Wednesday, January 04, 2023

Ben-Gvir’s Aqsa visit ‘puts Israel in fight with half of world’: Lapid

Itamar Ben-Gvir enters Al-Aqsa Mosque complex amid warning of unrest

4/01/2023 Wednesday
AA

Former Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid on Tuesday criticized the visit of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to the al-Aqsa Mosque complex in East Jerusalem.

"In order to allow Ben-Gvir to enjoy 13 minutes on the Temple Mount (Al-Aqsa Mosque complex)", Israel was put in a fight with half of the world,” said Lapid, who is now the opposition leader.

The former premier termed Ben-Gvir's tour as "irresponsible on a national scale and only emphasizes the weakness of (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu in the face of his ministers."

Early on Tuesday, the far-right minister entered the flashpoint site, a day after announcing he postponed the visit amid warnings of unrest.

The visit drew Palestinian and international condemnations, including the US, Jordan, Türkiye, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.

For Muslims, Al-Aqsa represents the world's third-holiest site. Jews, for their part, call the area as the Temple Mount, saying it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980, in a move never recognized by the international community.

UN calls for upholding status quo in Jerusalem holy sites

Xinhua

15:54 UTC+8, 2023-01-04

A spokesman for the United Nations on Tuesday underscored the importance of upholding the status quo in the holy sites, in reaction to the controversial visit by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has always stressed the importance of upholding the status quo in the holy sites, "in line with the special role of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan," Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for Guterres, told a regular press briefing.

The secretary-general calls on all to refrain from steps that could escalate tensions in and around the holy sites, he added.

Source: Xinhua Editor: Zhu Qing

UAE and China call for urgent UN Security Council meeting after Ben-Gvir's Al Aqsa visit

Foreign Ministry has strongly condemned 'storming of Al

Aqsa Mosque courtyard' by Israeli minister

Diplomats say a UN Security Council meeting to discuss Itamar Ben-Gvir's visit

Ismaeel Naar

Jan 03, 2023

The UAE and China have called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting after Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem on Tuesday.

Diplomats say a session to discuss the issue is likely to take place on Thursday.

Israel's Ben-Gvir visits Al Aqsa as Palestinians condemn 'unprecedented' provocation

The UAE Foreign Ministry on Wednesday strongly condemned the “storming of Al Aqsa Mosque courtyard by an Israeli minister under the protection of Israeli forces”.

“The ministry underscored the need to respect the custodial role of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan over the holy sites and endowments in accordance with international law and the historical situation at hand, and not to compromise the authority of the Jerusalem Endowment Administration and Al Aqsa Mosque,” the Foreign Ministry said.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he would also seek a Security Council condemnation, the Palestinian Wafa News Agency said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "calls on all to refrain from steps that could escalate tensions in and around the holy sites," his deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said.

This follows a call between the foreign ministers of the UAE and Jordan, during which they stressed their condemnation of the visit.

Also on Wednesday, UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdulla also spoke to his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu during which they “underlined the importance of preserving the status and sanctity of holy places in Jerusalem and increasing coordination against such unacceptable acts”.

“They reiterated the need to provide full protection for Al Aqsa Mosque and halt serious and provocative violations taking place there and called upon Israeli authorities to assume responsibility for reducing escalation and instability in the region,” the UAE foreign ministry said in a statement.

In a further threat to escalating the tensions, videos posted on social media early on Wednesday showed at least a dozen Jewish settlers performing Talmudic rituals near the Bab Al Rahma (Gate of Mercy) near the Eastern Wall area of the Al Aqsa compound.

Mr Ben-Gvir was surrounded by heavy security during the visit, after Palestinian warnings that his presence at the site would cause “an explosion”.

The minister, leader of the far-right Jewish National Front party, was sworn into office on Thursday.

Tensions continued on Wednesday with several Israeli police cars entered Jerusalem's Silwan neighbourhood accompanied by a bulldozer.

The Palestinian neighbourhood lies below the southern walls of the Old City, with Al Aqsa mosque – the third holiest site in Islam – visible from the streets below.

Israeli police escort Jewish visitors to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the Old City of occupied East Jerusalem. AP

He has previously visited the compound as a member of parliament and has called for Jewish worship there.

This is banned under an agreement with Jordan.

Under a longstanding status quo, non-Muslims can visit the site at specific times but are not allowed to pray there.

