Hamas rejects Israeli ceasefire proposal: Key points revealed

2024-04-09 

Shafaq News/ Hamas stated early on Tuesday that Israel’s proposal, received via Qatari and Egyptian mediators, failed to meet the demands of Palestinian factions. However, the group stated that it would examine the proposal, characterized as “intransigent,” and communicate its response to the mediators.

A Hamas official informed Reuters on Monday that the group had rejected the Israeli ceasefire proposal discussed in Cairo.

Both Israel and Hamas dispatched teams to Egypt on Sunday for talks involving Qatari and Egyptian mediators, as well as CIA Director William Burns. Burns’ involvement underscored mounting pressure from the U.S., Israel’s primary ally, for an agreement to free Israeli hostages in Gaza and provide aid to needy Palestinian civilians after six months of conflict.

However, senior Hamas official Ali Baraka told Reuters, “We reject the latest Israeli proposals the Egyptian side conveys. The politburo convened today and made this decision.”

Another Hamas official, speaking anonymously, told Reuters that the negotiations had not progressed. “There is no change in the occupation’s (Israel’s) position, so there is no new development in the Cairo talks,” the official stated. “There has been no progress thus far.”

Israel expressed a willingness to negotiate a prisoner-for-hostage swap, wherein it would release Palestinians held in its prisons in exchange for hostages in Gaza. However, Israel insisted it would not halt its military offensive until it entered Rafah.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated that a timeline had been set for an incursion into Rafah, Gaza’s last refuge for displaced Palestinians.

As per the Agence France-Presse mentioned proposal, the initial stage involves releasing 42 Israeli hostages (including soldiers, children, and elderly individuals) in exchange for 800 to 900 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, including roughly a hundred serving lengthy sentences, including life imprisonment, as explained by an anonymous source close to the negotiations.

AFP noted that the initial stage also encompasses facilitating the return of displaced Palestinian civilians to northern Gaza, with 400 to 500 aid trucks allowed entry daily.

The second stage entails the release of all remaining hostages.

The third and final stage calls for a complete Israeli army withdrawal from Gaza and the lifting of the blockade imposed by Israel on the territory since Hamas’s 2007 takeover.

Israel estimates that Gaza currently holds 129 hostages, including 34 who have died.”

Netanyahu stated, “We are continually striving for our objectives, primarily the release of all our hostages and achieving a decisive victory over Hamas.” He added, “This victory necessitates entering Rafah and neutralizing the terrorist elements there. It will happen – a date has been set,” without specifying the date.

Israel estimates that Gaza currently holds 129 hostages, including 34 who have died.

Israel faces mounting international pressure, including from its primary ally and arms provider, the United States, to agree to a ceasefire. It also faces increasing calls to refrain from launching an offensive against Rafah, a densely populated city in southern Gaza.

RSF asserts that 'journalists should be allowed to cover' an active war 'safely'

Issued on: 09/04/2024 - 

Hamas said Tuesday it was considering a new truce framework proposed during the latest talks in Cairo, as Palestinians returning to their homes in southern Gaza confronted the extent of destruction left after Israeli troops' withdrawal. Six months into the bloodiest Gaza war, Qatari, Egyptian and US mediators have proposed another temporary ceasefire, according to a Hamas source. The three-part proposal would halt fighting for six weeks to facilitate an exchange of hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners in Israel. As the Israeli military prepares for the next phase of the war, with a high-risk incursion into densely populated Rafah looming, France 24's Stuart Norval is joined by Jonathan Dagher, Head of the Middle East Desk at Reporters Without Borders.

03:30
Video by:Stuart Norval

Gaza war rages as Hamas studies truce proposal

Gaza Strip (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – Israel bombed targets in Gaza on Tuesday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted the army would destroy Hamas despite ongoing Cairo talks towards a ceasefire and hostage deal.


Issued on: 09/04/2024

Six months into the bloodiest Gazan war, the territory's Hamas rulers are considering a new ceasefire deal © - / AFP

More than six months into the war, Hamas said it was "studying" a new proposal for a temporary truce, submitted during the talks with US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators.

Under the plan, fighting would stop for six weeks, about 40 women and child hostages would be exchanged for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, and up to 500 aid trucks would enter Gaza per day, a Hamas source said.

Hamas said it "appreciates" the mediators' latest efforts but accused Israel of failing to respond to its demands including a full withdrawal of forces from Gaza.

Netanyahu stressed -- despite growing pressure from top ally the United States -- that Israel would pursue the twin goals of bringing home "all our hostages" and destroying Hamas after its October 7 attack.

Israeli soldiers work on their tanks in a army camp near Israel's border with the Gaza Strip on April 8, 2024 © Menahem KAHANA / AFP

In a video message Monday, the premier said Israeli forces would storm Gaza's far-southern city of Rafah on the Egyptian border, despite global concern for the fate of around 1.5 million Palestinians sheltering there.

"This victory requires entry into Rafah and the elimination of the terrorist battalions there," Netanyahu said.

"It will happen -- there is a date," he vowed without saying when he plans to send troops into the last city in Gaza yet to face a ground invasion.

Netanyahu reiterated that message on Tuesday during a visit to a military base, saying: "No force in the world will stop us."

US officials renewed their objections to a Rafah operation, following a phone call last week between President Joe Biden and Netanyahu.

"We have made clear to Israel that we think a full-scale military invasion of Rafah would have an enormously harmful effect on those civilians and that it would ultimately hurt Israel's security," said State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.

