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US ‘deeply concerned’ about deadly Israeli strike on Gaza school refuge

US ‘deeply concerned’ about deadly Israeli strike on Gaza school refuge
Bodies of Palestinians killed in an Israeli strike on a school sheltering displaced people, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict are transported on an animal-drawn cart at a hospital in Gaza City Aug. 10, 2024. (Reuters)
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Updated 11 August 2024
Reuters
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US ‘deeply concerned’ about deadly Israeli strike on Gaza school refuge

US ‘deeply concerned’ about deadly Israeli strike on Gaza school refuge
  • “We are deeply concerned about reports of civilian casualties in Gaza following a strike by the Israel Defense Forces on a compound that included a school,” the White House said
  • The White House statement also said “far too many civilians continue to be killed and wounded” in the Gaza war and reiterated its calls for a ceasefire
Updated 11 August 2024
Reuters
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WASHINGTON: The White House said it was “deeply concerned” about an Israeli airstrike on a Gaza City school compound on Saturday that local civil defense officials say killed around 100 people, adding to condemnation of the attack from several Arab states, Turkiye, Britain and the European Union’s foreign policy chief.
The school compound in Gaza City housed displaced Palestinian families. The Gaza Civil Emergency Service, which has a credible record stating casualty numbers, said about 100 people were killed in Saturday’s strike. Israel said around 20 militants had been operating at the compound.
Video from the site showed body parts scattered among rubble and more bodies being carried away and covered in blankets.
“We are deeply concerned about reports of civilian casualties in Gaza following a strike by the Israel Defense Forces on a compound that included a school,” the White House said in a statement, adding Washington was in touch with Israel to seek more information.
Washington has faced mounting domestic and international criticism, including from human rights groups, for its military support for Israel. Saturday’s airstrike came a day after a State Department spokesperson said the US will provide Israel $3.5 billion to spend on US weapons and military equipment after Congress appropriated the funds in April.
“We know Hamas has been using schools as locations to gather and operate out of, but we have also said repeatedly and consistently that Israel must take measures to minimize civilian harm,” the White House added.
The White House statement also said “far too many civilians continue to be killed and wounded” in the Gaza war and reiterated its calls for a ceasefire.
The US comments followed condemnation of the attack from Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said he was horrified by the images from the school, while British foreign minister David Lammy said he was “appalled” by the strike.
Tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians have sought shelter in Gaza’s schools, most of which have been closed since the war began 10 months ago.
The strike marked the latest deadly attack in Israel’s assault on Gaza which the health ministry in the Hamas-governed enclave says has killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians while also displacing nearly the entire population of 2.3 million, causing a hunger crisis and leading to genocide allegations at the World Court that Israel denies.
The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered on Oct. 7 when Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
President Joe Biden laid out a three-phase ceasefire proposal in an address on May 31. Washington and regional mediators have since tried arranging the Gaza ceasefire-for-hostages deal but have run into repeated obstacles.
There has separately been an increased risk of a broader Middle East war after recent killings of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran and Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut drew threats of retaliation against Israel.

Topics: War on Gaza Israel Hamas White House Ceasefire

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UN climate funding draft narrows options, but obstacles remain

UN climate funding draft narrows options, but obstacles remain
Updated 18 sec ago
AFP
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UN climate funding draft narrows options, but obstacles remain

UN climate funding draft narrows options, but obstacles remain
  • A fresh draft of a UN climate deal released Wednesday proposes concrete options to raise funding for poorer countries
Updated 18 sec ago
AFP
BAKU: A fresh draft of a UN climate deal released Wednesday proposes concrete options to raise funding for poorer countries, but leaves unresolved sticking points that have long delayed an agreement.
Landing a new accord to boost money for climate action in developing countries is the top priority of negotiators at the UN COP29 summit in Azerbaijan.
But it is deeply contentious, and consensus has eluded negotiators from nearly 200 nations for the better part of a year.
Most developing countries favor an annual commitment from wealthy countries of at least $1.3 trillion, according to the latest draft of the long-sought climate finance pact.
This figure is more than 10 times the $100 billion annually that a small pool of developed countries — among them the United States, the European Union and Japan — currently pay.
Some donors are reluctant to promise large new amounts of public money from their budgets at a time when they face economic and political pressure at home.
An earlier version of the draft was rejected outright by developing countries, which considered the proposed terms weighted too heavily toward wealthy nations.


Fresh submissions were called, and the new document summarises three broad positions.
The first argues that rich, industrialized nations most responsible for climate change to date pay from their budgets.
The second option calls for other countries to share the burden, a key demand of developed countries, while the third puts forward a mix of the two.
A bloc of least-developed nations, mostly from Africa, are asking for $220 billion while small-island states at threat from rising seas want $39 billion.
“The new text proposes more concrete options for reaching an agreement on the total amount, as well as specific objectives for the least developed or most vulnerable countries,” said Friederike Roder from Global Citizen, a non-government organization.
“Unfortunately, this search for precision stops there. The proposals aimed at clearly defining what constitutes climate finance, and ensuring close and transparent monitoring, remain insufficient,” she told AFP.
The latest 34-page draft reflects all the options on the table, said David Waskow, director at the World Resources Institute, a think tank.
“Negotiators now need to work to boil it down to some key decisions for the ministers to wrestle with next week,” he said.
COP29 runs until November 22 but climate talks often run into overtime.

Indonesia’s volcanic eruption grounds international flights on tourist island of Bali

Indonesia’s volcanic eruption grounds international flights on tourist island of Bali
Updated 12 min 34 sec ago
AP
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Indonesia’s volcanic eruption grounds international flights on tourist island of Bali

Indonesia’s volcanic eruption grounds international flights on tourist island of Bali
  • Several international airlines have canceled flights to and from Indonesia’s tourist island of Bali because of an ongoing volcanic eruption
Updated 12 min 34 sec ago
AP

DENPASAR: Several international airlines canceled flights to and from Indonesia’s tourist island of Bali on Wednesday as an ongoing volcanic eruption left travelers stranded at airports.
Tourists told The Associated Press that they have been stuck at Bali’s airport since Tuesday after their flights were suddenly canceled.
“The airline did not provide accommodation, leaving us stranded at this airport,” said Charlie Austin from Perth, Australia, who was on vacation in Bali with his family.
Another Australian tourist, Issabella Butler, opted to find another airline that could fly her home.
“The important thing is that we have to be able to get out of here,” she said.
Media reports said that thousands of people were stranded at airports in Indonesia and Australia, but an exact number wasn’t given.
Indonesia’s Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki volcano on the remote island of Flores in East Nusa Tenggara province spewed towering columns of hot ash high into the air since its initial huge eruption on Nov. 4 killed nine people and injured dozens of others.
The 1,584-meter (5,197-foot) volcano shot up ash at least 17 times on Tuesday, with the largest column recorded at 9 kilometers (5½ miles) high, the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation said in a statement.
Authorities on Tuesday expanded the danger zone as the volcano erupted again to 9 kilometers (5½ miles) as volcanic materials, including smoldering rocks, lava, and hot, thumb-size fragments of gravel and ash, were thrown up to 8 kilometers (5 miles) from the crater on Friday.
The activity at the volcano has disturbed flights at Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai international airport since the eruption started, airport general manager Ahmad Syaugi Shahab said. Over the past three days, 46 flights, including 30 scheduled to depart and 16 due to arrive, were affected.
Shahab said that at least 12 domestic flights and 22 overseas one were canceled on Tuesday alone. For these cancelations, the airlines were offering travelers a refund, or to reschedule or reroute, he said.
Three Australian airlines have also canceled or delayed a number of flights. Jetstar has paused its flights to Bali until at least Thursday, it said on its website, saying it was “currently not safe” to operate the route.
Virgin Australia’s website showed 10 services to and from Bali were canceled on Wednesday. Qantas said it has delayed three flights. Some airlines are offering fare refunds for upcoming Bali flights to passengers who don’t want to travel.
Air New Zealand canceled a flight to Denpasar scheduled for Wednesday and a return service to Auckland due to depart Bali on Thursday. Passengers would be rebooked and the airline would continue to monitor the movement of ash in the coming days, Chief Operating Officer Alex Marren said.
Korean Air said two of its flights headed to Bali were forced to turn back because of volcanic ash caused by the eruption.
The airline said Wednesday that the two flights — carrying about 400 passengers combined — that departed South Korea’s Incheon international airport on Tuesday turned back toward the origin departure a few hours later, following forecasts that said Bali’s Ngurah Rai airport could be affected by the volcanic ash. The two planes arrived in Incheon early Wednesday.
About 6,500 people were evacuated in January after Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki began erupting, spewing thick clouds and forcing the government to close the island’s Fransiskus Xaverius Seda Airport. No casualties or major damage were reported, but the airport has remained closed because of seismic activity.
Three other airports in neighboring districts of Ende, Larantuka and Bajawa have been closed since Monday after Indonesia’s Air Navigation issued a safety warning because of volcanic ash.
Lewotobi Laki Laki is one of a pair of stratovolcanoes in the East Flores district of East Nusa Tenggara province, known locally as the husband-and-wife mountains. “Laki laki” means man, while its mate is Lewotobi Perempuan, or woman. It’s one of the 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia, an archipelago of 280 million people.
The country is prone to earthquakes, landslides and volcanic activity because it sits along the “Ring of Fire,” a horseshoe-shaped series of seismic fault lines around the Pacific Ocean.

Topics: Indonesia Bali volcano

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South Korean president dusts off the golf clubs for Trump

South Korean president dusts off the golf clubs for Trump
Updated 21 min 40 sec ago
AFP
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South Korean president dusts off the golf clubs for Trump

South Korean president dusts off the golf clubs for Trump
  • Trump, who owns several courses in the United States and abroad, is a self-confessed golf addict
  • World leaders have tried — with mixed results — to cultivate personal bonds with Trump through golf
Updated 21 min 40 sec ago
AFP

Seoul: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is taking up golf after years away from the game to prepare for future encounters with US President-elect Donald Trump, his office said Wednesday.
Yoon, 63, has not played in nearly a decade, an official told AFP, but in anticipation of the second Trump administration will dust off his clubs.
“In order for smooth conversations” President Yoon “needs to hit the ball properly,” a president’s office official said in a background briefing earlier this week.
Yoon previously regularly scored in the 90s, the daily Kyeongin Ilbo reported, citing a playing partner.
Trump, who owns several courses in the United States and abroad, is a self-confessed golf addict who frequently boasts about his ability on social media and claims a single-digit handicap.
At a press conference last week Yoon said people had told him he would have “good chemistry” with Trump, noting both had first been elected to top office as political novices.
Yoon was a former prosecutor before taking office in 2022.
World leaders have tried — with mixed results — to cultivate personal bonds with Trump through golf.
Late former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe played with Trump on multiple occasions and is reported to have gifted him a set of gold-plated clubs.
Video footage of Abe tumbling into a bunker during a round with Trump in 2017 went viral at the time.
Despite the golf diplomacy, Trump’s repeated vows to make Asian security allies pay a larger share of the financial burden for their protection, and his threats of tariffs to fix the US trade deficit, have sparked consternation in Seoul.
Seoul’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a pamphlet on X on Tuesday titled: “Korea Matters to the US,” which featured detailed statistics on South Korea’s economic contributions to its ally.
In one section, it boasts that South Korea has created 470,000 jobs in the US, providing “the highest annual salary” among Asian foreign direct investors in the country.
South Korea is also a “key importer of US weapons,” it said, and spends “2.8 of GDP” on defense.

Topics: Trump Returns

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Millions of Nigerians go hungry as floods compound hardship

Millions of Nigerians go hungry as floods compound hardship
Updated 13 November 2024
Reuters
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Millions of Nigerians go hungry as floods compound hardship

Millions of Nigerians go hungry as floods compound hardship
  • Nigeria floods cause mass displacement, destroy crops
  • Nation of 200 million facing severe economic hardship
Updated 13 November 2024
Reuters

GUBIO: Unrelenting price rises and a brutal insurgency had already made it hard for Nigerians in northeastern Borno State to feed their families. When a dam collapsed in September, flooding the state capital and surrounding farmland, many people ran out of options.
Now they queue for handouts in camps for those displaced by fighting between extremist Boko Haram rebels and the military. When those run out, they seek work on local farms where they risk being killed or raped by local bandits.
“I can’t even cry anymore. I’m too tired,” said Indo Usman, who tried to start again in the state capital Maiduguri, rearing animals for the two annual Muslim holy days, after years of repeatedly fleeing rebel attacks in rural Borno.
The flood washed that all away, driving her, her husband and their six children to a bare room at Gubio, an unfinished housing project about 96 km (60 miles) northwest of Maiduguri that has become a displacement camp.
Torrential rains and floods in 29 of Nigeria’s 36 states this year have destroyed more than 1.5 million hectares of cropland, affecting more than nine million people, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Climate change is a factor, as is Nigeria’s poorly maintained or non-existent infrastructure as well as vulnerabilities caused by the weakening Naira currency and the scrapping of a government fuel subsidy.
The cost of staples like rice and beans has doubled, tripled or even quadrupled in a year, depending on location — an unmanageable shock for millions of poor families.
Mass kidnappings for ransom in the northwest and conflict between farmers and pastoralists in the central belt, traditionally the nation’s bread basket, have also disrupted agriculture and squeezed food supplies.

’HUNGRIEST OF THE HUNGRY’
Roughly 40 percent of Nigeria’s more than 200 million people live below the international poverty line of $2.15 per person per day, the World Bank estimates.
Already, 25 million people live in acute food and nutrition insecurity — putting their lives or livelihoods in immediate danger, according to a joint analysis by the government and UN agencies. That number is expected to rise to 33 million by next June-August.
“The food crisis in Nigeria is immense because what we are seeing is a crisis within a crisis within a crisis,” said Trust Mlambo, head of program for the northeast at the World Food Programme, in an interview with Reuters in Maiduguri.
With international donors focused on emergencies in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan, Mlambo said there was not enough funding to fully meet Nigeria’s growing need for food aid.
“We are really prioritising the hungriest of the hungry,” he said.
In Borno, the Alau dam, upriver from Maiduguri, gave way on Sept. 9, four days after state officials had told the public it was secure. Local residents and engineers had been warning that it was under strain.
Hundreds of people were killed in the resulting flood, according to aid workers who did not wish to be identified for fear of offending the state government. A spokesperson for the state government did not respond to requests for comment.
Zainab Abubakar, a self-employed tailor in the city who lived in relative comfort with her husband and six children in a house with a refrigerator, was awoken at midnight by water rushing into her bedroom.
They ran for their lives while the flood destroyed their house and carried everything away, including her sewing machine. Now, they are sheltering at Gubio and collecting rice from aid agencies in a plastic bucket.
“There is no alternative,” she said.
In Banki, on Nigeria’s border with Cameroon about 133 km (83 miles) southeast of Maiduguri, Mariam Hassan lost crops of maize, pepper and then okra in repeated flooding of her subsistence farm this year, leaving her with nothing to eat or sell.
“I beg the neighbors or relatives to give me food, not even for me but for my children, for us to survive,” said Hassan, who has eight children. “The situation has turned me into a beggar.”

Topics: Nigeria floods

Visibility drops in parts of Delhi as pollution surges

Visibility drops in parts of Delhi as pollution surges
Updated 13 November 2024
Reuters
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Visibility drops in parts of Delhi as pollution surges

Visibility drops in parts of Delhi as pollution surges
  • “Low visibility procedures” were initiated at the city’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, operator Delhi International Airport Limited said in a post on social media platform X
Updated 13 November 2024
Reuters

NEW DELHI: A toxic haze enveloped India’s national capital on Wednesday morning as temperatures dropped and pollution surged, reducing visibility in some parts and prompting a warning from airport authorities that flights may be affected.
Delhi overtook Pakistan’s Lahore as the world’s most polluted city in Swiss group IQAir’s live rankings, with an air quality index (AQI) score of more than 1,000, considered “hazardous,” but India’s pollution authority said the AQI was around 350.
Officials were not immediately available to explain the variation.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the pollution had reduced visibility to 100 meters (328 feet) in some places by around 8 a.m. (0230 GMT).
“Low visibility procedures” were initiated at the city’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, operator Delhi International Airport Limited said in a post on social media platform X.
“While landing and takeoffs continue at Delhi Airport, flights that are not CAT III compliant may get affected,” the authority said.
CAT III is a navigation system that enables aircraft to land even when visibility is low.
The IMD said the city’s temperature dropped to 17 degrees Celsius (63 degrees Fahrenheit) on Wednesday morning from 17.9C on Tuesday, and may fall further as sunlight remains cut off due to the smog.
Delhi battles severe pollution every winter as cold, heavy air traps dust, emissions, and smoke from farm fires set off illegally in the adjoining, farming states of Punjab and Haryana.
Previously, authorities have closed schools, placed restrictions on private vehicles, and stopped some building work to curb the problem.
The city’s environment minister said last week that the government was keen to use artificial rain to cut the smog.
Pakistan’s Punjab province, which shares a border with India, has also banned outdoor activities, closed schools, and ordered shops, markets and malls to close early in some parts in an effort to protect its citizens from the toxic air.

Topics: India

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