Jordan, the custodian of Al Aqsa Mosque compound, summoned the Israeli ambassador and said the visit had violated international law and “the historic and legal status quo in Jerusalem”.

Türkiye, UAE discuss Israel's storming of Al-

Aqsa mosque

In phone call, countries' top diplomats also discuss mutual concerns over Taliban's recent ban on women’s access to education

3/01/2023 Tuesday

The foreign ministers of Türkiye and UAE on Wednesday discussed the recent developments in Afghanistan and Israel's Tuesday storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque, according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

In a phone call, Mevlut Cavusoglu and Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan "discussed mutual concerns over Taliban's recent ban on women’s access to education and their exclusion from national and international non-governmental and humanitarian organizations."

Affirming Türkiye's expectation from Afghanistan to reverse its decision on women's access to education, Cavusoglu also "emphasized the importance of coordinated efforts in this regard, particularly through the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation."

The ministry further noted that the UAE's minister said the decision "as well as the earlier bans on girls from accessing secondary education, violate fundamental human rights."

He "emphasized that Islam devoted significant attention to women, granted them a privileged position, and safeguarded their rights," according to the ministry.

The Emirati minister also "affirmed the need to guarantee women's rights, as well as the importance of full and equal participation of women and girls in all aspects of life."

"During the phone call, the ministers also reiterated their condemnation of the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque yesterday by an Israeli minister. They underlined the importance of preserving the status and sanctity of holy places in Jerusalem and increasing coordination against such unacceptable acts," it added.

Emphasizing the "need to provide full protection for Al-Aqsa Mosque and halt serious and provocative violations taking place there," the two ministers "called upon Israeli authorities to assume responsibility for reducing escalation and instability in the region."

Cavusoglu and Al Nahyan also discussed issues related to the bilateral agenda.

Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich: Israel’s power couple

Their critics fear that they will change the Jewish state forever, but their incredible electoral success is proof that the change has already happened.

COLUMN
KSENIA SVETLOVA

(January 4, 2023 / JNS) Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, the outgoing chief of the Israel Defense Forces general staff, probably never thought he would need to call the incoming prime minister over a political matter in his last month of service. But in December, Kochavi’s concerns over Religious Zionist Party head Bezalel Smotrich’s proposal to create a new position in the Defense Ministry went public. The new position would oversee civilian matters in areas of the West Bank that are fully controlled by Israel. According to the press, Kochavi had urged Netanyahu to stop Smotrich’s interference in military affairs. A few days later, Smotrich hit back—he demanded that generals wait 10 years after the end of their military service before entering politics, and accused Kochavi of politicization.

I still remember the outrage of many—on the right as well as the left—when Smotrich first became a member of Knesset in March 2015. He had helped organize the notorious anti-LGBTQ “Beast Parade,” had been detained by the Shin Bet in 2005 on his way to protest Gaza disengagement and proudly identified with the “Hilltop Youth” (young settler activists who set up illegal outposts)—a blatant provocation and a challenge to the system. But in just a few years, Smotrich would become the system.

Back in 2015, when Smotrich took his first steps as a lawmaker (quite successfully, one has to say), his future partner—Itamar Ben-Gvir—was a lawyer busy representing Jews charged with assaulting Arabs. One of his clients was Amiram Ben-Uliel, who was later given three life sentences plus 20 years for the murder of three members of the Dawabsheh family, including an 18-month-old, who were burned to death in their home in the Palestinian village of Duma in 2015.

In the November 2022 elections, Ben-Gvir and Smotrich joined forces and ran together with another far-right party, gaining an impressive 14 seats in the Knesset. Over 600,000 Israelis gave their votes to Ben-Gvir and Smotrich this time, with two out of 10 soldiers supporting the Religious Zionism Party. Smotrich is now the finance minister and Ben-Gvir the minister of national security, overseeing the Border Police. What does this say about their place in Israeli society?

In the recent past, it would have been difficult to imagine an extreme right-wing politician—who only served 14 months in the military and had been detained by the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet)—publicly defying a celebrated general. However, Israel is changing. According to the military’s own public opinion surveys, motivation to serve in the military is declining among secular Israelis, while the percentage of those who will never serve—ultra-Orthodox Jews and Arab citizens of Israel—is rapidly growing. By 2050, these two groups will comprise nearly half the Israeli population.

In the past, army leaders—the heads of elite military units, the generals, the chiefs of staff—were everyone’s heroes. Their path from the military to politics was secured (unless they wanted to head some defense-related company). Now, with the waning of existential threats (other than Iran), successful economic development and normalization of relations with Arab countries, Israel is becoming less enchanted with its men and women in uniform.

