Gaza ceasefire talks to resume for 2nd day in Qatar

Gaza ceasefire talks to resume for 2nd day in Qatar
Palestinians displaced by the Israeli air and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip flee from Hamad City, following an evacuation order by the Israeli army to leave parts of the southern area of Khan Younis. (AP)
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Updated 16 August 2024
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Gaza ceasefire talks to resume for 2nd day in Qatar

Gaza ceasefire talks to resume for 2nd day in Qatar
  • The on-and-off truce talks reconvened in Qatar’s capital on Thursday without Hamas
  • United States and its allies see the proposed Gaza truce as key to de-escalating soaring regional tensions, particularly with Iran

DOHA: Negotiators seeking a Gaza ceasefire were set to meet for a second day in Qatar on Friday, while top European diplomats were expected in Israel to stress the urgency of averting a wider war.
The on-and-off truce talks reconvened in Qatar’s capital on Thursday without Hamas, which has accused Israel of obstructing a deal and insists on the implementation of previously agreed terms.
Months of talks have yet to secure the return of hostages held by militants in Gaza or staunch the spiralling death toll, which authorities in Hamas-ruled Gaza on Thursday said had topped 40,000 in the Palestinian territory after more than 10 months of war.
US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the talks had “a promising start” but acknowledged “there remains a lot of work to do.”
Israel’s main military supplier the United States has been mediating the talks with Qatar and Egypt.
The United States and its allies see the proposed Gaza truce as key to de-escalating soaring regional tensions, particularly with Iran.
“This is a dangerous moment for the Middle East. The risk of the situation spiralling out of control is rising,” British Foreign Secretary David Lamy said ahead of his visit with French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne.
During meetings with Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz and Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, they would “stress there is no time for delays or excuses from all parties on a ceasefire deal” in Gaza, according to Britain’s foreign ministry.
Sejourne said “any miscalculation in the current situation could provoke a generalized conflagration.”
While talks take place in the Gulf emirate, bombs have continued to fall in Gaza.
As they struggled to recover bodies from the ruins of yet another air strike on Thursday, Palestinians in north Gaza questioned why, when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s team was in Qatar.
“Why did Netanyahu send a delegation to the talks while we are being killed here?” in Jabalia, Mohammed Al-Balwi said as rescuers around him pulled bodies from the concrete wreckage.
They had found “limbs on the ground,” he said.
Fears of a wider Middle East war have soared since the July 31 killing of Hamas political leader and truce negotiator Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Iran and its allied groups in the region blamed Israel and vowed revenge.
Haniyeh’s death came hours after an Israeli strike killed Fuad Shukr, the military commander of Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah movement, which has exchanged near-daily cross border fire with Israeli forces.
The Gaza war has also drawn in Tehran-aligned groups in Iraq, Syria and Yemen.
The US military said its forces had destroyed a “ground control station” operated by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The Houthis have for months fired missiles and drones at shipping in waterways vital to world trade off Yemen.
The Houthis, like Hezbollah, say they are acting in support of the Palestinians.
Violence has also surged in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Thursday condemned a Jewish settler attack on a West Bank village that the Palestinian Authority said killed one Palestinian and wounded another.
The Israeli military said dozens of Israeli civilians, some masked, entered Jit on Thursday evening and “set fire to vehicles and structures in the area, hurled rocks and Molotov cocktails.”
It added that it had opened an investigation and was looking into reports of a fatality.
Since the war in Gaza began, hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by the Israeli army or settlers, according to an AFP count based on official Palestinian data.
During the same period in the West Bank, at least 18 Israelis, including soldiers, have been killed in Palestinian attacks, according to official Israeli data.
The Qatari foreign ministry said Gaza truce negotiations would continue on Friday.
Mediators remain committed “in their endeavours to reach a ceasefire in the strip that would facilitate the release of hostages and enable the entry of the largest possible amount of humanitarian aid into Gaza,” a ministry spokesperson said.
They are seeking to finalize details of a three-phase proposal initially outlined by US President Joe Biden in May.
While Hamas is not directly taking part, an official of the Islamist movement, Osama Hamdan, told AFP the group would join if the meeting set a timetable for implementing the agreed terms.
He added that Hamas would not engage in negotiations that “give Netanyahu more time to kill our Palestinian people.”
Netanyahu has called Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar “the only obstacle to a hostage deal.”
Hamas’s unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war resulted in the deaths of 1,198 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
Militants also seized 251 hostages, 111 of whom are still held in Gaza, including 39 the military says are dead.
Some were freed during a one-week truce in November.
The war has displaced almost the entire population of Gaza and destroyed much of its housing and other infrastructure, leaving widespread shortages of food.
Gaza’s health ministry, which does not provide a breakdown of civilian and militant casualties, on Thursday said the war has killed at least 40,005 people.
The United Nations human rights chief, Volker Turk, called it a “grim milestone for the world.”


