A top UN aid person said that many people in Gaza are hungry because of the ongoing fighting.
“The deputy director of the UN World Food Programme, Carl Skau, said that only a small amount of the things they need have been able to get in to the Strip. Nine out of 10 people there can’t eat every day. ”
Mr Skau said it’s very difficult to deliver things in Gaza because of the conditions.
Israel says it needs to keep bombing Gaza to stop Hamas and to bring back Israelis who have been taken as prisoners.
The spokesperson for the Israel Defence Forces said to the BBC that they feel bad when civilians are hurt, but they don’t have any other choice.
He said we are trying our best to get as much as we can into the Gaza Strip.
Herzi Halevi, boss of the IDF, was recorded telling soldiers that the army needs to be more aggressive because “we’re seeing terrorists giving up. “This is a sign that their network is falling apart. ”
Meanwhile, the Biden administration has used a special law to go around Congress and approve the sale of about 14,000 tank bullets worth over $106 million to Israel.
Movement to and from Gaza has been made very difficult since October 7th when Hamas fighters broke through Israel’s heavily guarded perimeter fence. They killed 1,200 people and took 240 hostages.
Israel shut down the borders with Gaza and started bombing the area. This made it hard for people in Gaza to get the help they needed.
The health ministry in Gaza, which is run by Hamas, says that Israel has killed over 17,700 people in their campaign to retaliate, and more than 7,000 of those were children.
Only the Rafah border with Egypt is open, letting some aid get to Gaza. This week Israel said they will open the Kerem Shalom crossing from Israel to Gaza in a few days. They will only allow aid trucks to go through for inspection. The trucks will go to Rafah and then cross into Gaza.
Mr Skau said he was not ready for the fear, the chaos, and the despair he and his WFP team saw during their trip to Gaza this week.
He said they saw a lot of chaos at warehouses and distribution points. Many hungry people were desperate, and the supermarkets had empty shelves. The shelters were too crowded, and the bathrooms were overflowing.
Last month, international pressure and a brief seven-day halt in fighting allowed some much-needed aid to go into the Gaza Strip. But the WFP says that another border crossing is necessary now to meet the demand.
Mr Skau said that in some places, 9 out of 10 families don’t have any food for a whole day and night.
People in Khan Younis, a city in the south of Gaza, are in a very bad situation because Israeli tanks surround their city on two sides.
Dr Ahmed Moghrabi, who leads the plastic surgery and burns unit at Nasser hospital, was very sad as he talked to the BBC about not having enough food.
I have a three-year-old daughter who always asks me for sweets, apples, and fruits. I cannot give it. “I feel like I can’t do anything,” he said.
“We don’t have much food, just rice. Can you believe we only eat once a day. ”
Khan Younis has been hit with a lot of air strikes lately. The boss of Nasser hospital there said his team can’t keep up with all the people who are getting hurt and killed.
Israel says that leaders of Hamas are hiding in Khan Younis, maybe in tunnels underground. They are fighting to destroy the group’s weapons and military power, going from house to house and tunnel to tunnel.
On Saturday, the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, said that the United States is helping the bad things happening in the war by blocking a UN resolution to stop the fighting in Gaza.
13 out of 15 countries on the Security Council voted for the resolution asking for a ceasefire. The UK didn’t vote and the US was the only country that said no to the resolution.
Mr Abbas, the boss of the Palestinian government, said that he blames Washington for the killing of Palestinian kids, women, and old people in Gaza by Israeli soldiers.
The US ambassador to the UN, Robert Wood, supported the decision to veto and said the resolution was asking for a ceasefire that couldn’t be maintained. This would allow Hamas to continue their actions from October 7.
Benjamin Netanyahu , the leader of Israel, said he was thankful for the US supporting them at the security council.
A temporary halt in fighting for seven days ended a little over a week ago. Hamas let go of 78 people they were holding captive, and in return, Israel released 180 Palestinian prisoners.
Hamas in Gaza is still holding more than 100 hostages.
On Saturday, it was reported that Sahar Baruch, a 25-year-old Israeli who was held hostage, has been killed. His kibbutz and a group of hostages shared this news in a statement.
After the armed group of Hamas showed a video on Friday of the aftermath of a failed mission by the Israeli military to rescue a hostage.
Author: Chris Kodo
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Half of Gaza’s population famished – UN
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‘Weak’ Rwanda strategy put out by Sunak will not succeed – Jenrick
Ex-immigration minister Robert Jenrick said Rishi Sunak is choosing to bring back the Rwanda asylum plan in a way that probably won’t succeed.
In his first talk since leaving his job, Mr. Jenrick told the media that the proposed law was not strong and would face a lot of legal challenges.
However, he mentioned that the Prime Minister had decided to go ahead and introduce it.
He said he won’t vote for the bill on Tuesday.
The government has made a new law to restart its plan to send people looking for asylum in the UK to East Africa, because the old plan was said to be against the law by the Supreme Court last month.
The law wants to say that Rwanda is a safe place for refugees in the UK. This means flights won’t be stopped because of legal issues.
But, when talking to BBC One’s Sunday program with Laura Kuenssberg, Mr. Jenrick said the law as it is now would still allow many different legal complaints that will slow down our plan.
“I believe they decided to propose a bill that won’t work,” he said.
He said that the plan for Rwanda might lead to a few symbolic flights, but it wouldn’t stop enough people from coming to the UK in small boats to seek asylum.
The plan to bring back the program has caused different beliefs among Conservative lawmakers. Sunak needs their support to make sure the plan moves forward in Parliament next week.
Last week, the prime minister said in a news conference that the new immigration law is very strict. People arriving in small boats can only challenge it in court if they have strong proof that they are in serious danger.
Some liberal Tories think it goes too far in trying to go around the courts and could make the UK break its promises to refugees.
Some people in the party’s right side think the plan isn’t good enough and will still face problems with the law.
Mr Jenrick said that he and other Conservative MPs want to convince government ministers to make the new law in a better way. He also said he wants the law to be effective and to stop people from doing bad things.
On the same show, Housing and Communities Secretary Michael Gove said the government’s law is strong and legal.
He also said that there would be very few legal challenges. -
Students in US struggle with antisemitism and free speech
The head of the University of Pennsylvania has quit because people were upset about what she said to Congress about antisemitism at the school. Her remarks made the already divided atmosphere at one of America’s oldest colleges more intense.
Noah Rubin is a Jewish student at Penn who, like many others, asked Elizabeth Magill to resign.
He says he’s been feeling uncomfortable at his school in Philadelphia since the 7 October attacks in Israel by Hamas.
He is the co-President of the Penn Israel Public Affairs Committee. He proudly wears his bright blue skullcap, but says it’s a decision he makes each day whether to keep showing his faith in that way.
He was very upset by a protest last week where some students were chanting “Intifada”. This term is used to describe violent Palestinian uprisings, but many Palestinians and their supporters see it as a call to end the occupation.
He said the protesters were chanting “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” which refers to the River Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea.
Many Jews, like Noah, think this means the Israeli state will be destroyed as it is now, but pro-Palestinian activists disagree and say it means the Palestinians deserve freedom and fairness.
During the meeting, Ms. Magill was asked if urging the killing of Jews went against the school’s rules against bullying and harassment. She said that it depends on the situation.
Ms Magill said sorry afterwards, she was concentrated on the university’s rules that say speech alone is not against the law. Harvard’s President Claudine Gay said sorry too.
Noah was not satisfied with Ms Magill’s answer. “Her apology is really bad,” he said in an interview on Friday before she stepped down. “Why didn’t she say it when she promised to tell the truth in front of many people. ”
The leaders of the University of Pennsylvania have been struggling with big disagreements over the Israel-Gaza war since it started. Students and teachers with different opinions about the conflict say that they have been attacked and judged for their views.
Ms Magill’s comments have made people look more closely at the university’s rules about free speech. For many years, it has followed the First Amendment, which keeps speech free. The US Constitution does not protect threats that are intended to harm someone physically.
Penn, being a private university, doesn’t have to follow the same First Amendment rules as a public school. However, since the university receives some money from the government, it may have been worried about getting in trouble if it was found to have not respected students’ freedom of speech.
Many people think that Ms. Magill made a mistake by acting as if her congressional hearing was a court trial, instead of using it as a chance to clearly explain their moral beliefs about a simple question.
Some people have a different opinion. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a group that supports free speech, said that it disagreed with her comments but believes that the solution is to stop all censorship instead of making it worse.Mia Antonacci, who is 20 years old, is part of the group’s program for students at the campus. She is a Jewish woman and she feels unsure about how she feels.
“I know that from a legal perspective, this speech is allowed. We should also welcome speech that makes us uncomfortable and questions our beliefs,” she says. “What she said made me, my friends, and many people in the community feel uneasy. ”
The university is being looked at by the government to see how they are dealing with antisemitism.
Hillah Kohen, a student studying for a PhD, was at the hearing. She is from Israel and America, and she supports the rights of Palestinians. She does not agree with how Israel’s military is handling the situation in Gaza. The 27-year-old said that Ms. Magill’s answer was not good, and also said that the Republican Elise Stefanik was trying to take advantage of the situation.
Hillah’s great-grandparents died in a place called Auschwitz. She is worried about people who want to cause problems between different groups of people, both at school and outside of school.
“When we see hateful words and symbols on the walls, we need to come together as Jewish students to talk about how we can all stay safe on campus – both Jewish and Palestinian students. Our safety and freedom are connected. ”
An Arab medical student, who we will call Sayyid, asked to keep his name a secret because he is worried about getting in trouble for speaking up. He said to the BBC that he was unhappy with Elizabeth Magill, but understood that she was being pressured from all sides since the war started.
Still, Sayyid said that people who support Palestine don’t have as much power on college campuses as people who support Israel. The president kept criticizing Hamas. However, many students felt that the college should have spoken up more about the many civilian deaths in Gaza.
“Sayyid told the media that the university’s administration is more focused on one side because it is connected to donations. ”
Shortly after the president spoke in front of Congress, a big supporter took back a $100 million grant. They said they were shocked by what she said. A little more than a day later and Ms Magill had left.
Her decision to leave will not stop the intense argument about the Israel-Gaza war at the University of Pennsylvania and other US colleges.
But when we spoke to students this week, they all agreed that the president didn’t do a good job in handling the hearing. This rare unity was a reaction to her comments.
“Sayyid says that even though she may have meant to show both viewpoints, what she said at the hearing was not okay and seemed like it was against Jewish people. ” “I know why students were upset. “ -
Man killed as van strikes wall
A man was driving a van and it crashed into a wall in County Cavan. He died in the accident.
The Irish police were told about a car crash on the R194 at Finaway just before midnight on Saturday.
The man in his 30s, who was the only person in the van, was declared dead at the place of the accident.
The R194 road between Ballyjamesduff and Killyfassy Cross has been closed for a technical examination, so traffic has been diverted.
