All posts tagged: rages

As brutal war rages and famine looms, look at pictures of Gaza and keep saying: ‘this is not normal’ | Nesrine Malik

As brutal war rages and famine looms, look at pictures of Gaza and keep saying: ‘this is not normal’ | Nesrine Malik

Published by skeptic

Cast your mind back to early 2022, more than two years ago now. Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine was such a shock, such a break with decades of political consensus, that it was treated as an act of aggression that could not for one moment be accepted or made peace with, only urgently rebuffed. Condemnations, lamentations and pledges of support, both for Ukraine’s military effort and its displaced people, all signified the same thing – this was an aberration that would not be allowed to pass. But pass it did. Russia has since suffered heavy losses and the war is referred to now as a “quagmire” for Putin, but pass it did. US arms support is dwindling, and a sizeable aid package has been stuck, blocked by partisan mischief, in the House of Representatives for months now. Just as striking is how the invasion has become relegated from high news and politics to another item jostling for attention, sympathy and outrage. An obscene banality of war is that if it goes on long enough, life …

Moment Ukraine obliterates Russia armour as fighting rages across the frontline | World | News

Moment Ukraine obliterates Russia armour as fighting rages across the frontline | World | News

Published by skeptic

Ukrainian intelligence sources told Reuters on Sunday that the oil plants were hit with drone attacks. Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, thanked his military and intelligence for new “long-range capabilities” in his nightly video address. Russia’s defence ministry wrote on Telegram that the drones “were neutralised, but a fire broke out as a result of the fall of one of the devices”. Attacks on Russian territory via drone strikes have become increasingly frequent as the war goes on. The Russian city of Belgorord, close to the Ukrainian border, has endured the brunt of Ukrainian operations. This was also seen last week when pro-Ukraine groups launched ground offensives on Russian villages in the region, with one group claiming control over a town near Belgorod. The fighting has also coincided with Russian elections as Vladimir Putin declares victory in a vote where some prominent opposition figures were barred from running. Putin declared victory on Sunday with 87.8 percent of the vote. He later warned NATO against any move that would risk direct conflict with Russia, saying this would …

Haiti healthcare system on verge of collapse as gang warfare rages on | Haiti

Haiti healthcare system on verge of collapse as gang warfare rages on | Haiti

Published by skeptic

Haiti’s healthcare system has all but collapsed amid the ferocious gang insurrection which forced the resignation of the country’s prime minister, leaving victims of the violence with little hope of medical attention, according to aid workers in the stricken Caribbean country. In the past two weeks hospitals have been set ablaze, doctors murdered and the most basic medical supplies have now dried up. Only a single public hospital in Haiti’s capital now remains operational – and that too is expected to shut its doors soon. “The healthcare system in Port-au-Prince is basically nonexistent,” said Mackynzie Archer, a consultant advising leading medical NGOs in Haiti. “Things are deteriorating quickly.” Fighting between the heavily armed gangs and security forces has paralysed Haiti’s capital in the worst episode of violence the Caribbean country has seen in decades. Armed bandits attacked police stations, government buildings and the international airport, achieving their stated goal on Monday when the prime minister, Ariel Henry, announced he would step down once a transitional council had been appointed. But as political factions jockey for …

As Gaza war rages, U.S. military footprint expands across Middle East

As Gaza war rages, U.S. military footprint expands across Middle East

Published by skeptic

OVER THE GAZA STRIP — Lt. Col. Jeremy Anderson tilted up the nose of his U.S. Air Force C-130 and tipped 16 pallets of emergency food aid out of the cargo bay and into the sky above northern Gaza. Thousands of miles away, off the coast of Yemen, U.S. fighter jets and attack helicopters roared off the flight deck of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, often just minutes apart, to combat Houthi fighters attacking ships in and around the Red Sea. In both places, U.S. service members said their missions were unexpected, changing as the White House has moved rapidly to contain wider fallout from the Israel-Gaza war. But now, along with a U.S. Army crew on its way to Gaza to build a floating pier, they are firmly part of the U.S. military’s expanding footprint in the Middle East. It’s a region President Biden had hoped to de-emphasize — and one where American involvement has often been devastating and costly. “This was definitely not something I anticipated,” Anderson said Tuesday after returning to the …

As Haiti gang violence rages, EU evacuates all diplomatic staff – POLITICO

As Haiti gang violence rages, EU evacuates all diplomatic staff – POLITICO

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“As a response to the dramatic security deterioration, we took the decision to reduce our activities on the ground and we moved the staff of [the] EU delegation in Port-au-Prince to a safer location outside the country,” Stano said. Haiti has long been mired in economic and structural crises. Food is in low supply and access to water has been restricted; according to the World Food Programme, more than 4.35 million people — almost half of the island’s population — suffer from acute hunger.   The EU expressed concern over the increasing violence. “This is not really helping the people of Haiti who have been suffering for a very long time,” Stano said. The EU delegation will continue to work outside Haiti. Haiti has been without a functioning government for more than a year after multiple failed efforts to hold elections. Its last president, Jovenel Moïse, was assassinated in July 2021 in unclear circumstances and was succeeded by the unelected current prime minister, who is refusing to step down despite international pressure. On Monday the …

Tensions at al-Aqsa Mosque ahead of Ramadan, as Israel-Gaza war rages

Tensions at al-Aqsa Mosque ahead of Ramadan, as Israel-Gaza war rages

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JERUSALEM — Just days before the start of Ramadan — the busiest and often most volatile month in Jerusalem’s Old City — the offices of al-Aqsa Mosque were bustling with preparations and uncertainty. Even in quieter years, al-Aqsa is a Ramadan tinderbox. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians come to worship at this mosque that has sat for more than a millennium on a site that both Muslims and Jews claim as sacred ground. It’s administered by Jordan, but access is controlled by Israeli security. Jews revere the site they call the Temple Mount as the location of the first and second temples and worship at the Western Wall, a remnant of the ancient complex. Muslims know it as the Noble Sanctuary, where the prophet Muhammad is said to have ascended to heaven. It’s the holiest site in Judaism and third holiest in Islam. The competing claims are one of the most challenging elements of the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Clashes here have been a repeated flash point for war. In 2021, fighting between police and Palestinians …

Nigel Farage rages at Jeremy Hunt over migration shock | Politics | News

Nigel Farage rages at Jeremy Hunt over migration shock | Politics | News

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Nigel Farage hit out at Jeremy Hunt after projected net migration levels were revised up to 315,000 a year. The former Ukip leader insisted it “just isn’t good enough” and highlighted Tory pledges to bring net migration down to tens of thousands of people. It comes after the Chancellor insisted UK growth cannot be driven by migration as he unveiled his Budget yesterday. But the latest forecast from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) said net migration levels could rise to 315,000 a year, up from a previous estimate of 245,000. Speaking on his GB News show, Mr Farage said: “That just isn’t good enough. They’ve promised in every single manifesto since 2010 to bring net migration down to tens of thousands. “They promised it in 2010, 2015, 2017 and in 2019 they said they would get immigration under control. “For him now to sit there and say it’s unsustainable. Well the OBR upon whom he seems to rely on so much say that for his numbers to work we’re going to need net migration …

“F**k off”: MTG rages at top British journalist over “Jewish space lasers” question

“F**k off”: MTG rages at top British journalist over “Jewish space lasers” question

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Far-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., cursed out prominent British journalist Emily Maitlis on Tuesday, telling her to “f**k off” when confronted about baseless conspiracy theories she’s advanced. Greene — a fervent supporter of former president Donald Trump — and Maitlis were conversing at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida when the friction began. Maitlis, known for her prior journalistic work at the BBC, first asked Greene what message she had for Nikki Haley after Trump’s victory on Super Tuesday. From there, Maitlis inquired about why “so many people who support Donald Trump love conspiracy theories, including yourself?” “Let me tell you, you’re a conspiracy theorist,” Greene retorted. “The left and the media spread more conspiracy theories. We like the truth, we like supporting our constitution, our freedoms and America first. We are all done here.” Before the conservative firebrand could walk away, Maitlis pressed, saying, “Tell us about the Jewish space lasers,” a reference to Greene’s widely panned conspiracy theory that the Jewish banking family, the Rothschilds, were responsible for the California fires in 2018. In …

Minister booted off the airwaves as UK Tory Islamophobia row rages – POLITICO

Minister booted off the airwaves as UK Tory Islamophobia row rages – POLITICO

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The MP was swiftly suspended by Sunak — but Conservative ministers have had a much harder time directly condemning their former colleague on the airwaves. Michael Tomlinson, a junior minister for immigration, became the latest government rep forced onto the defensive Tuesday, as he was repeatedly pressed on Lee’s comments during Ferrari’s LBC show. “What Lee said was wrong, and as a result of what he said he had the whip removed from him,” Tomlinson offered. But he opted not to expand on this description — and pointedly refused to say whether the comments were “Islamophobic.” “I’m normally a very polite man,” Ferrari said. “I’ll ask you now for the third time — I’ve asked you six times why it was necessary — for the third time: was it Islamophobic?” Tomlinson replied: “Nick, it was wrong.” That was enough for Ferrari, who said: “I’ll have to curtail the interview there — I’m grateful for your time — but enough already.” Closing out the conversation, Ferrari said: “Michael Tomlinson is a minister of state for illegal …

Benjamin Netanyahu faces crisis at home with mass protests as Israel-Gaza war rages | World | News

Benjamin Netanyahu faces crisis at home with mass protests as Israel-Gaza war rages | World | News

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu finds himself grappling with mounting domestic unrest as mass protests erupt in Tel Aviv, with demonstrators demanding fresh elections. The protests, driven by growing dissatisfaction with Netanyahu’s leadership, gained momentum following the October 7 attacks by Hamas, leading to a decline in the anti-government demonstrations that had already been ongoing throughout 2023. However, the prolonged conflict has fuelled renewed public anger, exacerbating the calls for change. The initial wave of protests in 2023 centred around opposition to controversial judicial reforms, but the current surge is further intensified by concerns over the fate of dozens of hostages taken by Hamas fighters on October 7 and held in Gaza. The toll of the conflict has been devastating, with over 1,200 people killed in Israel due to the October 7 attacks. In Gaza, the health ministry reported more than 28,800 casualties, highlighting the grim human cost of the ongoing hostilities. Netanyahu remains resolute in his commitment to the offensive, vowing to achieve “total victory” over Hamas. He has announced plans to expand military …