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geopolitical · geopolitical

As of 23 July, inbound vessel traffic to Ukraine's Black Sea ports has been suspended due to the threat of Russian attacks.

natural disaster · natural disaster

Just under 12,000 people, most of them tourists, were evacuated on Thursday in southwest France as a wildfire ravaged a forest in Le Porge. The fire started midday on Wednesday, and hundreds of firefighters have been deployed to the region. France has experienced three heatwaves since May, fuelling wildfires.

geopolitical · geopolitical

Jordanian army intercepts Iranian missiles The Jordanian army announced that it had intercepted three Iranian missiles this morning, while one missile fell in an unpopulated area.

social demographic · culture

Some hospitality firms will get a 20% discount from next April, saving an estimated £1,100.

economic · economic

German bond yields rose to the highest level since 2011 as surging energy prices and mounting inflation expectations fueled bets on interest-rate hikes ahead of the European Central Bank’s decision later Thursday.

social demographic · culture

Ukraine's acting foreign minister Andrii Sybiha has spoken by phone with his Moldovan counterpart, Mihai Popșoi, congratulating him on his reappointment.

geopolitical · geopolitical

Indian activist Wangchuk sets conditions to end hunger strike

military · geopolitical

How Israel used Venezuela earthquake response for propaganda in Caracas Submitted by Ana Maria Monjardino on Tue, 07/21/2026 - 09:23 The country has been accused of humanitarian whitewashing while committing genocide in Palestine A Venezuelan flag flies over the rubble of collapsed buildings as a rescue worker stands in Caraballeda after an earthquake, 20 July 2026 (Federico Parra/AFP) Off On 24 June 2026, a deadly twin earthquake spread havoc across Venezuela, destroying 80 percent of buildings in the coastal state of La Guaira alone. Multiple reports put the death toll above 5,000 amid widespread devastation across the nation. The international response was prompt, with aid packages, engineers and rescue workers arriving from many countries. Despite the absence of diplomatic relations since 2009, the State of Israel also sent a delegation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Israeli military's Home Front Command to provide “aid and disaster response.” Led by Yoed Magen, Israel’s ambassador-designate to Mexico, pro-Israel groups and the military's Brigadier General Elad Edri advertised humanitarian rescue efforts on social media in stark contrast to its role back in Gaza, where at least 73,000 people have been killed by Israel since October 2023 and the territory reduced to rubble by Israeli bombing. “This has to be viewed in the wider context of Israel’s growing isolation on the international stage and their desperate attempt to cultivate whatever relationships they can," Tariq Kenney-Shawa, US policy fellow at Al-Shabaka: The Palestinian Policy Network, told Middle East Eye. “Israel’s humanitarian gestures are never anything more than that,” he said. “They are just gestures.” On 3 July, Delcy Rodriguez, the acting president of Venezuela, announced during a press conference, “We received a highly specialised and professional team from Israel.” She outlined their purported role, from assessing infrastructure to locating survivors, and personally thanked Venezuela’s chief rabbi, Isaac Cohen, for coordinating with the Israeli government. Changing positions Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil, who has previously called his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Sa’ar, a “war criminal and genocidaire,” also expressed his gratitude to the state of Israel. On 8 July, Rodríguez held a meeting with the Israeli delegation to discuss reconstruction and requested their presence for a further two weeks, prompting the dispatch of additional Israeli forces to “expand activities”. This constituted the first official engagement between Caracas and Tel Aviv since former President Hugo Chavez severed diplomatic relations in 2009, a position maintained by former President Nicholas Maduro, who entered office in 2013 and remained there until his abduction by US forces on 3 January 2026. With Maduro's abduction, the 'rules-based world order' is officially dead Read More » “Initially, Delcy Rodríguez maintained an anti-Israel stance, consistent with the position Venezuela’s ruling party has upheld for 27 years,” said Carlos Eduardo Pina, a Venezuelan political analyst at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. She initially rejected the US attack and Maduro’s abduction, condemning “the extremists who promoted this armed aggression” and alleging Zionist undertones . Now “she is making a political calculation to ingratiate herself with the United States,” Pina told MEE. “One of the factors that has most negatively impacted the current government's political elite in the eyes of the US public has been their relationship with Hezbollah and Iran, as well as their staunch, long-standing defence of Hamas," he said. "Consequently, many Republican representatives, and some Democrats, have spent years criticising the Venezuelan government and using those ties to justify US actions against it,” Pina added. “They are trying to distance themselves from those groups, while simultaneously attempting to forge a connection with Israel.” But “this did not begin with the earthquake,” he said, adding that “work in this direction has been underway for several months". "A rapprochement with Israel is also likely to impact or erode support among Delcy Rodriguez’s political base, so they can’t just do it overnight. It is a gradual process.” Chronic hypocrisy The practice of sending rescue and aid teams to areas devastated by natural disasters is not new, Kenney-Shawa says, but the Venezuelan case is "particularly ironic". “They are responding to a devastating earthquake in which thousands of people are trapped under rubble across Venezuela and yet, in Gaza, we have 10,000 missing people who are also believed to be trapped under millions of tonnes of rubble from Israeli