Jumat, 14 Mei 2021
Israel intensifies attacks in Gaza as conflict enters fifth day - BBC News - BBC News
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2021-05-14 13:10:20Z
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Let the people decide! Swedish MEP breaks rank to demand new referendum for ALL EU members - Daily Express
Sweden Democrats MEP Charlie Weimers claimed the only way to stop Brussels from gaining more powers over sovereign member states' governments is via allowing what he calls a referendum lock, giving citizens a right to veto decisions.
Speaking to Express.co.uk, Mr Weimers said: “A referendum lock should be imposed or implemented in frugal countries so that transfers of money or transfers of new money - meaning an increase of the fee to the EU budget - together with power transfers, should be followed by a popular referendum.
“That would install a control mechanism in this whole system which would make it harder for Brussels to repeat the Corona Fund exercise for instance.”
He continued: “A referendum lock would make it impossible for a government to give away powers to Brussels without popular consent.”
The Swedish MEP argued it would work as a popular veto on future EU policies imposed arbitrarily on European citizens.
Mr Weimers, who believes that ultimately Sweden and the other three frugal countries in the EU (Austria, Denmark and the Netherlands) should leave the bloc, added that the latest attempt by Brussels to gain more powers is the Conference on the Future of Europe.
The Swedish politician teamed up with Danish People's Party MEP Peter Kofod and Laura Huhtasaari, True Finns MEP, with a letter to their respective governments and citizens published in the Swedish daily Dagens Industri.
The trio claimed their governments "know that the citizens of their countries do not want to increase EU power further".
Lambasting EU chiefs' plan to push for more integration through the Conference on the Future of Europe, the three MEPs said Stefan Löfven, Mette Fredriksen and Sanna Marin know that the exercise, sold by Brussels as an opportunity to listen to European citizens' demands, will merely serve as a trampoline for a federalist agenda.
READ MORE: Brexit: EU power grab begins as THOUSANDS flee City
"This too was rejected in a referendum in Ireland but after political promises were made the Irish voted again and the transfer of power was a fact."
Mr Weimers argued Guy Verhofstadt, one of the people in charge of the Conference and a staunch europhile, is the "ultimate proof" the aim of the conference is to facilitate the creation of the United States of Europe.
He said: “I think it says about everything that Guy Verhofstadt is one of the leading figures of this Conference.
“It’s the ultimate proof that the key goal of this Conference is to transfer more power to Brussels.
“He is the most well-known, the most fanatic advocate of the United States of Europe.
“That’s why I find a historical connection with the European Convention [on the Future of the European Union] 20 years ago with Giscard d'Estaing as the chair then, basically steering that convention the way he wanted to.
“And if you look at what Guy Verhofstadt is saying, he’s already talking about making it easier to recruit people to be part of a political class in Brussels to be above other European citizens.
“To loosen the link between natural democracy and the power in Brussels. That’s him."
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2021-05-14 11:20:00Z
CBMiZmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmV4cHJlc3MuY28udWsvbmV3cy93b3JsZC8xNDM2MTQ1L2V1LW5ld3MtcmVmZXJlbmR1bS1zd2VkZW4tZnJ1Z2FsLWZvdXItY2hhcmxpZS13ZWltZXJzLW1lcNIBamh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmV4cHJlc3MuY28udWsvbmV3cy93b3JsZC8xNDM2MTQ1L2V1LW5ld3MtcmVmZXJlbmR1bS1zd2VkZW4tZnJ1Z2FsLWZvdXItY2hhcmxpZS13ZWltZXJzLW1lcC9hbXA
Israel steps up battle against communal violence and Gaza rocket attacks - Financial Times
Israeli security forces struggled to quell worsening communal violence in its cities as the military stepped up its assault in Gaza against Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Jews and minority Israeli Arabs clashed in several Israeli towns overnight as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to subdue riots with “a lot of force”.
The worst domestic unrest in years escalated with a soldier beaten in Jaffa, a police officer shot in Lod and another synagogue set on fire, according to Israeli media. Outbreaks of mob violence were reported around the country as large groups of Israeli Arabs and Jewish men defied curfews.
