TOTAL WAR

Israel's military campaign in Gaza seen as among the most destructive in recent history, experts say

JULIA FRANKEL

Updated Fri, December 22, 2023 

A view of the rubble of a building after it was struck by an Israeli airstrike, in Gaza City, on Oct. 8, 2023. After 11 weeks of war in Gaza, the Israeli military campaign against Hamas now sits among the deadliest and most destructive in history. The Palestinian death toll is approaching 20,000 and satellite data shows that one-third of structures across the tiny enclave have been destroyed. 

(AP Photo/Hatem Moussa, File)

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military campaign in Gaza, experts say, now sits among the deadliest and most destructive in recent history.

In just over two months, the offensive has wreaked more destruction than the razing of Syria’s Aleppo between 2012 and 2016, Ukraine’s Mariupol or, proportionally, the Allied bombing of Germany in World War II. It has killed more civilians than the U.S.-led coalition did in its three-year campaign against the Islamic State group.

The Israeli military has said little about what kinds of bombs and artillery it is using in Gaza. But from blast fragments found on-site and analyses of strike footage, experts are confident that the vast majority of bombs dropped on the besieged enclave are U.S.-made. They say the weapons include 2,000-pound (900-kilogram) “bunker-busters” that have killed hundreds in densely populated areas.

With the Palestinian death toll in Gaza surpassing 20,000, the international community is calling for a cease-fire. Israel vows to press ahead, saying it wants to destroy Hamas’ military capabilities following the militant group’s Oct. 7 cross-border rampage that triggered the war, in which it killed 1,200 people and took 240 others hostage.

The Biden administration has quietly continued to supply arms to Israel. Last week, however, President Joe Biden publicly acknowledged that Israel was losing international legitimacy for what he called its “indiscriminate bombing.”

Here’s a look at what is known so far about Israel’s campaign on Gaza.

HOW MUCH DESTRUCTION IS THERE IN GAZA?

Israel’s offensive has destroyed over two-thirds of all structures in northern Gaza and a quarter of buildings in the southern area of Khan Younis, according to an analysis of Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellite data by Corey Scher of the CUNY Graduate Center and Jamon Van Den Hoek of Oregon State University, experts in mapping damage during wartime.

The percentage of damaged buildings in the Khan Younis area nearly doubled in just the first two weeks of Israel’s southern offensive, they said.

That includes tens of thousands of homes as well as schools, hospitals, mosques and stores. U.N. monitors have said that about 70% of school buildings across Gaza have been damaged. At least 56 damaged schools served as shelters for displaced civilians. Israeli strikes damaged 110 mosques and three churches, the monitors said.

Israel holds Hamas responsible for civilian deaths by embedding militants in civilian infrastructure. Those sites also shelter multitudes of Palestinians who have fled under Israeli evacuation orders.

“Gaza is now a different color from space. It’s a different texture,” said Scher, who has worked with Van Den Hoek to map destruction across several war zones, from Aleppo to Mariupol.

HOW DOES THE DESTRUCTION STACK UP HISTORICALLY?

By some measures, destruction in Gaza has outpaced Allied bombings of Germany during World War II.

Between 1942 and 1945, the allies attacked 51 major German cities and towns, destroying about 40-50% of their urban areas, said Robert Pape, a U.S. military historian. Pape said this amounted to 10% of buildings across Germany, compared to over 33% across Gaza, a densely populated territory of just 140 square miles (360 square kilometers).

“Gaza is one of the most intense civilian punishment campaigns in history,” said Pape. “It now sits comfortably in the top quartile of the most devastating bombing campaigns ever.”

The U.S.-led coalition’s 2017 assault to expel the Islamic State group from the Iraqi city of Mosul was considered one of the most intense attacks on a city in generations. That nine-month battle killed around 10,000 civilians, a third of them from coalition bombardment, according an Associated Press investigation at the time.

During the 2014-2017 campaign to defeat IS in Iraq, the coalition carried out nearly 15,000 strikes across the country, according to Airwars, a London-based independent group that tracks recent conflicts. By comparison, the Israeli military said last week it has conducted 22,000 strikes in Gaza.

WHAT TYPES OF BOMBS ARE BEING USED?

The Israeli military has not specified what it is using. It says every strike is cleared by legal advisers to make sure it complies with international law.

“We choose the right munition for each target — so it doesn’t cause unnecessary damage,” said the army’s chief spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari.

Weapons experts have been able to draw conclusions by analyzing blast fragments found on-site, satellite images and videos circulated on social media. They say the findings offer only a peek into the full scope of the air war.

So far, fragments of American-made Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) bombs and smaller diameter bombs have been found in Gaza, according to Brian Castner, a weapons investigator with Amnesty International.

The JDAM bombs include precision-guided 1,000- and 2,000-pound (450-kilogram and 900-kilogram) “bunker-busters.”

“It turns earth to liquid,” said Marc Garlasco, a former Pentagon defense official and a war crimes investigator for the U.N. “It pancakes entire buildings.”

He said the explosion of a 2,000-pound bomb in the open means “instant death” for anyone within about 30 meters (100 feet). Lethal fragmentation can extend for up to 365 meters (1,200 feet).

In an Oct. 31 strike on the urban refugee camp of Jabaliya, experts say a 2,000-pound bomb killed over 100 civilians.

Experts have also identified fragments of SPICE (Smart, Precise Impact, Cost-Effective) 2000-pound bombs, which are fitted with a GPS guidance system to make targeting more precise. Castner said the bombs are produced by the Israeli defense giant Rafael, but a recent State Department release first obtained by The New York Times showed some of the technology had been produced in the United States.

The Israeli military is also dropping unguided “dumb” bombs. Several experts pointed to two photos posted to social media by the Israeli Air Force at the start of the war showing fighter jets stocked with unguided bombs.

IS THE STRATEGY WORKING?

Israel says it has two goals: destroy Hamas and rescue the 129 hostages still held by militants.

Eleven weeks into the war, Israel says it has destroyed many Hamas sites and hundreds of tunnel shafts and has killed 7,000 Hamas fighters out of an estimated 30,000-40,000. Israeli leaders say intense military pressure is the only way to free more hostages.

But some families of hostages worry that the bombing endangers their loved ones. Hostages released during a weeklong cease-fire last month recounted that their captors moved them from place to place to avoid Israeli bombardment. Hamas has claimed that several hostages died from Israeli bombs, though the claims could not be verified.

