Israel-Hamas War|Death of Ismail Haniya

Sources: Iran's Supreme Leader Orders Direct Attack

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has ordered a direct attack on Israel after Hamas leader Ismail Haniya was killed in Tehran. This is stated by three Iranian official sources, two of them within the Revolutionary Guard, for the New York Times.

The order is said to have been given during a crisis meeting of Iran's National Security Council on Wednesday morning. According to the sources, Iran's military is considering a large-scale drone and robot attack, similar to the one on April 13, against military targets in northwestern Israel.

Another option being considered is to coordinate an attack from other countries where Iran has allied forces, such as Iraq, Yemen and Syria, according to the reports.

Earlier on Wednesday, Khamenei said Iran has an "obligation" to avenge Haniya's death.

.........................................

The UN Security Council holds a crisis meeting on Haniya's death

The UN Security Council is holding a crisis meeting after Hamas leader Ismail Haniya was killed in a suspected Israeli attack, The Guardian reports.

The meeting began at 10 p.m., Swedish time. It was requested by Iran, supported by representatives of Russia, China and Algeria.

During the meeting, several members have expressed concern about escalation and urged the parties to exercise restraint, according to the BBC.

- We believe that there is still time and place for a diplomatic solution, says US UN Ambassador Robert Wood.

......................................

Hamas stop after the murder of Haniya: Our line is firm - crimes must be avenged

The terrorist group Hamas does not want a regional war, but "a crime must be avenged". This is what Hamas chief Khalil al-Hayya says after the murder of Ismail Haniya, to whom he is singled out as a possible successor. This is reported by international media.

- Hamas follows a strategy and does not back down due to the death of a leader, he said at a press conference on Wednesday in Al Jazeera's Arabic broadcasts, adding that "all options other than resistance are exhausted" in relation to Israel.

Ismail Haniya was killed in an attack in the Iranian capital Tehran on Wednesday night. Israel is believed to be behind the attack, but has not claimed responsibility.

...............................................

Israel-Hamas war|The reactions
Analysis: The targeted killings have become ends in themselves

Israel's strategic goals are not benefited by the assassinations of Hezbollah leader Shukr in Beirut and Hamas leader Haniya in Tehran. That's what Haaretz's Yossi Melman writes in an analysis, with the proviso that Israel has not confirmed that it is behind the attack on Haniya.

In the past, he writes, Israel used targeted assassinations of its enemies to achieve military or diplomatic goals.

"But since the beginning of the war, which has been going on for ten months, it seems that the targeted killings have become an end in themselves."

They are mostly aimed at revenge and do not change the conditions, but only make Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran more determined, writes Melman.

The murders defeat their purpose and leave Israel in a "slightly worse" situation, writes Keren Setton in Media Line:

“Israel has killed scores of Palestinian and Hezbollah leaders over the years. It hasn't helped.”

Even Iran loses from the attack in the capital, writes Nick Paton Walsh in CNN.

"The country's role as a regional power is weakened if it cannot guarantee the security of visiting allies."

The rhetoric from Tehran is of course furious, he writes, but that does not necessarily mean that Iran will retaliate. The robot attack against Israel in April showed that the country's own military capabilities are limited. Busting the Lebanese Hezbollah militia on Israel in a full-scale war requires thought and timing – and a failure risks being huge.

"Hezbollah is a strong card that Tehran can probably only play once."
 

UN alarm: Imprisoned Palestinians are being tortured

 

Israel
UN report: Palestinian prisoners are subjected to torture and violence

Martina Karpmyr

Published 2024-07-31 20.30

Imprisoned Palestinians in Israel are subjected to torture, humiliation and sexual violence, according to a new report from the UN human rights agency OHCHR.

The situation has, according to the UN, "worsened dramatically" since October 7.

- He said there were 20 soldiers on standby in the room and that they would rape me one by one, testifies a woman who was threatened with rape during an interrogation.
 

Quick version

• The UN human rights body reports that Palestinians detained by Israel are subjected to torture, humiliation and sexual violence, and that the situation has "deteriorated dramatically" since 7 October.
• Several Israeli reservists are suspected of abuse, which has led to far-right protests, condemned by the IDF and the government.
• The UN emphasizes that many Palestinians are imprisoned without trial, and former prisoners testify to lack of food, electric shocks, and other violence.
  

This week, several Israeli reservists have been arrested, suspected of serious abuses against imprisoned Palestinians.

In protest, a far-right mob stormed two Israeli military bases, which was later condemned by Israel's  military, the IDF, and the government.

After the terror-labeled Hamas attacks in Israel last October, thousands of Palestinians have been imprisoned by Israeli authorities, the UN writes in a new report.

Although the situation for Palestinian prisoners in Israel was already "very worrying", it has now "worsened dramatically", writes the UN. At least 53 Palestinians have since died in captivity since 7 October.

Several of those who were taken hostage by Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups in October last year have, after their release, testified to terrible conditions in captivity - including beatings,sexual and gender -based violence , the UN writes.

"International law requires that all persons deprived of their liberty be treated with humanity and dignity and strictly prohibits torture and other ill-treatment, including rape and other forms of sexual violence," said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.

Bombed buildings in Gaza. Photo: Leo Correa / AP

Imprisoned without trial

Thousands of Palestinian women, men, doctors, journalists, human rights activists and children have, according to the report, been arrested in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel and then imprisoned by Israel since October 7.