How Saudi Arabia’s Circular Carbon Economy Framework is setting a global benchmark for emissions reduction

How Saudi Arabia’s Circular Carbon Economy Framework is setting a global benchmark for emissions reduction
Updated 14 min 43 sec ago
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How Saudi Arabia’s Circular Carbon Economy Framework is setting a global benchmark for emissions reduction

How Saudi Arabia’s Circular Carbon Economy Framework is setting a global benchmark for emissions reduction
  • The Kingdom aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060 through its G20-backed strategy
  • NEOM is a living lab for CCE, integrating zero-carbon infrastructure and smart energy systems

RIYADH: Introduced during Saudi Arabia’s G20 presidency, the Circular Carbon Economy Framework has gained significant traction, advancing emissions cuts, renewable energy investments, and carbon capture efforts.

In 2020, G20 leaders endorsed the framework to promote a sustainable, cost-effective approach to addressing climate change while ensuring clean energy access.

Building on this, the Kingdom launched its Circular Carbon Economy National Program in 2021 to reduce and offset carbon dioxide emissions through strategies of reduction, recycling, reuse, and removal.

“With the creation of the Circular Carbon Economy National Program, Saudi Arabia has made several critical decisions that directly contribute to sustainability and climate change mitigation,” Jorge Gascon, a chemical engineering professor at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, told Arab News.

These decisions include “policy integration, renewable energy investment, and carbon capture initiatives.”

The program also recognizes the importance of natural carbon absorption and sets an ambitious goal to sustainably manage, restore, and preserve 1 billion hectares of degraded land by 2040 using all available mitigation strategies.

“Saudi Arabia has embedded the CCE framework into its national policies, notably through the Saudi Green Initiative,” said Gascon.

“The SGI aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060 through implementing CCE principles and accelerating the transition to a green economy through emissions reduction, afforestation, and protection of land and sea.”

He noted that Saudi Arabia is shifting its energy mix toward sustainability, with a goal of 50 percent renewable energy.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Saudi Arabia has launched more than 30 Circular Carbon Economy initiatives across its energy system.

• In 2021, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced plans to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2060.

• The circular economy reduces fossil fuel reliance, cuts greenhouse gas emissions, and boosts energy security.

On carbon capture, Gascon said: “The Kingdom is engaged in international advocacy, notably during its G20 presidency and beyond, as well as various collaborative efforts and knowledge-sharing initiatives through institutions such as KAPSARC and KAUST.”

KAUST is a partner in the development of the CCE Strategy, along with Aramco, the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center, AEON Strategy, and numerous other organizations.

The CCE’s development aligns with earlier efforts to promote sustainability. At the Future Investment Initiative forum in 2019, Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman discussed the CCE.

The following year, at the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Riyadh, King Salman introduced the National Program for the Circular Carbon Economy during the “Safeguarding the Planet” event, urging global cooperation to address climate change “by developing the economy and increasing human prosperity.”

Before the national program, Saudi Arabia had many initiatives focusing on carbon capture and conversion into valuable raw materials.

“Numerous areas of research at KAUST intersect with CCE, including catalysis, clean combustion, advanced membranes, and porous materials,” Gascon said. “KAUST supported a parallel Circular Carbon Initiative to capture the contributing science and technology.”

