World

US resists ceasefire call in UN Security Council debate on Israel-Gaza war

Published

1 year ago

October 25, 2023

US resists ceasefire call in UN Security Council debate on Israel-Gaza war

The United Nations Security Council has held its first open debate on the Israel-Gaza war, with most members calling for an immediate ceasefire to allow humanitarian aid to reach Palestinians under relentless Israeli bombardment in Gaza.

The 15-member council, where the five permanent members including the United States and Russia have a veto, has so far failed to deliver a resolution that would end the violence.

The US, Israel’s staunchest ally, last week vetoed a resolution backed by 12 other members of the council, which would have called for a pause in fighting, because it did not do enough to stress Israel’s right to self-defence.

An earlier Russian-drafted resolution was also rejected.

Nearly 90 countries were on the speakers’ list for Tuesday’s debate including about 30 foreign ministers and deputy ministers, with many echoing calls for a ceasefire and a halt to attacks on Palestinian civilians amid widespread destruction in Gaza and the mounting death toll.

“We followed with regret the inability of this council twice to adopt a resolution or even to call for a ceasefire to end this war,” said Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry.

Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, speaking on behalf of the 22-member Arab Group at the UN, accused Israel of “razing Gaza to the ground” and lamented the Security Council’s failure to call an immediate ceasefire.

Israel’s Foreign Affairs Minister Eli Cohen sought to defend his country’s relentless bombardment of Gaza [Shannon Stapleton/Reuters]

He urged diplomats to adopt a resolution to stop the war, condemn the killing of civilians on both sides and prevent the starvation as well as collective punishment of the Palestinians.

“The Security Council must take a clear stance to reassure 2 billion Arabs and Muslims that international law will be applied,” Safadi said.

Washington, however, has said it favours a humanitarian pause, which is considered less formal and shorter than a ceasefire.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken asked the council to back a new US-led resolution that “incorporates substantive feedback”.

The draft, according to the AFP news agency, would defend the “inherent right of all states” to self-defence while calling for compliance with international law. It would back “humanitarian pauses” to let in aid but not a full ceasefire.

The US’s top diplomat also stressed the need to protect Palestinian civilians.

“Israel must take all possible precautions to avoid harm to civilians,” he said, and “humanitarian pauses” must be considered to get aid flowing into Gaza and enable civilians “to get out of harm’s way”.

Russia, meanwhile, has put forward its own counter resolution. A vote could take place later this week.

“The whole world is expecting from the Security Council a call for a swift and unconditional ceasefire,” said Russian UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia.

Amid the deadlock at the council, Jordan and Russia are among nations that have requested a meeting on Thursday of the UN General Assembly. Resolutions there are non-binding but hugely symbolic.

Inaction is ‘inexcusable’

The war in Gaza erupted nearly three weeks ago after the armed Hamas group attacked several southern Israeli towns killing at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and taking more than 200 people back to Gaza as captives.

Israel has since cut off supplies of water, food, fuel and electricity to Gaza, subjecting the territory of 2.3 million people to relentless bombardment. At least 5,791 people have been killed, according to authorities in Gaza, which is ruled by Hamas.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated his call for an immediate ceasefire.

The grievances of the Palestinian people could not justify “the horrifying and unprecedented October 7 acts of terror” by Hamas in Israel, he told the council, calling on the group to immediately release all those being held captive.

But Guterres also stressed that “those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people”.

He expressed deep concern at “the clear violations of international humanitarian law”, calling Israel’s constant bombardment of Gaza and the level of destruction and civilian casualties “alarming”.

Without naming Hamas, the UN chief also stressed that “protecting civilians can never mean using them as human shields”.

Guterres also criticised Israel without naming it, saying “protecting civilians does not mean ordering more than 1 million people to evacuate to the south, where there is no shelter, no food, no water, no medicine and no fuel, and then continuing to bomb the south itself”.

And then, in comments that angered Israel, he said that this month’s events could not be seen in isolation.

“It is important to recognise that the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum,” Guterres said. “The Palestinian people have been subjected to 50 years of suffering.”

The remarks triggered fury among the Israeli delegation with Israel’s UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan calling for the UN chief’s resignation.

Foreign Minister Eli Cohen also criticised the comments. “There is no cause for this, and shame on him,” he said.

Cohen had earlier sought to defend Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, arguing the only proportionate response to the October 7 Hamas attacks was the “total destruction” of the group.

“It is not only Israel’s right to destroy Hamas,” Cohen said. “It’s our duty.”

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki makes a point at the UN Security Council — Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki called for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the killing [Shannon Stapleton/Reuters]

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki, meanwhile, said that only peace could make Israel safer.

“We are here today to stop the killing, to stop … the ongoing massacres being deliberately and systematically and savagely perpetrated by Israel, the occupying power, against the Palestinian civilian population,” he said.

Under international law, he said, “it is our collective human duty to stop them”.

Al-Maliki, who is from the Palestinian Authority, Hamas’s rivals, said the inaction by the Security Council was “inexcusable”.

