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Blinken Holds Talks with Palestinian President in Ramallah, Urging Gaza Cease-fire

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Blinken Holds Talks with Palestinian President in Ramallah, Urging Gaza Cease-fire

Blinken Holds Talks with Palestinian President in Ramallah, Urging Gaza Cease-fire

Ramallah, PALESTINE(AA) – US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Wednesday amid efforts to push for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.

“Blinken held a meeting with Abbas upon his arrival in Ramallah,” a source in the latter’s office told Anadolu.

Further details of the meeting were not immediately available.

READ MORE : Hamas says more time needed to announce position on potential hostage deal

Earlier on Wednesday Blinken met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog.

The US, Qatar and Egypt, the key mediators between Hamas and Israel, confirmed they have received a response from the Palestinian group to a framework agreement for a cease-fire and hostage-prisoner swap with Israel.

A Palestinian source told Anadolu that Hamas has proposed a 3-stage plan for a Gaza cease-fire that includes a 135-day pause in fighting in return for hostage releases.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) meets with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (R) in Ramallah, West Bank on February 7, 2024. Photo : AA

The Israeli war in the Palestinian enclave began after an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, in which some 1,200 people are believed to have been killed, and around 240 taken as hostages.

Over 100 hostages were released during a weeklong pause in fighting in November in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners.

Israel’s attacks have killed more than 27,000 Palestinians, and about 85% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million has been displaced, according to the UN.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio

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Lebanese judge Nawaf Salam elected as ICJ president, Ugandan as vice president

Shasi Kumar
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Lebanese judge Nawaf Salam elected as ICJ president, Ugandan as vice president

Lebanese judge Nawaf Salam elected as ICJ president, Ugandan as vice president

The Hague, NETHERLANDS(EFE/DT) – Lebanese judge Nawaf Salam was elected president of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and Uganda’s Julia Sebutinde as the vice president.

WHILE MANY view the ICJ as an independent judicial body, it is inherently political. Its judges are elected by the UN General Assembly and Security Council, bodies notorious for anti-Israel bias, the writer says. (credit: REUTERS)

Both justices will serve a three-year term, The Hague-based United Nations court said in a statement on Tuesday.

Salam, born in Beirut in 1953, has been a member of ICJ since February 2018 and has represented Lebanon at the UN between 2007 and 2017.

READ MORE : Secretary-General Appoints Nahla Valji of Canada United Nations Resident Coordinator in Eritrea

Sebutinde, born in Entebbe in Uganda) in 1954, has been a member of the court since 2012.

Sebutinde’s name recently stood out among her colleagues at ICJ for being the only judge on the panel to vote against the precautionary measures issued to Israel to protect the Palestinians in Gaza.

The court appointed four new members: Justice Sarah Cleveland from the United States, Mexican judge Juan Manuel Gomez Robledo, the Romanian Bogdan-Lucian Aurescu, and South Africa’s Dire Tladi on its panel.

The ICJ, which plays a vital role in settling disputes between nations according to international laws, is composed of 15 judges elected by the UN General Assembly for a term of nine years.

One-third of ICJ is elected every three years, after which the court holds a secret vote in The Hague to elect a new president and vice-president from among the court’s member judges.

What does the International Court of Justice(ICJ) do?

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) serves as the judicial arm of the United Nations, established under the United Nations Charter in June 1945. It comprises 15 judges.

The court fulfills two primary roles: first, to resolve legal disputes between states in accordance with international law, and second, to provide advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by authorized United Nations organs and agencies within the system.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ), also known as the World Court, is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations (UN).

The ICJ is located in The Hague, Netherlands, and its decisions are binding and final for the parties involved. It consists of 15 judges elected by the UN General Assembly and the Security Council for nine-year terms.

Lebanese Judge Nawaf Salam, known for his anti-Israel stance, elected as new president of ICJ. Potential impact on Israel anticipated

Salam has a record of expressing anti-Israel sentiments and is now set to oversee the case initiated by South Africa against Israel. The case alleges that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are engaged in genocide in Gaza.

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50 deaths, 2.3 million people affected by January natural disasters in China

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50 deaths, 2.3 million people affected by January natural disasters in China

50 deaths, 2.3 million people affected by January natural disasters in China

Beijing, CHINA(EFE) – Various natural disasters and extreme weather events in China in January, such as earthquakes, landslides, freezing temperatures and snow, caused 50 deaths and affected nearly 2.3 million people, the Ministry of Emergency Management reported Wednesday.

