‘Not aid, but humiliation’: A desperate search for food in Gaza

Jehad Al-Assar, a resident of Deir El-Balah in the Gaza Strip, left his tent early in the morning to travel to Deir El-Balah to get food for his family.

His destination on Wednesday is a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF)-run distribution point in Rafah, in the far south of Gaza.

Jehad walked a 10-kilometer (6.3 km) “grueling” walk. The project took 2 miles (mainly due to his pregnant wife’s and his two hungry daughters) before it was completed.

The GHF site was Jehad’s only hope as hunger spreads throughout Gaza as a result of Israel’s months-long blockade of the area.

Despite the controversy surrounding the organization, whose own head resigned on Sunday, saying that the GHF could not adhere to “humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence.”

At least three Palestinians were killed on Tuesday in the chaos that surrounded the relief effort, highlighting the GHF’s lack of experience in handling aid distribution.

However, there are desperate and hungry people in Gaza. One of them is Jehad.

The 31-year-old made it for 90 minutes to the distribution center’s iron gates, where he stood alongside countless others, before they abruptly opened.

Crowds poured in, bringing in thousands of people. Jehad told Al Jazeera, “There was no order at all.” People rushed to the aid boxes’ stacked yard and walked into the inner hall, where more supplies were awaiting. ”

It was a real struggle in chaos. All crammed together, pushing to get what they could, men, women, and children. Just hunger and disorder, Jehad continued. There are no queues, no system, and no system.

People snatched whatever they could from the hallway. “Anyone who could lift two boxes took them,” he said. Priorities were set on cooking oil and sugar. They hurriedly left and grabbed what they wanted. ”

He claimed that what transpired left no trace of humanity. The crowd nearly nearly crushed me. ”

Armed foreign forces stood quietly nearby, unaffected. Jehad claimed that he confronted one of them when he approached one.

You’re not helping, you’re overseeing a famine, I told them. You ought to depart. You don’t need to be here. ‘”

Only a few items were recovered by Jehad: small sugar cans, pasta, and packets of biscuits that had been scattered on the ground. The long trip home took him with them in a plastic bag he tucked into his shoulder.

I had a small amount of. I was afraid to stay longer and suffer in the stampede, so I had to leave something. I must have food for my girls. He said, “I have no other options.”

His daughters greeted him with joy when he left the tent, even for the things he had brought.

The food we bring home is divided between my wife and I so the kids can eat it for a few days. We frequently skip meals. I bear the full responsibility for feeding the kids because they can’t stand this, he said.

Apocalyptic

On Wednesday, there were also awad Abu Khalil’s desperate crowds. The 23-year-old described the frantic crowds as “apocalyptic” as they rushed to the restaurant.

Everyone was rushing, she said. Chaos prevailed. Everyone gathered their resources, grabbing what they could, and attacking it. ”

Awad claimed to have heard gunfire in the distance that was most likely directed at young men who were trying to cross designated streets.

He expressed extreme resentment toward the staff. I anticipated American staff to hand out individual donations at tables, not this nonsense. ”

Representatives from a number of nations have criticized Israel’s decision to stop the United Nations and other international humanitarian organizations from bringing aid to Gaza, adding to the international criticism of the GHF.

In early March, Israel halted Gaza’s aid flow while a ceasefire was in effect. Since unilaterally violating the ceasefire, it has increased its fighting there by more than 54,000 Palestinians, which is currently the highest official death toll.

Jehad remarked, “We used to get aid from international organizations and the UN.” No chaos, humiliation, or chaos, it was delivered by name, in a well-organized manner. ”

At least 10 Palestinians who were desperately seeking aid had been killed by Israeli forces in the previous 48 hours, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office report by the end of Wednesday.

Humiliation

Both Awad and Jehad were able to bring some food home.

Jehad claimed that his mother and wife soaked the pasta before pressing it into dough. The sugar was used by his wife to make the kids’ simple pudding. He promised to come back on Thursday, he said.

Even that is preferable for the majority of Gaza’s residents.

There are three children in Walaa Abu Sa’da. Only ten months old is her youngest.

The 35-year-old decided to travel to Rafah by herself because she couldn’t bear seeing her children starve while returning to the displacement camp in al-Mawasi in Khan Younis carrying food.

