Israel PM declares end of ‘land for peace’ after deal with United Arab Emirates

August 16, 2020 Article

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said a deal to establish full diplomatic ties with the United Arab Emirates proves his country does not need to retreat from occupied land sought by the Palestinians to achieve peace and normalisation with Arab states.

The two countries announced on Thursday they were establishing full diplomatic relations in a US-brokered deal that required Israel to halt its contentious plan to annex occupied West Bank land sought by the Palestinians.

Mr Netanyahu has insisted the annexation plans are only on “temporary hold” at the request of the US.

The UAE, like most of the Arab world, long rejected official diplomatic ties with Israel, saying recognition should only come in return for concessions in peace talks.

Its accord with Israel breaks that long-held tenet and could usher in agreements with other Arab states, undermining a consensus that was a rare source of leverage for the Palestinians.

“According to the Palestinians and to many others in the world who agreed with them, peace can’t be reached without conceding to the Palestinians’ demands, including uprooting settlements, dividing Jerusalem and withdrawal to 1967 lines,” Mr Netanyahu said in a video statement.

“No more. This concept of ‘peace through withdrawal and weakness’ has passed from the world.”

The Palestinians want the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip for their hoped-for state and peacemaking with them since the 1990s has been based on withdrawal from those lands to make way for a Palestinian homeland.

Israel captured the territories in the 1967 Six-Day War, although it withdrew its troops and settlers from Gaza in 2005.

But what has been a wall of Arab support for the Palestinians and their demands has begun to crack in recent years, in large part because of the shared enmity of Israel and other Arab states towards Iran and Iranian proxies in the region.

The Palestinians bristled at Mr Netanyahu’s remarks.

“Peace should be established on the basis of the Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital,” Nabil Abu Rdeneh, a spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abba, said.

“This is the Arab and international consensus, and anything else has no value.”

Mr Netanyahu also reiterated his interpretation of the UAE deal – that annexation is only being suspended and is still on the table, so long as it was done in coordination with Washington.

UAE officials have indicated the deal means annexation has been shelved entirely.

After President Donald Trump released his Middle East plan earlier this year, which was favourable to Israel, Mr Netanyahu said he would forge ahead with annexing parts of the West Bank.

He backed away from moving forwards with annexation last month in the face of fierce international opposition and misgivings by White House officials.

But Mr Netanyahu, who has seen his popularity plummet over his handling of the coronavirus crisis, has faced searing criticism from settler leaders and their representatives in Parliament over the annexation backtrack and he has tried to reassure them that he remains committed to the move.

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Categories: Israel PM, Land for peace, Netanyahu, News, Peace deal, United Arab Emirates, West Bank

Poll suggests almost half of British public do not know about VJ Day

August 14, 2020 Article

Nearly half of the British public do not know what Victory in Japan (VJ) Day is, according to the findings of a poll taken shortly before its 75th anniversary.

On Saturday, the country will pay tribute to the sacrifices made by those who fought in the Far East to bring about the end of the Second World War.

The conflict against Japan endured three months beyond Victory in Europe (VE) Day on May 8 1945, with brutal fighting only ending with the Japanese surrender on August 15.

But a survey of 2,020 Britons aged over 16 from SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, carried out between July 27 and 29, found that 46% did not know what the VJ acronym stands for.

Of these, just 5% said they would celebrate it every year after discovering what the day marked, the survey found.

Meanwhile, more than half (52%) of those unaware of the significance of the day said they were not likely to do or feel anything towards the anniversary after finding out what it stood for.

SSAFA suggested the findings pointed to VJ Day “slowly being erased from British history”.

It highlighted that due to the earlier conclusion of war in Europe, some veterans returning from the Far East have referred to themselves as the “forgotten army”.

This year’s VJ Day commemorations have had to be adapted to accommodate restrictions imposed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The royal family, including the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge, are all due to play a role in events planned on Saturday.

This includes a service of thanksgiving and remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, a national two-minute silence, and a Red Arrows flypast.

