World
Israel’s Netanyahu Basically Tells UN to Pound Salt Over West Bank
Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, has basically told the United Nations General Assembly to pound salt over Israel’s occupation of the alleged Palestinian territories in the weat bank.
Palestinians welcomed a vote by the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday to request an opinion from the International Court of Justice on the legal implications of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories.
The UN vote poses a challenge to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who took office this week as head of a government that prioritizes settlement expansion and includes parties that want to annex the West Bank land on which they are built.
“The Jewish people are not occupiers in their own land, nor are they occupiers in our eternal capital Jerusalem, and no United Nations resolution can distort that historical truth,” Netanyahu said in a video message, adding that the “despicable decision would not bind Israel.”
The Palestinians seek a state in the occupied West Bank, along with Gaza and East Jerusalem. Most countries consider Israel’s settlements there to be illegal, but Israel disputes this, citing historical and Biblical ties to the land.
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The International Court of Justice (ICJ), based in The Hague and also known as the World Court, is the highest United Nations court dealing with international disputes. Its decisions are binding, but the ICJ has no authority to enforce them.
Netanyahu promised to bolster settlements
The United Nations General Assembly requested an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on the legal implications of Israel’s “occupation, settlement, and annexation… including measures aimed at altering the demographic composition, character, and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem.”
Members of Netanyahu’s new government have promised to bolster settlements with development plans, budgets, and the approval of dozens of illegal outposts.
The cabinet includes newly created posts and restructured roles that give some of those powers to pro-settler coalition partners, with the ultimate goal of extending Israeli sovereignty to the West Bank.
Netanyahu, on the other hand, has made no indication of any imminent plans to annex the settlements, a move that would likely sour relations with both Western and Arab allies.
The Palestinians welcomed the United Nations vote, in which 87 members voted in favor of adopting the request, while Israel, the United States, and 24 other members voted against it, and 53 abstained.
“The time has come for Israel to be a state subject to the rule of law and to be held accountable for its ongoing crimes against our people,” said Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Palestinian Authority, which has limited self-rule in the West Bank.
According to Basem Naim, a Hamas official, it is “an important step toward confining and isolating the state of occupation (Israel).”
Top Biden aide set to visit Israel
On Friday that US President Joe Biden said he intends to send National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan to Jerusalem next month for meetings with senior members of the new Israeli government.
The new Israeli government, which took office on Thursday, is the most right-wing in Israeli history, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party signing coalition agreements that included pledges to expand Israeli settlements in the West Bank, legalize dozens of wildcat outposts, and pass legislation that would allow businesses to refuse service to certain customers based on their religious conscience.
In its agreement with the far-right Religious Zionism party, Likud also agreed in principle to annex large parts of the West Bank, but the agreement includes a clause giving Netanyahu an effective veto, which he is likely to maintain as he seeks a normalization deal with Saudi Arabia.
The coalition’s plans have caused concern in Washington,with the Biden administration being most concerned with preserving the prospects for a two-state solution by preventing further Israeli expansion in the West Bank.
The official stated that no dates have been set for Sullivan’s visit and that other details are still being worked out, but that he is expected to meet with Netanyahu, his National Security Council chairman Tzachi Hanegbi, and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, whom the premier has reportedly appointed as his point man for relations with the Biden administration.
According to the Times of Isreal, Sullivan’s visit could pave the way for Netanyahu to visit Washington in February.
Biden fears Israel’s far right cabinet
Meanwhile, Biden congratulated Netanyahu on the formation of a government on Thursday, saying he looks forward to working with him to advance Israel’s regional integration, promote peace between Israel and the Palestinians, and address the threat posed by Iran.
“The United States will continue to support the two-state solution and oppose policies that jeopardize its viability or contradict our mutual interests and values,” Biden added, expressing a policy that will likely clash with the new West Bank government’s plans.
The Biden administration has not stated whether it will collaborate with some of Netanyahu’s most far-right cabinet members, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and Deputy Minister Avi Maoz.
Blinken warned Israel earlier this month against annexation, settlement expansion, and evictions of Palestinians, but added that Washington was willing to work with the new government and would judge it based on its policies, not its personalities.
Israel has cited several reasons for keeping the West Bank within its borders: a claim based on historic rights to this as a homeland as claimed in the Balfour Declaration of 1917; internal and external security concerns; and the area’s deep symbolic value for Jews.