The police are asking anyone who knows about the incident to get in touch with them. -
Unrest in Egypt rises as Sisi runs for third term
Many people used to think Egypt’s leader Abdul Fattah al-Sisi was a hero, but now they see him differently.
A decade ago, Egyptians were happy and cheered for the general who became president. But now, they are not as happy as they thought they would be.
Mr Sisi is running for president for the third time in a row next week. Most people are upset about the bad economy.
Nadia is having a hard time making enough money because Mr. Sisi’s government is making changes to the economy.
The woman is 57 years old, her husband passed away, and she has six children. She struggles to earn enough money by selling newspapers on the street.
In her tiny apartment in a crowded part of Cairo, Nadia tells me that she hasn’t bought meat in three years. She thinks that life is getting more and more expensive every day.
“I’m afraid to sleep because I know prices will be higher in the morning,” she said with a sad smile.
The most recent numbers show that Egypt’s prices went up by 38. 5% in October, which is a little less than the 40. 3% increase from the month before.
These numbers are very high in the most crowded country in the Arab world, and normal people often experience even higher inflation than what the government reports.‘No one remembers us. ‘
However, as the cost of things has gone up, Nadia’s earnings have gone down.
More than ten years ago, she sold almost 200 newspapers every day. But now she only sells about 20 newspapers.
Nadia says that cooking a meal today costs between 300 and 500 Egyptian pounds, but a few years ago it was about six times cheaper.
“She said that even fruits are very expensive. ”
In the last nine months, the money in Egypt is worth much less compared to the US dollar.
Egypt’s economy relies a lot on imported goods. This has caused the prices of everyday things to go way up, making them too expensive for a lot of families. People have also started trading foreign money on the black market.
Nadia does not feel very hopeful and is clearly worried.
No one cares about the poor. She says it feels like no one sees us and we are being forgotten.
Promises of success and wealth
Ever since Mr. Sisi became president in 2014, a lot of money has been spent on big building projects after he got rid of the previous president, Mohammed Morsi.
New roads and bridges have been built, and a new expensive capital city has been made near Cairo, but not many people live there yet.
Critics say the government’s bad money management has used up a lot of the country’s money and caused very high levels of debt that have harmed the economy a lot.
The president’s followers think that cities getting bigger has made life better for people and will bring in foreign money, leading to better times ahead.
Walid Gaballah, an economist and member of the Egyptian Society for Political Economy, Statistics and Legislation, thinks these projects have made a lot of jobs and helped to solve Egypt’s problem with people not having jobs.
He thinks that global forces are partly to blame for the current economic problems.
The money saved from the government’s reforms was used up by the coronavirus pandemic. “Then the Ukraine war happened, and lots of people from other countries took their money out of Egyptian banks,” he explains.The government keeps talking about how it spends money on programs to help the poorest and most vulnerable people in Egypt.
However, people are still unhappy about their living conditions getting even worse.
Approximately 30 out of every 100 people in Egypt live in poverty, according to government data. Since 2016, the government took out over $20 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to help with its budget.
At the same time, the government has put in place spending cuts to improve the country’s economy. Many important items, like fuel, no longer get financial help, which makes their prices go higher.A race with only one competitor.
Many Egyptians are not happy, but they don’t have many options in this election. It seems like only one person has a chance to win.
Opposition groups are saying they can’t work well because the government keeps stopping them from speaking out.
Even though there are three unknown politicians running against the president, most people think that the president will easily win another six years in office.
Ahmed Tantawy, a former MP, was a likely candidate in the election. But he quit because he couldn’t get enough support from the public.
In October, he said that the government arrested almost 100 people from his team to stop him from running for office.
Mr Tantawy is being tested in court for printing and sharing election papers without permission.Worries about going back home.
Human rights campaigners are also upset about strict security rules, just like politicians from the other party. They say it is getting harder to record and prove that abuses have happened.
“Talking about human rights in Egypt is risky,” said Mina Thabet, an activist who has been living in the UK for almost six years. He told me this over Zoom.
He remembers the bad things that happened when he was kept in Egypt for a month in 2016. He was accused of being part of a banned group and spreading lies, which is something the government often accuses its critics of doing.
“I can’t see because my eyes are covered and my hands are tied. ” A police officer hurt me and said they would take off my clothes and hurt me more.
Mr Thabet went to the UK to study one year after he was released. He chose not to go home because he was afraid he might go to jail again.
He said, “I slept well for the first time after I left Egypt. ”
He thinks the election is just another way for Mr Sisi to continue his strict policies, which do not allow any opposition.
“A lot of my friends who stand up for human rights in Egypt are having their money blocked, or they can’t travel anywhere. ” You can’t do your work without being afraid of getting in trouble.
Mr Thabet says he will only return to Egypt when he can work and speak freely without fear of the government punishing him.
The people in charge have always ignored this criticism and said it was just about politics.
They made a group that has given forgiveness to many political prisoners, and they said they will do more to make the country’s human rights better.
Local and global human rights groups say there are many political prisoners in jail, but the government disagrees.
His team is working hard to persuade people that things will get better in the future. Many people here are wondering if his re-election would make any real difference. -
Chinese and Philippine ships crash in disputed sea
A boat from the Philippines and a ship from China crashed near a reef that both countries claim in the South China Sea. This is the latest disagreement over territory between the two nations.
The Philippines said China had been causing trouble by harassing, blocking, and doing dangerous moves.
The day after the Philippines said China used water cannons to stop three of its boats, this happened.
There is a disagreement over who owns the South China Sea between China, the Philippines, and other countries.
On Sunday, the Philippines said that China attacked Philippines‘ civilian supply boats at Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands. This area is a tense spot between the two countries.
A Chinese coast guard ship hit one of the two boats carrying supplies, according to the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea.
It also said China caused “serious harm” to the engine of a boat by using water cannon.
However, the China Coast Guard claimed that the Philippine boat purposely crashed into the Chinese vessel after ignoring several warnings from us.
The Philippines said China used war cannons to block three of its ships on Saturday. They called it illegal and aggressive. Beijing said it had taken action to control ships that entered its waters without permission.
This week, the Philippines said that China sent a lot of military boats to a reef near its coast in the South China Sea.
Disagreements between the two countries have gotten worse since Ferdinand Marcos Jr became the president of the Philippines last year.
Last month, the Philippines did two patrols in the air and sea with the US and then with Australia a few days later.
In 2016, a court said China’s claim to most of the South China Sea is not valid. But China doesn’t accept this decision and has been making new islands in the area where other countries also claim land.
The disputed sea is causing tension between China and the US. In October, President Joe Biden said the US will protect the Philippines if there is an attack.
President Biden spoke about the Filipino and Chinese ships crashing into each other a few days after it happened.
Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Brunei say they own some of the sea. -
Israeli Defence Chief directs soldiers to intensify their campaign
A person who saw it said Khan Younis was really scary at night with lots of loud gun and bomb noises.
Hamas said that there was very heavy fighting on the road to Rafah in the south of Gaza, where many Palestinians have been running away.
General Herzi Halevi told Israeli soldiers that Hamas seemed to be weakening after two months of war and that they needed to keep fighting hard.
Iran-supported Houthi rebels in Yemen said they will stop any ships from going to Israel until Gaza gets food and medicine. This has raised worries about a bigger fight in the area.
United Nations officials are upset because not enough help is getting to a small part of the area, causing a lack of food and clean water. -
Guterres vows to persevere even after US vetoes ceasefire resolution
The leader of the UN, António Guterres, is sad that the UN Security Council did not ask for fighting to stop in the Gaza Strip. He says the UN has not been able to act.
Speaking at a meeting in Qatar, Guterres says people lost trust in the organization. But he said, “I promise that I will keep trying and not give up. ”
On Friday, the US said no to the resolution asking for a quick stop to fighting in Gaza. They think it would have been risky and not possible.
Guterres used a special UN rule to bring up an important issue that he thinks could cause problems for world peace. This led to a vote being held. He said, “There is a big chance that the humanitarian system will break down. “ -
“Dread and terror” in Khan Younis as Israel orders residents to evacuate
A person saw a lot of scary and dangerous things in the middle of Gaza’s southern city Khan Younis. There were loud sounds of bombing and intense fighting.
Israel told people to leave the middle of the city and the military leader wants to increase the campaign.
On Saturday, a hospital leader in Khan Younis said they had too many injured people – and Israel said it was fighting against Hamas in homes.
The UN said that many people in Gaza don’t have enough food to eat. About half the people there are starving, and nine out of ten can’t eat every day.
Video has shown people giving up to Israeli soldiers in the northern part of Gaza. But there are two different videos of the same situation and people are unsure if it’s real or not.
Nine weeks ago, Hamas attacked Israel and killed 1,200 people. They also took 240 hostages, but some of them were released during a short break in the fighting.
Hamas leaders in Gaza say Israel killed over 17,700 people in its revenge attacks, including more than 7,000 children. -
US rejects but mounting pressure for ceasefire in Gaza – Bowen
UN leader António Guterres has talked about the “serious danger to keeping peace around the world” in the Gaza conflict. He said the fighting could spread to other places like the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen.
He used Article 99 to make the UN Security Council vote on Friday because he thinks this is a very important matter that the council needs to know about right away.
The Israeli government strongly dislikes the UN and the secretary general.
The Israelis disagreed with what he said. They think Mr. Guterres is the one causing problems by trying to stop the fighting before they can get rid of Hamas.
The bad feeling will not get better because the secretary general also said that there is a risk that many Palestinians might have to leave Gaza and go to Egypt. This is a big worry for the Egyptian government.
Mr Guterres said there is a big chance that the humanitarian help in Gaza could completely fail. The Palestinians believe that Israel wants to force them out of Gaza.
I can’t go to Gaza because Israel won’t let journalists in, but from what I can see in the pictures and videos and what people are telling me, what the secretary general is saying seems accurate.
The situation for the people there is really bad because the military is attacking them without stopping. Israel says they are trying to save the lives of innocent people, but they believe that Hamas is using civilians to protect themselves.
At the UN, the Americans voted against the resolution asking for a stop to fighting. For those worried about the many people who died, it doesn’t seem sincere when the Americans say the Israelis promise to follow the rules of war and not harm innocent civilians. However, according to them, Israel does not always do what it says.
I believe the secretary general planned to make a decision for a vote, even though he knew it would most likely get rejected. He wanted to speed up the time when the Americans will tell Israel to stop fighting and agree to a ceasefire. They’ve been fighting for too long and causing too much harm. It’s time to stop.
Some diplomats I talked to said they might give Israelis more time. I think Mr. Guterres wants to try to make that shorter. He will do this by putting more pressure on the international community and also by making the Americans feel ashamed for holding this position, which is becoming less and less acceptable.
Today, there is more pressure because a video was released showing prisoners in Gaza being taken away by the Israel Defense Forces in their underwear. Seeing so many men in a picture of war is very sad. Local reports on social media say there could be as many as 700 men in the picture.
The family members of the men say that they were taken from a UN school where they were staying, and some people who tried to escape were killed.
