DOH CAR calls on parents to bring children for MR-OPV immunization
BAGUIO CITY, Oct. 26 (PIA) - - The Department of Health Center for Health and Development- Cordillera (DOH - CAR), in partnership with the City Government of Baguio, launched today the regional imp.....»»
Almost 200 dead, 1,800 wounded in Sudan battles: UN
Fighting between the army and paramilitaries in Sudan has killed around 200 people and wounded 1,800, damaging hospitals and hampering aid after three days of urban warfare. A weeks-long power struggle exploded into deadly violence Saturday between the forces of two generals who seized power in a 2021 coup: Sudan's army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Analysts say the fighting in the capital of the chronically unstable country is unprecedented and could be prolonged, despite regional and global calls for a ceasefire as diplomats mobilize. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday he had spoken with the two generals and "underscored the urgent need for a ceasefire". "Too many civilian lives have already been lost," Blinken tweeted, adding he had "stressed the importance of ensuring the safety of diplomatic personnel and aid workers". The European Union's ambassador to Sudan was attacked in his home in Khartoum on Monday, the bloc's top diplomat Josep Borrell said. A spokesperson told AFP the veteran diplomat was "OK" following the assault. Battles have taken place throughout the vast country and there are fears of regional spillover. Terrified residents of the capital are spending the last and holiest days of Ramadan watching from their windows as tanks roll through the streets, buildings shake and smoke from fires triggered by the fighting hangs in the air. The conflict has seen air strikes, artillery and heavy gunfire. Those compelled to venture out face queues for bread and petrol at outlets that are not shuttered. Residents are also dealing with power outages. Hospitals 'out of service' Volker Perthes, the head of the United Nations mission to Sudan, told the Security Council in a closed-door session that at least 185 people had been killed and another 1,800 wounded. "It's a very fluid situation so it's very difficult to say where the balance is shifting to," Perthes told reporters after the meeting. Earlier Monday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres again urged Sudan's warring parties to "immediately cease hostilities". He warned that further escalation "could be devastating for the country and the region". Medics in Sudan had earlier given a death toll of nearly 100 civilians and "dozens" of fighters from both sides, but the number of casualties was thought to be far higher, with many wounded unable to reach hospitals. The official doctors' union warned fighting had "heavily damaged" multiple hospitals in Khartoum and other cities, with some completely "out of service". The World Health Organization had already warned that several Khartoum hospitals tending to wounded civilians "have run out of blood, transfusion equipment, intravenous fluids and other vital supplies". In the western region of Darfur, international medical aid organisation Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reported receiving 136 wounded patients at the only hospital in El Fasher still operating in North Darfur state. "The majority of the wounded are civilians who were caught in the crossfire -- among them are many children," MSF's Cyrus Paye said. Due to limited surgical capacity, "11 people died from their injuries in the first 48 hours of the conflict". Call for talks Three UN World Food Programme staff were also among those killed on Saturday in Darfur, where humanitarian missions have had medical and other supplies looted, according to Save the Children and MSF. A number of organisations have temporarily suspended operations in the country, where one-third of the population needs aid. "This renewed fighting only aggravates what was already a fragile situation, forcing UN agencies and our humanitarian partners to temporarily shutter many of our more than 250 programmes across Sudan," said UN emergency relief coordinator Martin Griffiths. Diplomatic manoeuvres seemed to ramp up on Monday, as the fighting showed no signs of abating. Influential northern neighbour Egypt announced it had discussed with Saudi Arabia, South Sudan and Djibouti -- all close allies of Sudan -- "the need to make every effort to preserve stability and safety". President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called on the two warring parties to "return to the negotiating table" and said he was working on the return of Egyptian military "trainers" captured Saturday at an air base by RSF forces. There are no more civilian flights arriving in Khartoum, where fighting has damaged aircraft. 'Unprecedented' On Twitter, Daglo called on the international community to intervene against Burhan, branding him a "radical Islamist who is bombing civilians from the air". "We will continue to pursue Al-Burhan and bring him to justice," said Daglo, whose RSF and its predecessor the Janjaweed in Darfur have previously been accused of atrocities and war crimes. Army statements call the RSF "a rebel militia" intent on "engaging near populated areas". The fighting broke out after bitter disagreements between Burhan and Daglo over the planned integration of the RSF into the regular army -- a key condition for a final deal aimed at ending a crisis since the 2021 coup, which derailed a transition to democracy. Both claim to be in control of key sites, including the airport and the presidential palace -- none of which could be independently verified. On Monday, the army resumed broadcasting on state TV. While Sudan has endured decades of bitter civil wars, coups and rebellions since independence, Sudanese analyst Kholood Khair said the level of fighting inside the capital was "unprecedented". The post Almost 200 dead, 1,800 wounded in Sudan battles: UN appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DOH CAR calls on parents to bring children for MR-OPV immunization
BAGUIO CITY, Oct. 26 (PIA) - - The Department of Health Center for Health and Development- Cordillera (DOH - CAR), in partnership with the City Government of Baguio, launched today the regional imp.....»»
Earth Hour 2024 Calls for Filipinos to Switch Off Lights and Switch Off Single-use Plastics
Filipinos can help in solving two of our planet’s biggest problems, biodiversity loss, and climate change, by doing their part in conserving energy and putting an end to the problem of plastic pollution. Earth Hour 2024, set on March 23, Saturday will once again bring together millions of people across the world so they can […].....»»
PhilSys ID registration now open for kids under 4 years old
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Children up to four years old can now sign up for their Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) ID, according to an official from the Philippine Statistics Authority in Central Visayas (PSA-7). Edwina Carriaga, the chief administrative officer of PSA-7, told CDN Digital that parents don’t need to bring their children to the registration.....»»
