Author: ALJAZEERA

In the late 2000s, an editor kicked me out of his office because he didn’t find the cartoons I had offered for publication “funny”. I told him I was not trying to be “funny”, the situation wasn’t funny. What had angered him was the uncomfortable commentary I had offered in my sketches of the Arab youth’s growing frustration and the brewing tensions in the region. The editor did not feel that such opinions merited publication. The incident only solidified my already existing conviction that there was no future for my political cartoons in traditional media. Plagued by narrow-minded editorial approaches and corporate control,…

In recent weeks, missile and drone attacks on cargo ships crossing the Red Sea have caused the biggest disruption to global trade since the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite delayed supplies, however, oil prices have remained surprisingly stable. In response to Israel’s war on Gaza, Houthi rebels – the Iran-aligned Shia movement that controls northern Yemen and its western coastline – have launched a wave of assaults on ships in the Red Sea. By targeting vessels with perceived links to Israel, they are attempting to force Tel Aviv to stop the war and admit full humanitarian aid into Gaza. Houthis have launched…

Following weeks of Houthi-led attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, the United States and United Kingdom have launched military strikes in Yemen in response, which the Houthis have described as “barbaric”. The Houthis are an Iran-aligned group based in Yemen and have said their attacks are a response to Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, and the international community’s failure to put an end to it. The Houthis have primarily targeted Israel-linked ships and in December, the US formed a multilateral coalition to safeguard commercial traffic from attacks. The force now has more than 20 countries, according to the Pentagon. But…

In Berlin, dozens of tractors blast their horns and block the main avenue leading to the Brandenburg Gate.Farmers have blocked roads with tractors across Germany, kicking off a week of protests against plans to phase out agricultural subsidies that ministers have warned could be co-opted by the far right. Convoys of tractors and trucks – some with protest banners reading, “No beer without farmers,” and some with posters from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party – gathered on German roads in sub-zero temperatures on Monday. In Berlin, dozens of tractors blasted their horns and blocked the main avenue leading…

The Houthis’ leader says any US attack will trigger a greater response as the group steps up attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea in protest against Israel’s war in Gaza.Any attack on Yemen’s Houthis on the part of the United States will not go without a response, the group’s leader Abdel-Malik al-Houthi has said in a televised speech, as the Iranian-backed group stepped up attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea in protest against Israel’s war in Gaza. “Any American attack will not remain without a response. The response will be greater than the attack that was…

Tarek Mansour spent several years working in finance at firms like Goldman Sachs and Citadel before launching the groundbreaking fintech startup Kalshi. Using his background in finance, he built the first regulated exchange, running what are called “event contracts” or ways to trade on current affairs like national elections. With the upcoming 2024 United States presidential election, increasingly razor-thin Republican control in the House of Representatives and the contentious GOP primaries, Kalshi and platforms like it – including PredictIt, Polymarket and Smarkets – are in the spotlight for allowing financial bets that critics worry could sway voters. Event contracts are…

South Africa launches a legal battle against Israel at the top court of the United Nations.Israel’s war on Gaza has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and forced most others from their homes. Now, it is going to have to answer to charges of genocide in a court of law. South Africa is launching a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – the United Nations’ highest legal body. While a final ruling could be years away, the ICJ could make a provisional order for Israel to end its campaign in a matter of weeks. So how…

US investigators say the plane was allowed to fly despite triggered warning lights on previous three flights.Alaska Airlines allowed the Boeing plane that had a mid-air blowout this week to fly despite warnings from a cabin pressurisation system. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the United States’ chief accident investigator, said on Monday that warning lights were triggered on the brand-new Boeing 737 Max 9 on three flights. Two of the alarms came on consecutive days before the plane suffered a terrifying fuselage blowout on Friday. The company stopped flying the aircraft over the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii due to…

NewsFeedAn escalation in cross-border fighting between Israel and Hezbollah is stoking fears the Israel-Gaza war could spread into new territory. Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr explains the Israeli strategy behind its recent strikes into Lebanon that have killed senior Hamas and Hezbollah members.Published On 9 Jan 20249 Jan 2024 Source link

Kolkata, India – Helena Kshetri has seen her fruit sales wiped out since an ethnic conflict engulfed the northeast Indian state of Manipur in early May. “We are often forced to shut shops due to curfews and shutdowns even after months of violence,” said the 50-year-old vendor, who works at Ima Keithel, or the Mother’s Market, in the state’s capital Imphal. Her sales have crashed from 30,000-40,000 rupees ($360-$480) per day to barely 4,000 rupees ($48). “I deal in fruits and cannot hold them for long in case they rot, and I’m forced to sell even in losses. The government…