Latest news with #Setter
GMA Network
17-06-2025
- Sport
- GMA Network
Jia de Guzman bares Creamline return, but stays focused on Alas Pilipinas
Jia De Guzman shared she is set to return to her mother club Creamline in the PVL after two years of plying her trade abroad with Japanese club Denso Airybees. The decorated setter revealed her plans on Tuesday, just days after helping the country win a historic silver medal in the 2025 AVC Women's Volleyball Nations Cup in Vietnam. But De Guzman stressed her focus is on Alas Pilipinas, especially with a busy year ahead for the national team. "Of course I'm going back to Creamline but I went to a team that knows that I have responsibilities also to the flag," De Guzman said during the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) forum. "So right now, I'm very grateful because they're allowing me to focus entirely on Alas Pilipinas because they know I have a responsibility to the country." Alas Women are set to compete in a pair of major tournaments. They will return to Vietnam later this month for the VTV Cup before starting to gear up for the 2025 Southeast Asian Games in December in Thailand. De Guzman acknowledged the pressure to deliver results but shared they are just trusting the process of making something out of a youthful squad bannered by the likes of young guns in Angel Canino, Eya Laure, Fifi Sharma, Shaina Nitura, and Bella Belen. But De Guzman, an eight-time PVL Best Setter and back-to-back AVC Best Setter, said that that pressure only helps them to aim higher. "There's a lot of pressure to produce more results lalo na ngayon na we're reaching heights that we hadn't reached before," De Guzman said. "For us, 'yung number one talaga is to try trust the process and just keep showing up everyday to be better. But of course, yes, we will fight for that podium finish as we do every tournament naman talaga." Moving forward, De Guzman has full confidence in her teammates' ability to step up as the nation bids to break a 32-year gold medal dry spell at the SEA Games. "I have no doubts sa buong team na walang nagbibigay ng everything nila. That's the environment that we've been setting for the past years. There's no need for me to rally everyone, to try harder, to put more into their bodies, because I know everyone's giving their best." —JKC, GMA Integrated News
Arab News
16-02-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Shipment of ‘heavy' US-made bombs arrives in Israel
JERUSALEM: Israel's Defense Ministry said on Sunday that a shipment of 'heavy' US-made bombs has arrived in Israel, as Marco Rubio began his first visit to the country as Washington's top diplomat. 'A shipment of heavy aerial bombs recently released by the US government was received and unloaded overnight in Israel,' the ministry said in a statement, referring to MK-84 munitions recently authorized by President Donald Trump's administration. 'The munitions shipment that arrived in Israel, released by the Trump administration, represents a significant asset for the air force and the military and serves as further evidence of the strong alliance' between Israel and the US, Defense Minister Israel Katz said in the statement. The Trump administration had earlier in February approved the sale of more than $7.4 billion in bombs, missiles, and related equipment to Israel. The sale 'improves Israel's capability to meet current and future threats, strengthen its homeland defense, and serves as a deterrent to regional threats,' the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency said at the time. Israel launched a hugely destructive offensive against Hamas in Gaza in October 2023 in response to an attack by the Palestinian group that month. The war has devastated much of Gaza, resulting in the displacement of much of its 2.4 million population. A ceasefire has been in effect since Jan.19, providing for the release of hostages seized by Hamas. In response to concerns over civilian deaths, former US President Joe Biden's administration had blocked a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel, but Trump reportedly approved them after taking office. A former Israeli negotiator has said Israel missed two opportunities last year to secure a Gaza truce and hasten hostage releases, prompting a swift rebuttal from the premier's office. 'In my view, we missed two opportunities to sign an agreement ... in March and July' last year, said Oren Setter, who resigned from the Israeli negotiating team in October, in remarks broadcast on Channel 12. 'We did not do everything we could to bring them back as quickly as possible.' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been accused by opposition figures and some families of hostages of not doing enough to secure their release and torpedoing talks. On Saturday, his office dismissed Setter's remarks, stating that 'his claims that an agreement could have been reached earlier are entirely baseless.' 'Had the prime minister not stood firm, at least half of the living hostages would not have been freed in the first phase' of an ongoing truce, the statement said. 'As repeatedly testified by senior US officials, Hamas refused to engage in negotiations for months and was the sole obstacle to a deal,' the statement added. Setter clarified that he wanted to 'speak about facts' and argued that the deaths of hostages in captivity and 'unnecessary suffering' could have been avoided while still placing primary responsibility for last year's negotiation deadlock on Hamas.
Al-Ahram Weekly
16-02-2025
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Former Israeli negotiator says Tel Aviv missed two chances for Gaza truce - War on Gaza
A former Israeli negotiator has said Israel missed two opportunities last year to secure a Gaza truce and hasten hostage releases, prompting a swift rebuttal from the premier's office on Saturday. "In my view, we missed two opportunities to sign an agreement... in March and July" last year, said Oren Setter, who resigned from the Israeli negotiating team in October, in remarks broadcast on Channel 12 on Saturday. "We did not do everything we could to bring them back as quickly as possible." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been accused by opposition figures and some families of hostages of not doing enough to secure their release and torpedoing talks, mediated by the US, Qatar and Egypt, for his own political gain. On Saturday, his office dismissed Setter's remarks, stating that "his claims that an agreement could have been reached earlier are entirely baseless." Hamas and Israel are currently implementing the first 42-day phase of a ceasefire that has largely halted fighting in Gaza. Setter clarified that he wanted to "speak about facts" and argued that the deaths of captives and "unnecessary suffering" could have been avoided. Since the truce between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement came into effect, 19 Israeli captives have been released in exchange for more than a thousand Palestinian prisoners. A total of 33 Israeli captives, at least eight of whom have died, are to be released during the first 42-day phase of the ceasefire, which began on January 19. The second phase, which is yet to be negotiated, is expected to cover the release of the remaining captives and include discussions on a more permanent end to the war. * This story wad edited by Ahram Online Short link:
Al-Ahram Weekly
15-02-2025
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Former negotiator says Israel missed two chances for Gaza truce - War on Gaza
A former Israeli negotiator has said Israel missed two opportunities last year to secure a Gaza truce and hasten hostage releases, prompting a swift rebuttal from the premier's office on Saturday. "In my view, we missed two opportunities to sign an agreement... in March and July" last year, said Oren Setter, who resigned from the Israeli negotiating team in October, in remarks broadcast on Channel 12 on Saturday. "We did not do everything we could to bring them back as quickly as possible." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been accused by opposition figures and some families of hostages of not doing enough to secure their release and torpedoing talks, mediated by the US, Qatar and Egypt, for his own political gain. On Saturday, his office dismissed Setter's remarks, stating that "his claims that an agreement could have been reached earlier are entirely baseless." Hamas and Israel are currently implementing the first 42-day phase of a ceasefire that has largely halted fighting in Gaza. Setter clarified that he wanted to "speak about facts" and argued that the deaths of captives and "unnecessary suffering" could have been avoided. Since the truce between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement came into effect, 19 Israeli captives have been released in exchange for more than a thousand Palestinian prisoners. A total of 33 Israeli captives, at least eight of whom have died, are to be released during the first 42-day phase of the ceasefire, which began on January 19. The second phase, which is yet to be negotiated, is expected to cover the release of the remaining captives and include discussions on a more permanent end to the war. * This story wad edited by Ahram Online Short link:
