Category World News

According to the senior official of the organization, Hamas will no longer engage in ceasefire talks with Israel because they see no point in doing so as the Gaza Strip’s hunger war and extermination war continue.

The international community must be pressing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to put an end to the “crimes of hunger, thirst, and killings” in Gaza, according to Basem Naim, who spoke to AFP news agency on Tuesday.

As long as the Gaza Strip’s hunger war and extermination war continue, he said, “there is no point in holding talks or considering new ceasefire proposals.”

Netanyahu said the enclave’s population would be “moved” in an upcoming expanded military operation by Israeli forces that would include “the conquest of the Gaza Strip and the holding of the territories.”

Since Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian enclave began, almost all of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have been forced to flee.

total blockade

Since Israel imposed a total blockade on March 2 and since then, the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip has become even worse, with frequent food shortages and severe restrictions on aid access as Israel launches deadly attacks throughout the area.

According to Al Jazeera’s reporter from Deir el-Balah, Palestinians are “struggling to find food to feed their children,” with some “forced to eat expired or rotten food,” while others are unable to find any form of sustenance.

Food supplies in Gaza have now “completely run out,” according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) as of this week in both local markets and humanitarian distribution centers.

In its most recent situation update, the PRCS stated that “the population is once again in extreme danger of famine.” More than a million people who have been displaced are unable to meet even the smallest daily needs.

Because all previously stocked aid has run out, the PRCS claims that only “limited quantities of legumes” are currently being distributed to community kitchens.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) echoed these concerns, warning against politicising humanitarian aid and urging immediate entry.

According to ICRC spokesman Christian Cardon, “the level of need among civilians in Gaza is overwhelming.”

According to international humanitarian law, Israel is required to use every means at its disposal to meet the basic needs of the country’s under-resourced citizens.

How can they talk about expanding military operations, asks Awad, 39, who lives in a tent in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, on Monday? “Israel has not stopped the war, the killing, the bombing, the destruction, the siege, and the starvation, every day,” he said.

He said, “I call on the world to witness the famine that grows and spreads daily.”

Aya al-Skafy, a resident of Gaza City, reported to Al Jazeera on Monday that her baby had died last week due to malnourishment and medication shortages.

She weighed 2. 8 kg [6.2 lbs] when she was four months old. She experienced severe malnutrition, liver and kidney failure, and numerous other complications as a result of&nbsp. She also experienced malnutrition, which caused her hair and nails to sag.

Israeli strategies

Despite numerous international appeals, Gaza is still severely restricted from receiving aid. The majority of border crossings into the area have been suspended for weeks, and only occasionally arranged convoys under strict Israeli control have been allowed.

Israel’s government reportedly wants to impose strict restrictions on how food is distributed in Gaza and has suggested that American companies should take over distribution from the UN and other humanitarian organizations.

Palestinian families would be able to transport one food parcel per week to designated southern Gaza hubs, and Israel would permit 60 trucks to enter the Gaza Strip daily, a mere one-tenth of what is required, according to experts.

In a social media post on Sunday, US President Donald Trump threatened to impose a “national security threat” on foreign films.

Trump’s threat has left many questions unanswered because the details are sparse. We explain what his threat, if it is enforced, might mean for the film industry, how his tariffs might be retaliated against, and how this might affect ticket sales.

Trump announced what, exactly?

Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform that “the movie industry in America is dying very quickly. He added that other nations are “offering all kinds of incentives” to entice independent filmmakers and studios.

According to Trump, “This is a coordinated effort by other nations, and it poses a threat to national security.”

Trump also referred to foreign movies as “messaging and propaganda.”

He ended his post by saying that he was authorizing the US Trade Representative and the Department of Commerce to “assemble the process” of imposing a 100 percent tariff on movies that are “produced in foreign countries.”

The White House appeared to step back on Monday. The administration is exploring all options, according to White House spokesman Kush Desai, “Although no definitive decisions on foreign film tariffs have been made, the country’s national and economic security is protected while making Hollywood great again.”

What qualifies as a foreign film, exactly?

One of the many inquiries that Trump’s threat has raised is that.

Films in a globalized world rarely rely on resources from just one country, as happens with most things. Hollywood movies, for instance, might have an American financier but could also be shot abroad with actors and crew from various nations.

Wicked, one of the top-grossing Hollywood movies of 2024, was shot at Sky Studios Elstree in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, in the United Kingdom.

In Leavesden, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, parts of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, which was released in 2023, were shot in Warner Brothers studios. In a UK studio, Barbie created the California-inspired Dreamhouse. In addition to creating jobs and supporting local businesses, Barbie’s production contributed more than 80 million pounds ($106m) to the UK economy during the filming process.