Soon it wasn’t only Arabs throwing stones and trash at Israeli soldiers in the West Bank. The “Hilltop Youth” in the most extreme settlements were doing it too. In ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods, spitting at a soldier in uniform or assaulting him became the norm. This is the environment in which Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich evolved. A military commander who warned against settler extremism became an enemy. Ben-Gvir and Smotrich became the new patriots, claiming to be more concerned with the safety of the Jews in Israel and the settlements than the heads of the military.

Both Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir are lawyers by training. Smotrich came to the Knesset to work, not to engage in mere performance. While Ayelet Shaked, once his party’s co-leader, was busy garnering headlines, Smotrich was focused on getting more funding for the West Bank settlements and paving roads between them. He was knowledgeable, persuasive and hard working, and knew how to use the law to promote his goals. There is no doubt that as finance minister, Smotrich will use his new powers to maximize the gains for his constituents.

There is no such thing as bad publicity

While Bezalel Smotrich brought a proven track record of legislative and administrative work, it was Ben-Gvir who stole the show. Although he was only in the third position on the joint Religious Zionism Party list, there is no doubt that many Israelis are enchanted with him. An eternal agent provocateur who had publicly wished for Ariel Sharon to “join Lily” (his deceased wife) after Sharon led the Gaza disengagement in 2005, Ben-Gvir is now perceived not as a dangerous pyromaniac but as a truth teller who will restore law and order. During the months that preceded the elections, Ben-Gvir became the main star of the Israeli media. Everybody wanted to talk to him and host him; his media presence exploded.

“There is no such thing as bad publicity,” said Phineas T. Barnum, the 19th century American showman and circus owner. Ben-Gvir would likely agree. He’s not afraid of hard questions, of not knowing the answer, of journalists who cite his past sins. It all serves the cause of normalizing Ben-Gvir, Smotrich and the rest of the gang. Today it seems that this mission is complete.

Beyond the impasse

After unsuccessful attempts to separate from the Palestinians—first in Oslo in the 1990s and then in Gaza in 2005—the pool of ideas in Israel went dry, both on the right and the left. Although Netanyahu continues to preach “conflict management” and the idea of a two-state solution, today that seems just as feasible as ending world hunger, leaving most Israelis in limbo. What shall we do? How should Israel get out of this mess? How do we stop terror attacks? What is the solution to the conflict with the Palestinians, and what is the meaning of “the Jewish state”?

In this state of impasse, with tensions between Jews and Arabs rising, this powerful duo bluntly put their ideology on the table. Restore law and order, no to a division of the historic land of Israel, no to any form of power sharing with the Arabs in Israel. Today their voters are eager to see how the new government and new ministers will implement this ideology. The voters of the other camp are mortified by every statement made by Smotrich and Ben-Gvir, fearing that the Israel that they knew will change forever.

Israel has already changed. The unbelievable success of Smotrich and Ben-Gvir in the November elections clearly manifests this change. And, of course, Israel being a dynamic young country, with a strong center-left following, a future change in the other direction is not just possible but probable.

Ksenia Svetlova is a research fellow at the Institute for Policy and Strategy at Reichman University (IDC Herzliya) and a director of the program on Israel–Middle East relations at Mitvim Institute. She is a former Knesset member. @KseniaSvetlova

This article was first published by the Jerusalem Strategic Tribune.

THE WHOLE WORLD IS LA NOW

Air pollution snags flights in Bosnia-Herzegovina

Environment Ministry urges public to stay indoors, prohibits holding sports and cultural events due to air pollution

1:08 . 4/01/2023 Wednesday
AA

Heavy air pollution and thick fog in Bosnia and Herzegovina's capital Sarajevo caused air traffic to be suspended on Tuesday.

Planes were unable to land at Sarajevo International Airport on Tuesday morning, said airport officials in a statement.

As visibility was considerably reduced, some flights were diverted to Zagreb, the capital of neighboring Croatia.

The Environment Ministry urged people living in many parts of Sarajevo to be prepared for air pollution and recommended staying indoors, especially in the morning and evening when the concentration of pollutants in the air is the highest.

When outdoors, in urban areas, the public was recommended to use protective masks with appropriate filters to mitigate the harmful effects of the polluted air.

Holding organized sports and cultural activities in the open area in areas affected by pollution was also prohibited.