Israel has invited tenders for 40,000 large tents, according to a document on the defence ministry website -– part of its preparations to evacuate Rafah ahead of an offensive, a government source told AFP on condition of anonymity.
'Gaza is not Gaza anymore'

The carnage left by the bloodiest ever Gaza war was on display in the southern city of Khan Yunis, a wasteland of shattered buildings and mountains of rubble after months of heavy bombardment and street fighting.
Gazans returning to the city of Khan Yunis confronted mounds of rubble where houses and shops once stood © - / AFP

Displaced Palestinians began to return after Israeli forces pulled out on Sunday in what the army said was a tactical and temporary withdrawal.

As Palestinians readied for Wednesday's Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, they were stunned at the apocalyptic sight of hundreds of gutted or collapsed buildings.

"I came to see my home, only to find it destroyed and reduced to a pile of rubble," said Umm Ahmad al-Fagawi.

Another woman said she had come back to find "a ruined place -- no water, no electricity, no columns, no walls and no doors, there's nothing. Gaza is not Gaza anymore."

The war broke out with Hamas's October 7 attack against Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli figures.

Destroyed and damaged buildings in the Gaza Strip 

© Nalini LEPETIT-CHELLA, Laurence SAUBADU / AFP

Palestinian militants also took more than 250 hostages, 129 of whom remain in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli army says are dead.

Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 33,360 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry.

The army said Tuesday it had destroyed "terrorist infrastructure" across Gaza and an "aircraft eliminated a terrorist in Khan Yunis who participated in the October 7 massacre".

In the central Gaza Strip, "troops eliminated a number of terrorists in close-quarter combat," it said. "Several additional terrorists who posed a threat to the troops were eliminated by aircraft strikes and precise sniper fire."

A UN team on Monday inspected Al-Shifa hospital, Gaza's largest, which was devastated in two weeks of fierce fighting.

A United Nations team inspects the grounds of Al-Shifa hospital, Gaza's largest, which was destroyed during a two-week Israeli raid, on April 8, 2024 © - / AFP

While the war has destroyed swathes of the Gaza Strip, levelling entire city blocks, an Israeli siege has pushed many of its 2.4 million people to the brink of famine.
Global pressure

Israel, under pressure to step up aid deliveries, on Monday allowed in 419 aid trucks, said the Israeli defence ministry body COGAT, describing it as a daily record since the start of the war.

That is still below the levels the UN says entered the Gaza Strip before the war devastated the territory and its economy.

Israeli officials have blamed aid agencies for not distributing the aid, but those agencies have hit back blaming Israeli restrictions.

Smoke billows from the area of an Israeli air strike on the southern Lebanese village of Khiam near the border with Israel on April 8, 2024 

© Rabih DAHER / AFP/File

Speaking in Geneva, Jens Laerke, a spokesman for the United Nations' humanitarian agency, called the figures provided by Israel on aid distribution "meaningless".

Screening rules, delays at crossings, restrictions on drivers and, most significantly, getting authorisation and assurances from the military that distribution can go ahead unimpeded combined to prevent aid distribution, he said.

Laerke also said food aid was three times more likely to be blocked by Israel than any other kind of aid.

Israel has faced a chorus of global calls to halt the fighting and ease the suffering, including from France, Egypt and Jordan.

A Palestinian child plays near a building destroyed by Israeli bombardment in Gaza City on April 8, 2024 © - / AFP

French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne, demanding that vastly more aid be allowed into Gaza, said there are multiple "levers of influence" available including sanctions.

Turkey said it would impose trade restrictions on Israel, covering cement and steel, sparking an Israeli vow to take retaliatory steps.

burs-jd/dcp/hkb/ami

© 2024 AFP

Protestors allege ‘robotic dogs’ produced by Penn U. spinout are involved in Israel-Hamas war

By Elea Castiglione 04/05/24

Jewish Voices for Peace held a demonstration at the College Green on April 4. 

Credit: Chenyao Liu

Around 120 protestors called on Penn to cut ties with a spinout that they allege has produced robotic dogs used by the Israeli military.

The crowd of Philadelphia community members gathered on Thursday at the Ben Franklin statue to protest Ghost Robotics, a company housed in Pennovation Works that develops and sells four-legged robots to be used for "data collection, intelligence, security, asset protection, and military-specific uses."

The protestors allege that the company is selling robots to Israel's military to be utilized in the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The Daily Pennsylvanian could not independently confirm these claims, including any direct connection to the University. In December, the Wall Street Journal reported that Israel's military had employed robot dogs to explore Hamas' tunnels; it remains unclear which company produced those robots.

Ghost Robotics operates out of the 23-acre Pennovation Works property located at 3401 Grays Ferry Avenue. The company was founded by Avik De, who received his Ph.D. in engineering from Penn in 2017, and Gavin Kenneally, who received his Ph.D. in engineering from Penn in 2021.

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Ghost Robotics and a University spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment. Ghost Robotics is listed as a participant in PCI Ventures Impact, a Penn Center for Innovation program that supports early-stage companies.

An independent group called Shut Down Ghost Robotics organized the protest, according to a Bryn Mawr College senior and organizer of the rally who requested to be referred to as M.K. due to fear of retaliation.

"We are a group of concerned community members who are worried that our tax dollars are subsidizing and that our campus is supporting the manufacture of these robotic dogs,” M.K. said. “Our message to Penn students is to get involved with us and to not allow their college to be the landlord of a company that supporting a genocide.”

The protest included five speakers, none of whom claimed direct affiliation with the University. Organizers said that Penn-affiliated staff helped organize the event but did not publicly participate or speak out due to fear of retaliation from administration.

