WEST PALM BEACH: When America's top diplomat called to offer condolences over the killing of his son in the Israeli airstrikes that hit a World Central Kitchen convoy delivering aid in Gaza, John Flickinger knew what he wanted to say.
The grieving father told Secretary of State Antony Blinken that the killings by Israel in the Hamas-run territory must end, and that the United States needs to use its power and leverage over its closest Mideast ally to make that happen.
Flickinger's 33-year-old son, Jacob Flickinger, a dual U.S. and Canadian citizen, was among the seven humanitarian workers killed in the April 1 drone strikes.
“If the United States threatened to suspend aid to Israel, maybe my son would be alive today,” John Flickinger told The Associated Press in describing his 30-minute conversation Saturday with Blinken.
Flickinger said Blinken did not pledge any new policy actions but said the Biden administration had sent a strong message to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the relationship between the United States and Israel may change if the Israeli Defense Forces do not show more care for the fate of Gaza's civilians.
“I'm hopeful that this is the last straw, that the United States will suspend aid and will take meaningful action to leverage change in the way Israel is conducting this war,” John Flickinger said.
Flickinger said Blinken also spoke with his son's partner, Sandy Leclerc, who is left to care for their 1-year-old son, Jasper.
In addition to Jacob Flickinger, three British nationals, an Australian, a Polish national and a Palestinian were killed in the strikes.
John Flickinger described his son as “larger than life,” a “loving son, a devoted dad and new father and a very loving companion to his life partner.”
Jacob Flickinger was remembered as a lover of the outdoors who ran survival training retreats and was involved in mountaineering, rock climbing and other adventure activities. He spent about 11 years serving in the Canadian Armed Forces, including eight months in Afghanistan.
The elder Flickinger said his son knew going to Gaza was risky, but he discussed it with family members and volunteered in hopes of helping Palestinians in Gaza that aide groups say face imminent famine.
“He died doing what he loved, which was serving and helping others,” said Flickinger, whose own nonprofit, Breakthrough Miami, exposes underrepresented students to academic opportunities and prepares them for college.
World Central Kitchen representatives have said they informed the Israeli military of their movements and the presence of their convoy.
Israeli officials have called the drone strikes a mistake, and on Friday the military said it dismissed two officers and reprimanded three others for their roles. The officers mishandled critical information and violated rules of engagement, the military said.
But John Flickinger said that in his view the strike “was a deliberate attempt to intimidate aid workers and to stop the flow of humanitarian aid.”
World Central Kitchen has since ceased food deliveries in Gaza, Flickinger noted, and he said it looks like Israel is “using food as a weapon.”
The Canadian government has been communicating with the family and is offering financial support to move Leclerc and Jasper from Costa Rica, where the family lives, back to Quebec province to be closer to family, Flickinger said.
Flickinger said his son's remains are in Cairo pending the issuance of a death certificate by Palestinian authorities. Once that happens, the family has made arrangements for them to be transported to Quebec.
In call with Blinken, father of killed aid worker urges tougher US stance on Israel in Gaza
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In call with Blinken, father of killed aid worker urges tougher US stance on Israel in Gaza
- Flickinger told Blinken on Saturday that the US must use its power to pressure Israel to end killings in Gaza
Majority of Labour Party’s Muslim representatives unhappy with UK government’s Gaza policy
- Survey finds 82% of Muslim MPs, councillors and mayors belonging to Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s party think his handling of conflict is ‘fairly’ or ‘very’ bad
- Almost all of those polled want immediate, official UK recognition of the State of Palestinian
LONDON: Muslim political representatives who belong to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour Party are overwhelmingly unhappy with the British government’s approach to the war in Gaza, a survey reveals.
The study by the Labour Muslim Network found that 82 percent of the Muslim MPs, councillors and mayors that were polled described Starmer’s handling of the conflict as “fairly bad” or “very bad.”
Three‐quarters supported the suspension of all UK arms exports to Israel, and nearly all of the respondents backed immediate, official recognition by the UK of the State of Palestine. More than 80 percent favored sanctions on Israel.
The results of the survey will add to the pressure on Starmer over the issue, with large sections of his party increasingly voicing anger over the UK’s lack of action against Israel over the war in Gaza.
In recent weeks the prime minister has stepped up his criticism of the Israeli military campaign in the territory, which has killed more than 54,000 people since October 2023. The UK last month joined France and Canada in calling on Israel to end the fighting and resume deliveries of humanitarian aid. All three countries threatened “concrete measures” if Israel failed to halt the slaughter. Britain also paused negotiations with Israeli authorities for a free-trade agreement.
