Latest news with #Qatari-funded
Sky News
5 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News
Who were the five Al Jazeera journalists killed by Israel in Gaza?
Five Al Jazeera employees, described as among the "last remaining voices within Gaza", were killed in an Israeli air strike on Sunday evening. Correspondents Anas Al-Sharif and Mohammed Qreiqeh, camera operators Ibrahim Zaher and Moamen Aliwa, and their assistant Mohammed Noufal, died after a strike on a tent near al Shifa Hospital in Gaza. The Israeli military defended the targeted attack, asserting that the most prominent of the group, Al-Sharif, was the head of a Hamas terrorist cell and only "posed as a journalist" - claims consistently denied by Al-Sharif himself, Al Jazeera and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Al Jazeera called the killing a "targeted assassination" and described its employees as some of the "last remaining voices within Gaza". Here is everything you need to know about the news team and the fallout from the attack. Who was Anas Al-Sharif? The 28-year-old had become one of the most recognisable faces in Gaza due to his extensive reporting since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023. Born in Gaza's Jabalia refugee camp, Al-Sharif went on to study at al Aqsa University and graduated from the faculty of media, according to Al Jazeera. Before joining the Qatari-funded network, he is believed to have volunteered at the Al Shamal Media Network. After the war broke out, Al-Sharif reported on daily life in Gaza amid airstrikes, hunger and the rubble of destroyed neighbourhoods. He remained largely in the north of Gaza, detailing the effects of Israel's bombardment. In a broadcast in July, Al-Sharif was filmed crying on air as a woman behind him collapsed from hunger. He said at the time: "I am talking about [the] slow death of those people." His work gained him a huge presence on social media, with 1.6 million followers on Instagram and 562,000 on X. It also made him a recognisable figure to the many who watch Al Jazeera Arabic - which falls under the wider Al Jazeera media network. Israel shut down the Al Jazeera television network in the country in May last year and claimed the news organisation had links to Hamas. Al-Sharif was also part of a Reuters news agency team that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2024 in the category of breaking news photography for their coverage of the Gaza conflict. He is survived by his wife and two children, Salah and Sham. Who were the other journalists? Fellow Al Jazeera correspondent Mohammed Qreiqeh, 33, was a native of Gaza City. He earned a degree in journalism and media from the Islamic University of Gaza and became known for his eloquent way of speaking, according to Al Jazeera. Earlier in the war, he and Al-Sharif were separated from their families, the Associated Press reported. When they managed to reunite during a brief ceasefire earlier this year, their children appeared unable to recognise them, according to video footage they posted at the time. Camera operator Ibrahim Zaher, 25, was from the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, Al Jazeera reported, as was assistant Mohammed Noufal, 29. The broadcaster does not say where cameraman Moamen Aliwa was born or his age. Two other people, including freelance journalist Mohammad al Khaldi, were also killed in Sunday's strike, officials at al Shifa Hospital told the Reuters news agency. Al Jazeera reporter Hani Mahmoud, who is in Gaza, said everyone in the group worked "round the clock covering all of the horrific acts going on". He said it is "very difficult to imagine how the coverage will continue without them". As of 5 August, at least 186 journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza, according to the CPJ. The death of Al-Sharif and his colleagues marks the first time during the war that Israel's military has immediately claimed responsibility after a member of the press was killed in a strike. In their statement confirming their role they repeated the claim that Al-Sharif was a member of Hamas. It comes at a time when the foreign press is increasingly relying on Palestinian journalists, local reporters and humanitarian workers to provide details of what is going on inside the territory. Israel has mostly barred international media from entering Gaza since 2023. Hamas, the militant group that runs Gaza, said the deadly strike may signal the start of an Israeli offensive. Condemning the deaths of the journalists, the UN's Human Rights Office accused Israel of a "grave breach of international humanitarian law". In a post on X it called on the country to "respect and protect all civilians, including journalists". The office also claimed the number of Palestinian journalists that have been killed in Gaza is at least 242, higher than the CPJ's estimates. 2:50 'Target of a smear campaign' Al-Sharif's death comes weeks after the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), an independent non-profit, expressed "grave" concerns about his safety, and said that he was "being targeted by an Israeli military smear campaign". Last month, he also said he was living with the "feeling that I could be bombed and martyred at any moment" because his coverage of Israel's operations "harms them and damages their image in the world". In a post, labelled as Al-Sharif's "last will and testament", the journalist wrote: "If these words of mine reach you, know that Israel has succeeded in killing me and silencing my voice." The post, which was published after his death, adds: "I never hesitated to convey the truth as it is, without distortion or misrepresentation, hoping that God would witness those who remained silent." What has Israel said? The IDF said on Sunday that it has intelligence and documents that prove Al-Sharif was a "Hamas operative". The claims made no mention of the other journalists killed in Sunday's strike. In a statement it said: "Hamas terrorist Anas Al-Sharif, who posed as an Al Jazeera journalist, was the head of a Hamas terrorist cell and advanced rocket attacks on Israeli civilians and IDF troops. "Intelligence and documents from Gaza, including rosters, terrorist training lists and salary records, prove he was a Hamas operative integrated into Al Jazeera. "A press badge isn't a shield for terrorism." 5:11 The claims are not new and were first published by the IDF in October 2024, when Al-Sharif was named alongside five other Al Jazeera journalists. The IDF said at the time it had found documents and computer files proving all the journalists had long-standing links to Hamas or Islamic Jihad. Last year, Al Jazeera called the claims "baseless fabrication" and continued to reject the assertion after Al-Sharif's death on Sunday. Jodie Ginsberg, the chief executive of the CPJ, told Sky News Breakfast on Monday that Israel has never provided credible evidence to support their claims. What has Al Jazeera said? Condemning the killing of five of its employees, Al Jazeera said Israel's actions are a "desperate attempt to silence the voices exposing the impending seizure and occupation of Gaza". It called on the international community and all relevant organisations to "take decisive measures to halt this ongoing genocide and end the deliberate targeting of journalists". 6:24 Salah Negm, the director of news at Al Jazeera English, told Sky News Breakfast that the IDF statement was a "confession of guilt" and that it is targeting journalists for confirming what is happening in Gaza. "We have always followed the highest security standards possible. But if a state and a complete army goes behind journalists because they are doing their jobs, there is not much that we can do," he said. "Of course we are afraid, but we know the price that's being paid in order to put a free word and independent coverage to the rest of the world."