Most without prosecution, trial or defense, the UN writes.

Israel has chosen not to release information about where many of the detainees are and what their situation looks like. The International Red Cross has been denied access to the facilities where Palestinians are held captive.

Most of those detained in Gaza are men and teenage boys who have taken shelter in schools, hospitals or residential buildings, according to the UN. According to the report, the families of those imprisoned receive no information about how their family members are doing or where they are.

Drowning and electric shocks

In the report, formerly imprisoned Palestinians testify about how they were forced to sit in "cage-like spaces" and were for long periods naked or only wearing diapers.

Several prisoners testify that they were subjected to electric shocks, burned with cigarettes and forced to wear blindfolds - during periods without access to food, water.

"Male Palestinians interviewed by OHCHR estimated that they had lost between 35 and 50 kilograms of body weight during their time in detention," the report states.

Some prisoners have said that dogs were let loose in cells. Others were subjected to mock drowning or hung from ceilings with their hands tied.

“I was often moved to an isolation cell where loud music was played for several hours, which meant that I could not sleep. Then I was moved to a cold room, I remember how cold air blew at me for long periods, to be moved to an interrogation room after that," says an interviewee.

"Electric shocks to the sex and anus"

According to the report, "sexual and gender-based acts of violence" are committed against Palestinian men and women in captivity.

Both men and women testify about how they were abused when they were naked and were beaten and given "electric shocks to, among other things, the sex and anus".

There is also video material showing how undressed men, blindfolded and handcuffed, were filmed and photographed in "deliberately humiliating positions".

OCHR also writes that they have received several reports of rape and threats of rape.

A man says that he and a group of prisoners were taken to a kitchen and forced to strip naked. The man was then filmed being anally raped with a vegetable.

"It felt like I was broken inside," he testifies.

On the way to a major war - can strike against Sweden

 

Hamas
Heading towards the great war everyone says they want to avoid

Wolfgang Hansson

This is a commenting text. Analysis and positions are the writer's.

Published 21.17

Right after the terrorist attack in October last year, Israel's prime minister declared that all Hamas leaders were "dead men walking".

That Israel succeeded in killing the political leader of Hamas is a great success for Benjamin Netanyahu.

But at the same time, it is another step towards the big war that everyone involved says they want to avoid.

Quick version

• Israeli Prime Minister  ordered the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniya in Iran, as part of a continued strategy against Hamas following a terrorist attack last October.
• The act increases the risk of a major war through escalating violence and revenge actions, which worries both regional and international actors.
• A major war in the Middle East would affect global economy and security, including higher oil prices and increased terrorist risk, which makes the conflict relevant for Sweden and the world.

Ever since the horrific attack on Israeli civilians, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's stated goal has been to kill the man behind it, Yahya Sinwar, Hamas's military leader in Gaza.

But despite ten months of war, Israel has not been able to locate Sinwar, who is believed to be hiding in one of Gaza's tunnels.

Netanyahu needs a success to be able to continue the war and make the people of Israel believe in his vision of "total victory".

So when the opportunity arose to knock out  Ismail Haniya, Hamas' political leader headquartered in Qatar, Netanyahu gave the order to strike.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniya has been killed in Iran's capital, Tehran. Photo: Adel Hana / AP

It is unclear whether Haniya knew about or gave the go-ahead to the terrorist attack in southern Israel. He was among the Hamas leaders who advocated diplomacy and negotiations alongside the armed struggle.

I met him after Hamas won the elections in Gaza in 2006. I got to sit in on one of their government meetings. At the time, Hamas wanted to present a more moderate facade to the outside world.

Haniya was in Iran with Israel's arch-enemy, which facilitated Netanyahu's decision. Israel does not have to consider what Iran thinks. Perhaps Netanyahu even considers it good that Iran is humiliated by the killing of a prominent guest on their soil.

Israel's assassination is the second in 24 hours. Last night Hezbollah's top military commander, Fuad Shukr, was killed in an Israeli missile attack on Lebanon's capital, Beirut. This as revenge for the bomb a few days earlier against a soccer field in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, when at least twelve children died.

Last night Hezbollah's top military commander, Fuad Shukr, was killed in an Israeli missile attack on Lebanon's capital, Beirut. Photo: Hussein Malla / AP

Eye for eye

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, is what applies in the Middle East. This eternal spiral of violence is what has made the entire region in the last year in constant threat of a major war.

Many thought it would come when Iran for the first time directly attacked Israel with hundreds of missiles earlier this year. But Israel chose a relatively restrained revenge and the situation was temporarily defused.

Now Israel faces the threat of two revenge attacks. One from Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon and another from Iran. Depending on what these attacks look like, Israel will be forced to respond.

The risk of escalation is obvious but not inevitable.

Here, the US plays an important role as a restraining force vis-à-vis Israel. When Netanyahu recently visited the United States, Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris was very clear that the United States wants to see a ceasefire and a quick end to the war in Gaza.

But every time the specter of a truce appears on the horizon, Israel's prime minister acts to extinguish all hopes.

            

          

           Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

           1 / 2Photo: Abir Sultan / AP

It is not possible to negotiate a truce with Hamas and at the same time kill one of the leaders with whom you are negotiating. It puts a certain strain on the willingness of the other party to negotiate.