Sir Gary Coward, chairman of SSAFA, said: “We should all be aware of our national history, especially when associated with an unrelenting campaign and huge sacrifice. VJ Day marks such an event.”

He added: “Many people celebrate Victory in Europe Day, but very few acknowledge or know about Victory over Japan Day.

“Thousands of Allied soldiers, sailors and airmen remained incarcerated in horrendous conditions and their many colleagues continued to fight bitter battles for freedom in the Far East well after VE Day.

“Without their supreme sacrifice, life would be very different to what it is now.

“On this 75th anniversary, we ought to take a moment to reflect on this and try to learn the lessons of this key moment in history.

“The huge losses on all sides must not be forgotten.”

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Categories: 75th anniversary, Far East, News, Victory, Victory in Europe Day, VJ

Probationary Met officer to face trial over alleged terror group membership

August 14, 2020 Article

A probationary Metropolitan Police officer will face trial next year for allegedly being a member of the banned neo-Nazi group National Action.

Benjamin Hannam, 22, of Enfield, north London, is also accused of lying on his police application and vetting forms.

He allegedly claimed he was not a member of National Action, which was outlawed under terrorism legislation in December 2016.

The junior officer is further accused of possessing an indecent image of a child and a prohibited image of a child.

Hannam is charged with belonging to or professing to belong to a proscribed organisation, namely National Action, contrary to section 11 of the Terrorism Act 2000, between December 2016 and January 2018.

He is also charged with two counts of fraud by false representation in relation to his police application and vetting forms.

The charges state he claimed he had not been a member of an organisation similar to the BNP, namely National Action, intending to make gain for himself, contrary to section 1 and 2 of the Fraud Act 2006.

Hannam also faces a charge of possessing an indecent photograph of a child, contrary to section 160 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988, as well as having a prohibited image of a child, contrary to section 62 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009.

He was charged in July following an investigation by the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command and has been suspended from duty, Scotland Yard said.

At a brief hearing at the Old Bailey on Friday, Mr Justice Sweeney fixed Hannam’s trial for March 1 2021, with the case expected to last for five weeks.

Hannam, who appeared in a navy blue suit, spoke only to confirm his name and address. He is due to return to court for a plea hearing on December 14.

He has been bailed on conditions, including that he live and sleep at his home address, does not apply for foreign travel documents or travel abroad, and can use only one internet-enabled device which he must allow police to access.

Justice Sweeney told Hannam: “It is essential that you comply to the letter with each and every bail condition and you will know, should you breach any condition, you are going to find yourself up in court with the possibility of being remanded into custody.”

The judge also warned him that if he failed to attend his plea hearing or trial, then the case would be likely to proceed in his absence.

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Categories: Benjamin Hannam, membership, National Action, News, Probationary Met Officer, Terror Group Membership

Brothers to face trial over terror plot

August 14, 2020 Article

Two brothers are to face trial in January for their alleged involvement in a terror plot.

Sahayb Abu is accused of plotting an extremist attack in the UK, while his brother Mohammed is accused of failing to inform police of his sibling’s intentions.

Sahayb, 27, of Doyle Road in South Norwood, south-east London, was arrested in July after allegedly purchasing or attempting to purchase items for use in terrorism.

The Metropolitan Police previously said Sahayb was bitten on the foot by a police dog during the raid.

He is charged with engaging in the preparation of terrorist acts on or before July 9 this year, under Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006.

Mohammed, 20, of Mayfield Road in Dagenham, east London, faces a charge of failing to disclose information likely to assist in a terrorist investigation.

Prosecutor Kiernan Cunningham QC told the Old Bailey: “Sahayb Abu was planning a terrorist act in this country; the prosecution argue that his brother had information about that attack and was in a position to provide that to the police.”

He asked for the cases to be tried together, saying the charges are “intrinsically linked”.

Mr Justice Sweeney listed the brothers’ trial for January 25 next year and they are due back in court for a plea hearing on November 23.

They are both being held in custody.

