The year 2024 will be a critical one. The future of Gaza and the West Bank may hinge in part on whether Donald Trump returns to the White House – as may the outcome of the war in Ukraine. China will be locked in a race against time as its population ages. And the natural world will reach a new series of tipping points. But there are some reasons for cautious optimism. With so much happening, it can be hard to know where to look. Here Guardian correspondents offer their…
Tag: Gaza
Almost 100 journalists killed and 400 imprisoned in 2023, says IFJ
A leading organisation representing journalists worldwide expressed deep concern Friday at the number of media professionals killed around the globe doing their jobs in 2023, with Israel’s war with Hamas claiming more journalists than any conflict in over 30 years. In its annual count of media worker deaths, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) said 94 journalists had been killed so far this year and almost 400 others had been imprisoned. The figure for deaths is up from 67 in the same period of 2022 — including 12 killed in…
US has wrecked chances of peace in Middle East, Putin tells Brics summit
US unilateralism has wrecked the chances of peace in the Middle East, Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, told a crisis Brics meeting on Gaza as he attempted to woo leaders of the global south. The virtual meeting of 11 nations, convened by South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, came as Arab foreign ministers toured capitals to drum up support for a fresh UN security council resolution mandating Israel to introduce a full ceasefire and end what they say are breaches of international humanitarian law. The moves are the latest sign of…
Defining sexual consent is crucial | Observer letters
Barbara Ellen said that “consent should happen before sex, not during or after” (“How to Have Sex broke my heart: it shows that consent is still a hazy concept”, Comment). Yes, consent absolutely should be ascertained between all participating parties before engaging in sex, but consent does not end there. Consent is an ongoing process, it is not a box to be ticked, or, as Ellen puts it, “banked” as a get-out clause that enables anyone to do anything that they subsequently wish, because “hey, you said ‘yes’, remember?” It…
Apec summit ends with unity on WTO reform but not Gaza or Ukraine
Pacific Rim leaders have shown divisions over the wars in Ukraine and Gaza after a two-day summit of the Apec forum, while pledging support for reform of the World Trade Organization. The 21 economies that make up the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum – among them Russia, China, the US and Australia – did not mention either conflict in their final joint communique. Instead an accompanying chair’s statement noted the bloc had “exchanged views on the ongoing crisis in Gaza”. Days of meetings involving Apec ministers and leaders were dominated by…
China has a history of being pro-Palestinian, but now faces diplomatic conundrum
China was an early proponent of a ceasefire in Gaza and has called for wider talks on resolving the Palestinian question. But analysts say the situation is complicated, and it’s not clear what Beijing expects to achieve, and how it can get there. Beijing has been a supporter of the Palestinians since the Mao era and long called for a two-state solution, but it is increasingly close to Israel, and is presenting itself as a neutral party that holds steadfast to a noninterference principle. Beijing is also trying to build…
Oil prices drop as aid arrives in Gaza; major Apple supplier faces China tax inquiry – business live
<gu-island name="KeyEventsCarousel" priority="feature" deferuntil="visible" props="{"keyEvents":[{"id":"653611bc8f088809c450b097","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":" Good morning, and welcome to our live coverage of business, economics and financial markets around the world. ","elementId":"6b5b4570-c413-4804-8882-bbf504c1a440"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":" Oil prices dropped back on Monday after diplomatic efforts over the weekend to try to prevent the conflict between Israel and Hamas from spreading, including aid convoys being allowed into Gaza. ","elementId":"4aa18c91-1793-4c4f-86b9-21db9fbbbb1b"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":" The price of a barrel of Brent crude oil, the North Sea benchmark, for December delivery fell as low as $91.08 on Monday morning, down by more than a dollar, or about 1%, following the…
China and Russia harden positions on Gaza as war stirs geopolitical tensions
China and Russia have hardened their positions towards the conflict in Gaza in recent days, as the war between Israel and Hamas aggravates existing geopolitical tensions and underscores the growing gulf between the cold war allies and western powers such as the US, UK and France. The Chinese foreign minister said over the weekend that Israel’s bombing campaign had gone “beyond the scope of self-defence” and that it “should stop collective punishment of the people of Gaza”. On Friday, the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, raised the possibility that an intensified…
From Kawasaki to Phoenix: tracking a day of extreme heat around the world
20 July 2023 10.30am: Kawasaki, Japan Shota Nagasaki, 30, a builder laying concrete I’ve been doing this work for 12 years – since I left high school – and it’s got hotter even over that time. This year is kind of crazy. I mean, there are years that are not so hot, but over time the temperatures are rising. I don’t live nearby the work site so I picked the truck from the company as usual and drove here; with the air conditioning on of course. But I don’t like…