“For fear of intimidation, [Penn affiliates] don't want to speak," M.K. said. "There's a campus culture of repression and fear and intimidation."

M.K., in both her speech and her interview with The Daily Pennsylvanian, noted that while the robotic dogs allegedly being used in Gaza are not armed, they have the potential to be armed in the future. She referenced a 2021 article published in The Verge, which showed Ghost Robotics’ Vision 60 robots equipped with custom guns.

College junior Logan Chapman said that he attended the protest after learning more about the technology companies supplying weapons to Israel. He described the need for a ceasefire as "urgent."

Cindy Lou, a longtime Philadelphia resident, held a sign with an image of the robotic dog at the protest. Her message to the Penn community was to “wake up and kick out Ghost Robotics.”

A Penn staff member, who requested anonymity due to fear of retaliation, described the alleged use of robot dogs as a "clear danger for all of humanity that is probably going to escalate in the very near future."

“The question people should ask themselves is, 'Do they want on their diploma or on their CV to see a University of Pennsylvania and know — and have other people know — that this university is participating in weaponizing robotic dogs?" the staff member said.

De and Kenneally founded the company while at Penn under the mentorship of the General Robotics, Automation, Sensing, & Perception Lab. In 2021, a subsidiary of the GRASP Lab, Kod*lab, announced that its founder was having his name removed from Ghost Robots' website and promotional materials given the company's "turn toward active partnerships to arm its legged robots."

Muslim Leaders Decline White House Ramadan Invitation As Biden's Israel Policy Draws Anger

Biden's administration has faced criticism from Muslim, Arab, and anti-war activists for backing Israel and its military invasion in Gaza that has killed tens of thousands and caused a starvation crisis in the narrow coastal enclave of about 2.3 million people.

Outlook Web Desk
Updated on: 3 April 2024

US President Joe Biden | Photo: AP

The White House hosted a subdued iftar dinner to celebrate the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, following a series of declines from Muslim leaders who expressed dissatisfaction with President Joe Biden's stance on Israel's war on Gaza.

Several Muslim leaders were expected at Tuesday's gathering with Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Muslim government officials, and national security leaders, but their names were not shared.

This decision came amid frustration among many Muslim Americans regarding Biden's support for Israel during its military actions in Gaza.

“We’re just in a different world,” Wa’el Alzayat, who leads Emgage, a Muslim advocacy organisation, told news agency Associated Press. “It’s completely surreal. And it’s sad.”

Alzayat attended last year’s event, but he declined an invitation to break his fast with Biden this year, saying, “It’s inappropriate to do such a celebration while there’s a famine going on in Gaza.”

Also Read | Without Water And Privacy, Women Of Gaza Are Holding On – But For How Long?

Biden's administration has faced criticism from Muslim, Arab, and anti-war activists for backing Israel and its military invasion in Gaza that has killed tens of thousands and caused a starvation crisis in the narrow coastal enclave of about 2.3 million people.

Last year, before Biden said anything at the White House Ramadan celebration, someone shouted "we love you." Hundreds of Muslims were there to mark the end of the holy month that requires fasting from sunrise to sunset.

The refusal to share a meal or even a room with the president shows how strained Biden's relationship with the Muslim community has become six months after Israel’s war on Gaza.

No reporters were permitted to capture either the iftar dinner or the meeting with community leaders, a change from previous years. These events were also not included in the president's public schedule.

Also Read | Bethlehem, Jerusalem And A Friend In Gaza

When President Biden assumed office three years ago, many Muslim leaders were hopeful for a departure from Donald Trump's discriminatory policies, including his vow to "ban Muslims from entering the United States."

Democrats, however, are now concerned that Biden's decline in Muslim popularity would make it easier for his Republican predecessor to win reelection to the presidency. The outcome of this year's election will likely hinge on a handful of battleground states, including Michigan with its significant Muslim population.

Muslim and anti-war groups organised a demonstration iftar in Lafayette Park near the White House, where they distributed dates and water bottles for breaking the fast at sunset.

At least 32,916 Palestinians have been killed and 75,494 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. The death toll in Israel from Hamas’s October 7 attack stands at 1,139, with dozens still held captive.

Europe's top court condemns Switzerland in landmark climate ruling

Europe’s highest human rights court rules that countries must better protect their people from consequences of the climate crisis, siding with a group of older Swiss women against their government.



AFP

Members of Swiss association Senior Women for Climate Protection react after the announcement of decisions after a hearing of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to decide in three separate cases if states are doing enough in the face of global warming in rulings that could force them to do more / Photo: AFP

Europe's top rights court has said Switzerland was not doing enough to tackle the climate crisis in a historic decision that could force governments to adopt more ambitious climate policies.

The European Court of Human Rights, part of the 46-member Council of Europe, however, threw out two other cases against European states on procedural grounds on Tuesday.

Hopes had been high for a legal turning point ahead of the rulings in the three cases, treated as a priority by the 17 judges of the court's Grand Chamber.

In the first case, the court found that the Swiss state had violate d Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which guarantees the "right to respect for private and family life", according to the ruling seen by AFP news agency.

The Swiss association of Elders for Climate Protection — 2,500 women aged 73 on average — had complained about the "failings of the Swiss authorities" in terms of climate protection that could "seriously harm" their health.

The court ordered the Swiss state to pay the association almost $87,000 (80,000 euros) within three months.

The lawyer of the Swiss association, Cordelia Bahr, said the court has "established that climate protection was a human right".

"It's a huge victory for us and a legal precedent for all the states of the Council of Europe," she said.

'Historic'

Activist Greta Thunberg said it was "only the beginning of climate litigation".

