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Israeli Rescuers Arrive In Miami To Help After Building Collapse

By
Elizabeth Williams
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The Israel Defense Forces sent a search and rescue delegation to Florida to assist with rescue efforts following the Surfside residential building collapse that left at least four dead and nearly 160 still missing.
The team of Home Front Command soldiers headed to Florida following a series of talks over the weekend between Israeli defense officials and officials in Miami, the Defense Ministry said in a statement on Saturday night.

Building Collapse
Nearly 160 people are still unaccounted for after the Champlain Towers South building in Surfside came down on Thursday.
Surfside is one of four small cities that together make up North Beach, the north end of Miami Beach, just east of the city of Miami. The area covers the top of a narrow stretch of land on the Atlantic Ocean. The area is more than a third Jewish.
The 12-story tower’s collapse has left at least four people dead and 159 missing as of Friday. Search and rescue teams are still trying to find survivors in the rubble
Defense Minister Benny Gantz said the move was approved in coordination with the Foreign Ministry.


The mission of the delegation is to assist in the life-saving efforts by mapping the challenges at the site of the destruction, assisting the Jewish community and supporting the local rescue forces,” the IDF said.

Tigray Rebel Forces Retake Capital Mekelle

By
Zoe Maven
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Rebel forces in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region have retaken its capital, Mekelle, sparking street celebrations and forcing officials to flee.

The fighting has left thousands dead and has pushed 350,000 towards famine but now residents reported scenes of joy, with fireworks and thousands waving flags.

The government, which took Mekelle in November after Tigrayan rebels rejected political reforms and captured army bases, has now called a “humanitarian ceasefire” in the region.

There had been recent reports of renewed fighting between fighters of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and government forces outside Mekelle.

But a rapid offensive on Monday led to the unexpected recapture of the city by the rebels, in what may be a possible turning point in the bitter conflict.

A statement released by what was termed the Government of the National State of Tigray praised a stunning victory, saying Mekelle was now under the complete control of the Tigray Defence Forces.

Since 1994, Ethiopia has been divided into states, now numbering 10; they are defined on ethnic grounds by the constitution and described as largely autonomous, but with central institutions

In 2018, following anti-government protests, Abiy Ahmed took over as prime minister and introduced reforms

Ethiopia is still awaiting the results of its 21 June parliamentary elections. Boycotted by some opposition groups and not held in some regions, including Tigray, they are expected to favour Mr Abiy.

Record Heat Blasts Western Canada

By
Angel Gimalo
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Blazing temperatures have Canadians concerned about the effects of climate change on a country bordering the Arctic.

British Columbia closed schools, issued flood warnings from glacier melts, and urged people to stay indoors because of extreme heat that pushed temperatures in the western Canadian province to a national record.

Social media posts with tips on staying cool without air conditioners went viral on Monday in a province where less than 40 percent of homes have air conditioning.

Lytton, a town in central British Columbia roughly 200km (124 miles) north of Vancouver, reported a temperature of 46.6°C (115.88°F) on Sunday. Prior to the weekend, the historical high in Canada was 45°C, set in Saskatchewan in 1937, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.

The high sustained heat is unusual to the Pacific Northwest, which is more accustomed to long bouts of rain than sun, and is caused by a high-pressure system that is not moving, said Greg Flato, a senior research scientist with Environment and Climate Change Canada based in Victoria.

“Temperatures get very hot during the day, they don’t cool off that much of the night and they stay relatively stationary, as opposed to the usual kind of weather events here on the West Coast … that come in across the Pacific [Ocean] and sweep across us,” Flato said.

“It drives home the point that climate is changing. Science has been telling us for a long time but to be actually immersed in it, as we are here and having to sleep down in the basement to stay cool – it really drives that home.”

Other Canadians also raised concerns about the effects of global warming on the country that borders the Arctic.

“Climate change is a public health emergency and we need to treat it like one,” BC Green Party leader Sonia Furstenau said on Twitter. “BC is now facing a reality of extreme weather events or forest fires every single summer.”

Israel Inaugurates Embassy In UAE

By
Elizabeth Williams
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Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid speaks during an inauguration ceremony of Israel's embassy in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates June 29, 2021. Shlomi Amsalem/Government Press Office (GPO)/Handout via REUTERS.

Israel’s new foreign minister inaugurated its embassy in the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday and offered an olive branch to other former adversaries, saying: “We’re here to stay.”
Yair Lapid’s two-day visit is the first to the Gulf state by an Israeli cabinet minister since the countries established ties last year. He was due to sign a bilateral agreement on economic cooperation and open an Israeli consulate in Dubai on Wednesday.