Don't want a truce

The impression is purely that Netanyahu is doing everything he can to ensure that there is no truce. A truce effectively means an end to the war, and thus likely also that Netanyahu must leave power. After all, it was under his leadership that Hamas managed to carry out what he himself describes as the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust.

Hamas of course mourns its leader, but at the same time hopes that Haniya's death can finally persuade Iran to directly enter the war on Hamas's side.

Just as it is hoped that the deadly missile against Fuad Shukr will cause Hezbollah to launch a major offensive against Israel.

But if you listen to what the parties say, nobody wants a major war. Hamas claims it wants a ceasefire that ends the war. Hezbollah and Iran as well.

Even Netanyahu claims that he wants to avoid the Gaza conflict developing into a major regional war.

Attack on the Gaza Strip. Photo: Leo Correa / AP

But he, like the leaders of Iran and its many proxy groups such as Hezbollah, is acting in practice in a way that constantly increases the risk of an escalation. Everything according to the motto that what "we" do is righteous, while the actions of the opposing side constitute war crimes.

Higher oil price

In Sweden, we may think that the Middle East is far away, but what happens there affects our own lives to the greatest extent. A major war in the region increases the risk of terrorist acts in Sweden.

It affects our economy. Oil prices, which have been on the decline recently, have risen sharply since the attack that killed the Hamas leader. In the event of a major war, it would soar even more, which would hit Swedish consumers and Swedish industry.

It is in everyone's interest that the spiral of revenge in the Middle East comes to an end and is replaced by diplomatic efforts to resolve the Palestinian conflict once and for all.

Trump's attack: "Is she Indian or black...?"

Donald Trump
Trump's attack on Harris: "She turned black"

Emil Forsberg

Published 2024-07-31 21.36

Donald Trump has attacked Kamala Harris again.

In a hearing, he says that she "suddenly changed her identity"

- She turned black, he says.

Donald Trump was asked at a convention for black journalists in Chicago on Wednesday.

When asked why black voters would support a candidate with Trump's history of racist attacks on political rivals, the ex-president chose to go on the attack again.

Now against rival  Kamala Harris.

- She has always said that she was of Indian origin and she only emphasized her Indian origin. I didn't know she was black until a number of years ago when she happened to be black and now she wants to be known as black. So I don't know, is she Indian or black?

He continues:

- I respect both, but obviously she doesn't because she was Indian all the way and then suddenly she made a turn and became a black person. I think someone should look into it.

 

Donald Trump.
1 / 2Photo: Charles Rex Arbogast / AP

The White House reacts strongly to the play.

- It's disgusting. Offensive. No one has any right to tell others who they are, says President Joe Biden's press secretary, Karine Jean Pierre.

- She is the vice president of the United States, Kamala Harris. She needs to be shown respect. Point.

Flipped Obama

Kamala Harris' mother is from India and her father from Jamaica. Both immigrated to Oakland, California, where Harris was then born.

Kamala Harris. Photo: John Bazemore/AP

CNN likens the attack to the one Trump directed at Barack Obama in 2011 when he claimed that the country's first African-American president was not born in the United States.

Obama chose to release his Hawaiian birth certificate shortly thereafter, but it was another five years before Trump would admit he was wrong.

- President Barack Obama was born in the United States, period. Now I want everyone to come back and make America strong and good again, he said then, according to the AP.

PrachaTalk EP.42 : เศรษฐาไม่แน่-ก้าวไกลไม่รอด?

PrachaTalk EP.42 : เศรษฐาไม่แน่-ก้าวไกลไม่รอด?

Prachatai

 

The election in the United States|The electoral movement

Trump's attack on Harris: "Suddenly turned black"

The presidential candidate Donald Trump went on a hard attack when he visited the American club for black journalists on Wednesday - both against the rival Kamala Harris and the journalists present, US media reports.

The hearing of Trump was opened by ABC News' Rachel Scott, who listed Trump's many racist rants against black politicians and asked him why black voters should trust him.

- An abominable first question. You don't even say hello. Who are you? Are you on ABC? Because I think it's a fake news network, Trump replied.

He then claimed that Kamala Harris has started portraying herself as black to score political points.

- She has always promoted her Indian heritage. I didn't know she was black until a few years ago when she suddenly happened to be black, he said.

Already when she started at Howard University, Harris joined the student union for black female students and has sat in the group for black members of Congress, AP writes.

.....................................

Harris debate challenge Trump - who does not announce

On Tuesday, Kamala Harris held a campaign rally in Georgia, a swing state where she and Trump are currently deadlocked.

There, she again urged Trump to appear on the ABC News televised debate, which had been scheduled for September 10 since before Joe Biden dropped out.

- Donald, I hope you will reconsider meeting me on the debate stage, because as the saying goes: If you have something to say, say it to me straight out, Harris said according to the BBC.

Trump and his campaign staff have given vague information about whether there will be a debate or not, and accused ABC News of being "fake news".

- The answer is yes, I will probably debate her [...] but I can also make an argument not to, Trump told Fox News on Monday.

That has prompted the Harris campaign to accuse the former president of being afraid of a debate.

The Russian invasion.

