Latest news with #IOF
Reuters
13 hours ago
- Business
- Reuters
Brazil economic team to present alternative to tax hike, no defined solution so far
SAO PAULO/BRASILIA, May 29 (Reuters) - Brazil's government has agreed to present an alternative plan to the increase in the IOF tax on financial transactions in 10 days, lower house speaker Hugo Motta said on Thursday in a post on X. The controversial measure signed last week by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to raise revenue, and thereby limit an already substantial spending freeze aimed at meeting this year's fiscal rules, triggered intense backlash after it immediately drove up the cost of credit for companies, contributions to pension funds and some foreign exchange operations. Treasury Secretary Rogerio Ceron said at a press conference that there is still no defined solution and that discussions are yet to take place. Ceron stressed, nonetheless, that without the IOF hike, "we have a very complex situation" in which to fund vital public policies. "(Congress') desire is to create a more definitive solution," Ceron said, adding that there is now a sense of openness to structural discussions with lawmakers who, in the past, might not have been willing to engage. Lula's leftist administration has repeatedly emphasized its focus on rebalancing public accounts by eliminating tax distortions and what it sees as unjustified tax benefits, rather than cutting spending, which has notably increased since he took office. However, several measures aimed at curbing tax expenditures sent to Congress have either been significantly watered down or have not even begun moving through the legislative process. Motta earlier said that the Brazilian Congress is likely to overturn the government proposal to increase the tax on financial transactions if a legislative decree on the matter reaches the voting agenda. "The mood in both (congressional) houses is to overturn the measure," he told news outlet G1. Congress is willing to discuss reforms, Motta told G1, adding that he believes the government has resorted to maneuvers to increase revenue. "There is exhaustion in the Congress with measures that increase taxes, aim to raise revenue without structural discussion," he said.
Days of Palestine
2 days ago
- Politics
- Days of Palestine
Hamas dismisses Al-Arabiya TV's 'baseless' report of internal rift over Israeli captive
DaysofPal- Hamas has strongly denied recent claims aired by Al-Arabiya TV suggesting internal disputes within the movement's leadership over the release of an Israeli-American captive earlier this month. In a press statement issued Tuesday, Hisham Qassem, Hamas's media official abroad, described the report as 'baseless,' accusing the channel of participating in a smear campaign targeting the Palestinian resistance at a time of intensified Israeli aggression in the Gaza Strip. 'The report aired by Al-Arabiya is filled with lies and fabricated accusations,' Qassem said. 'It comes at a time when our people are enduring a brutal campaign of extermination and starvation carried out by the Israeli occupation forces (IOF).' Al-Arabiya had reported that the May 12 release of Aidan Alexander, an Israeli-American soldier captured by Hamas, sparked a rift between the movement's political leadership and its military wing, the Qassam Brigades. According to the channel, the disagreement stemmed from the belief that Alexander's release would lead to progress on ceasefire talks and increased humanitarian aid access, outcomes that ultimately did not materialize. Rather, the occupation intensified its assaults, shattering any hopes that were attached to the gesture. Qassem rejected these allegations outright, saying the report aligns with what he described as 'Zionist propaganda,' and urged Al-Arabiya to issue a formal apology. 'We call on the channel's management to issue an official apology and refrain from participating in the distortion of the Palestinian resistance's image,' he said, adding that Al-Arabiya has 'repeatedly published unfounded claims intended to delegitimize both the resistance and the broader Palestinian struggle.' The report, Qassem continued, is particularly harmful at a time when Gaza's civilian population is facing catastrophic humanitarian conditions due to Israel's continued bombardment, displacement campaigns, and blockade. 'Our people are facing relentless attacks, displacement, and the collapse of basic living conditions under ongoing IOF aggression,' he stated. The Qassam Brigades declared on May 12 that Aidan Alexander had been released after 'important contacts with mediators' to secure a ceasefire and facilitate humanitarian aid into Gaza. In an official statement at the time, Hamas emphasized that the step was taken in 'a spirit of positivity and flexibility' in response to international mediation efforts. 'This step came as part of the efforts of the mediators to stop the ceasefire, open the crossings, and bring aid and relief to our people in the Gaza Strip,' the statement read. Shortlink for this post:
Roya News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Roya News
‘Just like Auschwitz': Aerial footage of Gaza aid lines sparks outrage
