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Israel to close Aljazeera bureau in Jerusalem

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Israel to close Aljazeera bureau in Jerusalem

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Journalist bodies outcry against Tel Aviv

Qatar based Aljazeera TV network is now facing closure of its bureau in Jerusalem by Israeli authorities for its alleged role of “inciting violence”- in sync with the “move by Sunni Arab states” to close its offices and prohibiting their work.  However, Journalist bodies and activists for freedom of press have condemned the Israeli move.

On Sunday, Ayoub Kara, Israel’s Communication Minister made the announcement during a press conference in Jerusalem, where Aljazeera was barred from attending. He was quoted saying, “We have based our decision on the move by Sunni Arab states to close the Aljazeera offices and prohibiting their work.”   He further alleged that the channel is being used by groups to “incite” violence- an accusation the network has denied.

The minister further said that he expects the Knesset, the parliament, to consider his request in the next session. He said, “I will go through the [legislatorial] mechanism to create the authority in which I can act freely. We will try to end it as quickly as possible.”

Reacting to the Israeli move, Aljazeera Network denounced the decision, saying that the move comes in the context of a campaign that initiated by the earlier statement made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accusing the network of inciting violence during its coverage of the recent developments about the Al-Aqsa mosque. It further said that this decision was made by a state that claims to the “only democratic state in the Middle East.”

The statement issued by network says that it also finds the justification made by the Israeli Minister as odd and biased as they are in unison with the actions carried out by a number of Arab countries: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Egypt and Jordan, that have closed the network’s bureaus, shut down its cable and satellite transmissions and blocked its websites and applications.

The TV network denied the charges of being unprofessional while covering the recent Al-Aqsa mosque unrest. It specifically raised question that the Israeli Minister could not substantiate his comments by referring to a single news bulletin or situation that proved Aljazeera had not been professional or objective during its coverage in Jerusalem.  

However it reiterated its determination by saying, ” Aljazeera will continue to cover the events of the occupied Palestinian territories professionally and accurately, according to the standards set by international agencies, such as the UK Office of Communications (Ofcom).” Its bureau offices will remain working in Gaza and West Bank.

Meanwhile Rami Khouri of the American University in Beirut, denounced the Israeli plan saying it is “very typical of regimes” in the region.  He was quoted saying, “Regimes that want to control power will almost always go after two targets – the media and the foreigners. Everybody goes after the media.”

Sharif Mansour, the Program Coordinator of Middle East and North Africa at Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), has strongly criticized the Israeli move by saying, “Censoring Aljazeera or closing its offices will not bring stability to the region, but it would put Israel firmly in the camp of some of the region’s worst enemies of press freedom. Israel should abandon these undemocratic plans and allow Aljazeera and all journalists to report freely from the country and areas it occupies.”

Moreover, Aiden White, director of the London based Ethical Journalism Network, called Israeli move “a full frontal attack” on press freedom. “It is a shocking statement, and it completely undermines Israel’s claims to be the only democracy in the region, because it gets to the heart of one of the most important institutions of democracy,” he said.

In the recent months, Saudi Arabia and Jordan have shut down Al-Jazeera bureaus while network’s signals are blocked in the UAE. Egypt had blocked its reach to its population several years ago.

On June 5, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt severed their diplomatic ties along with business and travelling relations with Qatar alleging that the tiny rich country provides financial and moral support to terrorism. The 13-point demands put forwarded to Qatar by the quartet included severing ties with their arch rival Iran, closing down new Trukish army base in its territory and shutting down of Al-Jazeera news network.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Kremlin denies US media reports on Donald Trump’s phone call with Vladimir Putin

Donald Trump said on the campaign trail that he could end the fighting within hours and has indicated he would talk directly with Russian President Putin.

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Kremlin denies US media reports on Donald Trump’s phone call with Vladimir Putin

The Kremlin today denied a US media report that Russian President Vladimir Putin and US president-elect Donald Trump had spoken on the phone last week about the Ukraine conflict.

Earlier on Sunday, The Washington Post reported that Donald Trump spoke to Vladimir Pution on call, urging him not to inflame the conflict. Speaking on the matter, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the media that the report was completely false information, and denied any phone call took place.

It was reported that US President-elect Donald Trump has spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin and urged him not to escalate the war in Ukraine. It said that Donald Trump held the call from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Thursday, just days after his stunning election victory over Democratic rival Kamala Harris. The report also mentioned that both the leaders expressed an interest in further conversations to discuss the resolution of Ukraine’s war soon.

Notably, Donald Trump said on the campaign trail that he could end the fighting within hours and has indicated he would talk directly with Russian President Putin. However, the US President elect has not said how he intends to strike a peace deal or what terms he is proposing.

Donald Trump’s election is seen as carrying the potential to upend the almost three-year Ukraine conflict, as he insists on a quick end to the fighting and casts doubt on Washington’s multi-billion dollar support for Kyiv.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with Trump on Wednesday, with the Republican’s billionaire backer Elon Musk also notably joining them on the call. Volodymyr Zelensky described the call as excellent, adding that he and Trump had agreed to maintain close dialogue and advance our cooperation.

