| | 1. 'Must be avoided' - Borrell warns humanitarian consequences of Rafah offensive would be 'catastrophic'21:15[-/+]Категория(?) | "Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief, announced that a ground operation in Rafah 'must be avoided', emphasising that 'the humanitarian consequences would be catastrophic' at the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Tuesday.
"There are more than 1.3 million people on the streets of Rafah without any more shelter than a piece of plastic over their heads" he added.
The prominent minister also welcomed Israel's decision to open humanitarian crossings as 'positive news', but expressed concern at the slow pace of implementation.
"We need more access by landroads, more access points. The recent decision by Israel to open the Red Crossing point is positive news. But they have to be implemented. It is not a matter of announcing but a matter of doing"
Israel has agreed to reopen the Erez crossing into northern Gaza and allow the temporary use of Ashdod port in southern Israel in response to US demands aimed at increasing humanitarian aid supplies to Gaza. According to media reports, This decision follows pressure from US President Joe Biden during a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, where Biden emphasised the need for specific and concrete actions to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Borrell emphasised the importance of protecting journalists in Israel-Gaza and paid tribute to seven humanitarian workers from World Central Kitchen (WCK) who lost their lives, while also acknowledging the 249 previous victims of conflict-related violence.
Seven members of the WCK organisation were killed during an IDF strike in Gaza in April. The IDF has since apologised for the incident and admitted it was a 'grave mistake' on their part.
"I have to pay tribute to all the victims of the Hamas attack and the Israeli army against Gaza, to the more than 100 journalists and media reporters and we have to ask this tragedy to end," Borrel stated.
Borrell underscored the need for collective action, highlighting recent agreements with Gulf countries, to seek a political solution rooted in the European Union's belief in the necessity of a 'two-state solution' for lasting peace in the region.
Fighting in Gaza between Israel and Hamas continues for the seventh month. The Palestinian group launched an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping over 200, according to Israeli officials.
Israel declared war on the group and a 'complete siege' of Gaza, with a large-scale campaign of air strikes. A ground incursion began at the end of the third week, with Israeli leaders vowing to 'wipe out' Hamas. Palestinian officials reported that at least 34,000 people had been killed and 76,900 injured at the time of publication.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) claimed that Hamas locations and infrastructure were targeted in the response. However, United Nations experts warned against 'collective punishment' for the people of Gaza, before predicting a 'humanitarian crisis' and then claimed that 'hell is settling in' for the region.
VIDEO TO FOLLOW" Медиа: image / jpeg | ↑ |
2. Palestinian officials continue to pull bodies from mass grave site at Gaza’s Nasser Hospital *DISTRESSING*21:11[-/+]Категория(?) | "Palestinian civil defence teams were seen exhuming bodies from a mass grave outside the Nasser Hospital complex in central Gaza’s Khan Yunis on Tuesday following the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the area.
Footage shows authorities attempting to identify the bodies before placing them in bags and taking them for reburial.
“Unidentified martyrs are identified through two elements, the first element is the clothes they wear, and the second element is the distinguishing marks such as teeth and hands,” said Colnel Sameh Hamad, a Palestinian forensics officer.
Palestinian state news (WAFA) reported that '35 bodies' had been recovered on Tuesday, bringing the total number of bodies found at the site to 283.
Dr. Muhammad Al-Mughair, a civil defence official claimed that a 'second grave' grave site had been discovered outside the hospital complex and would be 'opened next Thursday'.
On Tuesday, the Israeli military rejected allegations of mass burials at the Nasser complex as 'baseless and unfounded', stating that it exhumed corpses while searching for hostages captured by Hamas on October 7 and returned them to their original burial site after examination.
“Corpses buried by Palestinians in the area of Nasser Hospital were examined. The examination was conducted in a careful manner and exclusively in places where intelligence indicated the possible presence of hostages,” the IDF said.
“The examination was carried out in a respectfully while maintaining the dignity of the deceased. Bodies examined, which did not belong to Israeli hostages, were returned to their place,” the statement added.
On the same day, UN human rights chief Volker Turk said he was 'horrified' by reports of mass graves at the Nasser Hospital complex and called for an independent investigation.
In a statement, he added that "some of them had their hands tied, which of course indicates serious violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law."