"All over the world more and more people are taking their government to court, holding them responsible for their actions," she said inside the court after attending the rulings.

Joie Chowdhury, a lawyer from the Center for International Environmental Law, said the ruling was "historic".

"We expect this ruling to influence climate action and climate litigation across Europe and far beyond," she said.

It "leaves no doubt: the climate crisis is a human rights crisis, and states have human rights obligations to act urgently and effectively... to prevent further devastation and harm to people and the environment," she said.

In a second case, the court dismissed a petition from six Portuguese people, aged 12 to 24, against 32 states including their own because the case had not exhausted all avenues at the national level.

In a third case, the court rejected a claim from a former French mayor that the inaction of the French state posed the risk of his town being submerged under the North Sea.

The court decisions came as Europe's climate monitor said March this year had been the hottest on record.

Swiss women win landmark climate case at Europe top human rights court

Issued on: 09/04/2024 

Europe's top human rights court ruled on Tuesday that the Swiss government had violated the human rights of its citizens by failing to do enough to combat climate change, in a decision that will set a precedent for future climate lawsuits.

01:46
Video by: Charlotte HUGHES

Europe: European Court of Human Rights sets vital precedent with ruling in landmark climate case



Switzerland's Seniors for Climate, and the young Portuguese plaintiffs outside the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg in September

Frederick Florin/AFP via Getty Images

Amnesty International
April 9, 2024

Reacting to rulings today by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) on three landmark climate cases, involving older Swiss women, six young Portuguese people, and a former French mayor and member of the European Parliament, Mandi Mudarikwa, Amnesty International’s Head of Strategic Litigation, said:

“The ECtHR has set a vital and historic precedent today with its ruling in the case involving the Swiss women by finding that the Swiss government had failed to comply with its duties under the European Convention concerning climate change, including failing to set clear limits on greenhouse gas emissions and not meeting its past greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.”

“The determination and tenacity of the applicants in all three cases seeking climate justice through courts was both remarkable and encouraging. We especially recognize the courage of the young people involved as they looked to protect not only their future but the future of generations to come.


The ECtHR’s ruling sends a powerful message to policymakers in European countries that states must intensify their efforts to combat climate change.Mandi Mudarikwa, Amnesty International’s Head of Strategic Litigation

“The Swiss case ruling strengthens legal pathways to achieving climate justice through the ECtHR. It is hugely significant that the ECtHR recognized the harm caused to the applicants by climate change and that the Swiss government was doing too little to curb greenhouse gas emissions and adequately protect them.

“The ECtHR’s ruling sends a powerful message to policymakers in European countries that states must intensify their efforts to combat climate change. We note that the decisions of the ECtHR to dismiss the other two other climate-related cases was based on procedural considerations, rather than on the respective merits of each case.

“Strategic litigation can help to deliver climate justice and protect the rights of billions from global warming, especially the most marginalized, and will yield benefits – as we have witnessed today with the Swiss case.”
Background

The ECtHR ruled on three climate cases. In Klimaseniorinnen Schweiz and Others v Switzerland, a group representing more than 2,500 older Swiss women argued that their government’s failure to adequately mitigate global warming violated their human rights to health and life and puts them at risk of dying during heatwaves.

In Duarte Agostinho and Others v Portugal and 31 Other States six young Portuguese people argued that countries bound by the European Convention on Human Rights — the 27 EU states, as well as the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway, Russia and Turkey — had infringed several human rights after heatwaves and forest fires closed down their schools and risked their health. Amnesty International submitted a joint third-party intervention in the case on the obligation on governments to create climate policies which protect the rights of people outside their borders.

In the third case, Damien Carême, a former mayor of Grande-Synthe, a suburb of Dunkirk in northern France, argued that the French government has neglected its obligation to protect life by failing to take sufficient steps to prevent climate change and therefore heightening the risk of future flooding in the area.

The right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment was universally recognized by the UN General Assembly in 2022. Amnesty International is part of a coalition calling for the adoption of an additional protocol on the right to the European Convention on Human Rights which would help reinforce and clarify the ECtHR’s jurisprudence on environmental protection, including climate change. Summaries of today’s rulings can be accessed here.

Will landmark European climate ruling become legal turning point?

Issued on: 09/04/2024 -

Europe’s highest human rights court ruled Tuesday that countries must better protect their people from the consequences of climate change, siding with a group of older Swiss women against their government in a landmark ruling that could have implications across the continent. France 24's Emerald Maxwell takes a closer look.

04:14
Video by: Emerald MAXWELL

Courtrooms: a growing arena in the climate fight

United Nations (United States) (AFP) – The battle against climate change is increasingly being fought in the courtroom, as national governments, specific laws and individual companies are targeted over their role in the crisis -- sometimes successfully.

Issued on: 09/04/2024 - 

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) heard in September 2023 a case brought by six Portuguese youths accusing governments of moving too slowly to counter climate change 

© FREDERICK FLORIN / AFP

On Tuesday, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Switzerland was not doing enough to tackle climate change, its first such ruling against a state on the subject, after a women's association mounted a legal challenge.

Here is some key background and analyst commentary on climate lawsuits around the world:

An explosion of lawsuits

The number of court cases linked to climate change doubled between 2017 and 2022, according to the UN Environment Programme and Columbia University's Sabin Center for Climate Change Law.

There were more than 2,500 cases lodged worldwide as of mid-December, the Sabin Center said in its annual report, with more than 1,600 in the United States.

Of the cases worldwide, 135 were brought in developing countries, including so-called Small Island Developing States -- far-flung nations whose land is some of the most at-risk from climate change.