My husband and I engaged in a fight, and we both fought against the Israeli army. Walaa vowed to go on his own, according to Walaa.

She joined the crowd as it headed toward the distribution center, giving her children to her sister.

My kids were on the verge of starvation. No formula for babies, no food, or milk. They cried all day and night, and I had to fend for herself, she said, “because my neighbors were so poor.” Regardless of what my husband thought, I went. ”

However, it was already too late by the time Walaa reached Rafah.

What little was left, the people were arguing. Some of the parcels were torn, she claimed.

Walaa left the distribution center with nothing to show. She witnessed a man remove a bag of flour from his torn package on the way back.

She said, “I picked it up and asked if I could have it.” He yelled, “I came all the way from Beit Lahiya in the far north of Gaza to get this. I have nine hungry children. He walked away, “I’m sorry, sister, I can’t give it away.”

His words caused me to understand, but they broke me. For who we have turned into, I wept. ”

Walaa described the experience as being incredibly humiliating. She displayed inferiority and shame.

I wore a scarf to cover my face the entire time. I didn’t want anyone to know that I was going to receive a food parcel, according to Walaa, a teacher with a geography bachelor’s degree.

Walaa says she will do it again if necessary despite her grief.

Marco Rubio says US will begin revoking visas of Chinese students

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As the Trump administration continues to impose its strictures on foreign students enrolling in US higher education institutions, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced that the US will “aggressively revoke” Chinese students’ visas.

Rubio made the shock move in a post on X, and there was a State Department statement titled “New Visa Policies Put America First, Not China.”

The US State Department and the Department of Homeland Security will collaborate under President Trump’s leadership to aggressively revoke Chinese student visas, including those studying in important fields or having connections to the Chinese Communist Party.

We will also update the visa requirements in order to make sure all pending applications to China and Hong Kong’s People’s Republic are examined,” it continued.

China is the second-largest country of origin for foreign students studying in the US, trailing only India. More than 270, 000 Chinese students accounted for a quarter of all foreign students in the US between the years 2023 and 2024.

Following President Donald Trump’s claim that China was a victim of US trade war upon his return to the White House, there is now growing tension between Washington and Beijing.

Establishing ties between US and Chinese academic institutions are also deemed a threat to national security by US House Republicans. Over concerns about the transfer of technology, Michigan congressmen John Moolenaar and Tim Walberg pressed Duke University to end its relationship with Wuhan University earlier this month.

According to Moolenaar and Walberg, the partnership opened a “direct link” between US innovation and Chinese military-industrial complex.

Rubio’s announcement on Wednesday also heightened the level of uncertainty for foreign students studying in the US, who have recently come under increased scrutiny as a result of the administration’s wider assault on higher education institutions.

The White House also temporarily suspended the processing of visas for foreign students on Tuesday, ordering embassies and consulates to hold off on granting any additional student or exchange visas “until further guidance is issued.”

Additionally, the State Department stated that it intends to “issue guidance on expanded social media vetting for all such applications.”

The administration also reversed Harvard University’s consent to enroll international students last week. The White House and Harvard have fought over the school’s handling of pro-Palestine protests and diversity programs, and a federal judge has temporarily halted the move.

This is in addition to Rubio and the State Department’s latest attempt to revoke hundreds of education visas for alleged minor legal offenses, political advocacy, or incendiary speech, in which Rubio and the State Department have sought to do so.

Students who took part in pro-Palestine protests that erupted on campuses across the US to protest Israel’s occupation of Gaza are frequently the targets of visa revocations and arrests.

Others are people who have shown support for the Palestinian cause on social media or have had indirect ties to Palestine.

‘Genius’ Palmer ‘made the difference’ against Real Betis

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It was appropriate that Cole Palmer, Chelsea’s most significant signing, helped them capture their first trophy under the control of Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.

They have discovered a number of gems among the £1.7 billion in talent that was brought in, despite having significant player sales that were balancing the books.

Palmer, a £37.50 million signing from Manchester City, is the only player to have had such an impact.

After a disappointing opening half of the Conference League match against Real Betis, where Isco, a 33-year-old midfielder, dazzled, Palmer came to the fore.