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Categories: Brothers, Extremist attack, News, Police, Sahayb Abu, terrorist

Syria’s Assad halts speech and complains of drop in blood pressure

August 13, 2020 Article

Syrian President Bashar Assad interrupted a speech he was giving to parliament, to say he needed to “sit down for a minute” after suffering a brief drop in blood pressure.

Assad, 54, was half-an-hour through his speech when he began appearing tired and halted his speech twice to take a sip of water from a glass in front of him.

He was speaking about US sanctions on Syria and the economic crisis in the war-ravaged country when he told his audience: “My blood pressure has dropped and I need to drink water.”

Shortly afterwards, he said: “I need to sit for a minute if you don’t mind,” before exiting the room.

It was not clear how long he was away but when he returned, Assad, a trained optician, joked that “doctors are the worst patients”. He was greeted by applause from the MPs before him.

“I haven’t eaten since yesterday afternoon. I have no sugar or salt and this happens,” he added.

Assad spoke from a podium to the members of parliament wearing masks and social distancing, seated at least 2 metres apart in a huge hall.

Syria has seen a rising number of coronavirus infections recently, although the overall reported numbers remain low with 1,327 confirmed cases and 53 deaths. Limited testing facilities and Syrian government control over pandemic statistics have led to concerns that the real number of cases is much higher than what is being reported.

Earlier, the presidency’s office said the speech was halted for “several minutes” because of a “mild” case of low blood pressure the president suffered, after which he continued the speech as normal.

The presidency’s Facebook page posted that the speech would be aired later on Wednesday. It did not provide further details. Assad, 54, is not known to have any specific health condition.

Assad gave the speech on the occasion of the first parliament session after elections were held last month. The vote was the third to take place in Syria since the country’s conflict began in 2011.

The elections also coincided with Syria’s worst economic crisis and a currency crash, which has dragged more of the country’s population into poverty.

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Categories: Assad, Blood Pressure, Economic crisis, News, Speech, Syria, Syria's Assad

Memorial to Second World War ‘Forgotten Army’ given listed status to mark VJ Day

August 13, 2020 Article

A Second World War memorial to a force known as the “Forgotten Army” has been given special protection to mark the 75th anniversary of Victory over Japan Day, which effectively marked the end of the conflict.

The Chindit Memorial in Victoria Embankment Gardens in central London has been listed at Grade II by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on the advice of Historic England.

The Chindit Special Forces fought in Burma (now known as Myanmar) in 1943 and 1944 and, after years of Allied setbacks, helped to turn the tide of the war against Japan in the Far East.

Named after Chinthe, a mythical beast which stands guard outside Burmese temples, the Chindits comprised troops from the UK, Burma, Hong Kong, India, Nepal, West Africa and the USA.

They engaged the Japanese behind enemy lines in Burma and were trained to navigate through extremely difficult jungle terrain.

The Chindit Memorial takes the form of an ornate bronze statue of a Chinthe supported on a tall Portland stone plinth.

Major General Orde Charles Wingate, a British Army officer who was born in India to a military family, formed the Chindits.

He was killed on active service in Burma in 1944 and the Chindits were disbanded the following year.

On the front plinth of the memorial is the blue enamel crest of the Chindits Association, as well as a portrait of Maj Gen Wingate and inscriptions explaining the role of the Chindits in the Second World War.

The memorial was unveiled by the Duke of Edinburgh in 1990 and there is a separate further memorial to the Chindits in the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

While fighting in Europe stopped on VE Day, May 8 1945, bitter fighting continued in the Far East until VJ Day, August 15 1945, when Imperial Japan surrendered, days after the USA dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

To mark the 75th anniversary of VJ Day, a military delegation will lay a wreath at the Chindit Memorial.

It is part of a series of commemorations happening across Whitehall, honouring the men who served in the Far East during the Second World War.

Heritage Minister Nigel Huddleston said: “As we come together this weekend to mark 75 years since VJ Day, we must not forget the sacrifices of the Second World War generation.

