logo
Israel blocks visa for top UN official after Gaza comments

Israel blocks visa for top UN official after Gaza comments

Straits Times5 days ago
Find out what's new on ST website and app.
Israel's foreign minister has ordered the residency permit of OCHA head Jonathan Whittall to be withdrawn.
JERUSALEM - Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on July 20 said he had ordered the withdrawal of a senior UN humanitarian official's residency permit, accusing him of spreading lies about the war in Gaza.
'I have instructed not to extend the residency permit of the head of the OCHA (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) office in Israel, Jonathan Whittall,' Mr Saar wrote on X.
Mr Whittall, a South African who lives in Jerusalem and frequently visits the Gaza Strip, has repeatedly condemned the humanitarian conditions for the more than two million people living in the Palestinian territory.
In April, he said that Gazans were 'slowly dying' due to the effects of Israel's war against Hamas militants.
Mr Saar's decision, which he said came after 'biased and hostile conduct against Israel which distorted reality' and broke UN neutrality rules, is the latest taken against senior UN officials.
Since the war began in October 2023, Israel has made it harder to get visas for those working for OCHA, the UN human rights office OHCHR and the UN agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA. AFP
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Cambodia calls for ceasefire with Thailand after deadly clashes
Cambodia calls for ceasefire with Thailand after deadly clashes

Business Times

timean hour ago

  • Business Times

Cambodia calls for ceasefire with Thailand after deadly clashes

[BANGKOK] Cambodia wants an 'immediate ceasefire' with Thailand, the country's envoy to the United Nations said on Friday (Jul 25), after the neighbours traded deadly strikes for a second day, with Bangkok also signalling an openness to talks. A long-running border dispute erupted into intense fighting with jets, artillery, tanks and ground troops on Thursday, prompting the UN Security Council (UNSC) to hold an emergency meeting on the crisis on Friday. 'Cambodia asked for an immediate ceasefire – unconditionally – and we also call for the peaceful solution of the dispute,' said Phnom Penh's UN ambassador Chhea Keo following a closed meeting of the Council attended by Cambodia and Thailand. A steady thump of artillery strikes could be heard from the Cambodian side of the border on Friday, where the province of Oddar Meanchey reported one civilian, a 70-year-old man, had been killed and five more wounded. More than 138,000 people have been evacuated from Thailand's border regions, its health ministry said, reporting 15 fatalities, 14 civilians and a soldier, with a further 46 wounded, including 15 troops. Fighting resumed in three areas around 4 am on Friday (2100 GMT Thursday), the Thai army said, with Cambodian forces firing heavy weapons, field artillery, and BM-21 rocket systems, and Thai troops responding 'with appropriate supporting fire'. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 8.30 am Asean Business Business insights centering on South-east Asia's fast-growing economies. Sign Up Sign Up Thai Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nikorndej Balankura said that fighting had begun to ease off by Friday afternoon, however, adding that Bangkok was open to talks, possibly aided by Malaysia. 'We are ready, if Cambodia would like to settle this matter via diplomatic channels, bilaterally, or even through Malaysia, we are ready to do that. But so far we have not had any response,' Nikorndej said, speaking before the UN meeting had been held. Malaysia currently holds the chair of the Association of South-east Asian Nations (Asean) regional bloc, of which Thailand and Cambodia are both members. Earlier, acting Thai Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai had warned that if the situation escalated, 'it could develop into war'. 'For now, it remains limited to clashes,' he told reporters in Bangkok. Ongoing dispute Both sides blamed each other for firing first, while Thailand accused Cambodia of targeting civilian infrastructure, including a hospital hit by shells and a petrol station hit by at least one rocket. At the UN, Cambodia's envoy questioned Thailand's assertion that his country, which is smaller and less militarily developed than its neighbour, had initiated the conflict. '(The Security Council) called for both parties to (show) maximum restraint and resort to a diplomatic solution. That is what we are calling for as well,' said Chhea Keo. None of the other attendees of the UNSC meeting spoke to reporters. The fighting marks a dramatic escalation in a long-running dispute between the neighbours, both popular destinations for millions of foreign tourists, over their shared 800-kilometre border. Dozens of kilometres in several areas are contested and fighting broke out between 2008 and 2011, leaving at least 28 people dead and tens of thousands displaced. A UN court ruling in 2013 settled the matter for over a decade, but the current crisis erupted in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a new clash. 'We are scared' Fighting on Thursday was focused on six locations, according to the Thai army, including around two ancient temples. Ground troops backed up by tanks battled for control of territory, while Cambodia fired rockets and shells into Thailand and the Thais scrambled F-16 jets to hit military targets across the border. In the Cambodian town of Samraong, 20 kilometres from the border, AFP journalists saw families speeding away in vehicles with their children and belongings as gunfire erupted. 'I live very close to the border. We are scared,' Pro Bak, 41, said. He was taking his wife and children to a Buddhist temple to seek refuge. AFP