Flights at the airport returned to normal around midday, after the pollution decreased.

UNION BUSTING ROBBER BARON

Twitter employees bring toilet paper to work after Elon Musk's cost-cutting move: Report

Updated on Jan 04, 2023

According to a report by the New York Times, Twitter's new owner Elon Musk has also made employees work from two floors of the social networking firm's San Francisco headquarters and closed the other four.

SpaceX owner and Tesla CEO Elon Musk bought Twitter in a $44 billion deal in 2022.(REUTERS file)

BySharangee Dutta, New Delhi

Since Elon Musk took over Twitter last year, the social networking company has undergone several changes. In a latest report, it has come to the fore that the world's second-richest man's cost-cutting measures at Twitter have forced employees to bring their own toilet paper to office.

According to New York Times, the development came after Musk fired the company's janitors at its San Francisco headquarters for demanding higher pay and going on strike.

The New York Times report stated that janitorial and security services are no longer available at Twitter's office, which have resulted to dirty bathrooms at the place. A source told the newspaper that the San Francisco office has a niff of “leftover takeout food and body odour”.

The Chief Twit has also made employees work from two floors and shut down the other four floors. The NYT report further stated that Twitter stopped paying rent in its Seattle building due to which the employees were asked to work from home, leaving the company with offices only in San Francisco and New York.

Musk also had fired cleaners and security guards at some of its New York offices.

Furthermore, the NYT report said, Twitter has missed paying rent at its San Francisco office.

Also Read | ‘This is complete nonsense’: Elon Musk denies report of toilet paper shortage at Tesla

In the past, the tech billionaire has been vocal about his criticism of how finances of the company are managed. At a Twitter Spaces event in December 2022, he equated the company with an individual on a plane that is “headed toward the ground at high speed with the engines on fire and the controls don’t work”.

“That is why I spent the last five weeks cutting costs like crazy,” he added.

The Chief Twit said that multiple cost-cutting measures that he has termed as “zero-based budgeting”, were necessary to avert a $3 billion budgetary shortfall.

Besides the firing of janitors and closing four floors, another notable such measure by Musk includes shutting down Twitter's data centres in Sacramento, California. When employees had pointed out that the shutting down of data centres will impact the site's performance, they were reportedly told cost cutting was more important.

US reopening visa and consular services at embassy in Cuba

The United States Embassy in Cuba is reopening visa and consular services Wednesday, the first time it has done so since a spate of unexplained health incidents among diplomatic staff in 2017 slashed the American presence in Havana.

The Embassy confirmed this week it will begin processing immigrant visas, with a priority placed on permits to reunite Cubans with family in the US, and others like the diversity visa lottery.

The resumption comes amid the greatest migratory flight from Cuba in decades, which has placed pressure on the Biden administration to open more legal pathways to Cubans and start a dialogue with the Cuban government, despite a historically tense relationship.

They are anticipated to give out at least 20,000 visas a year, though it’s just a drop in the bucket of the migratory tide, which is fueled by intensifying economic and political crises on the island.

In late December, US authorities reported stopping Cubans 34,675 times along the Mexico border in November, up 21% from 28,848 times in October.

Month-to-month, that number has gradually risen. Cubans are now the second-largest nationality after Mexicans appearing on the border, US Customs and Border Protection data shows.

The growing migration is due to a complex array of factors, including economic, energy and political crises, as well deep discontent among Cubans.

While the vast majority of Cuban migrants head to the US via flights to Nicaragua and cross by land at the US border with Mexico, thousands more have also taken a dangerous voyage by sea. They travel 90 miles to the Florida coast, often arriving in rickety, precariously constructed boats packed with migrants.

Visa and consular services closed in 2017 after a series of health incidents affected embassy staff.

The exodus from Cuba is also compounded by rising migration to the US from other countries like Haiti and Venezuela, forcing the US government to grapple with a growingly complex situation on its southern border.

The renewal of visa work at the embassy comes after a series of migration talks and visits by US officials to Havana in recent months, and may also be a sign of a slow thawing between the two governments.

“Engaging in these talks underscores our commitment to pursuing constructive discussions with the government of Cuba where appropriate to advance U.S. interests,” the U.S. Embassy said in a statement in November following an American delegation’s visit to Cuba.

The small steps are far cry from relations under President Barack Obama, who eased many American Cold War-era sanctions during his time in office and made a historic visit to the island in 2016.

