The United Nations' cultural arm declared the Old City of Hebron a protected heritage site in a secret ballot, an issue that has triggered a new Israeli-Palestinian spat at the international body.
UNESCO voted 12 to three - with six abstentions - to give heritage status to Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Hebron is home to more than 200,000 Palestinians and a few hundred Israeli settlers, who live in a heavily fortified enclave near the site known to Muslims as the Ibrahimi Mosque and to Jews as the Tomb of the Patriarchs.
The resolution, brought by the Palestinians and which declares Hebron's Old City as an area of outstanding universal value, was fast-tracked on the basis that the site was under threat, with the Palestinians accusing Israel of an "alarming" number of violations, including vandalism and damage to properties.
On Tuesday in a separate vote, the heritage committee backed a resolution condemning Israeli actions in Jerusalem, sparking Israeli anger.
Israel says the Hebron resolution - which refers to the city as Islamic - denies thousands of years of Jewish connection there.
Hebron claims to be one of the oldest cities in the world, dating from the chalcolithic period or more than 3,000 years BC, the UNESCO resolution said.
The resolution is seen as a victory for Palestinian diplomacy and would be cited by Israel as a fresh example of what it alleges is the UN's inherent anti-Israel bias.
In May Israel reacted furiously after UNESCO passed a separate resolution on Jerusalem, and has recently prevented UNESCO researchers from visiting Hebron.
Friday, July 7, 2017
Charlie Gard offered experimental drug by US hospital
An American hospital has offered to bring an experimental drug to the UK to treat terminally-ill Charlie Gard.
The hospital in New York has also said it is prepared to admit 11-month-old Charlie if "legal hurdles" can be cleared.
It is the latest intervention after US President Donald Trump and Pope Francis offered their help and prayers.
Chris Gard and Connie Yates, Charlie's parents, have been fighting a long legal battle with doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London who say the treatment would not help the child.
The US hospital said that it would treat Charlie with an experimental drug pending approval from government regulators, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
In a statement, the hospital said it has "agreed to admit and evaluate Charlie, provided that arrangements are made to safely transfer him to our facility, legal hurdles are cleared, and we receive emergency approval from the FDA for an experimental treatment as appropriate".
The hospital in New York has also said it is prepared to admit 11-month-old Charlie if "legal hurdles" can be cleared.
It is the latest intervention after US President Donald Trump and Pope Francis offered their help and prayers.
Chris Gard and Connie Yates, Charlie's parents, have been fighting a long legal battle with doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London who say the treatment would not help the child.
The US hospital said that it would treat Charlie with an experimental drug pending approval from government regulators, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
In a statement, the hospital said it has "agreed to admit and evaluate Charlie, provided that arrangements are made to safely transfer him to our facility, legal hurdles are cleared, and we receive emergency approval from the FDA for an experimental treatment as appropriate".
Trump and Putin at G20: meeting for the first time
Donald Trump has met Vladimir Putin face-to-face for the first time, with images showing the two leaders sharing a warm handshake.
The meeting took place during the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. While the US and Russian presidents have previously spoken on the phone, they have never before met in person.
Footage released by the German government shows the pair smiling and shaking hands, before Mr Trump gives the Russian premier a friendly pat on the arm.
The two leaders will hold a longer meeting later in the day, which Russian media reports is scheduled to last one hour. Rex Tillerson, the US Secretary of State, and Sergei Lavrov, Russia's Foreign Minister, are also likely to be present for the talks.
Issues likely to be discussed include the ongoing conflict in Syria, the threat posed by North Korea and climate change.
Mr Trump and Mr Putin have taken different positions on a range of international issues. Russia is a strong supporter of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, while the US is backing rebel opposition groups in Syria.
And Mr Putin has urged action to tackle climate change, whereas Donald Trump pulled the US out of the Paris Agreement that seeks to reduce CO2 emissions.
The US President used a speech in Warsaw, Poland, earlier in the week to urge Russia to stop "destabilising" Europe and instead "join the fight against common enemies and in defence of civilisation itself".
At home, Mr Trump is facing a host of inquiries into his alleged links with Russia. A special prosecutor, the FBI and several congressional committees are all investigating whether the businessman and his campaign team colluded with Moscow in order to influence the outcome of last year's US presidential election.
The start of the G20 summit, which runs from Friday to Sunday, was marred by violent protests in Hamburg. Protestors set fire to cars and threw rocks at the windows of banks and shops.