Yesterday, a terrible video was shared showing six people dead in the street. They were said to be from the same area and near the same school. One of them was lying on top of a white flag, and there was blood.
The IDF is trying to figure out who is responsible for the attacks on October 7 and determine who is a suspect while following international conflict laws.
But for people who don’t care about what Israel is doing, or who have stopped caring because of all the killing in Gaza, they say that Israel doesn’t care about the dignity and health of Palestinians.
It’s cold outside, so having to walk around in underwear on the streets, some blindfolded as we saw in the video, and some with their hands tied behind their back, is not a good experience.
The Israelis say they cannot escape it – others say it is very brutal. -
Kaathal: Indian superstar defying expectations in gay role
Three weeks ago, a preview of the movie Kaathal: The Core, which is in the Malayalam language and stars Indian actor Mammootty, was released on YouTube.
It didn’t reveal much about the main problem in the movie but it started conversations in Kerala, where the movie is from. A famous actor playing a gay role got a lot of attention from fans, critics, and commentators.
No Indian actor with 50 years of experience and three National Film Awards, and a huge fan base, had ever played a role like this before.
Jeo Baby, who made The Great Indian Kitchen movie about patriarchy, directed the movie Kaathal which got people talking.
The movie is about a man who is secretly gay and married to a woman. Mathew, played by Mammootty, is getting ready to run in an election in his town. But his wife Omana, played by Jyothika, wants to divorce him because she thinks he is gay. The movie shows how the case affects their family and community in many different ways.
“I wanted to make a film about how LGBTQ people live with us and how they fit into our families,” Baby told the BBC.
The movie needed a talented actor like Mammootty to act in it. He also produced the movie. “He quickly understood the movie and was ready to take on the role. ”
The reviews say that the shows in Kerala were really good, and all the tickets were sold out.
The social media posts for Kaathal’s posters and trailer, including the ones shared on Mammootty’s accounts, encouraged people to leave comments. Some people who are against LGBT people asked others to not watch the movie and criticized the actor for his part in the film. Muslim leaders didn’t like how LGBTQ people were shown in the movie and were worried it would influence young people.
The makers and Mammootty might get criticized for this, according to Athul PV, who helps organize the Kerala Queer Pride.
“A lot of people admire him as an actor, so when he plays this character, you can tell he really thought about picking this role and making the film,” Athul says.
A lot of people in the LGBTQ community in the state liked how the movie showed the life of a married gay man in a caring way.
“The movie might have some flaws, but it’s a brave effort,” said Prijith PK, who started Queerythm, a group that supports the community.
Even though Kerala is a developed state with high literacy, it still has many areas that are traditional and male-dominated.
Roshni Prabhakaran, who studies how men and women are shown in movies, says there are not enough movies that show the LGBTQ community in a thoughtful way.
Malayalam movies have sometimes shown characters who seem to be queer since the 1970s, but one of the first big movies with a queer character was in the 2005 film Chanthupottu.
The movie shows a man who starts off as more feminine and then becomes more masculine. It got a lot of people mad because the movie spread wrong ideas, even though the person who made it said the character wasn’t gay. Activists said that the title of the movie was often used as an insult for transgender people. “Chanthupottu” means a red dot worn on the forehead.
Athul thinks Chanthupottu had a bad effect. “It made people think that this is how queer people are. ”
Lately, famous actors from Kerala have been acting as gay characters in movies.
Prof Prabhakaran says that Nivin Pauly’s movie Moothon got a lot of attention at film festivals but didn’t do so well with the general public. However, Prithviraj Sukumaran’s 2013 movie Mumbai Police received negative feedback for its portrayal of shame and homophobia, despite having a popular actor in the lead role.Many people say that Kaathal is very different in that way. Professor Prabhakaran said we have not seen a closeted man coming out of a heterosexual marriage in Malayalam cinema before.
Gay men who have seen Kaathal, say that it’s obvious the movie was made with the help of the LGBTQ+ community.
The movie doesn’t discriminate against LGBTQ people like many other movies do, according to Prijith, who is a diversity and inclusion manager in Kerala.
“Kaathal is like saying sorry for how queer people have been treated unfairly and shown wrongly in Malayalam movies. ”
Mammootty’s strong presence affects both the movie and how people like it. Even though the actor is known for making his characters seem serious and deep, some of the movies he’s been in also have old-fashioned ideas and mistreatment of women.
In 2016, the actor got in trouble with the state’s women’s commission because his movie Kasaba had disrespectful dialogues about women. The commission said that if an actor like Mammootty delivers poor dialogues, it could make people think it’s okay and that’s not good.
“Prijith says Kaathal is being himself and undoing the tough, strong, arrogant character he usually plays in his movies. ”
Recently, Mammootty has been trying to make his mark by making movies under his own company and trying new things that may not be very popular with the audience.
In a recent interview, he said that every new Malayalam film is like a test to see what the audience likes. They try out new actors, new story topics, and new types of films.
“I believe this is why the Indian film industry admires Malayalam cinema the most. ” Of course, I also want my movies to be part of this experience.
Kaathal is about “a lot of men in our society,” according to Prijith.
“The movie shows that these are people who live in our houses. “ -
Republicans ‘trying to kill me’ – Hunter Biden
Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, says that Republicans are trying to harm him in order to make his father look bad as President.
He said that if he died, it would be really hard for his father to handle. He told this to musician Moby in a podcast that aired on Friday.
The first part of the broadcast was recorded before Mr. Biden was accused of nine serious tax crimes on Thursday.
Republicans say that the president and his son are using their influence to benefit themselves.
The White House said the congressional investigation into the president is just a fishing expedition and not serious.
Hunter Biden, who used to have a problem with crack cocaine, was talking to his friend Moby from his house in Malibu, California. They met while they were both getting help for using drugs and alcohol.
“They are trying to do something wrong or illegal. ” “They are trying to ruin the president’s term in a careful and sensible way,” he said on Moby Pod.
“They want to kill me because they know it will hurt my father a lot. They also want to ruin my presidency by making me start using drugs again,” he said.
He said it’s not about him. He thinks these people are very sad and sick. They have probably experienced traumas in their lives, and now they want to hurt others.
He said that conservative news outlets were bothering him.
Mr Biden said he will stay clean and sober because he doesn’t want people to use him as an example of why people in recovery can’t be trusted.
On Thursday, the government in California accused Hunter Biden of not paying taxes for four years and spending lots of money on drugs and escorts.
He is also being investigated for possibly lying about using drugs when he applied for a gun.
President Biden went to Las Vegas, Nevada for a campaign event. His press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, was asked about the new charges for Hunter while they were on Air Force One.
She said Mr Biden is “happy about his son”. -
Zimbabwe voters participate in contentious by-elections
Zimbabwe is having elections to fill vacant positions, but some people are trying to keep the main opposition candidates from running. This is happening as President Emmerson Mnangagwa strengthens his power.
The vote happened because some CCC MPs had lost their seats.
This was made by someone who said they were the leader of the party.
The result could make the government have a very large majority.
The CCC didn’t win the general election in August but they got more than 100 out of 280 seats in parliament. This means that the ruling Zanu-PF party was not able to win enough votes to have the power to make changes to the constitution.
Some people think the party made these by-elections happen in places where it recently lost on purpose.
The CCC has a lot of fighting among its members and the current crisis seems to be mostly caused by the CCC itself.
This is important because President Mnangagwa’s party needs just a few more seats to have a strong majority in parliament.
Once it passes that limit, changes to the constitution can be made. It wouldn’t be surprising if people start talking about getting rid of the limit on how long a president can serve.
Six years ago, many people in Zimbabwe thought that when Robert Mugabe was removed from power, the country would become more democratic.
It is surprising that some in the opposition seem to be helping the president gain more power.
In October, Sengezo Tshabangu, who was not well-known in Zimbabwe, wrote a letter to the head of parliament saying that some CCC members were no longer part of the party.
The leader of CCC, Nelson Chamisa, said that Mr Tshabangu is not real and asked the speaker to not pay attention to the letter.
But Mr Chamisa was not listened to when the speaker announced that there were empty positions in the areas. The by-elections on Saturday happened as a result of that. -
Philippines claims China fired water cannons at its vessels
The Philippines say that China used water cannons to stop three of its boats in a disagreement over who owns land in the South China Sea.
A video shows Chinese ships spraying strong blasts of water at Philippine government boats.
The Philippines said that China’s actions were against the law and were aggressive.
The South China Sea is a place where China, the Philippines, and other countries are arguing about who owns it.
The event occurred close to Scarborough Shoal, which is a place where there is often tension between the two countries. In 2012, Beijing took control of the shoal and Chinese boats have been bothering Philippine fishermen there ever since.
The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea reported that Chinese Coast Guard ships used water cannons to stop government boats from bringing fuel and food to fishing boats.
The agency strongly disapproves of the illegal and aggressive actions.
Beijing said it had taken action to control ships that entered its waters without permission.
Earlier this week, the Philippines said that China sent a lot of military boats to a reef near their coast in the South China Sea.
The Philippines will send 40 boats with Christmas gifts and supplies to people on Thitu island, the biggest island they live on in the South China Sea.
The two countries have been arguing more since Ferdinand Marcos Jr became president of the Philippines last year. They both claim to own the same land.
Last month, the Philippines worked together with the US and Australia to do two air and sea patrols.
In 2016, a global court said China’s claim to 90% of the South China Sea is not valid. But China doesn’t agree with the decision and has been making islands in the area where other countries also say it’s theirs.
The disputed waters are causing tension between China and the US. In October, US President Joe Biden said that the US will protect the Philippines if there is an attack.
President Biden talked about the collisions between boats from the Philippines and China that happened a few days ago.
Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Brunei say that they also own parts of the sea. -
Nigeria makes significant progress in generating refined oil
One million barrels of crude oil were delivered to a big new refinery in Nigeria. This is a big step towards the country being able to make its own fuel.
For many years, the country with a lot of oil has not been able to process the oil.
Buying refined oil from other countries costs our country a lot of money in foreign currency.
We don’t know when the big Dangote refinery will start working. But when it does, it will help us become more self-sufficient in energy.
The first one million barrels of crude will be delivered, and then five million more will come. After that, the plant can start making fuel.
When the facility in Nigeria’s busy city, Lagos, is running at full capacity, it is expected to make around 650,000 barrels of oil every day. It costs $19 billion.
It will start by making diesel, airplane fuel, and LPG before moving on to making petrol.
Africa’s wealthiest man and leader of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, said on Friday that the main goal in the next few months is to increase the refinery’s production to its maximum level. I am excited for the next big step when we send the first products to Nigeria.
The company says it will eventually be able to meet all of Nigeria’s needs for fuel and have even more to sell to other countries.
The biggest economy and one of the biggest oil producers in the continent has had problems getting enough fuel. This is because they don’t have enough foreign money and this has caused a lot of times when there isn’t enough fuel. The price of fuel has also become a big issue in politics.
For years, the government had been paying part of the cost – something that many Nigerians saw as a benefit.