The level of destruction is so high because “Hamas is very entrenched within the civilian population,” said Efraim Inbar, head of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, a think tank. He also said intense bombardment of Hamas’ tunnels is needed to protect advancing Israeli ground forces from attacks.

Israel accepts Palestinian Authority role in post-war Gaza

Jay Solomon
Thu, December 21, 2023 

The News

The Israeli government, for the first time, signaled its willingness to allow the Palestinian Authority to govern the Gaza Strip after military operations against the militant group Hamas cease.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly insisted that the PA can’t return to Gaza due to what he says is the organization’s corruption and failure to condemn Hamas’s October 7 terrorist attack on southern Israel. Netanyahu’s position has increasingly placed him at odds with the Biden administration, which has already begun conferring with the PA’s leadership in the West Bank about its post-war role.

But on Thursday, Netanyahu’s national security advisor outlined a shift in the Israeli government’s position in an editorial published in Elaph, a Saudi Arabia-owned Arabic language news site headquartered in London. The Israeli government’s placement of the piece in Elaph is an effort to communicate directly to Arab governments that are expected to play a central role in financing the reconstruction of Gaza after the war, Middle East officials told Semafor.

“Beyond ensuring the security of our citizens, which we will not compromise on, Israel has no interest in controlling civil affairs in Gaza, and there will need to be a moderate Palestinian governing body that enjoys broad support and legitimacy,” National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi wrote. “It’s not for us to decide who this will be.”

He added: “In its current form, the PA finds this difficult to do, and it will require much work and the assistance of the international community and regional neighbors. We are ready for this effort.”

The PA, and its 88-year-old President Mahmoud Abbas currently run the West Bank but was pushed out of Gaza by Hamas in 2006 following 2006 general elections in the territory. Biden administration officials now say they’d like to see the West Bank and Gaza reunified under a “revitalized” PA leadership as part of a broader post-war process that could resume Arab-Israeli negotiations aimed at creating an independent Palestinian state.

Jay’s view

Despite Netanyahu’s contempt for the PA, Israel is facing the blunt reality of either running Gaza itself after the war or ceding control to Palestinian leadership. U.S. and Arab officials say the PA is by far the best positioned to fill this void. But questions remain about who would lead the organization in Gaza and what steps can be taken to lend it legitimacy among Palestinians there.

The Biden administration is already seeking to identify members of the PA’s security forces who’ve served in Gaza to potentially redeploy there, U.S. officials say. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met Abbas in Ramallah last week to try and promote reforms within the PA that could bolster its capabilities in Gaza and breathe life back into negotiations to create an independent Palestinian state. The PA hasn’t held a presidential election since 2005, and Israeli officials charge that the organization promotes terrorism through its educational programs and financial support for the families of Palestinians convicted of terrorism.

“There are a number of security personnel linked to the Palestinian Authority, which we think might be able to provide some sort of a nucleus in the many months that follow the overall military campaign,” a senior U.S. official said last week. “But this is something we are discussing with the Palestinians, and with the Israelis, and with regional partners. It very much remains a work in progress.”

Arab officials tell Semafor the PA has been holding discussions with Hamas’s political leadership in Qatar about post-war leadership in Gaza. A member of Hamas’s politburo in Doha told The Wall Street Journal this week that Hamas could potentially enter into a joint-leadership structure with Abbas’s political party, Fatah, as part of efforts to create an independent Palestinian state. “We want to establish a Palestinian state in Gaza, the West Bank and Jerusalem,” Husam Badran said.

Israel and the U.S. have both ruled out Hamas playing any future leadership role in the Palestinian territories. Netanyahu’s government equates the organization with the Islamic State, or ISIS, and has pledged to completely dismantle its political and military leadership.

The U.S. and Arab governments are looking for new blood to eventually replace Abbas. Among the officials are Hussein al Sheikh, the secretary general of the Palestinian Liberation Organization — the overall representative of the Palestinians, and Mohammed Dahlan, who previously oversaw security in the Gaza Strip before Hamas took power. Recent polls have identified political leader Marwan Barghouti, who’s currently jailed in Israel, as the most popular figure in the West Bank.

The View From Ramallah

Mahmoud Abbas said this week that he’s prepared to initiate reforms in the PA and support the reconstruction of Gaza. But he said his organization’s cooperation is contingent upon meaningful steps being taken to resume the long-stalled Middle East peace process. And he’s called for the convening of an international conference focused on achieving a two-state solution, similar to one promoted by the U.S. and Soviet Union in the early 1990s.

“The problem is not changing (Palestinian) politicians and forming a new government, the problem is the policies of the Israeli government,” Abbas told Reuters last week.

Palestinian leaders also hit back at Netanyahu’s disparagement of Fatah’s or Hama’s leadership. “We say to Netanyahu, it’s not Fatah-istan or Hamas-istan, the name is #Palestine, and it will remain Palestine, regardless of whoever wishes to call it that, tweeted Hussein al Sheikh, the PLO’s general secretary.

Notable

• A wartime poll conducted in the Palestinian territories found that 72% of respondents in the West Bank and Gaza believed Hamas was “correct” in launching the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel.

Chinese car brand Omoda in talks over European production plant


Howard Mustoe
Fri, 22 December 2023 

Omoda 5 OMODA - CHINESE CAR

Chinese car brand Omoda is moving towards producing cars in Europe, its UK boss has claimed.

Victor Zhang said the company, which is owned by state-backed carmaker Chery, is considering where to house its European base – a decision that will be driven in part by the workforce available and local government incentives.

Omoda has plans to start selling cars in the UK from March across 50 showrooms, expanding to 100 dealers by 2025.


Mr Zhang said: “We have some ongoing discussions but they are not finalised and this is a big project. Many Chinese brands are also talking about this.”

International car makers often decide on local production when rolling out new models.

Japan’s Nissan chose the UK for its large plant in Sunderland, while Hyundai assembles its cars in the Czech Republic.

One manufacturing site will “hopefully” be enough to support Omoda’s entire European business, said Mr Zhang.

Omoda is an outlier among Chinese brands such as BYD and Funky Cat in that it is not planning electric-only UK launches ahead of the Government’s ban on selling petrol and diesel-only cars by 2035.

Instead, it expects about 70pc of its sales to initially be for petrol cars, with the remaining 30pc electric.

On deciding where to build a future car plant, Mr Zhang said the company could make a decision in 2024.

Omoda already has a research centre in Germany which employs about 50 people.

Chinese-made cars are already a large part of the electric car market in the UK, with MG – owned by SAIC Motor Corp – recording more than £1bn sales in Britain last year.