Mr Trump's wife, Melania, was reportedly unable to leave her hotel while German's Finance Minister, Wolfgang Schauble, was forced to cancel an event due to security fears.
The meeting took place during the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. While the US and Russian presidents have previously spoken on the phone, they have never before met in person.
Footage released by the German government shows the pair smiling and shaking hands, before Mr Trump gives the Russian premier a friendly pat on the arm.
The two leaders will hold a longer meeting later in the day, which Russian media reports is scheduled to last one hour. Rex Tillerson, the US Secretary of State, and Sergei Lavrov, Russia's Foreign Minister, are also likely to be present for the talks.
Issues likely to be discussed include the ongoing conflict in Syria, the threat posed by North Korea and climate change.
Mr Trump and Mr Putin have taken different positions on a range of international issues. Russia is a strong supporter of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, while the US is backing rebel opposition groups in Syria.
And Mr Putin has urged action to tackle climate change, whereas Donald Trump pulled the US out of the Paris Agreement that seeks to reduce CO2 emissions.
The US President used a speech in Warsaw, Poland, earlier in the week to urge Russia to stop "destabilising" Europe and instead "join the fight against common enemies and in defence of civilisation itself".
At home, Mr Trump is facing a host of inquiries into his alleged links with Russia. A special prosecutor, the FBI and several congressional committees are all investigating whether the businessman and his campaign team colluded with Moscow in order to influence the outcome of last year's US presidential election.
The start of the G20 summit, which runs from Friday to Sunday, was marred by violent protests in Hamburg. Protestors set fire to cars and threw rocks at the windows of banks and shops.
Mr Trump's wife, Melania, was reportedly unable to leave her hotel while German's Finance Minister, Wolfgang Schauble, was forced to cancel an event due to security fears.
Wednesday, July 5, 2017
Safest Countries in the World
The Global Peace Index 2016 was recently published by the think tank Institute for Economics and Peace, revealing the safest and most dangerous countries in the world.
The 10th annual edition of the report, which was released on June 8, ranked 163 countries based on their levels of peace and presented the findings on a colour-coded interactive map.
Every nation was issued a peace score out of 5 (the lower the score, the higher the level of peace), determined by analysis of 23 factors under three categories: the level of safety and security in society, domestic and international conflict, and militarisation.
Iceland claims the coveted title of the world's safest country. With a score of 1.192, the European nation ranks highly for its lack of domestic and international conflict as well as the calm state of its society.
Another Nordic country, Denmark, takes second place with a score of 1,246, while Austria is the third-safest place in the world, with a score of 1.278.
Of the 11 nations deemed to have a "very high" level of peace by the GPI, eight are in Europe, while Japan (named the 9th safest), Canada (8th), and New Zealand (4th) also make an appearance. Though, neither the UK (in 47th place) or US (103rd) make the cut.
Here are the 11 safest countries on Earth, along with their respective peace scores:
11. Finland - 1.429
10. Slovenia - 1.408
9. Japan - 1.395
8. Canada - 1.388
7. Switzerland - 1.37
6. Czech Republic - 1.36
5. Portugal - 1.356
4. New Zealand - 1.287
3. Austria - 1.278
2. Denmark - 1.246
1. Iceland - 1.192
The 10th annual edition of the report, which was released on June 8, ranked 163 countries based on their levels of peace and presented the findings on a colour-coded interactive map.
Every nation was issued a peace score out of 5 (the lower the score, the higher the level of peace), determined by analysis of 23 factors under three categories: the level of safety and security in society, domestic and international conflict, and militarisation.
Iceland claims the coveted title of the world's safest country. With a score of 1.192, the European nation ranks highly for its lack of domestic and international conflict as well as the calm state of its society.
Another Nordic country, Denmark, takes second place with a score of 1,246, while Austria is the third-safest place in the world, with a score of 1.278.
Of the 11 nations deemed to have a "very high" level of peace by the GPI, eight are in Europe, while Japan (named the 9th safest), Canada (8th), and New Zealand (4th) also make an appearance. Though, neither the UK (in 47th place) or US (103rd) make the cut.
Here are the 11 safest countries on Earth, along with their respective peace scores:
11. Finland - 1.429
10. Slovenia - 1.408
9. Japan - 1.395
8. Canada - 1.388
7. Switzerland - 1.37
6. Czech Republic - 1.36
5. Portugal - 1.356
4. New Zealand - 1.287
3. Austria - 1.278
2. Denmark - 1.246
1. Iceland - 1.192
Terror attacks receive five times more media coverage if perpetrator is Muslim, study finds
Terror attacks carried out by Muslims receive more than five times as much media coverage as those carried out by non-Muslims in the United States, according to an academic study.
Analysis of coverage of all terrorist attacks in the US between 2011 and 2015 found there was a 449 per cent increase in media attention when the perpetrator was Muslim.
Muslims committed just 12.4 per cent of attacks during the period studied but received 41.4 per cent of news coverage, the survey found.
US faces a new wave of homegrown political violence and terrorism
The authors said the finding suggests the media is making people disproportionately fearful of Muslim terrorists.
Scientists studied US newspaper coverage of every terrorist attack on American soil and counted up the total number of articles dedicated to each attack.
They found that the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, which was carried out by two Muslim attackers and killed three people, received almost 20 per cent of all coverage relating to US terror attacks in the five-year period.
In contrast, reporting of a 2012 massacre at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin that left six people dead and was carried out by Wade Michael Page – a white man, constituted just 3.8 per cent of coverage.
A mass shooting by Dylann Roof, who is also white, at an African-American church in Charleston, South Carolina, killed nine people but received only 7.4 per cent of media coverage, while a 2014 attack by Frazier Glenn Miller on a Kansas synagogue left three dead but accounted for just 3.3 per cent of reports.
Analysis of coverage of all terrorist attacks in the US between 2011 and 2015 found there was a 449 per cent increase in media attention when the perpetrator was Muslim.
Muslims committed just 12.4 per cent of attacks during the period studied but received 41.4 per cent of news coverage, the survey found.
US faces a new wave of homegrown political violence and terrorism
The authors said the finding suggests the media is making people disproportionately fearful of Muslim terrorists.
Scientists studied US newspaper coverage of every terrorist attack on American soil and counted up the total number of articles dedicated to each attack.
They found that the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, which was carried out by two Muslim attackers and killed three people, received almost 20 per cent of all coverage relating to US terror attacks in the five-year period.
In contrast, reporting of a 2012 massacre at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin that left six people dead and was carried out by Wade Michael Page – a white man, constituted just 3.8 per cent of coverage.
A mass shooting by Dylann Roof, who is also white, at an African-American church in Charleston, South Carolina, killed nine people but received only 7.4 per cent of media coverage, while a 2014 attack by Frazier Glenn Miller on a Kansas synagogue left three dead but accounted for just 3.3 per cent of reports.
All of the above attacks are considered to meet widely-used definitions of terrorism, according to researchers at Georgia State University.
The authors said their finding debunked Donald Trump’s suggestion, made in February, that the media is not reporting terrorist attacks carried out by Muslims.
“When President Trump asserted that the media does not cover some terrorist attacks enough, it turns out that he was correct,” they wrote. “However, his assertion that attacks by Muslim perpetrators received less coverage is unsubstantiated.
“Regardless of other factors, attacks perpetrated by Muslims receive a disproportionate amount of media coverage. In the present data, Muslims perpetrated 12.4 per cent of the attacks yet received 41.4 per cent of the news coverage.
“By covering terrorist attacks by Muslims dramatically more than other incidents, media frame this type of event as more prevalent. Based on these findings, it is no wonder that Americans are so fearful of radical Islamic terrorism. Reality shows, however, that these fears are misplaced.”
The authors said their finding debunked Donald Trump’s suggestion, made in February, that the media is not reporting terrorist attacks carried out by Muslims.
“When President Trump asserted that the media does not cover some terrorist attacks enough, it turns out that he was correct,” they wrote. “However, his assertion that attacks by Muslim perpetrators received less coverage is unsubstantiated.
“Regardless of other factors, attacks perpetrated by Muslims receive a disproportionate amount of media coverage. In the present data, Muslims perpetrated 12.4 per cent of the attacks yet received 41.4 per cent of the news coverage.
“By covering terrorist attacks by Muslims dramatically more than other incidents, media frame this type of event as more prevalent. Based on these findings, it is no wonder that Americans are so fearful of radical Islamic terrorism. Reality shows, however, that these fears are misplaced.”
