing by their own military following “a situation” near the border. Residents of Baengnyeong island, located to the west of Yeonpyeong and in proximity to the sea border, were also directed to evacuate, as confirmed by a village official. Since the 1990s, Pyongyang has disputed the NLL – drawn up at the end of the 1950-53 Korean War – arguing it should lie far to the south. In 2010, the North Korean artillery targeted Yeonpyeong island, resulting in casualties, including civilians. Pyongyang asserted it was provoked by Seoul’s live-fire drills that dropped shells into its territorial waters. China calls for ‘restraint’ “Under the current situation, we hope that all relevant parties maintain calm and restraint, refrain from taking actions that aggravate tensions, avoid further escalation of the situation, and create conditions for the resumption of meaningful dialogue,” China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told reporters on Friday. “Confrontations between relevant parties have intensified recently, and the situation on the peninsula continues to be tense,” Wang said. This week, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered his military to “thoroughly annihilate” South Korea and the United States if they initiate a military confrontation in another round of bellicose rhetoric targeting Seoul and Washington. The relationship between the two Koreas has been at its lowest point in decades of strained relations between the neighbouring countries. North Korea has recently ramped up its nuclear and military threats, successfully launching a reconnaissance satellite on its third attempt in November and earlier this month testing the solid-fuel Hwasong-18, its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), for the third time in 2023. Adblock test (Why?)
Israel launches attacks across Gaza amid spike in regional tensions
The Israeli military said its forces launched air, land and sea attacks on more than 100 targets across the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours, as regional tensions surge. The health ministry in the Hamas-run Palestinian territory said that 125 people were killed and 318 injured in a 24-hour period. An Israeli strike flattened a home in an area of southern Gaza that the military had declared a safe zone, killing at least 12 people, most of them children, Palestinian hospital officials said. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has said that the military operations in southern Gaza, which in the past have included bombing refugee camps and “safe zones”, will continue. The Israeli military operation has driven more than 85 percent of Gaza’s 2.3 million people from their homes, levelled much of northern Gaza, and pushed already displaced Palestinians into smaller slivers of the territory where there is no security, food, water or medicines. At least 22,438 people have been killed and 57,614 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7, when the current conflict broke out. Adblock test (Why?)
Asia’s business heirs look beyond profits, hoping to escape parents’ shadow
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – From Malaysia to Singapore and the Philippines, second- and third-generation family businesses in Asia are charting a different path from their forefathers as they seek out greener and more sustainable investments. For some millennial business heirs, the journey is smooth. For others, the gap between their comfortable lives – which gave them the space to learn about socially conscious “impact investing” – and their parents’ experiences of growing up poor has led to conflict. Malaysian Abe Lim, 27, grew up under circumstances far removed from those of her father, who quit school as a teenager to work as a mechanic to support his family. Lim’s father went on to build a business producing lubricants, soap and dish-washing liquid and recruited her into the company as a young woman in the hope she would take the reins one day. But Lim’s youthful idealism soon clashed with her father’s traditional profit-focused business model. “I wanted to do something more impactful. My father’s business was traditionally run where the focus is based on profits,” Lim told Al Jazeera. “Instead of prioritising monetary gains, I wanted to prioritise social and environmental impact. This is something very new for the previous generation.” While working at her father’s company, Lim suggested setting up a research and development department to explore turning plastic waste into biofuels. Her father agreed and put some money into the idea. “When it was shown scientifically that it is doable but economically not viable, he stopped,” Lim said. Abe Lim clashed with her father over climate change [Courtesy Abe Lim] Lim also disagreed with her father on climate change, which he dismissed as “Western propaganda”. Lim ultimately decided to leave her father’s company and venture out on her own. Her first enterprise, funded by angel investors, was a marketplace for used furniture that aimed to cut down on waste by promoting recycling. “But we couldn’t sustain ourselves as the market wasn’t mature enough,” Lim said. Lim also had to contend with superstitious beliefs about second-hand furniture that are prevalent in Asian culture. “Some people think there are ‘ghosts’ linked to old furniture,” she said. In 2021, Lim founded Purpose Plastic, which recycles discarded plastic into home decor, chess pieces, furniture, mahjong tiles and other products. “We are profitable,” Lim said. “Our largest orders are always corporate gifts.” Lim hopes that businesses will one day prioritise the environment over profit. “I would never want to say it is impossible because I am hopeful it will happen one day,” she said. “For businesses to be on board and participate in sustainable goals, there needs to [be] a form of incentive. Maybe that will get the ball rolling.” In August, the law graduate stood for local elections in the state of Selangor on a platform emphasising policies to tackle climate change. While she was not successful, she is open to running again. “For now, I want to be focused on growing my grassroots and expanding my environmental work. Being a politician is not just about being elected but about providing solutions for the long-term to support people’s everyday lives,” said Lim, who is a member of the Malaysian United Democratic Alliance, a youth-oriented party. Catalyst for change Komal Sahu, a member of the Asian Venture Philanthropy Network, said younger generations are reshaping perceptions among business owners by emphasising the need for companies to make a positive social impact. “They recognize that their family’s wealth can serve as a catalyst for positive transformation, addressing societal needs beyond what government aid covers,” Sahu told Al Jazeera. Sahu said second- and third-generation