10 Good News Stories for Kids in 2023
Grim stories of conflict, abuse, and deprivation seem to confront us every day. That's why at year's end we like to highlight the progress made for children. Here are 10 good news stories for kids in 2023:A great deal more still needs to be done for children, and 2024 will bring new challenges. Governments can't rest on their laurels. They need to step up efforts to protect children and advance their rights......»»
Cordova Mayor on SOCA: Encourage kids, stop bullying
LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu— Students and children should be encouraged to develop their talents and skills. This was among the calls of Cordova Mayor Cesar “Didoy” Suan to parents and teachers to help kids become better and to make their environment more suitable to their needs. READ:Lapu-Lapu to mark National Children’s Month with congress, SOCA State.....»»
Israeli air strikes kill 32 in south Gaza amid calls for civilians to flee
Gaza health authorities raise their death toll on November 17 to more than 12,000 — 5,000 of them children.....»»
Malta hosts fresh round of Ukraine-backed peace talks
A third round of Ukrainian-backed peace talks opened in Malta Saturday with representatives from more than 60 countries but without Moscow, which denounced it as a "blatantly anti-Russian event". Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the first of two days of closed-door talks among national security and policy advisors, which he hopes will drum up support for his 10-point plan to end the war. In a statement on social media afterward, he said 66 countries had taken part in the talks, proof that his plan "has gradually become global". It follows similar meetings in Jeddah and Copenhagen this summer, with the Ukrainians hoping to eventually hold a summit at the level of heads of state. "The meeting confirmed the broad interest and increasing support for the key elements of Ukraine's Peace Formula," an EU official said Saturday. Against the backdrop of the Hamas-Israel war, it also showed "that restoration of just peace is important beyond Ukraine -- it is about a global plea for respect of international law". Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova however has dismissed the Malta talks as a "blatantly anti-Russian event". They had "nothing to do with the search for a peaceful resolution", she said on Thursday. "Obviously such gatherings have absolutely no perspective, they are simply counterproductive." China absent Participants in Malta included the United States, the EU, and Britain, staunch supporters of Kyiv following Russia's February 2022 invasion. Turkey, which has offered itself as a mediator between Ukraine and Russia, was also represented, according to a list seen by AFP before the talks opened. So too were South Africa, Brazil, and India -- all members of the influential BRICS bloc, which also includes Russia. South Africa and India have not condemned Russia's invasion, while Brazil has refused to join Western nations in sending arms to Ukraine or imposing sanctions on Moscow. China, which insists it is neutral and refuses to criticize the invasion, did not attend, despite being present in Jeddah in August, according to the EU official. Organizers were hoping for a joint statement from the Malta summit after both previous meetings ended without a final declaration. Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraine's presidential office, said on Telegram that the discussions on Saturday were "lively" and focused on five key areas, notably the issue of Ukraine's territorial integrity. Zelensky's peace plan calls for Russia to withdraw all its troops from Ukraine's internationally recognized borders, including from the territory of Crimea, which it annexed in 2014. Russia, which claimed last year to have annexed the four Ukrainian regions of Lugansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia, has rejected any settlement that would involve giving up land. The Malta talks are also looking at nuclear security, notably the need to ensure the safety of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, and how to protect Ukraine's energy infrastructure as winter approaches. The issue of food security was also on the agenda, as Russia blocks grain exports from Ukraine; and humanitarian issues, including the release of prisoners and the return of Ukrainian children to taken to Russia. "Russia will have to give in to the international community. It will have to accept our common conditions," Yermak said. Both Russia and Ukraine are preparing for a grueling winter ahead, with Ukraine warning of renewed strikes on its energy infrastructure and Russia pushing back against Kyiv's counteroffensive. The post Malta hosts fresh round of Ukraine-backed peace talks appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
UN General Assembly calls for ‘humanitarian truce’ in Gaza
The UN General Assembly on Friday called by a large majority for an "immediate humanitarian truce" in Gaza, on the 21st day of the Israel-Hamas conflict as the Israeli army announced it was extending its ground operation into the shattered territory. The non-binding resolution, criticized by Israel and the United States for failing to mention Hamas, received 120 votes in favor, 14 against and 45 abstentions from UN members. Israel angrily dismissed the measure, and said the country would use "every means at our disposal" in confronting Hamas. "Today is a day that will go down as infamy. We have all witnessed that the UN no longer holds even one ounce of legitimacy or relevance," Israeli ambassador Gilad Erdan said, telling the assembly: "Shame on you." "Israel will continue to defend itself. We will defend our future, our very existence by ridding the world of Hamas's evil so that it can never threaten anyone else again," he said. Hamas meanwhile welcomed the call for a break in the conflict. "We demand its immediate application to allow the entry of fuel and humanitarian aid for civilians," said a Hamas statement. The rival Palestinian Authority's foreign ministry said that as Israel's campaign "reaches a new peak of brutality," there was "a solid international position rejecting Israel's unhinged aggression". The text proposed by Jordan in the name of 22 Arab countries called for "an immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities." An earlier version called for an "immediate ceasefire." Jordan's Ambassador Mahmoud Hmoud, just before the vote, stressed that: "It is not merely our responsibility, but a profound moral obligation to champion the cause of peace." Israel has heavily bombarded Gaza since Hamas gunmen stormed across the border on October 7, killing 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping over 220 others, according to Israeli officials. The health ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, in an update on Friday, said the Israeli strikes had now killed 7,326 people, mainly civilians and many of them children. The resolution co-sponsored by nearly 50 other countries centered largely on the dire humanitarian situation in sealed-off Gaza as Israel presses on with its bombardment. The document urges "immediate" provision of water, food, medical supplies, fuel and electricity and unhindered access for UN and other humanitarian agencies trying to help the Palestinians. The draft condemns "all acts of violence aimed at Palestinian and Israeli civilians, including all acts of terrorism and indiscriminate attacks" but it does not mention Hamas. The resolution exposed a division within Western countries, with France voting for the measure; Germany, Italy and Britain abstaining; while Austria and the United States voted against. "It is outrageous that this resolution fails to name the perpetrators of the October 7 terrorist attack," US ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said. "Another key word missing in this resolution is hostage," she added. The post UN General Assembly calls for ‘humanitarian truce’ in Gaza appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Chip maker Intel beats earnings expectations as it pursues rivals