Saudi Arabia 'top of the list' in funding extremism in Britain
Saudi Arabia is "undoubtedly at the top of the list" when it comes to funding Islamist extremism in Britain, it has been claimed.
The Henry Jackson Society said a clear and growing link can be drawn between overseas money, which mainly comes from Saudi Arabia, and the recent wave of attacks in the UK and Europe.
But Saudi Arabia's UK embassy has labelled the claim "categorically false".
Tom Wilson, who wrote the right-leaning Henry Jackson Society's report, said: "While entities from across the Gulf and Iran have been guilty of advancing extremism, those in Saudi Arabia are undoubtedly at the top of the list.
"Research indicates that some Saudi individuals and foundations have been apparently heavily involved in exporting an illiberal, bigoted Wahhabi ideology."
The think-tank has called for a public inquiry into the issue.
The kingdom's 60-year campaign to export Wahhabism, a strict interpretation of Islam, has led to support for mosques and Islamic institutions that appear to have links to extremism, the organisation said.
It found there have been "numerous" cases of Britons who have joined jihadist groups in Iraq and Syria whose radicalisation is thought to be linked to foreign-funded institutions and preachers.
The Henry Jackson Society said foreign funding for British extremism comes mainly from governments and state-backed foundations in the Gulf, along with Iran.
Mr Wilson added: "There is a clear and growing link between foreign funding of Islamist extremism and the violent terrorism we have witnessed across the UK and Europe.
"The key now is to get ahead of the issue and find out the full extent of what has been going on. A public inquiry would go some way to informing the debate."
Prime Minister Theresa May, who visited Saudi Arabia earlier this year, has faced accusations she is "kowtowing" to the kingdom by "suppressing" a report into the funding of extremist groups in the UK.
An inquiry was ordered by her predecessor David Cameron in 2015, but reports have suggested the findings may never be published because of the sensitivity of the information regarding Saudi Arabia.
Labour MP Dan Jarvis said the report "sheds light on what are extremely worrying links between Saudi Arabia and the funding of extremism here in the UK" and called on the Government to release the inquiry's report.
A Government spokesman said: "Defeating the evil ideology of Islamist extremism is one of the greatest challenges of our time.
"The Commission for Counter-Extremism, which the PM announced earlier this year, will have a key role to play in this fight.
"We are determined to cut off the funding which fuels the evils of extremism and terrorism, and will work closely with international partners to tackle this shared global threat, including at the upcoming G20 summit."
The Saudi embassy said the kingdom "has not and does not support or fund any group that has direct or indirect links to any terrorist organisation".
It said in a statement: "Accusations that blame the Kingdom for radicalising a small number of individuals are baseless and lack credible evidence. Terrorist ideology knows no nationality, language or borders.
"All charitable donations to educational and religious establishments by the Saudi state are made to registered charities in the UK.
"Saudi charities are prohibited from transferring money abroad and cannot operate abroad except through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre or the Saudi Red Crescent, which is a semi-government entity.
"Saudi Arabia has been at the forefront of fighting the spread of extremism and terrorism at home and abroad."
The Henry Jackson Society said a clear and growing link can be drawn between overseas money, which mainly comes from Saudi Arabia, and the recent wave of attacks in the UK and Europe.
But Saudi Arabia's UK embassy has labelled the claim "categorically false".
Tom Wilson, who wrote the right-leaning Henry Jackson Society's report, said: "While entities from across the Gulf and Iran have been guilty of advancing extremism, those in Saudi Arabia are undoubtedly at the top of the list.
"Research indicates that some Saudi individuals and foundations have been apparently heavily involved in exporting an illiberal, bigoted Wahhabi ideology."
The think-tank has called for a public inquiry into the issue.
The kingdom's 60-year campaign to export Wahhabism, a strict interpretation of Islam, has led to support for mosques and Islamic institutions that appear to have links to extremism, the organisation said.
It found there have been "numerous" cases of Britons who have joined jihadist groups in Iraq and Syria whose radicalisation is thought to be linked to foreign-funded institutions and preachers.
The Henry Jackson Society said foreign funding for British extremism comes mainly from governments and state-backed foundations in the Gulf, along with Iran.
Mr Wilson added: "There is a clear and growing link between foreign funding of Islamist extremism and the violent terrorism we have witnessed across the UK and Europe.