"Why is climate litigation still growing? Because the climate crisis is increasing in its intensity, its immediacy," Michael Burger, executive director of the Sabin Center, told AFP.

"And because government and corporate action is inadequate to meet the moment," he added.

The number of cases being filed appears to have slowed over the past year, though it is still too early to tell for sure, according to the latest report from the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change in London.

- Effectiveness -

Climate change litigation has affected the "outcome and ambition of climate governance", experts from the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) wrote in a report last year, adding that successful cases also serve as a form of external pressure on governments.

Urgenda, an environmental organisation in the Netherlands, notched a notable win at the Dutch Supreme Court in 2019, with justices ordering the government to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by the end of the following year.

Government policies "that are explicitly linked to the case" were subsequently introduced, said Catherine Higham, a Grantham Research Institute policy fellow.
Litigation 'cuts both ways'

But a number of high-profile cases have been unsuccessful, and those seeking a greener future are not the only ones filing lawsuits: high-emitting companies are starting to file suits against climate-friendly laws they oppose.

"Litigation cuts both ways," Higham said.

"Those that benefit from the status quo will do what they can to preserve their benefits, and that will include going to court," added Burger.

Additionally, activists can find themselves in the crosshairs of suits linked to disruptive protests, though "judges have generally taken the climate crisis" as well as the role of civil disobedience "into consideration in sentencing", according to a report from the UN Environment Programme.

Companies targeted

In addition to governments, companies themselves can also be the target of lawsuits, with litigants pressing for both compensation and a change in corporate behaviour.

In another historic Dutch decision, Shell was ordered in 2021 to reduce its CO2 emissions by 45 percent by 2023, a decision the oil major is appealing.

A new strategy employed by climate change activists is to target "greenwashing", accusing companies or organisations of deceptive practices that conceal their true environmental footprint.

FIFA is among those that have been accused of the practice.

Stronger data

Scientists are increasingly able to establish the links between climate change and individual extreme weather events, as well as the role of specific high-emitting industries, from oil extraction to mining to cement production, in climate change -- data that is often used in lawsuits.

A county in the northwestern US state of Oregon filed suit in June against several international oil majors, seeking $51 billion in damages after a deadly "heat dome" blanketed the northwest of the country in 2021.
Human rights

Human rights also take centre stage in some cases, often concerning people's rights to health and well-being or to a clean environment.

These sorts of arguments are often made in cases before international tribunals, like the ECHR.

Non-binding, but influential

Even when decisions are non-binding, they can influence government attitudes and policies worldwide.

Activists are currently awaiting advisory opinions from the International Court of Justice and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea on the obligations of individual states in climate matters.

"Although such opinions are non-binding, they have great potential to shape the future development of climate change law," according to the Grantham Research Institute.

© 2024 AFP

Biden plans to cancel student loan debt, 23 million Americans may be impacted

Supporters of US President Joe Biden's s plans for student debt relief march near the White House after a US Supreme Court decision blocking the president's plan to cancel US$430 billion in student loan debt, in Washington, US June 30, 2023.
PHOTO: Reuters file

PUBLISHED ONAPRIL 08, 2024


MADISON, Wisconsin — President Joe Biden announced on Monday (April 8) plans to ease student debt that would benefit at least 23 million Americans, addressing a key issue for young voters whose support he needs as he seeks re-election in November.

The plans, which the Democratic president detailed in Madison, Wisconsin, include cancelling up to US$20,000 (S$26,938) of accrued and capitalised interest for borrowers, regardless of income, which Biden's administration estimates would eliminate the entirety of that interest for 23 million borrowers.

Progressive voters, whom Biden hopes will support him against Republican challenger Donald Trump, have long urged the White House to address student loan debt. Biden's administration has taken a string of actions despite the US Supreme Court blocking his initial plan last year.

The issue remains high on the agenda of younger voters, many of whom have concerns about Biden's foreign policy on the war in Gaza and fault him for not achieving greater debt forgiveness. Republicans have called Biden's student loan forgiveness approach an overreach of his authority and an unfair benefit to college-educated borrowers while other borrowers received no such relief.

Biden's new plans include automatically cancelling debt for borrowers who are eligible for certain forgiveness programmes, who entered repayment decades ago, who enrolled in low financial value programmes, or who are experiencing hardship.

"This relief can be life changing," Biden said in Madison, just as the total solar eclipse in North America was gracing the region. "Folks, I will never stop delivering student loan relief for hard-working Americans... It's for the good of our economy."

He added that if he is re-elected in November's presidential election, he would push hard to make community college free.

If the latest plans are finalised following a public comment period, they would take effect as early as this fall, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters in a call detailing the plans. Combined with the administration's previous actions, they would benefit more than 30 million Americans, Jean-Pierre added.

US Senator Bill Cassidy, the top Republican on the Senate education panel, said such "loan schemes" simply transfer the cost of the debt onto others.

"This is an unfair ploy to buy votes before an election and does absolutely nothing to address the high cost of education that puts young people right back into debt," Cassidy wrote in a statement.

To date, the administration has said it has approved US$146 billion in student debt relief for four million Americans.

As of June 2023, approximately 43.4 million student loan recipients had US$1.63 trillion in outstanding loans, according to the Federal Student Aid website.

"We're delivering as much relief as possible for as many borrowers as possible, as quickly as possible," US Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said.


Biden has vowed to continue pushing student debt relief to as many borrowers as possible following the Supreme Court's decision blocking his earlier plan to cancel hundreds of billions of dollars in debt, and administration officials said they studied the 6-3 ruling in crafting the new plans.