US chip giant Intel on Thursday said it made more money than expected in the recently ended quarter as it continued to invest in a "geographically balanced" supply chain. Intel shares jumped more than 7 percent to $34.88 in after-market trades. "We delivered a standout third quarter, underscored by across-the-board progress on our process and product roadmaps; agreements with new foundry customers, and momentum as we bring AI everywhere," said Intel chief executive Pat Gelsinger. Intel reported revenue of $14.2 billion, which was 8 percent less than the amount seen in the same quarter a year earlier but ahead of forecasts. Net income tallied $300 million, compared with $1 billion profit in the same period in 2022, earnings figures showed. "Our results exceeded expectations," said Intel chief financial officer David Zinsner, who said earnings benefited from "expense discipline." Intel has been working to catch up with rivals, especially Nvidia, when it comes to powerful chips needed to handle the computing demands of artificial intelligence. Intel touted investments being made in chip production facilities with an aim of creating a "geographically balanced, secure, resilient supply chain." California-based Intel is seen as a key tool for the United States to reduce its dependence on major global producers, such as Taiwan's TSMC. Earlier this year, Intel announced it would spend $25 billion on a new plant in Israel, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling it the country's single largest foreign investment. The "agreement in principle" would see the semiconductor firm build the facility in the southern city of Kiryat Gat that would open by 2027 and operate at least until 2035, Israel's finance ministry said. Intel has been operating in Israel since the 1970s with development centers and a production site that employs some 12,000 people, the finance ministry said. In 2017, Intel acquired Israel-based Mobileye, which makes technology for automated driving systems in vehicles, for just over $15 billion. Gelsinger said Intel teams have kept operations going despite the war between Israel and Hamas. "Our utmost priority is the safety and welfare of our people in Israel and their families," Gelsinger said. "Despite all of these challenges, they're performing extremely well. I am praying for a swift return to peace." China Gelsinger said Intel was carefully studying updated rules in the United States that tighten curbs on exports of state-of-the-art AI chips to China. "We do believe that we'll have plenty of opportunity in China," Gelsinger said. "We are continuing to deploy our products there broadly, even as we comply and work with (the United States) around the regulations that they're putting in place." The new rules tighten measures from a year ago that banned the sale to China of microchips crucial to manufacturing powerful AI systems. Calls to further close the supply chain grew after the popularity of generative AI platform ChatGPT. When announcing the beefed-up curbs, US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo insisted they were intended to close loopholes and prevent China's development of AI for military use. "It's true that AI has the potential for huge societal benefit. But it also can do tremendous and profound harm if it's in the wrong hands and in the wrong militaries," she told US media. The rules will not affect chips used in consumer goods such as laptops, smartphones, and gaming consoles, though some will be subject to export licensing requirements. China has said it is "strongly dissatisfied" and "firmly opposes" the curbs. "The US continues to generalize the concept of national security, abuse export control measures, and implement unilateral bullying," the commerce ministry said in a statement. The post Chip maker Intel beats earnings expectations as it pursues rivals appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Our lives stopped’: Relatives plead for Israel hostages
Moran Betzer Tayar, wracked by anguish about the kidnapping of her nephew and his wife by Hamas fighters on October 7, summed up her feelings during a press conference: "On Saturday morning, our lives stopped." The 54-year-old, speaking in Paris on Wednesday, is on a European tour with other relatives of hostages snatched by the Palestinian militant group during a raid that killed more than 1,400 people, most of them civilians. Israel's retaliation has so far killed more than 6,500 people, including 2,704 children, Hamas says. The Islamists are still believed to be holding more than 200 hostages. It is the plight of these people that Betzer Tayar -- who says she is "worried sick" and cannot eat -- and her compatriots are desperate to keep in the public eye. She told a press conference organized by the Council of Jewish Institutions in France how her relatives were snatched from Kibbutz Nirim, where community members were reportedly besieged for nine hours in one of dozens of attacks staged on 7 October. 'They got me' Two sisters -- Shani and May Yerushalmi -- joined Betzer Tayar to describe how their sister, Eden, was taken from the bar where she was working. "She called us, screaming, saying that terrorists were shooting at them," said Shani Yerushalmi, describing the attack at a rave party where 270 people were killed. Eden hid among bodies of her friends in a car, her sister said, before trying to use a bush as cover. "She told us she could hear the terrorists coming," Shani Yerushalmi said. "We knew it was the last moment with her. Her last sentence was: Shani, they got me." She played the screams of her sister, recorded on her phone, to the gathered journalists. Another of the women on stage, Ofir Weinberg, described how her cousin Itay Svirsky was taken from Kibbutz Beeri, where Hamas fighters killed at least 100 people, according to Israeli authorities. Messages began to pour into the family WhatsApp group on 7 October -- the calls for help and the progress of the attackers documented minute by minute. "I can't even begin to describe the feeling you have when you feel like you're losing your family one by one," said Weinberg. The families have had no news of their loved ones since the Hamas attack. The Israeli army has confirmed only that they are among the hostages taken to Gaza. They are asking for the Red Cross to be allowed to visit their relatives to answer the most basic questions -- whether they are still alive, where they are, and whether they are hurt. But political questions remain taboo. Those caught in the middle of the tragedy decline to speculate on the best course of action for their loved ones: a ground invasion of Gaza or a ceasefire and negotiations. "We're not representing the country... We don't tell Israel what to do," said Ofir Weinberg. "I don't have the answers. I'm just a citizen." The post ‘Our lives stopped’: Relatives plead for Israel hostages appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Toxic? Britney tells of troubles in new memoir