"The key now is to get ahead of the issue and find out the full extent of what has been going on. A public inquiry would go some way to informing the debate."
Prime Minister Theresa May, who visited Saudi Arabia earlier this year, has faced accusations she is "kowtowing" to the kingdom by "suppressing" a report into the funding of extremist groups in the UK.
An inquiry was ordered by her predecessor David Cameron in 2015, but reports have suggested the findings may never be published because of the sensitivity of the information regarding Saudi Arabia.
Labour MP Dan Jarvis said the report "sheds light on what are extremely worrying links between Saudi Arabia and the funding of extremism here in the UK" and called on the Government to release the inquiry's report.
A Government spokesman said: "Defeating the evil ideology of Islamist extremism is one of the greatest challenges of our time.
"The Commission for Counter-Extremism, which the PM announced earlier this year, will have a key role to play in this fight.
"We are determined to cut off the funding which fuels the evils of extremism and terrorism, and will work closely with international partners to tackle this shared global threat, including at the upcoming G20 summit."
The Saudi embassy said the kingdom "has not and does not support or fund any group that has direct or indirect links to any terrorist organisation".
It said in a statement: "Accusations that blame the Kingdom for radicalising a small number of individuals are baseless and lack credible evidence. Terrorist ideology knows no nationality, language or borders.
"All charitable donations to educational and religious establishments by the Saudi state are made to registered charities in the UK.
"Saudi charities are prohibited from transferring money abroad and cannot operate abroad except through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre or the Saudi Red Crescent, which is a semi-government entity.
"Saudi Arabia has been at the forefront of fighting the spread of extremism and terrorism at home and abroad."
Angela Merkel attacks Donald Trump's foreign policy stance ahead of G20 showdown
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has condemned Donald Trump’s approach to foreign policy, criticising his administration for adapting a “winners and losers” view of the world rather than focusing on cooperation.
Ms Merkel – who no longer considers the US a friend based on her political party’s campaign material – is set to meet with Mr Trump later this week at a summit in Germany with 20 global leaders. But in the days ahead of their trip to Hamburg, the German Chancellor has set herself up for potential clashes with the US President over climate change and free trade.
Mr Trump has been widely criticised for his anti-globalisation policies that are focused on cementing his “America First” doctrine, such as his withdrawal of the US from the Paris climate change agreement. Meanwhile, his supporters have praised what they see as his commitment to protecting US jobs.
Donald Trump lashes out at China over North Korea trade
“As G20 president, it is my job to work on possibilities for agreement and not to contribute to a situation where a lack of communication prevails,” Ms Merkel told Die Zeit weekly.
Ms Merkel – who no longer considers the US a friend based on her political party’s campaign material – is set to meet with Mr Trump later this week at a summit in Germany with 20 global leaders. But in the days ahead of their trip to Hamburg, the German Chancellor has set herself up for potential clashes with the US President over climate change and free trade.
Mr Trump has been widely criticised for his anti-globalisation policies that are focused on cementing his “America First” doctrine, such as his withdrawal of the US from the Paris climate change agreement. Meanwhile, his supporters have praised what they see as his commitment to protecting US jobs.
Donald Trump lashes out at China over North Korea trade
“As G20 president, it is my job to work on possibilities for agreement and not to contribute to a situation where a lack of communication prevails,” Ms Merkel told Die Zeit weekly.
However, she added that differences should not be pushed under the table.
“While we are looking at the possibilities of cooperation to benefit everyone, globalisation is seen by the American administration more as a process that is not about a win-win situation but about winners and losers,” she said.
She added that comments from one of Mr Trump’s security advisers about how the world is an arena, not a global community, contradicted her views.
Germany wants everyone to benefit from economic progress rather than only a few, she said.
Europe must pool its energy, she said, adding that ideas of an economic government for the euro zone and of a European finance minister, put forward by new French President Emmanuel Macron, were “two important thoughts”.
“While we are looking at the possibilities of cooperation to benefit everyone, globalisation is seen by the American administration more as a process that is not about a win-win situation but about winners and losers,” she said.
She added that comments from one of Mr Trump’s security advisers about how the world is an arena, not a global community, contradicted her views.
Germany wants everyone to benefit from economic progress rather than only a few, she said.
Europe must pool its energy, she said, adding that ideas of an economic government for the euro zone and of a European finance minister, put forward by new French President Emmanuel Macron, were “two important thoughts”.
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