bombs and bulldozers.” Venezuela crisis: Five graphs explain why Trump wants the oil Read More » The amount of debris produced by Israel’s genocide in Gaza is approximately 20 times the amount generated by conflicts globally since 2008. This tactic was first employed in 1953, just five years after the Nakba, when an estimated 750,000 Palestinians were forcibly displaced. The newly-established Israeli military sent a humanitarian delegation to help the survivors of an earthquake in Greece, where they were hailed as “ sailors of salvation ” and a street on the island of Kefalonia was named “Israil” in their honour. It maintains that appellation to this day. The 2010 earthquake in Haiti also provided Israel ample PR potential. “We always carry an Israeli flag and hang it wherever we work,” explained Shachar Zahavi, the CEO and founder of the Israeli NGO IsraAID, which was active in Haiti at the time, alongside the Israeli military. “We don’t do anything under the radar,” he added. Yet, by contrast, Israel was continually killing and displacing Palestinians in both Gaza and the West Bank and, in Haiti itself, had sold arms to multiple 20th-century dictators. 'Great PR opportunities' In Venezuela, non-governmental groups including IsraAID and Zaka, the group discredited for falsifying claims of beheaded babies and systematic sexual violence on 7 October 2023, have also rushed to the scene. From clearing debris to assessing buildings, they are working under a "Humanitarian Coalition” led by an Israeli rabbi, Yosef Garmon. Halliburton, hedge funds and Chevron: Big winners from Trump's vow to 'rule' Venezuela Read More » Garmon established the first Latin American branch of Zaka in response to the 2018 Volcan de Fuego eruption in Guatemala, one month after former president Jimmy Morales, a staunch Christian Zionist, moved the Guatemalan embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. They built houses for displaced families, establishing a community called “New Jerusalem” in the department of Escuintla, while the Israeli foreign ministry announced that it would send $10,000 in aid. Only a few decades earlier, during the civil war and state-sponsored genocide of Guatemala’s Indigenous Maya. Guatemala was the site of abhorrent and well-documented crimes and Israel served as an enabler of that killing “Natural disasters provide a great PR opportunity,” said Ricardo Vaz, lead editor at Venezuelanalysis. “If you go to a family that has lost everything, you give them a box of food and ask them to take a picture with a flag, then they will say yes.” Manipulation and disinformation Israel often sends the press team "with the cameras and the flags" to make it very clear that Israel is "coming to the aid" of the people, Kenney-Shawa says. After all, “social media and the wider media infrastructure is the tip of their spear when it comes to propaganda,” he said. How Israeli president's advisor worked to set up Reform Friends of Israel group Read More » “Over the past couple of months it has been announced that Israel is going to quadruple the amount that they spend on social media propaganda because they recognise that support for Israel has cratered amongst young people.” But pictures of diligent and dutiful Israeli soldiers amongst the rubble in La Guaira are inseparable from images of the rubble they are creating back in Gaza. “I do not think any amount of images of Israeli aid workers helping people, whether it is in Venezuela or Haiti, is going to be successful in fundamentally saving their perception on the world stage,” argued Kenney-Shawa. “Israel has fundamentally lost the argument when it comes to debating facts,” he explained. So instead of persisting with intellectual debates in which they strive and fail to justify the genocide in Gaza, “they are trying to take advantage of soft power opportunities,” he told MEE. From aid to arsenal Israel’s appearance in Venezuela is also tightly bound to its increased presence across Latin America, from Honduras under President Nasry Asfura to Ecuador under Daniel Noboa and, following his inauguration on 7 August, Colombia under Abelardo de la Espriella. Engulfed by a "war on narco-terrorism", this new right-wing order, led by US President Donald Trump, is rapidly renewing relations with Israel, from returning ambassadors to increasing trade in security equipment and surveillance technology. How the Israeli Medical Association politicised medicine to defend genocide in Gaza Read More » With Venezuela under de facto US control, “Israel's expertise in controlling insurgencies and developing high-tech spyware technology are things they can pitch to the Rodriguez government, or whoever comes next, in order to help the US consolidate its control here,” Vaz told MEE. “There are already Israeli and US drones flying around," he said. “We're honored that XTEND technology could support search and rescue efforts following the recent earthquake in Venezuela,” read a recent post by the drone manufacturer, Tel-Aviv-based tech firm XTEND. “Our thoughts are with everyone affected, and our deepest respect goes to the teams working tirelessly to save lives.” Back in Palestine, the very same devices are being used to scan buildings and launch ammunition. They have been used since the beginning of Israel’s genocide in October 2023, according to XTEND’s cofounder Aviv Shapira. In collaboration with the Israeli military's Yiftach Brigade, a top-secret “startup” unit including scientists and engineers, “a warhead has been developed that is mounted on these drones, thus transforming them into a weapon.” In August 2025, the company was awarded a bid to supply 5000 10-inch offensive FPV drones to the Israeli military “There is a price to pay for genocide,” said Vaz, or at least there should be. But “the Delcy Rodríguez government seems to have chosen a path of least resistance,” he said. “With that in mind, it seems like only a matter of time before it reestablishes ties with the Zionist entity.” With boots already on the ground and surveillance equipment overhead, the opportunity is ripe. Venezuela crisis News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

