(archive entries)
Daily Archives: 21. August 2025
What You Should Know About the 5 Eyes, 9 Eyes, and 14 Eyes Alliances
( Apr 27, 2025)
– Five Eyes countries: United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand
– Nine Eyes countries: The Five Eyes plus Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, and France
– Fourteen Eyes countries: The Nine Eyes plus Italy, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, and Spain
– Partners of the Fourteen Eyes: Israel, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, British Overseas Territories
(…)
The alliances can collect and store your internet activity from your internet service provider (ISP), third-party surveillance, or activity trackers.
This data includes your IP address, browsing history, search history, phone calls, video calls, private messages, emails, and anything else that passes through your internet connection. Basically, if it’s sent via an internet connection, it can be tracked, recorded, and stored.
Sanft entsorgt
(30.03.2014)
Eine verschlüsselte Festplatte war im November 2011 dem BKA ausgehändigt worden.
Die Excel-Dateien und Filmkopien enthielten unter anderem Edathys Schicksalsdaten: Ab der Spalte 5.311 unter dem Buchstaben „S“ wie Sebastian befanden sich seine Bestellungen für Bilder nackter Jungen. Aber bis zu diesem Eintrag kam die Beamtin nicht. Sie blieb bei der groben Durchsicht bei Spalte 1123 hängen: Und war wie elektrisiert: Denn dort stand, unter dem Buchstaben „D“, der Name ihres BKA-Gruppenleiters.
Sexueller Missbrauch: Digitaler Raum spielt zentrale Rolle
Dobrindt zeigte sich daher zufrieden, dass die von der Koalition beschlossene dreimonatige IP-Vorratsdatenspeicherung kommen werde. „Wir können keine Aufdeckung erreichen, wenn uns die technischen Möglichkeiten, in diesem Fall die rechtlichen Möglichkeiten fehlen“, sagte der CSU-Politiker. Der Gesetzentwurf dafür solle in Kürze fertiggestellt werden, zuständig dafür sei jedoch das SPD-geführte Bundesministerium der Justiz und für Verbraucherschutz.
Auch der Präsident des Bundeskriminalamts (BKA), Holger Münch, hofft auf die Wirkung der IP-Vorratsdatenspeicherung mit Portzuordnung.
Glaubwürdigkeit verlangt Aufarbeitung
Was ist also mit jenen, die schon früh das Richtige gesagt haben? Was ist mit jenen, die das Grauen in Gaza nicht schweigend hingenommen und dafür einen hohen Preis bezahlt haben? Die Liste der Betroffenen ist lang und im Archive of Silence und dem Index of Repression ausführlich dokumentiert. Besonders drastische Beispiele lieferten die Technische Universität München, wo Studierende, die an einer palästinasolidarischen Veranstaltung teilnehmen wollten, von der Polizei in einem Raum eingesperrt und anschließend wegen »Hausfriedensbruch« angezeigt wurden, obwohl sie von der Universität selbst dort hineingelockt worden waren.
Weitere eindrückliche Beispiele sind die Entlassung Melanie Schweizers aus dem Arbeitsministerium, die Absagen gleich mehrerer Veranstaltungen mit der UN-Sonderberichterstatterin Francesca Albanese, die Kündigung von Helen Fares durch den SWR, die rechtswidrige Auflösung des Palästina-Kongresses in Berlin, die Absage der »Talking about (the Silencing of) Palestine«-Konferenz in Frankfurt oder die Einstufung der Jüdischen Stimme für gerechten Frieden und Palästina Spricht als extremistische Organisationen durch den Verfassungsschutz. Die Liste ließe sich endlos fortführen – und sie bleibt notwendig unvollständig.
The UK and 22 international partners gave a joint statement on the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Joint statement by:
foreign ministers of Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission
The decision by the Israeli Higher Planning Committee to approve plans for settlement construction in the E1 area, East of Jerusalem, is unacceptable and a violation of international law.
We condemn this decision and call for its immediate reversal in the strongest terms.
Minister Smotrich says this plan will make a two-state solution impossible by dividing any Palestinian state and restricting Palestinian access to Jerusalem. This brings no benefits to the Israeli people. Instead, it risks undermining security and fuels further violence and instability, taking us further away from peace.
The Government of Israel still has an opportunity to stop the E1 plan going any further. We encourage them to urgently retract this plan.
Unilateral action by the Israeli government undermines our collective desire for security and prosperity in the Middle East. The Israeli government must stop settlement construction in line with UNSC Resolution 2334 and remove their restrictions on the finances of the Palestinian Authority.
21 countries sign joint statement condemning Israel’s West Bank settlement project
Britain and France were among 21 countries to sign a joint statement on Thursday calling Israel’s approval of a major settlement project in the West Bank “unacceptable and a violation of international law.”