Source: Reuters, Times of Isreal, VOR News
World
Americans Set Financial Resolutions For 2025, Survey Finds
(VOR News) – According to a survey that was conducted not so long ago, more than half of the Financial Resolutions people living in the United States are considering making financial resolutions for the new year.
When inflation is a large role, this is because holiday spending leaves little money in wallets. This is especially true during times when inflation is a significant factor.
All of us are familiar with the traditional resolutions that people make for the New Year, such as increasing the amount of time spent exercising and making improvements to one’s diet.
They are, however, reevaluating the significance of those resolutions in this day and age, when rising costs are at the forefront of the minds of a great number of people.
With regard to the outcomes of the 2025 Financial Resolutions Study that was carried out by Fidelity Investments, it was discovered that over sixty-five percent of the individuals who took part in the study said that they are considering making Financial Resolutions for the New Year.
The findings of the study show that the year 2025 is expected to be the year of “living practically.” This is one of the most significant discoveries.
When compared to the previous year, the majority of Americans who have taken the decision to save more money are more concerned with short-term savings goals in the future year (55% versus 45%). This figure represents a significant increase from the previous year.
In comparison to the prior year, this is a change. Unanticipated costs are at the top of the list of individuals who are anxious about their Financial Resolutions situation for the coming year, and a whopping 79% of those who participated in the poll revealed that they aim to raise the amount of money they have set aside for situations that require immediate attention.
Issues that are at the top of the list for the year 2025 include:
Expenses that weren’t expected to arise
The effect that inflation has on daily savings and expenditure levels
Uncertainty about the economy and the impending recession
Most people who create goals for themselves claim to have a plan in place that will help them achieve their objectives. They replied that it would benefit them in the long run to have a goal that is both attainable and easy to sustain, with small benchmarks to help them along the way. Those who had failed to meet their financial objectives in the past year brought this up.
According to the survey’s results, younger generations are more inclined to make financial decisions and think they are more likely to be in a better financial position than earlier generations.
The vast majority of Americans believe that their financial situation will improve during the next 12 months. They state that the two main factors they mention as being significant are living a life free of obligations and feeling more at ease.
The Ohio Department of Commerce’s Division of Financial Institutions (DFI) recommends the following financial resolutions be put into effect.
These financial resolutions are as follows:
Put some additional money aside for your retirement income.
The goal is to improve your credit score.
Establish a reserve fund to cover any unforeseen costs.
A debt management strategy that is successful
Making a budget with your own money is a good idea.
Some examples of the kinds of security measures that, according to DFI, are effective ways to secure the money that you have worked so hard to acquire include changing your passwords and enabling two-step verification. Both of these are instances of security measures
SOURCE: WKBN
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World
The Goal Of Donald Trump’s Transition Team Is To Withdraw The US From WHO “On Day One.”
(VOR News) – The transition team led by Donald Trump is reportedly planning to remove the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO) on the first day of the next government, according to experts.
This would have a “catastrophic” impact on people’s health all throughout the world, these experts warn.
On January 20, the day the president-elect becomes office, these individuals want to announce their desire to depart the global health agency, Donald Trump’s team members informed analysts.
If the World Health Organization were to depart, it would lose its most significant source of funding, which would hinder its ability to respond to public health emergencies such as the Coronavirus pandemic.
Donald Trump’s leadership and funding for global health are noteworthy.
The United States of America is most likely to leave a significant void. According to Georgetown Law professor of global health Lawrence Gostin, “I see no one that is going to fill the breach.” He went on to say that the withdrawal “on day one” will have “catastrophic” effects on people’s health all around the world.
Trump’s nomination of several allies, including vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy, for important health positions in the incoming government has led to a disagreement over US relations with the World Health Organization (WHO). Nevertheless, Gostin expressed doubt that Donald Trump would prioritize a prompt withdrawal as much as some of his colleagues.
The United States of America was the largest single donor to the World Health Organization (WHO), accounting for almost 16 percent of its funding in fiscal years 2022–2023.
In 2020, President Donald Trump began the process of disbanding the World Health Organization (WHO) after accusing it of being under Chinese control.
However, the process has never been completed, and his vice presidential replacement, Joe Biden, resumed relations with the agency on the first day of his administration in 2021.
Experts have seen that after initiating the process immediately, some Donald Trump administration officials are keen to proceed much more quickly this time.