He added: “CCE builds on the principles of the circular economy while recognizing that removal must play a key role in achieving this circularity.

“In this way, a 4R (reduce, reuse, recycle, remove) approach is proposed to manage carbon emissions effectively, resulting in a closed loop that minimizes waste and CO2 emissions.”

Gascon highlighted that “the paradigm shift of the CCE occurs when we recognize carbon as a friend rather than an enemy.”

Through the Circular Carbon Economy Framework and various energy initiatives, Saudi Arabia is strategically establishing itself as a global leader in CCE.

This position is backed by the Kingdom’s abundant natural resources, significant technological investments and a strong commitment to sustainable development.

Majed Al-Qatari, a sustainability leader, ecological engineer, and UN youth ambassador, said that since the G20 launch of the CCE framework, “Saudi Arabia has introduced relevant and impactful initiatives such as the Saudi Green Initiative and the National Renewable Energy Program.”

He told Arab News that “these bold efforts demonstrate tangible progress in reducing emissions, investing in renewable energy and deploying carbon capture technologies.”

Al-Qatari cited NEOM, one of the Kingdom’s flagship projects, as a “real-world testing ground for these efforts, embedding zero-carbon infrastructure, smart energy systems, and net-zero mobility.”

He added: “In 2025 and beyond, I expect further scaling of blue and green hydrogen projects, along with enhanced regional cooperation in carbon management.”

Al-Qatari also highlighted the four pillars of the CCE framework: reduce, reuse, recycle, and remove.

“The Kingdom applies this through initiatives like energy efficiency standards (reduce), CO2 utilization in industrial processes (reuse), circular water reuse in agriculture (recycle), and large-scale carbon capture and storage projects such as those by Aramco/SABIC (remove),” he said.

Asked what he believes was the motivating factor for Saudi Arabia’s adoption of the Circular Carbon Economy Framework during the G20, Al-Qatari said: “Saudi Arabia sought to play a leading role in advancing a global dialogue that aligns climate goals with economic mandates.

“The CCE framework was introduced in order to showcase an inclusive, technologically neutral mechanism that takes into account relevant pathways to mitigate carbon emissions without compromising energy security or economic development.”

Al-Qatari noted that the framework has become a global reference model, particularly for hydrocarbon-reliant economies.

“The framework offers a transition pathway that is practical and inclusive of conventional sources of energy like oil and gas while advancing climate goals,” he said. “Other jurisdictions are considering the Kingdom’s model in order to customize it for their local contexts.”

Looking to the future, Al-Qatari highlighted Saudi Arabia’s target of net-zero emissions by 2060. “Such targets will be fostered by innovation, renewables, hydrogen, carbon management, and circular practices,” he said.

“Future goals would involve expanding circularity practices into other sectors and materials such as water, and waste sectors, while also crystallizing local environmental, social, and governance markets and strengthening regulatory frameworks for corporate sustainability and sustainable finance.”

When asked about the role of innovation and technology in advancing CCE, Gascon stressed KAUST’s importance in research and development.

“KAUST is pioneering breakthroughs in CO2 capture, including direct air capture, cryogenic CO2 capture, and other point-source technologies, as well as nature-based carbon sequestration strategies and geological storage solutions,” he said.

“It also drives advancements in synthetic fuels, such as clean ammonia and hydrogen carriers, alongside the integration of renewable energy and the optimization of industrial processes.

“KAUST collaborates with industry leaders, including Saudi Aramco and NEOM, to accelerate the deployment of carbon capture and sustainable fuel technologies.”

Gascon emphasized that KAUST’s research and public-private partnerships align with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 sustainability goals.

“Implementing national policies, such as Vision 2030, ensures strategic alignment with circular economy principles, focusing on reducing pollution and improving resource utilization,” he said.
 