The IDF says it conducted a 'precise and targeted' operation against Hamas in the Nasser Hospital area and had apprehended '200 terrorists'.
“Medicines intended for Israeli hostages were found undelivered and unused, and a great deal of ammunition was confiscated. The activity was done in a targeted manner and without harming the hospital, the patients and the medical staff,” Israel’s military said.
The IDF withdrew the vast majority of its forces operating in the south of the Gaza Strip on April 7th after four months of intense fighting.
Fighting in Gaza between Israel and Hamas continues for the seventh month. The Palestinian group launched an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping over 200, according to Israeli officials.
Israel declared war on the group and a 'complete siege' of Gaza, with a large-scale campaign of air strikes. A ground incursion began at the end of the third week, with Israeli leaders vowing to 'wipe out' Hamas. Palestinian officials reported that at least 34,000 people had been killed and 76,900 injured at the time of publication.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) claimed that Hamas locations and infrastructure were targeted in the response. However, United Nations experts warned against 'collective punishment' for the people of Gaza, before predicting a 'humanitarian crisis' and then claimed that 'hell is settling in' for the region." Медиа: image / jpeg | ↑ |
3. 'Things are very bad' - Authorities sanitise Sao Paulo streets as Brazil grapples with severe dengue outbreak20:42[-/+]Категория(?) | "Authorities were seen fumigating a neighbourhood in Sao Paolo on Tuesday, as over 900,000 probable cases of dengue fever were registered in the state while Brazil was grappling with an epidemic of the mosquito-transmitted disease.
"Everyone is getting dengue around here, I have a lot of friends with dengue and they are telling me that it is better to have 20 covid than to get dengue, the business is ugly around here (worrying situation), people are very sick, there are seizures, things are very bad and we need some support," Walter a local resident said.
Footage shows public workers using a modified service vehicle with a high-pressure spraying device to sanitise a neighbourhood in Brazil's largest city.
'Dengue fever is a danger, isn't it? So, you can't have water in the pots, standing water in the backyard, can you? And it's a disease that's killing a lot of people, so we have to be careful at home, I think that's it, because dying like this, it's sad," Jose, another local said.
The state has registered over 350 dengue deaths while over 660 cases are still under investigation according to media reports. In total, Brazil has recorded over 1,600 deaths connected to the virus since January this year, with over 3,750,000 probable cases.
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) warned that dengue is spreading across Latin America with an increase of nearly 50% in cases." Медиа: image / jpeg | ↑ |
4. From Hawaii to Australia! Enthusiast attempts to break rowing record by travelling 8,000 km in four months20:19[-/+]Категория(?) | "A 36-year-old Terence Steinberg made an attempt to break the solo rowing world record after travelling a distance of more than 8,000 kilometres (5,000 miles) from Hawaii, United States to Port Douglas, Australia in the span of four months.
Footage shows Steinberg's finishing his trip before being greeted by supporters waiting for him at the wharf. The boater's first sip of cold water and taste of fresh fruit since he began his journey was also captured in the video.
With his mission aiming to put a highlight on plastic pollution in the oceans, Steinberg shared that although at some point 'it seems impossible' yet his experience 'shows you can do a lot more than you think'.
"We act like the ocean is too big to help. When we used to say the ocean is too big to harm, well, now we've harmed it," he continued. "Now it's time to say, okay, if it was big enough to harm, or small enough to harm, then it's small enough to help too."
Hilary, one of the supporters who greeted Steinberg in Australia, shared that she was in awe of the young boater's journey, calling it an 'extraordinary' feat.
Steinberg began his journey in December 2023 to raise awareness against plastic pollution in rivers and oceans as well as funds for the installation of cost-effective solutions to address it.
This is his second expedition following a 2020 journey from California to Hawaii aimed to raise scholarships for The United World College." Медиа: image / jpeg | ↑ |
5. Several injured after reported overnight drone strikes in Odessa18:49[-/+]Категория(?) | "Nine people were injured after combat drones reportedly struck the Black Sea port city of Odessa overnight according to Ukrainian authorities.
Footage filmed on Tuesday shows the aftermath of the alleged strikes, with destroyed buildings and burnt out vehicles, as emergency responders clear debris from the scene.
Media reports suggest that Russia launched 16 drones and two missiles against targets in Ukraine overnight, along with claims that 15 of the drones were shot down by its air defence systems.