Britney Spears, the dewy-eyed child star who became a global pop phenomenon and then melted down in full view of the world, tells her story Tuesday with the release of her already bestselling memoir. "The Woman In Me" is the pop princess in her own, unvarnished words, shot through with the anguish of a family she believes has failed her at every step of the way, in an industry that mercilessly devours its talent. From sharing daiquiris with her mother as a young teenager -- two years after she became a regular on "The Mickey Mouse Club" -- to the 13 years she spent as an adult in a conservatorship, the memoir details how she struggled to escape the influence of her controlling father. Until two years ago, when she got out from under the conservatorship legal relationship that she says dictated everything from her birth control choices to the set list at lucrative Las Vegas gigs. In the intervening months, Spears has married a former dancer, announced then lost a pregnancy, and is now on the road to her third divorce. The book, whose pre-orders catapulted it to the top of the Amazon best-seller list, was produced too early to include that coda with husband Sam Asghari. But readers will still have plenty to chew on. 'Harlot' Tidbits that have leaked ahead of publication include news of an abortion Spears says fellow Mickey Mouse Club alum Justin Timberlake urged her to have after she became pregnant while the couple was together. When the pair split, and his hit "Cry Me A River" appeared to be about the way he felt she had betrayed him, Spears was painted as the "harlot who'd broken the heart of America's golden boy," she writes. In reality, he was "happily running around Hollywood" while she was "comatose in Louisiana." Readers have also learned of a brief but intense affair with Irish actor and Oscar nominee Colin Farrell, what she calls "a two-week brawl." "Brawl is the only word for it -- we were all over each other, grappling so passionately it was like we were in a street fight." The noughties brought fame and notoriety to Spears in equal measure, with a passionate fan base eager for every last scrap of news about her. That collided with an aggressive paparazzi culture that delighted in capturing her partying alongside hell-raisers like Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan. Spears insists there were never hard drugs and that she did not have a drinking problem, but admits that she was taking Adderall, the ADHD medication. A publicly played-out bust-up with second husband Kevin Federline, and an ensuing custody fight over their two children, presaged the emotional low watermark: shaving her head and attacking a photographer's car. "Flailing those weeks without my children, I lost it, over and over again," she writes. "I didn't even really know how to take care of myself. "I'd begin to think in some ways like a child." A year later, the courts appointed her father Jamie Spears to control her money and her personal life. Over the next 13 years, she was told who she could see, and how much she could spend, and even ordered not to have more children. Yet under Jamie Spears, she would still perform as a pop icon. "Too sick to choose my own boyfriend and yet somehow healthy enough to appear on sitcoms and morning shows, and to perform for thousands of people in a different part of the world every week." "From that point on, I began to think that (my father) saw me as put on the earth for no other reason than to help their cash flow." Jamie Spears has always insisted that he had the best interests of his daughter at heart and was seeking to protect her from exploitation. The conservatorship was dissolved in 2021, but -- aside from collaborations with Elton John and will.i.am -- it has not heralded a return to creativity for Spears. "Pushing forward in my music career is not my focus at the moment," the now-41-year-old Britney writes. "It's time for me not to be someone who other people want; it's time to actually find myself.".....»»
Belarusian exiles lose hope
When police in Belarus began knocking on doors and interrogating citizens suspected to have taken part in pro-democracy rallies three years ago, Maxim Isayev knew he could never go back. Like thousands of others, the 32-year-old engineer and father of two peacefully protested against the disputed re-election of strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko in 2020 and is currently wanted by the country’s authorities. “I know that they came to my address in Belarus and searched for me,” Maxim told AFP in Warsaw, where he now lives with his wife and children. More than 100,000 people are thought to have left Belarus since security forces began violently cracking down on dissidents, many of whom fled to neighboring Poland and the Baltic states. Lukashenko now wants to shut them out for good. In January, he signed a law allowing courts to strip “extremist” dissidents living abroad of their citizenship, and in September he blocked Belarusian embassies from issuing passports. The decision effectively deprives thousands of Belarusian dissidents of the ability to renew their passports unless they return, making it difficult for them to travel internationally, access public services, open bank accounts or obtain employment. “If people are forced to return to Belarus, many of them will be exposed to rights violations, like arbitrary arrest, and torture,” UN rights expert Anais Marin told AFP after the decision. Describing Lukashenko’s decree as “outrageous,” she called on all governments to refrain from sending Belarusians back to their country over invalidated or expired passports. For Maxim, who fears he faces multiple criminal charges including terrorism, returning is not an option. “I took part in the protests. Rallies, marches, calls for sanctions,” he said. “There are more than ten counts I could be charged with.” Since 1994, Lukashenko has ruled Belarus with an iron fist, in what critics have called Europe’s last dictatorship. Elections held in August 2020 resulted in another landslide victory for the long-time leader, a result which the opposition decried as blatantly falsified. The fallout from the vote led to the biggest protests in Belarus’ modern history, which were soon followed by a record number of arrests. “There are situations where people were travelling to the funeral of their relatives. They were detained and put in jail,” said Helena Niedzwiecka, founder of the Belarusian Solidarity Center that supports exiles in Poland. “You can be imprisoned for liking a post in 2020.” Maxim, whose families’ passports expire in 2024, debated with his wife whether it was safe for her to go back, given she had made fewer political posts. “I said okay, if you want to go, you are an adult... Take one of the children.” “You will get a few years for your political views,” Maxim said. “And they will put the child into an orphanage.” They decided against the idea. Lukashenko has criticized those who have sought refuge abroad as disloyal, casting them as “criminals” who do not deserve citizenship. “Are these people worthy to remain citizens of Belarus if they have fled their native country and actually severed ties with it?” he asked at a government meeting last year. Most dissidents say it is the state that severed ties with them. “My contract with my country was terminated in 2020,” said Inga Okava, a 49-year-old former volunteer who was jailed for trying to independently monitor the 2020 elections. “They falsified everything that everybody wanted,” she sighed. WITH AFP The post Belarusian exiles lose hope appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Negotiation not an option