A rescue personnel stands among rubble following a landslide in Liangshui Village, Yunnan province, China, 24 January 2024. EFE-EPA FILE/MARK R. CRISTINO

The ministry said that natural disasters, which also include drought, wind and hail and forest fires, also caused the urgent relocation of 24,000 people, the collapse of more than 600 homes, damage to another 28,700 and the loss of 207,100 hectares of crops, with a direct economic impact of 3 billion yuan ($418 million), reported the state People’s Daily.

READ MORE : Southern California Declares State of Emergency as Powerful Storm Hits

Among the most serious disasters were the magnitude-7.1 earthquake that shook the western region of Xinjiang, leaving three dead, and a landslide that claimed 44 victims in Zhenxiong county in the southern province of Yunnan.

In addition, a cold snap affected more than 25 provinces in the country, especially those in the south, where the first snowfalls of the year were recorded, disrupting the supply of electricity, communications and transportation.

According to the ministry, the cold and snow affected more than 2 million people in 12 provinces, especially in the central provinces of Jiangxi, Hunan and Guizhou, where nearly 1,500 homes and 197,100 hectares of crops were damaged.

Other natural disasters that occurred in January were droughts, which affected 63,000 people and 2,900 hectares of crops in Yunnan; hail, which injured 8,200 people and 6,900 hectares of crops in the southwest of the country; and forest fires, in which seven cases were recorded without casualties. EFE

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Deadly blasts rock Pakistan ahead of election day, dozens dead

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Deadly blasts rock Pakistan ahead of election day, dozens dead

Deadly blasts rock Pakistan ahead of election day, dozens dead

Islamabad, PAKISTAN(EFE) – Several people were killed and many more injured in at least three explosions that rocked Pakistan’s troubled Balochistan province on Wednesday, just a day before general elections, according to police sources.

An explosive device planted in a motorcycle was detonated outside the office of a political candidate in the restive province, killing at least 14 people and injuring 25 others, Quetta police officer Muhammed Ramzan told EFE.

Police officers fulfilling their duties following fatal explosions in Pakistan just before election day, resulting in numerous casualties. Photo : EFE

The explosion occurred outside the election office of Asfand Yar Kakar in Khanozai town, located in the Pishin district, Ramzan said.

READ MORE : Ten police officers were killed in a militant assault in Pakistan

Kakar, an independent candidate, was not present in the office at the time of the explosion.

Kakar told Pakistan’s Geo News that eight workers were killed and over 18 injured in the blast, which occurred during preparations for polling agent assignments in the election office.

A video released by the police showed blood stains and still bodies near the blast site.

Police officer Ramzan reported another explosion at the office of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F in Qila Saifullah, Balochistan, killing at least 12 people and injuring 12 others. “The office building caught fire soon after the blast.”

Another blast in the tribal district of South Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, injured five people, police said.

The explosion targeted the vehicle of political candidate Naseerullah Wazir, who escaped unharmed.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has taken notice of the blasts and summoned a report from the Balochistan chief secretary and Inspector General of Police.

An ECP spokesperson said directives have been issued to take action against those involved in such incidents.

No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks, which represent the latest wave of insurgent violence escalating ahead of the elections for new federal and provincial governments.

Earlier this week, at least 10 police officers were killed in a pre-dawn bomb and gun attack on a police station in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Last week, a national assembly candidate was shot dead in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and another political leader was gunned down on the same day in his party’s election office in Balochistan.

The day before, a bomb attack following an election rally killed four people in Balochistan, with the Islamic State claiming responsibility.

Last week, the Pakistan Army reported at least 30 casualties, including 24 militants and two civilians, in a prolonged three-day military operation in Balochistan province.

According to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, an Islamabad-based think tank, militant attacks more than doubled in January compared to December of the previous year.

The surge in insurgent attacks has been attributed to the Taliban’s rise to power in Afghanistan in August 2021. EFE

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Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev secured nearly 92.4 percent of the votes, signaling a significant victory in the election: SRC

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Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev secured nearly 92.4 percent of the votes, signaling a significant victory in the election: SRC

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev secured nearly 92.4 percent of the votes, signaling a significant victory in the election : SRC

Baku, AZERBAIJAN(AZERTAC) – The Social Research Center has announced the results of its exit poll conducted for the snap presidential election held on Wednesday.

