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Archive March 26, 2025

Palestinian Oscar winner feared for his life during Israeli settler attack

By in News, World News

The Palestinian co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land says he thought he was going to “die” at the hands of Israeli settlers and soldiers before his arrest this week in the occupied West Bank.

Hamdan Ballal was arrested on Monday by Israeli forces after he was beaten and injured three weeks after winning his Oscar in Hollywood. He was released on Tuesday from a police station in the Israeli settlement of Kiryat Arba.

The incident took place in the village of Susiya in the southern West Bank as residents were breaking their fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Speaking to Al Jazeera on Tuesday, Ballal said he had gone to document a settler attack on his neighbour’s home in Susiya.

But as the situation escalated and Ballal realised it had “become more and more dangerous”, he said he decided to return home to his family.

However, a settler known to him, together with two Israeli soldiers, followed him to his house, Ballal said, adding that the assault took place just outside his home.

“They held the gun directly to me, the soldiers. … The settler went behind me and directly attacked me with his hands. I don’t know what he held in his hands,” he said.

Ballal fell to the ground as the attack continued.

“The soldiers kept on shouting at me, threatening me and putting the gun, one time at my neck. … They also put the gun on my cheek.”

Ballal recalled thinking he would not survive the attack.

“The soldiers let him [the settler] beat me, and the soldiers also beat me with a gun. I fell because it was a hard, hard attack,” he said. “They focused on my head. They kicked my head and also with a gun.

“I felt they were going to kill me, not just to punish me. … I felt I would die,” he told Al Jazeera.

‘Settlers do what they want’

The documentary No Other Land – directed by Ballal, another Palestinian and two Israelis – chronicles settler violence and Israeli demolitions of Palestinian homes in the West Bank’s Masafer Yatta area. It won the Oscar for best documentary on March 2.

Since Israel’s war on Gaza began on October 7, 2023, Ballal said the Israeli army “lets the settlers do what they want”.

“Because the army [is] here, they are settlers with uniforms,” he said.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health says Israeli soldiers and settlers have killed at least 884 Palestinians in the West Bank since the war started 17 months ago.

Swiatek ‘verbally abused by aggressive fan’ in Miami

By in News, Sports News
Images courtesy of Getty
Jonathan Jurejko
The tennis news correspondent for BBC Sport

Iga Swiatek, a five-time major champion, is being protected by increased security after a “traumatizing” fan verbally abused her at the Miami Open.

In a Saturday practice session, the man targeted Swiatek, 23, as well.

The man is said to have insulted Swiatek’s family in private.

The man’s representatives told BBC Sport that the world number two had previously abused her on social media.

The Polish player’s team said, “The incident in Miami appears to be a direct transition from verbal aggression online to harassment in the real world.”

“He was teasing and aggressive.”

The incident was immediately reported to tournament organizers, according to Swiatek’s representatives.

Swiatek recently addressed the emotional drain she has experienced as a result of her previous refusal to “step on the court” and serving a one-month ban for a doping offence.

The second seed has advanced to the Miami Open quarter-finals, where she will face Alexandra Eala, a teenager from Philippines, on Wednesday, following the incident at the weekend.

“Security is our top priority,” he said. Her spokesperson said that we keep an eye on the network to catch these kinds of issues.

Threats, hate speech, or even disturbance during training are two things that cannot be condoned.

According to reports, the WTA and the tournament’s organizers immediately took additional security measures in place around the former world number one, who has since become a long-time player.

The Miami Open organizers stated to BBC Sport that everyone’s safety and security was taken “extremely seriously.”

In a statement, they said, “We constantly evaluate any potential threats and take every precaution to respond appropriately.”

The WTA echoed those assertions, saying that “comprehensive” security measures are in place to “promptly and effectively” deal with any incidents.

The WTA stated that while the details of these are not public, they remain true to our commitment to keeping a safe environment for both players and attendees of our events.

The most recent incident involving a WTA player is a stark reminder of the dangers that female athletes are exposed to regularly.

When she saw a man who she had already reported for “exhibiting fixated behavior” in the stands of her match in Dubai last month, Raducanu, 22, recoiled in horror.

related subjects

  • Tennis

Senate Rejects Motion To Immortalise Humphrey Nwosu Amid Heated Exchange

By in News, Nigeria News

A motion to honor the late Prof. Humphrey Nwosu was the subject of a heated debate in the Senate on Wednesday, which caused tense exchanges among the members before being ultimately rejected.

Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe raised the motion, which was co-sponsored by members of the minority caucus, primarily from the South-East, under the theme of “urgent need to immortalize Professor Humphrey Nwosu’s contributions and brave defense of the democratic electoral process during the 1993 presidential elections.

Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, the leader of the Senate, raised a motion of order just as Senator Abaribe began to present the motion, alleging that lawmakers had not received copies of the motion, a procedural blunder, but Senator Abaribe disputed that the documents were available. The chamber became agitated as a result of the disagreement.

Read more about Senate’s investigation into rising costs for data services.