Israel approved the plans for the roughly 12-square-kilometre parcel of land known as E1 just east of Jerusalem on Wednesday.
“We condemn this decision and call for its immediate reversal in the strongest terms,” said the statement of foreign ministers, whose signatories also included Australia, Canada and Italy.
Media Freedom Coalition Statement on Foreign Media Access to Gaza
In light of the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, we, the undersigned members of the Media Freedom Coalition, urge Israel to allow immediate independent foreign media access and afford protection for journalists operating in Gaza.
Journalists and media workers play an essential role in putting the spotlight on the devastating reality of war. Access to conflict zones is vital to carrying out this role effectively. We oppose all attempts to restrict press freedom and block entry to journalists during conflicts.
We also strongly condemn all violence directed against journalists and media workers, especially the extremely high number of fatalities, arrests and detentions. We call on the Israeli authorities and all other parties to make every effort to ensure that media workers in Gaza, Israel, the West Bank and East Jerusalem – local and foreign alike – can conduct their work freely and safely. Deliberate targeting of journalists is unacceptable. International humanitarian law offers protection to civilian journalists during armed conflict. We call for all attacks against media workers to be investigated and for those responsible to be prosecuted in compliance with national and international law.
We reiterate calls for an immediate ceasefire, the unconditional release of the remaining hostages, unhindered flow of humanitarian aid and for a path towards a two-state solution, long-term peace and security.
Signed:
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Chile
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Japan
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
New Zealand
Norway
Portugal
Sierra Leone
Slovakia
Slovenia
Sweden
Switzerland
Ukraine
the Netherlands
the United Kingdom
27 nations call for ‚immediate‘ access to Gaza for foreign media
Twenty-seven countries, including Britain, France and Germany called on Israel Thursday to allow „immediate independent foreign media access“ into the besieged Palestinian territory of Gaza.
Israeli captives’ families call for antiwar march in Tel Aviv this evening
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents relatives of Israeli captives in Gaza, has urged the public to join an antiwar march this evening in front of Israel’s Kirya military base in Tel Aviv.
The group says it invites Israelis to “stand and march with them … and cry out together: ‘Enough with sacrificing the hostages! Enough with sacrificing the soldiers, both active and reserve! Enough with sacrificing the evacuees!‘”
It also urged people who cannot join the march to step outside at 8pm (17:00 GMT) and flip on their phone flashlights in solidarity with the Israeli captives.
Families of October 7 victims warn of ‚red line‘ for protest against government
Relatives of Hamas massacre victims announce major protest in Tel Aviv on September 7, demanding state commission of inquiry into the government’s failures, warning further delays will prompt massive blowback
Israel begins bombing Gaza City after expanded offensive gets green light
Gaza City residents described relentless bombardments overnight.
„The house shakes with us all night long – the sound of explosions, artillery, warplanes, ambulances, and cries for help is killing us,“ one of them, Ahmad al-Shanti, told AFP.
IDF orders evacuation of NGOs and hospitals. Netanyahu: „We will take Gaza even if there is a truce agreement.“
The Israeli military, meanwhile, has informed medical personnel and humanitarian groups in northern Gaza to begin developing plans for the evacuation of civilians to the south , ahead of the military offensive to conquer the area. This week, Israeli military officials informed „medical officials and international organizations in the northern Gaza Strip to prepare for the evacuation of the population to the southern Gaza Strip,“ according to a statement released by the military.
IDF begins warning calls to medical officials in northern Gaza
The IDF Gaza District Coordination and Liaison officer said in a warning given to the senior official in the health system: “I am contacting you regarding the possibility of the army entering Gaza City, there will be a full evacuation from Gaza to the southern Strip. This requires you to prepare a plan to transfer the medical equipment from north to south, so that you will be able to provide treatment for all the patients in the southern Strip and prepare the hospitals to receive the patients coming from the north, it is important to us that you receive this from an official source. We are going to provide you with a place to be in, whether it is a field hospital or any other hospital.”
Amid massive destruction of Gaza City, UN chief renews ceasefire call
Meanwhile in Gaza City, whole urban areas are being “totally destroyed”, the UN understands, with further destruction now underway in the south and southeast, as military manoeuvres continue.
Recent attacks have been particularly devastating in the Az Zaytoun and As Sabra neighbourhoods. In addition, reported airstrikes hit residential buildings or tents sheltering displaced people in Ash Sheikh Radwan, Ash Shujaiyeh and Ash Shati Camp, resulting in multiple fatalities, the OHCHR head in the occupied territories told UN News.
Highlighting more than 50 attacks on residential buildings and entire blocks in Gaza City since 8 August, OHCHR warned on Wednesday that the city’s “systematic destruction” had begun.
Business leaders call on UK Government for concrete action on Gaza
We add our voices to those already demanding the following actions:
1. The full and unrestricted entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, at scale, and with urgency, by qualified aid agencies.
