Muslims spot Ramadan crescent moon in Saudi Arabia - The Independent

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails

Sign up to our free breaking news emails

Officials saw the crescent moon Sunday night in Saudi Arabia, home to the holiest sites in Islam, marking the start of the holy fasting month of Ramadan for many of the world's 1.8 billion Muslims.

The sacred month, which sees those observing abstain from food and water from sunrise to sunset, marks a period of religious reflection, family get-togethers and giving across the Muslim world. Seeing the moon Sunday night means Monday is the first day of the fast.

Saudi state television reported authorities there saw the crescent moon.

However, there are some Asian countries, like Australia, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, that will begin Ramadan on Tuesday after failing to see the crescent moon.

This year's Ramadan comes as the Middle East remains inflamed by Israel's ongoing war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. That's raised fears that the conflict may spark unrest far beyond the current borders of the war. Meanwhile, inflation and high prices of food around the world since the pandemic continue to pinch

A woman shops for decorations for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan at a shop in Beirut, Lebanon

(Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

In Saudi Arabia, the kingdom had been urging the public to watch the skies from Sunday night in preparation for the sighting of the crescent moon. Ramadan works on a lunar calendar and moon-sighting methodologies often vary between countries, meaning some nations declare the start of the month earlier or later.

However, many Sunni-dominated nations in the Middle East follow the lead of Saudi Arabia, home to Mecca and its cube-shaped Kaaba that Muslims pray toward five times a day.

In Iran, which views itself as the worldwide leader of Islam's minority branch Shiites, authorities typically begin Ramadan a day after Sunnis start.

During Ramadan, those observing typically break their fast with a date and water, following the tradition set by the Prophet Muhammad. Then they'll enjoy an “iftar,” or a large meal. They'll have a pre-dawn meal, or “suhoor,” to sustain themselves during the daylight hours.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar; the month cycles through the seasons and the months in the Gregorian calendar.

Muslims try to avoid conflict and focus on acts of charity during the holy month. However, the war in the Gaza Strip is looming large over this year's Ramadan for many Muslims.

The war began Oct. 7 with Hamas' attack on Israel that killed some 1,200 people and saw 250 others taken hostage. Israel responded with a grinding war targeting the Gaza Strip that so far has seen over 30,000 Palestinians killed and an intense siege of the seaside enclave cutting off electricity, food and water.

Scenes of Palestinians praying before bombed-out mosques and chasing after food airdropped by foreign nations continue to anger those across the Middle East and the wider world. The U.S. has been pressuring Israel, which relies on American military hardware and support, to allow more food in as Ramadan begins. It also plans a sea corridor with other partners.

The war, as well as Israeli restrictions on Muslims praying at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third-holiest site, may further inflame militant anger. The site is also known as the Temple Mount, which Jews consider their most sacred site.

The Islamic State group, which once held a self-described caliphate across territory in Iraq and Syria, has launched attacks around Ramadan as well. Though now splintered, the group has tried to capitalize on the Israel-Hamas war to raise its profile.

War also continues to rage across Sudan despite efforts to try and reach a Ramadan cease-fire.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiXWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmluZGVwZW5kZW50LmNvLnVrL25ld3Mvd29ybGQvbWlkZGxlLWVhc3QvcmFtYWRhbi1tb29uLXNpZ2h0aW5nLTIwMjQtYjI1MTA0NTcuaHRtbNIBAA?oc=5

2024-03-11 05:05:29Z
CBMiXWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmluZGVwZW5kZW50LmNvLnVrL25ld3Mvd29ybGQvbWlkZGxlLWVhc3QvcmFtYWRhbi1tb29uLXNpZ2h0aW5nLTIwMjQtYjI1MTA0NTcuaHRtbNIBAA

Centre right wins Portuguese election as far right surges - BBC

TIAGO PETINGA/EPA-EFE

By Paul Kirby in London & Alison Roberts in Lisbon

BBC News

Portugal's centre right has claimed a narrow election victory, but has little chance of forming a majority government.