The brawls between Israeli citizens came as the military added tanks and artillery to its five-day air campaign against Hamas. The military operation has killed 119 Palestinians, including 50 women and children, according to health officials in Gaza. “We are dealing with a campaign on two fronts — in Gaza [and] in Israel’s cities,” Netanyahu said late on Thursday.
An Israeli military spokesperson told reporters early on Friday that ground troops had moved into Gaza, but he later clarified that none had entered the impoverished territory of 2m.
Israel had positioned additional troops — including two infantry brigades and one armoured — near the Gaza border and called up a further 9,000 reservists on Thursday.
The troop movement raised speculation that Israel was planning its first invasion of Gaza since its 2014 war with Hamas. Israeli military officials have said they are preparing for all scenarios, including a potential ground offensive, but have not yet taken a decision on whether to invade.
So far only 30 of the dead in Gaza have been identified by the Israeli army as Hamas operatives, and Gaza residents described the Israeli bombardment as more intense than at any point during the 2014 war, which killed more than 2,000 Palestinians. The Israeli military said its new strategy, dubbed the “Victory Doctrine”, used a significantly higher tempo and intensity of attacks, across a wider range of targets.
Despite the relentless Israeli bombardment, Hamas continued to fire rockets deep into Israel overnight, directing hundreds more at Tel Aviv, Ashdod and one much further south that landed near an airport close to the Red Sea, where incoming international flights had been rerouted.
The militant group has fired more than 1,500 rockets into Israel since Monday. Nine Israelis, including a soldier and a child, have been killed.
The Arab-Israeli conflict has for more than a decade been dominated by fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinian factions in the occupied territories. But the communal violence inside Israel has added a dangerous new dynamic.
Israeli Arabs account for about one-fifth of the Jewish state’s population, carry Israeli passports and vote in the country’s elections. But they say they suffer from institutional and social discrimination and their sympathy for the Palestinian cause has made them a target for rightwing Israeli politicians.
Several thousand Israeli police have been moved from the occupied West Bank to Israeli cities as part of efforts to stem the communal violence.
Speaking in Lod, a mixed-population town near Tel Aviv that has suffered the worst of the Jewish-Arab fighting, Netanyahu vowed that the security services would be given a free hand to put down the domestic riots. “You have the backing, do not be concerned,” he said. “In putting down rioters one needs to use force, a lot of force.”
The prime minister said he was considering approving the use of administrative detentions, commonly used in the occupied West Bank to detain Palestinians for long periods without access to lawyers, and bringing in the army. That raised fears among Arab Israelis that they could face the same harsh measures Israel has used against Palestinians in occupied territories.
“The intelligence that we have says that it could very well be that we will have an upsurge of violence here in the coming days,” Netanyahu said. “Right now we have no greater threat than these disturbances.”
The violence has underscored the religious tensions that triggered the deepening crisis. Weeks of stand-offs have persisted between Palestinians and Israeli riot police at al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem.
Israeli police stormed the compound, which is sacred to both religions, at least three times in the past week, using rubber bullets, tear gas and stun grenades. At least 600 Palestinians were injured.
Hamas stepped into the fray on Monday, firing long-range rockets after demanding that Jewish settlers in Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem stop harassing Arab residents who were awaiting eviction orders from Israeli courts. Israel responded with hundreds of air strikes on Gaza.
The Gaza Strip is down to about five hours of electricity a day and will probably run out of fuel by Sunday, according to an Israeli security official, speaking on condition of anonymity. In an attempt to choke off Hamas’s access to resources, Israel has, since 2007, imposed a blockade on the Gaza Strip, described by the Palestinians as a siege.
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2021-05-14 08:00:56Z
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Is anyone surprised? EU's botched vaccine rollout means quarter DON'T WANT crucial jabs - Daily Express
The survey published on Thursday showed more than a quarter of adults in the European Union would be unlikely to take the COVID-19 vaccine if it was offered to them.
The results also suggested a strong link between vaccine hesitancy and the use of social media, particularly where social media is the main source of information, according to Eurofound which carried out the survey.
Daphne Ahrendt, Eurofound senior research manager, said: "Unfortunately, these findings reflect a failure to deliver persuasive and clear communication regarding the efficacy and safety of vaccines."
Bulgarians were the most reluctant to get the vaccine, with 67 percent of adults saying they were unlikely or very unlikely to get it.