However, the government had to spend a lot of money on the subsidy. This year, the new President, Bola Tinubu, got rid of it. This made fuel prices go up by more than 400%.
Even though unions have asked the government to change its decision and help most Nigerians, President Tinubu still thinks that the decision will be good for the future.
In November, the government announced that it had saved more than $1. 8 billion from June to September this year by removing a subsidy. This money will now be used for social development projects. -
Palestinian describes how Israeli army stripped and drove them away
A 22-year-old person from Palestine was taken by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in northern Gaza along with many others.
Video confirmed by the media shows a bunch of men with just their underwear on, kneeling on the ground and being watched by Israeli soldiers.
The man said he was made to sit on the street for a long time, with his hands cuffed and unable to see, before being taken away in a car.
An Israeli leader said the soldiers were looking for members of Hamas.
Mark Regev, who helps the Prime Minister of Israel, told the media they are trying to find the people who caused the massacre on October 7.
The prisoners were moved in a truck from Beit Lahia in northern Gaza to a place that is not known. A young man said this, but he wanted to stay anonymous for his safety.
After they got there, they were picked randomly to be asked questions about their connection to Hamas.
The 22-year-old said that the place where he, his father, brother, and five cousins were taken was sandy. They were left almost naked but given a blanket at night.
After he was asked some questions, he says he was brought to a different place and then told to go home. He got home around 1:40 in the morning.
They let us go but kept my dad and oldest cousin. My dad works for UNRWA. “I don’t understand why they took him,” he said.
“We walked without shoes on the road at night, and there were lots of rocks and glass on the ground. ”
UNRWA helps Palestinian people who had to leave their homes.
A photo of the men being taken away in a truck has been shared on social media and confirmed by the BBC.
Mr Regev said that the Israeli soldiers were gathering people to find out who was responsible for the Hamas attacks in Israel.
They were trying to figure out who the people in the photos of beheading and raping matched with, he said.
Mr Regev said that some people might be UN workers, but he also said that being a UN worker doesn’t always mean they are not part of Hamas.
He said that Hamas runs the workers’ union of UNRWA and that the group has members in many different organizations, which shouldn’t be surprising to anyone.
Another Palestinian man named Mohammed Lubbad, who lives in Belgium, said on Instagram that his brother Ibrahim was taken by the police along with 10 other members of their family.
Mr Lubbad said to the media that he had used video call on WhatsApp to talk to his brother two hours before he was taken away.
“He said that Israeli soldiers had surrounded our house and the whole village of Beit Lahia. ” “Then, I watched the video that was shared on social media of the truck. ” I quickly saw my brother and also recognized some of our neighbors.
Mr Lubbad said that all his family members were let go except for his two cousins, Ahmed Lubbad who is 35 years old and is a teacher and has four kids, and Ayman Lubbad who is a human rights activist and has three kids.
He said his family were “ordinary people with no connection to the military. ”
‘Moved to Israel’
One of the men who was captured, Diaa al-Kahlout, has not been let go, as per a co-worker. He works as a reporter for The New Arab, a news organization in London that covers the Arab world.
Some people who were freed later said that the journalist was moved to Zikim military base in Israel, according to Lamis Andoni of The New Arab.
Diaa al-Kahlout was treated very badly by his employer, Al-Araby al-Jadeed.
“We don’t know what happened to him,” she said on BBC Radio 4’s PM show. The pictures and videos of these guys are really scary. I’m very surprised.
She said that Mr al-Kahlout is very determined and always has a smile on his face, but like many people in Gaza, he feels trapped.
Ms Andoni said she was talking to Israeli soldiers through the UN. She said that the IDF’s idea that the men were only potential suspects and that soldiers needed to look into the matter further was not a good response. -
Nick Kyrgios explains his decision to skip Australian Open
Nick Kyrgios won’t be able to play in the Australian Open for the second year in a row because he is still recovering from his injuries.
In January, the Australian player couldn’t participate in the first big tournament of the year because he had surgery on his knee. He had to rest for five months after that.
He missed the French Open because of a foot injury and couldn’t play in Wimbledon and the US Open because of a wrist problem.
The 28-year-old only played one game in 2023 and was not chosen to play in the main competition in January.
Kyrgios said on his Only Fans page that he won’t play in Melbourne in the New Year because he’s still recovering from injuries.
Kyrgios said he is sad that he can’t play in the 2024 Australian Open.
Certainly, very sad. I have a lot of great memories there, and I just want to get back to playing really well. I just need some more time.
I almost won a Grand Slam. I want to make sure my body has enough time to recover, so please be patient with me.
Kyrgios will probably be on TV next month, even though he can’t play. He may have a job talking about the games.
Even though I won’t be playing in the competition this year, I will still be there to talk about and explain the matches. I have some exciting plans, so please get excited.
Kyrgios has signed up to Only Fans, where he will have a free account and plans to show a new side to his fans.
“He said there will be tennis balls, tips, tricks, and behind-the-scenes stuff. They will also get to see different sides of me. ”
“I will share my love for gaming, tattoos, and my personal side with my fans. They can join me on this journey. ”
Kyrgios did really well at the Australian Open in 2015. He got to the quarter-final. He also won the men’s doubles with Thanasi Kokkinakis in 2022.
Before getting hurt this year, he made it to the 2022 Wimbledon final where he lost to Novak Djokovic. It was his best finish so far.
The Australian Open starts on January 14 and the men’s final will be on January 28. -
Jadon Sancho expresses “secret wish” to remain at Manchester United
Jadon Sancho wants to start over at Manchester United.
The 23-year-old player hasn’t played since August because his coach, Erik ten Hag, told him to stay away from the main team after they argued in public.
Sancho didn’t make the team because he didn’t try hard in training. He got mad at his manager and said on social media that he was being blamed unfairly. He has not been allowed to play with the main team since then. The coach, ten Hag, won’t let him back unless he says sorry.
Sancho doesn’t have a good future at Old Trafford. Juventus want to sign him in January and his old team Borussia Dortmund is also keeping an eye on the situation.
This week, there is talk of a trade involving Dortmund’s player Donyell Malen. Sky Germany reported that Sancho might want to go back to his old team, but there is no communication with Dortmund right now.
Sky Germany is saying that Sancho wants to start playing for United. Sir Jim Ratcliffe is going to buy 25% of the club soon and will take over control of the football team right away.
The report says that Sancho might be willing to wait and talk with the new people in charge. His situation at United might still get better.
Ten Hag says Sancho might still be able to play for his team if he says sorry publicly. But Sancho has not wanted to do that yet.
“Ten Hag said that every player has to meet certain standards, and that’s why the question about Sancho leaving in January came up. ”
“So, he knows what he needs to do to come back. ” “It’s his decision. ”
When asked if things can’t stay the same, Ten Hag said again: “He knows what needs to be done. ” He gets to decide.
I was asked if United was losing money by paying Sancho. I think that’s something they deal with internally. We will wait to see what happens. -
Jon Rahm surpasses Cristiano Ronaldo to become highest paid sportsman in the world
Jon Rahm signed a huge deal with LIV Golf for over $300 million, making him the highest-paid athlete in the world.
The rebel tour supported by Saudi Arabia has signed up many famous players, like Phil Mickelson and Brooks Koepka, since it started in 2021. But getting Rahm to join is probably their most important achievement.
The Spaniard is the current winner of the Masters and is currently ranked third in the world. He helped Europe win the Ryder Cup this year with Rory McIlroy, but now it’s unclear if he can play in 2025.
Rahm has talked openly about not liking LIV in the past. He said in August that he never liked the league’s format. He changed his mind about supporting the PGA Tour by making a deal for the 2024 season.
When he joined LIV, the two-time major champion became the world’s highest-paid athlete, making more money than Cristiano Ronaldo, who also signed a big contract with the Gulf state.
He will make more money than Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi who recently signed big contracts with Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami. He will make at least four times as much.
Rahm has made more than $50 million in prize money from playing golf in his whole career and $15 million in just the past year.
Top 5 athletes who earn the most money in 2023, as reported by Forbes.
1. Jon Rahm, a professional golfer, has a net worth of $300 million.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo, a football player, makes $136 million.
3. Lionel Messi, a soccer player, earned $130 million.
4. Kylian Mbappe, a football player, is worth $120 million.5. LeBron James made $119. 5 million from playing basketball.
“The game of golf has changed a lot in the past two years and I have seen LIV Golf grow and become more innovative,” the 29-year-old said when announcing the move to Fox News.
That’s why I came here today. I made this decision for a lot of reasons and because I thought it was the best choice for me. I think it’s a really good offer, but I just want to make sure you understand.
I have been really happy, but there are many things that LIV Golf has that are very attractive. It was an amazing deal. The money is really good, it’s fantastic.
I’m telling the truth when I say I don’t play golf for the money. I love playing golf because I really enjoy the game.
‘But, as a husband, father, and family man, I have a responsibility to provide the best opportunities and resources for my family. ‘
The golfer who has won major tournaments two times is leaving at a very important time during the talks between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).
The Tour and PIF, who fund LIV and Newcastle United, surprised everyone by saying they might join together as one company. They hope to make a deal by the end of the year.
Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the chairman of PIF, was going to meet with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan for important discussions next week. But, the signing of Rahm to LIV could make it uncertain if they can make a deal. -
Mauricio Pochettino discloses Chelsea problem that “upsets” him after losing to Manchester United
Mauricio Pochettino is very unhappy with how Chelsea’s players have been unable to stop opponents from scoring with headers this season.
Chelsea is one of the shortest teams in the Premier League, and in their last four games, they have allowed goals from headers. In their game against Manchester United, Scott McTominay scored a header to win the game, towering over Levi Colwill.
Chelsea have let in six goals from headers this season, and only Luton, Brentford and Sheffield United have let in more.
The Blues are playing against Everton on Sunday. Sean Dyche’s team is the tallest in the league, and Pochettino sees this as a big problem for their game at Goodison Park.
“The Chelsea manager said it could be a problem. ”
We should try harder to stop the other team from getting chances to score, like when they get corners or free-kicks from the side. We have to be smart about how we work and try to stop them.
In football, it’s about how you play the game, your attitude, and being smart to prevent the other team from using their strengths.
Pochettino was very upset by McTominay’s goal on Wednesday night in Manchester.
He said we have to get better. Maybe I don’t look very emotional, but I am really upset. We need to improve a lot in these situations.
It is a combination of planning and wanting something. We should stop the crosses. If someone says “It’s not my problem because the other person did something wrong,” then it’s hard for the defense to handle those situations.
Everton won 3-0 against Newcastle United and moved out of the relegation zone, even though they had a 10-point penalty for breaking the league’s financial rules.
Chelsea is still in 10th place even though they lost to United for the sixth time this season. -
Manchester United in preliminary talks to sign Serhou Guirassy
Manchester United are talking to Stuttgart’s player Serhou Guirassy about joining their team, says news from Germany.
Erik ten Hag wants to bring in more players to help his team score more goals in January. He wants to take some pressure off Rasmus Hojlund, who hasn’t scored in the Premier League since he moved from Atalanta for £72 million.