British drivers are also buying Geely’s Polestar and Volvo models, which are owned by Hangzhou-based Geely.

BYD, which counts Warren Buffett as an investor, and Great Wall Motor are also entering the UK market.

Chinese car brands are stepping in with cheaper options for buyers facing large price increases in recent years.

Their access to cheaper labour and a much more mature supply chain for the components used in electric cars, such as lithium, has handed them an advantage over European and US car makers.

Earlier this year, Vauxhall owner Stellantis warned of a coming “invasion” of cheap Chinese cars.

The £26,995 MG 4 SE with 218 miles of range is probably the cheapest electric vehicle on offer in the UK and can be compared to the similarly sized Volkswagen ID.3 at £36,375.

Guardian staff fear for their pets in work from home crackdown


James Warrington

TORY TELEGRAPH REPORTS GLEEFULLY
Fri, 22 December 2023 

Working from home with dog

A staff revolt is looming at The Guardian over the newspaper’s return to the office amid concerns the new policy will give some workers less time to spend with their pets.

Bosses have told staff they must come into the office for a minimum of three days a week from January after many failed to return following the pandemic.

But the mandate has been met with anger by the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), which has asked members for their views on the issue.


In a survey distributed earlier this month, Guardian staff were asked how much they agreed with various statements about the impact of returning to the office.

These ranged from concerns about the financial impact of commuting, to issues around work-life balance and distractions in the office.

Employees were also asked for their views on how returning to work would impact their personal carbon footprint, while another survey statement read: “I will have less time to care for and be with my pet(s).”

The NUJ is said to be angry about the working policy and feels staff were not consulted on the changes.

But others hit out at the union, arguing that journalists who were going into work were being let down by their office-shy colleagues.

One source said: “It’s ridiculous that people aren’t showing their faces and we have this big, empty office with rows and rows of empty desks. It makes people’s lives a lot harder.”

“And it’s absolutely ridiculous for people to even bring up the idea that their pets are going to be the ones that suffer. It just needs a little bit of professionalism.”

The NUJ declined to comment.

While the newspaper has asked staff to come in three days a week since the beginning of the year, many have failed to do so. From January, it will become mandatory.

However, The Guardian has been plunged into in-fighting over the policy, with some employees resisting a return.

Changes to the facilities in the newspaper’s King’s Cross headquarters have also sparked controversy.

In November, the NUJ called an “urgent meeting” after bosses said hot food would no longer be served in the canteen.

The backlash forced The Guardian to rethink the plans, but staff remain angry that they will no longer be able to access free barista-made coffee.

A Guardian spokesman said: “We always welcome feedback from our staff on our policies, and look forward to hearing the results of the recent survey.”

Dog shelter owner makes heartfelt plea for animals suffering amid Gaza conflict

'Every living thing is suffering. I pray to God this war ends soon'

Ellen Manning
Updated Fri, 22 December 2023 

Diana Babish runs an animal shelter in the West Bank and says things are getting worse by the day. (Red Shed)

An animal shelter owner in the West Bank has been left struggling to look after sick and terrified animals affected by the ongoing conflict in the region, saying: "Every living thing is suffering. I pray to God this war ends soon."

Diana Babish, who runs the Animal and Environment Association (AEA) in Bethlehem - the only registered animal shelter in the West Bank - said the situation for animals in the area is rapidly deteriorating, with supplies running low, as well as funds to buy food and medicine. She said animals have been left terrified by loud bombs and the noises of fighting, with many injured or wounded.

The Red Shed, an animal welfare charity based in Ireland, is now trying to help both Babish and another shelter in Gaza, run by volunteer Saeed, by highlighting their plight.


Founder Sandy Sheerin said: "The shelter in West Bank, run by Diana Babish, is helping to bring animals in and out of an Israel animal hospital, but access is getting harder and harder. Near the settlements in West Bank, there is a small area to receive supplies for animals (food and medicine), but funds are running low.

"Most animals are frightened of the loud bombs and noises, uncertain of where to seek shelter if in a high-risk area. Diana and her crew of volunteers spend most of their days trying to get to animals injured or wounded from either a bomb attack or a fighter.

"Animals are as much a casualty of this war as one of the great risks is of disease in an area of southern Gaza that does not have clean running water etc. Cross-infection can occur between animals and humans without the right sanitation or hygienic areas."

The Sulala Animal Shelter in Gaza is overwhelmed with animals. (The Red Shed)
Recommended reading

In Gaza, 'war is horror' for everyone, including the cats and dogs (Business Insider)


Israel bombs more Gaza targets as envoy seek truce (AFP)


Gaza 'most dangerous place in the world' to be a woman (Yahoo News)

Babish, a former bank manager who founded the shelter in 2016, said she and her volunteers spend most of their days trying to get to animals that are suffering as a result of the bombing or fighting, and has been helping to take them in and out of an animal hospital in Israel. However, she said access is getting harder and harder. She said: "The area where the shelter is was a bit safe, but now it is close to danger."

She said her counterpart, Saeed, who runs the Sulala Animal Shelter in Gaza, has been left struggling to feed the animals after the pet store in the centre of Gaza ran out of food. She said: "He opened the gate of the shelter because if bombing was close, the dogs can run. The dogs stay around the shelter because they are used to the area, some of his dogs reached certain places where the Israeli soldiers saw them, and were rescued by them and moved to Israel."

Babish currently has more than 100 dogs and 30 cats in her shelter, and says the situation is worsening as bombing continues - with the shelter in Gaza facing the same challenges. She said: "The situation in the West Bank is getting worse everywhere. Unemployment rate is higher, hotels, restaurants, souvenir shops are mostly closed, animals can't find food.

"Many international organisations are trying to get food in to Saeed, but it becomes difficult as bombing is everywhere. The borders are closed but hopefully food can come in. The zoo in Gaza had many animals, but they mostly died of bombing and hunger. I knew seven animals were still there, but I think by now none have survived. I cry a lot about this harsh situation, every living thing is suffering. I pray to God this war ends soon.

Babish rescues a box of abandoned puppies, left to fend for themselves amid the chaos in the West Bank. (The Red Shed)

Babish puts food out for stray cats, many of whom are terrified by the bombing. (The Red Shed)

Babish said she has been rescuing animals since she was a child, before going on to establish an organisation to help animals in the West Bank and building the shelter using her own savings.

"Since my childhood, I used to rescue animals. I started with rescuing a lot of cats and I had a cat indoors. Then I started rescuing a dog who used to escort me to my work and then came back home waiting for me on the roof until I come home. We started to think of having a shelter to help the animals in dire need of treatment, food, operations."