 


Brazil fires coach Dorival Júnior after worst defeat in World Cup qualifying

Brazil fires coach Dorival Júnior after worst defeat in World Cup qualifying
Updated 13 min 31 sec ago
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Brazil fires coach Dorival Júnior after worst defeat in World Cup qualifying

Brazil fires coach Dorival Júnior after worst defeat in World Cup qualifying
  • Júnior’s replacement has yet to be picked
  • Brazil are fifth in South American qualifying for the 2026 World Cup

SAO PAULO: Brazil coach Dorival Júnior was fired on Friday after 14 months amid poor results and disappointing performances from the national team.
Júnior’s sacking by Brazilian Football Confederation president Ednaldo Rodrigues came three days after a 4-1 defeat to bitter rival Argentina in Buenos Aires, Brazil’s heaviest defeat in a World Cup qualifier.
Júnior’s replacement has yet to be picked.
Brazil are fifth in South American qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. The top six qualify automatically.
Under the 62-year-old Júnior, Brazil won seven matches, drew another seven, and lost two. The team scored 25 goals and conceded 17.
In the Copa America last year, Brazil were eliminated in the quarterfinals by Uruguay on penalties.
Rodrigues was just re-elected on Monday to head the confederation to 2030. In 2023, he bet on Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti to take over one year later. While waiting for Ancelotti, Brazil retained Fernando Diniz as their coach.
Diniz was fired in January 2024 after six matches on the job after Ancelotti extended his contract in Spain.


Congo doubles salaries for beleaguered army amid rebel advance

The conflict has forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes and piled pressure on President Felix Tshisekedi. (Reuters)
The conflict has forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes and piled pressure on President Felix Tshisekedi. (Reuters)
Updated 51 min 37 sec ago
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Congo doubles salaries for beleaguered army amid rebel advance

The conflict has forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes and piled pressure on President Felix Tshisekedi. (Reuters)
  • We learned that our pay has been doubled, but we have not yet experienced this increase because our salary has been frozen

KINSHASA: Democratic Republic of Congo doubled salaries for soldiers and police on Friday, the Finance Ministry said, in an apparent bid to boost morale as Rwanda-backed M23 rebels advance in the east.
M23 has seized eastern Congo’s two largest cities in a swift offensive that has left thousands dead, forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes, and piled pressure on President Felix Tshisekedi.
The Finance Ministry said that the pay hikes will be “a turning point toward better conditions” for the army. An officer in North Kivu province said on Thursday he had heard about the raises, but said that troops had not received even their basic salaries over the last two months since banks shut following the fall of the city of Goma.
“We learned that our pay has been doubled, but we have not yet experienced this increase because our salary has been frozen,” the officer said.
Congo has roughly 260,000 soldiers and other security forces, according to the 2025 budget law.
Government documents show that official monthly salaries since 2022 have averaged between $100 and $200 for all ranks.
It was not immediately clear what effect the pay raise would have on the budget.
A draft law amending the budget for 2025 was due to be sent to lawmakers earlier this month, but that has not emerged.
“These expenses are being incurred outside the budget. This is serious because no one will be able to monitor the actual numbers and salaries of the military personnel to be paid,” Valery Madianga, a Congolese expert on public finances, said.
Rwanda denies allegations from Congo and the UN that it supports the M23 with arms and troops, saying its forces are acting in self defense against Congo’s army and militias hostile to Kigali.
Rwanda’s government severed links with Belgium on March 17, accusing it of having “consistently undermined” it during the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
National and international NGOs working in Rwanda have been banned from cooperating with Belgian institutions, the Rwanda Governance Board said, after Kigali cut off diplomatic ties with Brussels earlier this month.
The RGB, which oversees service delivery in the east African nation, said the ban also extended to “faith-based organizations” and common-benefit companies.
The RGB said any current projects or agreements with the Belgian government or its affiliates were “prohibited” and “must be terminated immediately and reported.” “No funds, grants, donations, or financial contributions shall be received from or disbursed to the government of Belgium, its institutions, affiliated agencies or programs,” it said in a statement issued Thursday.
“Any attempts to circumvent these financial restrictions, including indirect transactions through subsidiaries or partner organizations, will be subject to strict penalties.”
Political and human rights activist Pelly Prudence Iraguha said the decision should have been submitted to parliament.
But RGB chief executive Doris Uwicyeza Picard wrote on X: “RGB has powers to take such decisions backed by laws passed by parliament.
“These laws give RGB powers to suspend NGOs involved in activities that infringe on citizens unity or security.”