Ashish Jha, a former White House Covid response coordinator for Biden and the director of Brown University’s school of public health, stated that the transition team wanted Donald Trump to withdraw on the first day because to the “symbolism” of reversing Biden’s own inauguration-day decision.
He remarked, “Many individuals within the administration’s inner circle lack trust in the WHO and wish to symbolically demonstrate their disassociation from it on the first day.”
“If you do not actively participate in these Donald Trump institutions.
You will not be able to respond quickly when the next outbreak happens,” he stated. Gostin predicted “very lean years for the WHO,” which would mean the organization would have to substantially cut back on its scientific workforce and struggle to respond to health emergencies.
If the United States withdrew, he said, European countries would likely not increase their contributions to the World Health Organization (WHO), and China might try to strengthen its influence. He claimed that since leaving would give China more authority, it would not be a smart move.
Questions concerning the possible withdrawal were not immediately answered by the Donald Trump transition team. “Is this the same WHO we left in place for the initial administration?” a person familiar with the arrangements told the Financial Times. Right now, we don’t appear to care all that much about what they have to say.
There was no response from the World Health Organization. The group’s director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, called it a “unique organization” earlier this month and said it aimed to collaborate with U.S. officials.
He continued, “From our end, we are prepared to collaborate with one another.” “I believe that the leaders of the United States of America are aware of the fact that the United States cannot be safe unless the rest of the world is safe.
SOURCE: FT
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World
Do Microplastics in the Atmosphere Endanger Your Fertility?
(VOR News) – It is quite possible that the presence of small microplastic particles in the air may be a contributing factor to a wide variety of health problems, including malignancies of the lungs and colon.
This is something that needs additional research to be determined. There is one more item to take into consideration, and that is the potential that this is the exact circumstance.
A recent study found that tires and debris that are decomposing shed minute fragments of plastic that go airborne, so creating a form of air pollution that is not particularly widely known. This type of pollution is caused by the degradation of plastic. An example of this type of pollution is that which is discharged into the atmosphere.
The industry refers to microplastic as “air pollution.”
According to the findings of a researcher named Tracey Woodruff, who is a professor of obstetrics, gynaecology, and reproductive sciences at the University of California, San Francisco, “These microplastics are basically particulate matter from air pollution,” and it is common knowledge that this particular type of air pollution is particularly hazardous.
The researchers who supplied background notes stated that the size of microplastics is less than 5 millimetres, which is smaller than a grain of rice.
This information was provided, according to researchers. These details were supplied by the researchers who conducted the study. These particulars were provided by researchers who were responsible for carrying out the study.
The amount of plastic that is created on a yearly basis by enterprises all over the world is roughly 460 million tonnes, as indicated by the data that were provided by academics all over the world. The forecasts indicate that by the year 2050, this quantity is anticipated to have increased to 1.1 billion tonnes.
Driving is a substantial contributor to the amount of plastic that is floating around in the atmosphere, according to the conclusions of the experts who conducted the study about the phenomenon. When tires are worn down to the point where they scrape against the surface of the road, they allow microplastics to be released into the environment.
As a result of the tires wearing down, this occurs. This impact is brought about as a consequence of the inevitable amount of wear and tear that tires are subjected to.
A study that was published on December 18 in the journal Environmental Science & Technology was the result of researchers conducting an examination of data collected from over 3,000 previous investigations.
The paper was published as a consequence of this procedure. The review was constructed with the help of this analysis that was carried out.
Microplastic used this analysis to put together the review.
A number of diseases, such as cancer, lung problems, and infertility, may be influenced by the presence of microplastics in the air, according to the data, which led to the conclusion that this may be the case.
Despite the fact that the vast majority of the studies that were incorporated into the study were carried out on animals, the researchers claimed that it is very certainly plausible that the findings can also be applied to people. The fact that the majority of investigations were conducted on animals does not change the reality that this is the case.
“We urge regulatory agencies and policy leaders to consider the growing evidence of health harms from microplastics, including colon and lung cancer,” stated Nicholas Chartres, the principal investigator and senior research fellow at the University of Sydney.
The organisation reported this comment. The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) issued a press release on behalf of the organisation that contained this statement. The news release was disseminated to the public. We are convinced that state officials will act quickly to make sure that no leaks of this kind occur, which is of the highest importance.
SOURCE: USN
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