In September 2024, the UK suspended 30 of 350 export licenses to Israel for weapons used in military operations in Gaza, after a review of Israeli compliance with international humanitarian law.
However, many members on the left wing of the Labour Party want much stronger action, including an end to all arms sales and tougher sanctions. There have also been growing demands for the UK to join the majority of UN member states in officially recognizing the Palestinian sate.
The issue of the war in Gaza featured heavily during campaigning for the UK parliamentary elections last year, and independent candidates running on pro-Palestinian platforms took five seats from Labour.
There are 25 Muslim MPs in the UK Parliament, 19 of whom belong to the Labour Party. The survey was sent to 477 party members who are elected representatives, and 221 responded.
In addition to the dissatisfaction with Labour’s policy on Gaza, many voiced concern about discrimination within their own party.
Two-thirds said they were not treated equally to other Labour representatives, and more than a half said they did not believe the party takes Islamophobia seriously enough.
In its report on the survey results, the Labour Muslim Network said the figures “tell the story of a growing chasm between the Labour Party and its Muslim representatives.”
It added: “The party must urgently address the structural issues identified in this report or face the moral and political consequences to come.”
A Labour spokesperson told The Guardian newspaper: “The Labour Party is proud of the diversity of our party, including the increase in the number of Muslim MPs in the parliamentary Labour party and having the first Muslim lord chancellor in Shabana Mahmood, and the first Muslim mayor of London in Sadiq Khan.
“We take any complaints of discrimination, including Islamophobia, seriously.”
Chairman of hard-right Reform UK party Zia Yusuf quits
Zia Yusuf’s announcement came after he criticized the party’s newest MP for asking Prime Minister Keir Starmer whether he would ban the wearing of burqas in the UK.
The resignation hints at unrest in arch-Euroskeptic Nigel Farage’s party, which has already lost one MP since it secured a breakthrough result at last July’s general election.
“Eleven months ago I became chairman of Reform. I’ve worked full time as a volunteer to take the party from 14 to 30 percent (voter support), quadrupled its membership and delivered historic electoral results,” Yusuf wrote on X.
“I no longer believe working to get a Reform government elected is a good use of my time, and hereby resign the office,” he added.
Earlier, the 38-year-old had slammed Sarah Pochin, who was elected in a by-election last month, for her question to Starmer on Wednesday.
“I do think it’s dumb for a party to ask the PM if they would do something the party itself wouldn’t do,” Yusuf wrote on X.
He became chairman in July last year, shortly after Reform won 14 percent of the vote and five seats in parliament — an unprecedented haul for a hard-right group in a British general election.
Yusuf was tasked with professionalizing the group’s grassroots operations and training up candidates ahead of what Farage has said will be a major challenge to Starmer’s Labour party at the next general election, likely in 2029.
Anti-immigrant Reform has consistently led national opinion polls for several weeks now and won hundreds of councillors at local polls on May 1.
Farage said he was “genuinely sorry” that Yusuf had decided to stand down, but some analysts saw it as another example of the charismatic Brexit cheerleader falling out with a senior figure in his party.
“It’s like deja vu all over again,” political scientist Tim Bale wrote on X, citing Farage’s previous leadership of UKIP and the Brexit Party.
“No-one but no-one gets to be bigger than big Nige,” added the Queen Mary University of London politics professor.
Last month, former Reform lawmaker Rupert Lowe called Farage a “viper” after his dramatic suspension from the party over claims he had threatened Yusuf.
Prosecutors did not charge Lowe, citing “insufficient evidence.”
Beautiful Rajanpuri Nukra goats highly prized, and costly, at Islamabad’s Eid market
- South Punjab natives are large, muscular, with striking white coats
- Popular for meat, Eid Al-Adha sacrifices, some sell for over $7,000
ISLAMABAD: With their snow-white coats, drooping pink ears and regal build, Rajanpuri Nukra goats are turning heads and emptying wallets at Islamabad’s bustling Eid Al-Adha cattle market this year.
A strain of the Beetal goat native to the Rajanpur region of Pakistan’s Punjab province, they are also known for their large size and muscular build.
Highly prized for their meat, and a popular choice for Eid Al-Adha sacrifices, some have sold for as much as Rs2 million ($7,140) this season.
At Islamabad’s cattle market on Bhatta Chowk earlier this week, many people gathered around the goats to admire their appearance and snap pictures, while others negotiated deals.
“We have come here from Rajanpur as people in Islamabad and Rawalpindi prefer Rajanpuri goats over other breeds due to their white and pink coloration and impressive height,” said merchant Hamza Ali.