Other administration officials were set to tout the new plans in events across the United States on Monday, including Vice President Kamala Harris in Philadelphia.

Biden says his new plan to ease student loan debt would offer ‘life-changing’ relief to more than 30 million borrowers

BYDARLENE SUPERVILLE, COLLIN BINKLEY 

AND THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
April 9, 2024 

President Joe Biden delivers remarks on student loan debt at Madison College, on April 8, 2024, in Madison, Wis.
EVAN VUCCI—AP

President Joe Biden said Monday that more than 30 million borrowers would see “life-changing” relief from his new plan to ease their student loan debt burdens, a fresh attempt by the Democratic president to follow through on a campaign pledge that could buoy his standing with younger voters.

He detailed the initiative, which has been in the works for months, during a trip to Wisconsin, one of a handful of battleground states that could decide the outcome of Biden’s likely November rematch with Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee.

Biden said he wanted to “give everybody a fair shot” and the “freedom to chase their dreams” as he lamented the rising cost of higher education.

“Even when they work hard and pay their student loans, their debt increases and not diminishes,” he said. “Too many people feel the strain and stress, wondering if they can get married, have their first child, start a family, because even if they get by, they still have this crushing, crushing debt.”

Biden’s trip, which included a stop at a Chicago fundraiser on the way back to Washington, comes a week after primary voting in Wisconsin highlighted political weaknesses for him as he prepares for the general election.

More than 48,000 Democratic voters chose “uninstructed” instead of Biden, more than double his narrow margin of victory in the state in 2020.

Trump also saw a significant number of defections during the state’s primary, with nearly 119,000 Republicans voting for someone other than him.

But Biden’s results, which echoed similar protest votes in states like Michigan and Minnesota, have rattled Democrats who are eager to solidify the coalition that catapulted him into the White House in the first place.

A critical fracture has been the Israel-Hamas war. Younger voters are more likely to disapprove of Biden’s enduring support for Israel’s military operation in Gaza, which has caused heavy casualties among Palestinian civilians.

Concerns about the war have spread throughout the Madison area, said Democratic Rep Mark Pocan, who represents the city. Pocan said he was “surprised to see the intensity on the issue” from all ages of voters, and he wanted Biden to be aware.

“I just want to make sure he knows that if we’re going to have a problem, that could be the problem in Wisconsin,” Pocan said.

Some young voters have been impatient with Biden’s attempts to wipe away student loan debt. The Supreme Court last year foiled his first attempt to forgive hundreds of billions of dollars in loans, a decision that Biden called a “mistake.”

Since then, the White House has pursued debt relief through other targeted initiatives, including those for public service workers and low-income borrowers. Administration officials said they have canceled $144 billion in student loans for almost 4 million Americans.

At the same time, the Department of Education has been working on a more expansive plan to replace Biden’s original effort. Monday’s announcement was an opportunity to energize young voters whose support Biden will need to defeat Trump in November.

Vice President Kamala Harris went to Pennsylvania, another battleground state, on Monday to promote debt relief in a meeting with city and school employees in Philadelphia.

“You shouldn’t have to make a decision whether you serve or be able to pay your bills,” she said.

Republicans said Biden’s plan shifts the financial burden of college tuition onto taxpayers who didn’t take out loans to attend school, and Kris Kobach, the Republican attorney general in Kansas, accused him of trying to twist the law “beyond recognition.”

The Job Creators Network, a conservative advocacy group that challenged Biden’s original plan, is considering legal action as well. The organization is backed by Bernie Marcus, a Republican donor who is also hosting a fundraiser for Trump in Atlanta on Wednesday. Trump described Biden’s debt relief initiative as an “election-enhancing money grab” two years ago.

Biden’s new plan would expand federal student loan relief to five new categories of borrowers through the Higher Education Act, which administration officials believe puts it on a stronger legal footing than the sweeping proposal that was killed by a 6-3 court majority last year.

The plan is smaller and more targeted than Biden’s original plan, which would have canceled up to $20,000 in loans for more than 40 million borrowers. The new plan would cancel some or all federal student loans for more than 30 million Americans, the White House said. The Education Department plans to issue a formal proposal in the coming months, with plans to start implementing parts of the plan as early as this fall.

The plan’s widest-reaching benefit would cancel up to $20,000 in interest for borrowers who have seen their balance grow beyond its original amount due to what Biden described as “runaway” interest. That part of the plan would forgive at least some unpaid interest for an estimated 25 million borrowers, with 23 million getting all their interest erased, according to the White House.

An additional 2 million borrowers would automatically have their loans canceled because they’re eligible but have not applied for other forgiveness programs, such as Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

Borrowers who have been repaying their undergraduate student loans for at least 20 years would be eligible to have any remaining debt canceled, along with those repaying graduate school loans for 25 years or more.

The plan would forgive debt for those who were in college programs deemed to have “low financial value.” It’s meant to help those who were in programs that ended up becoming ineligible to receive federal student aid or programs found to have cheated students.

A final category would cancel debt for borrowers facing financial hardship.

Seeing fake porn of myself ‘shocking’, says AOC as she launches AI bill

Raoul Simons
Tue, 9 April 2024 

The new bill backed by Ms Ocasio-Cortez will make it easier to prosecute deepfakes - Michael Reynolds/Shutterstock

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has demanded a crackdown on AI after viewing a deepfake pornographic image of her likeness performing a sex act. The New York congresswoman, 34, was “shocked” when she spotted the digitally altered image on X.