Democratic Alliance leader Luís Montenegro told supporters that the Portuguese had voted for change, although the margin of victory was less than convincing.

Both main parties polled about 29% of the vote.

Only the far-right Chega could claim a clear-cut success.

Five years after it broke into Portuguese politics, the party led by former football pundit André Ventura has secured 18% of the vote and 48 seats in the 230-seat parliament.

Political commentators say Portugal is facing its most fragmented parliament since the end of its dictatorship half a century ago.

Ten million Portuguese had the chance to cast their vote in Sunday's snap election, four months after Socialist Prime Minister António Costa stood down amid corruption allegations, even though he was never named as a suspect.

It was Mr Costa who warned Portuguese TV viewers late on Sunday night that they could be heading for a "possible tie" between the Socialists (PS) and the centre-right Democratic Alliance, with only four seats outside Portugal yet to declare.

But not long afterwards, the man who replaced him as Socialist leader, Pedro Nuno Santos, conceded victory, announcing: "We are going to lead the opposition, we will renew the party and attempt to retrieve those Portuguese who are unhappy with the PS."

Luís Montenegro told supporters that he was now convinced that the president of the republic would hand the centre right the task of forming the next government.

"I always said winning the elections would mean having one vote more than any other candidate, and only in those circumstances would I accept to be prime minister."

With all the votes counted, other than the four external seats, his Democratic Alliance was on 79 seats, two more than his Socialist rivals.

He said the voters had made clear they wanted a new government, a change of policies and greater priority given to dialogue between political leaders.

Former centre-right leader Luís Marques Mendes said there had never been an election night like this before: "I think we'll have fresh elections early next year."

It had all looked so much clearer when exit polls gave the centre right a clearer margin of victory. Supporters chanted "Portugal, Portugal" as their leader's face appeared on TV screens.

Turnout was the highest for years, at 66%, even though the last elections were only two years ago.

What was soon evident was that the far-right Chega (Enough) party had cemented its bid to be the third force in Portuguese politics.

Reuters

André Ventura's party secured 18% of the vote, after a campaign focused on corruption and immigration.

A former centre-right councillor, he and his party have set their hopes on becoming a kingmaker, and they hailed an "absolutely historic" night.

"This is the night that two-party rule ended in Portugal," he told cheering supporters. "Chega has historically surpassed one million votes in Portugal."

Luís Montenegro has already condemned Mr Ventura, a former party colleague, as xenophobic and racist and in his victory speech he made clear he would not make any deals with him.

The populists made dramatic gains, especially in the south including the Algarve, but fared less well in the northern coastal city of Porto.

The centre right has not been without its own problems. The Social Democratic Party, which dominates the Democratic Alliance, has been implicated in a regional scandal in Madeira.

The Chega leader said his party was ready to help build the next government. But even though he has watered down some of his policies, abandoning demands for chemical castration for rapists, there seems little chance of him having any role at this stage.

It is also clear that the two big parties will not find enough common ground between themselves to form a government.

That leaves the centre right looking at months of minority government, with the difficult task of securing support for next year's budget in October.

Socialist Finance Minister Fernando Medina warned of a political picture of "great fragility and instability".

After years of economic gloom, the Socialists can claim to have returned Portugal to growth of 2.3% last year, even though forecasts for 2024 are less rosy.

However, salaries are low and rents are soaring, which have led to increased dissatisfaction with the centre left.

Former presidential candidate Ana Gomes suggested that many voters in the Algarve may have backed Chega because the government had failed to respond to people's problems such as price rises and cuts in water supplies.

Related Topics

• Portugal

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiMGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3dvcmxkLWV1cm9wZS02ODUyNjgzM9IBNGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3dvcmxkLWV1cm9wZS02ODUyNjgzMy5hbXA?oc=5

2024-03-11 02:27:40Z
CBMiMGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3dvcmxkLWV1cm9wZS02ODUyNjgzM9IBNGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3dvcmxkLWV1cm9wZS02ODUyNjgzMy5hbXA

Europe unprepared for rapidly growing climate risks, report finds - The Guardian

Europe is not prepared for the rapidly growing climate risks it faces, the European Environment Agency (EEA) has said in its first risk assessment.

From wildfires burning down homes to violent weather straining public finances, the report says more action is needed to address half of the 36 significant climate risks with potentially severe consequences that it identifies for Europe. Five more risks need urgent action, the report says.

“Our new analysis shows that Europe faces urgent climate risks that are growing faster than our societal preparedness,” said Leena Ylä-Mononen, the EEA’s executive director.

The report looks at how severe the climate threats are and how well prepared Europe is to deal with them. It says the most pressing risks – which are growing worse as fossil fuel pollution heats the planet – are heat stress, flash floods and river floods, the health of coastal and marine ecosystems, and the need for solidarity funds to recover from disasters.

When the researchers reassessed six of the risks for southern Europe, which they described as a “hotspot” region, they found urgent action was also needed to keep crops safe and to protect people, buildings and nature from wildfires.

There is increasing evidence of adaptation but “it’s certainly not enough”, said Robbert Biesbroek, a report author from Wageningen University, who also co-led the chapter on Europe in the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report on adaptation.

“It’s not going quickly enough and it’s not reaching the ones that need it most,” he said. “It’s quite scary in that sense.”

The report also warns of “cascading and compounding” risks, which it says current stress tests in the financial sector are likely to underestimate. Hot weather will dry out southern Europe, for instance, killing crops and shrinking water supplies, but will also harden soils, making flash floods more likely, and dry out vegetation, meaning wildfires can spread faster.

Governments trying to respond to several crises will be more stretched for resources, as will communities that fail to prepare.

“The risks are simply outpacing the developments of policies,” said Blaž Kurnik, the head of the EEA impacts and adaptation group.

Europe has heated up more than any other continent since the Industrial Revolution. It has heated about twice as fast as the global average as carbon dioxide has clogged the atmosphere and trapped sunlight.

The researchers looked at two possible scenarios of low and high warming over the century. They did not consider potential tipping points in the climate system, arguing that the effects of such dramatic changes would unfold over longer time periods and so did not change the urgency of action in the short term.

Daniela Schmidt, of Bristol University, who sat on the advisory board of the report but was not involved in writing it, said the geographical granularity that the report offered was important but questioned whether another report on risks was needed.

She said: “Will it increase the action, will it make people more ready, to have more information about what those key risks for us are looking like?”

Schmidt, who also co-led the chapter on Europe for the IPCC report on adaptation, said people should understand that governments, cities and individuals had agency to reduce risks – and that actions to do so would come with benefits such as cleaner air and better housing. “How can we facilitate that people know they have the power to do something?” she said

The European Commission said it would present a communication on managing climate risks early this week.

The EEA report says several climate risks have already reached critical levels. If decisive action is not taken now, it says, most climate risks could reach critical or catastrophic levels by the end of this century.

“This should be the final wake-up call,” said Ylä-Mononen.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiYmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRoZWd1YXJkaWFuLmNvbS9lbnZpcm9ubWVudC8yMDI0L21hci8xMC9ldXJvcGUtdW5wcmVwYXJlZC1mb3ItY2xpbWF0ZS1yaXNrcy1lZWEtcmVwb3J00gFiaHR0cHM6Ly9hbXAudGhlZ3VhcmRpYW4uY29tL2Vudmlyb25tZW50LzIwMjQvbWFyLzEwL2V1cm9wZS11bnByZXBhcmVkLWZvci1jbGltYXRlLXJpc2tzLWVlYS1yZXBvcnQ?oc=5

2024-03-10 23:01:00Z
CBMiYmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRoZWd1YXJkaWFuLmNvbS9lbnZpcm9ubWVudC8yMDI0L21hci8xMC9ldXJvcGUtdW5wcmVwYXJlZC1mb3ItY2xpbWF0ZS1yaXNrcy1lZWEtcmVwb3J00gFiaHR0cHM6Ly9hbXAudGhlZ3VhcmRpYW4uY29tL2Vudmlyb25tZW50LzIwMjQvbWFyLzEwL2V1cm9wZS11bnByZXBhcmVkLWZvci1jbGltYXRlLXJpc2tzLWVlYS1yZXBvcnQ

US 'feared nuclear attack' as Pope criticised for 'white flag' comment - The Independent

Navalny supporters chant outside funeral service in Moscow

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails

Sign up to our free breaking news emails

The US asked China and India for help in dissuading Russia from carrying out a nuclear strike in 2022, a US official told CNN - as the Pope provoked anger for saying Ukraine should have the courage to “raise the white flag”.

“One of the things we did was not only message them directly but strongly urge, press, encourage other countries, to whom they might be more attentive, to do the same thing,” they said, per the report.

The official added the diplomatic pressure “may have had some effect” on Russia’s thinking.

“The concern from key countries for Russia and the Global South, was also a helpful, persuasive factor and showed them what the cost of all this could be,” another US official told CNN.

It came as Ukrainian and allied officials have criticised Pope Francis for saying Kyiv should have the “courage” to negotiate an end to the war with Russia, a statement many interpreted as a call on Ukraine to surrender.

In an interview recorded last month with Swiss broadcaster RSI and partially released on Saturday, Francis used the phrase “the courage of the white flag” as he argued that Ukraine, facing a possible defeat, should be open to peace talks brokered by international powers.

1710097239

Glory to heroes! Georgia mourns two soldiers killed on front lines

Two more soldiers of the Georgian Legion, fighting Russian forces, have been killed in Ukraine, according to the force.

A Georgian Legion Facebook post announced the deaths of Nodar Nasirov and Giorgi Gogiashvili on Sunday.

It is unknown where on the front line they were killed.

A spokesman said: “Nodar Nasirov and Giorgi Gogiashvili soldiers of the Georgian Legion, died while performing combat duties on the front line.

“The Georgian Legion expresses its condolences to the families of the deceased. Glory to the heroes!”

(Facebook)

Barney Davis10 March 2024 19:00

1710094899

Russia replaces navy chief, Fontanka reports

Russia has appointed Admiral Alexander Moiseev as acting commander-in-chief of the Russian navy, the Fontanka news outlet reported on Sunday, citing unidentified sources.

Reuters could not immediately verify the Fontanka report which said that Moiseev, 61, currently commander of the Northern Fleet, will soon be appointed as naval commander-in-chief on a permanent basis.

Fontanka, a private news service based in St Petersburg, did not mention any reason for the appointment. It said the navy’s press service redirected its request for a comment to the defence ministry which did not respond to a request for comment.

Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov, navy commander-in-chief since May 2019, is still listed in that role on the defence ministry’s website.

Ukraine has in recent months stepped up attacks in the Black Sea and on Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014.

Kyiv has reported a series of strikes, including the sinking of a large landing ship by naval drones in mid-February and a patrol ship this week. Russia has not acknowledged any such losses.

Barney Davis10 March 2024 18:21

1710091059

‘The Kremlin tried to recruit me – but when I condemned the war, I was forced into exile’

Pinchas Goldschmidt, the chief Rabbi of Moscow, witnessed first-hand the rise of Putin, writes Adam Luck. Now that he’s fled the country after criticising the Ukraine war, he has a stark warning for the West – the Russian leader has his sights set on more than just Kyiv...

When the chief rabbi of Moscow was summoned by Putin’s FSB agents to Sadovnicheskaya Street police station in 2003, they had one goal: to turn him into a Russian agent.

Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, who had been chief rabbi for the previous decade, was able to resist the Russian state in their efforts to turn him. But when Russia invaded Ukraine two years ago, his time was up.

Barney Davis10 March 2024 17:17

1710090039

Investigators bust ring trafficking Indians to fight for Russia in Ukraine

Barney Davis10 March 2024 17:00

1710087524

Flights resume at airport after Ukrainain drone shot down

Pulkovo airport in Saint Petersburg has resumed operations as Russian Defence Ministry said a Ukrainian drone was shot down in the neighbouring Leningrad region on Sunday.

Alexander Drozdenko, the Leningrad region’s governor, adjacent to Saint Petersburg, said on Telegram that airspace was sealed off due to the drone, which did not inflict any damage or casualties.

The airport and Rosaviatsia, the country’s aviation watchdog, did not say why the restrictions had been imposed

Barney Davis10 March 2024 16:18

1710083236

Pope criticised for ‘white flag’ comment

Ukrainian and allied officials have criticised Pope Francis for saying Kyiv should have the “courage” to negotiate an end to the war with Russia, a statement many interpreted as a call on Ukraine to surrender.

The foreign minister of Poland, a vocal ally of Kyiv, and Ukraine’s ambassador to the Vatican both used Second World War analogies to condemn the pope’s remarks, while a leader of one of Ukraine’s Christian churches said on Sunday that only the country’s determined resistance to Russia’s aggression had prevented a mass slaughter of civilians.

In an interview recorded last month with Swiss broadcaster RSI and partially released on Saturday, Francis used the phrase “the courage of the white flag” as he argued that Ukraine, facing a possible defeat, should be open to peace talks brokered by international powers.

“How about, for balance, encouraging (Russian President Vladimir) Putin to have the courage to withdraw his army from Ukraine? Peace would immediately ensue without the need for negotiations,” Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski responded with a post on X, formerly Twitter.

In a separate post, Mr Sikorski drew parallels between those calling for negotiations while “denying (Ukraine) the means to defend itself” and European leaders’ “appeasement” of Adolf Hitler just before the Second World War.

Andrii Yurash, Ukraine’s ambassador to the Holy See, said it is “necessary to learn lessons” from that conflict. His post on X appeared to compare the pope’s comments to calls for “talking with Hitler” while raising “a white flag to satisfy him”.

A Vatican spokesman later clarified that the pope supported “a stop to hostilities (and) a truce achieved with the courage of negotiations”, rather than an outright Ukrainian surrender.

Vatican Pope

(Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Barney Davis10 March 2024 15:07

1710077434

Female soldier explains why she fights for Ukraine

Barney Davis10 March 2024 13:30

1710074758

Two trapped under rubble after Russian kamikaze drone strike

Donetsk has suffered destruction and at least two civilians are believed to have been trapped under the rubble after a Russian drone strike.

“After midnight, enemy drones hit Dobropillia, causing destruction in the residential sector. Two civilians are likely under the rubble,” a local police report says on Telegram.

According to the police report, a person was killed, 14 residents were injured, residential buildings and a church were damaged in Donetsk region as a result of Russian strikes.

As Russian artillery pummeled Chasiv Yar, a civilian was killed and two apartment blocks sustained damage.

According to local authorities, 134 people, including 23 children, were evacuated from front line settlements in Donetsk region over the past 24 hours.

(Telegram)

Barney Davis10 March 2024 12:45

1710072789

Russian gas pipeline explodes in huge fireball after series of ‘Ukrainian strikes’

Vladamir Putin’s key Russian gas pipeline erupted into a huge fireball after a series of “Ukrainian strikes”.

The major explosion hit the key Russian gas pipeline for the second time in ten months.

According to the Telegram channel Shot, the explosion occurred near the village of Lykhma, in the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug (KhMAO).

Footage filmed several miles away captured the glow from the inferno that engulfed the Yamburg-Yelets 1 main supply pipe.