Aerial footage showing thousands of Palestinians crowded into narrow, fenced lanes while awaiting humanitarian aid in Gaza surfaced on Tuesday, igniting a firestorm of controversy across social media platforms, with many users drawing disturbing parallels to scenes from Nazi concentration camps during the Holocaust. - Background - An American, "Israeli"-backed organization called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) became the scene of chaos on Tuesday after thousands of Palestinians, many of them hungry and displaced, rushed the facility in search of food. GHF, a relatively unknown group, has recently taken over aid distribution outside the long-established UN system. A photo from the aid distribution surfaced, depicting long queues of men, women, and children packed tightly into metal corridors with barbed fences under the hot sun, awaiting the distribution of food and basic supplies. The stark imagery—corridors of metal fencing, the lack of overhead cover, and the overwhelming density of human bodies—has triggered international condemnation and widespread outrage. According to the UN, at least 47 people were injured in the stampede. A Palestinian medical source confirmed one fatality. Ajith Sunghay, head of the UN Human Rights Office in the Palestinian territories, said most of the injuries resulted from gunfire. 'It was shooting from the IDF,' Sunghay stated, referring to the "Israeli" military. The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) denied responsibility. Speaking to Agence France-Presse (AFP), Colonel Olivier Rafowicz claimed that soldiers only 'fired warning shots into the air, in the area outside' the GHF center. He insisted that 'in no case' did the IOF fire at civilians. The GHF has drawn scrutiny for its opaque operations and for bypassing coordination with major international aid organizations, including the UN. Critics argue this has led to disorganized and unsafe distribution efforts, compounding the suffering of civilians already facing severe food shortages. - Online outrage - On platforms such as X, Instagram, and TikTok, many users are juxtaposing the image with historical photographs from concentration camps during World War II, citing the visual similarities in confinement, desperation, and systemic dehumanization. Others have posted side-by-side comparisons, prompting renewed debates about the language used to describe the suffering of Palestinians under siege. Some are calling this a form of modern apartheid, while others are accusing critics of weaponizing Holocaust imagery for political purposes. PHOTO | "Never Again - Over Again" #FreeGaza — Antifa_Ultras (@ultras_antifaa) May 27, 2025 You don't need to be a prophet. Images like this - of starved Palestinians hammed into fenced cages by Israel - will be remembered for generations as hideous evidence of a terrible crime. And history will remember not just those who cheered it on, but those who stayed silent. — Owen Jones (@owenjonesjourno) May 27, 2025 After 86 days of ban on food and all supplies, this is the way the Israeli occupation wants Gazans to get aid! — Motasem A Dalloul (@AbujomaaGaza) May 27, 2025 Israel literally put them in cattle pens to recieve a few biscuits after starving them for three months and bombing their tents after turning Gaza to rubble. Treating them like subhumans. This is the organisation bit of genocide. Like the ramp at Auschwitz. — Matthew Bennett (@matthewbennett) May 27, 2025 An open air prison within an open air prison. This is what aid distribution looks like in the joint Israeli / US food scam. This is day one and day 600 of Israel's genocide. — Samira Mohyeddin سمیرا (@SMohyeddin) May 27, 2025 Look how they are treating Palestinians. They've caged them in like cattle as they fight to get to the front for a meal from an israeli checkpoint. This is so inhumane so fucking vile to treat other humans like this!!! — JonnyUtd (@Fx1Jonny) May 27, 2025
Al Manar
2 days ago
- Politics
- Al Manar
'Like Land Like Money': Israeli Occupation Forces Raid West Bank Money Exchange Shops
Dozens of Palestinian casualties and detainees have been reported as Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) escalate their aggression in the West Bank, along with illegal settlers' violence on Palestinian civilians. The IOF conducted coordinated raids on multiple foreign exchange businesses across Nablus and Jenin in the occupied WB late on Tuesday, leaving at least one Palestinian martyred and dozens injured. Over 30 individuals were detained during the raids. Over 2$ million were confiscated, sources said, under the pretext that the shops supported 'terrorism' and that the money was designated for 'terrorism infrastructure'. Destruction left by the Israeli occupation army at an exchange store in Jenin, occupied West Bank. — Quds News Network (@QudsNen) May 27, 2025 Meanwhile in the northern WB, occupation forces have intensified their operations, particularly in Jenin and Tulkarm. The military has imposed sieges on several towns and refugee camps, leading to widespread displacement and destruction. In Jenin, bulldozers have demolished roads and homes, and many families have been forced to flee. The United Nations reported that at least 39 Palestinians have been killed and over 40,000 displaced since the beginning of the offensive in January. The escalated aggression on the WB came as 'Israel' continued its intensified military campaign in Gaza, killing more than 54,000 Palestinians since the war began on October 7, 2023, as tens of thousands of people starve in the besieged enclave. Settler Violence Against Palestinians On Wednesday, illegal Israeli settlers launched a violent attack on the Palestinian village of Mughayyir Al-Deir east of Ramallah, resulting in severely injured civilians. Once again, Israeli settlers set fire to farmers' land between the towns of Abu Falah and Al-Mughayyir, northeast of Ramallah, West Bank. — MenchOsint (@MenchOsint) May 28, 2025 Armed settlers assaulted Palestinians dismantling homes in the nearly vacated village, leaving ten people hospitalized, including a 14-year-old Palestinian boy. The settlers used firearms, batons, drones, and mobile reinforcements during the assault. Rights organizations have condemned these actions as part of a broader campaign of ethnic cleansing.