The 27-year-old has been playing really well for Stuttgart this season. He has scored 18 goals in 13 games. Newcastle United and West Ham United want to sign him next month. Guirassy can be bought for £15 million because of a special clause in his contract.
Sky Germany has said that talks between Manchester United and Guirassy’s agents have started.
Bild says Guirassy is happy that Erik ten Hag is interested in him and he hasn’t ruled out leaving Stuttgart next month.
Last month, Stuttgart manager Sebastian Hoeness said there is a chance that Guirassy might leave in January.
“In football, anything can happen, so I won’t rule anything out here,” he said. I think he is very comfortable. I want him to stay with us for a long time and have a good time with us.
‘But with him and the others, it’s always impossible to leave things out. ‘
United have had a hard time scoring goals this year, and Scott McTominay is their leading scorer with six goals. Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial were not in the starting lineup in the middle of the week against Chelsea. Each of them has only scored two goals so far. Hojlund has scored five goals in the Champions League, but he hasn’t scored any goals in domestic games yet.
Despite rumors of interest from Old Trafford, ten Hag suggested this week that Manchester United might not make many signings in the January transfer window.
United We Stand fanzine asked if there will be any new players joining the team in January. Ten Hag said, “I don’t think so. But if there are, United should try to make the team better. ”
We want every player to try their hardest and do their best every day when they come to Carrington. As a club, you need to find ways to get better. If you can find something that’s better and makes sense financially, then the club should go for it.
‘But the truth is, most of the time the best players don’t join in the winter. ‘
The best players will not leave their teams in the winter. The players are upset, hurt, or they don’t fit well on the team. -
Election challenge in Guatemala perceived as “attempted coup”
International organizations are calling the legal challenge against the election of a leader in Guatemala, who is against corruption, an “attempted coup”.
Bernardo Arévalo was supposed to become president in January, but on Friday, the country’s prosecutor’s office said the result doesn’t count.
The European Union and the Organization of American States said they didn’t like what happened and want someone new to take over.
Mr Arévalo said the prosecutor was trying to take over the government.
Many people saw his win in August as a rejection of Guatemala‘s powerful and corrupt politicians.
The 65-year-old leader of the party Seed Movement won a lot of votes, more than 60%, by promising to improve the way the government works in the Central American country.
But his opponents keep saying the election was unfair and that Mr. Arévalo’s party cheated and didn’t follow the rules when registering.
Mr Arévalo, international observers, and his supporters say the accusations are not true. They think the prosecutors are just trying to play politics.
People who want more democracy have been protesting on the streets to support Mr. Arévalo and to ask the attorney general and other officials to leave their positions.
On Friday, prosecutor Leonor Morales said the August election result should be canceled because the wrong voting forms were used during the first round of the presidential election in June.
Blanca Alfaro, who is in charge of the Guatemalan electoral commission, said that the result cannot be changed. She also said that Mr Arévalo will be officially sworn in next month as scheduled.
On Friday, the prosecutor’s office tried to stop the president-elect’s party from being sworn in. This comes after previous attempts to suspend his party. Many people think this is a way to prevent him from becoming president.
EU foreign policy leader Josep Borrell said the election fraud claims are false and called Friday’s announcement an attempt to overthrow the government, led by prosecutors with political motives.
He wanted the power to change in a fair way and said there would be consequences for those who caused trouble.
The Organization of American States said the prosecutor’s involvement is something dictatorships do, not democracies. -
White House contest heated up with calls for dictatorship
In American politics this week, people have been talking a lot about dictatorship, or the possibility of it happening.
Donald Trump is getting closer to being chosen as the Republican presidential candidate. People who disagree with him are criticizing him more.
Neoconservative writer Robert Kagan wrote an essay in the Washington Post saying that the chances of the United States becoming a dictatorship have increased a lot. Former Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney, who has been critical of Mr. Trump, said on CBS that the US is heading towards a dictatorship without realizing it.
The old president ignored these warnings and called them more proof of people being obsessed with criticizing Trump.
Then, during a meeting in Iowa on Tuesday night, Trump, who often speaks highly of powerful leaders like Russia’s Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong-un, made the situation worse by behaving recklessly.
Some US news headlines said that Trump made his critics’ worst fears seem true. They were worried he would become a “dictator” if he got re-elected as US president.
But, the trade was more complicated than that.
Fox News host Sean Hannity tried to get the ex-president to say he won’t use his power to hurt his enemies if he gets elected again next year. Trump has hinted at this in the past.
“Are you promising America tonight that you won’t use your power to get back at anyone. ” Hannity asked
“Other than the first day” of his next term in office.
He said he will take action by himself to make the border safe and to get more energy out of the ground. He will also do more drilling for energy, as Trump said.
“He said he’s not a dictator after that. ”
These incomplete promises haven’t made Trump’s critics feel any better.
They believe that democracy will face challenges in a second term because there will be fewer protections in place.
They say the ex-president has talked about using the justice department as a weapon and replacing civil servants with loyal supporters. And they say this time he won’t have people in his group who will disagree with the extreme ideas.
A Trump political action committee (PAC) said the real person with a lot of power is in the White House now.
“Joe Biden is using his power to go after journalists, politicians, activists, and worried parents,” Make America Great Again Inc said in an email on Wednesday.One of Trump’s opponents, former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, told the BBC that a second term for Trump could be dangerously controlling, even though Trump may not openly admit to being a dictator.
Hutchinson says that when an authoritarian president takes more power and ignores Congress and the court, it means that all the power is held by one part of the government. “Our country wasn’t meant to be run like this, and it’s too controlled by one person. ”
This is what Hutchinson said next, and it might worry Joe Biden’s campaign for president. If Trump and Biden are the main candidates in 2024, the former Arkansas governor would search for a different choice.
“I won’t choose Biden over Trump,” Hutchinson said. I will find other ways to help if that happens.
In 2020 and at the start of his 2024 campaign, Biden wanted to appeal to Republicans who were unhappy, as well as people who are not affiliated with any political party, and his own party members.
However, even though there are concerns about a possibly controlling candidate in the Republican party – someone who doesn’t take the term dictator seriously – Hutchinson still won’t consider supporting the current Democrat in office.
One year before the election, polls may not be very accurate. But the most recent polls show that the race between Trump and Biden will be very tight. And if Hutchinson, who is not a fan of Trump, is looking for someone else to vote for in the presidential election, he is likely not alone.
The new political group No Labels might choose a centrist candidate, and Liz Cheney and others are thinking about running for office on their own. This could give unhappy voters more choices when they vote.
In an election where every vote counts, it’s not a good position for Biden to be in. According to Trump’s strongest critics on the right, it’s a risky situation for the country.
In his essay in the Washington Post, Kagan says that Trump has a good chance of winning the presidency because of support from the Republicans and the mood of the country. He also thinks that Trump would be more dangerous if he became president.
He says Trump and his friends will try to hurt people they don’t like, while many Americans do nothing to stop them.
Many Americans, including a lot of people who support Trump, don’t see it that way, of course. And in November, most people might vote for the previous president again, even though experts like Kagan have advised against it.
It’s starting to become clear that Biden and the Democrats will say this election is about protecting democracy. Trump is trying to provoke them with his strong and forceful language, whether he is joking or being serious. -
Ukraine in ‘mortal danger’ if assistance not given – Olena Zelenska
Olena Zelenska said that Ukrainians could die if western countries don’t keep giving them money.
The wife of Ukraine’s president talked to a reporter on Sunday after US Republican senators stopped an important aid bill.
It would have given Ukraine more than $60 billion in help.
She said that if the world gets tired, they will just let us die after the Russian missile attack.
The White House says it’s running out of money to help Ukraine, but the Republican party is stopping a deal to provide more aid.
They want to make a deal with President Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress about money for border security in exchange for their help.
President Biden said that if we don’t help Ukraine, it would be good for President Putin. He warned that people who don’t support freedom will be judged badly by history.
Almost two years after Russia invaded Ukraine without permission, the first lady is very worried about the slow process of getting money for help.
In a special interview airing on Sunday, Olena Zelenska told the media that the decrease in help is very dangerous for her country.
She said, “We really need help. ” In other words, we can’t afford to get tired of this situation, because if we do, we will die.
“If the world gets too tired, it will just let us die. ”
The first lady said, “It makes us very sad to see that people may not want to help as much as before. ”
“It is very important to us. ” So, it really hurts to see that.
The UK is asking politicians in Washington DC to make a deal for Ukraine.
This week, UK Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron visited Washington and said that the US is very important in supporting Ukraine’s fight against Russia.
He told the US not to give Mr Putin a “Christmas present” by stopping the billions of dollars of money needed to keep fighting against Russian forces.
There is no doubt that other countries are now thinking differently about Ukraine.
In Washington DC, strong support cannot be promised, but the main issues of the conflict have not changed.
A country in Eastern Europe is still fighting against Russian forces after they invaded illegally.
Ukraine’s military stopped another country from taking over in February 2022 and this surprised everyone.
Many Western countries were surprised by the strong support they received in return.
However, Ukraine needs support and help from other countries to continue on the same path.
The first lady’s warnings are meant to make it very clear. -
Macron faces criticism over French religious dispute
Emmanuel Macron has been accused of betraying France because he joined in a Jewish ceremony at his official home, the Elysée Palace.
In a country where people believe strongly in keeping religion separate, lighting a Hanukkah candle in a historic meeting hall caused a lot of disagreement among politicians from all sides.
The president asked France’s top Rabbi Haïm Korsia to light the first candle on a special candelabra to start the Jewish festival called Hanukkah. President Macron received an award for working against antisemitism.
But when a video of the ceremony showed up on social media soon after, there was a lot of anger and excitement.
French people with influence and opinions were upset because the president made a big mistake by bringing religion into the secular aspects of the presidency.
To my knowledge, this has never happened before. “David Lisnard, who is a well-known right-wing leader and mayor of Cannes, says it goes against secularism. ”
The Elysée is not a religious place. Secularism is non-negotiable,” said Occitania region’s Socialist president, Carole Delga.
“Will Macron do this for other religions too. Some yes, some no. That’s risky,” said Alexis Corbière from the far-left France Unbowed.
Even some Jewish people in France were confused. Yonathan Arfi, who leads the French Jewish Council, said that this should not happen again.
French Jews have always seen secularism as a way to protect and have freedom. He said that anything that makes secularism less strong also makes Jews less strong.
The concept of “secularism” became a part of French law in 1905 after a long battle between the government and the Roman Catholic Church. It allowed people to believe what they want, but no longer allowed the government to be involved with the Church or show any signs of religion in public places.
The law is very important in France. It makes sure that everyone is treated the same no matter what religion they follow. It also says that people are seen as individuals and not just as part of a group.Critics will see Emmanuel Macron breaking a long-standing rule as proof of his big ego and feeling like he is above everyone else.
On Friday, the president visited Notre-Dame cathedral and said he was not sorry for inviting the chief rabbi. He said it was all about unity and peace.
