Last Days of COP28
With the UN climate summit coming to its last days, talks among the several Country Representatives have now intensified around the central question of whether to phase out or phase down fossil fuels, a necessary resolution in order to at least try to hold global temperature rises below 2C. Despite the scientific evidence supporting the phase-out, major fossil oil producers, such as the US, Canada, Norway and the EU, have been accused of offering resistance to an unequivocal agreement, trying to push for a more general wording, thus further slowing down the process. South African minister Barbara Creecy also talked about “common but differentiated responsibility”, referring to different expectations for responsibilities in cutting emissions regarding developed countries, which, having the greater historical emissions, are now expected to provide resources and financial aid to poorer nations on the path to sustainability. The summit will end on Tuesday 12th, when we will be informed of the representatives’ final decisions.
Video from Gaza Shows Stripped Palestinian Men Detained by Israeli Forces
In the evening of Thursday 7th some videos and photos from Gaza started circulating on social media showing at least 100 Palestinian Men stripped to their underwear, blindfolded, kneeling on the ground and then forced to get packed into the back of military vehicles while being guarded by Israeli soldiers. Who leaked these images is unclear, as are the circumstances and dates of the detentions, even though some videos seem to have been recorded by Israeli forces, who refer to the detained men as “terrorists”. According to Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy, these men were discovered in areas he described as Hamas strongholds, which “civilians were supposed to have evacuated weeks ago.”. Nevertheless, some of these prisoners have been identified as civilians, including well-known journalist correspondent for al-Araby al-Jadeed, Diaa al-Kahlout. The news outlet al-Araby al-Jadeed declared that soldiers “subjected them [the prisoners] to invasive searches and humiliating treatment upon their arrest, prior to transporting them to undisclosed locations". Palestinian politician Hanan Ashrawi defined the incident as a “blatant attempt at the humiliation and degradation of Palestinian men [..] stripped and displayed like war trophies”.
Putin Runs for 2024 Elections
On Friday 8th, President Putin announced during a military ceremony at the Kremlin his intention to candidate himself for the 2024 March presidential elections. If positive, which up to now seem promising, the results of the elections will grant him his fifth term as president, extending his 24-year period leading Russia, as either President or Prime Minister, since 1999. The announcement was little surprise after the 2020 ratification of the constitutional reform allowing him to run for presidency again in 2024 and remain in power until 2036, despite the original limit of 2 terms.
Nikolay Petrov, from the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, said, “This is not an election, this is the re-election of the same leader.”
US Vetoed UN Resolution Calling for Immediate Ceasefire
The UN Security Council called for a special meeting on Friday to discuss the tragic situation in Gaza and vote on a resolution calling for immediate ceasefire, after the UN Secretary-General António Guterres made use of art.99 of the UN Charter to warn the body of an impending humanitarian crisis in Gaza and push for a vote to stop the carnage. The gravity of the situation keeps escalating, counting more than 17,000 Palestinian victims and more than 1000 Israeli victims since the conflict re-opened on 7th October, with 85% of Gaza population having been displaced and at serious risk of starvation and famine, in a situation in which, according to Guterres, “The conditions for the effective delivery of humanitarian aid no longer exist”.
The draft, tabled by the United Arab Emirates and backed by 97 Member States, demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire as well as an immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.
The resolution, which needed 9 votes in favour and no vetoes to pass, was approved by 13 countries, with UK abstaining, but was nevertheless vetoed by US, according to which an immediate ceasefire would be “not only unrealistic but dangerous, it would simply leave Hamas in place, able to regroup and repeat what it did on October 7”.
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