Russia has not commented on the specific strikes at the time of publication but has strongly denied targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure, saying its actions are directed at military and military-linked sites.
Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow." Медиа: image / jpeg | ↑ |
6. Clashes erupt at St George's Day celebrations in central London18:45[-/+]Категория(?) | "Clashes broke out between participants and police officers at St George's Day event in central London on Tuesday.
Footage released by the Metropolitan Police shows a group of men, some draped in St George's flags, breaking through a police cordon on Whitehall, leading to confrontations with mounted officers. One person could also be seen attempting to attack a police horse with an umbrella.
According to reports, participants, chanting slogans such as 'England till I die', disregarded designated areas and behaved in a disorderly manner.
The Metropolitan Police, anticipating tensions due to 'far-right and football-linked groups' attending from across the UK, had implemented measures including face-covering removal orders and increased stop and search powers under a Section 60 order.
Despite the early disruption, the authorities confirmed that the disorder was quickly contained and no further incidents have been reported since the altercation.
St George's Day commemorates England's patron saint and is celebrated annually on 23 April." Медиа: image / jpeg | ↑ |
7. 'Truth is there for all to see' - MOFA spox dismisses 'threat of Chinese spies' in Germany as political manipulation18:18[-/+]Категория(?) | "Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin dismissed the notion of the 'threat of Chinese spies' in Europe as a clear intention of smearing and hitting China and souring the atmosphere of China-EU cooperation' at a daily press conference in Beijing on Tuesday.
He also urged the relevant parties to 'stop political manipulation and malicious smears against China'.
According to the media, a German national working for a prominent lawmaker in the European Parliament was arrested in Dresden on suspicion of spying for China, accused of passing confidential information and surveilling Chinese dissidents. This follows three other Germans arrested for espionage related to military technology. British prosecutors also charged a former UK Parliament researcher and another man with spying for China.
Wenbin went on to say that the officials in Germany should abandon a Cold War mentality and cease politically manipulating 'spy risks' to target China, suggesting that accusations of espionage should not be used as a pretext for political agendas, emphasising the importance of constructive and non-hostile international relations.
Commenting on US opposition to the economic and trade exchanges between Beijing and Moscow, the ministry’s official called the United States 'hypocritical and highly irresponsible', adding that China was 'neither the creator of the Ukraine crisis nor a party to it', and its right to conduct business with any country should not be 'interfered with or disrupted'.
"We urge the US that to fan the flames or to smear others and shift the blame is no way to solve the Ukraine issue," he continued. "Only by accommodating the legitimate security concerns of all parties and creating a balanced, effective and sustainable European security architecture through dialogue and negotiation is the right way forward."
The spokesperson also commented on their trade issues with the US, saying that the 301 tariffs imposed by Washington on Beijing 'harmed the interests of Chinese and American businesses and particularly American consumers'.
"We urge the US to follow WTO rules, lift all additional tariffs on China and stop imposing new ones. China will take all necessary measures to safeguard its rights and interests." Wang added.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson also reacted to US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s earlier accusation that Beijing is continuing to commit 'genocide and crimes' against humanity in the Xinjiang province.
"The US, turning a blind eye to over 110,000 civilian casualties in Gaza, vetoed the UN Security Council’s efforts for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza four times in a roll. That alone says enough about how little human rights actually mean to the US and how it tramples on them," he said.
The United States, in its 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, drew attention to the situation in China's Xinjiang region. This annual report, a longstanding tradition spanning over four decades, was released on Monday, strategically timed just before the departure of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken for his scheduled visit to China." Медиа: image / jpeg | ↑ |
8. Novak Djokovic and Aitana Bonmati win Laureus World Sportspeople of the Year18:10[-/+]Категория(?) | "Serbian tennis legend Novak Djokovic and Spanish footballer Aitana Bonmati were named Laureus World Sportsman and Sportswomen of the Year in a star-studded ceremony held in Madrid, on Monday.
Novak Djokovic, who won the Australian, French and US Open titles to take his number of Grand Slams to 24, held off opposition from Leo Messi, Max Verstappen, Erling Haaland, Noah Lyles and Mondo Duplantis to win the prestigious 2024 Award.