Natalia Isayeva, a representative of the Social Research Center, disclosed the results of the exit poll, which encompassed 125 polling stations across 25 constituencies.

READ MORE : Who will emerge as the President of Azerbaijan? Aliyev positioned to clinch 5th term in upcoming election

Out of the 5,012 respondents involved in the polls, 24 percent represent the city of Baku, 7.9 percent represent the cities of Ganja and Sumgait, and 44.3 percent represent rural residents.

The exit poll results are as follows:

Ilham Aliyev – 92.4 percent;

Zahid Oruj – 2.2 percent;

Fazil Mustafa – 2 percent;

Gudrat Hasanguliyev – 1.6 percent;

Elshad Musayev – 0.8 percent;

Fuad Aliyev – 0.4 percent

Razi Nurullayev – 0.3 percent.

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Who will emerge as the President of Azerbaijan? Aliyev positioned to clinch 5th term in upcoming election

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Who will emerge as the President of Azerbaijan? Aliyev positioned to clinch 5th term in upcoming election

Who will emerge as the President of Azerbaijan? Aliyev positioned to clinch 5th term in upcoming election

Baku, AZERBAIJAN(EFE/DT) – Following the voting in Azerbaijan’s election today, attention turns to the outcome and the nation’s next president. Incumbent President Ilham Aliyev stands as the frontrunner, set to clinch his fifth consecutive term in office.

Aliyev’s political dominance in Azerbaijan has been evident for years, with his presidency marked by a firm grip on power and a significant influence on the country’s political landscape. As the leader of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party, Aliyev has maintained stability and control over the government, shaping policies and initiatives to align with his vision for the nation.

“The result of Wednesday’s elections in Azerbaijan is already predetermined, with Aliyev expected to emerge victorious,” stated independent analyst Ghia Nodia from the Caucasus Center for Strategic and International Studies.

“There is no element of surprise in these elections, lacking even a hint of competitiveness.”

Supporters have commended Aliyev for transforming a nation previously considered a Soviet backwater into a thriving energy provider for Europe.

READ MORE : South Africa Ramaphosa to announce election date this month – spokesman

Azerbaijanis began voting in presidential polls on Wednesday, with incumbent Ilham Aliyev widely expected to clinch his fifth term following the September war victory against Armenian separatists in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

In the country bordering the Caspian Sea, more than 6,300 polling stations opened at 8 a.m. local time on the election day.

Around 6.3 million Azerbaijanis are registered to vote until 7 p.m. in the snap election to elect a new president for seven years.

Aliyev, in power since 2003, is a clear favorite after advancing the elections by 14 months from the scheduled date of 2025, capitalizing on his widespread popularity following the Karabakh victory.

He faces six other candidates, mostly loyalists, who did not criticize the president’s administration during the campaign and televised debates.

The extra-parliamentary opposition, which condemned the continued arrests of political activists and journalists, has decided to boycott the presidential elections.

“In Azerbaijan, there are no conditions for the free expression of the popular will. All the fundamental rights of citizens are flagrantly trampled,” Ali Kerimli, leader of the Azerbaijan Popular Front party, told EFE.

The Azerbaijani authorities have invited more than 500 international observers to monitor the elections, including the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) delegation.

However, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is not among the invitees to observe the election.

Aliyev threatened to review the country’s participation in the Council of Europe after it suspended Azerbaijan’s participation in PACE.

“All this confirms the intentions of the Azerbaijani authorities to once again falsify the elections,” Kerimli said.

Experts said that while Aliyev strengthened his ties with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, he maintained his support for all the strategic energy and transportation projects proposed by the West for the Caspian and the Caucasus regions.

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South Africa Ramaphosa to announce election date this month – spokesman

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South Africa Ramaphosa to announce election date this month – spokesman

South Africa Ramaphosa to announce election date this month – spokesman

JOHANNESBURG(Reuters) – South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will announce the date of this year’s general election later this month, his spokesman said on Wednesday.
“If you count from tomorrow, the president will announce the election date within 15 days,” Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Vincent Magwenya told reporters.