Ms Ocasio-Cortez has repeatedly been targeted with manipulated images and fake social media posts using her likeness, since being elected in 2018 as the youngest woman to serve in Congress.

However, new AI tools have made the creation process much easier and the advanced technology makes images and videos seem more realistic.

As a result, Ms Ocasio-Cortez has been involved in crafting a new law intended to bring an end to non-consensual, sexually explicit deepfakes. It would enable victims to take legal action against the producers and distributors of the content.
‘Get this off my screen’

Talking about her own experience with the porn deepfake in February, she told Rolling Stone magazine her first thought was: “I need to get this off my screen.”

“There’s a shock to seeing images of yourself that someone could think are real,” she said. “As a survivor of physical sexual assault, it adds a level of dysregulation. It resurfaces trauma.

“It’s not as imaginary as people want to make it seem. It has real, real effects not just on the people that are victimised by it, but on the people who see it and consume it. Once you’ve seen it, you’ve seen it.

“It parallels the same exact intention of physical rape and sexual assault, which is about power, domination, and humiliation. Deepfakes are absolutely a way of digitising violent humiliation against other people.”

AI images of Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift suffered a similar experience in January, when sexually explicit AI-generated images of the singer surfaced on social media.

Fabricated pornography accounted for 98 per cent of all deepfake videos posted online, according to a 2023 study by Home Security Heroes, a cyber security firm.

The proposed US law change, which has bipartisan support, would amend the Violence Against Women Act so that people can sue those who produce, distribute or receive the deepfake pornography, if they “knew or recklessly disregarded” that the victim did not consent to those images.

If the bill passes the House and Senate, it would become the first US federal law to protect victims of deepfakes.

“A lot of my work has to do with chain breaking, the cycle breaking, and this, to me, is a really, really, really important cycle to break,” added Ms Ocasio-Cortez.

 

WVU psychologist ‘reverse engineers’ slot machines to better understand compulsive gambling

WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY

 

IMAGE: 

MARIYA CHERKASOVA (LEFT), ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY AT WVU, AND GRADUATE STUDENT POLINA KROM TEST A SLOT MACHINE SIMULATOR TO STUDY HOW USERS ENTER THE “ZONE” AND LOSE TOUCH WITH THE OUTSIDE WORLD.

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CREDIT: WVU PHOTO/BRIAN PERSINGER

A West Virginia University researcher is studying slot machines to determine what makes them a potentially addictive form of gambling.

Mariya Cherkasova, assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at the WVU Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, will spend the next two years “reverse engineering” certain structural characteristics of slot machines to find out what makes them an immersive product. Her research is supported by the International Center for Responsible Gaming.

In hopes of understanding the addictive nature of the games, Cherkasova will examine the interactions between subjects’ individual characteristics and the slot machines’ structural characteristics. Subjects will play several versions of a highly realistic slot machine simulator that runs in a browser.

“Some versions of the game will include the typical bells and whistles that accompany wins, while others will not,” she said. “This exemplifies the reverse engineering of the sensory feedback — one version has bells and whistles while the other lacks them.”

She will also manipulate how often and how much the players win, known as a reinforcement schedule. Game versions will be engineered to have specific reinforcement ratios and intervals.

In an additional experiment in her laboratory, Cherkasova will track subjects’ eyes during simulator play.

“That part is pretty innovative,” she said. “Because when you’re measuring immersion, it’s mostly been based on self-report, and there’s a bit of a paradox in there — how can you measure immersion without disrupting those states? You either have to measure it retrospectively, or you have to disrupt the state to measure it. Some of our past work suggests that you can study immersion using eye tracking. We hope to validate those indices as tacit measures of immersion that do not involve explicit self-report or interrupting the immersive state.”

A graduate research assistant will run the laboratory study and collect data in the second year of the two-year study.

Studies have shown slot machines are associated with harms more than other gambling modalities like the lottery.

“From a public health perspective, there’s a continuum of gambling,” Cherkasova said. “Some products are associated with very few harms. Few people develop problematic gambling patterns buying lottery tickets. Slot machines are still ‘king’ in terms of how many people play them. And they still account for the lion’s portion of gambling revenue and are on the other end of the harm continuum.”

Some slot machine gamblers become highly immersed and absorbed in the game, a state sometimes referred to as the “zone.” Similar states may be experienced while playing video games or binge watching a show. However, those states may be especially harmful during slot machine play because they can lead to a person losing significant sums of money.

“The person loses track of time,” she said. “They forget everything around them and just keep playing and playing the slot machine. This is something that’s associated with compulsive gameplay and very significant losses.”

In past work, Cherkasova and other researchers found higher levels of depression and lower levels of dispositional mindfulness are both strongly correlated with immersion. However, just as a biological predisposition may lead to gambling problems, gambling products and environments also bring out these same tendencies.

“For that reason, it’s as important to study the characteristics of gambling products as it is to study individual characteristics of the players that may be liabilities,” she said.

While the gambling industry doesn’t share information about the characteristics of slot machines, a kind of natural selection process guides which models stay on the floor or online — those that make the most money tend to remain in use.

In future research, Cherkasova would like to study what happens in a player’s brain when they enter a flow state, like “the zone,” when playing a slot machine. A small number of studies have focused on players’ flow states during video gameplay, but none have looked at gambling or slot machine use.

“Frankly, we really don’t know what goes on in the brain,” Cherkasova said.

She said she believes her work will help researchers understand why slot machines are one of the most harmful gambling modalities and how slot machine design interacts with players’ individual vulnerabilities to cause harm.

“Diagnosable gambling disorders are rare,” she said. “But just like drinking alcohol, there’s really no completely safe level of gambling.”