The Russian invasion. The outside world's response
Details: Ukraine has received its first F-16 planes

Ukraine has received its first F-16 fighter jets, sources familiar with the matter told Bloomberg. It is said to be a small number of planes.

It is unclear whether the Ukrainian pilots trained in the West in recent months will immediately be able to fly them.

More than a year has passed since US President Joe Biden allowed the US-made planes to be donated to Ukraine. Since then, Denmark and the Netherlands have promised to send planes.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense does not want to comment on the data.

According to sources to the Wall Street Journal, the United States has agreed to equip the plane with American-made robots and other advanced weapons.

................................ 

The Russian Invasion|The Battles
Russia occupied 200 square kilometers in July

Russian forces took 200 new square kilometers of land in eastern Ukraine in July, according to an AFP analysis of data from the ISW think tank. It roughly corresponds to the area of ​​the city of Stockholm.

It is an increase compared to June, but significantly less than the now halted offensive in the Kharkiv region in May. That month, 449 square kilometers were taken.

So far, Russia has occupied 1,246 square kilometers of new land in 2024, compared to 585 square kilometers in all of 2023.

...........................................

Russian invasionRussian reactions
Putin doubles bonus for new Russian soldiers

Vladimir Putin has requested a doubling of the federal bonus amount paid to soldiers who enlist, independent Meduza reports.

For the rest of the year, those who sign up for at least one year of military service will receive 400,000 rubles, equivalent to just over 50,000 kroner. Since September 2022, the amount has been 195,000 rubles.

The Russian regions also give out their own one-time bonuses to new soldiers. Residents of Moscow receive the most, where the mayor Sergei Sobanjin recently raised the amount to 1.9 million rubles, equivalent to almost 240,000 kroner.
Putin also "recommends" an even larger payment

The Southport stabbing

Violent protests in London after the knife attack

Violent protests have broken out in London, two days after the fatal knife attack on several children in Southport, Sky News reports.

In Downing Street, Bengals have thrown at the Prime Minister's residence. The protesters chant slogans such as "enough is enough", "save our children" and "stop the boats", targeting migrant boats. After the crime, incorrect information has been spread that the suspected 17-year-old is a Muslim asylum seeker.

Glass bottles have been thrown at police in riot gear, and at least one person has been arrested. It comes a day after 54 police officers were injured in violent riots in Southport, where police vehicles were also set on fire.
...................................

Southport prepares for further unrest

The police in British Southport have information that new disturbances may break out this evening after yesterday's violent riot, reports Sky News.

Among other things, police have been stationed at the city's train station to keep an eye on arriving passengers.

54 police officers were injured on Tuesday night when riots broke out at a mosque after false information was spread that the perpetrator of Monday's stabbing was a Muslim asylum seeker.

Political situation in Guinea

Witnesses scared after the verdict: "Everyone knows where I live"

Several who testified against Guinea's ex-president are afraid of revenge after he was convicted of crimes against humanity on Wednesday, the Washington Post writes. According to them, many who participated in the massacre and rapes in 2009 for which the former president was convicted are still free.

- Everyone knows where I live, how I move outside, how I dress, says Saran Cissé, who wants help to escape.

In her testimony, she said she begged the security forces closing in on a crowd in a sports stadium to kill her instead of raping her.

Some of the victims and their families praised the sentence of 20 years in prison for ex-president Moussa Dadis Camara, while others thought it was too lenient, AP writes.

- The verdict sends a clear signal that justice is possible for those responsible for serious crimes in Guinea and elsewhere, says Human Rights Watch International Legal Director Tamara Aburamadan.

................................

Guinea's ex-president is convicted of crimes against humanity

Moussa Dadis Camara was Guinea's highest official and therefore responsible for a massacre and mass rape 15 years ago. Therefore, he is sentenced to 20 years in prison and compensation for crimes against humanity, reports AFP.

The events for which he was convicted took place on September 28, 2009. Security forces opened fire on peaceful protesters at a sports stadium in the capital, Conakry. At least 156 people were killed and 109 women were raped by the forces, according to the verdict.

Along with Camara, another ten senior leaders were sentenced for the same incident. They blamed themselves on their subordinates.

ประเด็น HOT ! อนาคตก้าวไกล??? อนาคตทักษิณ ??? อนาคตประเทศไทย???

ประชาไท Prachatai

8 ชม.  ·

เครือข่ายจับตาการใช้ #ม112 สัมภาษณ์ เกรก เรย์มอนด์ นักวิชาการเชี่ยวชาญด้านความมั่นคงในเอเชียแปซิฟิกจาก ANU ต่อปัญหาของม.112 ที่ตอนนี้กำลังส่งผลจนถึงกับทำให้พรรคการเมืองที่มาจากการเลือกตั้งถูกตั้งคดียุบพรรคเพียงเพราะการรณรงค์แก้ไขกฎหมายด้วยกลไกรัฐสภา เปรียบ ม.112 เหมือน “doublespeak” ในนิยาย 1984

อ่านต่อ https://prachatai.com/journal/2024/07/110146

ศาลอาญายกคำร้องไม่อนุญาตให้ ‘ทักษิณ’ ออกนอกประเทศไปหาหมอที่ดูไบ ระบุ ในประเทศมีหมอรักษาประจำอยู่แล้ว ส่วนเหตุนัดพบบุคคลสำคัญเป็นเรื่องส่วนตัวและไม่มีพยานหลักฐานยืนยันชัดแจ้งถึงความจำเป็นดังกล่าว จึงยกคำร้องขอออกนอกประเทศ