Visa and consular services were closed on the island in 2017 after embassy staff were afflicted in a series of health incidents, alleged sonic attacks that remain largely unexplained.

As a result, many Cubans who wanted to legally migrate to the US have had to fly to places like Guyana to do so before migrating or reuniting with family.

While relations have always been tense between Cuba and the US, they were heightened following the embassy closure and the Trump administration’s tightening of sanctions on Cuba.

Under President Joe Biden, the US has eased some restrictions on things like remittances and family travel from Miami to Cuba, but has fallen short of hopes by many in Cuba that a Biden presidency would return the island to its “Obama era.”

Restrictions on tourist travel to Cuba, and imports and exports of many goods, remain in place.

Also kindling tensions has been the Cuban government’s harsh treatment of participants in the island’s 2021 protests, including hefty prison sentences doled out to minors, a constant point of criticism by the Biden administration.

Cuban officials have repeatedly expressed optimism about talks with the US and steps to reopen visa services. Cuban Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Carlos Cossio said in November that ensuring migration through safe and legal pathways is a “mutual objective” by both countries.

But Cossio also blamed the flight of tens of thousands from the island on US sanctions, saying that “there’s no doubt that a policy meant to depress the living standards of a population is a direct driver of migration.”

AND ONE SUB TO RULE THEM ALL

Russia’s new silent Borei-class sub carrying 16 nukes to be tested

By Boyko Nikolov On Jan 4, 2023

MOSCOW, RUSSIA — In June 2023, the Russian Navy will conduct the first tests of the newest Borei-class submarine. Imperator Aleksandr III [Emperor Alexander III] was launched at the end of the year. Another submarine of the same class was commissioned at the same time – Generalissimus Suvorov.

Russia will acquire 12 Borei-class submarines by the end of 2031. The submarines Emperor Alexander III and Generalissimus Suvorov are the sixth and seventh of the class, respectively. It is expected that if the Emperor Alexander III submarine tests pass successfully in August 2023, they will be put into service.

The Borei-class submarines are supposed to replace the aging Russian submarines of three classes – Delta III, Delta IV, and Typhoon. All Borei-class submarines are nuclear-powered and manufactured by the Russian Sevmash shipyard.

BulgarianMilitary.com recalls that on December 23, another Russian submarine was launched, but of the Lada class. She is an attack submarine and is named B-587 Velikiye Luki.

What we know about Borei-class subs

The Borei class submarines are smaller than the Typhoon class they will replace. This applies in full force not only to the tonnage of the submarines but also to the service personnel. A submarine of this class is estimated to cost just over $700 million. It was first presented in 2013, but the idea for the submarine dates back to the 1990s.

The National Interest says this class of submarines is much quieter than both its Soviet predecessors and much of NATO’s submarine fleet. The reason, according to experts, is the pump-jet propulsion system, which is made up of one OK-650V nuclear reactor, one steam turbine, 50,000 SHP, and one pump-jet.

The maximum speed under water is 29 knots. During tests of the first six submarines of this class, the depth to which the submarine was submerged was 400 meters. The main armament, due to which the submarine is considered extremely dangerous, is the 16 Bulava submarine-launched ballistic missiles. They carry nuclear warheads and thus become a structural part of Russia’s nuclear triad.

Submarines of this class can be armed with either six or eight torpedo tubes. The submarine has anti-torpedo protection through the integration of six 533mm external Special Purpose External Tubes [SPETS] REPS-324 Shlagbaum. The submarine’s third armament also includes RPK-2 Viyuga anti-submarine/ship missiles.

What we know about the RSM-56 Bulava

This ballistic nuclear missile was developed as an armament of the Bolava class submarines. This is a new weapon of Russia, which was accepted into service in 2018. One missile is said to cost just over $32 million. The missile was manufactured in 2011 and went through several tests before its commissioning. The first test was already the same year [2011] when it was successfully launched by the leading Borei-class submarine Yury Dolgorukiy.

The conventional version of the missile has an operational range of up to 8,300 km. However, Russia has begun upgrading the Bulava and a range of just over 10,000 km has been reached. Each missile can carry between 6 and 10 nuclear warheads equivalent to 100-150 kt MIRVs.

The rocket has a diameter of 2 meters and is 11.5 meters long. It weighs nearly 37 tons and is driven by an engine through a three-stage solid and liquid head stage. The engine uses solid propellant and liquid fuel.