She started by renting a small house to home five dogs, but as the numbers of animals she was helping grew, Babish sought help from the authorities for somewhere to look after animals who needed her help.

"We had to collect donations from people because we didn't have any international connections that might help us. We had to knock the door of every company and rich people to help in starting building the shelter," she said.

"We also worked on raising awareness among all the local institutions. We held conferences, and started working with schools to break the fear of dogs among students. Our activity started to expand to reach rescuing animals all over the West Bank, helping stray dogs, cats and donkeys."
Spreading the word

Since it was set up, the shelter has rescued more than 4,500 dogs, 650 cats, and 15 donkeys. Its work includes treating animals, neutering them, and administering vaccinations as well as treatment for fleas and deworming. For several years, more severe cases have been sent to Israeli hospitals and clinics because they are too complicated for the shelter.

The shelter also arranges formal animal fostering and adoptions and is working to change policy around the abuse of animals. It receives no government funding, which means everything relies on donations and support from other organisations.

"I am the head of the association but I am a volunteer," added Babish. "I spent my savings from my work as a bank manage to build the shelter. We have good volunteers that post and spread the word about our shelter through theses channels so more people knew about us, and we were able to send dogs to Israel thousands, and to many countries abroad to US, Canada, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Ireland, Finland, and France."

Some animals have been left seriously injured in the conflict - this dog suffered a broken back. (The Red Shed)

Animals - the silent victims of war

Millions of animals have died over the centuries thanks to warfare between humans, figures suggest. Statistics shared by the Conflict and Environment Observatory (CEOBS) show the range of animals killed by various conflicts, including the World Wars, the Vietnam War and the Gulf War.

According to CEOBs, even low-level human conflict can drive dramatic wildlife declines, with one study showing the effects of human conflict on large mammal populations in Africa. Other risks to animals range from landmines to the increased availability of small arms during war times, as well as wildlife crime during periods of unrest.

Alongside these, the more obvious risks of bombing and fighting leave animals injured and killed, while military exercises can also

Canada announces temporary visas for people in Gaza with Canadian relatives

Associated Press
Thu, December 21, 2023 

Hundreds of Palestinian refugees waving Palestinian and Canadian flags request asylum at a rally outside the the Canadian Embassy, in Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. People in the Gaza Strip who have Canadian relatives may apply for temporary visas to Canada, Canada’s immigration minister said Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023. However, the federal government cannot guarantee them safe passage out of the besieged Palestinian territory. Immigration Minister Marc Miller expects the program to be up and running by Jan. 9, 2024.

 (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File)

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — People in the Gaza Strip who have Canadian relatives may apply for temporary visas to Canada, the country's immigration minister said Thursday. However, the federal government cannot guarantee safe passage out of the besieged Palestinian territory.

Immigration Minister Marc Miller expects the program to be up and running by Jan. 9. Until now, the government has focused on getting 660 Canadians, permanent residents and their spouses and children out of Gaza.

Miller said the government will start accepting applications for people with extended family connections to Canada, including parents, grandparents, siblings and grandchildren.

He said people will be offered three-year visas if they meet eligibility and admissibility criteria.

Miller said he’s not sure how many people will be able to come to Canada under the program, but he expects the number will be in the hundreds.

Miller said it's been difficult to get Canadians out of Gaza. “We have limited ability,” he said.

Ottawa offers 3-year visas to those in Gaza with Canadian relatives

Darryl Coote
Thu, December 21, 2023 



Dec. 21 (UPI) -- People in Gaza with Canadian relatives will be able to apply for temporary residency, Ottawa announced Thursday, as the death toll in the Palestinian enclave amid Israel's offensive reaches nearly 20,000 with the vast majority of those who live there having been displaced.

Ottawa will work with its partners in the region to help those eligible to leave Gaza but cannot guarantee safe passage since it has no control over the number of people who can exit the besieged enclave through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, immigration Marc Miller of Canada said Thursday during a press conference unveiling the measure.

"We understand that many are concerned about the safety of loved ones in Gaza. It is unlivable," Miller said.

"And as such, we will be supporting temporary residence for extended family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents in Gaza so they can come to Canada and be reunited with their family members residing here."

Ottawa will also prioritize the processing of all existing and new permanent residence applications for Palestinians with family connections to Canada, he said.

"To be clear, today is about providing a humanitarian pathway to safety and recognizing the importance of keeping families together, given the ongoing devastation," he said.

He told reporters that he expects the program will be up and running by Jan. 9, and that those eligible will be granted three-year temporary resident visas.

Eligible family members include the spouse, common-law partner, child, regardless of age, sibling, parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who must be currently residing in Canada, the federal immigration office said in a release.

Other measures unveiled Thursday include fee-exempt study or open work permits for family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents who have left Israel and the Palestinian territories since the conflict began in October, as well as those already in Canada who feel unsafe returning to the region at this time, said Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

The conflict began Oct. 7, when Hamas launched a bloody surprise attack on Israel that claimed the lives of 1,200 Israelis and an estimated 240 more taken hostage.

Israel has responded with a brutal air and ground offensive that has killed at least 20,000 people, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run Palestine Ministry of Health, and has displaced 1.9 million of Gaza's 2.2 million residents, according to stats from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

The Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unveiled the immigration measures Thursday as it comes under increasing pressure from Palestinian-Canadian families and the New Democratic Party, which said Thursday it welcomes this "long overdue announcement."

"Families have been waiting for this day for too long," NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan said in a statement. " Reuniting families with their loved ones in Canada is the right thing to do."

During a separate press conference held Thursday, Ahmad Al-Qadi, an advocacy officer with the National Council of Canadian Muslims -- which has been working to evacuate Canadians from Gaza -- similarly thanked Ottawa for developing these measures while stating he recognizes that for some "it's been a very late announcement."

"Many Canadians have been praying that no more of their family members are murdered or slaughtered in the carnage that has gripped a civilian population for over two months, and many Canadians have lost their family members while waiting," he said.

"While we continue to work with the government, we also want to make it clear here today as we have said before publicly that the status quo solution is not acceptable. the conditions flee are intolerable and there must be a solution to end the violence that is taking the lives of so many innocent civilians, including Canadians."

Israel's Gaza campaign puts its long-term safety at risk -Trudeau

Reuters
Thu, December 21, 2023 

 Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during a press conference

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Israel's close friends are worried its military campaign in the Gaza Strip is putting at risk the country's long-term safety, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in an interview that aired on Thursday.