The cause of the explosion is being investigated and comes amid a series of sabotage strikes on key Russian energy facilities linked to the war in Ukraine.

The Independent has not been able to independently verify the footage.

Russian gas pipeline explodes in huge fireball after series of ‘Ukrainian strikes’

Vladamir Putin’s key Russian gas pipeline erupted into a huge fireball after a series of "Ukrainian strikes". The major explosion hit the key Russian gas pipeline for the second time in ten months. According to the Telegram channel Shot, the explosion occurred near the village of Lykhma, in the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug (KhMAO). Footage filmed several miles away captured the glow from the inferno that engulfed the Yamburg-Yelets 1 main supply pipe. The cause of the explosion is being investigated and comes amid a series of sabotage strikes on key Russian energy facilities linked to the war in Ukraine. The Independent has not been able to independently verify the footage.

Barney Davis10 March 2024 12:13

1710071953

Moldova facing Russian threat as it turns towards EU

The past two years have been the hardest and most tumultuous for European Union candidate Moldova in more than three decades as it faces threats from Russia in multiple spheres of public life, the country’s foreign minister says.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, its neighbour Moldova has faced a litany of crises that have at times raised fears the country is also in Russia’s crosshairs.

These included errant missiles landing on its territory; a severe energy crisis after Moscow dramatically reduced gas supplies; rampant inflation; and protests by pro-Russia parties against the pro-Western government. Moldova has also taken in the highest number of Ukrainian refugees per capita of any country.

“This past two years without exaggeration have been by far the most difficult in the past 30 years,” Mihai Popsoi, appointed foreign minister in late January, told The Associated Press in an interview.

Moldova gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, but Russia continues to see the country — sandwiched between Ukraine and EU member Romania — as within its sphere of influence.

Barney Davis10 March 2024 11:59

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiaWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmluZGVwZW5kZW50LmNvLnVrL25ld3Mvd29ybGQvZXVyb3BlL3J1c3NpYS11a3JhaW5lLXdhci1wdXRpbi1uYXRvLXRyb29wcy1sYXRlc3QtYjI1MTAyNTIuaHRtbNIBAA?oc=5

2024-03-10 19:00:39Z
CBMiaWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmluZGVwZW5kZW50LmNvLnVrL25ld3Mvd29ybGQvZXVyb3BlL3J1c3NpYS11a3JhaW5lLXdhci1wdXRpbi1uYXRvLXRyb29wcy1sYXRlc3QtYjI1MTAyNTIuaHRtbNIBAA

Nigeria: Fifteen children kidnapped from Sokoto school just two days after nearly 300 students taken hostage - Sky News

Fifteen children were kidnapped from a school in Nigeria, almost two days after around 300 students were taken hostage.

Gunmen invaded the Gidan Bakuso village in Sokoto state at about 1am (12am UK time) on Saturday, police spokesman Ahmad Rufa'i said.

The gang seized the children from their hostel before security forces could arrive, and also abducted one woman from the village.

Mr Rufa'i said that a police tactical squad was deployed to search for the students, but added that inaccessible roads in the area have hindered the rescue mission.

"It is a remote village (and) vehicles cannot go there," he said. "They (the police squad) had to use motorcycles to the village."

School owner Liman Abubakar Bakuso told Reuters that the gunmen sporadically fired shots while in the village and that students ran for cover in panic.

"They succeeded in abducting 15 of my students, the oldest being 20 and 15, but all the others are below 13," he said.

More on Nigeria

Related Topics:

"We are in a state of panic and have been praying hard for their safe release."

Image: Police spokesman Ahmad Rufa'i said a tactical squad was deployed to search for the students. Pic: AP / Sunday Alamba

It is the third mass abduction in the West African nation in less than a week, after at least 287 school pupils were taken by gunmen attacking a school.

Advertisement

Locals told reporters that gunmen surrounded the school in Kuriga town around 8am local time on Thursday, just as classes were about to start.