The disappearance of the Belgorod sub

Russia has made significant efforts to upgrade its aging Soviet navy. One of the latest acquisitions of the Russian Navy is the Oscar II-class Belgorod submarine. The submarine was commissioned in 2022.

Immediately after its acquisition in the composition of the Russian fleet, sometime in November 2022, the submarine disappeared for a certain period from the NATO radars. At the same time, there was talk in the public space that Moscow was ready to conduct a nuclear weapon test.

Podvodnzia Belgorod is the carrier of Russia’s newest nuclear weapon, the Poseidon underwater drone/torpedo, which is considered to be the most destructive nuclear weapon currently in service in the entire world. No clear test was carried out [as far as we know] but the Belgorod’s disappearance caused concern as NATO lost a Roxas submarine from its radars. This means that Belgorod’s ability to remain “invisible” or “silent” underwater is very good.

***

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US Congressman Robert Garcia To Take Oath On Superman Comic, Read About His Love For Comics

US Congressman Robert Garcia has said comics are an essential part of American fiction and reading comics helped him read and write English. He has also said that comics have created the best characters in American fiction.

A photo of Superman comic among articles to be included in oath-taking of US Congressman Robert Garcia

Twitter/Robert Garcia

Written ByMadhur Sharma
04 JAN 2023

A newly-elected US Congressman is set to take oath of office on a Superman comic book along with the US Constitution.

US Congressman Robert Garcia, newly elected to the House of Representatives, will take oath on the Superman #1 comic said to be worth $5 million in market. Though the comic is worth $5 million in market, Garcia has got it from the US Library of Congress.

After journalists shared photos of the Superman comic placed in the US House chamber and reported that one member will take oath on the comic book, Garcia on Wednesday confirmed in a tweet that he would indeed include the comic in his oath.

"Will be proudly sworn-in to Congress on the US Constitution. Underneath the Constitution will be three items that mean a lot to me personally. A photo of my parents who I lost to Covid, my citizenship certificate, and an original Superman #1 from the Library Of Congress," said Garcia on Twitter.

Garcia is a known comic book aficionado. He mentions "Comic Book Nerd" in his Twitter bio.

Earlier, Garcia addressed his love for comics and said it's a serious reading.

"For all of you upset that I still read comics and suggesting that I need to do more serious reading...um...Anyone who understands comics knows that comics are an essential part of American fiction. And the lessons learned are invaluable. It’s serious shit," said Garcia in November after being elected to the House.

Earlier on Tuesday, journalists saw the Superman comic in the House chamber and reported that one member would include the comic in the oath.

Journalist Matt Laslo reported, "An aide still won’t name the member, but she did offer some clarity. The member plans to take the oath with their hand resting on the Constitution, which will sit atop the classic Superman comic, along with some other 'family mementos'."

In November after his election, Garcia shared photos of the US Library of Congress and shared excitement that he could now read any comic from library.

IGN notes that the Library of Congress has the biggest comic book collection in the United States.

Garcia tweeted, "Ok y’all I’m freaking out. This is the Congressional members reading room in the Library of Congress. I can pull any comic book from what is the largest public comic collection in the country and read them here. Let’s go!"

Garcia also shared photographs of two comic books of Spider-Man and Superman.

This is not the first time that Garcia has publicly expressed his love for comics and highlighted their importance in American culture.

In 2021, Garcia said that comic books created the best American fictional character and helped him learn to read and write English.

"I’ve always been a huge comics fan and in fact credit comics for helping me learn to read and write English. Comics have created the best characters in American fiction. When I think about my favorite runs/eras when I was younger here’s the first four that come to mind," said Garcia while sharing covers of four comic issues including popular characters Superman and X-Men.

Govt to consider regulating emissions in building products to improve indoor air quality

The spread of Covid-19 due to poor ventilation has led the Government and many businesses to tackle the issue. PHOTO: SINGAPORE BUSINESS FEDERATION

Ang Qing

SINGAPORE – The Government will consider recommendations by industry leaders to set formaldehyde emission limits in building products and household furnishings “very seriously”, said Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu on Wednesday.

The pungent pollutant, commonly found in these products, releases particles that are hazardous to health at high levels of exposure and can result in cancer after long periods of time.

Ms Fu was speaking at the official launch of guidelines and recommendations by the Alliance for Action on Sustainable Spaces to ensure that air breathed indoors is cleaner and greener.

