Updated
Nov 13, 2024, 06:57 AM
Published
Nov 13, 2024, 05:46 AM
US finds that Israel is not impeding assistance to Gaza; aid groups disagree
President Joe Biden’s administration has concluded that Israel is not currently impeding assistance to Gaza and therefore is not violating US law, the State Department said on Nov 12, even as Washington acknowledged the humanitarian situation remained dire in the Palestinian enclave.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin in an Oct 13 letter gave their Israeli counterparts a list of specific steps that Israel needs to do to within the next 30 days to address the worsening situation in Gaza.
Failure to do so may have possible consequences on US military aid to Israel, they said in the letter.
But on Nov 12, as the deadline mentioned in the letter expires, State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel repeatedly declined to say if the specific criteria were fulfilled. Instead, he told reporters that Israel has taken steps to address the demands and that Washington would continue to assess the situation.
Trump picks ex-Arkansas governor to be Israel ambassador
President-elect Donald Trump said on Nov 11 he is going to nominate former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee to be the US ambassador to Israel.
Mr Huckabee, an evangelical Christian, is a staunch supporter of Israel and a defender of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, considered illegal by most of the international community.
Mr Huckabee, 69, has criticised President Joe Biden for pressuring Israel to moderate its conduct of the Gaza war.
Indonesian president meets Biden, speaks with Trump
Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto met US President Joe Biden at the White House on Nov 12 and offered his congratulations to President-elect Donald Trump by phone during an official visit to Washington.
“I will work very hard to strengthen Indonesian-United States relationship, and I would like to work towards this end that we have a strong cooperation,” said Mr Prabowo.
Mr Prabowo, who has said he will pursue a non-aligned foreign policy, met Mr Biden in the Oval Office after posting a video of his call to Trump.
Nato chief warns of threat from Russia’s ties
Russia’s growing economic and military cooperation with China, North Korea and Iran is threatening Europe, the Indo-Pacific and North America, Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte said on Nov 12.
Mr Rutte, in what appeared to be a message to the next US administration as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office, underlined the importance of transatlantic unity and continued support for Ukraine in its war against Russian invasion.
Speaking before talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, Mr Rutte outlined what he saw as the dangers posed by North Korean and Iranian military assistance for Russia.
F1 to hold season launch with at London’s O2
Formula One will sell tickets to an unprecedented 2025 season launch event, featuring all the teams and drivers at London’s O2 Arena on Feb 18, as the world championship celebrates its 75th anniversary year.
Formula One said in a statement on Nov 12 that tickets would go on sale on Nov 15, priced at £58 to £113 (S$99 to S$193).
The two-hour extravaganza, with additional entertainment, will also be broadcast live.