Even the Spain international, who is ten years his senior, outperformed him to elude a 4-1 defeat.

Former Chelsea winger Joe Cole described Cole Palmer as “absolutely genius” on TNT Sports. “We don’t produce these players,” he said. They don’t sag on trees.

There aren’t many players in the world of football who can do what he does, and he took the game by the scruff of the neck.

The second half turned into the Palmer show after Abde Ezzalzouli’s opener.

Before spinning Jesus Rodriguez to cross for Nicolas Jackson to chest home the second goal, he danced around Ezzalzouli before Enzo Fernandez met his inswinging cross.

Former Blues goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer said on BBC Radio 5 Live, “Cole Palmer has delivered, and that’s the difference.” Palmer is a young player with a lot of maturity. He dictated that second half and led this side.

West Ham’s forward Michail Antonio stated on TNT Sports, “The game was lost until Cole Palmer made his turn.” He started asking for it, and he demanded it frequently.

“His bad run will improve his game,” he declares.

Palmer has had a difficult second campaign after a fantastic first season at Stamford Bridge, in which he scored 22 Premier League goals.

Since January 14th, he has scored just once, in the 3-1 win over Liverpool at the start of May.

However, he made everyone aware of how unmatched he was against Real Betis. According to head coach Enzo Maresca, his 18-game goal drought will benefit him in the long run.

Without a doubt, Maresca said, “The bad run he had this season is going to make him better.”

He is a top player, he is well known. We must assist him in getting the right place at the right time.

Jackson pays off his “debt” with a goal in the final.

No one else, including Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson, needed this moment more.

Even Maresca claimed before the game that Jackson owed a “debit” to his team-mates after being sent off against Newcastle on May 11 with a red card that could have ended Chelsea’s Champions League qualification.

Maresca stated following the game that this is the team’s need for Nico.

The club are looking to sign a striker, with Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap one of their targets, and he is one of those who has struggled to persuade the Stamford Bridge fanbase.

The head coach and the owners, who have both earned money from winning trophies, are similar in that regard to the Senegal international.

After facing criticism for his style of play and a run of subpar results over the winter, Maresca saw a chance to show the club how to develop a winning mindset.

The US consortium’s ownership was tarnished by 1, 201 days without silverware, but Reece James’ team won a valuable breathing room when he lifted the Conference League trophy, his first as leader.

Behdad Eghbali and Jose Feliciano, the team’s most renowned duo, were the first to celebrate with Boehly, who reluctantly followed.

Boehly and Clearlake haven’t always been seen as friends this year, but this is a period of relative stability because the club decided to stick with Maresca regardless of the outcome of their final two games.

Chelsea won against Betis to earn silverware after beating Nottingham Forest to advance to the Champions League.

Fans will quickly move on if Chelsea’s participation in the third-tier competition for European club football is not bolstered by both progress and further success next season because they didn’t sell out their allocation in Poland for what was the final of the competition.

After the game, Maresca told TNT, “I feel good, but also the fans, they deserve that.” They merit it because they have been waiting for that for some time.

“The club is also waiting for results because they have invested a lot of money over the past two or three years. Hopefully, this will serve as a point of departure. Building something crucial from this season and tonight.

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US judge says effort to deport Mahmoud Khalil likely unconstitutional

According to a federal judge in the United States, President Donald Trump’s administration’s plan to deport pro-Palestine student activist Mahmoud Khalil is likely unconstitutional.

The government’s claim that Khalil posed a threat to US national security and international relations was unlikely to be accepted, according to New Jersey district judge Michael Farbiarz on Wednesday.

When the Secretary hasn’t determined how his actions affected US relations with a foreign country, “would a typical person have a sense that he could be removed from the United States because he [compromises]d]d]d] ‘American ‘foreign policy interests’,” that is, because he compromised US relations with other countries”? authored by Farbius. “Probably not,”

On whether Khalil’s First Amendment rights to free speech were violated, Farbiarz did not respond right away. Khalil’s request for immediate release also came under unresolved questions regarding his permanent residency application.

In the upcoming days, the judge is anticipated to make additional rulings.

In the name of national security and anti-Semitism, a ruling against the government would be the most recent legal setback for the Trump administration’s contentious efforts to halt pro-Palestine activism in the US.