Senator Barau Jibrin, the session’s deputy president, noted that the motion was contentious and that the public had differed regarding Prof. Nwosu’s involvement in the presidential election that was postponed on June 12, 1993.

He claims that it’s “controversial.” Some view him as one of the six people who cut June 12, and others call him a “hero of democracy”

The “nays” had the day when the motion was ultimately put to a voice vote, effectively rejecting the idea.

The Senate Leader, who explained that the time has passed for that, furthering the escalating tensions, rejected Senator Abaribe’s attempts to reintroduce the motion under various procedural orders.

A clearly irritable Abaribe questioned the merits of an honoring Nwosu motion. What’s wrong with this motion, he asked? Why would Prof. Nwosu be immortalized?

Senators Yahaya Abdullahi and Senator Abaribe both warned against creating a “dangerous precedent” that would prevent lawmakers from bringing up important issues.

“We must allow speakers to speak.” If we don’t, he said, “We are saying that whenever things go wrong, we can’t fix them,” he said.

However, the deputy senator president responded by pointing out differences in Abaribe’s procedural language, saying, “You approached me to bring the motion under Order 50 and 51, but you later changed it to Order 42. Senator Abaribe is advised to resubmit his motion on the upcoming legislative date by saying, “This is a process.”

Senators from the South-East who were criticized for the motion’s rejection publicly, including Senators Victor Umeh and Patrick Ndubaeze. He raged, “What is the meaning of this?” and asked, “What is the meaning of this?” This is not how we can continue to operate. How are things going? ‘.

Bill To Remove Immunity Enjoyed By VP, Govs Scales Second Reading 

By in News, Nigeria News

On Wednesday, the House of Representatives approved 42 constitutional amendment bills for second reading.

The bill that would remove the vice president’s, governors, and their deputies’ immunity from prosecution would be one of the bills that would improve accountability in public office, combat corruption, and promote impunity.

This came after 39 bills for constitutional amendments passed the green chamber on Tuesday for second reading.

Ezekwesili’s encounter with Nwebonyi demonstrates What Women Endure In Many Cases.

Among the notable suggestions that came up for second reading on Wednesday are:

A bill to amend the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s Constitution to increase accountability in public office, reduce impunity, and remove the president’s immunity from the vice president, governors, and their deputies, and to end corruption.

A bill to change the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s Constitution to separate the minister of justice from the governor of a state and the commissioner for justice from the governor of a state.

The minimum number of youths and women who can be appointed to specific positions are specified in a bill for an act to change the provisions of the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s Constitution of 1999 to grant citizenship to spouses of women from Nigeria.

The bills that would create Ijebu, Ife-Ijesa, Tiga, Orlu, and Etiti were also introduced.

England A beat Australia A in opening T20 of tour

By in News, Sports News
Images courtesy of Getty
Jack Skelton
Senior journalist for BBC Sport

Hurstville Oval, Sydney, hosts the first Women’s T20.

Australia A 117-6 (20 overs): Penna 27 (34), Gaur 2-10, Davis 2-16

England A 119-7 (19.1 overs): Scholfield 36 (29), Scrivens 35 (38), Flintoff 2-16

Three wickets separated England A.

In their first T20 match of their multi-format tour, England A held their resolve to defeat Australia A by three wickets.

The tourists needed 10 runs in the final three overs to win, but England only needed three after England’s tight bowling.

However, Bess Heath scored a four on the opening play of the 20th over to win.

Before Heath’s unbeaten 18 off 16 and her stand of 63 with Paige Scholfield, who hit 36 off 29, put England to victory, which was completed by Captain Grace Scrivens, who made 35 off 38 balls.

Given the turmoil surrounding the senior XI, this is a promising victory for a young England side, especially in the first of three T20s before three 50-over games and a four-day game.

After Australia humiliatingly won the Women’s Ashes 16-0 clean sweep, England are searching for a new coach and captain.

The younger England players have a chance to compete for seats in the senior side under the new leadership.

The 6’4″ and left-arm pace bowler Gaur, 19, has already shown signs of how dangerous her special abilities are in 26 senior white-ball games.

In a bowling total of just 10 runs, she hit Tahlia Wilson with the first delivery of the game before dismissing the hosts’ other opener Courtney Webb.

With Maddie Penna and Rhys McKenna removed, off-spinner Davis, who has only made one one-day international appearance, went for 16 from her three overs.

Issy Wong, a fast bowler who has struggled in form since 2023, attempted to rekindle her English career with a 0-30 record on four of her overs.

Even in chasing relatively low targets, England and Australia have struggled against them, but Scrivens and Scholfield, who are more experienced, largely eased any tension before being both dismissed by Lauren Cheatle in successive overs.

Heath didn’t feel alarmed despite three wickets being quickly lost and Wong being dismissed on the final ball of the 19th over.

Bryony Smith, who did not join the core group, has been declared out of the tour due to illness, but no replacement will be called up. England has confirmed this.

related subjects

  • Women’s Cricket Team of England
  • Cricket