They were developed in consultation with industry stakeholders by the alliance, which was initiated by the Singapore Business Federation (SBF), Singapore Furniture Industries Council (SFIC) and Singapore Green Building Council in November 2021.

Under the alliance’s proposal for regulation, companies will have to submit test reports for all products for certification before sale and provide proof that the goods sold meet emissions limits.

These guidelines come as the spread of Covid-19 due to poor ventilation and poor air quality have led the Government and many businesses to tackle the issue.

Among these firms is C&W Services, where the official launch was held, and which remodelled its office in Chai Chee between October 2021 and March 2022 to monitor and maintain good indoor air quality.

Said Ms Fu: “It is through Covid-19 that we realised how to deal with ventilation, what’s the right spacing… What’s the right rate of exchange of the air?”

The alliance said on Wednesday that as people spend about 90 per cent of time indoors, poor indoor air quality places them at health risk.

But before accepting the alliance’s recommendation to regulate, the Government will need to consider criteria including the appropriate level where emissions are considered harmful and which parties should be regulated.

Said Ms Fu: “Regulation doesn’t ensure that standards are followed all the time, we need to follow up with inspection and enforcement.

“So we have to think through all levers for policymaking before we can arrive to a decision, but this is something we are seriously looking at.”

She was responding to concerns that these guidelines are voluntary and lack regulatory teeth during a fireside chat session with more than 40 members of the alliance and industry stakeholders.
MORE ON THIS TOPIC
Experts urge ventilation in public spaces in war against Covid-19
Study to look at reducing disease spread in Singapore buildings

The guidelines comprise adopting emission limits for products and indoor furnishings, keeping local standards for good indoor air quality, acquiring certifications that recognise efforts to maintain good indoor air quality, implementing workplace safety and health guidelines, and monitoring indoor air quality.

Other recommendations are incentivising the industry to create and adopt low emitting products, as well as foster greater industry-public collaboration.

Supported by the Building and Construction Authority and National Environment Agency, the alliance also aims to help the industry seize opportunities in the green economy and support the Singapore Green Plan 2030.

SBF chairman Lim Ming Yan said the new guidelines will help fill the gap in existing guidelines for air quality in buildings, which might not cover situations where tenants conduct their own renovation after a building is constructed.

Citing his experience as the former president and group chief officer of CapitaLand, he added: “In that process of additional renovation, sometimes if the users or tenants are not aware of the type of materials that they are using, it may compromise the indoor air quality.”

President of SFIC Phua Boon Huat said the council has already committed in April to supply or adopt low or no formaldehyde products and solutions.

“These new industry guidelines would mean the public and consumers will be able to enjoy cleaner and greener urban indoor spaces in future,” he noted.

“Moving forward, we would like to advocate for industry players to opt for cleaner, safer materials in their offerings and designs.”
MORE ON THIS TOPIC
Pledge to spur use of low-emitting formaldehyde solutions for indoor spaces
Singapore’s new climate targets still ‘critically insufficient’, says research group

'We began the new year just like we ended the last one': Palestinians begin 2023 mourning three killed by Israeli forces

"More than 50 Palestinians were killed in Jenin in 2022, and no later than the second day of 2023, the killings continued," a resident said.

225 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces in 2022, making it one of the deadliest years for Palestinians according to the UN. [Qassam Muaddi/TNA]

Qassam Muaddi
West Bank
04 January, 2023

Palestinians in Bethlehem mourned the third Palestinian killed by Israeli forces since the turn of the year, three days ago. The 15-year-old Adam Ayyad was killed early on Tuesday in the Dheisheh refugee camp in Bethlehem and was laid to rest at noon following a crowded funeral through the camp's alleys.

Thousands of Palestinians circulated the Dheisheh refugee camp, raising flags and chanting slogans of resistance, while masked militants held Ayyad's coffin. Palestinian factions called for a general strike for the rest of the day in Bethlehem in mourning for the teenager.

"Adam was a joyful young boy, loved by everybody in the camp, and he was the only son to his parents," a friend of the victim, who asked not to be named, said to The New Arab.

"He was full of life and energy, and everybody in Dheisheh felt his loss as their own," said Ayyad's friend. "As soon as the news was announced, residents gathered at the camp's entrance, waiting for the body to be brought from the hospital," he described.

"Adam was a close friend of Omar Manaa, who was also killed in another Israeli raid a month ago," said the friend.

"Several of his cousins are prisoners in the occupation's jails too, and one of his close cousins was wounded by the occupation in 2016, which caused him permanent limb damage. Adam was conscious of all these things in his family," he remarked.