The terrorist group Hamas has been playing with international sentiment using the hostages of different nationalities it seized in the 7 October act of treachery to put global pressure on Israel to implement a ceasefire. The United States thwarted a resolution at the United Nations Security Council calling for a halt in Israeli operations as the superpower cited the right of Israel to self-defense. Simply put, Hamas as a terror organization cannot demand a ceasefire with Israel, which is a legitimate state. The Israeli airstrikes have essentially crippled the capability of Hamas to pursue its terror campaign against Israel and it now needs an opportunity to regroup, hoping that it will secure help from other terror groups waiting in the wings. Crushing Hamas quickly is necessary to avert the possible participation of other foreign armed groups in the Gaza conflict. Nations that have feuded with Israel sponsor armed militants that are now aching to get an order to strike and join the battle with Hamas. Prolonging the conflict is to Hamas’ advantage as global outrage is guaranteed when civilian deaths pile up and the hostages are released one at a time. An estimated 200 people, including 30 teenagers and young children and 20 people over the age of 60, are being held hostage in Gaza, based on estimates from an Israel Defense Forces source. Among the hostages are a still undetermined number of Filipinos who mostly work as caregivers. The strategy of the terror group to win international sympathy by using subterfuge has backfired in most cases. A commentary in the Thai broadsheet, The Examiner, indicated rising awareness of the level of deception being engineered by Hamas and its supporters. According to the newspaper, comments by the Iranian Ambassador in Bangkok “demonstrate Hamas is using the 19 Thai hostages as leverage to halt the bombardment of the enclave.” Ambassador Seyed Reza Nobakhti said in Bangkok that the Hamas leader had assured the Iranian foreign minister the Thai hostages would be released, but this could not happen until hostilities ceased. “However, Hamas, which Iran funds, made it clear that the hostages were being held in Palestinian safe houses but that no place was safe in Gaza,” according to the commentary. Thailand said 19 of its citizens were seized by Hamas during the terror strike over two weeks ago. On Friday, Hamas released two American hostages, a mother and her daughter, following mediation by Qatar. The armed group said more will be released under a ceasefire. Israel has resisted calls for a halt in its offensive against Hamas, saying the release of hostages will not affect its ongoing military operations. Its target is the elimination of all Hamas infrastructure and facilities and the release of all hostages will follow. The problem, however, is that as the crisis plays out longer, and the surgical strikes to take out Hamas targets can’t be completed unless all the civilians evacuate, casualties will tend to rise and so will international indignation. Such a situation favors Hamas which will assume the role of victim, which is preposterous as it initiated the war with Israel with the slaughter of the innocents. Israel, which is now being accused in the United Nations and elsewhere of atrocities, however, had repeatedly warned residents to leave the war zone. Israel has not been remiss in urging the residents to move south, towards a safer humanitarian area. The IDF’s notices to the people of Gaza, which were intended to protect them from the strikes on Hamas, stand in contrast to the way Hamas treats its civilians, using them as shields. Since Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, one of its most reprehensible deeds is endangering Palestinian civilians during its terror operations, such as by positioning rocket launchers and command centers deep in the heart of Gaza. It even fortified tunnels under UN schools. “Our war is not with the people of Gaza. It’s with a murderous organization that attacks Israelis, while intentionally endangering its residents to protect its leadership,” the IDF said. Hamas is a terror group no different from the Islamic State, which both use mayhem to attain their objective of replacing civilized existence with a fundamental Islamic empire. The post Negotiation not an option appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Rally outside UN calls for Hamas to release hostages
Hundreds of demonstrators rallied outside the United Nations on Sunday demanding the release of hostages seized by Hamas during the Islamist group's bloody attack on Israel. The protest on the square outside the UN's Palais des Nations headquarters in Geneva was organized by the Voice for Freedom coalition, bringing together several Christian Zionist organizing committees. The gathering therefore had a religious tone, with chants and slogans intermingled with prayers and psalms. The demonstration was the culmination of a visit to Geneva by the families of several of those missing since the Hamas attack. They met with Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, and UN human rights chief Volker Turk. Many demonstrators waved Israeli flags or wore them around their shoulders, or held posters featuring pictures of missing Israelis, including children. Some wore T-shirts that said "Set them free", and held placards reading: "Never again is NOW", "Innocent life is non-negotiable" and "Children aren't bargaining chips". Leon Meijer, president of Christians for Israel International, urged the UN Human Rights Council to "work for the release of the hostages", saying: "Save the lives of those who can still be saved". Multiple demonstrations Hamas militants stormed into Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7 and killed at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians who were shot, mutilated or burnt to death on the first day of the raid, according to Israeli officials. It was the worst attack on civilians in Israel's history. Israel says more than 200 hostages were abducted by the militants. More than 4,600 Palestinians, mainly civilians, have been killed across the Gaza Strip in relentless Israeli bombardments in retaliation for the attacks by the Palestinian Islamist militant group, according to the latest toll from the Hamas health ministry in Gaza. Several demonstrations have been held in Switzerland, some pro-Palestinian and others in solidarity with Israel. Three days after the Hamas attack, Zurich's Jewish community organized a demonstration in support of Israel, bringing together several hundred people. A demonstration in Lausanne brought together 4,500 to 5,000 people to demand an immediate end to Israel's bombardment of the Gaza Strip, while around 6,000 pro-Palestinian protesters rallied in Geneva last Saturday. Zurich has since decided to ban any gatherings relating to the Middle East, while Basel decided to ban all gatherings this weekend. The UN human rights office said Friday that blanket bans on peaceful assemblies were disproportionate. States "must not unduly restrict participation and debate, or critical commentary about the conflict, of expressions of solidarity with Israelis or Palestinians", spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told a media briefing in Geneva. "Any restrictions on the right to peaceful assembly must be based on law, and necessary for and proportionate to the risks, such as national security, public safety or public order," she said. The post Rally outside UN calls for Hamas to release hostages appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