However, critics have accused the Trump administration of violating fundamental constitutional rights.

The Trump administration’s first high-profile arrest was made against student protesters who were protesting Israel’s occupation of Gaza. Khalil is a lawful permanent resident of the US.

Khalil, a former graduate student, was a spokesperson for Columbia University’s anti-war protests. However, Dr. Noor Abdalla, his wife, recorded the incident while the 30-year-old was detained on March 8 in the hallway of his student housing building in New York City.

While his attorneys fought to locate him, he was then transferred from a detention facility in New Jersey to a facility in Jena, Louisiana. While the US government searches for his deportation, he is still imprisoned in the Jena facility.

Khalil has claimed in official statements that his detention is a response to the United States’ criticism of Israel’s war, which human rights organizations and experts have described as a genocide.

Civil liberties organizations are concerned that Khalil’s detention appears to be motivated by his political beliefs rather than any criminal behavior. Khalil has not been formally charged.

Khalil is still awaiting an immigration court’s decision to deport him in Louisiana. Khalil’s attorneys are arguing a habeas corpus petition in a separate case before the US federal court in Newark, New Jersey, which alleges that their client has been detained without authorization.

The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 was used as the legal foundation for Khalil’s detention, according to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio acting on behalf of the Trump administration.

A foreign national can be deported if they are found to have “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences,” according to the Cold War-era law.

The First Amendment of the US Constitution, which guarantees the right to free speech regardless of nationality, is in conflict with that law because it has been used so little and raises questions about its application.

Judge Farbiarz appeared to share that concern, admonishing the Trump administration’s justification as being “constitutional vagueness.”

The judge wrote on Wednesday that this means Khalil’s petition is “likely to succeed on the merits of his claim” that the government’s actions were unconstitutional.

The district court held what we already knew: Secretary Rubio’s use of immigration law to punish Mahmoud and others like him, according to Khalil’s legal team, who later praised the judge’s decision.

Khalil is just one of several famous students whose cases have challenged the law’s restrictions on what the Trump administration can do.

After facing legal challenges, other international students detained for their political activism include Mohsen Mahdawi from Columbia University and Rumeysa Ozturk from Tufts University.

Khalil is still being held in custody, though. Khalil’s request for temporary release, which would have allowed him to observe the birth of his son in April, was turned down by the government.

Additionally, it sought to keep his newborn son from being a part of visits to a detention facility in Louisiana.

Abdalla, Khalil’s wife, said in a statement, “I am furious at the cruelty and inhumanity of this system that dares call itself just.”

After traveling more than 1, 000 miles with their newborn son, she pointed out that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had denied the family “this most basic human right.”

Trump tells US chip design software makers to halt China sales: Report

According to people with knowledge of the situation, US President Donald Trump’s administration has mandated that US companies that sell their services to Chinese companies.

According to the report, which was released on Wednesday, companies that make electronic design automation software, including Cadence, Synopsys, and Siemens EDA, were instructed by the US Commerce Department to stop providing their tech via letters.

The Commerce Department is reviewing exports of strategic significance to China, according to a spokesperson for the agency, who declined to comment on the letters. “In some cases, Commerce has suspended existing export licenses or required additional licenses while the review is pending.

Cadence’s stock dropped by 10.7% to close, while Synopsys’ stock dropped by 9.6%.

Sassine Ghazi, the CEO of Synopsys, stated in a conference call with analysts that the company had not heard from the Bureau of Industry (BIS) and Security, the Commerce Department’s bureau of industry, which enforces export controls.

“Synopsys has not received a notice from BIS, despite the reporting and speculations that we are aware of. Our guidance for the entire year, therefore, reflects both our current understanding of BIS export restrictions and our expectations for a year-over-year decline in China. Ghazi stated, “We have not received a letter.

Synopsys’ revenue forecast for 2025 was updated after the market closed. After the close, both of its shares and those of Cadence returned 3.5% in trading.

A request for comment was not immediately responded to by Siemens EDA.

These companies use these software to create both premium processors and simpler products.

Although the extent of the policy change described in the report was not immediately known, any decision to defraud Chinese chip design customers could have a negative impact on both their bottom line and their bottom-of-the-barrier customers.

