Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Six In The Morning Wednesday 27 March 2024

 

76 killed in Israeli attacks in last 24 hours

  • Attacks continue and the situation on the ground remains dire despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza during Ramadan.
  • Hezbollah launches dozens of rockets at Israeli border town of Kiryat Shmona in response to Israeli strikes on Lebanon’s southern village of al-Habbariyeh that killed seven people.
  • Hamas says Israel is “losing political cover and protection even in the Security Council” and “the US is unable to impose its will on the international community”.
  • At least 32,490 Palestinians have been killed and 74,889 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. The revised death toll in Israel from Hamas’s October 7 attack stands at 1,139 with dozens still held captive.

US imposes sanctions on ‘Hamas-aligned’ fundraising network

The Department of Treasury has said it designated two individuals and three entities as key financial facilitators involved in fundraising for Hamas.

In a statement, the department identified the individuals and entities as: Gaza Now and its founder Mustafa Ayash, as well Al-Qureshi Executives and Aakhirah Limited, and their director Aozma Sultana.

“This action is being taken as part of a collaborative effort with the United Kingdom’s Office of Foreign Sanctions Implementation, which is implementing sanctions on these same targets,” the department said.

There has been no immediate comment from those affected.

The US and UK have already conducted three coordinated sanctions actions related to Hamas fundraising efforts since October 7.


St Helena urged to return remains of 325 formerly enslaved people to Africa

British overseas territory may face legal action over alleged failure to honour reburial plan after remains found during airport project

A British overseas territory is being urged to return the remains of 325 formerly enslaved people to their ancestral kingdoms in Africa, or potentially face legal action.

The remains were excavated in 2008 when an access road to a new airport was being built on the remote South Atlantic Ocean island of St Helena. They were held in storage for 14 years before being reburied.


India summons US diplomat over Kejriwal comments

India's Foreign Ministry has protested after the US joined Germany in raising concerns over the arrest of a leading opposition politician, Arvind Kejriwal. New Delhi summoned a US diplomat on Wednesday.

India's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that it had summoned a US diplomat to protest, two days after Washington said it was closely following the arrest of a senior opposition politician and that it encouraged a "fair, transparent and timely legal process" in the case.

Local broadcasters showed the senior US diplomat Gloria Berbena entering the Foreign Ministry on Wednesday. 

"India's legal processes are based on an independent judiciary which is committed to objective and timely outcomes. Casting aspersions on that is unwarranted," the Foreign Ministry said. 


French principal’s resignation over veil death threats sparks uproar

French politicians from across the political spectrum Wednesday denounced what they called an "Islamist" attack on education after a school principal resigned following death threats over a Muslim veil. 

The headmaster at a high school and college in eastern Paris quit after receiving death threats online following an altercation with a student, officials told AFP on Tuesday.

In late February, he had asked three students to remove their headscarves on school premises, but one of them refused and an altercation ensued, according to prosecutors. He later received death threats online.

According to a school letter sent to teachers, pupils and parents on Tuesday, the principal stood down for "security reasons", while education officials said he had taken "early retirement".

Yen falls to 34-year low against dollar

The yen hit a 34-year low against the dollar on Wednesday, just over a week after the Bank of Japan announced a much-anticipated interest rate hike in a shift away from years of ultra-loose monetary policy.

The unit weakened to 151.97 per dollar, its softest since 1990, before recovering to levels of around 151.72.

The drop came after a top central bank official suggested it would continue to pursue an accommodative policy for the time being, echoing previous comments from the BOJ.

Haiti: US guns pour into Port-au-Prince, fuelling surge in violence


By Nomia Iqbal,BBC News, Cap-Haitien, Haiti

Haiti is a state out of action.

More than two weeks after the country's prime minister resigned, following a surge of violence in Port-au-Prince, details of a presidential transitional council have still not been revealed.

One of the challenges this council will have to face is the illegal trafficking of guns, which has powered the gangs which have taken over.

The escalation in violence has sparked an exodus from the capital.

Among those leaving is 14-year-old David Charles whose father Israel is nervous with excitement as he waits for his son's bus to arrive in Cap-Haitien.

A coach with boarded-up windows pulls up to the side of the road. He smiles in anticipation. His 14-year-old son David soon walks down the stairs with his luggage. They embrace tightly.






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