First relief convoy enters Gaza devastated by ‘nightmare’ war
The first aid trucks arrived in war-torn Gaza from Egypt on Saturday, bringing urgent humanitarian relief to the Hamas-controlled Palestinian enclave suffering what the UN chief labelled a "godawful nightmare". Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas after the Islamist militant group carried out the deadliest attack in the country's history on October 7. Hamas militants killed at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians who were shot, mutilated or burnt to death, and took more than 200 hostages, according to Israeli officials. Israel has retaliated with a relentless bombing campaign on Gaza that has killed more than 4,300 Palestinians, mainly civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. An Israeli siege has cut food, water, electricity and fuel supplies to the densely populated and long-blockaded territory of 2.4 million people, sparking fears of a humanitarian catastrophe. AFP journalists on Saturday saw 20 trucks from the Egyptian Red Crescent, which is responsible for delivering aid from various UN agencies, pass through the Rafah border crossing from Egypt into Gaza. The crossing -- the only one into Gaza not controlled by Israel -- closed again after the trucks passed. The lorries had been waiting for days on the Egyptian side after Israel agreed to a request from its main ally the United States to allow aid to enter. UN chief Antonio Guterres warned Friday that the relief supplies were "the difference between life and death" for many Gazans, more than one million of whom have been displaced. "Much more" aid needs to be sent, he told a peace summit in Egypt on Saturday. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed the aid and urged "all parties" to keep the Rafah crossing open. But a Hamas spokesman said "even dozens" of such convoys could not meet Gaza's needs, especially as no fuel was being allowed in to help distribute the supplies to those in need. 'Reeling in pain' Tens of thousands of Israeli troops have deployed to the Gaza border ahead of an expected ground offensive that officials have pledged will begin "soon". As international tensions soar, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was hosting a peace summit in Cairo on Saturday attended by regional and some Western leaders. "The time has come for action to end this godawful nightmare," Guterres told the summit, calling for a "humanitarian ceasefire". The region "is reeling in pain and one step from the precipice", he said. Guterres said "the grievances of the Palestinian people are legitimate and long" after "56 years of occupation with no end in sight". But he stressed that "nothing can justify the reprehensible assault by Hamas that terrorised Israeli civilians". "Those abhorrent attacks can never justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people," he added. Egypt, historically a key mediator between Hamas and Israel, has urged "restraint" and the relaunch of the long-frozen peace process. But diplomatic efforts to end the violence have made little headway, without the participation of Israel and its enemy Iran, a supporter of Hamas and other armed groups. 'Sliver of hope' A full-blown Israeli ground offensive carries many risks, including to the hostages Hamas took and whose fate is shrouded in uncertainty. So the release of two Americans among the hostages -- mother and daughter Judith and Natalie Raanan -- offered a rare "sliver of hope", said Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross. US President Joe Biden thanked Qatar, which hosts Hamas's political bureau, for its mediation in securing the release. He said he was working "around the clock" to win the return of other Americans being held. Natalie Raanan's half-brother Ben told the BBC he felt an "overwhelming sense of joy" at the release after "the most horrible of ordeals". Hamas said Egypt and Qatar had negotiated the release and that it was "working with all mediators to implement the movement's decision to close the civilian (hostage) file if appropriate security conditions allow". Traumatised families with loved ones missing in Gaza demanded more action. "We ask humanity to interfere and bring back all those young boys, young girls, mothers, babies," Assaf Shem Tov, whose nephew was abducted from a music festival where Hamas killed hundreds, said Friday. Devastation Almost half of Gaza's residents have been displaced, and at least 30 percent of all housing in the territory has been destroyed or damaged, the United Nations says. Thousands have taken refuge in a camp set up in the city of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza. Fadwa al-Najjar said she and her seven children walked for 10 hours to reach the camp, at some points breaking into a run as missiles struck around them. "We saw bodies and limbs torn off and we just started praying, thinking we were going to die," she told AFP. In Al-Zahra in central Gaza, Rami Abu Wazna was struggling to take in the destruction wreaked by Israeli missile strikes. "Even in my worst nightmares, I never thought this could be possible," he said. Israel's operation will take not "a day, nor a week, nor a month" and will result in "the end of Israel's responsibilities in the Gaza Strip", Defence Minister Yoav Gallant warned on Friday. Regional tensions flare In Gaza, retired general Omar Ashour said the destruction was "part of a clear plan for people to have no place left to live". "This will cause a second Nakba," he added, referring to the 760,000 Palestinians who were expelled from or fled their homes when Israel was created in 1948. The United States has moved two aircraft carriers into the eastern Mediterranean to deter Iran or Lebanon's Hezbollah, both Hamas allies, amid fears of a wider conflagration. Fire across Israel's border with Lebanon continued overnight, with one Israeli soldier killed, Israeli public radio said. The military said it hit Hezbollah targets after rocket and missile fire. Violence has also flared in the West Bank, where 84 Palestinians have been killed since October 7, according to the Palestinian health ministry. The post First relief convoy enters Gaza devastated by ‘nightmare’ war appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Pope Francis calls for humanitarian corridors to help those under siege in Gaza
'I forcefully ask that children, the sick, the elderly and women, and all civilians do not become the victims of the conflict,' says Pope Francis.....»»