 


Mali condemns violence against migrants

Passengers from the Mauritanian side of the Senegal river disembark from a pirogue in Rosso, Senegal, on March 20, 2025. (AFP)
Passengers from the Mauritanian side of the Senegal river disembark from a pirogue in Rosso, Senegal, on March 20, 2025. (AFP)
Updated 28 March 2025
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Mali condemns violence against migrants

Passengers from the Mauritanian side of the Senegal river disembark from a pirogue in Rosso, Senegal, on March 20, 2025. (AFP)
  • More than 1,800 Malian migrants have been pushed back from Mauritania in recent weeks, according to Minister for Malians Living Abroad Mossa Ag Attaher

BAMAKO: Mali says it is outraged over violence suffered by its citizens deported by neighboring Mauritania and has demanded the “flagrant violation of human rights” must end.
For several weeks, Mauritania has been throwing out migrants, mostly from neighboring countries in west Africa like Senegal, Mali, Ivory Coast, and Guinea.
The vast, arid country on the Atlantic seaboard is a departure point for many African migrants seeking to reach Europe by sea.
The authorities say their “routine” deportations target undocumented people.
But the campaign has sparked an outcry in the region.
“The government of Mali expresses its indignation and condemns with the utmost rigour the treatment suffered by its nationals in Mauritania,” it said in a statement released during a press conference on the issue held in the capital Bamako.
It also said it regretted “the conditions of arrest in flagrant violation of human rights and the rights of migrants in particular.
The government said it “calls on the Mauritanian authorities to show restraint and calls for an immediate cessation of violence against Malian nationals.”
Migrants’ rights groups such as SOS Esclaves have condemned arrests in “inhumane” conditions.
Mauritania says the migrants are returned to the border crossings through which they had entered the country.
More than 1,800 Malian migrants have been pushed back from Mauritania in recent weeks, according to Minister for Malians Living Abroad Mossa Ag Attaher.
Talks with Mauritania will continue “to preserve the solid historic ties between the two countries,” the Malian government said.
The state AMI news agency reported that Mali’s foreign minister, Abdoulaye Diop, visited Mauritania on Thursday to deliver a message on maintaining the “friendly and brotherly relations” between the two countries.
His Mauritanian counterpart, Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug, raised the issue of their respective citizens in each other’s country, AMI said.
But Ould Merzoug insisted that Mauritania “has the right to take all necessary measures to ensure its security and to protect its citizens,” the agency reported.

 


Macron blasts Israel strikes on Beirut after Paris talks with Aoun

Macron blasts Israel strikes on Beirut after Paris talks with Aoun
Updated 28 March 2025
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Macron blasts Israel strikes on Beirut after Paris talks with Aoun

Macron blasts Israel strikes on Beirut after Paris talks with Aoun
  • French president: ‘We recognize and stand with Lebanon’s challenges’
  • Syrian leader Ahmad Al-Sharaa joins Aoun, Macron in Paris by video call to discuss broader situation

BEIRUT: French President Emmanuel Macron declared his “solidarity with the people of Beirut following Israel’s targeting of the southern suburb of Beirut on Friday.

Macron on Friday criticized Israel for what he called “unacceptable strikes on Beirut” that he said did not respect the ceasefire and played into Hezbollah’s hands.

He said that the strikes on Beirut “are unacceptable.”

Macron made the comments at a joint press conference in Paris with President Joseph Aoun.

Developments on the ground in Lebanon overshadowed Aoun’s talks in Paris on Friday.

Aoun began his meeting at the Elysee Palace with Macron and held a direct call with Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa.

FASTFACT

President Joseph Aoun began his meeting at the Elysee Palace with President Emmanuel Macron and held a direct video call with President Ahmad Al-Sharaa.

They were later joined by the Cypriot President and the Greek Prime Minister in five-party discussions.