geopolitical · geopolitical

Fighters of the Phoenix unit of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine have destroyed a Russian Buk-M3 surface-to-air missile system in Donetsk Oblast.

social demographic · education

The University of Hong Kong will roll out a screening programme at pharmacies across the city early next year to identify people at high risk of osteoporosis and prevent bone fractures. The institution’s Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine on Thursday launched the city’s first community pharmacist-led osteoporosis screening programme. The scheme will use a screening algorithm that allows pharmacists to identify high-risk patients during routine visits and refer them to family doctors for bone...

geopolitical · geopolitical

According to the report, the conflict is unlikely to shift decisively without a major escalation, including the deployment of ground forces

social demographic · sports

Spain's Fabian Ruiz and Gavi receive their body weight in tomatoes when they return to their hometown Los Palacios y Villafranca.

geopolitical · geopolitical

Travellers panic as US attacks Iran-Iraq border crossing

military · geopolitical

Four dry-cargo ships and two sea bulkers carrying military cargoes for the Ukrainian armed forces to the ports of Odessa and Chernomorsk were struck overnight to July 22, and also during the day

social demographic · culture

Israeli lawmakers lead mass Al-Aqsa Mosque raid Submitted by MEE staff on Thu, 07/23/2026 - 08:35 Thousands enter the Islamic holy site, raising Israeli flags, praying and erecting a tent during one of the largest incursions in recent years Israelis prostrate themselves in prayer before the Dome of the Rock inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex during a mass raid on 23 July 2026 (X) Off Ministers and lawmakers led a mass raid on Al-Aqsa Mosque by ultranationalist Israelis on Thursday. Thousands of Israelis entered the Islamic holy site in occupied East Jerusalem under the protection of heavily armed Israeli police. Ahead of the raids, Israeli forces barred many Palestinians from reaching Al-Aqsa Mosque for pre-dawn prayers, forcing them to pray in nearby streets. The Palestinian Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs said at least 2,300 Israelis had entered the mosque courtyards by 10 am local time. The raids were ongoing and expected to continue until around noon. Among those taking part were Itamar Ben Gvir, Israel's national security minister, and Amit Halevi, a lawmaker from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party. The ministry condemned "in the strongest possible terms" what it described as a "blatant incursion" led by Ben Gvir, Halevi and large numbers of settlers. "The incursion constitutes a flagrant violation of the sanctity of Islamic holy sites and a serious assault on the historical and legal status quo at the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque," the ministry said. "The Al-Aqsa Mosque, with its entire area of 144 dunams, is an exclusive right of Muslims alone. It is indivisible and cannot be shared. These provocative actions, carried out at the highest political levels of the occupation government, are aimed at igniting a religious war across the entire region." وسط صمت شعبي دولي إسلامي.. المستوطنون يستبحون الأقصى منذ الصباح pic.twitter.com/VX9EOzRSFX — شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) July 23, 2026 Translation: Settlers overrun Al-Aqsa Mosque amid international and Muslim silence The raids coincided with Tisha B'Av, the Jewish fast commemorating the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem. Temple Mount groups - ultranationalist organisations that advocate destroying Al-Aqsa Mosque and replacing it with a Third Jewish Temple - had urged supporters to join the raid, saying they hoped to attract as many as 5,000 participants. Participants were seen in the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque raising Israeli flags, singing, dancing, prostrating themselves in prayer and erecting a tent for shade. Under