75: Diamond love for a rich, incomparable life
Seventy-five: More than it being the digits that scream seasoned and being on this planet for more than seven decades and five summers, this is the most opportune time to be grateful. This feeling stems from the fact that, by that time, I would still be alive and kicking ass, and a true survivor of personal and domestic battles, health crises, financial boom and gloom, the political landscape, leaders of this so-called democracy — the golden ones and greedy lot, imploding economies and falling regimes, the see-sawing peso, perhaps another pandemic, plus earthquakes, coup d’etats, volcanic eruptions, super typhoons, drought, famine, pestilence, wars, and also digital technology, creativity, the evolving arts and many more. [caption id="attachment_194558" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Seventy-five means being surrounded by loved ones. | PHOTOGRAPH Courtesy of unsplashpatricia prudente[/caption] Good old times Hitting 75 will make me more nostalgic of the good old times, when life was simpler and one had that drive and hunger to realize one’s dreams. It will make me long for friends and colleagues who have been gone to soon, felled by affliction or shocking tragedy, thus allowing me to appreciate lasting friendships and loyalties that are still with me. I will smile as I recollect the follies of my youth, the trials and triumphs of my adult life and, as they say in a song, “ang mga nakalipas na di na maaari at pwedeng balikan.” These feelings, of course, also bring some pangs of pain. But I get to appreciate all my experiences, good or bad, happy or sad, because I am what I am by then because of them. Seventy-five means being surrounded by loved ones — my partner, children, grandchildren, up to the apo sa tuhod and talampakan. The successes of my loved ones are also my success. Their pains I likewise carry, though I do not let them know about it. The reason I have become successful at this point is because I worked hard on being a good person first. Call me a sentimental fool, but success earned that also destroyed your humanity and corrupted your morality is not my definition of success and being successful. The people I love, those that I hold dearest in my heart and who are with me and surround me now, are the manifestations of the goodness at the core of my success. Legacy and vocation Seventy-five also means I have made a name for myself. And it is a name that not only is admired but respected and trusted. Whatever career I had chosen during my wonder years, it is now my legacy and has become my vocation. This name has been a product of blood, sweat and errors, sacrifices and victories. Of sticking to my core values always being kind, fair, honest and sincere, and making people feel good, important and treated with dignity. Whatever riches I have, I have earned and gained them through hard work, determination, tenacity and passion to be the best in my profession and personal vocation. My name is the most precious bequeathal I can make. When all else fails, I want people to remember me as a man who had a good name, a good heart and made a lot of people feel good. But 75 also means there are still so many years ahead to be curious, to learn new things, to be naughty if my body still permits it, to share stories, make people laugh, mentor others, teach and exclaim that indeed, life and the world are beautiful and wonderful. One’s diamond year deserves diamond-caliber love and celebration — for the rich life thus far, and the (hopefully) richer life still ahead. The post 75: Diamond love for a rich, incomparable life appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Israel says at ‘war’ after rocket barrages, militant infiltration
Palestinian militants have begun a "war" against Israel, the country's defense minister said Saturday after a barrage of rockets were fired and fighters from the Palestinian enclave infiltrated Israel, a major escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Violence between Israel and the Palestinians has been surging for almost two years, with fatalities in the occupied West Bank hitting a scale not seen in years. At least two people were killed in Israel, officials said. Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Palestinian militant group Hamas has "launched a war against the State of Israel." "Troops are fighting against the enemy at every location," he said in a statement. AFP journalists said Israel's military began air strikes on Gaza, following the rocket barrage from inside the territory which is sealed off from Israel by a militarized border barrier. "Dozens of IDF fighter jets are currently striking a number of targets belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip," the military said. Rockets had earlier streamed across the sky repeatedly after the first launches from multiple locations across the Palestinian territory from 6:30 am (0330 GMT), AFP journalists in Gaza City reported. The armed wing of Hamas, which controls Gaza, said it was behind the aerial assault, saying its militants had launched thousands of rockets and its fighters seized an Israeli tank. Israel's army did not immediately comment on the tank claim when contacted by AFP. Israeli security chiefs convened over the violence, which occurred on Shabbat and during a Jewish holiday. Air raid sirens wailed across southern and central Israel, and the army urged people to stay near bomb shelters. AFP journalists in Jerusalem heard multiple rockets being intercepted by Israeli air defense systems. Sirens blared across the city on more occasions than in any Gaza conflict in the past three years. "We decided to put an end to all the crimes of the occupation (Israel). Their time for rampaging without being held accountable is over," the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades said. "We announce Operation Al-Aqsa Flood and we fired, in the first strike of 20 minutes, more than 5,000 rockets." Hundreds of Gazans flee Hundreds of residents fled their homes in eastern Gaza to move away from the border with Israel, an AFP correspondent said. Men, women and children carrying blankets and food left their homes, mostly in the northeastern part of the territory, the reporter said. Israel's military said Hamas launched "massive shooting of rockets", while at the same time "terrorists infiltrated into Israeli territory in a number of different locations". Hamas "will face the consequences and responsibility for these events", it said in a