The talks in Paris aim to raise the issue of Syrian refugees and explore ways to address it, a source in the Lebanese presidency told Arab News.

At the joint press conference following the meeting, Aoun said: “The Israeli attacks on the southern suburb of Beirut and the threats are a continuation of Israel’s violation of the ceasefire agreement sponsored by France and the US.

“The international community must put an end to these aggressions and force Israel to adhere to the agreement, as Lebanon is committed to it.”

At Friday’s press conference, Aoun called for “forcing the concerned states to compel Israel to cease its hostilities on Lebanon.”

Macron emphasized that France was standing with Lebanon because it recognized its immense challenges.

He indicated that “the tension on both sides of the Blue Line is a turning point, and France remains by Lebanon’s side to preserve its sovereignty, ensure full security, and implement the ceasefire reached with Israel.”

He stressed that “the Israeli army must withdraw from the five points in southern Lebanon,” noting that “the strikes on Beirut are unacceptable.”

He said: “We will present practical and realistic proposals, considering the expectations of Lebanon and Israel.

“We have proposed that UNIFIL troops be deployed in sensitive areas in the south, in coordination with the army and under the supervision of the monitoring committee.”

Macron said: “Aid to Lebanon is linked to restoring the functionality of its institutions, as this is the key to obtaining aid from the international community.”

He added: “We believe in the importance of the reform agenda set by the Lebanese president, and we will meet with Lebanon’s friends to support the framework initiated by the Lebanese executive authorities to implement a first set of aid.”

He said that Lebanon “needs an efficient energy sector to avoid remaining vulnerable to economic instability and to attract investments. France is ready to offer its expertise and companies to assist in this field.”

Aoun told Le Figaro that Lebanon “cannot tolerate being part of any axis.”

When asked if Lebanon was out of the so-called “Iranian-Shiite axis,” Aoun replied: “Lebanon, due to its geographical location, cannot tolerate being part of any axis.

“The importance of Lebanon lies in its diversity, and in the solidarity and internal unity of its people. It is this unity that will protect it from all dangers.

“In my oath of office, I spoke about Lebanon’s neutrality. However, neutrality does not mean we do not stand in solidarity with Arab states.”

Asked about the disarmament of Hezbollah, President Aoun said that “the Lebanese army has already dismantled several Hezbollah-aligned or pro-Iranian Palestinian camps, including one near Beirut, two in the north near Tripoli, and three others in the Bekaa Valley.”

“More than 250 weapons seizures have taken place in areas south of the Litani River, with many of the confiscated arms either destroyed or, if in a good state, transferred to the Lebanese Army. The army, which must be strengthened to 77,000 personnel, is carrying out its duty,” Aoun added.

He also said: “The Council of Ministers has approved the recruitment of 4,500 additional soldiers to bolster security in the south.

“However, the entire country needs defense and protection, not just the south.

“The issue of Palestinian weapons remains unresolved, and we must address it in coordination with the Palestinian Authority. We want our army to have control over all Lebanese territory.

“The state alone must hold the monopoly on arms and the legitimate use of force. This demand is as national as it is international.”

Aoun emphasized Lebanon’s full commitment to UN Resolution 1701 and criticized Israel’s ongoing violations of the agreement.

“We learned our lesson from our past experiences with Israel. Therefore, we continue to work diplomatically with France, the US, and the international community to ensure Israel’s full withdrawal from southern Lebanon, the release of Lebanese hostages, and the final demarcation of land borders.”

Aoun also announced that Lebanon “will begin addressing the demarcation of the Lebanese-Syrian land and sea borders, as well as the issue of Syrian refugees.”

Also on Friday, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met Defense Minister Michel Menassa.

According to Salam’s media office, Menassa visited Jeddah on Wednesday night with a security delegation and met his Syrian counterpart, Marhaf Abu Qasra.

The two sides signed an agreement on the importance of border demarcation, forming joint legal committees in various fields and activating coordination mechanisms.

The Saudi Press Agency reported that the meeting took place under the directives of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman attended the meeting.