Euractiv
02-08-2025
- Business
- Euractiv
Turkey delivers Azerbaijani gas to power post-Assad Syria's recovery
Turkey turned on a supply of natural gas from Azerbaijan to Syria – whose infrastructure was ravaged by years of civil war – on Saturday with annual deliveries expected to reach up to two billion cubic metres annually. Syria's Islamist authorities, who toppled Bashar al-Assad in December, are seeking to rebuild the battered country where power cuts can last for more than 20 hours a day. Speaking at a ceremony attended by Syria's energy minister, Azerbaijan's economy minister and the head of Qatar's development fund, Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said the initiative would help normalise Syria. At the ceremony in the Turkish southern province of Kilis, near the Syrian border, Bayraktar declared that in the initial phase, up to two billion cubic metres of natural gas per year could be exported to Syria. Damascus has said the gas would be used to generate electricity. "The gas will help activate a power plant with a capacity of around 1,200 megawatts, meeting the electricity needs of approximately five million households," Bayraktar said. "We will transport natural gas to Aleppo and from Aleppo to Homs. This will enable the power plants there to be put into operation in the near future," he added. The Turkish announcement comes in the context of a Qatari-funded initiative launched in March 2025 as part of a coordinated regional effort to stabilize Syria's energy sector post-Assad. (cs)
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
What took you so long, Chuck Schumer?
Chuck Schumer has finally had enough. He's done with 'very strong' letters. On Tuesday, the Senate Democratic leader announced that President Donald Trump's plan to accept a Qatari-funded luxury jet and turn it into Air Force One was so 'troubling' that he was announcing 'a hold on all Trump Justice Department nominees.' Schumer also wants to get answers about the gift from Attorney General Pam Bondi, who personally signed off on what Schumer called 'this clearly unethical deal.' Good. Schumer can't completely block the appointments, but he can at least slow them down. It's symbolic. And it's better than nothing. But why now? Why has Schumer waited for more than 100 days to flex even this limited amount of Senate muscles? Granted, this 'palace in the sky' debacle has resulted in bipartisan cringing, but it's hardly the first time that Trump and his administration's corruption and contempt for the law have been on display. We could start with his first week in office, when Trump issued blanket pardons for Jan. 6 rioters, including those who assaulted police officers. Or when he launched a purge of the FBI, seemingly targeting agents who had investigated his own misconduct. Maybe that would have been a good time for Schumer to put his foot down? Or how about when Trump suspended the enforcement of a foreign bribery ban? Or when he called for the impeachment of a federal judge who ruled against him? Or when he fired the head of the Office of Special Counsel who protects whistleblowers? Or fired the head of the Office of Government Ethics? Or fired prosecutors who worked on Capitol riot investigations? Maybe Schumer could have drawn a red line when Trump slashed the office that prosecutes misconduct by public officials or after Trump dropped charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams — a move that lead to the resignation of the acting SDNY U.S. attorney and several other federal prosecutors. A 'hold' on Trump DOJ nominees? Why didn't Schumer take that step the minute Trump made it clear he could bring Kilmar Abrego Garcia back to the U.S. — but wasn't going to? Or when he suggested to the president of El Salvador that he would like to send 'homegrown' criminals — American citizens — to his notorious prison? Why didn't Schumer stand on the Senate floor and call for a halt to Trump nominations after the president issued executive orders personally targeting two critics — including Chris Krebs — who had challenged his 2020 election lies? Where was the 'hold' when Trump stripped the security clearances of law firms who had challenged him? Or when he threatened to strip licenses from media critics? Or when Elon Musk's team reportedly accessed sensitive and protected taxpayer information as part of a plan to facilitate mass deportations? Why didn't Senate Democrats exercise their power to slow down Trump defense and national security appointments after his top aides were caught chatting about military action on Signal? Or how about when Trump fired six National Security Council officials after he met with far-right conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer? Perhaps it would have been a good idea to impose a 'hold' on certain nominations after Trump refused to rule out the use of military force to seize Greenland? Or when he launched a purge of top generals, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs? Schumer did, indeed, write a 'strong letter' after Trump froze billions in federal grants for Harvard. But why didn't Schumer call for a 'hold' on Trump nominees to the Department of Homeland Security after masked agents began seizing people on the streets? Or after we learned that Trump's administration was arresting international students seemingly for little more than for writing op-eds? If we are looking for urgent moments that require explanations, why didn't Schumer declare a 'hold' after White House aide Stephen Miller said that administration was considering suspending habeas corpus? My point here is an obvious one, but it bears repeating. The circumstances of this Qatari gift offer a very visible symbol of Trump's susceptibility to corruption. It is hard to miss the jumbo jet in the room. But we have seen countless other examples over the last 100 days of Trump and his administration flouting ethical guidelines, constitutional norms and legal precedent. Sen. Chris Murphy, for example, has been banging the drum about Trump's potential $TRUMP crypto conflict of interest for months. 