According to a former Commerce Department official, “they are the true choke point,” but that the first Trump administration’s rules on exporting EDA tools to China had been considered before but were ruled out because they were too aggressive.

Synopsys’ annual revenue comes from China, which accounts for about 16% of its revenue, compared to Cadence, which relies on China for about 13%.

ITV Coronation Street star ‘signs new contract’ on soap as character’s future ‘confirmed’

A Coronation Street cast member is said to have signed a new contract with the ITV soap ahead of the show’s historic crossover episode with Emmerdale, leading the charge into the show’s upcoming year.

A Coronation Street star is alleged to have agreed to a new contract.

A Coronation Street cast member has reportedly signed a new contract which will see them remain on the show into next year. It’s been teased that it could mean they end up appearing in the crossover episode with Emmerdale.

Claire Sweeney, 54, has already been on the ITV soap for two years. The actor made her on-screen debut as Cassie Plummer in 2023, with the character introduced as the estranged mother of Tyrone Dobbs (played by Alan Halsall) and the daughter of Evelyn Plummer (Maureen Lipman). It’s now been reported that the former Brookside star recently signed a contract for Corrie to take her into next year. A source told the Sun: “Claire loves being on Corrie – it’s a dream job, so she was delighted to sign a new deal.”

Claire Sweeney and Simon Gregson in a still from Coronation Street.
Claire Sweeney (left), pictured with co-star Simon Gregson (right), has reportedly signed a new contract to appear on Coronation Street into next year(Image: ITV)

There is also a chance that she’ll be in that, according to the source, adding, “With the big Emmerdale crossover coming in 2026.” Who wouldn’t want to be a part of soap history if they said it’s a great opportunity?

ITV announced the crossover episode earlier this month. It was revealed that the “unprecedented, one-off special episode” will launch its upcoming “power hour” of soaps, with the new schedule beginning in January next year.

Characters from Corrie and Emmerdale will unite for the first time in a “celebration of the soap genre,” according to the broadcaster. It has been referred to as a “mash-up” of the two communities.

The episode will be “self-contained,” according to ITV. However, it was made fun of that the crossover would “really affect” the characters and that it would leave them “linked forever as familiar faces depart and exciting new characters enter both soaps.”

Viewers will be able to choose which two characters from each soap to appear in a scene as an “extra treat” for them, according to the announcement at the time. The vote’s details have not yet been disclosed.

Following an earlier announcement that Corrie and Emmerdale’s air time would be cut from January 2014, the news came. Instead of the current six hours per week, fans will receive five hours total per week.

The logo for ITV's Emmerdale.
The news comes ahead of the ITV soap’s crossover episode with Emmerdale, which is set to air next year(Image: ITV)

Emmerdale will be broadcast on Monday through Friday from 8 p.m. to 8 p.m. every day. Corrie will then air between 8:30 and 9:00 p.m. ITVX will continue to air episodes at 7 a.m. before going to the transmission that evening.

The new commissioning model is viewer-driven, according to ITV’s managing director of media and entertainment Kevin Lygo. We want to present their favorite soap to them in the most digestible way possible and we already offer viewers more choice than ever in terms of how they watch us on ITVX.

We think this is the right number of episodes for fans to fit into their viewing schedule to stay up to date with the shows in a world where there is so much competition for viewers’ time and attention and viewing habits continue to change. According to research findings, soap viewers are increasingly turning to the show for their slow-paced storytelling. 30 minute, streamable episodes better meet viewer expectations for resolution, payoff, and storyline pace.

“A sizable portion of our soaps’ audience still watches us via the schedule, despite increasing viewership on ITVX,” we know. Nobody else can produce 30 minute drama this skillfully, which is in the DNA of the soap genre. It produces a consistent soap power hour for the UK’s biggest soaps that is accessible in the linear schedule.

Instead of the current six, Kevin continued, “This new commissioning pattern will mean five hours of soap per week.” The people who work on the soaps team are aware of the impact this will have. We will work with our ITV Studios colleagues to make these changes happen, and we will do everything we can to help.

Continue reading the article.

These modifications are motivated by pursuing our beliefs that will ensure these crucial programs’ long-term success. Additionally, they give ITV more room to invest in programming in a highly competitive market.