business heirs are embracing socially conscious investing to show that it is possible to align financial returns with social and environmental goals. “By incorporating environmental, social and governance factors into their investment decisions, they advocate driving positive change while ensuring financial viability for their businesses,” Sahu said. Still, Sahu said, it should not be assumed there is always a conflict between new and old ways of thinking about business. “That is not always the case. … In some instances, the previous generations are the ones encouraging bolder and more innovative ways of thinking to ensure the ongoing success of their businesses or their philanthropic efforts,” she said. Filipino Marianna Lopez Vargas, 32, is a case in point. She is the partnerships manager of the Oscar M Lopez Center, a Manila-based climate change research foundation founded by her tycoon grandfather. Oscar M Lopez, who made his fortune in telecommunications, energy and real estate, opened the centre in 2012 in response to an “alarming lack of funding” going into understanding the local impact of climate change and to develop adaptation strategies, Lopez Vargas told Al Jazeera. Lopez Vargas said she considers herself “very lucky” to be part of a family and organisation that align with her own personal values. Based on concerns about climate change, the family’s businesses made “a very bold decision” in 2016 to completely divest its power interests from coal and pursue an energy portfolio based on clean and renewable energy, she said. Lopez Holdings Corporation currently has no existing or proposed coal-fired power projects. Its energy portfolio is made up of natural gas, hydropower, and geothermal and solar energy – although company bosses have admitted that a complete transition to renewables is not yet realistic because of the intermittency of solar and wind energy. Marianna Lopez Vargas says she is ‘very lucky’ to be part of a family and organisation that align with her own personal values [Courtesy of Marianna Lopez Vargas] “[It’s] quite ambitious at that time given a developing country like the Philippines that was heavily reliant on fossil fuels for its economic development,” Lopez Vargas said. Lopez Vargas is confident that cutting out fossil fuels completely is achievable in time. “It’s certainly a possible future with all the enabling factors and the right institutional incentives in place,” she said. “It is also a necessary transition but done so in a just, equitable and inclusive manner.” For millennial
Israeli defence minister outlines new phase in Gaza war
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has outlined Israel’s plans for the next phase of its assault on the besieged Gaza Strip and future scenarios for the day after the war ends. “In the northern region of the Gaza strip, we will transition to a new combat approach in accordance with military achievements on the ground,” Gallant’s office said in a statement it said outlined the guiding principles reflecting Gallant’s vision for the next phases of the war on Thursday. He said operations would include raids, demolishing tunnels, air and ground strikes, and special forces operations. In the south of the besieged enclave – where most of Gaza’s 2.3 million population is now living, many in tents and other temporary shelters – the operation would continue to try to eliminate Hamas leaders and rescue Israeli hostages. “It will continue for as long as is deemed necessary,” the statement said. Israel launched its offensive in Gaza following the October 7 attack by Hamas gunmen who killed some 1,140 people in communities near Gaza and took around 240 into captivity as hostages, according to Israeli estimates. Israel’s war on Gaza has killed more than 22,400 people, according to Palestinian health authorities, and has forced most of the population out of their homes and reduced much of Gaza to rubble. After the war Gallant also outlined Israel’s plans for Gaza after the war. He said Hamas would no longer control Gaza and Israel would reserve its operational freedom of action. But he said there would be no Israeli civilian presence and Palestinian bodies would be in charge of the enclave. “Gaza residents are Palestinian, therefore Palestinian bodies will be in charge, with the condition that there will be no hostile actions or threats against the State of Israel,” Gallant’s office said in a statement on Thursday. Al Jazeera’s Sara Khairat, reporting from Tel Aviv, said Gallant made it clear that Israeli officials want a “Palestinian entity” to be in charge of running civilian affairs in the Gaza Strip, but with “very specific conditions”. “Those conditions are that they won’t act hostile towards Israel, and they won’t act against it in any way, shape, or form,” Khairat said. Israel has repeatedly said that there is “no place” for Hamas in the post-war civilian structures of Gaza. Several Israeli officials, including far-right finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, have also said Israel will permanently control the Gaza Strip and possibly resettle Israelis there. Gallant also said that Israel will have “complete freedom to military operations in Gaza”, Khairat said. “This is something we’ve been seeing in the occupied West Bank” she noted. ‘Multi-national task force’ As part of a so-called restructuring, Israel also intends to establish a “multi-national task force that comprises … Western and Arab nations”, Gallant told reporters. The force, Khairat said, will look to govern the border area. Israel wants to lead the force, and wants it to be in charge of the restructuring and redeveloping of the Gaza Strip, she said. “Egypt, Israel, and the US are working together to guarantee tight supervision of that border,” Khairat added. Gallant said this is one of many potential plans that officials will be discussing in upcoming meetings. Meanwhile, Hamas is gaining popularity across the occupied Palestinian territories. It governs Gaza and has the backing of several other Palestinian factions. The group has repeatedly said it will remain steadfast and voiced its refusal to leave the territory. Hamas fighters continue to battle Israeli ground troops in central Gaza and parts of southern Gaza. Military operations in the south continued on Thursday, despite the area previously being declared by the Israeli army as “safe” after it forced thousands of Palestinian families to flee their homes in the north, east, and central Gaza. Many of the displaced are now crammed inside the Rafah governorate in southern Gaza. The health ministry has warned that disease there is spreading amid a lack of supplies, medicine, clean water and much-needed fuel. The United Nations says nearly 1.9 million people have now been displaced – more than 80 percent of the Gaza Strip’s pre-war population. Adblock test (Why?)