'My hair has been on fire about the meme coin from day one,' Murphy told The Washington Post. 'That is a level of corruption that is just absolutely stunning. It was already the most corrupt thing a president has ever done in the history of the United States.' And the worst part of all this, of course, is that the list of Trump's various schemes, misdeeds and alarmingly dangerous decisions is literally growing as we speak — whether Chuck Schumer finally wants to wake up and try do something about it or not. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump says 'there's something wrong' with top Democrat he's known 'a long time'
President Donald Trump on Wednesday said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has "lost his confidence" and suggested that "there's something wrong" with the New York Democrat. Trump made the remarks while traveling to Qatar for the second leg of his Middle East trip when reporters aboard Air Force One asked about Schumer's threats to block the president's Justice Department political appointees until the senator gets answers about a jumbo jet gift from Qatar's royal family. "Schumer is Schumer," Trump said. "You know, he's become a Palestinian. Something wrong with him? I don't know, I've known him a long time and there's something wrong. He's lost his confidence, totally. And there's something wrong with him. I don't know what it is with Schumer." Schumer called the Qatari gift a "grave national security threat" on the Senate floor on Tuesday. Allies Turn On President Trump For Accepting Luxury Jet From Qatar "News of the Qatari government gifting Donald Trump a $400 million private jet to use as Air Force One is so corrupt that even Putin would give a double take. This is not just naked corruption, it is also a grave national security threat," the top Democrat said. Read On The Fox News App "So, in light of the deeply troubling news of a possible Qatari-funded Air Force One, and the reports that the Attorney General personally signed off on this clearly unethical deal, I am announcing a hold on all DOJ political nominees, until we get more answers," he added. Trump Defends Qatar Jumbo Jet Offer As Troubled Boeing Fails To Deliver New Air Force One Fleet Trump has defended the U.S. preparing to accept a jumbo jet gift from Qatar's royal family to serve as a temporary Air Force One as Boeing failed to roll out a new Air Force One fleet in a timely manner. "We're very disappointed that it's taking Boeing so long to build a new Air Force One," Trump said Monday morning. "You know, we have an Air Force One that's 40 years old. And if you take a look at that, compared to the new plane of the equivalent, you know, stature at the time, it's not even the same ballgame." Fox News Digital's Greg Norman contributed to this article source: Trump says 'there's something wrong' with top Democrat he's known 'a long time'
Fox News
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Trump says 'there's something wrong' with top Democrat he's known 'a long time'
President Donald Trump on Wednesday said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has "lost his confidence" and suggested that "there's something wrong" with the New York Democrat. Trump made the remarks while traveling to Qatar for the second leg of his Middle East trip when reporters aboard Air Force One asked about Schumer's threats to block the president's Justice Department political appointees until the senator gets answers about a jumbo jet gift from Qatar's royal family. "Schumer is Schumer," Trump said. "You know, he's become a Palestinian. Something wrong with him? I don't know, I've known him a long time and there's something wrong. He's lost his confidence, totally. And there's something wrong with him. I don't know what it is with Schumer." Schumer called the Qatari gift a "grave national security threat" on the Senate floor on Tuesday. "News of the Qatari government gifting Donald Trump a $400 million private jet to use as Air Force One is so corrupt that even Putin would give a double take. This is not just naked corruption, it is also a grave national security threat," the top Democrat said. "So, in light of the deeply troubling news of a possible Qatari-funded Air Force One, and the reports that the Attorney General personally signed off on this clearly unethical deal, I am announcing a hold on all DOJ political nominees, until we get more answers," he added. Trump has defended the U.S. preparing to accept a jumbo jet gift from Qatar's royal family to serve as a temporary Air Force One as Boeing failed to roll out a new Air Force One fleet in a timely manner. "We're very disappointed that it's taking Boeing so long to build a new Air Force One," Trump said Monday morning. "You know, we have an Air Force One that's 40 years old. And if you take a look at that, compared to the new plane of the equivalent, you know, stature at the time, it's not even the same ballgame."