His comments mark the latest expression of concern from allies about the spiralling death toll among Gazans, which local health authorities say has hit nearly 20,000. Israeli planes continued to pound the Palestinian enclave on Thursday.

Trudeau has consistently said Israel has the right to defend itself after the deadly rampage by militants of Gaza's ruling Hamas group into Israel on Oct. 7. But as the civilian toll in Israel's devastating retaliatory air and ground war in Gaza has mounted, he has gradually hardened his tone.

Israel's strongest friends "are becoming increasingly concerned that ... the short-term actions being taken by Israel are actually putting at risk the long-term safety (of) and even support for a Jewish state into the future," Trudeau told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.

Canada, Australia and New Zealand last week backed urgent international efforts towards a "sustainable ceasefire" in Gaza in a coordinated show of concern shortly after the U.S. warned Israel of declining international support.

"Israel has the right and responsibility to defend itself, but it has to be doing so in ways that (are) careful around the impact on civilians," said Trudeau.

He called for humanitarian aid to be sent into besieged Gaza and stressed the importance of fighting antisemitism at home and abroad. The number of antisemitic and anti-Muslim hate crimes in Toronto has spiked significantly since the start of the Gaza conflict, police in Canada's largest city said last month.

(Reporting by David Ljunggren; editing by Mark Heinrich)

Biden pardons marijuana use nationwide. Here's what that means

Francesca Chambers, USA TODAY
Updated Fri, December 22, 2023 

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden announced Friday he's issuing a federal pardon to every American who has used marijuana in the past, including those who were never arrested or prosecuted.

The sweeping pardon applies to all U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents in possession of marijuana for their personal use and those convicted of similar federal crimes. It also forgives pot users in the District of Columbia. It does not apply to individuals who have been jailed for selling the drug, which is illegal under federal law, or other marijuana offenses such as driving under the influence of an illegal substance.

The implication of Biden's pardon promises to have significant implications, as criminal records for marijuana use and possession have imposed barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities. However, the pardons do not apply to people who violated state law, and anyone who wants to receive proof of a pardon will have to apply through the Department of Justice.

A demonstrator waves a flag with marijuana leaves depicted on it during a protest calling for the legalization of marijuana, outside of the White House in Washington D.C.. President Joe Biden is pardoning thousands of Americans convicted of “simple possession” of marijuana under federal law, as his administration takes a dramatic step toward decriminalizing the drug and addressing charging practices that disproportionately impact people of color.

Biden issued a similar pardon last year and promised future reforms. This year's proclamation went further in that it forgave all instances of simple marijuana use or possession under federal law, including for individuals who have never been charged. It also expands Biden's previous directive to include minor marijuana offenses committed on federal property.

The White House says thousands of people with federal and D.C. convictions will be eligible for the pardons, which Biden announced three days before the Christmas holiday.

In a statement, Biden said Americans should not be sent to prison solely for using or possessing marijuana. He urged governors to forgive state offenses.

"Criminal records for marijuana use and possession have imposed needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities. Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. It’s time that we right these wrongs," Biden said.

More: Many Americans arrested for marijuana won't find relief under Biden's pardon plan

Biden also commuted the sentences of 11 people he said are "serving disproportionately long sentences for non-violent drug offenses" and would have received lesser sentences if they were charged today.

The Congressional Black Caucus said the pardons are a "positive step forward in addressing long-standing racial disparities in crack and powder cocaine sentencing, which for generations, has disproportionately imprisoned Black Americans."

"It is our hope that clemency be granted to more Black Americans who have been criminalized by the decades-old policies of the War on Drugs era," the group said in a statement.

The American Civil Liberties Union’s Cynthia W. Roseberry, director of the organization's Justice Division, said in a statement that Biden's actions "send a strong message about the power of redemption" and will help to correct past injustices.

But, she said, Congress must change the law to prevent future Justice Department from revoking Biden's directive not to pursue higher sentences for crack offenses.

Marijuana users who want to take part in Biden's program will have to follow an application process set by the Department of Justice to receive a certificate confirming that they were pardoned under the president's broader order if they need to provide proof of clemency for employment or housing applications.

Biden's proclamation states that the attorney general "shall review all properly submitted applications for certificates of pardon and shall issue such certificates of pardon to eligible applicants in due course."

The Biden administration recommended that the DEA reschedule marijuana use to a lower offense earlier this year.

A record 70 percent of Americans said in an October survey conducted by Gallup that marijuana use should be legalized. It is favored by a majority of Republicans. And it is highly popular among the liberals, Democrats and young Americans who Biden hopes to inspire to vote for his reelection.

Recreational marijuana use is currently legal in 24 states and the District of Columbia. Medical marijuana is now widely allowed in the U.S. It is legal in 38 states.

Biden pardons certain marijuana offenses, grants clemency to 11 non-violent drug offenders

LAUREN PELLER
Fri, December 22, 2023


President Joe Biden announced Friday he was granting clemency to nearly a dozen people who have been serving long prison sentences for non-violent drug offenses.

The president also announced he was signing a proclamation to pardon certain marijuana offenses, building on action he took back in 2022 to pardon thousands of Americans who had been convicted of simple marijuana possession.

"America was founded on the principle of equal justice under law," Biden said in a statement. "Elected officials on both sides of the aisle, faith leaders, civil rights advocates, and law enforcement leaders agree that our criminal justice system can and should reflect this core value that makes our communities safer and stronger. That is why today I am announcing additional steps I am taking to make the promise of equal justice a reality."

MORE: Biden announces pardons for thousands convicted of federal marijuana possession

Of the 11 people who will have their sentences commuted, some were convicted to decades or even life in prison for crack cocaine-related offenses.

"All of them would have been eligible to receive significantly lower sentences if they were charged with the same offense today," Biden said in a statement.

According to a White House official, some individuals received sentences twice as long as they would likely receive now.

PHOTO: President Joe Biden speaks about his economic agenda at the Wisconsin Black Chamber of Commerce, Dec. 20, 2023, in Milwaukee. (Evan Vucci/AP)

Additionally, Biden will issue a proclamation to pardon additional marijuana offenses related to simple possession and use of the drug under federal and Washington, D.C., law.

"Criminal records for marijuana use and possession have imposed needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities," Biden said. "Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. It's time that we right these wrongs."

MORE: Biden pardons 3 people, reduces sentences for 75 non-violent drug offenders

He also urged state officials to take similar action.

"Just as no one should be in a federal prison solely due to the use or possession of marijuana, no one should be in a local jail or state prison for that reason, either. That's why I continue to urge Governors to do the same with regard to state offenses and applaud those who have since taken action," Biden said.