Winner of Australian, French, and US Open titles and increased his number of Grand Slams to 24 beat out several other talented athletes, including Leo Messi, Max Verstappen, Erling Haaland, Noah Lyles, and Mondo Duplantis to win the highly acclaimed 2024 Award.
"Thank you so much, Good evening, everyone. It seems surreal that I'm receiving this award from you you've been my sporting hero and also a great friend and someone that I look up to in life as well. So thank you for being here tonight on stage and being with this award. It's a great honour," Djokovic said.
For her part, Bonmati, who helped Spain win the 2023 Women's World Cup and led FC Barcelona to a domestic double, thanked her companions at Barcelona and the national team for their help in her winning the award.
"it was an incredible year for me and for my teammates who have won everything with the club, with the national team. Yeah, it's because of these quality awards that I'm here today. I want to thank all my teammates, staff, and workers of the club and national team who have helped me a lot and because of them I'm here," she said.
Additionally, the Rafa Nadal Foundation clinched the esteemed Laureus Sport for Good Award for its impactful efforts in supporting disadvantaged youth in both Spain and India and Diede de Groot clinched the title of Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability, marking her third consecutive calendar Grand Slam achievement.
Jude Bellingham of Real Madrid claimed the World Breakthrough of the Year award following his stellar debut season with the Spanish club.
Skateboarding sensation Arisa Trew was honoured as the Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year.
Novak Djokovic has won this trophy for the fifth time, after in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2019." Медиа: image / jpeg | ↑ |
9. Hannover Messe 2024 trade fair showcases smart solutions for industrial transformation amid growing ‘burden of legislation’ in Europe15:43[-/+]Категория(?) | "Hannover Messe, one of the world’s largest trade fairs devoted to industrial transformation kicked off on Monday, with around 4,000 exhibitors showcasing their solutions to an estimated 130,000 visitors over five days at Hanover Fairground in Germany.
Footage shows some of the latest innovations on display at the trade fair, which focuses on carbon-neutral production technologies, energy transition and storage, Industry 4.0 / Manufacturing-X, AI and machine learning, as well as emerging hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.
Exhibitors shared their thoughts on pressing challenges facing global industry in its ongoing transformation to a more sustainable and efficient future.
“When it comes to industrial transformation we can always do more, and the government can always do more. I hear from many of my customers that increasingly in Europe there is a heavier and heavier burden of legislation, so we need to free up that to allow people the space, to allow them the freedom to transform, to allow people the freedom to innovate for the future,” said a representative of Dassault Systemes.
“We have a clear focus which is called the all-electric society. Behind this is our strong belief that all primary energy can be generated from renewable energy. And this is only possible if we manage the energy in a more intelligent way than we did in the past,” said Ulrich Leidecker, Chief Operating Officer of Phoenix Contact.
Hannover Messe dates back to 1947 and was launched by the British occupation forces to support industrial development in post-WW2 Germany." Медиа: image / jpeg | ↑ |
10. Moscow and Beijing provide a model of collaboration 'among leading global powers' - Russian Security Council Secretary Patrushev15:11[-/+]Категория(?) | "Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev said that the Sino-Russian partnership 'serves as a template for co-operation' among leading countries, while speaking at the meeting with a member of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party and secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission Chen Wenqing in St Petersburg on Tuesday.
"Our nation places paramount importance on fostering collaboration with China across all domains and bolstering coordination on the global stage. The partnership between Russia and China serves as a template for co-operation among leading global powers in today's world, underpinned by the tenets of mutual respect and equality, profound trust, and a steadfast commitment to non-interference in each other's domestic affairs," Patrushev noted.
For his part, Chen Wenqing stressed that the meeting would contribute to the further development of relations between the countries.
"Last year in Moscow, we engaged in a comprehensive exchange of views, establishing both solid working relationships and personal friendships. Therefore, it brings me immense pleasure to meet with you once again, as we jointly endeavour to advance the China-Russia relations of comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation into the new era," the politician stated.
The talks were held as part of the 12th International Meeting of High Representatives on Security Issues, being held in St. Petersburg from April 23 to 25.
According to reports, the sides will discuss issues of information security, combating illegal migration, protecting populations in military conflicts and emergencies, as well as preserving national identities and traditional values globally." Медиа: image / jpeg | ↑ |
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