Multiple people wounded in Iowa school shooting, US authorities say
Dallas County Sheriff Adam Infante says the gunman in the shooting at Perry High School has been identified. Multiple people have been wounded in a shooting at a high school in Perry, Iowa in the US, officials said. The shooting at Perry High School took place just after 7:30 am (13:30 GMT) and resulted in “multiple victims”, Dallas County Sheriff Adam Infante said at a news briefing on Thursday. He said the extent and exact number of injuries were still being determined. A spokesperson for UnityPoint Health, which operates a nearby Des Moines hospital, confirmed that two gunshot victims had arrived there. There were few students and faculty in the building at the time of the incident, Infante said. The suspect in the shooting has reportedly died due to what investigators believe is a self-inflicted gunshot wound, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. At the briefing, Infante said that the shooter had been identified but gave no further details. Police respond to Perry High School in Perry, Iowa [Andrew Harnik/AP] Eighteen-year-old Rachael Kares told The Associated Press that she was finishing jazz band practice when she and her bandmates heard what she described as four gunshots spaced apart. “We all just jumped,” Kares said. “My band teacher looked at us and yelled ‘Run!’ So we ran”. Kares added that she ran out past the football field with others from the school and heard people yelling, “Get out! Get Out!” as more gunshots were heard. FBI and US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agents have responded to the scene, and the US attorney general has been briefed, a US Department of Justice spokesperson said. Dirk Cavanaugh, the mayor of Perry, said, “There are a bunch of speculative numbers floating around.” “We have no confirmed numbers of who was involved yet,” he added. The attack occurred as Iowa is expected to hold the first statewide contest for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination in 11 days. Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur who founded a biotechnology company, was scheduled to hold a rally in Perry but changed the event to an in-person prayer after reports of the shooting, a campaign spokesperson said. Adblock test (Why?)
Russia used North Korean missiles in Ukraine, US says
The United States also expressed concerns that Russia is seeking close-range ballistic missiles from Iran. The United States has said that Russia is using ballistic missiles from North Korea and is seeking close-range ballistic missiles from Iran. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on Thursday that recently declassified intelligence found that North Korea had provided Moscow with the weapons, at least one of which was fired into Ukraine on December 30, landing in an open field in the Zaporizhia region. Russia also launched “multiple” of the North Korean missiles on Tuesday during an overnight attack, he added. Kirby also said that a Russia-Iran deal had not been completed but that the US “is concerned that Russia’s negotiations to acquire close-range ballistic missiles from Iran are actively advancing”. He said Washington and its allies will now raise the matter at the United Nations Security Council as it signals a breach of US sanctions against North Korea. The Biden administration has repeatedly looked to make the case that the Kremlin has become dependent on North Korea and Iran for the weapons it needs to continue its military operation in Ukraine and has disclosed findings it says prove that. So far, North Korea and Iran are largely isolated on the international stage for their nuclear programmes and human rights records. In October, the White House said that North Korea had delivered more than 1,000 containers of military equipment and munitions to Moscow. [Al Jazeera] Crimean attacks Earlier on Thursday, Ukraine announced that its air force had conducted a raid on a Russian command post near the occupied city of Sevastopol and hit a military unit in a separate attack on the Crimean Peninsula. Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk posted a video on the Telegram app showing smoke rising from an explosion near Sevastopol, a Crimean port that serves as the main headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. “Thanks again to the Air Force pilots and everyone who planned the operation for perfect combat work,” he said. The Moscow-installed governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev, described the attack as “the most massive in recent times”. He said one person was hospitalised after a piece of shrapnel struck. Russia’s defence ministry said its forces had foiled a Ukrainian attack, destroying 10 incoming missiles over the peninsula. Adblock test (Why?)
Senior Hamas official Saleh al-Arouri’s funeral held
NewsFeed Mourners gather for senior Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri’s funeral in Beirut. Al-Arouri was killed in a drone strike on a Hamas office in Lebanon on Tuesday. Published On 4 Jan 20244 Jan 2024 Adblock test (Why?)