NATO boosts Baltic Sea patrols

NATO has stepped up patrols in the Baltic Sea following recent damage to undersea infrastructure in the region, the transatlantic military alliance said on Thursday.

"The increased measures include additional surveillance and reconnaissance flights, including with maritime patrol aircraft, NATO AWACS planes, and drones. A fleet of four NATO mine hunters is also being dispatched to the area," NATO said in a statement.

The move followed announcements by authorities of damage to a Baltic Sea telecom cable connecting Sweden and Estonia and to a Finnish-Estonian pipeline and cable at around the same time earlier this month.

Officials from the countries involved have said they have yet to reach firm conclusions on who caused the damage or whether it was accidental or deliberate.

"We continue to monitor the situation closely, and we remain in close contact with our Allies Estonia and Finland, and our partner Sweden," said NATO spokesperson Dylan White.

"NATO will continue to adapt its maritime posture in the Baltic Sea and will take all necessary steps to keep Allies safe."

The buildup illustrates that NATO allies are vigilant and ready for action, Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur said.

"The decision does not mean that there is an increased military threat. Instead, it shows that relations between Allies are strong and NATO as a whole sees the protection of critical infrastructure as an important issue," he added.

Two of the four mine hunters are expected to visit Tallinn on Friday.

NATO, the European Union and national governments have made protection of undersea pipelines and cables a high priority since explosions in September 2022 ruptured the Nord Stream pipelines under the Baltic Sea and cut Europe's supply of Russian gas.

Investigators have said those blasts were an act of sabotage but have not yet decided who was responsible.

 

 

Sunak follows Biden to Israel to show support

Israel pounded Gaza with more air strikes on Thursday and Egypt took steps to let in aid, as British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak followed US President Joe Biden on visits to demonstrate Western support for the war against Hamas.

Sunak borrowed a phrase associated with British wartime leader Winston Churchill, pledging to stand by Israel "in its darkest hour" following the October 07 rampage by Hamas gunmen who killed 1,400 Israelis.

Israel has responded to the deadliest attack in its 75-year history by vowing to annihilate Hamas, putting the entire Gaza Strip's 2.3 million people under a total siege, and bombarding the enclave in strikes that have killed thousands and made more than a million homeless.

Western countries have tried to balance their support for Israel with calls to ease the plight of Gazans, but Sunak's emphasis was firmly on the former.

"Above all, I'm here to express my solidarity with the Israeli people. You have suffered an unspeakable, horrific act of terrorism and I want you to know that the United Kingdom and I stand with you," Sunak told reporters after landing in Tel Aviv hours after Biden left.

Later appearing beside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he said, "We will stand with you in solidarity. We will stand with your people. And we also want you to win."

Western media accused of biased reporting

Accusations of biased media coverage in the United States and Europe regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have resurfaced as critics claim that mainstream media outlets are allegedly favoring Israel. The debate over media objectivity has gained renewed attention due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

In recent years, concerns about biased reporting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have been a topic of discussion among media watchdog groups, activists, and some public figures. Critics argue that media outlets in the United States and Europe tend to present a narrative that is perceived as sympathetic to Israel.

Critics point to the choice of language used in news reports, stating that terms like clashes or conflict may downplay the power imbalance between Israel and Palestine. Some believe that the situation should be more accurately described as an occupation.

Allegations suggest that the media frequently gives more airtime and attention to Israeli government officials, experts, and analysts, while Palestinian voices and perspectives are underrepresented or portrayed less prominently.

Critics argue that some media outlets occasionally portray Palestinians in a dehumanizing light, which can contribute to a negative biased against them.

Some argue that media coverage often lacks a comprehensive historical context, making it challenging for the audience to understand the root causes of the conflict.

This renewed discussion on media bias has led to increased public scrutiny of news outlets. Advocacy groups and concerned citizens are calling for more transparency and accountability in media reporting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Additionally, some politicians and lawmakers have weighed in on the issue, urging media organizations to provide a more balanced perspective. They have proposed measures to ensure that all voices are heard and that news coverage reflects the complexities of the situation.