อ่านเพิ่มเติมที่ : https://prachatai.com/journal/2024/07/110141

 

ที่ประชุมสภาผู้แทนราษฎรมีมติ 297 เสียง ต่อ 164 เสียง เห็นชอบงบประมาณรายจ่ายเพิ่มเติมปี 67 วงเงิน 1.22 แสนล้านบาท เพื่อใช้ทำโครงการดิจิทัลวอลเล็ต

อ่านเพิ่มเติมที่ : https://prachatai.com/journal/2024/07/110153

"อ.วีระ" อบรมรบ.แก้วิกฤตเศรษฐกิจกลางสภา ชี้ไม่ใช่เวลากู้เพิ่ม

  

"อ.วีระ" อบรมรบ.แก้วิกฤตเศรษฐกิจกลางสภา ชี้ไม่ใช่เวลากู้เพิ่ม ควรถอนคันเร่งอัดเงิน : Matichon TV

matichon tv

ข่าวเด่นประเด็นฮอต : 31 ก.ค. 67

ข่าวเด่นประเด็นฮอต : 31 ก.ค. 67 I "สามารถ" เมินคำขู่ให้พ้น "พปชร." - ลุ้นเงินดิจิทัลผ่านสภาฯ

matichon tv

 

The Politics 31 ก.ค. 67

 

The Politics 31 ก.ค. 67 I (บ้าน) ป่าแตก พปชร. แยกทาง? I สนทนา ธนพร

matichon tv

 

ไฟไหม้บ้านป่า ประวิตร Vs ธรรมนัส อยู่ร่วมกันยาก เกมชิงอำนาจ นับถอยหลังแตกเป็นเสี่ยงๆ : Matichon TV

matichon tv

 

ลุงป้อมเฮี้ยน ไวรัสสีน้ำเงินโรคระบาด ปรากฏการณ์มีฤทธิ์กับนายใหญ่ เปลี่ยนตัวตนธรรมนัส : Matichon TV

matichon tv

 

 

ตาสว่างกว่า กับศิโรตม์

 

Live! #ตาสว่างกว่า รัฐบาลซีดชงตัดงบดิจิทัล 7 หมื่นล้าน ศาลห้ามทักษิณไปดูไบแม้อ้างป่วยคดี

SiroteTalk

 

ศิริกัญญาพร้อมนำพรรคหากถูกยุบ อุ๊งอิ๊งกล้ามั้ยแบบนี้ เพื่อไทยเละขวางก้าวไกลตั้งคนนอกดูงบ 9 หมื่นล้าน

SiroteTalk

 

 

Latest news

The Wagner group in Africa
Attack against the Wagner group in Mali deadliest in years

This weekend's attacks against the Wagner Group in Mali were the deadliest against the Russian-linked paramilitary group in years. That's what analysts tell AP.

About 50 Wagner soldiers are believed to have been killed after rebels and al-Qaeda-linked groups ambushed and attacked Wagner near the border with Algeria.

Ukraine's military intelligence service claims it had a hand in the game. Spokesman Andrey Yusov says Ukraine provided "necessary information, and not just information, that contributed to a successful military operation against Russian war criminals."

Yusov would not say whether any Ukrainians actually participated in the attack. Instead, he promises more details later, writes The Guardian.

*****************

Ex BBC news anchor had child pornography

Former BBC news anchor Huw Edwards, 62, pleads guilty to possession of child pornography. That's what the British media write.

Before a London court, Edwards admitted three counts between December 2020 and April 2022.

Among other things, Edwards allegedly had pictures depicting children as young as seven years old on his phone, according to The Independent.

******************

New EU Parliament
Criticized Danish politician leaves large bank's board

The newly elected Danish EU parliamentarian Stine Bosse is leaving the board of the major Norwegian bank DNB with immediate effect. The bank writes this in a press release.

Bosse has been criticized for sitting on double chairs because DNB carries out lobbying activities in Brussels. EU politicians should not engage in such side activities, according to Transparency International.

Stine Bosse represents the center party Moderaterne and has claimed that the criticism is unwarranted because her committee does not deal with economic issues.

Economy

Report: Sickness attendance costs billions in the UK

The loss of productivity due to employees going to work even though they are sick has increased by £25 billion per year in the UK since 2018. This is what the think tank IPPR writes in a new report according to The Independent.

"British workers are too often forced to work sick when it is inappropriate, damaging their well-being and reducing productivity," says Jamie O'Halloran, senior researcher at IPPR.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Labor and Pensions tells the newspaper that no one should have to choose between health and finances and that there are therefore plans to strengthen health insurance.

 

******************

 

ECB vs inflation
Eurozone inflation higher than expected in July

Eurozone inflation was slightly higher than expected in July, according to Eurostat's preliminary statistics.

Compared to July last year, consumer prices rose by 2.6 percent, up from 2.5 percent in June. The advance tips were that inflation would, on the contrary, slow down to 2.4 percent, according to Trading Economics' advance estimate.

Core inflation remained at 2.9 percent, compared with the expected 2.8 percent.