2. The cessation of all UK arms transfers — including parts — to Israel in line with the UK’s legal obligations under the Arms Trade Treaty (which prohibits transfers where they could be ‘used to commit acts of genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes’).
3. The introduction of targeted sanctions against all individuals and entities credibly accused of violating international law, including war crimes.
4. Support for international legal mechanisms, including investigations by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and International Criminal Court (ICC), and full UK diplomatic support to secure the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.
As business leaders, we also call on the UK Government to:
– Suspend ALL export licences for goods that could be directly or indirectly implicated in military operations in Gaza – without exception.
– Partial measures are not enough to prevent UK complicity in breaches of international law.
– Broaden financial sanctions and investment screening to stop UK financing of companies complicit in violations of international law.
– Current efforts must go further to close gaps in enforcement.
– Enforce the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights across all UK-linked supply chains and financial systems.
The UK must ensure that no business – whether through products, services, or supply chains – is contributing to these atrocities, directly or indirectly.
Letter urges Prime Minister to recall Parliament over Gaza emergency
(August 18, 2025)
Sir Keir Starmer has been urged to recall Parliament to “impose immediate sanctions” on Israel in a joint letter signed by politicians in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
The letter urges the Prime Minister to “act now” to exert pressure on Israel to end the war in Gaza.
It has been signed by Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill, Alliance Party leader Naomi Long, SDLP leader Claire Hanna, the SNP’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn and the convener of the party’s Holyrood group Stuart McMillan.
Politicians sign letter urging PM to ‚act now‘ over Gaza
(August 19, 2025)
Parties joining in the SDLP-led letter include Sinn Féin, Alliance, the SNP, Plaid Cymru, the Green Party and People Before Profit.
The letter calls for Parliament to be recalled as well as urgent diplomatic intervention and an end to arms sales to Israel.
It is understood Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will respond to the letter in due course.
Global pressure failed to affect Israel’s strategy in Gaza
“This is all part and parcel of the punishment of the Palestinian people,” Ghafar, a senior fellow and director of the foreign policy programme at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, told Al Jazeera.
He noted that despite “massive protests” and growing opposition to Israeli actions around the world, the global pressure has not affected the Israeli government’s strategy.
Amid ongoing Israeli attacks, ‘the systematic destruction of Gaza City is already underway’: UN rights office
(August 29, 2025)
Recent attacks have been particularly devastating in the Az Zaytoun neighbourhood, where airstrikes, artillery shelling and gunfire are continuous and intense, causing a high number of civilian casualties and the large-scale destruction of residential buildings and public facilities, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory said in a statement.
Since 8 August, the office has recorded 54 attacks on residential buildings and entire blocks in Gaza City, killing 87 Palestinians, including at least 25 children and entire families.
It also recorded attacks on shelters for internally displaced people, including tents and schools, killing at least 14.
These casualty figures “indicate that the systematic destruction of Gaza City is already underway,” the statement said.
However, OHCHR stressed that these devastating figures are only a portion of the actual toll due to underreporting in such dire circumstances.
The 25 oldest cities in the world and what they reveal about our ancient past
(Updated on May 2, 2025)
25. Gaza, Palestine
Gaza has been an urban center for over 5,000 years. It served the Egyptians, the Philistines, the Romans, and the Byzantines. Though often associated with modern conflict, its ancient past is just as complex—and just as important.
What these cities reveal
The oldest cities in the world don’t just tell us where we come from. They tell us how we lived before writing, before kings, before nations. They show us how humans built, adapted, and rebuilt again. These weren’t just places on maps—they were stories in stone, etched by time, buried and rediscovered.
Some of these cities never stopped living. Others vanished and had to be unearthed. All of them remind us that civilization didn’t begin suddenly. It rose slowly, in many places at once. And it still speaks, if we know where to listen.
Gaza City being constantly bombarded as residents struggle to find refuge
Just a few minutes ago, before I came on air, there was a huge attack only metres away from where we are, behind Al-Aqsa Hospital. A makeshift camp in that area was struck by three missiles.
Gaza death toll surges to 62,192 as Israel continues the genocide
GAZA, August 21, 2025 (WAFA) – Medical sources said on Thursday that the death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 62,192, the majority of whom are children and women, since the start of the Israeli aggression on October 7, 2023.
Two more die of hunger in Gaza as crisis worsens under Israeli siege
Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that two more Palestinians have died from famine and malnutrition in the past 24 hours as a result from Israel‘s ongoing siege of the Strip.
The ministry said the deaths bring the total number of hunger-related fatalities during Israel’s war on Gaza to 271, including 112 children.
Gaza death toll since dawn reaches 20
At least 20 people have been killed in Israeli attacks across the coastal enclave since dawn, medical sources in Gaza have told our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic.
Among those killed were eight aid seekers, the sources added.