Author: ALJAZEERA

Bucharest, Romania – Under the catchy name “One Love Central Studio”, a renovated apartment with an open kitchen on Doamnei Street in Bucharest is advertised on the vacation rental website Booking.com for 53 euros ($57.30) per night in February. “It is very well located,” mentioned a review on Google Maps. “The building is quite neglected,” posted another user. “Nice view,” the user added. “Old elevator,” a third one said. However, the advertisement doesn’t specify this apartment is located in a building with a red dot, meaning it is classified as seismic risk class 1. On a scale of 1 to…

Palestinian group has repeatedly denied allegations its fighters committed acts of sexual violence during the October 7 attack.A team of United Nations experts has said there are “reasonable grounds to believe” sexual violence, including rape and gang rape, occurred during the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7. Led by UN special envoy for sexual violence Pramila Patten, the team travelled to Israel between January 29 and February 14 and published a report with their findings on Monday. The Palestinian group Hamas, which governs Gaza, has repeatedly denied allegations its fighters committed acts of sexual violence during the attacks. “Credible…

Spotify says Apple prevented music-streaming services from informing users of payment options outside its App Store.The EU has issued Apple with an antitrust fine of over 1.8 billion euros ($1.95bn) following a complaint by music streaming service Spotify. The US tech giant immediately vowed on Monday to appeal the penalty. It was the first-ever antitrust fine slapped on the company by Brussels. The European Commission announced that the charge was triggered after Spotify complained in 2019 that Apple had prevented music-streaming services from informing users of payment options outside its App Store. The European Union’s competition regulator said Apple’s restrictions…

A week ago, US President Joe Biden claimed that a “ceasefire” deal in Gaza was imminent and could take effect as soon as March 4. “My national security adviser tells me we are close,” he told reporters while eating ice cream in New York City. But ice cream or not, Biden’s actual position was not nearly that sweet. A subsequent statement by a senior Biden administration official claimed Israel had “basically accepted” a proposal for a temporary pause in fighting. But as of March 4, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Mossad director were still refusing to send a delegation…

There are few peoples in the world who have been as devoted to achieving democracy as the Sudanese people. Although their quest for democracy has been unrelenting, stable democratic governance has so far eluded Sudan, not least because of foreign pressures. In the latest historic episode of revolutionary upheaval, which brought down President Omar al-Bashir in 2019, the political transition failed to keep the country on a democratic path. Subsequently, a bloody war broke out between two generals that has sown chaos and destruction. At present, survival is the main priority for the Sudanese people, but once the conflict is…

Tehran, Iran – A range of conservative candidates have swept the parliamentary and religious assembly elections in Iran as the country faces political and economic challenges. Final vote counting is under way after millions went to the polls on Friday to select 290 lawmakers and 88 members of the Assembly of Experts, a body tasked with choosing the supreme leader made up entirely of Islamic scholars. Official preliminary results from Tehran on Saturday indicate that ultraconservatives Mahmoud Nabavian and Hamid Resaee have topped the list of 30 representatives, followed by 35-year-old state television host turned first-time lawmaker, Amir Hossein Sabeti.…

Israeli former opposition leader Benny Gantz is set to meet senior Biden administration officials on his visit to the United States. The proposed meeting of Gantz, now a member of Israel’s war cabinet, on Monday is reported to have enraged his rival, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and appears to signal a widening split in Tel Aviv as the war in Gaza enters its fifth month. Considered a comparatively moderate politician from Israel, he will be received by Vice President Kamala Harris, which is being viewed as a sign of the White House’s growing frustration with Netanyahu. Gantz will also hold…

NewsFeedUS Vice President Kamala Harris has called for an ‘immediate ceasefire’ in Gaza while rebuking Israel for not increasing the flow of aid to Palestinians.Published On 4 Mar 20244 Mar 2024 Source link

Taipei, Taiwan – China’s “Two Sessions” kick off in Beijing on Monday with the meeting of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). The event brings together China’s political elite, as well as leaders in business, tech, media, and the arts. Known as lianghui in Chinese, the concurrent meetings are an annual fixture of China’s legislative agenda and run for approximately two weeks. During the period, legislators will approve new laws, political appointments, and government work reports detailing the progress of various departments such as the Ministry of Finance and the National Development and…

Public broadcaster Kan says Israeli President Herzog has called for adjustments of song due to political content.Israel has reportedly asked lyricists to revise the country’s proposed Eurovision Song Contest entries, potentially heading off a dispute with organisers over political content. In a statement on Sunday, Israeli public broadcaster Kan said President Isaac Herzog had called for “necessary adjustments” to ensure Israel’s inclusion in the event, which it has won four times. Authorities last week said Israel would not be able to participate in this year’s edition of the competition, which will be held in Sweden in May, if organisers rejected…