 

Do opponents’ race, gender, and party impact US congressional fundraising?

WILEY

Donations for a political candidate can be motivated by support for that candidate or by opposition to the candidate’s opponent. New research published in Social Science Quarterly found that female Democrats and non-white male Democrats in the United States have a fundraising advantage when running against a white male Republican. Female Republicans or non-white male Republicans do not have this advantage when running against white male Democrats.

To assess the impact that race, gender, and party affiliation of a candidate and that candidate’s opponent have on the candidate’s fundraising, Dennis Halcoussis, PhD, of California State University, Northridge, examined data from the 2016, 2018, and 2020 US Congressional elections.

The results of his analysis suggest that Democratic donors give more when their party nominates a white female or non-white male to run against a white male Republican. Republican donors do not behave similarly—they do not donate more if the Republican candidate is a white female or a non-white male running against a white male Democrat.

“Any analysis of race, gender, and campaign contributions needs to consider the characteristics of both the Democratic and Republican candidate, not just one candidate in isolation,” said Prof. Halcoussis.

URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ssqu.13369

 

Additional Information
NOTE: The information contained in this release is protected by copyright. Please include journal attribution in all coverage. For more information or to obtain a PDF of any study, please contact: Sara Henning-Stout, newsroom@wiley.com.

About the Journal
Nationally recognized as one of the top journals in the field, Social Science Quarterly, the journal of the Southwestern Social Science Association, publishes current research on a broad range of topics including political science, sociology, economics, history, social work, geography, international studies, and women's studies.

About Wiley
Wiley is a knowledge company and a global leader in research, publishing, and knowledge solutions. Dedicated to the creation and application of knowledge, Wiley serves the world’s researchers, learners, innovators, and leaders, helping them achieve their goals and solve the world's most important challenges. For more than two centuries, Wiley has been delivering on its timeless mission to unlock human potential. Visit us at Wiley.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

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JOURNAL

Social Science Quarterly

DOI

10.1111/ssqu.13369 

ARTICLE TITLE

Impact of Opponents' Race, Gender, and Party on United States Congressional Fundraising

 

Cracking the code of flash floods: new insights from China's mountainous regions

IGSNRR CAS

 

IMAGE: 

SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF DEM AND WATER SYSTEM (A), LAND USE (B) AND SOIL TEXTURE TYPES (C) IN ANHE CATCHMENT

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CREDIT: JOURNAL OF GEOGRAPHICAL SCIENCES

Recently, researchers have made breakthroughs in flash flood forecasting by studying how different rainfall patterns affect flash floods in China's mountainous regions. This research leads to the possibility of more accurate and localized flood warnings, potentially enhancing disaster preparedness and reducing the devastating effects of flash floods on at-risk communities.

Flash floods, marked by their sudden onset and devastating impact, pose a significant threat globally, particularly in China where they account for over 70% of flood-related fatalities and substantial economic losses. The complexity of predicting these events arises from the intricate interplay between intense, short-duration rainfall and the subsequent rapid catchment responses. This underscores the urgent need for advanced research into rainfall patterns and flash flood dynamics to improve forecasting accuracy and develop effective early warning systems, aiming to mitigate the severe consequences of these natural disasters.

In light of this, a study (https://doi.org/10.1007/s11442-023-2188-5) published in the Journal of Geographical Sciences in December 2023 offers a fresh perspective on flash flood forecasting by evaluating simulation capabilities with respect to rainfall variability in Anhe Catchment, a small mountainous region in southeastern China.

This study combined multivariate statistical analysis and hydrological simulations to meticulously evaluate the capabilities of two advanced hydrological models (Xinanjiang hydrological model, XAJ and China Flash Flood hydrological Model, CNFF), and predict flash flood responses under these diverse rainfall conditions. The findings reveal a significant proficiency of both models in accurately simulating water balances, hydrographs, flash flood behavior indices and flood dynamics indices for flash flood events triggered by extended periods of uniform rainfall. However, the models faced difficulties in precisely forecasting flash flood behaviors associated with short, intense bursts of rainfall. The essence of this research underscores the complexity of flash flood phenomena, driven by the distinct characteristics of the identified rainfall patterns. Through the application of the XAJ and CNFF models, the study highlights the challenges in bridging the gap between model simulations and the erratic nature of intense rainfall events.

Dr. Wang Xuemei, the lead author, emphasizes the critical nature of understanding the intricacies of rainfall-induced flash floods for improved prediction and management. "Our findings reveal the significant influence of rainfall temporal patterns on flash flood dynamics, highlighting the need for tailored forecasting approaches in different hydrological settings," she states.

This research offers significant advancements in flash flood forecasting, providing a nuanced understanding of how different rainfall patterns affect flash flood genesis and progression. Such insights are invaluable for developing more accurate and region-specific flood prediction tools, ultimately enhancing disaster preparedness and mitigation strategies.

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References

DOI

10.1007/s11442-023-2188-5

Original Source URL

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11442-023-2188-5

Funding information

National Natural Science Foundation of China, No.42171047, No.42071041

About Journal of Geographical Sciences

Journal of Geographical Sciences is an international and multidisciplinary peer-reviewed journal focusing on human-nature relationships. It publishes papers on physical geography, natural resources, environmental sciences, geographic information, remote sensing and cartography. Manuscripts come from different parts of the world.

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JOURNAL

Journal of Geographical Sciences

DOI

10.1007/s11442-023-2188-5 

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Evaluating flash flood simulation capability with respect to rainfall temporal variability in a small mountainous catchment