ABC News' Alexandra Hutzler contributed to this report.



Joe Biden Commutes the Sentences of 11 Nonviolent Drug Offenders, Pardons Some Marijuana Offenses

Virginia Chamlee
Fri, December 22, 2023 

"Criminal records for marijuana use and possession have imposed needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities," Biden said

Susan Walsh/AP/Shutterstock Joe Biden

President Joe Biden on Friday announced the pardons of 11 nonviolent convicted drug offenders, also issuing a proclamation that would pardon those convicted of certain marijuana offenses.

"As I have said before, criminal records for marijuana use and possession have imposed needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities," Biden, 81, said in the proclamation issued Friday.


Biden added that, through the proclamation, "individuals who may continue to experience the unnecessary collateral consequences of a conviction for simple possession of marijuana, attempted simple possession of marijuana, or use of marijuana," will be pardoned.

The proclamation builds on last year's historic pardon for federal offenders of simple marijuana possession and will mean that thousands of those who were convicted of use and simple possession of marijuana on federal lands and in the District of Columbia will now be eligible for pardons.

Currently, 25 states in the U.S. have fully legalized the use of marijuana, while 14 have legalized the its medical usage.

Related: President Biden Announces Federal Pardons for Simple Marijuana Possession Offenders

The 11 other people formally granted clemency on Friday had convictions ranging from conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine to conspiracy to distribute cocaine. The White House described the sentences for those nonviolent drug offenses as “disproportionately long."

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The ability to set aside federal criminal convictions — even to try and prevent future prosecutions for a federal crime for which someone has not yet been charged — is one of the signature authorities of a president and it has few restrictions. (It does not, however, affect state crimes.)

During his 2019 presidential campaign, Biden had expressed that "nobody should be in jail for smoking marijuana," and the White House has said the executive clemencies are meant to rectify racial disparities in the justice system.

Read the original article on People.

Up next

Biden pardons thousands of people convicted of marijuana offences

Gustaf Kilander

Fri, December 22, 2023 at 9:14 AM MST·3 min read

1

President Joe Biden is pardoning thousands of people convicted of marijuana offences in Washington DC and on federal lands.

He’s also set to commute the sentences of 11 non-violent drug offenders “serving disproportionately long sentences”.

Mr Biden made the announcement in a statement on Friday morning, saying that “America was founded on the principle of equal justice under law”.

“Elected officials on both sides of the aisle, faith leaders, civil rights advocates, and law enforcement leaders agree that our criminal justice system can and should reflect this core value that makes our communities safer and stronger,” he added. “That is why today I am announcing additional steps I am taking to make the promise of equal justice a reality.”

The president said that if the offenders receiving the commuted sentences had faced justice today, “all of them would have been eligible to receive significantly lower sentences”.

Mr Biden, noting that he has previously issued a pardon of previous federal and DC “offences of simple possession of marijuana”, said that he would issue a “Proclamation that will pardon additional offences of simple possession and use of marijuana under federal and DC law”.

“Criminal records for marijuana use and possession have imposed needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities,” the president said. “Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. It’s time that we right these wrongs.”

“Just as no one should be in a federal prison solely due to the use or possession of marijuana, no one should be in a local jail or state prison for that reason, either. That’s why I continue to urge governors to do the same with regard to state offences and applaud those who have since taken action,” Mr Biden said. “I have exercised my clemency power more than any recent predecessor has at this point in their presidency. And while today’s announcement marks important progress, my Administration will continue to review clemency petitions and deliver reforms that advance equal justice, address racial disparities, strengthen public safety, and enhance the wellbeing of all Americans.”

The sentences of the offenders included on Mr Biden’s list of commutations ranged from 15 years to life. Most of their sentences will now end in the first few months of next year.

By the time he left office in early 2017, President Barack Obama had issued 1,715 commutations and 212 pardons, with most of those granted clemency having been convicted of drug violations. Many of them had received long and at times mandatory sentences amidst the war on drugs – a term popularized by President Richard Nixon during a press conference in the summer of 1971.

Former President Donald Trump granted clemency to 237 people, most of whom had a personal connection to him or served a political purpose. Only 25 of the pardons and commutations issued by Mr Trump went through the regular process at the Department of Justice, the rest were the result of personal connections and lobbying efforts.

Banksy installation taken within an hour of its creation

India McTaggart
Fri, 22 December 2023 

A new Banksy artwork that appeared on a street in south London was taken within an hour of the artist verifying the piece was a genuine installation.

The elusive artist confirmed he had created the piece – a traffic stop sign with three small aircraft said to represent military drones – in a social media post on Friday shortly after midday.

Two men were seen using tools to remove the sign in at the intersection of Southampton Way and Commercial Way in Peckham at about 12.30pm.

The work, which had been installed close to a zebra crossing, was understood to be an anti-war message inspired by the conflict between Israel and Hamas terrorists in the Middle East.

The new art work - Aaron Chown

The mysterious artist, who reportedly goes by the name Robbie, sent photos of the installation to his 12.1 million Instagram followers, many of whom speculated that it would be stolen “pronto” - while a large number added “Free Palestine”.

It is not the first time his work has been removed shortly after its creation.

A 3.8-ton installation called Valentine’s Day Mascara appeared at the side of a house in Margate, Kent, on Valentine’s Day this year and was dismantled some hours after Banksy had shared a series of photos of it online.

The mural depicted a 1950s housewife with a swollen eye and missing tooth, wearing an apron and yellow washing-up gloves while throwing a man into a chest freezer.

At the time, the resident of the property, who asked not to be named, said the freezer and other items, including a broken garden chair used to create the piece, were removed “very quickly” and put into a truck.

Banksy's stop-sign message, featuring drones, survived for barely half an hour before it was removed - Aaron Chown/PA Wire

In September the artwork was placed in the foyer of The Art of Banksy exhibition in Regent Street, central London, where it can be viewed free of charge.

The exhibition also features such pieces as Girl With Balloon, Flower Thrower and Rude Copper, Dismaland, The Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem and recent works acknowledging the ongoing war in Ukraine.

An exhibition that ran until Aug 28 at the Gallery of Modern Art in Glasgow this year showcased 25 years of Banksy’s stencil graffiti.
Police have received no reports that the artwork has been removed

The Metropolitan Police said that they have so far not received any reports in relation to the sign being taken.

Southwark, the borough from which the traffic sign was taken, is among the top five crime hotspots in the capital.