“If the president had participated in a religious act or ceremony, it would have broken the rule of separating religion from government. ” “He said that’s not what happened. ”
The gesture comes after a long series of political events about Gaza, where President Macron has been criticized for making policy decisions without proper planning.
Critics think he has not been clear about his position on the war. Sometimes he seems to support Israel a lot, and other times he tries really hard to make Arab people happy. He does this because he wants to keep both the Jewish and Muslim people in France happy.
Not long after October 7th, Mr. Macron went to Israel and suggested a group of countries join together to fight against Hamas, similar to the coalition that defeated Islamic State (IS).
He was accused of not supporting Palestinians in France and then he arranged a conference to help Gaza, but Israel wasn’t asked to come.
He made some Jews even more upset by not going to a march against antisemitism. In an interview on the BBC, he talked about babies being bombed by the Israeli air force.
Some people think that the recent action at the Elysée shows a new way of governing the country.
In France’s foreign ministry, professional diplomats are frustrated because they feel like they are not being listened to by President Macron.
“One day, Macron is about to say he will assist the Israeli army in destroying Gaza. ” Two weeks later, a former diplomat said on the BBC that Israel kills babies.
“Alright, we understand that it’s all about internal politics. ” But here, he’s pushing away the Muslims and then the Jews. -
Israeli officials react to video that depicts males in their ‘pants’
A video on social media shows many Palestinian men caught by Israel while fighting is happening in Khan Younis and in the north of Gaza.
The video, confirmed by the BBC, shows them in their underwear, kneeling on the ground, and being watched by Israeli soldiers.
The men were believed to have been taken into custody in Beit Lahia, a place in the northern part of the Gaza strip.
The media has been informed that some of the men have been let go.
One of the men who was detained is a famous journalist from Palestine. His employers say that Israel is searching and treating people in a disrespectful and embarrassing way.
When asked about the video, a spokesperson for the Israeli government told the media that the men who were arrested were of military age and were found in places where civilians were supposed to have left weeks ago.
In the video, many men are standing in a line on the ground and it looks like they were told to take off their shoes. Their shoes are spread out on the road. Israeli soldiers and armored vehicles are protecting them.
Other pictures show them being taken in army trucks. In the news in Israel, they are saying that the captured people are fighters from Hamas who gave up.
Another photo – which the media has not confirmed as true – depicts men with blindfolds, kneeling in a large hole of flattened sand.
The Israeli Army has not said anything about the pictures, but spokesman Daniel Hagari said that Israeli soldiers and security officers arrested and questioned many suspected terrorists.
“Many of them gave up and surrendered to our soldiers in the last day. ” Information obtained from their interrogations is used to keep on fighting.
On Friday, a spokesperson for the Israeli government told the media that the men were arrested in Jabalia and Shejaiya in the northern part of Gaza, which he said are places where Hamas has a lot of support and power.
“We found men of military age in areas that civilians were told to leave weeks ago,” he said.
Mr Levy said they will ask people to figure out who is really a Hamas terrorist and who is not.
He said the men who were captured were found in places where Israeli soldiers had fought closely with Hamas. They were pretending to be regular people and using regular buildings for their activities.
The BBC talked to a man who said that 10 of his cousins were taken by the Israeli army on Thursday in Beit Lahia.
The man, who wants to keep his identity secret for safety reasons, told BBC Arabic’s Ethar Shalaby that soldiers from the IDF came into the area and used loudspeakers to tell the men to leave their homes and UNRWA schools.
The IDF told women to go to the hospital and said they’d shoot them if the men didn’t come out of their homes.
The man said seven of his cousins have come back home. He doesn’t know what happened to the three who are still in Israeli detention.
On social media, the Palestinian ambassador to the UK said that the video shows Israeli soldiers being rough with people and taking off their clothes at a UN shelter.
“This reminds us of some of the worst times in human history,” said Husam Zomlot.
Palestinian journalist Diaa al-Kahlout, who works for al-Araby al-Jadeed, was seen in a video with the detainees.
The Arabic news outlet, also known as the New Arab in English, reported that Mr. al-Kahlout and his family members were arrested by Israeli forces in Beit Lahia.
Al-Araby al-Jadeed criticized the unfair arrest of Mr al-Kahlout on Thursday.
It said that soldiers made the men take off their clothes and gave them embarrassing searches before taking them to unknown places.
The outlet wants people from different countries, journalists, and groups that protect rights and watch out for problems to speak out against Israel’s continuous attacks on journalists in the area.
Mr al-Kahlout’s friend, Palestinian journalist Lamis Andoni, said on Radio 4’s PM show that some prisoners were let go, but not Mr.
Ms Andoni, who is the head editor of Al-Araby al-Jadeed, said that the people who were released told Mr. Kahlout’s family that he had been moved to a military base in Israel called Zikim. The BBC has not confirmed if this is true.
“We don’t know what happened to him. ” The pictures and videos of these men are scary. “I can’t believe it,” she said. She also mentioned that her company was working with Israeli forces through the UN. -
Police question former president of Sierra Leone Koroma
Ex-President of Sierra Leone Ernest Bai Koroma has been asked questions by the police in the capital city, Freetown, about a failed coup.
Mr Koroma, who led the country for 10 years, arrived at the criminal investigations department around 10:00 local time with a lot of police and military guards.
It’s not known how long the questioning lasted, but the ex-president said on social media that it would continue on Saturday.
He said that he keeps an open mind and trusts that the legal process and rules will be fair.
The police called Mr Koroma on Thursday and asked him to come in for questioning within 24 hours, as part of their investigation into the failed coup attempt on 26 November.
Last month, there was an attack in Sierra Leone. Gunmen went to a military base, a prison, and other places. They let about 2,000 prisoners go and killed more than 20 people. The government said the gunmen were trying to take over the government.
71 people have been arrested, including 45 soldiers, 7 police officers, and 13 regular people. -
US ban on Ugandan prison officer due to LGBT mistreatment
The US has punished the leader of Uganda’s prison system for allegedly allowing mistreatment and torture of LGBT+ people and government critics.
Twenty people from different countries around the world have been punished for treating people unfairly.
One of them is Jefferson Koijee, who is the mayor of Monrovia, the capital of Liberia. The US says he is in charge of paramilitary groups linked to his political party.
Three militia leaders in the Democratic Republic of Congo have been put on the sanctions list. Their names are William Yakutumba, Willy Ngoma, and Michel Rukunda.
Former president’s son, Jean-Francis Bozizé, is being accused of bringing weapons for the rebel group CPC in the Central African Republic. His friend Mahamat Salleh is a leader in a group called CPC. He is accused of hurting girls by making them do things they don’t want to do.
In South Sudan, it is said that county commissioners Gordon Koang Biel and Gatluak Nyang Hoth let government-aligned forces and their allies rape women and children as a reward.
They have been punished with Joseph Mantiel Wajang, the governor in Unity State who the US says chose both men for those positions of power even though they were accused of serious things.
They and everyone else on the list for Friday will not be allowed to come into the US.
Or do business with people or companies in the US. -
South African woman sentenced to 50 years in prison for $28 million theft
A woman from South Africa has been given a 50-year jail sentence for stealing $28 million from her employer.
Hildegard Steenkamp took money from the healthcare company she worked for as an accountant in Gauteng province for 13 years Steenkamp admitted to doing fraud 336 times.
She stood in front of a judge, who said he had never dealt with a case where someone stole so much money.
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Magistrate Phillip Venter was very surprised to hear that one worker stole a lot of money from their boss. He found it really hard to believe.
Steenkamp said that her husband was mean to her and made her steal the money. Venter disagreed and said “she did the actions by herself”.
Forensic investigators discovered that Steenkamp used the money to pay for her expensive lifestyle, including gambling, buying jewelry, and traveling.
In just one night, she spent $263,000 at a casino.
The court found out that Steenkamp spent a lot of money, around $1. 6 million, on trips around the world and went to Dubai often.
She had a job at the company from 2004 to 2017, but then she quit.
Steenkamp made this plan because she was allowed to add or remove people the company owed money to from the list, the South African police said.
She put her husband’s name on the list of people she owes money to and started putting money into his bank account.
Steenkamp turned herself in to the police in 2018 and was allowed to leave on bail. She admitted she was guilty earlier this year. -
Visitor to zoo discovered dead after shoe ‘seen in tigers mouth’ in Pakistan
A partially eaten body was found inside a tiger’s cage at a zoo after a person jumped in, according to reports.
Workers saw a torn shoe in the mouth of one of the four large cats in the zoo in Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan.
The dead animals were found on Wednesday morning, and the zoo had to shut down.
Zaheer Anwar, a senior government official in Bahawalpur, said to the media that when they were cleaning the zoo and the animal areas, they found an (animal) with a shoe in its mouth.
‘The workers became wary and then they discovered a dead body inside the cave. ‘
Mr Anwar said a word that can mean tiger or leopard in Pakistan, and both of these animals are thought to be in the zoo.
“He seems crazy because only a crazy person would jump into the den,” he said.
The den is safe and protected. There are stairs behind the room, maybe he jumped from there. All the employees are present. -
Palestinians collective punishment cannot be justified by Hamas attacks – Guterres
Antonio Guterres said that even though Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October, this doesn’t excuse Israel from breaking humanitarian laws itself.
He says that the people in Gaza are being pushed around and can’t find the things they need to stay alive. “But in Gaza, there’s no safe place,” he says.
Guterres says that families in Gaza have lost everything and are sleeping on hard floors. He also says that there isn’t enough food and many people are hungry.
He thinks that he strongly disapproves of Hamas’ attacks on 7 October and wants the Israeli hostages taken by Hamas to be released right away.
“He says that even though Hamas has been very violent, it is not right to punish all the Palestinian people for it. “ -
Israel refuses requests for cease-fire during UN gathering
The ambassador of Israel to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, has strongly said no to the idea of stopping the fighting.
He said to the UN that a ceasefire makes Hamas stronger in Gaza and shows that Hamas is forgiven for their terrible actions.
Erdan also said that the international community allowed Hamas to oppress the people in Gaza.
He said that unless the military forces push Hamas, talking alone won’t be enough to free the hostages.The person who represents the Palestinian Authority spoke at a meeting of the UN Security Council.
However, Riyad Mansour said at the meeting that the Israeli’s goal was clear and that it was to make people leave.
He said Israel will make Gaza so difficult for people to live in, that they will have to leave.
Mansour said that he thinks Israel is making people move to the south, and he thinks they will attack the area soon.More update on this story soon…
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Former PM and general of Burundi jailed for life
The Supreme Court of Burundi has ordered the former prime minister to go to jail for the rest of his life.
Alain-Guillaume Bunyoni was found to have committed many crimes, like trying to kill Burundi’s president, Évariste Ndayishimiye, and harming the country’s economy.
Four buildings and 14 cars owned by the government will be taken away.
Two out of the six people he was arrested with got 15 years in jail, three got three years, and one was found not guilty.