The accusations of media bias favoring Israel in US and European media have reignited debates about the role of the press in shaping public perception and influencing international relations.

As the Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues to be a highly contentious and closely-watched global issue, discussions on media coverage and objectivity are likely to persist, with calls for more inclusive and balanced reporting gaining momentum.

 

President Biden are you a Netanyahu partner in genocide of Palestinians?

US President Joe Biden left Washington Tuesday evening on a whirlwind trip that was originally expected to touch down in Israel for an update on Israel's war aims in its battle with Hamas militants, and then Jordan, to stress the need to get humanitarian assistance to Gaza civilians.

A strike on a Gaza hospital late on Tuesday that killed hundreds of Palestinians saw Arab leaders call off their planned summit with Biden in Jordan.

Biden is spending part of Wednesday in Tel Aviv for talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials as Israel prepares a ground offensive aimed at eliminating Hamas militants in Gaza who are accused for killing 1,300 people during a rampage through southern Israeli towns on October 07.

Biden will no longer fly to Amman for talks about humanitarian assistance after Jordan's King Abdullah cancelled a summit with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas

Abbas, who has long been opposed to Hamas and whose organization exercises limited self-rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, said after the Gaza hospital strike he would not meet the US President.

Palestinian authorities say Israel is responsible for the strike; Israel said the blast was caused by a failed rocket launch by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group, which denied blame. Biden backed Israel's account.

His goal was originally to show American solidarity with Netanyahu while trying to avoid a broader regional war involving Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah and Syria.

The United States has stationed a carrier strike group in the eastern Mediterranean in a show of force for Israel and a second is on the way.

Biden also wants to avert a humanitarian calamity in Gaza where authorities say thousands have already been killed in Israeli bombardment over the last week.

Hundreds of tons of aid from several countries have been waiting in Egypt's Sinai peninsula for days pending a deal for its safe delivery to Gaza and the evacuation of some foreign passport holders through the Rafah crossing.

"He'll make it clear that we want to continue working with all our partners in the region, including Israel, to get humanitarian assistance in and provide some kind of safe passage for civilians to get out," said White House national security spokesperson John Kirby.

Biden and Netanyahu, thrown into a wartime partnership despite deep political differences on the way forward in the Middle East, have joined forces.

Biden has given Israel full-throated support while stressing the need to head off a massive humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Biden will also get an update on the scores of hostages taken by Hamas. The State Department has said 29 citizens of the United States were killed in the Hamas attacks, with 15 citizens and one lawful permanent resident unaccounted for.

Biden will make clear that Israel has the right and indeed the duty to defend its people from Hamas and other terrorists and to prevent future attacks," Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters in Tel Aviv.

He said Israel would brief Biden on its war aims and strategy and how it will conduct operations in a way that minimizes civilian casualties and enables humanitarian assistance to flow to civilians in Gaza in a way that does not benefit Hamas.

The US and Israel agreed to develop a plan that will enable humanitarian aid from donor nations and multilateral organizations to reach civilians in Gaza, Blinken said.

 

Iran calls for Islamic countries to sanction Israel

Members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) should impose an oil embargo and other sanctions on Israel and expel all Israeli ambassadors, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said on Wednesday.

An urgent meeting of the OIC is taking place in the Saudi city of Jeddah to discuss the escalating Israeli-Palestinian conflict, after a blast at a Gaza hospital late on Tuesday killed large numbers of Palestinians.

"The foreign minister calls for an immediate and complete embargo on Israel by Islamic countries, including oil sanctions, in addition to expelling Israeli ambassadors if relations with the Zionist regime have been established," the Iranian foreign ministry said in a statement.

Amirabdollahian also called for the formation of a team of Islamic lawyers to document potential war crimes committed by Israel in Gaza.