The price increases for services are still at a higher level but fell back from 4.1 to 4.0 percent.

Inflation measured by the broad HICP measure rose in eleven of the 20 euro countries.

 

*******************

 

The Fed vs Inflation
ADP: Employment in the US increases less than expected

U.S. private employment rose less than expected in July, according to an ADP survey. The number of people employed in the sector increased by 122,000 people – expected according to Trading Economics was 150,000.

The statistics also show that the wage growth rate is decreasing, down to 4.8 percent from 4.9 percent in June.

ADP's chief economist Nela Richardson says in a comment that the slowing wage growth plays into the Fed's attempt to slow inflation.

- If inflation rises now, it is not the labor market's fault, she says.

The US Department of Labor releases the official figures on Friday. The forecast then points to an increase of 175,000 people, and 150,000 in the private sector.

 

******************
 

Summer tourism in Europe
The Nordics are competing for tourists - "coolcation" is continuing

The heat waves in Southern Europe have led to more and more tourists looking for the Nordic countries and the so-called "coolcation" trend is expected to continue, writes Dagens Industri.

Although parts of northern Sweden are experiencing record years, Sweden is lagging behind, according to Susanne Andersson, CEO of Visit Sweden. Denmark in particular is popular, and the country overtook Sweden for the first time last year in the number of guest nights. A similar trend continues this year.

- We are losing market share, says Susanne Andersson to DI.

The elections in Venezuela

Several statues of socialist leaders are torn down in Venezuela

At least seven statues of socialist leaders have been torn down or vandalized in Venezuela since the weekend's election, writes The Guardian. This as part of the protests against President Nicolas Maduro's contested election victory.

In the coastal town of La Guaira, protesters tore down a statue of Maduro's predecessor Hugo Chávez, erected in 2017. Cheers erupted. After the statue fell, it was dragged around the square by motorbikes, doused in petrol and set on fire.

- This government will fall, shouted the demonstrators.

Other statues have been decapitated using sledgehammers.

Maduro has promised that those who demonstrate will be "substantially" punished. So far during the protests, eleven people have died, many have been injured and hundreds have been arrested.

........................................

Maduro blames the protests on drug gangs and Elon Musk

Venezuela's Congress leader Jorge Rodríguez calls for the arrest of opposition leader María Corina Machado and opposition presidential candidate Edmundo González. The statement is another step in restricting freedoms in the country, notes Bloomberg.

On state-owned television, the Congress leader accuses the duo of leading a "fascist conspiracy" with the goal of starting civil war. After socialist President Nicolás Maduro declared himself victorious in the heavily criticized election, angry protesters have filled the streets.

Maduro himself looks outside to find explanations for the protests:

"Behind this plan is the US empire, drug networks, Elon Musk and the fascist extreme right in the world," he says.

Musk sided with the opposition in the election and has shared several posts on X before and after election day.

The Southport stabbing

39 police officers were injured during the riot in Southport

39 police officers were injured in the riot in the English city of Southport on Tuesday evening. Eight of them suffered serious injuries such as concussions and fractures, writes the BBC.

Police Chief Alex Goss says the rioters used "strong violence". The far-right group English Defense League is believed to have been behind the unrest.

The violence started after incorrect information about Monday's fatal stabbing spread on social media. According to the rumours, the perpetrator was Muslim and an asylum seeker, writes The Times. But the 17-year-old was born in Great Britain and according to Sky News, there are no indications that he is Muslim either.

"Those who have hijacked the victims' vigilance with violence and hooliganism have insulted society while it mourns," writes Prime Minister Keir Starmer on X.

...........................................

The minister furious: "Thugs who show no respect for a grieving society"

Tuesday evening's attacks on the mosque in the English city of Southport and on the police officers at the scene are "disgusting", says British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, according to The Times.

- The thugs on the streets show no respect for a grieving society, she says.

Several police officers are injured after the stone-throwing and violence.

Yvette Cooper urges people to show respect for the police who "showed such heroism" in connection with the fatal stabbing on Monday and who are now conducting a very important police investigation, writes the BBC.

The riot started after the incorrect name of an alleged perpetrator was widely circulated on social media. Those who protested at the site are believed to belong to the far-right movement EDL.

The only things police have said about the 17-year-old is that he lives in the nearby village of Banks, that he previously lived in Cardiff and that he was born in the UK. The motive for the act is unclear, but it is not being investigated as terrorism. There is "nothing to suggest that the perpetrator would be Muslim", writes Sky.

The Israel-Hamas War|The Victims

Largest evacuation of sick Gazans to date

85 patients - the majority with cancer - were flown from Gaza to the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday in the largest medical evacuation from Palestine so far in nearly 10 months of war. This is stated by the World Health Organization WHO according to AFP.

According to the WHO, the evacuation took place under "extremely challenging conditions" due to security risks and damaged roads.

Since October last year, around 5,000 Gazans have been evacuated abroad for treatment. Just over 80 percent of them have received it in Egypt, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

WHO Middle East Director Hanan Balkhy is calling on more countries in the region to offer life-saving care to people from Gaza.

........................................

Abducted in secret and tortured - new UN report on the violence against Palestinians

Palestinians detained by Israel since the 7 October attack have been subjected to various forms of torture, including mock drowning, electric shocks and sexual assault. This is evident from a new report from the UN Human Rights Office.