Bunyoni was put on trial a month after he was arrested in April.
Six months ago, he was the prime minister in the government of his old friend President Ndayishimiye, who used to be a rebel.
During the trial, it was uncertain when Bunyoni did the crimes he was accused of. He had worked for the government for over 15 years, starting in 2005, until he was fired. -
Woman who tried to set Martin Luther King’s house on fire arrested
The police say that people nearby stopped a woman from setting Martin Luther King Jr’s home on fire in Atlanta, Georgia.
Authorities said that quick action “saved a valuable piece of American history”.
The person who is being accused is in jail and is being charged with setting fire to a building by allegedly pouring gasoline on it.
Dr King lived in a two-story house for the first 12 years of his life, and now it’s a very important historical place.
The National Park Service bought the inside of the building in 2018. It’s been closed to the public for repairs and updates since last month.
Police went to the historic district on Auburn Avenue when they heard about vandalism happening at around 5:45pm local time on Thursday. This information was shared by the Atlanta police in a news release.
A video was shared with the local WSB-TV news channel that shows a woman wearing all black pouring liquid on the porch and front windows of the house.
When the police got there, the suspect had already been stopped by two filmmakers from Utah and two off-duty police officers from New York who were also visiting the home, according to Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum.
One of the movie makers, Zach Kempf, said to the New York Times that at first he thought the woman was watering bushes in front of the house, but then she quickly went up the stairs and pulled on the front screen door.
She didn’t say anything when they asked what she was doing. She poured out the stuff from a big container and threw it into the bushes. Then, she picked up a lighter from the grass. “Mr Kempf, who is 43 years old, said the woman seemed anxious but not hostile. She walked away after he stood in front of her. ”
He called 911 and shouted for help to two New York officers. They chased and caught the suspect, holding her until the local police came.
The woman’s father and three sisters said she has been struggling with mental problems for a long time, Mr. Kempf told the Times.
The person who was accused of a crime was getting a check-up on their mental health before going to the local jail, the police said on Thursday night.
She might get in more trouble with the government for what she did.
The fire department said the home wasn’t damaged and a special team is cleaning up the area.
Fire chief Jerry DeBerry said if the witnesses hadn’t been there to stop her, the house could have been on fire very soon.
“It was mostly about having the right timing and the right people to see what happened. ”
The King Center said that someone tried to start a fire but couldn’t because of brave people helping and the police acting quickly.
“We are praying for the person who is accused of committing this crime,” it added. -
UN Security Council to decide whether to approve ceasefire in Gaza
The UN Security Council will decide on a resolution proposed by the UAE for a quick ceasefire in Gaza to provide humanitarian help.
Two days later, UN chief Antonio Guterres used his power to bring up a matter to the council that is not often used. may cause problems for keeping peace around the world.
The US does not want to stop the fighting and is expected to vote against the decision to stop it.
The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has asked Israel to do better at keeping civilians safe. He said there is a difference between what Israel promises and what is really happening.
At the same time, the Palestinian health ministry in the occupied West Bank reports that six Palestinians died in an Israeli attack on al-Fara refugee camp.
Hamas attacked Israel in October. They killed 1,200 people and took 240 hostages. Some hostages were released when there was a short break in the fighting.
Hamas leaders in Gaza say that Israel has killed over 17,177 people in its counterattack, including around 7,000 children.
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Funerals for Palestinians slain in West Bank raid to be held
Six Palestinians were killed by Israelis in al-Fara refugee camp. The funerals will happen soon. The camp is near Tubas in the north of the West Bank.
The Israeli military has not answered questions yet.
People in the camp saw Israeli special forces come in early this morning.
A man said that his family member was killed by getting shot after opening a door to see what was going on.
A small group of people with weapons works from the camp.
The Palestinian Authority says that 263 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank since the war in Gaza started.
That is more than the total number of Palestinians who died in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict last year. -
Son of Israel’s war cabinet minister killed in battle in Gaza
The military in Israel says that the son of a former army chief, Gadi Eisenkot, who is now a minister in the war cabinet, has died in Gaza.
25-year-old Soldier Gal Eisenkot passed away in northern Gaza on Thursday.
Israeli news reports say that MSgt Eisenkot was seriously hurt when a tunnel exploded, and he later died in the hospital.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he and his wife were very sad, and that Gal Eisenkot was a real hero.
In his statement, Mr Netanyahu said: “Our brave soldiers did not die for nothing. We will keep fighting until we win.
Gadi Eisenkot, age 63, is a retired military leader who was in charge of Israel’s military from 2015 to 2019.
A politician from the National Unity party, he is also a member of Mr Netanyahu’s temporary government formed after Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October, causing the death of about 1,200 people and taking about 240 hostages.
Israel has attacked Gaza by dropping bombs from planes and sending soldiers in on the ground. Hamas people in Gaza say they have killed over 17,000 people, mostly regular people, and a lot more are still trapped under collapsed buildings.
Mr Eisenkot found out about his son’s injuries while he was visiting the Israel Defense Forces’ Southern Command, according to local media.
Several Israeli government officials and lawmakers also expressed their sadness and sympathy for the Eisenkot family.
Yair Lapid, the leader of the opposing party, put up a picture of Gal and Gadi Eisenkot wearing military clothes and hugging each other.
This picture This hug is nice. A dad and his son. Both wearing the same clothes. Both soldiers in this country,” Mr Lapid wrote. Mr Lapid wrote that both soldiers in this country. “They both answer the call and come when they are needed, doing whatever is necessary. ” One hug can decide the future of a whole country.
The IDF also said that another soldier, Sgt Maj Jonathan David Deitch, aged 34, was killed in southern Gaza on Thursday. -
IDF claims to have discovered hidden Hamas facilities at Gaza University
Now we will give you some new information about Israel’s military mission in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
On X, IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said that soldiers destroyed buildings and infrastructure at Al-Azhar University because they believe Hamas was using it for military purposes.
Hagari found a secret way under the ground that goes from the university to a school about a kilometer away during the raid.
He also said they found things that make things explode, parts for rockets, and machines that send rockets into the sky.
Hagari reported that IDF troops found about 200 radios and lots of cameras at an observation post near the Shatti Hospital during a raid.
“We also found a combat weapon, bullets, bombs, a place for snipers, military gear, and places to shoot from,” he says. -
UN Security Council to vote on request for ceasefire in Gaza
The UN Security Council will meet soon to decide if they should ask for the fighting to stop in Gaza right away.
Two days after UN chief Antonio Guterres used Article 99 of the UN’s charter, this happened.
No one in his position has done this in many years.
The rule lets the secretary-general tell the council about any issues that could harm world peace and safety.
The United Arab Emirates made a proposal that needs at least nine votes in favor and no objections from the United States, Russia, China, France, or Britain to pass. -
Gaza vote was turning point for UN – Report
This is a very important moment for the Security Council. The secretary general has used a special power to ask for a ceasefire right away. It’s the first time he’s ever done this during his time in office.
Antonio Guterres will talk to council diplomats in a public meeting today after talking to many leaders on the phone, including the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron and some Arab ministers.
Arab and Islamic countries quickly answered his letter with a proposal that will be voted on today.
Most of the council has been in favor of a quick stop to fighting, so everyone will be watching to see what the United States, who is Israel’s friend, will do. They haven’t said if they will use their veto again, but they have hinted that they will. The US thinks that it would not be helpful to make a decision right now.
If the council is stopped from making decisions by a member with a lot of power, it will make people wonder if the Security Council can do its job. -
Netanyahu present at Israeli war cabinet minister’s son’s burial
We have pictures from the funeral of IDF soldier Gal Eizenkot, who was the son of Israeli war cabinet minister and former IDF Chief of the General Staff Gadi Eizenkot.
A 25-year-old died in the Gaza Strip yesterday.
At the funeral in Herzliya, Israel, the Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was there with other people who were sad.
Benny Gantz, the leader of the National Unity Party, also went to the funeral and spoke about the person who had passed away.More update on this story soon…
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$100 million gift to US college revoked due to House testimony
A big donor to the University of Pennsylvania has taken back a $100 million grant because the school’s president had a controversial appearance in Congress.
In an email that the BBC saw, Ross Stevens said he was “shocked” that Elizabeth Magill didn’t answer questions about how students who want to kill Jews would be punished.
On Tuesday, politicians asked her tough questions about antisemitism at universities.
Ms Magill said she was sorry, but people want her to quit because of what she said.
In the last two months, there have been angry protests and more instances of antisemitism at US college campuses because of the war between Israel and Hamas.
Ms Magill was seen in the House of Representatives with the leaders of Harvard and MIT, Claudine Gay and Sally Kornbluth.
Republican New York congresswoman Elise Stefanik asked them if calling for the killing of Jews goes against their university’s rules about bullying and harassment. Yes or no.
Ms Magill and her colleagues from MIT and Harvard didn’t give a direct yes or no answer. Instead, they said that it depended on the situation.
Many people are upset about this and even the White House is criticizing the comments.
Mr Stevens said he is taking back the $100 million donation to Penn because he is unhappy with President Magill’s behavior.
The person who started Stone Ridge Asset Management told the university that they shouldn’t tolerate people calling for violence against Jewish people because it goes against their rules and policies against discrimination based on religion.
Penn is a very old university in the US. It’s also part of a fancy group of universities called the Ivy League, which includes Harvard, Columbia, and Yale.
The university in Philadelphia has a really good business school called Wharton. Some really important and rich people like Donald Trump and Elon Musk went there.
In 2017, Mr Stevens gave some of his investment shares in a company called Stone Ridge to help Wharton University make a finance innovation center.
University of Pennsylvania’s leader Liz Magill is getting more and more requests to step down from her position after speaking at a hearing in Congress.
Many people are questioning if Ms. Magill can keep her job.
She posted a video on the university’s website on Thursday saying sorry for how she acted during the hearing. She explained that she was thinking about the university’s rules, which follow the US Constitution, and say that just speaking out is not something you can get in trouble for.
She said we should have been paying attention to the fact that calling for the killing of Jewish people is one of the worst things humans can do. She also said it is plainly evil.
Some people were happy with her apology on Wednesday, but Mr. Stevens’ letter seems to ask for her to quit her job.
He said Stone Ridge is willing to reconsider its decision if a new University President is in place.
The Wharton advisory board has sent a letter to Ms Magill asking her to resign right away. This is being reported by the US media.
The House Committee on Education & the Workforce said they will investigate Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for a lot of hate against Jewish people.
The committee members are very worried about the leaders and how they are not making the necessary changes to make sure that Jewish students are safe at school, as they are required to do by law. This was said by the chairwoman of the committee, Virginia Foxx.
Two Jewish students at the University of Pennsylvania are suing the school because they say it has become a place where people are taught to hate and discriminate against Jews. They say they have been harassed and mistreated because of their religion.
The lawsuit claims that the school is unfairly enforcing rules and not protecting Jewish students, and that they are hiring professors who are strongly against Jewish people.
Islamophobic attacks are increasing at universities.