Roya News
2 days ago
- Health
- Roya News
"Israel's" war on parenthood destroys thousands of embryos in Gaza: Report
The BBC investigated the destruction of Gaza's fertility infrastructure through firsthand interviews with affected families, medical professionals, and humanitarian experts. For 26-year-old Noura, the dream of motherhood ended in heartbreak amid "Israel's" ongoing military offensive on Gaza. After enduring years of IVF treatments, she finally became pregnant in July 2023. 'I was overjoyed,' she recalled. She and her husband Mohamed, had even stored two additional embryos at Al-Basma Fertility Centre, hoping to expand their family in the future. But war upended their lives. When the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) intensified their bombardment of Gaza, Noura's pregnancy was thrown into crisis. 'I thought my dream had finally come true,' she said. 'But the day the Israelis came in, something in me said it was all over.' Forced to flee multiple times, the couple struggled to access even basic nutrition, let alone the medications and vitamins essential for a healthy pregnancy. 'We used to walk for long hours and move constantly from one place to another, amid terrifying random bombings,' Mohamed recounted. Seven months into her pregnancy, Noura suffered a severe hemorrhage. With no ambulance available, Mohamed transported her to a hospital in a garbage truck. By the time they arrived, one twin had already died. The other passed away shortly after birth due to the lack of incubators. 'Everything was gone in a minute,' Noura said. Their stored embryos were lost too. Dr. Baha Ghalayini, director of Al-Basma, spoke somberly about the destruction of the clinic, which he estimates was shelled in early December 2023. The attack destroyed two liquid nitrogen tanks used to store nearly 4,000 frozen embryos and over 1,000 sperm and egg samples. 'These are not just numbers, they're people's dreams,' he said. 'People who waited years, went through painful treatments, and pinned their hopes on these tanks that were ultimately destroyed.' Dr. Mohamed Ajjour, the lab director who was displaced to southern Gaza, managed to retrieve fresh nitrogen from a warehouse in Al-Nuseirat, but heavy shelling made it impossible to deliver the tanks. 'The center was shelled and the nitrogen became useless,' he explained. According to Dr. Ghalayini, between 100 and 150 women likely lost their only shot at motherhood. Many of them, he said, suffer from chronic illnesses, are cancer patients, or are beyond the typical age for fertility treatments. Noura is not alone. Sara Khudari was preparing for an embryo transfer when the war began. Her procedure never happened. 'I watched everything collapse,' she said. Another woman, Islam Lubbad, conceived through IVF in early 2023. But constant displacement and physical exhaustion caused her to miscarry a month into the war. Like Noura, her remaining frozen embryos were stored at Al-Basma and are now gone. 'There was no stability. We kept relocating. My body was exhausted,' she said. Dr. Ghalayini confirmed that none of Gaza's nine fertility clinics are currently operational—either destroyed or shut down by war. In March, the UN's Independent International Commission of Inquiry accused the Israeli Occupation of intentionally targeting Al-Basma, describing it as part of a broader effort 'to prevent births among Palestinians in Gaza'—a claim the "Israeli" government has forcefully denied. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the UN body behind the report as 'antisemitic' and 'terrorist-supporting,' while "Israel's" UN mission called the accusations 'baseless.' Still, for Noura and many others, the loss is deeply personal and irreversible. 'My nerves are shattered,' she said. 'I've been left with nothing.'