Amid the deteriorating humanitarian situation, a limited amount of humanitarian assistance has been allowed into Gaza, with an additional eight trucks carrying water, food and medicine entering the enclave from Egypt late on Tuesday.

UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, warned in a post on the messaging platform X that it would have to halt operations in Gaza on Wednesday night because of the lack of fuel.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said more than a third of hospitals in Gaza and nearly two-thirds of primary health care clinics had shut due to damage or lack of fuel.

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World

Consejos para disfrutar de las celebraciones de fin de año, sin estrés

Published

7 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

Consejos para disfrutar de las celebraciones de fin de año, sin estrés

NUEVA YORK (AP) — Todos conocemos los factores de estrés: obligaciones sociales, rencillas familiares, divisiones políticas, estrés financiero y el deseo de mantenerse alegre y generoso todo el tiempo.

Así que aquí va un recordatorio sobre cómo desterrar a tu perfeccionista interior y disfrutar verdaderamente de la temporada festiva:

“Realmente ayuda dejar de lado algunos de los ‘deberías’”, dice Lynn F. Bufka, jefa de práctica de la Asociación Estadounidense de Psicología. “Decide cuál es la cosa que más importa, y las cosas que te brindan más alegría, y suelta las demás”.

Las tradiciones pueden cambiar y evolucionar, y cuanto más flexibles sean las cosas, más fácil será para todos, dice Bufka.

“Concentra tu energía en crear un espacio cálido para que las personas que amas se reúnan y relajen, se pongan al día y celebren unos a otros. Eso es literalmente todo lo que importa”, concuerda Lauren Iannotti, editora en jefe de Real Simple.

Algunos consejos:

Concéntrate en lo que te hace feliz

Podrías decidir que la conversación es tu objetivo principal y no preocuparte en absoluto por la decoración, dice Bufka. O si la decoración de la mesa es lo que amas, invierte tu energía allí y no te preocupes tanto por otros aspectos.

“Idealmente, debería tratarse de enfocarse en el amor, y eso no significa lo mismo para todos”, dice Bufka.

Permite que otros hagan las cosas por ti.

“La gente quiere ayudar, ¡déjalos!”, dice Iannotti. “Si no te ENCANTA cocinar todas esas guarniciones, o tienes poco tiempo, no hay ninguna vergüenza en aceptar que tu hermana haga el relleno. O busca ayuda de los profesionales: apoya a un restaurante local haciendo un pedido de catering”.

Otra opción es que “cada uno traiga un plato distintivo”, dice Ianotti. “Ahorrarás tiempo y dinero en la preparación y la cocina y tus invitados podrán mostrar sus habilidades”.

Darte permiso para tomar atajos

“Está bien si la casa está un poco desordenada o si la cena se sirve unos minutos tarde”, dice Iannotti. “Si las personas que has invitado están más interesadas en evaluar tu desempeño que en pasar un buen rato, pueden discutirlo con su terapeuta”. (Por cierto, no lo están, añade ella).

Y no dudes en dejar que la gente se sirva por sí misma, cuando sea posible. “Si no tienes tiempo para jugar a ser el barman, crea una bebida insignia con anticipación que puedas servir a todos tus invitados. También puedes simplemente dejar algunos mezcladores para que los invitados se sirvan y hagan sus propias creaciones”, sugiere Caroline Utz, directora editorial y de estrategia en The Spruce.

Está bien tener tiempo a solas

Las cosas funcionarán lo suficientemente bien si no lo supervisas todo, así que cuídate. Tómate pausas o caminatas si eso te ayuda a mantenerte centrado.

“Aunque el mindfulness se está convirtiendo en un término demasiado utilizado en la sociedad actual, hay algo valioso que podemos tomar de esto y aplicar a la temporada de fin de año”, dice Brook Choulet, psiquiatra deportiva y de rendimiento de concierge y fundadora de Choulet Performance Psychiatry.

Ella recomienda “programar microdescansos intencionales” para hacer algo que disfrutes.

“Por ejemplo, podrías programar una llamada telefónica con un amigo de otro estado, tomar un paseo de 15 minutos al aire libre, o incluso ajustar el temporizador y tomar un baño de 15 minutos sin interrupciones”, dijo.

Espera algo de discordia y no te alarmes por ello

“Si te preocupa la polarización y entrar en conversaciones incómodas, intenta pensar en maneras en que puedas terminar una conversación o cambiarla de dirección”, dice Bufka.

Ella recomienda preparar algunas frases de antemano para ayudar a terminar la conversación o cambiarla de dirección.

En resumen, tener la intención de una temporada festiva menos perfecta puede ser justo lo que necesitas.

___

Katherine Roth cubre temas de vida y estilo y otros temas para The Associated Press desde Nueva York.

___

Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.

World

Azerbaijan Airlines plane headed to Russia crashes hundreds of miles off course, dozens feared dead

Published

8 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

Azerbaijan Airlines plane headed to Russia crashes hundreds of miles off course, dozens feared dead

Dozens of passengers are feared dead after an Azerbaijan Airlines flight crashed near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, reports say.

The Embraer 190 passenger jet flying from Azerbaijan to Russia had 62 passengers and five crew on board, Kazakh authorities announced, saying 32 survivors had been rescued.