“It is a fitting tribute to all who served in the Far East that we are protecting and preserving sites so that future generations can learn about this important period of our history.”

Claudia Kenyatta, director of regions at Historic England, said: “We are surrounded by surviving physical evidence of the Second World War, from former air raid shelters to statues and plaques; however memorials that commemorate the Allied forces fighting in the Far East are surprisingly rare in England.

“We are pleased that the memorial to the Chindit Special Forces in Burma has been listed. Seventy-five years on, it’s important that we remember them.”

Two Grade I listed churches in Cambridgeshire have also been re-listed with new information linking them to the Second World War and the Allied victory in Japan.

The church of St Thomas A Becket in Ramsey now includes mention of a Lady Chapel in the south aisle giving thanks for the safe return of Lord de Ramsey, a Second World War prisoner of war in Japan, as well as a dedication and commemorative tablet added in 1956.

The church of St Peter and Paul in Wisbech has been re-listed to make special mention of a memorial to the men from the area who were killed in action or in captivity in the Far East.

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Categories: Burma, Chindit, Forgotten Army, Memorial, Myanmar, News, Victoria Embankment Gardens

Police handed new powers in bid to tackle hostile state activity

August 13, 2020 Article

Police in the UK will now be able to stop, search and detain individuals at UK ports to determine whether they are involved in hostile state activity.

From Thursday, fresh measures will allow specially trained officers to take action in relation to espionage and foreign interference.

The new “Schedule 3” powers are part of the UK’s wider effort to tackle hostile state activity.

Outlined in the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019, the powers were created as part of the UK’s response to the Salisbury nerve-agent attack in 2018.

Safeguards including independent oversight by the Investigatory Powers Commissioner have also been put in place alongside the measures.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said the new powers send a “clear message” the Government has zero tolerance for those acting against British interests.

“The threat posed to the UK from hostile state activity is growing and ever changing,” said Ms Patel.

“These new powers send a very clear message to those involved in it that this Government has zero tolerance for those acting against British interests.

“But I am clear more must be done and we are developing new legislation to bring our laws up to date and create new ones to stay ahead of the threat.”

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Categories: Acting against British interests, Hostile state, Hostile state activity, News, UK powers

Harry urges the world to take action against systemic racism

August 10, 2020 Article

The Duke of Sussex said more action is needed to root out systemic racism in society, as he described current efforts as “bringing a bucket of water to a forest fire”.

He made the comments in an interview with Rashad Robinson, president of Colour of Change – a non-profit civil rights advocacy organisation in the US – on systemic racism, hate online and people with privilege.

In a short sneak peak video of the interview posted on the organisation’s Instagram page, Harry agreed with Mr Robinson that more action was needed to drive structural and systemic change of “the rules that have held people back”.

Harry said: “There’s so much that has happened for so long that once those problems exist, charity is so crucial in so many areas but it can’t fix the problem.

“The problems already exist by that point, the problems are already too big… It’s basically like bringing a bucket of water to a forest fire.

“So, we have to go to the root of the problem, to the source of the problem and actually fix it there… and it’s going to take every single one of us.

“This is not down to the black community, this is down to every single person that is on the planet right now.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been vocal supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement, with Harry previously outlining his personal commitment to tackling institutional racism in a surprise message to children and young adults during The Diana Awards ceremony in July.

His words came after Meghan, who became the first mixed race person to marry a senior royal, delivered an impassioned Black Lives Matter speech to her old high school following the death of George Floyd in the US, sharing her “absolute devastation” at racial divisions.

Speaking to Mr Robinson, Harry said the anti-racism movement was being led by mainly the younger generation, but more action was needed than words.

He continued: “You can’t just say ‘I’m going to do this, I’m going to do that’, it’s like well, you said it, now you’ve got to go through with it.”

Last week, the duke outlined his and his wife’s efforts to help the Stop Hate for Profit campaign, after he accused social media giants of stoking a “crisis of hate”.