China's Premier Li proposes global AI cooperation organisation
China's Premier Li proposes global AI cooperation organisation

Straits Times

time3 hours ago

  • Straits Times

China's Premier Li proposes global AI cooperation organisation

Find out what's new on ST website and app. FILE PHOTO: China's Premier Li Qiang, delivers his speech at the ASEAN - Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) - China Economic Forum official dinner on the sidelines of the 46th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Tuesday, May 27, 2025. Vincent Thian/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo SHANGHAI - Chinese Premier Li Qiang proposed on Saturday establishing a world artificial intelligence cooperation organisation, calling on countries to coordinate development and security of the fast-evolving technology. Speaking at the opening of the annual World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, Li called AI a new engine for growth but said governance is fragmented and emphasised the need to step up coordination between countries to form a globally recognised framework for AI. The three-day event brings together industry leaders and policymakers at a time of escalating technological competition between China and the U.S., with AI emerging as a key battleground between the world's two largest economies. Washington has imposed export restrictions on advanced technology to China, including AI chips and chipmaking equipment, citing concerns the technology could enhance China's military capabilities. Despite these restrictions, China has continued making AI breakthroughs that have drawn close scrutiny from U.S. officials. Li said AI technologies were rapidly evolving but that there were constraints, such as the lack of high-end computing chips and restrictions on talent exchange. He called for breaking through bottlenecks for open and coordinated innovation. REUTERS

Trump administration to release over $6.4b school funding that it withheld, World News
Trump administration to release over $6.4b school funding that it withheld, World News

AsiaOne

time3 hours ago

  • AsiaOne

Trump administration to release over $6.4b school funding that it withheld, World News

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's administration will release more than US$5 billion (S$6.4 billion) in previously approved funding for K-12 school programs that it froze over three weeks ago under a review, which had led to bipartisan condemnation. Key quotes "[The White House Office of Management and Budget] has completed its review ... and has directed the Department to release all formula funds," Madi Biedermann, deputy assistant secretary for communications at the US Education Department, said in a statement, adding funds will be dispersed to states next week. Further details on the review and what it found were not shared. A senior administration official said "guardrails" would be in place for the amount being released, without giving details. Why it's important Early in July, the Trump administration said it would not release funding previously appropriated by Congress for schools and that an initial review found signs the money was misused to subsidize what it alleged was "a radical leftwing agenda". States say US$6.8 billion in total was affected by the freeze. Last week, US$1.3 billion was released. Context After the freeze, a coalition of mostly Democratic-led states sued to challenge the move, and 10 Republican US senators wrote to the Republican Trump administration to reverse its decision. The frozen money covered funding for education of migrant farm workers and their children; recruitment and training of teachers; English proficiency learning; academic enrichment and after-school and summer programs. The Trump administration has threatened schools and colleges with withholding federal funds over issues like climate initiatives, transgender policies, pro-Palestinian protests against US ally Israel's war in Gaza and diversity, equity and inclusion practices. Reaction Republican US lawmakers welcomed the move on Friday (July 25), while Democratic lawmakers said there was no need to disrupt funding in the first place. Education Secretary Linda McMahon separately said she was satisfied with what was found in the review and released the money, adding she did not think there would be future freezes. ALSO READ: Harvard battles Trump administration in court over cancelled funding

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store