200 British citizens say they are trapped in Gaza

People react following an Israeli strike that hit a supermarket in the Rafah refugee camp in the southern Gaza. (File/AFP)

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Updated 26 October 2023

Arab News

October 26, 2023 15:08

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200 British citizens say they are trapped in Gaza

Border Force officials stationed in Egypt with the hope of a “humanitarian pause” to allow British nationals to leave

Updated 26 October 2023

Arab News

October 26, 2023 15:08

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LONDON: About 200 British citizens have informed UK authorities that they are in Gaza, and Border Force officials have been dispatched to Egypt to assist them in leaving.

Downing Street clarified that the figure is only for those who have registered their whereabouts, and that the actual number of UK nationals in Gaza remains uncertain, the Guardian reported on Thursday.

“We obviously want to ensure that those British nationals that do want to leave can get out of Gaza. That’s something that we’ve been working on intensely over the past few days,” UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s official spokesperson told reporters.

“In terms of whether all of the numbers that are registered do want to leave, I can’t be definitive. But clearly, we are working to enable crossings to be able to open so that people can leave should they wish,” he said.

He added that this included discussions with the Israeli and Egyptian governments, as well with “regional leaders who have influence in Gaza.”

Although there have been no reports of any British nationals killed or missing, he emphasized the severity of the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the besieged Palestinian enclave.

Israel has allowed a small amount of aid to get through Rafah crossing in recent days, which UN chief Antonio Guterres said was “a drop of aid in an ocean of need,” and has not opened the crossing to people wanting to move from the territory into northeast Egypt.

Rishi Sunak said that Border Force officials had been stationed in Egypt with the hope of a “humanitarian pause” in Israel’s military operations to allow British nationals to leave.

Sunak said that for Britons to depart there “needs to be a safer environment, which of course necessitates specific pauses, which are distinct from a cease-fire,” the Guardian reported.

The prime minister added: “We’re very keen to be able to bring them out and bring them home. What I can tell you is we’ve pre-positioned Border Force teams to Egypt, so that if there is a possibility for our nationals to cross the Rafah crossing, we’re ready to get them in and bring them back.

“It is not something we can do immediately but when the moment arises, we’ll be ready to take it quickly.”

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Topics: War on Gaza

Rescuers scramble to find survivors after dozens killed in India landslides

Updated 30 sec ago

Sanjay Kumar

July 30, 2024 21:27

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Rescuers scramble to find survivors after dozens killed in India landslides

At least 84 people feared dead, over 100 remain missing
Kerala government declares two-day mourning for victims

Updated 30 sec ago

Sanjay Kumar

July 30, 2024 21:27

NEW DELHI: A massive rescue operation was underway in the southern Indian state of Kerala on Tuesday following landslides that have killed dozens of people in the hilly district of Wayanad.

The landslides struck in the early hours of the morning when people were asleep as waves of mud crushed their homes.

Teams from civil defense, police, 200 personnel of the army, and rescue swimmers from the navy have been deployed to the affected areas, but search efforts were hampered by heavy rains.

The Kerala Revenue Ministry estimated that at least 84 people were dead and 116 injured, but the Wayanad District Disaster Response Force told Arab News it was difficult to ascertain the exact numbers, as more than 120 were missing, trapped under mud and debris.

“We fear that the death figure will go up as many missing might be dead. As of now, we can’t speculate,” the disaster response force office told Arab News. “Rescue operation is going on in full swing.”

Most of Kerala was on the India Meteorological Department’s highest alert due to extreme rainfall on Tuesday morning.

Jebi Mather, member of the upper house of the Indian Parliament representing Kerala, told lawmakers that reports from the state indicate that entire families had disappeared under the mud.

“The devastation cannot be measured at this moment … It is so vast,” she said.

Some 350 families lived in the hilly forest region, where most residents worked on tea and cardamom plantations.

Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, the former MP for Wayanad, said in a post on X that he was “deeply anguished” by the disaster.

“The devastation unfolding in Wayanad is heartbreaking,” he said. “I have urged the Union government … to extend all possible support.”

The Kerala government declared official mourning on Tuesday and Wednesday.

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Topics: India rains

UK peer accused of Islamophobia for ‘power of the womb’ comments in debate on counter-terrorism

Updated 27 min 22 sec ago

Arab News

July 30, 2024 21:04

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UK peer accused of Islamophobia for ‘power of the womb’ comments in debate on counter-terrorism

Malcolm Pearson was speaking during a debate on the new Labour government’s plans to improve counter-terrorism measures at public venues

Updated 27 min 22 sec ago

Arab News

July 30, 2024 21:04

LONDON: A member of the UK’s House of Lords has been accused of expressing Islamophobic views after he said Islamist radicals planned to “take us over through the power of the womb and the ballot box.”

Malcolm Pearson, whose peerage title is Baron Pearson of Rannoch and is now an unaffiliated peer, was speaking during a debate on the new Labour government’s plans to improve counter-terrorism measures at public venues.

“The Shariah allows Muslim men to have four wives at a time, most of whom are having at least two children, so the Muslim population is going up 10 times faster than our national average,” he told the chamber last Thursday.

“On past trends, Birmingham and nine other English local authorities will be majority Muslim by 2031. The radicals’ plan is to wait until they can take us over through the power of the womb and the ballot box,” he added.

His comments were heavily criticized in the days afterward.

The Muslim Association of Britain and the Muslim Council of Britain said they will lodge formal complaints with the House of Lords Commissioners for Standards over the remarks, The Independent reported on Tuesday.

“Lord Pearson’s recent comments are outrageous and perpetuate classic Islamophobic tropes that demonize British Muslim communities. He appears indifferent to the impact of his words, despite the rise in Islamophobia-related hate crimes,” Zara Mohammed, MCB secretary general, told the newspaper.

“As a member of the House of Lords, Lord Pearson should be held accountable for his conduct. We will be writing to the House of Lords Commissioners for Standards and hope they investigate and take appropriate action,” she added.

Raghad Altikriti, chair of MAB, told The Independent that politicians had a duty to promote unity and respect and not resort to “racist dog whistles and Islamophobic tropes.”

He continued: “His comments and behavior fall far short of the expected standards of a member of the House of Lords, and we hope that the House of Lords Commissioners for Standards will look into this matter and take decisive action.”

When pressed by the newspaper to clarify his comments, Pearson said he was simply being “factual” and quoting a “projection of Office for National Statistics figures.”

He added: “Islamists … are quite open about using the ‘power of the womb and the ballot box’ to help them take over Western civilization; like communists before the (Berlin) Wall came down, they are a world domination movement.”

A House of Lords spokesperson confirmed that the House of Lords Commissioners for Standards would look into any complaint it received to first determine if it “fell within their remit to investigate.”

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Topics: UK Islamophobia

Ukraine sees improving energy situation

Updated 30 July 2024

AFP

July 30, 2024 17:25

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Ukraine sees improving energy situation

Several regions have faced regular blackouts and forced energy rationing
State-run electricity operator Ukrenergo said July 30 was the first day of the month with no power cuts

Updated 30 July 2024

AFP

July 30, 2024 17:25

KYIV: Ukrainian officials on Tuesday pointed to a much improved situation in the energy industry following waves of relentless Russian attacks that caused major power cuts across the country.
Several regions have faced regular blackouts and forced energy rationing since Russia invaded in February 2022, as Moscow has targeted missile and drone strikes at the war-torn country’s power stations.
“Due to the early completion of repairs at two units of nuclear power plants and a drop in air temperature, the situation in the energy sector has stabilized,” Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said Tuesday.
State-run electricity operator Ukrenergo said July 30 was the first day of the month with no power cuts.
“If there is no more shelling, it will be possible to manage with minimal restrictions or no power outages at all in the next three months,” said Yuriy Boyko, an adviser to Shmygal who sits on Ukrenergo’s supervisory board.
Ukraine has relied on electricity imports from its neighboring EU countries to fill a gap in generation caused by the Russian attacks.
It has also introduced rolling regional blackouts and asked businesses and consumers to limit consumption at peak hours.
Shmygal said Ukraine was continuing “to prepare for the autumn and winter period and develop alternative generation sources.”

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Topics: Russia-Ukraine Conflict energy Power cuts

US announces $500m military funding for Philippines amid South China Sea tensions

Updated 30 July 2024

Elie Aben

July 30, 2024 16:54

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US announces $500m military funding for Philippines amid South China Sea tensions

Funding boost comes after several maritime confrontations between China and Philippines

Updated 30 July 2024

Elie Aben

July 30, 2024 16:54

MANILA: The US announced on Tuesday $500 million in military funding to modernize the Philippine armed forces as the allies agreed to deepen defense cooperation amid continued tensions with Beijing in the disputed South China Sea.

The funding was announced after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met in Manila with their Philippine counterparts, Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.

“We’re now allocating an additional $500 million in foreign military financing to the Philippines to boost security collaboration with our oldest treaty ally in this region — new steps to strengthen the alliance, a once-in-a-generation investment to help modernize the Filipino Armed Forces and Coast Guard,” Blinken told reporters.

The US’ commitment to boosting its defense aid for the Philippines comes after a string of maritime confrontations between Chinese coast guard ships and Philippine vessels in the strategic waters that Beijing claims as its own.

“Both of us share concerns, and many other countries in the region share concerns as well, about some of the actions that People’s Republic of China has taken, escalatory actions in the South China Sea, the East China Sea, and elsewhere.”

Last month, the Chinese coast guard rammed and boarded Philippine naval vessels during their resupply mission on the Second Thomas Shoal, part of the contested waters that has become a central flash point between the two countries.

The US and the Philippines have a defense treaty and Washington has repeatedly warned that a Chinese attack on Filipino ships could trigger an American military response.

“This level of funding is unprecedented and it sends a clear message of support for the Philippines from the (Joe) Biden-(Kamala) Harris administration, the US Congress and the American people,” Austin said.

“During our meeting, we also reaffirmed that the mutual defense treaty remains the bedrock of our alliance. And let me be clear, the mutual defense treaty applies to armed attacks on either of our armed forces, aircraft or public vessels anywhere in the South China Sea.”

Manila and Beijing have overlapping claims in the resource-rich waterway, where the bulk of the world’s commerce and oil transits.

China has increased military activity in the area over the past few years, with the country’s Coast Guard regularly encroaching on the Philippine part of the waters. This is despite a 2016 ruling by an international tribunal in The Hague dismissing Beijing’s expansive claims.

On Tuesday, the Philippines and the US also agreed to strengthen cooperation in cybersecurity and other areas, seeking to make the Southeast Asian nation more resilient against external threats.

“Every peso or dollar spent on hardening the Philippines’ capabilities to defend itself and to deter unlawful aggression will be a plus against any threat actor, whether it be China or anyone,” Teodoro said. He added that the new funding will also boost the Philippines’ humanitarian assistance and disaster response capabilities.

“So these are not mono-dimensional but multidimensional investments that will help in the development of the country and help to deter unwanted and unlawful aggression by building a credible deterrent posture.”

Don McLain Gill, an international studies lecturer at De La Salle University in Manila, said the US defense aid was “of great importance” for both countries.

“The $500 million military funding is in fact important for the Philippines at a time when it seeks to operationalize its comprehensive archipelagic defense concept, which has been implemented by the military and to steer, you know, the Philippine … military modernization program towards a more robust capacity to defend Philippine waters,” he told Arab News.

“This is a welcome initiative and an important development within the US-Philippines alliance, and the role of the US as a capacity builder and security provider.”

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Topics: Philippines US

Rescuers scramble to find survivors after dozens killed in Kerala landslides

Updated 43 sec ago

Sanjay Kumar

July 30, 2024 16:33

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Rescuers scramble to find survivors after dozens killed in Kerala landslides

State government declares two-day mourning for disaster victims
At least 84 people feared dead, over 100 remain missing