Writing for US-based business magazine Fast Company, he revealed they had personally been calling on heads of major corporations, asking them to suspend their advertising revenue from social media sites that fail to tackle hate speech.

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Categories: Duke of Sussex, News, Prince Harry, Rashad Robinson

Kwame Kwei-Armah says a woman removed her mask to cough in his son’s face

August 10, 2020 Article

Young Vic theatre boss Kwame Kwei-Armah has said a woman removed her mask to cough in the face of his 15-year-old son on public transport.

The director and playwright, who is black, said the white woman said to her son: “This is what you people do.”

He added that his son has since tested negative for coronavirus.

Kwei-Armah tweeted: “I don’t speak of my family on social but last week my 15-year-old was on a train when an adult white woman out of the blue removed her mask and coughed in his face.

“She ran off the train shouting, ‘This is what you people do’.

“Covid test has just come in negative. We are relieved. But really?”

Kwei-Armah has been the artistic director of the Young Vic theatre since 2018.

His directing credits include New York’s Public Theatre, Signature Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Birmingham Repertory Theatre.

His production of One Night In Miami at the Donmar Warehouse was nominated for an Olivier Award for best new play.

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Categories: Kwame Kwei-Armah, News, Removed her mask, Shakespeare Festival, Vic Theatre

A teacher’s tale on surviving the atomic blast in Hiroshima captured on audio

August 6, 2020 Article

On August 6 1945, a Japanese school teacher was having her breakfast when, after a bright flash of light, she was buried in the darkness beneath a pile of rubble that once stood as her home.

She was still in her nightdress when she was dragged out of the pile of bricks by a neighbour and walked four miles barefooted across a burning bridge in search for her father, out in the country away from devastated Hiroshima.

Not much is known of Taza Shibama, although historians believe she was in her early 20s and worked as a teacher at a girls’ school in the Japanese city, teaching students aged 13 or 14.

Some survivors of the atomic blast went on to become advocates for the anti-nuclear movement, but an online search of Ms Shibama brings back very little results.

But her recollection of surviving the first use of a nuclear weapon in warfare was captured in an interview recorded by the Thames Television production company in 1972.

In it, she described the moment her house collapsed after a uranium bomb nicknamed Little Boy exploded over Hiroshima.

“It was so dark, I did not hear any sound at all. I did not know what happened,” she said

“The two-storey wooden building that was my house with eight rooms in it was blown down to pieces and covered me up.”

An audio clip of the interview is preserved at the Imperial War Museum (IWM) in London, which will be released online to mark the 75th anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

“An account like hers, told in eloquent terms of what she was doing and how she survived, is quite rare,” said Anthony Richards, head of documents and sound at IWM.

“I think what’s so memorable about her interview is how she describes that moment when it happened in a very matter-of-fact way, it kind of brings it home how sudden and unexpected it was.

“She’s sitting in her kitchen having breakfast before she is due in school, with a bowl of rice in one hand and chopsticks in another, and the next thing she remembers is being in a pile of rubble.”

The United States detonated two nuclear weapons over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9 1945.

The two bombings killed more than 100,000 people instantly, most of whom were civilians, and caused thousands more to die of their injuries or the after-effects of radiation.

Mr Richards said the teacher touches on how she suffered survivor’s guilt, a mental condition whereby a person feels guilt or shame for having survived a traumatic event while others died.

He added: “She was a teacher and a lot of those school girls didn’t survive, and those who did were put to work pulling down a lot of the wooden houses to stop the fire from spreading.

“In doing that, they were near the epicentre of the blast and got radiation poisoning.

“The teacher’s first thought was to flee the city to find her father in the country, while others were doing their bit to go through the rubble to find others.

“It’s very sad but you see that in different wars and conflicts, survivors trying to justify why they survived and not someone else.”

Japan surrendered on August 15 1945, bringing an end to the Second World War.

An extract of the audio recording, part of the IWM’s voices of war collection, will be released on the museum’s website and social media on Thursday.

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Categories: Atomic blast, August 6th, Hiroshima, Japan, Little Boy, News, Second World War