"We will ensure that every child will come back," Uba Sani, governor of Kaduna state, told villagers on Thursday. "We are working with the security agencies."

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

1:47

Nigerian gunmen abduct 287 students

On 6 March, a group suspected to be Islamist insurgents abducted 50 people, mostly women, in the remote Gamboru area - on the border with Chad and Cameroon.

No group claimed responsibility for any of the abductions.

On Saturday, Nigeria's vice president Kashim Shettima met with some parents of the abducted Kuriga students, and assured them of efforts to find and rescue the children.

Read more:
On board Jordan's flight airdropping aid to desperate Gazans
Nigeria bank boss killed in California helicopter crash

Image: A women prays for the kidnapped LEA Primary and Secondary School students in Kuriga, Kaduna state. Pic: AP

The latest kidnapping also comes a decade after members of the Islamist militant group Boko Haram abducted 276 female students in a night-time attack.

According to Amnesty International, more than 90 of the kidnapped students are still missing after being taken from a government secondary school in the Borno state town of Chibokare.

Some 1,500 students have been kidnapped in raids since 2014. In recent years, the abductions have been concentrated in northwestern and central regions, where dozens of armed groups often target villagers and travellers for huge ransoms.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijwFodHRwczovL25ld3Muc2t5LmNvbS9zdG9yeS9uaWdlcmlhLWZpZnRlZW4tY2hpbGRyZW4ta2lkbmFwcGVkLWZyb20tc29rb3RvLXNjaG9vbC1qdXN0LXR3by1kYXlzLWFmdGVyLW5lYXJseS0zMDAtc3R1ZGVudHMtdGFrZW4taG9zdGFnZS0xMzA5MTU0ONIBkwFodHRwczovL25ld3Muc2t5LmNvbS9zdG9yeS9hbXAvbmlnZXJpYS1maWZ0ZWVuLWNoaWxkcmVuLWtpZG5hcHBlZC1mcm9tLXNva290by1zY2hvb2wtanVzdC10d28tZGF5cy1hZnRlci1uZWFybHktMzAwLXN0dWRlbnRzLXRha2VuLWhvc3RhZ2UtMTMwOTE1NDg?oc=5

2024-03-09 23:21:59Z
CBMijwFodHRwczovL25ld3Muc2t5LmNvbS9zdG9yeS9uaWdlcmlhLWZpZnRlZW4tY2hpbGRyZW4ta2lkbmFwcGVkLWZyb20tc29rb3RvLXNjaG9vbC1qdXN0LXR3by1kYXlzLWFmdGVyLW5lYXJseS0zMDAtc3R1ZGVudHMtdGFrZW4taG9zdGFnZS0xMzA5MTU0ONIBkwFodHRwczovL25ld3Muc2t5LmNvbS9zdG9yeS9hbXAvbmlnZXJpYS1maWZ0ZWVuLWNoaWxkcmVuLWtpZG5hcHBlZC1mcm9tLXNva290by1zY2hvb2wtanVzdC10d28tZGF5cy1hZnRlci1uZWFybHktMzAwLXN0dWRlbnRzLXRha2VuLWhvc3RhZ2UtMTMwOTE1NDg

Irish voters reject constitutional referendums on women and the family - Financial Times

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

1. Irish voters reject constitutional referendums on women and the family  Financial Times
2. Irish referendums: Voters reject changes to family and care definition  BBC
3. Political analysis to begin on rejection of referendums  RTE.ie
4. Irish voters overwhelmingly reject proposed changes to constitution  The Guardian
5. Leo Varadkar suffers resounding defeat on double referendum to modernise Ireland's constitution  The Telegraph

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiP2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmZ0LmNvbS9jb250ZW50LzU2ODM4MTBlLWM1YjUtNGJjYy1hODYxLTc5YzU0ZmZlNzQyN9IBAA?oc=5

2024-03-09 21:32:12Z
CBMiP2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmZ0LmNvbS9jb250ZW50LzU2ODM4MTBlLWM1YjUtNGJjYy1hODYxLTc5YzU0ZmZlNzQyN9IBAA

US military ship heading to Gaza to build port - BBC

US Central Command

By Tiffany Wertheimer

BBC News

A US military ship is sailing towards the Middle East, carrying equipment to build a temporary pier off the coast of Gaza, the army says.