In Ireland, only 10 percent of adults said they would not get the shot.
The survey found an east-west divide across Europe.
Except for France and Austria, the intention to get vaccinated was above 60 percent in all Western member states - with Nordic and Mediterranean countries, Denmark and Ireland having even higher rates.
The rate of planned uptake in Eastern member states was much lower, ranging from 59 percent in Romania to 33 percent in Bulgaria.
The main influence on vaccine hesitancy was the time spent on social media and which medium was used, the survey said.
READ MORE: Ursula von der Leyen’s vaccine crisis down to EU ‘experience’ problems
Sources close to President Emmanuel Macron warned the government expected difficulties in convincing the “last 10 percent” to receive the vaccine.
The adviser said: “When the last reluctant people see their friends getting together in restaurants and shows again thanks to the vaccine certificate, they will go and get a jab.”
The Oxford jab was snubbed by several EU countries in March, including France, and its use suspended after reports of cases of blood clots as one of the side effects of the jab.
Only a couple of weeks after its resumption, the jab was suspended in Germany for everyone under the age of 60.
The European Medicines Agency and the World Health Organisation have said the benefits outweigh the very rare risks.
AstraZeneca said in March its vaccine was 76 percent effective in preventing symptomatic infections in a US trial, and that studies did not indicate higher risks of clotting.
The EU has accused the drugmaker of over-selling its vaccine and unfairly favouring Britain – a charge denied by the company.
The survey was conducted between February and March 2021, after a full year of living with COVID-19 restrictions across the bloc's 27 member states.
62,518 people were contacted of which 46,800 responded to the survey.
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2021-05-14 07:22:15Z
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Kamis, 13 Mei 2021
Israel-Gaza conflict: How can both parties get back to the negotiating table? - BBC Newsnight - BBC News
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2021-05-13 23:20:43Z
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Covid: US relaxes mask guidance for fully vaccinated Americans - BBC News
Fully vaccinated Americans can stop wearing a face mask in most indoor and outdoor settings, top US health officials have advised.
Physical distancing can also cease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The latest guidance comes as rates of vaccinations begin to slow, with about 35% of Americans now fully vaccinated.
Experts say the change could herald a "return to normalcy". They hope it will encourage more people to get the jab.
In another sign the pandemic is on the wane, the president of the 1.7m-member American Federation of Teachers labour union called on Thursday for schools to fully reopen in the autumn.
It comes after Pfizer's vaccine was approved for children ages 12 to 15.
CDC Director Dr Rochelle Walensky said on Thursday at the White House: "Today, CDC is updating our guidance for fully vaccinated people.
"Anyone who is fully vaccinated can participate in indoor and outdoor activities, large or small, without wearing a mask.
"If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things you have stopped doing because of the pandemic. We have all longed for this moment, when we can get back to some sense of normalcy."
The guidance does not apply to health care facilities or places such as prisons and homeless shelters. Masks are also still advised for planes and other public transport.
The CDC's guidance does not supersede local ordinances, and some businesses may still require customers and workers to wear masks.
In April, the CDC said masks can be avoided for most outdoor activities, but recommended their use in crowded settings.
Dr Walensky said that immunocompromised people may want to consider continuing to wear a mask outdoors. The guidance does not apply to un-vaccinated Americans, and people who experience Covid-19 symptoms should resume using a mask.
Big news from the CDC: If you’re fully vaccinated, you do not need to wear a mask – indoors or outdoors, in most settings.
We’ve gotten this far. Whether you choose to get vaccinated or wear a mask, please protect yourself until we get to the finish line. pic.twitter.com/XI4yPmhWaD
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 13, 2021
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.View original tweet on Twitter
The CDC defines "fully vaccinated" as two weeks after receiving a second jab of a two-dose vaccine, or two weeks after the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The move could alarm some Americans, with less than half of the population fully vaccinated and no way to confirm whether someone has received their shots or not.
President Joe Biden has set a 4 July goal of vaccinating 70% of Americans with at least one jab. Around 250m jabs have been given so far, according to latest estimates.
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2021-05-13 20:37:13Z
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Israel-Gaza: Planes diverted amid rocket threat - BBC News - BBC News
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2021-05-13 19:47:45Z
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