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Geopolitics

Gaza Ceasefire Fail, Murdoch Ambitions, Dog On The Menu

A militia soldier points out a shell stuck on the tarmac of Tripoli's International Airport, in Libya, on July 16.
A militia soldier points out a shell stuck on the tarmac of Tripoli's International Airport, in Libya, on July 16.
Worldcrunch

Thursday, July 17, 2014

GAZA’S SHORT-LIVED CEASEFIRE
A temporary ceasefire that was planned to last at least five hours was broken less than three hours after it started, with the southern Israeli town of Eshkol targeted by what the Israeli military says were three mortars.The Guardiansays there are conflicting reports about the attack with the police saying that the weapons were two rockets. So far, nobody has claimed responsibility for the attack. Earlier, Israel had said it would respond “immediately” if attacked.

Just before the ceasefire started, Israeli forces said they had foiled an attack by 13 Hamas militants who attempted to cross into Israel through a tunnel, while AFP reported that an Israeli tank killed 3 Palestinians, taking the death toll in Gaza to 230 in 10 days. This came after Israeli warships fired and killed four Palestinians on a Gaza beach yesterday. French broadcaster TF1 was in the area when it happened and shot this graphic video of the attack.

During the ceasefire, Gazans rushed to the markets to buy fresh food, as humanitarian aid, including medical supplies were temporarily brought into Gaza.

NEW U.S. SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA
The United States imposed new sanctions on Russia, this time targeting the banking and energy sectors as well as individuals, with President Barack Obama reiterating calls for Moscow to “halt the flow of fighters and weapons” into eastern Ukraine, The Washington Post reports. Vladimir Putin responded to the news saying that the sanctions “usually have a boomerang effect, and without a doubt will force US-Russian relations into a corner.” Meanwhile, Kiev accused Russia’s air force of shooting down a Ukrainian jet in the eastern region of Luhansk.

TRIPOLI AIRPORT ATTACKS
An anti-government militia soldier points out a shell stuck on the tarmac of Tripoli's International Airport, the scene of heavy fighting this week.

AUSTRALIA KILLS CARBON TAX
The Australian Parliament voted in favor of scrapping the country’s carbon tax, fulfilling a promise made by Prime Minister Tony Abbott in his election campaign last year, Australian daily ABC reports. Abbott described the outgoing policy as a “useless, destructive tax which damaged jobs.”

WORLDCRUNCH-TO-GO
Beijing-based Caixin reports on a new standoff in China between animal-rights activists and the dog butchering business. “According to reports, certain Yuling city dog vendors publicly mistreat and maim the dogs and use this as blackmail to force dog lovers to buy the animals at high prices. If proven true, this is a new kind of evil that ought to be condemned by a civilized society. But at the same time, we must face the fact that such cruelty on a dog is only one step away from eating it.
Read the full article, Animal Rights In China: Making The Case To Ban Dog Eating.

TIME WARNER REBUFFS MURDOCH BID
Time Warner rejected an $80 billion takeover offer from media mogul Rupert Murdoch, a move which “would be the biggest media deal in more than a decade,” writes The New York Times. But according to well-informed sources, Murdoch and his conglomerate 21st Century Fox are “determined and unlikely to walk away anytime soon,” while the newspaper predicts that if successful, the takeover is “likely to set off a wave of takeover battles elsewhere in the industry.” For British newspaper The Guardian, Murdoch’s pursuit of Time Warner “may be the last great deal of his career.”

MY GRAND-PÈRE’S WORLD


VERBATIM
The director of the U.N. AIDS program, Michel Sidibe, said in a report Wednesday that new HIV infections and deaths from AIDS were decreasing, making it possible to control the epidemic by 2030 and eventually ending it everywhere.

IT’S OK TO USE BAD PASSWORDS, SAYS MICROSOFT
A research published by Microsoft suggests that instead of coming up with strong and different passwords for each website or service, we should focus our efforts only on sensitive websites, and just re-use the same, easy-to-remember password for all the others.

AWKWARD BIRTHDAY TO YOU ANGIE
A German reporter wished Angela Merkel a happy 60th birthday, in what has to be one of the most embarrassing rendition of the “happy birthday” song.

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FOCUS: Israel-Palestine War

Why The U.S. Lost Its Leverage In The Middle East — And May Never Get It Back

In the Israel-Hamas war, Qatar now plays the key role in negotiations, while the United States appears increasingly disengaged. Shifts in the region and beyond require that Washington move quickly or risk ceding influence to China and others for the long term.

Photograph of U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken  shaking hands with sraeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

November 30, 2023, Tel Aviv, Israel: U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken shakes hands with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

Chuck Kennedy/U.S State/ZUMA
Sébastien Boussois

-Analysis-

PARIS — Upon assuming office in 2008, then-President Barack Obama declared that United States would gradually begin withdrawing from various conflict zones across the globe, initiating a complex process that has had a major impact on the international landscape ever since.

This started with the American departure from Iraq in 2010, and was followed by Donald Trump's presidency, during which the "Make America Great Again" policy redirected attention to America's domestic interests.

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The withdrawal trend resumed under Joe Biden, who ordered the exit of U.S. forces from Afghanistan in 2021. To maintain a foothold in all intricate regions to the east, America requires secure and stable partnerships. The recent struggle in addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict demonstrates that Washington increasingly relies on the allied Gulf states for any enduring influence.

Since the collapse of the Camp David Accords in 1999 during Bill Clinton's tenure, Washington has consistently supported Israel without pursuing renewed peace talks that could have led to the establishment of a Palestinian state.

While President Joe Biden's recent challenges in pushing for a Gaza ceasefire met with resistance from an unyielding Benjamin Netanyahu, they also stem from the United States' overall disengagement from the issue over the past two decades. Biden now is seeking to re-engage in the Israel-Palestine matter, yet it is Qatar that is the primary broker for significant negotiations such as the release of hostages in exchange for a ceasefire —a situation the United States lacks the leverage to enforce.

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