READ MORE : Namibia President Hage Geingob 82, passes away following a cancer diagnosis

Political analysts say record power cuts, poor service delivery and high levels of unemployment are likely to hurt the governing African National Congress (ANC) party that Ramaphosa, 71, leads, threatening the loss of its parliamentary majority for the first time since the end of apartheid in 1994.

Ramaphosa, who has struggled to rekindle economic growth since taking over from his scandal-plagued predecessor Jacob Zuma in 2018, will seek a second term as president.

Voters will elect a new National Assembly as well as the provincial legislature in each of the country’s nine provinces.

The National Assembly elects the president after the vote.

Reporting by Anait Miridzhanian Editing by Alexander Winning, Kirsten Donovan

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Saudi Arabia remains steadfast in its position on diplomatic relations with Israel during Blinken’s visit

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Saudi Arabia remains steadfast in its position on diplomatic relations with Israel during Blinken’s visit

Saudi Arabia remains steadfast in its position on diplomatic relations with Israel during Blinken’s visit


Riyadh, SAUDI ARABIA(EFE/DT) – Saudi Arabia has reaffirmed its unwavering stance on diplomatic relations with Israel during the recent visit of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The Kingdom reiterated that the establishment of ties with Israel is contingent upon the recognition of a Palestinian state.

This assertion underscores Saudi Arabia’s commitment to the Palestinian cause and its support for a comprehensive and just solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Despite diplomatic overtures and regional shifts, Saudi Arabia has consistently emphasized the importance of addressing Palestinian grievances and achieving a two-state solution.

READ MORE : Biden aide urges Bejing to press Iran over Houthi attacks. China warns US over Taiwan independence

The reaffirmation of this position comes amidst ongoing efforts to foster stability and peace in the Middle East region. It reflects Saudi Arabia’s principled stand on the issue and its dedication to upholding the rights and aspirations of the Palestinian people.

As diplomatic engagements continue and regional dynamics evolve, Saudi Arabia’s stance underscores its pivotal role in shaping the trajectory of Middle Eastern geopolitics and advancing efforts towards a lasting peace in the region.

Saudi Arabia has conveyed its position to the United States as a Washington-backed Middle East peace plan that seeks normalization of ties between Israel and Gulf nations has been relegated to cold storage after the war between Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israeli forces erupted in October last year.

While the Saudi foreign ministry statement did not explicitly mention the meeting between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on Monday, it alluded to the communication of Saudi Arabia’s position to the US administration.

“The kingdom has communicated its firm opposition to the US administration that there will be no diplomatic relations with Israel unless an independent Palestinian state is recognized on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital and that the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip stops and all Israeli occupation forces withdraw from the Gaza Strip,” the foreign ministry said.

The Saudi ministry urged the international community, particularly the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, to recognize the Palestinian State based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

This recognition, the statement emphasized, would enable the Palestinian people to realize their legitimate rights and facilitate comprehensive and just peace in the region.

The remarks by the Saudi government coincide with ongoing efforts by the US, Egypt, and Qatar to negotiate a ceasefire in war-hit Gaza.

The objective is to secure the release of Israeli hostages held by the Islamist group Hamas and increase humanitarian aid to the civilian population of the besieged strip.

Secretary Blinken, on his fifth tour of the Middle East since the Gaza war began four months ago, indicated during his visit to Doha that he would discuss Hamas’ response to the proposed ceasefire framework with the Israeli government.

The rich and ultra-conservative kingdom of Saudi Arabia does not maintain good ties with Hamas, even as Riyadh is one of the main advocates of the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), chaired by Mahmoud Abbas, which it considers the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. 


White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby announced on Tuesday that the Biden administration has received encouraging feedback indicating Saudi Arabia and Israel’s readiness to maintain discussions on normalization.

The Saudi foreign ministry affirmed that the Kingdom has conveyed its unwavering stance to the U.S. administration, emphasizing that diplomatic relations with Israel hinge upon the recognition of an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

It reiterated its call to the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council to expedite the recognition of the Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. The recent Gaza war has reignited discussions about the two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, despite the stagnation of negotiations in recent years.

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Chinese-Australian writer given suspended death sentence in Beijing

Mega Komalasari
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Chinese-Australian writer given suspended death sentence in Beijing

Chinese-Australian writer given suspended death sentence in Beijing

Sydney, AUSTRALIA(EFE) – Australian pro-democracy blogger Yang Hengjun has been given a suspended death sentence by a Chinese court after being accused of espionage, the Australian government reported Monday.

Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong looks on at a press conference after visiting the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, China, 06 November 2023. EFE-EPA FILE/LUKAS COCH AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT

The 58-year-old academic was born in China but has Australian citizenship.

“The Australian Government is appalled that Australian citizen, Dr Yang Jun, has today received a suspended death sentence in Beijing,” Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a statement, adding that it is “harrowing news for Dr Yang and his family and all who have supported him.”

READ MORE : Singapore passes law to hold ‘dangerous offenders’ beyond prison terms

Wong said the government was “appalled” at the ruling and would be “communicating our response in the strongest terms.”

Yang was arrested in 2019 on national security charges, accused of spying, which he has denied, and then convicted in May 2021 in a one-day closed-door trial for which the verdict or sentence was not publicly disclosed.

Wong said his sentence could be commuted to life imprisonment if he does not commit any serious crimes within a period of two years.

Australia has asked Beijing for his release “at every opportunity, and at the highest levels” and has consistently called for “basic standards of justice, procedural fairness and humane treatment for Dr. Yang” in line with “international norms and China’s legal obligations,” Wong said.

“We will continue to press for Dr Yang’s interests and wellbeing, including appropriate medical treatment, and provide consular assistance to him and his family. All Australians want to see Dr Yang reunited with his family. We will not relent in our advocacy,” she added.

In recent years, concern has increased over the health of Yang, who had a large cyst detected in one of his kidneys.

In October, his relatives sent a letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressing concern over his “rapid” decline in health and pleading with the leader to do “all in your power” to secure his release during his official visit to China in November.

“We request that you do all in your power to save our father’s life and return him immediately to family and freedom in Australia,” they wrote.

The arrest of Yang and other Australian citizens has been a source of tension between Canberra and Beijing, which reinforced a diplomatic and commercial thaw with Albanese’s visit, the first by an Australian leader to the Asian giant since 2016.

The writer’s sentence is a setback after months of improvement in bilateral relations under the Australian government, with the withdrawal of some tariffs by Beijing and the release in October of the Chinese-Australian journalist Cheng Lei, who was detained in 2020. EFE

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Singapore passes law to hold ‘dangerous offenders’ beyond prison terms

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Singapore passes law to hold ‘dangerous offenders’ beyond prison terms

Singapore passes law to hold ‘dangerous offenders’ beyond prison terms

SINGAPORE, (Reuters) – Singapore on Monday passed a law to hold “dangerous offenders” indefinitely, even after they complete their jail sentences.
The legislation applies to those above 21 who are convicted of crimes such as culpable homicide, rape and sex with minors, who are deemed to be at risk of reoffending upon release.


In a speech in parliament, Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam said: “An offender who continues to pose a real danger to others should not be released.”

READ MORE : Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and BNI Encourage Collaboration for State-Owned Enterprises to Go Global on Indonesia Incorporated Day

He gave an example of a man jailed for raping his 6-year-old stepdaughter, who, after his release started sexually assaulting his sister’s granddaughter who was 10 in 2015. In 2017, he sexually assaulted the girl’s younger sister who was 9.
“We have to deal with these kinds of menace and protect our society,” said Shanmugam.
The new law means that instead of being automatically released after completing their prison terms, such offenders would need the home affairs minister to decide that they were no longer a threat to the public.

The minister would be advised by a review board made up of experts such as retired judges, lawyers, psychiatrists and psychologists, and the offender and his lawyers can make representations to the board. Those found unfit for release will have their case reviewed annually.
Singapore estimates this law will affect fewer than 30 offenders a year.
The United States has a similar law – for sex offenders who are considered likely to reoffend – in 20 states, the District of Columbia, and the federal government.

In Singapore, the law passed with broad support, including from the opposition party, even though some urged caution.
Opposition lawmaker Sylvia Lim, from the Workers’ Party, said it was hard to accurately predict future violence, and there was a risk of “over-detaining someone based on a wrong prediction of dangerousness.”


Lim said judges can already order sentences to run consecutively, which can detain offenders for much of their lives in jail, a preferable option to “leaving it to the executive to determine when an offender should be released.”


Non-governmental organization Human Rights Watch, said it opposed continued detention laws as they violate due process rights.
Reporting by Xinghui Kok Editing by Bernadette Baum

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