Its overall crime rate last year was 108 crimes per 1,000 people – 14 per cent higher than London’s overall crime rate of 95 per 1,000 residents.

A person leaves with the sign - Aaron Chown

Last month, a lost 2003 BBC recording of an interview with Banksy was unearthed in which he appears to share his first name.

Nigel Wrench, the BBC reporter, asks him if he is called “Robert Banks”, and the artist replies: “It’s Robbie.”

Onlookers ‘watched in awe’ as man removed Banksy art work 

Hannah Roberts and Jordan Reynolds PA
Fri, 22 December 2023

 witnessed the removal of a Banksy artwork in Peckham less than an hour after it was confirmed as a genuine installation said onlookers “watched in awe” as a man “bashed it with his hands”.

To get to the art work, the witness, who wanted to be referred to only as Alex, rode a Lime bike which was then used by a man who removed the art from the south London street.

The installation, a traffic stop sign covered with three aircraft resembling military drones, was posted to Banksy’s social media just after 12pm on Friday.

Alex, 26, said: “I opened Instagram and I saw it was posted four minutes before and I was about to go on my lunch break.

A man stands on a bike to remove a piece of art work by Banksy (Aaron Chown/PA)

“There were about two people there when I got there. We were all sort of admiring it and taking pictures.

“This guy comes up and grabs it, we watched in awe as he bashed it.

“He put the Lime bike under the sign, stood on the Lime bike and tried to hit the sign, he hit it with his hands and it wasn’t going anywhere.

“He fell off the Lime bike at one point. He disappeared and went away and about two minutes later he reappeared with bolt cutters and just sort of tried and tried and tried while everyone was watching.

A Lime bike was used to prop the man up while he looked to remove the sign (Aaron Chown/PA)

“We said, ‘what are you doing?’ but no one really knew what to do, we sort of just watched it happen.

“We were all a bit bemused; there was some honking of car horns.

“He ripped it off and ran across the road and ran away.

“He said nothing. He didn’t seem to care that much about the art itself.

The art work was taken away (Aaron Chown/PA)

“There was someone else there but I don’t know if they were together.

“I went there thinking that people want that, I wanted to see it before something happened to it.”

Another witness told the PA news agency that onlookers had shouted at the man while he tried to take the art piece down with the help of another.

They said: “As soon as it (the art piece) went up online a few people cycled down to it to see it straight away and just sort of hung around.

The stop sign was located at the intersection of Southampton Way and Commercial Way in Peckham (Aaron Chown/PA)

“When he started trying to knock it off, a few people were shouting for him to stop but he just carried on and that’s when he realised he couldn’t get it off with just his hands and had to get some bolt cutters.”

Another witness, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “I was surprised to see it, I took a picture of the sign, but I didn’t want to take a picture of the guy.

“It is strange, these pieces of art are nice, it would be nice if it had stayed there for a while.”

The art installation had been posted to Banksy’s Instagram page shortly after midday.


About half an hour afterwards, two men were seen taking down the sign at the intersection of Southampton Way and Commercial Way.

Photos from the scene show a man wearing a red and black jacket using a Lime bike to prop himself up, with one foot placed on the saddle and the other on the handle bars, while the bike is held steady by another man.

A further image shows the man in red and black running in front of a white van with the stop sign after successfully managing to remove it.

It is understood that Banksy is not behind the removal and this is not the first time the artists’ work has been removed shortly after its installation.

A mural weighing 3.8 tonnes called Valentine’s Day Mascara appeared on the side of a house in Margate, Kent, on Valentine’s Day this year and was dismantled some hours later after Banksy had shared a series of photos of it online.

The mural depicted a 1950s’ housewife with a swollen eye and missing tooth, wearing an apron and yellow washing-up gloves, and throwing a man into a chest freezer.

At the time, the resident of the property where the painting was created, who asked not to be named, told the PA news agency the freezer and other items including a broken garden chair used for the artwork had been removed “very quickly” and put into a truck.

In September, the mural was placed in the foyer of The Art of Banksy exhibition in Regent Street, central London, where it can be viewed for free.

The exhibition features pieces including Girl With Balloon, Flower Thrower and Rude Copper and also focuses on Banksy’s Dismaland, The Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem and recent works acknowledging the ongoing war in Ukraine.

EMOTIONAL PLAGUE
Prague gunman David Kozak shared mass shooting fantasies online


James Crisp
Thu, 21 December 2023 

David Kozak

To the outside world, he was an introverted loner, but online the Prague University gunman was not shy about sharing his sick fantasies to kill.

David Kozak used online platform Telegram to muse on massacres and mass murder, while also boasting of his plans to carry out a school shooting, according to Czech media.

He said his Telegram channel would be a “diary” of his life “before the shooting”.


“I want to do school shooting and possibly suicide,” the 24-year-old wrote in one chilling post, before adding: “I always wanted to kill. I thought I would become a maniac in the future.”

Kozak went on to praise “Ilznaz”, which is thought to be a reference to Ilznaz Galyaviev, 19, who murdered nine in a 2021 attack on his former school in Kazan, Russia.

“When Ilznaz did the shooting, I realised it was much more profitable to do mass murders than serial ones,” he said.

He also wrote approvingly of Russian school shooter Alina Afanaskina, whom he said “helped me too much”.

The 14-year-old schoolgirl shot dead another student and wounded five others with her father’s pump-action shotgun before turning the weapon on herself in the city of Bryansk earlier this month.

“It was as if she had come to my aid from heaven just in time,” he posted.

The Czech authorities were quick to rule out any links to international terror organisations after the attack.

Kozak during the gun rampage at Prague University
‘An introverted type’

Kozak, dressed in black and armed with a rifle, certainly seems to fit the profile of a lone gunman.

The student had no criminal record but, as a legal gun owner, he had an interest in weaponry.

He had a bachelor’s degree in history and European studies, and continued with a master’s degree, focusing on the history of Poland.

Kozak would travel the 13 miles from his home to Prague for lectures at Charles University’s Faculty of Arts. It appears he lived in the central Bohemian village of Hostoun with his father in a large family house.


“He was an introverted type, strange probably like any other nerd,” one resident told local media.

“The family seemed normal. We went to their cottage years ago. His dad used to be mine’s boss and they were friends outside of work, including his wife.”

What exactly happened on the morning of Dec 21 is not yet clear. What has been established is that Kozak murdered his father before heading to Prague.

Czech police learned that he was heading to the capital and planned to take his own life.
Crazed ambition

Suicide featured heavily in Kozak’s social media posts, where he poured out his darkest thoughts.

He was due to attend a lecture at 2pm and opened fire just before 3pm.

In the bloodshed that followed, he fulfilled his crazed ambition to become a mass murderer.

As police swarmed towards him, he is said to have turned his weapon on himself and inflicted what was described as a “devastating” injury after a shootout with officers.

It is thought he may have been shot by police first before he killed himself to avoid arrest.

Kozak kept his Telegram channel private until just before his attack, when he made it open to read.

Posts taken from it spread across social media, granting him the notoriety he clearly craved, as news of the Czech Republic’s worst-ever mass shooting emerged.

His chilling “diary” has now been taken down, but not before he had opened a chapter of pain and grief for the friends and families of his many victims.

US adds Guatemalans targeting president-elect to blacklist


AFP
Thu, 21 December 2023 

Guatemala's President-elect Bernardo Arevalo speaks during an interview with AFP in Panama City on December 19, 2023 (Gerardo PESANTEZ)

The United States on Thursday added Guatemalan prosecutors targeting president-elect Bernardo Arevalo to a corruption blacklist, making them ineligible for US visas.

Arevalo pulled off an upset in August elections on an anti-corruption platform and has since been in a tug-of-war with authorities seen as attempting to block his inauguration on January 14.

In a report to Congress, the State Department newly added to a blacklist several prosecutors including Leonor Morales, who recently said that Arevalo's election was null and void because of alleged anomalies in voting.

The report said Morales "undermined democratic processes or institutions" through a "politically motivated investigation to cast doubt on certified election results to disrupt the presidential transition."

The report also confirmed the listings from a preliminary report this year of judge Fredy Orellana and prosecutor Cinthia Monterroso, who among others face lawsuits brought by Arevalo.

The people on the list will no longer be eligible for US visas, with any current visas to be revoked.

Prosecutors have seized ballots in the first round of the election and, in between the two rounds, sought to suspend Arevalo's party, moves that raised international concern.

In an interview this week with AFP, Arevalo voiced confidence that he would be allowed to take office after blocking the "slow-motion coup d'etat."

The latest actions are part of an annual report required by the US Congress on corruption in Central America.

Among others confirmed on the blacklist are El Salvador's ex-president Mauricio Funes, who was accused by the State Department of schemes that resulted in the "pilfering hundreds of millions of dollars from state coffers."

Funes, who was president from 2009 to 2014, left for leftist-run Nicaragua in 2016.

Earlier this year, he was sentenced in absentia to 14 years in prison for alleged secret negotiations with criminal gangs that long rampaged through El Salvador.

sct/mdl

FURTHER PROOF HE'S A RED TORY

Starmer says Government is right to investigate UAE takeover of The Telegraph

WHAT ABOUT THEIR OWNERSHIP OF MANCHESTER FC AND THE OFFSHORE  WIND FARM

Daniel Martin

THE TELEGRAPH
Thu, 21 December 2023 

Sir Keir Starmer has weighed in on the newspaper brand's sale during his visit to Estonia - Labour Party

Sir Keir Starmer has supported the Culture Secretary’s decision to review the proposed Abu Dhabi-backed takeover of The Telegraph.

The Labour leader said Lucy Frazer was “right” to block RedBird IMI from taking control of this newspaper so ministers can examine the deal, amid concerns about censorship and foreign state ownership.

RedBird IMI is a joint venture between RedBird, an American private equity firm, and International Media Investments (IMI), an Abu Dhabi vehicle backed by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan.

Sheikh Mansour also owns Manchester City and is the vice-president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which has prompted concerns over the regime’s record on free speech and women’s rights.

Asked on a visit to Estonia about the future of The Telegraph, Sir Keir told GB News: “I think the Government is looking into this at the moment and I think they’re right to do that. And we’ll wait to see what the outcome of that process is.”

IMI is providing 75 per cent of the £600 million price for The Telegraph and The Spectator, its sister publication and the oldest weekly magazine in the world.
‘No guarantee of editorial independence’

The bid itself is being fronted by Jeff Zucker, a former chief at the liberal US news network CNN who has vowed he would resign if Abu Dhabi was to interfere with the independence of the publications.

It came as senior Conservative MPs, including three government ministers, told The Telegraph that they opposed the sale of the newspaper to RedBird IMI.

One minister claimed the involvement of the UAE – where it is illegal to post material online that criticises the government, or to photograph some government buildings – would mean “no guarantee of editorial independence will be worth the paper it is written on”.

“It is fundamentally wrong for an autocratic regime to control one of the leading organs of free speech in a liberal democracy,” they said.

Another frontbencher added: “It’s vital that such a crucial part of this country’s democratic life stays free of any potential – or, for that matter, perceived – political influence.”

A third minister also expressed alarm at Abu Dhabi’s record and said they were “deeply suspicious” about the future of The Telegraph if the sale went ahead.
National security concerns

On Thursday, Alicia Kearns, the chairman of the foreign affairs committee, and Andy Carter, the chair of the All Party Media Group of MPs, which seeks to advance a free press, also expressed their opposition to the takeover.

“As we battle against rising tide of disinformation, protecting a vibrant media landscape, and above all the editorial independence of our leading newspapers, is vital,” Ms Kearns said.

“With colleagues, I have asked the Deputy Prime Minister to exercise his powers to review the potential transaction relating to The Telegraph and The Spectator involving Lloyds Bank, the Barclay family and RedBird IMI on the grounds of our national security.”

She added that she plans to meet those involved in attempts to purchase The Telegraph and The Spectator to discuss her concerns.

Mr Carter said: “The cornerstone of our democracy is a free press. I’m not convinced that a newspaper that is effectively controlled by a foreign government is in the interests of the British people.”

He said he was “very supportive” of Ms Frazer’s decision to block the sale and insisted on the need for the “accurate presentation of news and free expression of opinion”.

“Simply because someone has the money doesn’t mean they pass the test as ‘fit and proper person’ to have control of a key section of the British Media,” Mr Carter added.

Senior journalists including Camilla Tominey, The Telegraph’s associate editor, and Janet Daley, a Sunday Telegraph columnist since 1996, have sounded the alarm in recent weeks about discrimination against women in the UAE.

Sir Richard Dearlove, a former head of MI6, urged ministers to block the takeover earlier this month, arguing it represents a “profound security concern”.

Many of our readers have raised concerns over the potential sale of Telegraph Media Group to the Abu Dhabi-linked Redbird IMI. While Ofcom carries out its investigation we are inviting the submission of comments on the process. Email salecomments@telegraph.co.uk to have your say.