Prior to the blast at the Gaza hospital on Tuesday, health authorities in Gaza said at least 3,000 people had died during Israel's 11-day bombardment that began after a Hamas October 07 rampage on southern Israeli communities in which 1,300 people were killed and around 200 were taken into Gaza as hostages

 

Syngenta ordered to sell US farmland

Arkansas has ordered Syngenta to sell 160 acres (65 hectares) of farmland in the United States state within two years on Tuesday because the company is Chinese-owned, drawing a sharp rebuke from the global seeds producer.

US farm groups and lawmakers are increasingly scrutinizing foreign land ownership due to concerns about national security.

"This is about where your loyalties lie," Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders said at a news conference.

Syngenta said it was disappointed and called the decision a shortsighted action that will hurt Arkansas farmers. The company owns about 1,500 acres (610 hectares) of US agricultural land for research, development and regulatory trials on products used by US farmers, spokesman Saswato Das said.

"Our people in Arkansas are Americans led by Americans who care deeply about serving Arkansas farmers," Das said. The company has owned the site in Craighead County for 35 years, he added.

The order is Arkansas' first enforcement action under a state law passed this year that prohibits certain foreign parties from acquiring or holding land. China is among the prohibited parties because it is subject to US arms export controls known as the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin said.

A rival of US company Corteva and German firms BASF and Bayer, Swiss agrichemicals and seeds group Syngenta was bought for US$43 billion by ChemChina in 2017 and folded into Sinochem Holdings Corp in 2021. ChemChina is a "state-owned enterprise" in China, Griffin said.

 Syngenta is now pursuing an initial public offering in Shanghai.

If Syngenta fails to sell its land, owned by subsidiary Northrup King Seed Co, Griffin can force them to get out of our state with legal action, Huckabee Sanders said.

The state also fined Syngenta $280,000 for failure to report foreign ownership in a timely manner.

In a form filed with the US Department of Agriculture about the property last year, Syngenta said, "Ultimately, the foreign person that holds indirectly a significant interest in the person owning the land is from China," according to a copy of the document posted by Griffin's office.

But no one from China has ever directed Syngenta executives to buy, lease or otherwise engage in US land acquisitions, Das said.

Since Syngenta had Chinese ownership, the company has purchased an additional 200 agricultural acres (80 hectares), he said.

"All Syngenta land holdings have been examined by the US government, through two administrations, as Syngenta was transitioning to ChemChina ownership," Das said.

Foreign persons held an interest in approximately 40 million acres (16.2 million hectares) of US agricultural land as of December 31, 2021, the USDA said. That was 3.1% of all privately held agricultural land and 1.8% of all land. China had less than 1% of foreign-held land, while Canadian investors had 31%.

 

Saudi Arabia rejects forced displacement of Palestinians

The Cabinet, chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman in Riyadh on Tuesday, renewed the Kingdom's categorical rejection of calls for the forced displacement of the Palestinian people, and demanded an immediate ceasefire, lifting the siege on Gaza and advancing the peace process in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative aimed at establishing an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The Cabinet went over the content of the talks between the Kingdom and a number of countries concerning the ongoing escalation in Gaza and other related developments, including the phone calls the Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Salman received from the presidents of Turkiye, Iran and France, as well as the meeting he held with the US secretary of state.

The Cabinet was briefed on the content of the message the Crown Prince received from the UAE vice president, prime minister and ruler of Dubai concerning ties between the two countries and their peoples, and ways to strengthen them.

In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) following the session, Minister of Media Salman Bin Yousef Al-Dosari said that the Cabinet discussed the overall foreign policy of the Kingdom, including strengthening ties with various countries.

The Cabinet reviewed the outcome of the eighth Saudi-Russian Joint Committee meetings, which aim to boost cooperation in vital areas, to achieve desired future goals.

The Cabinet highlighted the Kingdom's stand during the Council of Ministers meeting of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), when it renewed its support for efforts to confront the challenges facing maritime safety and global trade, and to secure the freedom of global navigation.

Concerning the UN's selection of Riyadh to host the 19th edition of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in 2024, the Cabinet said it is testimony to the Kingdom’s global leadership in this field, and to its efforts to create an infrastructure capable of nurturing sustainable development goals and serving communities and the business sector.