Flight J2-8243 had flown hundreds of miles off its scheduled route to crash on the opposite shore of the Caspian Sea. Officials did not immediately explain why it had crossed the sea, but the crash came shortly after drone strikes hit southern Russia. Drone activity has shut airports in the area in the past and the nearest Russian airport on the plane’s flight path was closed on Wednesday morning.

Russia’s aviation watchdog, meanwhile, said it was an emergency that may have been caused by a bird strike.

MORE THAN 30 DEAD IN BRAZIL BUS AND TRUCK COLLISION

In this photo taken from a video released by the administration of Mangystau region, the wreckage of Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 lies on the ground near the airport of Aktau, Kazakhstan, Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024. (The Administration of Mangystau Region/AP Photo)

Those aboard the plane included 42 Azerbaijani citizens, 16 Russian nationals, six Kazakhstani and three Kyrgyzstani citizens, according to Kazakhstani officials.

Russian news agency Interfax reported that both pilots died in the crash, citing a preliminary assessment by emergency workers at the scene. The news agency also quoted medical workers who stated that four bodies had been recovered from the crash so far.

A total of 29 survivors, including two children, have been hospitalized, the ministry told Russia’s state news agency, RIA Novosti, the Associated Press reported. Many passengers have yet to be accounted for.

MALAYSIA AGREES TO RESUME ‘NO FIND, NO FEE’ HUNT FOR FLIGHT MH370, 10 YEARS AFTER PLANE DISAPPEARED

More than 30 are feared dead following the crash near the Kazakhstani city of Aktau. (Azamat Sarsenbayev/AP Photo)

Video of the crash showed the plane descending rapidly before bursting into flames as it hit the seashore, and thick black smoke then rising, Reuters reported. Bloodied and bruised passengers could be seen stumbling from a piece of the fuselage that had remained intact.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who had been traveling to Russia, returned to Azerbaijan upon hearing news of the crash, the president’s press service said. Aliyev was due to attend an informal meeting of leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States, a bloc of former Soviet countries founded after the collapse of the Soviet Union, in St. Petersburg.

Emergency crews at the site of the Azerbaijani airliner crash on Dec. 25, 2024. (Azamat Sarsenbayev/AP Photo)

Aliyev expressed his condolences to the families of the victims in a statement on social media.

“It is with deep sadness that I express my condolences to the families of the victims and wish a speedy recovery to those injured,” he wrote.

He also signed a decree declaring Dec. 26 a day of mourning in Azerbaijan.

The plane was en route from the Azerbaijani capital of Baku to the Russian city of Grozny in the North Caucasus, the Associated Press reports. (The Administration of Mangystau Region/AP Photo)

In a statement, Azerbaijan Airlines said it would keep members of the public updated and changed its social media banners to solid black.

“We ask God for mercy on the passengers and crew members who lost their lives,” a translated statement on X said. “Their pain is our pain. We wish a speedy recovery to those injured.”

Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

World

Who is Europe's top investor in space in 2023?

Published

9 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

Who is Europe's top investor in space in 2023?

Luxembourg remains Europe’s top investor in space in a year when defence spending on space exceeded civil space budgets for the first time since the 1990s.

Global public investment in space hit a record high of €106 billion in 2023, an 11% increase compared to 2022.

In Europe, the total funding was €11.9 billion, showing a modest 1% rise in its share of global space investment.

According to the European Space Agency, defence spending on space exceeded civil space budgets last year for the first time since the 1990s. Defence expenditures in space are projected to grow faster than civil spending, making up 53% of the budget in 2024.

The US continues to dominate global space investment, accounting for 64% of the total budget, while China holds a strong second place, growing its share from an estimated 2% in 2000 to 12% in 2023 through long-term programmes in both civil and defence.

Europe ranks third, contributing 11% of the global space budget in 2023.

What share of their GDP do EU countries spend on public space budgets?

Luxembourg remains Europe’s leading investor in space, dedicating 0.135% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to the sector.

Globally, the country ranks third behind the US (0.262%) and Russia (0.169%).

In Europe, Luxembourg is followed by France, which invests 0.167% of its GDP, Italy at 0.103%, and Belgium at 0.095%.

On the other hand, private investment in space has continued to decline in 2023, dropping by 32% compared to 2022.

Europe also saw a 14% decrease in 2023 compared to the year before, with private space ventures receiving just below €980 million.

Although the US accounts for most of the global decline in 2023, its space sector continues to attract the largest share of investments at 60%, followed by Europe with 16% and China with 9%.

What was the state of space activity in 2023?

There were 221 orbital launches in 2023, an 18% increase compared to 2022.

Yet, a total of 212 launches were successful.

The US carried out more than half of the launches, with 96 of them conducted by SpaceX.

China accounted for 30% with 67 launches, a 5% increase from 2022, and Russia completed 19 launches.

The European launch service provider conducted three launches in 2023, including Europe’s first mission to Jupiter, which aimed to explore whether the planet’s three moons — Callisto, Europa, and Ganymede — could support life in their oceans.

Video editor • Mert Can Yilmaz