statement. In Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, some Palestinian residents cheered and blew their car horns as sirens blared. A regional council for Israeli communities northeast of Gaza said its president was killed in an exchange of fire with attackers from Gaza. Separately, a woman in her 60s was killed "due to a direct hit" in Israel, the Magen David Adom emergency services said. Fifteen others were wounded, two of them seriously, medics said. An AFP photographer in the coastal city of Tel Aviv saw a gaping hole in a building, with residents gathered outside. Hamas calls to 'join battle' Hamas called on "the resistance fighters in the West Bank" as well as "our Arab and Islamic nations" to join the battle, in a statement posted on Telegram. The United States condemned the Hamas fire and urged "all sides to refrain from violence and retaliatory attacks." "Terror and violence solve nothing," the US Office of Palestinian Affairs wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Israel has imposed a crippling blockade on Gaza since 2007 after Hamas took power. Palestinian militants and Israel have fought several devastating wars since. The latest violence follows heightened tensions in September, when Israel closed the border to Gazan workers for two weeks. The shutdown of the crossing came as Palestinian demonstrators along the border burned tires and threw rocks and petrol bombs at Israeli troops, who responded with tear gas and live bullets. Resuming workers' passage on 28 September had raised hopes of calming the situation in impoverished Gaza, home to 2.3 million people. In May, an exchange of Israeli air strikes and Gaza rocket fire killed 34 Palestinians and one Israeli. So far this year at least 247 Palestinians, 32 Israelis and two foreigners have been killed in the conflict, including combatants and civilians on both sides, according to Israeli and Palestinian officials. The vast majority of fatalities have occurred in the West Bank, which has been occupied by Israel since the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. There has been a rise in army raids, Palestinian attacks targeting Israelis and Israeli settler violence against Palestinians and their property. The rising violence this year came against the backdrop of divisive judicial reforms introduced by the hard-right government of President Benjamin Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption charges he denies. Several far-right ministers in Netanyahu's cabinet live in West Bank settlements deemed illegal under international law. The post Israel says at ‘war’ after rocket barrages, militant infiltration appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Luxembourg, EU’s richest country, grapples with housing crisis
Luxembourg's residents may be classified as the wealthiest in the European Union, but the sky-high cost of buying or renting a home in the country has made living there nearly impossible for some. The crisis has become the number one concern in the Grand Duchy of 660,000 people -- smaller than Rhode Island, the smallest US state -- as it goes to the polls on Sunday. Pascale Zaourou, a teacher and mother of three children, had to wait five years before being able to access coveted social housing. "On the private market, renting an apartment with two rooms costs at least 2,000 euros -- it's difficult with only one income," she told AFP at a recent demonstration in Luxembourg City. "Affordable housing is scarce, especially for young people and single-parent families," she said. Antoine Paccoud, a researcher at the Housing Observatory, which compiles data guiding government policy, backed up that sentiment. "More and more Luxembourgers are crossing the border to live in Germany, Belgium, or France just because rents and property prices are lower," he said. The situation is jarring for a country with a flourishing economy based around financial services. Net average earnings for a single worker in Luxembourg were 47,000 euros ($49,000) annually in 2022, according to estimates from the EU's statistics agency -- the highest in the bloc. 'Overshadows all others' In the capital city, new-build flats sell for 13,000 euros per square meter (around $1,300 per square foot) and older ones go for 10,700 euros. The average cost of a house is 1.5 million euros. Rents increased by 6.7 percent between June 2022 and June 2023, much faster than the inflation rate of 3.4 percent over that period. Philippe Poirier, a political analyst at the University of Luxembourg, told AFP that housing has become "the question that overshadows all others" at the legislative elections. He ticked off "the scarcity of housing and land, the cost of construction or purchase, and the high rents" as the key problems. The two major political parties hoping to spearhead the next government have pledged action. Prime Minister Xavier Bettel's Liberal Party promised to create a super-ministry for housing, wants to tax vacant properties more and invest in social housing. Socialist leader Paulette Lenert -- the health minister in the current coalition government -- is pushing for huge investments in affordable housing. 'Holding on to land' But the structural problems with housing run deep and changing them will not be easy. Paccoud said a lack of inheritance tax and only symbolic duties have encouraged owners to sit on land without developing it. "0.5 percent of the resident population, or 3,000 people, own half of the buildable land," he said. "These owners are holding on to their land as long as possible because prices are increasing." The economic opportunities on offer also bring in droves of foreign workers, which helps drive up the cost of the limited housing pool. Around half the people living in Luxembourg are not citizens of the country. There is a wide gulf in terms of homeownership rates between native Luxembourgers, at 80 percent, and foreign residents at just 50 percent. While many Luxembourgers have nearly guaranteed jobs working for state institutions, foreigners have to deal with the changeable job market. "Those who are at the bottom of the scale in Luxembourg are rather the resident foreigners," Poirier said. As a result, and despite the high salaries and an official minimum wage of 2,571 euros a month, Luxembourg ranks in the top three in the eurozone in terms of risk of poverty for single-parent families with one income, according to a recent report by the Chamber of Employees. The post Luxembourg, EU’s richest country, grapples with housing crisis appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»