The support ship, General Frank S Besson, set sail from a military base in the state of Virginia on Saturday.

It comes after President Joe Biden said the US would build the floating harbour to help get aid into Gaza by sea.

The UN has warned that famine in the Gaza Strip is "almost inevitable" and children are starving to death.

Aid deliveries by land and air have proved difficult and dangerous.

The World Food Programme had to pause land deliveries after its convoys came under gunfire and looting. And on Friday, there were reports that five people had been killed by a falling aid package, when its parachute failed to open properly.

• Why food airdrops into Gaza are controversial
• Why are Israel and Hamas fighting in Gaza?

The US ship departed "less than 36 hours" after Mr Biden made his announcement, US Central Command wrote on X.

It is "carrying the first equipment to establish a temporary pier to deliver vital humanitarian supplies" to Gaza, the statement continued.

The Pentagon has said it could take up to 60 days to build the pier with the help of 1,000 troops - none of whom would go ashore.

Charities have said those suffering in Gaza cannot wait that long.

Meanwhile, an aid ship laden with some 200 tonnes of food was still waiting for clearance to set sail from a port in Cyprus on Sunday morning.

It is hoped the vessel, Open Arms, will be able to depart before Monday, following an EU announcement that a new sea route would be opened over the weekend to allow aid to sail directly from Cyprus - the closest EU country to Gaza.

WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN/OPEN ARMS

The ship belongs to the Spanish charity of the same name, Open Arms, and the food on board has been provided by US charity World Central Kitchen.

It is unclear how any aid delivered by sea would get safely to shore before the US pier is built. Gaza has no functioning port and its surrounding waters are too shallow for large vessels.

However Oscar Camps, the founder of Open Arms, told the Associated Press that at the destination point - which remains a secret - a team from the World Central Kitchen has been building a pier to receive the aid.

Israel has welcomed the ocean initiative, and said aid would be delivered after security checks were carried out in Cyprus "in accordance with Israeli standards".

Israel's military launched an air and ground campaign in the Gaza Strip after Hamas's attacks on Israel on 7 October, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 253 others were taken hostage.

More than 30,900 people have been killed in Gaza since then, the territory's Hamas-run health ministry says.

The conflict has created a growing humanitarian crisis, and the UN has warned that at least 576,000 people across the Gaza Strip - one quarter of the population - are facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity.

Western countries have pressed Israel to expand land deliveries by facilitating more routes and opening additional crossings.

Lorries have been entering the south of Gaza through the Egyptian-controlled Rafah crossing and the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing. But the north, which was the focus of the first phase of the Israeli ground offensive, has been largely cut off from assistance in recent months.

An estimated 300,000 Palestinians are living there with little food or clean water.

Israel has been accused of hampering aid efforts, and an independent UN expert last week accused it of mounting "a starvation campaign against the Palestinian people in Gaza".

Yeela Cytrin, a legal adviser at the Israeli mission to the UN, responded that "Israel utterly rejects allegations that it is using starvation as a tool of war", before walking out in protest.

Related Topics

• Middle East
• Israel-Gaza war
• Gaza

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiM2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3dvcmxkLXVzLWNhbmFkYS02ODUyNjUwM9IBN2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3dvcmxkLXVzLWNhbmFkYS02ODUyNjUwMy5hbXA?oc=5

2024-03-10 03:29:20Z
CBMiM2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3dvcmxkLXVzLWNhbmFkYS02ODUyNjUwM9IBN2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3dvcmxkLXVzLWNhbmFkYS02ODUyNjUwMy5hbXA