Ayyad was killed during an Israeli military raid into Dheisheh as he joined other youngsters in confronting raiding forces with stones, according to residents.

"The occupation forces came to the camp early in the morning to arrest another young man, and young men began to confront the soldiers with stones," said Ayyad's friend.

"Shortly before the occupation forces withdrew, the news broke that a young boy was seriously wounded and taken to hospital, then the news was confirmed that it was Adam and that he had died," added the friend.

"In his pocket, we found a letter that Adam had written previously and that he apparently carried with him in case he gets killed," they pointed out.

Photos of the hand-written letter circulated on social media accounts and the letter itself was placed on Ayyad's body at the moment of burial. With untidy handwriting and spelling mistakes of a teenager, Ayyad wrote: "I dreamed of so many things that I wanted to do, but we live in a country where it is impossible to fulfil your dreams."

"I am very glad that God has granted me martyrdom," read the letter. "Through it, I want my message to reach the whole world, 'to make the world wake it up', as said Ibrahim Nabulsi," Ayyad's letter added, quoting the leader of Nablus' Lions' Den group, who was killed by Israeli forces in July.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces raided the northern occupied West Bank city of Jenin, exchanging fire with Palestinian fighters. Israeli media confirmed that one Israeli soldier was injured during the raid.

The raid in Jenin comes one day after Israeli forces killed two young Palestinians in Kufr Dan, west of the city, while detonating the homes of the families of two Palestinians killed in September.

"In Jenin, we began the new year just as we ended the old one," Najat Abu Butmeh, director of the women and children centre in the Jenin refugee camp, said to The New Arab.

"More than 50 Palestinians were killed in Jenin in 2022, and no later than the second day of 2023, the killings continued, death continues," she pointed out.

"This Tuesday morning, the speakers of mosques began to warn residents that the occupation snipers were placed on high buildings around the camp, and it was at the exact time when children were heading to school," she described.

"The sense of tension in Jenin has not left, as everybody expects the next raid, especially when the occupation's drones fly over for three or four days in a row," she said.

The Jenin refugee camp has been target to Israeli sniper fire and military raids on a weekly basis in recent months, claiming the lives of more than 50 Palestinians [Qassam Muaddi /TNA]

"I knew many of the young people who were killed last year when they were children when they used to come to the centre," said Abu Butmeh. "Yesterday, I asked the children at the centre what they wished for the new year, and most of them said that they wish for a day when there are no martyrs to mourn."

Israeli forces ramped up raids on the occupied West Bank Palestinian cities, towns and refugee camps at the beginning of 2022, as Palestinian armed activism against Israeli occupation increased too.

The escalation claimed the lives of 225 Palestinians by the end of 2022. In October 2022, the UN said it was probably the deadliest year for Palestinians since 2005.

Former Archbishop of Paris target of sexual assault investigation

Bradley Hayden
January 4, 2023

PARIS (AP) – French police are investigating allegations that the former Archbishop of Paris sexually assaulted a woman protected by law as a vulnerable person, prosecutors said on Wednesday.

Michel Aupetit, who unexpectedly resigned in December 2021 after admitting an “ambiguous” relationship with a woman in 2012, denies any wrongdoing, his lawyer said.

The police investigations against Aupetit were initiated on the basis of information from the Paris archdiocese, the Paris prosecutor said, thereby confirming French media reports.

FILE – Archbishop of Paris Michel Aupetit gestures during Maundy Thursday celebrations in front of the Sacre Coeur basilica April 9, 2020 in Paris. French police are investigating allegations that the former Archbishop of Paris sexually assaulted a woman protected by law as a vulnerable person, prosecutors said on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Francois Mori, file)

It was launched in late November 2022 over a preliminary possible charge of sexually assaulting a vulnerable person, prosecutors said. The alleged attack took place several years ago, he added, without giving further details.

Aupetit’s lawyer Jean Reinhart said the investigation was sparked by a letter to the Archdiocese of Paris. The diocese then forwarded the letter to prosecutors, an automated procedure to handle potential abuse cases that Aupetit himself instituted when he was archbishop, Reinhart said. The public prosecutor’s office then initiated the police investigation.

Reinhart said Aupetit had not seen the letter, was not told who wrote it, or what exactly was in it.

“My client is stunned, doesn’t know what the point is,” said the lawyer.

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LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment