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GAZA: On The Eve Of Ramadan, Jerusalem’s Old City Provides Little Festivity As The Gaza War Rages.

Published

2 months ago

2024-03-10

JERUSALEM — On the eve of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, Jerusalem’s Old City lacks the customary festive characteristics.

Nearly half of the grotto-shaped souvenir shops are closed with metal shutters. The narrow alleyways leading to Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third holiest site, are strangely vacant. The fairy lights and brilliant lanterns that would normally hang over rushing worshippers are absent.

Ramadan preparations in Jerusalem, the spiritual centre of the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict, have been hampered by the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, which is now in its sixth month. With almost 30,000 Palestinians dying in Gaza and hundreds of thousands going hungry, there is little room for celebration.

“This will be the black Ramadan,” Abu Mousam Haddad declared in front of his coffee stand outside Damascus Gate, one of the Old City’s main entrances.

On The Eve Of Ramadan, Jerusalem’s Old City Provides Little Festivity As The Gaza War Rages.

However, over the following few days, emphasis is likely to turn from Gaza to Al-Aqsa, which has previously served as a hotspot for rapidly escalated Israeli-Palestinian violence.

Hamas, which framed its Oct. 7 onslaught on southern Israel as a war for Muslim rights at Al-Aqsa, is seeking such an eruption now in the hopes of engaging Israeli forces on new fronts and increasing its bargaining power in Gaza cease-fire talks.

The militants have urged Palestinians in Israel and the occupied West Bank to flock to the mosque during Ramadan to protest anticipated Israeli restrictions on worship and mobility.

Although similar limitations have frequently sparked previous riots, it is unclear whether Palestinians will risk confrontation in the current atmosphere, in which Israeli forces are clamping down hard on any perceived threats.

“There is great fear among people about what Ramadan will look like this year and how the Israeli police will behave regarding entry and exit… into the city,” said Imad Mona, the owner of a bookshop near the Old City.

Israel has restricted access to Al-Aqsa to varied degrees over the years, notably prohibiting young men, citing security concerns. The Israeli government has offered scant details about this year’s Ramadan, which could begin as early as Sunday evening. However, it has been suggested some Palestinians from the West Bank will be permitted to pray at Al-Aqsa.

In the past, Israeli police invading the holy site battled with stone-throwing Palestinians who barricaded themselves inside, often to protest Israeli access restrictions. Such skirmishes have provoked escalation, including Hamas rocket fire, which resulted in a brief Israel-Hamas conflict in 2021.

The compound has always been a hotly debated religious place because it is located on the Temple Mount, which Jews regard as their most sacred site. It is located in east Jerusalem, a sector of the city that Israel conquered during the 1967 Middle East War and later annexed. Palestinians intend to make it the capital of their future state.

On The Eve Of Ramadan, Jerusalem’s Old City Provides Little Festivity As The Gaza War Rages.

The US and other international mediators had pushed for a Gaza cease-fire to coincide with the beginning of Ramadan. However, there has yet to be a breakthrough.

Israel remains determined to continue its invasion and annihilate Hamas, who killed over 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped roughly 250 captives on October 7. During a November truce, the terrorist group liberated hundreds of prisoners, but it refuses to release any more unless there is a complete stop to hostilities.

Most Old City business proprietors declined to comment on the upcoming Ramadan. Israel has imprisoned scores of Palestinians for social media remarks criticizing the Gaza war since it began.

Some who spoke reported that extra Israeli police officers have been stationed in the Old City since October. According to business owners, young Palestinian men have been prohibited from entering the Al-Aqsa compound for Friday noon prayers regularly since the war began. This has generated discussion about more potential limits. The Israeli police have not responded to calls for comment.

According to Israeli media, the country’s outspoken national security minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, has been campaigning to exclude all West Bank Palestinians, as well as young men who are among Israel’s more than 2 million Palestinian citizens. His spokeswoman did not return a request for comment.

COGAT, the Israeli military authority in charge of Palestinian affairs in the West Bank, announced Friday that some West Bank Muslims would be allowed to enter the territory for Ramadan prayers but did not specify. Last year, hundreds of thousands of people were permitted to enter, with the majority being women, children, and senior men.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also been imprecise, stating that the same number of worshipers as last year will be allowed to pray at Al-Aqsa during the first week of Ramadan. He stated that this would be examined every week during the month. No further information was made available.

Since 1967, the Waqf, a Jordanian Muslim religious authority, has administered the property informally. Jews can visit the complex but cannot pray there. The accord has crumbled in recent years, as huge groups of Jews, including hardline religious nationalists, have made frequent visits. Some of them attempted to pray at the place.

In the days leading up to Ramadan, Palestinians in the West Bank were wondering whether they would be permitted to attend prayers.

On The Eve Of Ramadan, Jerusalem’s Old City Provides Little Festivity As The Gaza War Rages.

In general, Palestinians in the territory require a permit to visit East Jerusalem, which Israel regards to be part of its undivided capital, even though the majority of the international community does not accept its annexation. Since October 7, Israel has prohibited Palestinians from accessing Jerusalem or any area of Israel.

“It is the dream of every Palestinian, Muslim, and Arab to pray in Al-Aqsa Mosque” during Ramadan, said Akram al Baghdadi, a Ramallah resident with extended family living in the West Bank and Gaza.

The holy month also threatens to exacerbate divides within Israel’s turbulent cabinet, which is already split on how to handle the Gaza battle.

In a post on X, Ben Gvir criticized Netanyahu’s decision to allow Palestinians to pray at Al-Aqsa. He said that “Hamas celebrations on the Temple Mount” do not imply “a complete victory,” alluding to Netanyahu’s wartime battle cry.

Ben Gvir, who has been to the Al-Aqsa compound multiple times, is likewise a vociferous opponent of any cease-fire agreement with Hamas. He frequently supports Israeli settlement construction as well as the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza, both of which are against the wishes of the majority of Cabinet members.

Months of conflict and tension have resulted in economic hardship, with fewer tourists and Palestinians buying in the Old City.

“It’s not just my shop that’s affected, but all the traders here,” said Jihad Abu Salih, a city-based sweets and pastry dealer. “It’s sad.”

SOURCE – (AP)

News

Elon Musk Launches Starlink Satellite Internet Service In Indonesia, World’s Largest Archipelago

Published

21 hours ago

2024-05-19

Kiara Grace

Elon Musk visited Bali, Indonesia: Getty Images

DENPASAR, Indonesia — On Sunday, Elon Musk visited Bali, Indonesia’s resort island, to debut Starlink satellite internet service in the world’s largest archipelago.

In a green Batik shirt, Musk was greeted with a garland of flower petals at a community health center in Denpasar, Bali’s provincial capital, where he and Indonesian politicians launched the Starlink service.

Indonesia, a large archipelago of 17,000 islands spread across three time zones with a population of over 270 million, has been attempting for years to obtain deals with Musk’s Tesla for battery investment and with Musk’s SpaceX to bring fast internet to the country’s distant parts.

AP – VOR News Image

Elon Musk Launches Starlink Satellite Internet Service In Indonesia, World’s Largest Archipelago

During the ceremony, Musk conducted a speed test of the Starlink internet connection with many health professionals from Indonesia’s remote regions, including Aru, one of the country’s least-served and most distant islands in Maluku.

“This can make it really a lifesaver for remote medical clinics, and I think it could be a possibility for education as well,” Musk stated to reporters.

“If you have access to the internet, you can learn anything and sell your company services around the world. So, I think it’ll be quite beneficial,” he explained.

He also inked an agreement to improve connections in the country’s healthcare and education sectors. Details of the arrangement between the Indonesian government and Musk’s SpaceX, the aerospace company that operates Starlink services, were not disclosed.

According to Coordinating Minister of Maritime and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, the launch of the service at a health clinic is consistent with Starlink’s overall aim of offering inexpensive access to high-speed internet services, particularly in underserved and distant areas.

“Our remote regions need Starlink to expand high-speed internet services, especially to help with problems in the health, education, and maritime sectors,” said Pandjaitan, a close supporter of Indonesian President Joko Widodo. He had separate conversations with Musk on Sunday.

Budi Arie Setiadi, Minister of Communication and Informatics, previously stated that local internet providers, who rely on base transceiver stations to transmit signals, are unable to reach the outer islands due to poor coverage. Starlink’s satellites, which are still in low orbit, will help them provide speedier internet with statewide coverage.

Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin states that around 2,700 of the country’s more than 10,000 clinics lack internet connection.

Kids News – VOR News Image

Elon Musk Launches Starlink Satellite Internet Service In Indonesia, World’s Largest Archipelago

“The internet can open up better access to health services as communication between regions is said to be easier, so that reporting from health service facilities can be done in real time or up to date,” he stated.

Musk will also attend the 10th World Water Forum, which aims to solve global water and sanitation issues, during his first in-person visit to Bali.

Musk spoke in 2022 at the B-20 business gathering, which preceded the Group of 20 leading economies’ summit in Bali. He attended the meeting via video link weeks after completing his much-scrutinized takeover of Twitter.

Musk’s visit comes just weeks after Apple CEO Tim Cook met with Widodo on April 17, stating that the business will “look at” manufacturing in Indonesia. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella paid a visit on April 30 and announced plans to invest $1.7 billion in new cloud and artificial intelligence infrastructure in Indonesia over the next four years.