The Education Department is looking into many schools for possible acts of hate against Jewish and Muslim people. -
Firebrand MP removed from India parliament over bribery scandal
India’s parliament kicked out a member of the opposition party because he was accused of taking money in return for asking questions.
Mahua Moitra said she was kicked out without any evidence, even though she denies the accusations.
She can choose to take the decision to court and argue against it.
Friday, lawmakers in the lower house of parliament voted to expel someone after passing a resolution.
Earlier today, a report from an ethics panel suggested that Ms Moitra should be kicked out of the house. The lawmakers who disagree with the report wanted more time to read it before discussing it, but the speaker said no.
Congress MP Manish Tewari said during the debate that if we had been given a few days to study the report and share our opinions with the house, it wouldn’t have caused such a big problem. The decision the house is making is very important and we need time to think about it.
Ms Moitra is a member of Trinamool Congress party, which is currently in charge of the West Bengal state. She strongly criticizes Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has the most seats in the Lok Sabha.
Her friends in the party protested in the building on Friday, chanting and supporting Ms Moitra. The meeting was stopped for an hour before the lawmakers came back to talk.
Leaders of the Trinamool Congress said the report was not reliable and insisted that the accusation of bribery was untrue. They and other people against the government have said that Ms Moitra was attacked because she spoke out against Mr Modi’s party.
Speaker Om Birla said Ms Moitra couldn’t talk in the house on Friday. He said she already had a chance to defend herself in front of the ethics committee. Ms Moitra left when the committee was asking her questions. She said they were unfair and not right.
The problem started in October when a politician named Nishikant Dubey accused Ms Moitra of asking questions about the Adani Group in return for gifts and money from a businessman named Darshan Hiranandani.
Mr Adani is thought to be friends with Mr Modi and has been accused by politicians from other parties of getting advantages from their friendship, but both Mr Adani and the BJP say it’s not true.
Earlier this year, a company in the United States accused Mr. Adani of doing illegal things with stocks and money for many years. The Adani Group says the allegations are not true and calls the report “malicious”.
Mr Dubey said that until recently, Ms. Moitra asked 50 out of 61 questions in the Lok Sabha about the Adani Group. He also accused her of taking bribes worth 20 million rupees from Mr. Ms Moitra has said very strongly that this is not true.
The BJP leader said he has proof against Ms Moitra from a lawyer named Jai Anant Dehadrai, who Ms Moitra called her ex-boyfriend.
Mr Hiranandani told the ethics committee that the TMC leader is targeting Mr Adani because he wants to become well-known. Ms Moitra doubted if the affidavit was real, but Mr Hiranandani said he signed it willingly.
Mr Dubey complained that Ms Moitra gave her login details to Mr Hiranandani so he could ask questions for her in Parliament.
Ms Moitra said she gave her login information to the businessman, but she didn’t think she broke any rules by doing that.
She has sued Mr Dubey and Mr Dehadrai in the Delhi high court for saying bad things about her. -
Uganda bans beef products due to anthrax outbreak
Selling beef in Uganda is not allowed right now. This is because there is an outbreak of anthrax in Kyotera district and the government wants to prevent it from spreading to other areas.
At least 17 people have died and more than 20 others are very sick in various villages, according to local news.
John Mary Lutaaya, who is in charge of taking care of animals in Kyotera district, said that the people who sell animals in the small area of Kabira cannot take their cows anywhere else until the disease is under control.
Over 40 cows have died in the past two months. The health authorities said the outbreak was real on November 26th.
Anthrax is a serious disease caused by a bacteria found in soil. It can affect wild and domestic animals.
People can get sick if they touch sick animals or things from sick animals. The symptoms can include blisters, fevers, swollen limbs, and trouble breathing.
Some people who have been hurt are going to religious places instead of going to the doctor. Health experts are worried that this will make it harder to stop the outbreak. -
Mandela’s dilapidated and abandoned home
Ten years after Nelson Mandela, a famous person who fought against apartheid, passed away, a South African TV station called eNCA went to the house where he lived before he died. They found that the house had been left empty and was not in good condition.
Famous people like Michael Jackson, Oprah Winfrey, and Michelle Obama visited former President Mandela at his house in Houghton, Johannesburg.
On Friday, they showed parts of the run-down home, like the garden covered in weeds and the dusty ceiling in the bedroom where Mandela passed away.
Mandela’s grandchildren used to live in the house, but they had to leave because the city turned off the electricity because Mandela’s trust didn’t pay the bills. eNCA told the media.
“I left because my family trust was causing problems. ” Mandela’s grandson, Mbuso Mandela, said that we had to keep asking the trustees to pay the water and electricity bills. He moved out around 2019.
Some people in South Africa are very sad and upset on social media. They want Mandela’s family and the government to fix up his old house to remember and honor him.
The Johannesburg home where Mandela first lived after he was released from prison has been turned into a fancy hotel called Sanctuary Madiba. It is very different from how it used to be. -
Putin intends to run for fifth term as president of Russia
Media reports say that Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced he will run for a fifth term in office.
Russian authorities said that he talked about what he wanted to do during a meeting with people who are involved in the war in Ukraine.
It comes the day after officials picked 15-17 March 2024 as the days for the presidential election.
It is very likely that Mr Putin will be elected again because there is almost no one opposing him and he controls the Russian media completely.
He has been ruling Russia for a long time, longer than anyone since Josef Stalin. If he gets another term, he will stay as president until at least 2030.
Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for the Kremlin, said that a lot of people want Putin to keep leading, but it’s up to him when he announces his decision. -
Hunter Biden faces second criminal offence case
Federal lawyers have accused Hunter Biden of not paying his taxes. This is the second time he has been charged with a crime. Hunter Biden is the son of the US president.
He is accused of trying to avoid paying $1. 4 million in federal taxes from 2016 to 2019, according to the nine charges.
Three serious crimes and six lesser crimes are not filing or paying taxes, giving false information on a tax return and avoiding paying taxes that are owed.
Mr Biden, who is 53 years old, was accused of breaking gun laws in September in Delaware.
On Thursday night, his lawyer said the new charges are caused by politics.
President Joe Biden is not named in the charges, and the White House has not said anything about it yet.
Congressional Republicans are focusing on Hunter Biden’s business deals as they investigate President Biden for possible impeachment. President Biden is running for re-election next year.
If Hunter Biden is found guilty in the tax case, he could be sent to prison for as long as 17 years.
Since 2019, Special Counsel David Weiss from the US Department of Justice has been looking into a Yale-educated lawyer who used to be addicted to crack cocaine.
In a legal document in California, it is said that he used his money for things like drugs, expensive hotels and cars, and clothes instead of paying his taxes.
The president’s son got more than $7 million in total income between 2016 and 2020. But he didn’t pay his taxes on time for those years, even though he had the money to do so.
Hunter Biden’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, said that if Hunter’s last name was not Biden, he would not have been charged in Delaware and California.
Hunter Biden gave back all the money he owed in taxes and fines in 2020. He got a loan from his lawyer to help him do it.
The indictment includes a chart that shows how Hunter Biden used his money.
From 2016 to 2019, he spent more than $188,000 on “adult entertainment” and over $683,000 on “payments to different women”, as stated in the charges.
Prosecutors claim that Hunter Biden made a lot of money and spent it freely in 2018.
The charge says he earned a lot of money from a company he started with a big Chinese company, the Ukrainian energy company Burisma, and someone from Romania.
The indictment says that as he made more money, he spent more on a luxurious lifestyle.In 2018, the person being accused spent a lot of money, including taking out lots of cash, paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to women, and spending $151,000 on clothes.
That year, Hunter Biden told his ex-wife he couldn’t pay alimony because he didn’t have enough money.
He stayed at expensive hotels, spent $10,000 to join a sex club, and said that $1,248 airline tickets for a dancer were a business cost, according to the charges.
The prosecutors say that he had enough money to pay some or all of his taxes on time, but he decided not to.
He supposedly took personal expenses and said they were for his business. For example, he rented a Lamborghini when he first got to California in 2018 until his Porsche arrived.
Earlier this year, Hunter Biden was supposed to admit to breaking tax rules in a deal with the people in charge of making sure the law is followed.
But the agreement didn’t work out because a judge thought it was strange. Congressional Republicans criticized it as a favorable deal.
This summer, two people who exposed wrongdoing at the IRS told Congress that they think Hunter Biden should have been accused of more serious tax crimes. They said they think he got off easy because he’s the president’s son.
Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler said the indictment on Thursday is a complete vindication for them.
In September, he was charged by the government for having a gun while using drugs and lying about it on a form. He said he did not do it.
The House of Representatives Oversight Committee is looking into whether President Biden did something wrong with his son.
Congressional Republicans say they found bank statements that prove Joe Biden lied about getting money from his son’s business. But the White House says the whole investigation is based on lies. -
Supporters to say goodbye to Shane MacGowan
The parade to honor The Pogues band leader Shane MacGowan , who died on 30th November, is happening in Dublin.
The singer who sang Fairytale of New York, who was 65 years old, passed away after being diagnosed with encephalitis. His wife Victoria Mary Clarke said he died from pneumonia.
MacGowan’s coffin is being taken around the south part of Dublin in a carriage pulled by horses. It is his last journey in the city.
The funeral will be in Nenagh, County Tipperary, near where the singer used to spend his summers as a child, at his mother’s family cottage.
Irish President Michael D Higgins and famous music stars are going to be at the event.
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East African troops withdraw from Democratic Republic of Congo over criticism
Soldiers from East African countries went to Congo to fight against M23 rebels one year ago. The Congolese government does not think they have been successful, and their mission will end on Friday.
Soldiers from Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, and South Sudan are returning home because President Félix Tshisekedi did not want them to stay any longer and officials were not happy with how they were doing their job.
Soldiers from the South African region are going to replace the soldiers from East Africa, but we don’t know when they will come.
In other news, the rebel group M23 took over the town of Mushaki, which is 40km (25 miles) from Goma, the main city in Nord Kivu province, known for its valuable minerals.
The rebels took control of the town on 7 December by fighting with the Congolese army. Mushaki is an important place for moving things around in the area. The M23 group and the army have fought over control of it many times.
Democratic Republic of Congo will have a big vote on December 20th. -
We’re going to bomb sites with ‘100% certainty’ – Nigerian military
The Nigerian military said sorry for a air strike that killed 85 innocent people. They promised to only bomb places they are completely sure about in the future.
Major General Edward Buba said the army will be getting extra training and will learn more about the rules for air strikes.
Gen Buba said the army will handle the air strike incident directly.
The bombing happened when people from the Tundun Biri village came together for a religious celebration on Sunday evening.
Officials said that over 60 people had to go to the hospital for treatment after the air strike.
For a long time, the Nigerian army has been fighting against criminals and fighters in the northern part of Nigeria. These criminals have been attacking villages and kidnapping people in exchange for money.
Governor Uba Sani said that the military drone accidentally killed innocent people while trying to attack terrorists and bandits.More update on this story soon…