Foreign Tit Bits Today
By Yadnom Awu/ Asaba
America
UN Confab On Palestine Begins In New York
A special session of the United Nations (UN) on Palestine has started in New York, seat of the global organization.
The Conference, a landmark by every objective measure, is attracting more than 120 countries from across all the continents of the world.
Notably, Israel and America are boycotting the conference which is co – hosted and sponsored by France and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Both Israel, and its principal backer, America, are boycotting the conference which they described as publicity stunt.
It is aimed at expediting global response to Israel’s policies in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Addressing the session, the United Nations Secretary, Antonio Guterres, said the while the Hamas October 7,2023 attack on Israel was condemnable, Israel’s response had been no less intolerable.
According to him, aside from the humanitarian crisis that Israel had triggered in Gaza by its policies and actions, the Jewish state was steadily working to abort the prospect of a viable two – states solution to the protracted Israeli/ Palestinian conflict
Other speakers towed the same line of thought , with Qatar pleading that the meeting needed to go beyond mere words to take actions to compel Israel to review its obnoxious policies and also help Palestinians end the yoke of Israeli occupation, annexation and apartheid policies.
The conference comes strong on the heels of the plan by French President, Emmanuel Macron, to officially and formally recognize the state of Palestine at the September meeting of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)in New York.
The co- sponsor of the conference, Saudi Arabia, which is a strong ally of the United States in the Middle East, has predicated the resumption of its diplomatic relations with Israel on the formal recognition of the state of Palestine by America and its allies.
More than 190 countries have recognized Palestine, leaving mainly America and its allies yet to do so.
France is the first major Western economic and political power as well as member of the G-7 to openly support the Palestinian state.
American President, Donald Trump, had criticised the French move, saying it carried no weight.
Britain
Victorious Lionesses Hold Open Bus Street Parade Today
The victorious Lionesses of England will today continue their celebratory engagements with an open bus parade through the streets of London.
The parade by the team comes a day after they were hosted by the Prime Minister of England, Sir Keir Starmer, at his official residence on Number 10 Downing Street, London.
Both Starmer and the British monarch, King Charles, had sent separate notes of applause and appreciation to the Lionesses who, on Sunday night, caused a upset by defeating World champions, Spain, to retain the women European Nations Soccer Championship called EURO 2025, on penalties.
America
Lone Gunman Kills Four In New York Mass Shooting
A lone gun man has shot dead four persons in the upbeat area of Manhattan , New York.
Details are still emerging as to how the gun man successfully carried out the act before shooting himself dead.
Locals say that the dead included at least a police officer.
The New York Police Department has begun an investigation into the backdrop, and were yet to give any updates, at press time, regarding the name of the shooter who is said to. 27- year old Los Angeles man.
The motive for the shooting also remained unknown at press time.
The Mayor of New York, Eric Adams, said the incident had reignited public concerns about gun control.
He condoled families of the victims.
Mass shootings are frequent in America.
Scotland
Trump Concedes There is Starvation In Gaza
In what is perceived as a major humanitarian development, American President,Donald Trump , on Monday, conceded that there was starvation in the Palesstinian enclave of Gaza.
He said images of starving children reported on television, could not have been made up.
Trump equally conceded that, going by what he had seen on television, there was the need to create more aid centres and significantly upscale the quantum of supplies.
The public comments of Trump on the matter, made at a meeting with Sir Keir Starmer,the British Prime Minister, sharply contradicted the submissions of Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his administration, that there was no famine or starvation in the strip.
Britain, a staunch ally of Israel and America, has, of late, become highly critical of Israel and its war and humanitarian policies in Gaza,the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
It recently called for an end to Israel ‘s war on Gaza and for the upscaling of humanitarian supplies to the enclave .
The call was contained in a statement it jointly signed with France and Germany
Both the United Nations UN and humanitarian groups have said that 147 Palestinians, including 88 children, had died of hunger and malnutrition since Israel began its s Gaza war, with most since March this year when the Jewish state reinstated its total economic blockade of the strip.
More than 1,100 others, again, mainly men, have been killed at,or near, the aid distribution centres run by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation GHF, which was created by Israel and America to side step the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).
While UNRWA had 400 aid centres, the GHF has only four, three of which it rarely operates .
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The GHF is operated by an armed American private security company.
Thailand
Thai, Cambodian Military Leaders Meet After Ceasefire Deal
Military leaders from Thailand and Cambodia have begun a meeting to thrash out details of the ceasefire deal that halted their recent deadly border skirmishes.
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The deal was brokered on Monday ,following the diplomatic intervention of both China and the United States, as well as Malaysia which hosted the talks.
Locals said the truce appeared to be stable this morning as the gunfire which characterized the earlier days of the conflict, was absent at both sides of the border this morning.
More than 300,000 persons were displaced during the four- day skirmishes during which troops of both countries exchanged heavy artillery gunfire.
The Cambodian government has since commended both China and America, for their oromot intervention in the crisis.
Britain
British Jews, Israeli Protests in Londin
Hundreds of British Jews and Israelis have,in London, held a public protest at the goings on in Gaza
They called for a prompt end to the policy of mass starvation being implemented by Israel, which critics say had led to the deaths of hundreds of Gazans, especially vulnerable children,the elderly and breastfeeding mothers.
According to the protesters, both Israeli and Palestinians deserved to live in peace and dignity.