AP – VOR News Image

Elon Musk Launches Starlink Satellite Internet Service In Indonesia, World’s Largest Archipelago

Indonesia, under Widodo, has pushed the growth of the digital technology and information industries in order to accomplish the government’s Golden Indonesia 2045 vision. The Netherlands aspires to be one of the world’s top five economies, with a GDP of up to $9 trillion, exactly a century after gaining independence from Dutch invaders.

SOURCE – (AP)

News

Canada Fisheries Officers Seize Elvers Worth $500K at Toronto Airport

Published

2 days ago

2024-05-19

Geoff Thomas

The seized elvers are worth between $400,000 and $500,000: CTV News

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) officers and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers seized roughly 109 kg of unlawful elvers at Toronto Pearson International Airport. The elvers were scheduled to be transferred overseas.

The seized elvers are worth between $400,000 and $500,000.

An investigation into this matter for violations of the Fisheries Act is currently underway.

“The magnitude of this elver seizure is an important development,” said Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard, in a statement. “It reflects not only the work of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, but also the collaborative efforts of many other government agencies and departments.

“Once again, our message is crystal clear: do not travel to Nova Scotia to illegally fish or export elvers this year, enforcement officers will be waiting for you.”

This seizure was the product of a coordinated operation combining officials from the DFO’s Conservation & Protection Directorate and the National Fisheries Intelligence Service, as well as the CBSA Commercial Operations District and intelligence teams.

The federal government banned the lucrative elver fishery on March 11 following violence and intimidation during last year’s fishing season in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

Elvers are often flown to Asia and grown to maturity before being sold for food, with mature eels utilized in unagi dishes at sushi restaurants.

The baby eels are valued approximately $5,000 per kilogram, more than lobsters, scallops, or salmon, making them the most valuable fish by weight in Canada.

The DFO announced in March that no elver fishing would take place this year due to safety and conservation concerns. So far, cops have made 149 arrests and seized around 207.7 kg of elvers.

According to federal data, 149 people have been arrested for elver-related crimes this year, with approximately 208 kilos recovered.

Elvers, the fascinating baby eels

Elvers are tiny, transparent young eels that migrate from the ocean into freshwater rivers and streams. These little snake-like organisms make an astonishing journey, swimming thousands of miles to their destination. Elvers perform an important role in the life cycle of eels, eventually maturing into the adult eels we know.

Their migration is a spectacular natural spectacle. Elvers crawl in large groups upstream, overcoming barriers such as waterfalls and dams. Once in freshwater, they will mature for years before returning to the sea to breed and repeat the cycle. Elvers face numerous dangers, including habitat loss and over fishing, making conservation efforts critical for these extraordinary migratory.

News

CNN Pay Tribute to Alice Stewart: A Very Special Woman Dead at 58

Published

2 days ago

2024-05-18

Geoff Thomas

Alice Stewart, a longtime political strategist and CNN political pundit who worked on multiple Republican presidential campaigns, has died. She was 58. CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer joins Jessica Dean to reflect on Stewart as a friend and coworker.

According to law enforcement officials, Stewart’s body was discovered outside in the Belle View community of northern Virginia early Saturday morning. There is no indication of foul play, and officers assume a medical emergency occurred.

“Alice was a very dear friend and colleague to all of us at CNN,” CNN’s CEO Mark Thompson wrote in an email to employees Saturday. “A political veteran and Emmy Award-winning journalist who brought an exceptional spark to CNN’s coverage, known throughout our bureaus not only for her political acumen, but also for her unfailing kindness. Our emotions are heavy as we lament such a great loss.”

Alice Stewart was born March 11, 1966, in Atlanta.

Stewart began her career as a local reporter and producer in Georgia before relocating to Little Rock, Arkansas, to become a news anchor, she told Harvard International Review. She went on to work as the communications director for then-Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee before taking on a similar role for his presidential campaign in 2008.

She previously worked as the communications director for former Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann’s 2012 Republican presidential campaign, as well as former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, a former CNN analyst. Stewart most recently served as the communications director for Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s 2016 GOP campaign.

“Alice was wonderful, talented, and a dear friend,” Cruz wrote in a post on X. “She lived every day to the fullest, and she will be deeply missed.”

CNN hired Stewart as a political pundit ahead of the 2016 election, and she appeared on “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer” as recently as Friday to provide insight on the day’s political headlines.

“We always invited her to come on my show because we knew we would be a little bit smarter at the end of that conversation,” Blitzer stated to Jessica Dean on “CNN Newsroom.” “She helped our viewers better appreciate what was going on and that’s why we will miss her so much.”