Additionally, the outgoing Democratic administration of President Joe Biden has confirmed that it will send as much aid as possible to Ukraine before Trump’s inauguration on January 20.

Joe Biden’s National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the White House aims to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position on the battlefield so that it is ultimately in the strongest possible position at the negotiating table.

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India calls out Canada’s move to ban Australia Today for airing S Jaishankar’s press conference

The MEA said that these actions yet again highlight the hypocrisy of Canada towards freedom of speech.

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India calls out Canada’s move to ban Australia Today for airing S Jaishankar's press conference

A few hours after Australia Today aired External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s press conference in Australia, Canada banned the outlet. The External Affairs Minister gave remarks on the India-Canada diplomatic standoff. 

Reacting to this, India on Thursday said it was surprised by Canada’s move to ban the outlet and emphasized that it highlighted Ottawa’s hypocrisy towards freedom of speech. Australia Today, which is an important outlet for the Indian community in the country, had aired the joint press conference of S Jaishankar and his Australian counterpart Penny Wong in Canberra.

In a weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that they understand that the social media handles, pages of this particular outlet, which is an important diaspora outlet, have been blocked and are not available for viewers in Canada. He continued that this happened just an hour or a few hours after this particular handle carried the press conference of S Jaishankar with Penny Wong. He called out the incident, mentioning that they are surprised, and the matter looks strange to them.

He further underlined that these are the actions which yet again highlight the hypocrisy of Canada towards freedom of speech. He noted that the External Affairs Minister spoke about three things: Canada making allegations and a pattern had developed without any specific evidence, surveillance of Indian diplomats in Canada, which he termed as unacceptable, and  the political space which has been given in Canada to anti-India elements. 

With this one can draw conclusions, why Australia Today channel was blocked by Canada, the spokesperson said. Australia Today focuses on news and analytical pieces related to the Indian community in Australia and elsewhere across the world.

This incident follows days after devotees were attacked by pro-Khalistani at a Hindu temple in Canada’s Brampton, with S Jaishankar calling it deeply concerning. Furthermore, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also condemned the attack and said that there were cowardly attempts to intimidate Indian diplomats.

The diplomatic standoff between India and Canada began in September last year when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that Indian government agents might have been involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a claim outrightly rejected by New Delhi.

Later in October 2024, ties between both the countries nosedived when Canada termed the Indian High Commissioner a person of interest in its investigation into Nijjar’s murder. Issuing a strongly worded statement, India dismissed the fresh charge and recalled the envoy and some diplomats, while expelling six Canadian officials, including Canada’s acting High Commissioner.

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PM Modi congratulates Donald Trump on winning US President election

The Prime Minister urged Trump to work for the betterment of the people and to promote global peace, stability and prosperity.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday congratulated Donald Trump on winning the 2024 US Presidential election and said he is looking forward to renewing their collaboration to further strengthen the India-US partnership.

The Prime Minister urged Trump to work for the betterment of the people and to promote global peace, stability and prosperity.

“Heartiest congratulations my friend @realDonaldTrump on your historic election victory. As you build on the successes of your previous term, I look forward to renewing our collaboration to further strengthen the India-US Comprehensive Global and Strategic Partnership. Together, let’s work for the betterment of our people and to promote global peace, stability and prosperity,” PM Modi posted on his X handle.

With the results being announced for the 2024 US election on November 6, Trump became the 47th President of the United States.

Former US President Trump appeared to be on track for a remarkable political comeback in the White House race. Projections suggested that he was poised to secure the necessary 270 electoral college votes, effectively blocking Democratic candidate Kamala Harris from winning the election.

The relationship between Trump and Modi has been characterised by robust diplomatic ties, strategic collaboration, and a noticeable personal rapport. Their friendship was prominently displayed during major events such as “Howdy, Modi” in Houston in 2019 and “Namaste Trump” in Ahmedabad in 2020, where they addressed large audiences and expressed their mutual respect.

On a strategic level, Trump and Modi found common ground in matters of defense and security, both adopting a strong stance against terrorism, which reinforced their alliance, particularly concerning threats from Pakistan.

As he approaches a notable victory in the US election, Republican Presidential candidate Trump expressed gratitude to his supporters today, calling it a magnificent victory for the American people. He also referenced the assassination attempt on July 13, stating, “God spared my life for a reason.”

The 78-year-old candidate is currently projected to secure 267 electoral college votes, just three shy of the decisive 270, while his opponent, incumbent Vice President Kamala Harris, holds 224 electoral votes.

Trump described the Republican campaign as the greatest political movement of all time, asserting, “We are going to help our country heal, secure our borders, and we made history for a reason tonight. This is an incredible political victory. I want to thank the American people. I will fight for you and your family with every breath I have.”

He noted that Democrats are now looking at a projected total of 315 electoral votes.

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