The trip is also an opportunity for the two-week-old Israeli government of Naftali Bennett, a nationalist who heads an improbable cross-partisan coalition, to make diplomatic inroads despite long-stymied talks with the Palestinians.
“Israel wants peace with its neighbours – with all its neighbours. We aren’t going anywhere. The Middle East is our home,” Lapid said during the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Abu Dhabi high-rise office serving as a temporary embassy.
“We’re here to stay. We call on all the countries of the region to recognise that and to come to talk to us,” he said.


Brought together by shared worries about Iran and hopes for commercial boons, the UAE and Bahrain normalised relations with Israel last year under so-called “Abraham Accords” crafted by the administration of then U.S.-President Donald Trump. Sudan and Morocco have since also moved to establish ties with Israel.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken, welcoming Lapid’s visit, said Washington “will continue to work with Israel and the UAE as we strengthen all aspects of our partnerships and work to create a more peaceful, secure, and prosperous future for all the peoples of the Middle East”, the State Department said.

Somalia To Hold Presidential Election October 10

By
Angel Gimalo
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The new president of Somalia Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo is sworn in after he was declared the winner of the presidential election held at the Mogadishu Airport hangar in Mogadishu on February 8, 2017

Somalia’s political leaders have agreed to hold a long-delayed presidential election on October 10, the prime minister’s office said Tuesday, following months of deadlock that turned violent at times.

The office of Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble unveiled the timetable for indirect parliamentary and presidential elections in a statement on Twitter, saying stakeholders had agreed to a roadmap for a vote following two days of talks in the capital Mogadishu.

“I commend the leaders of the council and hope the election will be a peaceful and transparent one, based on the agreed upon schedule and processes,” the prime minister said.

President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed and the leaders of Somalia’s five states had been unable to agree on the terms of a vote before his term lapsed in February, triggering an unprecedented constitutional crisis.

The political impasse exploded into violence in April when negotiations collapsed and the lower house of parliament extended the president’s mandate by two years, sparking gun battles on the streets of Mogadishu.

Under pressure the president, commonly known as Farmajo, reversed the mandate extension and ordered his prime minister to reconvene with the state leaders to chart a fresh roadmap towards elections.

In May, the warring leaders announced plans to commence the multi-stage election process within 60 days, helping ease political tensions.

The timetable announced Tuesday schedules elections for the upper house on July 25, and the lower house between August 10 and September 10.

Both houses are then convened and a vote for the president held on October 10.

Euro Zone Economic Optimism Hits 21-Year High

By
Elizabeth Williams
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Euro zone economic sentiment surged to a 21-year high in June as the region’s economies started to reopen.
Optimism over the euro zone economy is soaring as lockdowns ease.
New figures Tuesday (June 29) show sentiment hitting a 21-year high.
That’s according to the European Commission’s monthly survey.
It jumped to 117.9 this month, well above forecasts.


The rise was particularly noticeable in the bloc’s giant service sector.
That subindex rose to 17.9 from just 11.3 in May, also way ahead of expectations.
Sentiment in Germany hit an all-time high, and it improved in most other major economies bar Spain.
Optimism in industry and construction, and among consumers, rose more modestly than for services.
Like other recent data, the survey points to price rises as a potential worry.
Tuesday’s figures showed more consumers expecting higher inflation over the coming months.

Gold Sees Biggest Monthly Drop Since 2016

By
Angel Gimalo
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Gold headed for the biggest monthly drop in more than four years after the Federal Reserve sped up their expected pace of policy tightening, sending prices tumbling below $1,800 an ounce.

The rise in U.S. stocks to a fresh record and a resurgent dollar have also weighed on the precious metal. Investors are also assessing new travel restrictions in Europe amid concerns about the coronavirus delta variant, which helped spur a re-think of the reflation trade.

Bullion is stabilizing as traders now focus on the timing of when policy makers may start dialing back stimulus, while also evaluating risk sentiment. Fed officials meeting in June responded to increasing inflation risks by pulling forward their expected timing and pace of interest-rate increases, from the current near-zero level, and kicking off a discussion of when to taper asset purchases.

“Gold is starting to find support here at the $1,775 level,” said John Feeney, business development manager at Sydney-based bullion dealer Guardian Gold Australia. “We are starting to see investors moving back into metals on these lower prices now, as the Fed’s more hawkish shift seems to be priced in.”

Spot gold fell 0.2% to $1,775.52 an ounce at 11:34 a.m. in Singapore. Prices are down 6.9% this month, the most since November 2016. Silver, palladium and platinum all retreated. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index is up 1.9% in June, heading for the biggest monthly gain since March 2020.