According to the report, thousands of Palestinians have been taken from Gaza to Israel - often blindfolded. In addition to Hamas fighters, it is also about healthcare workers, patients and fleeing civilians.

"Thousands more have been detained in the West Bank and in Israel. They have generally been held in secret, without being told the reason for their detention, without access to a lawyer or effective judicial review,” according to the report.

The report may be used as a basis for the International Criminal Court (ICC), which investigates crimes committed during the Gaza war, including Israel's heavy-handed military operation.

...................................

Former prisoners testify: "It's like Guantánamo"

The Washington Post has collected testimonies about the violence against Palestinians in Israeli prisons. The newspaper describes, among other things, how one prisoner died with a ruptured spleen after being abused by a prison guard and another in agony after not receiving care for a chronic illness. Another cried for help for hours before he died.

Muazzaz Obayat, 37, an amateur bodybuilder, lost 45 kilograms while in prison for nine months. He whispers about how he was subjected to sexual violence with a broom.

- It's like Guantánamo, he says.
 

The Israel-Hamas war|The reactions

Concern for the lives of the hostages after Haniya's death: "We are afraid"

Among Israelis, fear for the safety of the hostages is increasing after Hamas leader Ismail Haniya was killed in Iran, writes AFP.

Israel has not explicitly taken responsibility, but the private person Anat Noy in the city of Haifa still believes that it "was a mistake on Israel's part because it threatens the possibilities of reaching a hostage agreement".

- We woke up today with fear in our hearts that this could escalate even more. We are afraid, he says.

Mediator countries Qatar and Egypt are both critical for the same reason, the Times of Israel and Reuters write. The Qatari prime minister questions how serious Israel is about reaching an agreement.

"How can mediation succeed when one party murders the negotiator on the other side?" writes Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani on X.

..................................

US Secretary of State: Wasn't aware of the attack

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says that "the US was not aware of or involved" in the attack in which Hamas leader Ismail Haniya was killed. Blinken is traveling in Asia and does not want to speculate on what the consequences might be, several media outlets write.

Haniya's death has sparked strong reactions. Qatar, where Hamas's political leadership is based and which brokered a ceasefire in the Gaza war, called the attack a "heinous act" and a "dangerous escalation" of violence in the region.

Hamas has accused Israel of murdering Haniya. Israel has not commented on the incident, but the government's press staff had for an hour or so a picture with Haniya and the text "eliminated" published on Facebook, after which the post was taken down.

.......................................

The death of Hamas leader Haniya provokes reactions: "An unacceptable political murder"

The reactions to the death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniya in Iran arouse strong reactions in Russia, Turkey and Palestine. Reuters reports.

The Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas issued a condemnation this morning and Palestinian groups in the occupied West Bank are calling for large strikes and mass demonstrations.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Michail Bogdanov calls the killing of Haniya an "absolutely unacceptable political murder that will lead to further escalation".

Turkey believes that Israel is trying to spread the Gaza war regionally. "A shameful assassination", the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs states in a statement about Haniya, who was an ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Haniya, who was based in Qatar, has been the face of Hamas in the ceasefire negotiations. Hamas has singled out Israel as the perpetrator of the attack on Haniya. Israel has not commented.

Israel-Hamas War|Death of Ismail Haniya

Analysis: Could turn Gaza negotiations upside down

The deadly attack on Hamas political leader Ismail Haniya is very embarrassing for Iran. That's what Samer Al-Atrush, Middle East correspondent for The Times, writes in an analysis.

But being killed by Israel is a risk Hamastoppar lives with and not something Iran wants to go to war over, says Al-Atrush. On the other hand, it could turn the cease-fire negotiations in Gaza upside down.

Sky News' Nicole Johnston writes in an analysis that Haniya's death is a heavy blow to the terrorist group. In addition to the regional consequences, Hamas is forced into a shift in power. However, this is something the group can adapt to. Haniya is not the first Hamas leader to be killed and the organization allows smooth transitions of power.

Slow pace in the negotiations on a ceasefire is to be expected, writes DN's Nathan Shachar. But the real reason is not yesterday's attack on Hezbollah general Fuad Shukr in Lebanon and last night's attack on Hamas leader Ismail Haniya in Tehran, notes Shachar.

The real reason is that Hamas military leader Yahya Sinwar's dream is now about to come true: the region is set on fire and Israel and the entire Iran-led alliance are at war. 

Israel has not admitted to killing Haniya.

....................................

Israel shared picture of Ismail Haniya as "eliminated" - Iran promises revenge

The Israeli government's media staff on Wednesday shared a picture of Hamas' top political leader Ismail Haniya with the text "eliminated" on Facebook.

The publication can be seen as the clearest confirmation yet that the country is behind the deadly attack on Haniya. The sharing of the image stood out as Israel does not usually comment on reports of attacks abroad. About an hour later, the post was removed, writes TT.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says in a comment that Iran has a "duty" to avenge the death of the Hamas leader.

Haniya is said to have been killed in a nighttime attack in the Iranian capital, Tehran. The details are still unclear, but according to initial information, the Hamas leader and his bodyguard must have died when a robot hit the house they lived in, reports the BBC.

The attack follows an Israeli pattern and is similar to the attack on the Natanz nuclear facility on April 19. That time, Israeli warplanes are believed to have fired robots outside Iran's airspace.