The same studio transformed into Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory in Paul King’s Wonka, which was later adapted into the bright pink pool slides for Rube Goldberg’s candy-churning Rube Goldberg machines.

The Fall Guy, a comedy action film starring Ryan Gosling, and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes were two examples of US films that were partially or completely shot in Australia last year. The federal government of Australia offers incentives for significant film projects in Australia, including a 30% discount under the location offset scheme. Similar tax relief incentives are provided in New Zealand.

Nosferatu, a US Gothic horror film, was shot in Prague, Czech Republic, the same year. In addition to other nations, US movies have been shot in Germany, Spain, and New Zealand.

On the other hand, many non-US movies were at least partially shot there. The Brooklyn Bridge, Miami’s beaches, and Chicago’s neighborhoods have all been used as backdrops for romantic comedies and robberies in recent Bollywood films, which has increased Indian tourists’ interest in US cities. Whether or not these movies qualify as “foreign” films would depend on how much money they bring in to the US.

How much do foreign movies rely on the US as a market?

Indian movies are profitable on foreign markets. According to Box Office India, the 2016 movie Dangal, a biopic about India’s famous wrestling sisters, Geeta Phogat and Babita Phogat, received about $ 12.4 million from the US and Canada.

The Producers Guild of India president, Shibasish Sarkar, told the Press Trust of India (PTI) on Monday that Indian films made about $100 million at the US box office. Vivek Agnihotri, a filmmaker, told PTI that “the diaspora market, which is price-sensitive, turned into a source of income for Indian films. If tariffs were implemented, Arkar and Agnihotri made speculative predictions that ticket prices would rise. When the movies are going to be on Netflix, Amazon, etc., Agnihotri said, “I don’t think anyone will watch them in theaters.”

The largest Indian diaspora population in the world is 5.4 million people living in the US.

However, Indian movies are not the only ones that make a significant US dollar. The UK franchise centered around Paddington, the anthropomorphic bear, Paddington in Peru, made more than $45 million in the US.

South Korean movies perform well on US screens. The King of Kings, an animated film with Seong Ho Jang’s direction, grossed $54.7 million at the box office in April this year, more than Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite, a 2019 Academy Award-winning film, which grossed $53.8 million in the US. These are the US’s highest-grossing South Korean movies. However, Oscar Isaac is one of the stars in the English-language film The King of the Kings, which is in English. A Korean-language movie called Parasite.

On the other hand, movies from nations like China rely hardly on US viewers because language is still a challenge for them to overcome.

Chinese animation film Ne Zha 2 earned $1.9 billion from nearly 80 000 screens in February of this year, according to Chinese ticketing company Maoyan, making it the highest-grossing animated movie in history. mainland China made up over 99 percent of the Mandarin-language film’s box office revenue. Despite being the 14th highest-grossing movie on the planet, Yolo, the Chinese comedy superhit from 2024, earned only $2 million in the US, according to IMDb’s Box Office Mojo.

What other nations’ responses to Trump’s threat?

Tony Burke, the home affairs minister and minister for the arts, responded to Trump’s threat with, “Nobody should be in doubt that we will stand up unwaveringly for the rights of the Australian screen industry.”

Christopher Luxon, the prime minister of New Zealand, stated that his administration was awaiting additional information regarding the tariffs. We’ll have to examine the specifics of what ultimately occurs. But, he said, “We’ll be a great advocate and great champion of that industry and sector.”

Bectu’s head of the UK’s media and entertainment industry, Philippa Childs, demanded protection of the country’s film industry.

An industry that is only just recovering could be severely harmed by these tariffs, according to Childs.

What has the US done?

Following Trump’s announcement, US media stocks dropped on Monday. In early trading, Netflix’s shares dropped by 2.5 percent, while Disney, Warner Brothers, and Comcast all dropped by between 0.7 and 1.7 percent.

Paolo Pescatore, a PP Foresight analyst, told the Reuters news agency, “There is too much uncertainty, and this latest move raises more questions than answers.” Everyone will struggle to comprehend the entire process, which is not something that will happen in the near future. Costs will undoubtedly be passed on to consumers.

Hollywood is “dieing,” according to Trump, right?

Hollywood has experienced a number of setbacks in recent years, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hollywood studios made $30 billion globally last year, a decline of about 7% from 2023, according to Gower Street Analytics. Even though the revenue from the previous year was higher than those from 2020, 2021, and 2022, it was still below the pre-pandemic average by about 20%.

The trade unions representing Hollywood writers and performers organized a strike in 2023 to demand better working conditions and better protection against AI use. Some studios shut down while others reduced staff due to this.

Los Angeles, the city where Hollywood is located, was ravaged by wildfires in January of this year. Southern California’s numerous locations for television and film productions were harmed or destroyed. Many actors also lost their homes as a result of the fire.

