Author: ALJAZEERA

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…

City-state’s culture minister says grant given to pop icon ‘not anywhere as high as speculated’.Singapore has downplayed the size of a grant it paid Taylor Swift after the city-state’s efforts to lure the pop icon led to complaints from regional neighbours. Singapore’s Culture Minister Edwin Tong said on Monday that speculation about the size of the grant was “not accurate”. “I can say that it is not accurate and not anywhere as high as speculated, but due to business confidentiality, we cannot reveal the specific size and conditions of the grant,” Tong told Parliament in response to questions from lawmakers.…

A cargo ship that was abandoned in the southern Red Sea after an attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels has sunk after days of taking on water, according to officials. The sinking of the Rubymar on Saturday has prompted concerns of disastrous ecological damage to the Red Sea and its coral reefs. The Belize-flagged, United Kingdom-owned cargo ship, was carrying more than 41,000 tonnes of fertiliser and had leaked oil for several days after it came under attack. Yemen’s internationally recognised government, in a statement on Saturday, said the ship sank “last night, coinciding with weather factors and strong winds at…

Calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza are growing louder.More than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed and tens of thousands injured in Israel’s war on Gaza. The United Nations has warned of famine, and says the healthcare system is on its knees. But nearly five months since the start of the devastating war, there is no let up in Israel’s daily attacks. Qatar, the United States and Egypt have been mediating talks for a ceasefire, but there are fears the constant bombardment could threaten those discussions. Israel’s killing of more than 100 Palestinians as they waited to collect food on…