the longstanding status quo governing the site, such acts are prohibited. Status quo undermined The status quo is a decades-old, internationally recognised arrangement governing the management of Al-Aqsa Mosque. Under the arrangement, the entire 144-dunam complex is recognised as an exclusively Islamic holy site. Access to the complex, prayer arrangements, maintenance and excavations fall under the authority of the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf, the religious trust responsible for administering the mosque. Israeli MP calls for Al-Aqsa’s destruction to build Jewish temple during mass raid Read More » However, since occupying East Jerusalem in 1967, Israel has steadily eroded the status quo. Over the years, it has seized control over access to the complex from the Waqf and facilitated daily incursions by ultranationalist Israelis. The raids have steadily increased in both size and participation, drawing tens of thousands of Israelis each year. The Palestinian Authority's Jerusalem Governorate said Israeli forces allowed groups of up to 150 people to enter the complex on Thursday, compared with the usual limit of around 30 per group. In recent years, Israeli authorities have also permitted Jewish prayers inside the mosque complex and the raising of Israeli flags. Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, a senior preacher at Al-Aqsa Mosque and former Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, warned on Wednesday that Israeli authorities were exploiting Jewish religious occasions to escalate incursions and take provocative measures aimed at changing the status quo at the mosque. He said the authorities had increasingly used such occasions to organise large-scale incursions involving ministers, officials and members of the Knesset in an effort to give them political legitimacy. Occupation News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

geopolitical · geopolitical

One person was killed and four others, including two children, were injured in a Ukrainian attack on Crimea

military · geopolitical

Strikes on the port of Odessa hit infrastructure facilities used to unload and store military cargo

geopolitical · geopolitical

The EU has agreed on the 21st sanctions package against Russia. It will be approved on 23 July through a written procedure.

geopolitical · geopolitical

Sonam Wangchuk has been the main draw at the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest in Delhi.

natural disaster · natural disaster

A Japanese study has found that the locked zone in the Nankai Trough is not permanent but changes over time, further complicating the task of predicting megaquakes along the fault line. A locked zone is where tectonic plates merge, allowing stress to build up until it is released in an earthquake. In the case of the 900km (560-mile) long Nankai Trough off Japan’s Pacific coast, it is where the Philippine plate meets the Eurasian plate. The Philippine plate is slipping under the Eurasian plate at...

natural disaster · natural disaster

Guardia Civil officers evacuate residents in Villa del Prado, central Spain, as a fast-moving wildfire threatens homes near Toledo with flames and smoke.

social demographic · education

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday vowed to punish those involved in a leaked exam papers scandal that has sparked mass student protests. His promise came a day after thousands of protesters, led by the social media-driven Cockroach Janta Party, demonstrated in New Delhi, sparking fresh clashes with police. The snowballing protests have become one of the biggest challenges to Modi since his re-election for a third term in office in 2024.

social demographic · culture

As of 10:00 Moscow time, the MOEX and RTS indices at the opening of the main trading session were down 0.13%, to 2,133.43 and 856.42 points, respectively

social demographic · education

Cockroach Janta Party protesters are occupying streets in New Delhi, demanding Education Minister Pradhan resign.

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