Haniya was in the country for the installation of Iran's new president and was staying at a residence for war veterans.

.......................................

Experts: "A giant step towards regional war, a huge escalation"

The Middle East is a "very dangerous place" after Hamas' top political leader Ismail Haniya was killed in what appears to be a targeted attack in Iran. That's what Hilde Henriksen Waage at the University of Oslo says to the Norwegian Aftenposten.

- This is an absolutely huge escalation, she says.

She describes Haniya as a unifying force and one of the most central actors in the ceasefire negotiations between Hamas and Israel. Now there is no end in sight to the war, she believes.

The fact that the Hamas leader has been killed brings the region closer to a full-scale war. That is what Nader Hashemi, professor of Middle Eastern studies at Georgetown University, told the BBC.

Middle East expert Alexander Atarodi is on the same line.

- This is definitely a giant step towards a major war, he tells TT.

Hamas has singled out Israel as responsible. Israel has not commented.
 

"Giant step towards a great war"

Hamas
Great risk of escalation: "Shorter stub to the dynamite box"

Martina Karpmyr

Updated 11.11 | Published 10.58

The attack that killed Hamas leader Ismail Haniya is a "great embarrassment" for Iran, according to Iran expert Rouzbeh Parsi.

The risk of a major regional war in the Middle East is currently high, according to several experts.

- There is a very big risk that this will completely go awry, says Parsi.

Quick version

•  Ismail Haniya, the top leader of Hamas, has been killed in Tehran. Iran expert Rouzbeh Parsi describes this as a "great embarrassment" for Iran and emphasizes the shortcomings of the Iranian security services.
• The attack, believed to have been carried out by Israel, has raised tensions in the region. The events risk escalating an already unstable situation according to several experts, including the Middle East expert Alexander Atarodi who warns of an approaching major regional war.
•  Carl Bildt and other experts warn that Haniya's death could prevent ceasefire negotiations in Gaza. Rouzbeh Parsi also questions the US's role and knowledge of the attack.

Ismail Haniya, who has now been killed in Iran's capital Tehran, is "on paper" Hamas' top leader, according to Anders Persson, Middle East expert and associate professor of political science at Linnaeus University.

- His status has fallen and he has had a more ceremonial role in Hamas, he says on Aftonbladet TV.

Hamas blames Israel for the attack and says it will not go unnoticed. Israel has not yet commented on the attack.

Everything indicates that it is Israel that is behind the attack, according to Lieutenant Colonel Anders Ekholm, who is active at the Norwegian Defense Academy and who visited Israel's military, the IDF, during the war.

He tells TT that it appears to be Israel's way of fulfilling promises of revenge.

- That promise was already made the day after October 7: you are "dead men walking", we will take you all, he says.

 

Hamas leader Ismail Haniya has been killed in Iran's capital, Tehran.

1 / 2Photo: Adel Hana / AP

The Iran insider: No "restrained reaction" 

That Israel has succeeded in carrying out this type of attack in Iran  is nothing new, says Rouzbeh Parsi, program director at the Foreign Policy Institute's Middle East and North Africa program.

- This underlines how, frankly, lousy the Iranian security services are at securing their own capital, he says.

On Tuesday, Israel carried out a drone strike against the stronghold of the armed, Iran-backed group Hezbollah in Beirut, Lebanon. The target was Hezbollah leader Fouad Shukar.

Rouzbeh Parsi finds it difficult to see the attacks of the past 24 hours as a "restrained reaction" from Israel.

- If Israel's intention was to react in a way that was a mark, without the other party feeling compelled to react in turn, then killing one of the most important Hezbollah leaders in Beirut and then Haniya in Tehran within 24 hours was hardly the right tactic, he says.

 

Haniya visited Iran on Tuesday.

1 / 2Photo: AP

"The stub to the dynamite box shorter"

There are many indications that Iran was "taken to bed" by the attack in the capital, according to Anders Persson, and it is currently unclear how Iran will respond.

- Now Iran's Supreme Military Council will meet and I assume they will decide on the way forward, he says.

According to Persson, the attack could lead to further escalation of an "already very unstable situation".

- Every time something like this happens, the path to the dynamite box gets shorter, says Rouzbeh Parsi and continues:

- In that respect, I would say that there is a very big risk that this will completely go awry.

Middle East expert Alexander Atarodi, former researcher at FOI, is on the same track.

- Every time something happens, we get closer to a gigantic volcanic eruption that we cannot protect ourselves from. This is definitely a giant step towards a major war, he tells TT.

What did the US know?

Ismail Haniya was responsible for Hamas' part in the negotiations for a cease-fire in Gaza. The fact that he has now been killed is raised by several experts as a major problem for the continued negotiations on a ceasefire.

“Forget all about the truce. Retaliation and escalation are central. I think we need to fasten our seat belts," former Foreign Minister Carl Bildt (M) also wrote on X on Tuesday morning.
One question that Rouzbeh Parsi raises is what the United States, Israel's closest ally, knew about the attack in Tehran.

- If they knew about Haniya, all their signals that they are trying to hold back the contractors are just talk, he says and continues:

- If they did not know about it, because the Israelis did not inform them, then we have to worry about how little the Americans seem to understand how to exert pressure on Israel.