US General Expresses Concern Over Security In Afghanistan

By
Angel Gimalo
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Helicopters carrying U.S. Army soldiers from the 1-320 Field Artillery Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, take off from Combat Outpost Terra Nova as the soldiers head home following a 10-month deployment in the Arghandab Valley north of Kandahar April 23, 2011. REUTERS/Bob Strong (AFGHANISTAN - Tags: MILITARY POLITICS IMAGES OF THE DAY)

The United States’ top general in Afghanistan on Tuesday gave a sobering assessment of the country’s deteriorating security situation as the US winds down its so-called “forever war”.

General Austin Miller said the rapid loss of districts around the country to the Taliban — several with significant strategic value — is worrisome. He also cautioned that the militias deployed to help the beleaguered national security forces could lead the country into civil war.

Miller told a small group of reporters in the Afghan capital that for now, he has the weapons and the capability to aid Afghanistan’s National Defense and Security Forces.

Only a political solution will bring peace to the war-tortured nation, he said.

“It is a political settlement that brings peace to Afghanistan. And it’s not just the last 20 years. It’s really the last 42 years,” he said.

Miller was referring to not only the US war, but to Russia’s 10-year occupation that ended in 1989. That conflict was followed by a brutal civil war fought by some of the same Afghan leaders deploying militias against the Taliban. The civil war gave rise to the Taliban, which took power in 1996.

US officials have said the pullout of US troops will most likely be completely finished by July 4 with a residual force remaining to protect the US embassy and international airport in Kabul.

Miller refused to give any date or timeframe, referring only to the September timeline given by US President Joe Biden in April when he announced the final withdrawal of the remaining 3,500 American troops.

Biden met with Afghan leaders Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah at the White House last week to demonstrate the continuing US commitment to Afghanistan.

“The partnership between Afghanistan and the United States is not ending,” Biden said in an Oval Office meeting with Ghani and Abdullah.

The Taliban have been over-running districts in rapid succession, many of them in the north of the country, which is dominated by Afghanistan’s minorities. The north is the traditional stronghold of many former mujahedeen leaders who have been a dominant force in Afghanistan since driving the Taliban from power in 2001 together with the US-led coalition.

Cricket: T20 World Cup Moved To UAE From India

By
Angel Gimalo
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The Twenty20 World Cup will be moved to the United Arab Emirates from India due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to an Indian cricket board official.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said it had told the International Cricket Council, the sport’s world body, of its decision to host the event in the UAE in October and November.

“We have told the ICC about the decision to shift the World Cup to UAE. We were left with no option as the COVID-19 situation is not clear and the travel restrictions remain,” BCCI’s treasurer, Arun Dhumal, told international media.

“The dates will more or less be the same and we will work out the details soon.”

The ICC had given the BCCI a deadline of the end of June to decide the host country for T20’s showpiece event due to the high number of COVID-19 cases in India.

BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla said the qualifiers may take place in Oman while the rest of the matches will be at three UAE venues in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.

The BCCI had already moved the suspended Indian Premier League to the UAE in September-October after the T20 tournament was halted on May 4 due to a number of players and team officials being infected with COVID-19.

The UAE has been a preferred destination for cricket as the Pakistan Super League was completed last week in the Gulf nation. The IPL was also held in the UAE last year.

The pandemic disrupted the global cricket calendar last year and even after matches resumed in July 2020, players have been confined to strict bio-bubbles and quarantine protocols.

The ICC meanwhile postponed the T20 World Cup originally scheduled to be held in Australia in 2020.

India was handed the hosting rights in 2021 and Australia was chosen as host for the 2022 edition.

India, home to 1.3 billion people, has eased some lockdown restrictions in recent weeks as it emerges from a brutal surge in COVID-19 infections and deaths in April and May.

But health officials fear that a new wave could sweep across the country, the world’s second-most infected after the United States, later this year.

US Army Veteran Regrets Helping Carlos Ghosn Flee

By
Angel Gimalo
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US Army Special Forces veteran Michael Taylor has told a Tokyo court he regrets helping Carlos Ghosn flee Japan and said the former Nissan Motor Co Ltd chairman should have stayed to face trial for alleged financial misconduct.

Flanked by two guards, Taylor, who was on Tuesday brought handcuffed into court with his son Peter, bowed deeply to the three judges that will decide their sentence, asking that they allow him to return to the United States to see his disabled father.

“I deeply regret my actions and sincerely apologise for causing difficulties for the judicial system and for the Japanese people,” he said in a quavering voice.

Taylor replied yes when the prosecutor asked whether he believed Ghosn should have stayed in Japan.

The two men this month pleaded guilty to charges that, in December 2019, they illegally helped Ghosn escape from western Japan’s Kansai airport hidden in a box on board a private jet to Lebanon.

Extradited to Japan from the US in March, they are being imprisoned at the same jail in Tokyo where Ghosn had been held, and face up to three years in prison.

Prosecutors said the Taylors received $1.3m for their services and another $500,000 for legal fees.

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