Many in the US’s film and television industries have rallied to support Hollywood’s revival, calling on California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, to pass laws like increasing tax incentives to do so. The argument is that Hollywood is rife with middle-class workers, gig workers, and local businesses that are experiencing production decline.

Rome, Italy: When Pope Francis was elected in 2013, he was criticized for enlarging the Roman Catholic Church’s role for women.

He did, at least, deliver. Women were given access to important meetings by Francis, who also appointed the first woman to the Vatican governorate. These were significant accomplishments for a deeply conservative institution for some. However, Francis’s actions were insufficient to fulfill the requirements for a truly inclusive Church, according to many others.

The role of women in the Church continues to be a divisive issue as cardinals convene daily meetings before voting on his death on April 21. Will the cardinals have chosen a pope who can build on Francis’ changes, or someone who might reverse them, when they finally leave their cocoon in the Vatican?

Women’s Ordination Conference, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting women’s rights in Church institutions, is led by Kate McElwee, the executive director. Because there is a real desire for the [women’s] inclusion project to continue, there is some concern about whether the next papacy will experience some backsliding in the progress.

The project isn’t finished.

When it comes to women in the Church, Francis’ legacy is still up for debate.

At the Synod of Bishops, he gave women the authority to cast ballots on matters relating to the Church. Additionally, he appointed a dozen women to high-ranking positions, including Sister Simona Brambilla as the first female prefect of a Vatican office overseeing religious orders for both men and women, as well as Sister Raffaella Petrini as the head of the powerful Vatican City State and Barbara Jatta as the director of the Vatican Museums. Across Pope Francis’ papacy, according to Vatican figures, the percentage of women in the Church’s workforce increased from about 19% to 23.4% overall.

These were merely cosmetic changes, some people thought. The pope did not address the contentious subject of women ordination, particularly as priests and deacons.

The deacon’s position in the Catholic Church includes a few religious duties, including assisting with mass and assisting with baptism, but it does not permit the carrying out of the most sacraments.

By examining whether women could serve as deacons in the Church’s early years, Pope Francis established two commissions: the first in 2016 and the second in 2020. The commission could not reach an agreement on the subject, according to Francis, and the second group’s report never came to an end, while the third group’s work was never finished. Pope Francis vehemently opposed the ordination of women deacons in an interview with US broadcaster CBS in 2024. However, he approved the synod’s final document a few months later, saying the matter should remain an “open” question.

According to McElwee, “it seems like he unlocked the door but didn’t completely unlock it.”

And Pope John Paul II, who prohibited women from becoming priests in 1994, has since been repeatedly refuted.

Men’s All-Star Club

Members of an all-male body are currently debating the Church’s future. This underrepresentation is on full display in this context. Cardinals are addressing the main issues and priorities that a future pope should be able to address at pre-conclave meetings in Rome, including the Church’s sexual and financial scandals, the global crisis of faith, China’s relations, and the significance of canon law.

The majority of the cardinals who will cast ballots for the new pontiff inside the Sistine Chapel this week have been chosen by Pope Francis and support his goals in many ways, including climate change, migration, and social justice. However, some observers claim that they haven’t made a clear statement about the status of women in the Church.

The Stockholm, Sweden bishop, Cardinal Anders Arborelius, said it was “important to see that there are other ways” for women to serve the Church “than ordained ministry.” And Beniamino Stella, an Italian cardinal who is close to the late pope, surprised fellow clergymen by accusing Francis of opening the Vatican offices to non-clerical figures in a speech at a pre-conclave meeting this week.

Sister Marie, a nun waiting for the new pope’s election, greeted the Vatican from Marseille, France.

She said, “Everyone has their role, and we are happy to remain in our current position, which is not within the Church’s hierarchy,” when she asked for her surname to be kept secret. Women serving as deacons or priests “would denaturalize” the Church’s foundation and the transmission of the faith,” she said.

The conservative guard also criticized Francis’s choice to appoint nonclerical people to positions of authority. Leading conservative Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Muller from Germany described the Roman Curia as an ecclesiastical body that should not be run by lay people in an interview with Repubblica last week. This was likely a criticism of Sister Brambilla’s appointment last year.

A reality that is already present

Sabina Pavone, a professor of history of Christianity at the University of Naples L’Orientale and a member of the Italian Society of Historians, claimed that the Church cannot afford to ignore the role and status of women.

“There is a realization that this topic needs to be addressed because it continues to be one of the hot topics,” Pavone said. “How to address it is not yet understood.

She noted that the inclusion of women in the Church is becoming increasingly important to the operation of Catholic institutions. Women are already taking the lead in many places around the world, from running parishes to providing local healthcare to teaching, while the majority of men are pursuing priesthood.