He added that he had brought 20 of the prized animals to the market and sold most of them within four days.
“We’re getting good prices for them here. Of the 20 goats we brought, one sold for Rs2 million last night.”
Traders at the market have been selling the Rajanpuri goats for anywhere between $715 and $7,140, several merchants said.
Highlighting the care involved, Muhammad Umair, a cattle trader, said the goats are nurtured from birth, referring to them as a “purebred line.”
“We divide them into two groups. Those with good height and large size receive a special diet that includes wanda, choker, desi ghee and other nutritious ingredients,” he told Arab News as he petted one of his animals.
Goats similar in size to regular breeds are available at lower prices but still higher than other strains.
“It has large pink ears, white eyes, and a pink nose, along with a pure white coat, which makes it highly attractive to buyers,” Umair added.
Muhammad Bilal, a 23-year-old student from Islamabad, said he wanted to buy a Rajanpuri goat because of its white coat and long ears.
“Although the price is a bit higher, we will still buy it because we really like it,” he told Arab News.
Another customer Ilyas Khan, 40, expressed frustration over the high prices, saying they were unaffordable for most market visitors.
“My children took pictures with them,” Khan, a businessman, said. “But these are out of our reach as even the smallest ones are starting at Rs150,000, which is too much.”
Reform UK chief slams MP’s calls for burqa ban as ‘dumb’
- Question prompts public criticism from party’s chairman
LONDON: A row has erupted within the right-wing British party Reform UK after its newest member of Parliament, Sarah Pochin, used her maiden question during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday to call for a nationwide ban on the burqa, it was reported on Thursday.
The question prompted public criticism from Zia Yusuf, Reform UK’s chairman, who rebuked the move, calling it a “dumb” question.
Pochin, who recently won the Runcorn and Helsby by-election, asked Prime Minister Keir Starmer whether the UK would follow European nations such as France, Belgium, and Denmark in banning the burqa “in the interests of public safety.”
Her remarks were met with audible disapproval from some MPs, with cries of “shame” heard in the chamber of the House of Commons.
Lee Anderson, Reform UK’s chief whip, expressed support for Pochin’s suggestion, saying: “Ban the burqa? Yes we should. No one should be allowed to hide their identity in public.”
However, Yusuf was less than supportive, writing on X: “Nothing to do with me. Had no idea about the question, nor that it wasn’t policy. I do think it’s dumb for a party to ask the PM if they would do something the party itself wouldn’t do.”
A Reform spokesperson later clarified that Yusuf had not been criticizing Pochin personally, but highlighting the inconsistency of raising a proposal not endorsed by the party.
The spokesperson reiterated that a burqa ban was not official Reform UK policy but acknowledged it was an issue that “deserves national debate.”
Nigel Farage, Reform UK’s leader, speaking on GB News, was more cautious and distanced himself from an outright endorsement, but suggested public discomfort around face coverings warranted discussion.
He said: “I don’t think face coverings in public places make sense, and I think we do deserve a debate about that, of which I see the burqa as being a part.”
Pochin, a former Conservative councillor, later suggested her question had been sourced from public suggestions submitted online. “Thank you to everyone who sent in questions for the prime minister,” she posted.
The incident has reignited concerns about internal divisions within Reform UK. It comes just months after former Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe was expelled from the party following a falling out with both Yusuf and Farage.
Lowe, who has expressed hardline views on immigration and has backed calls to ban the burqa, now sits as an independent.
Reform has also been plagued by tension at the grassroots level. Following the recent local elections, Donna Edmunds, a Shropshire councillor, resigned from the party in protest, describing Farage as a “terrible leader” and warning that he “must never be prime minister.”
Amid the latest fallout, a Labour spokesperson said: “Nigel Farage could fit all of his MPs in the back of a cab, yet he can’t stop them fighting among themselves.”
Reform UK and Sarah Pochin were approached by the BBC, The Guardian, and The Independent for further comment.
Ailing Baltic Sea in need of urgent attention
- Unveiling its road map to protect Europe’s seas, the European Ocean Pact, Brussels announced a summit on the state of the Baltic Sea in late September
- The Baltic Sea is home to some of the world’s largest dead marine zones, mainly due to excess nutrient runoff into the sea from human activities on land
HELSINKI: Decades of pollution and climate change have caused fish to disappear from the Baltic Sea at an alarming rate, with the European Union on Thursday vowing to make the sea an “urgent priority.”
Unveiling its road map to protect Europe’s seas, the European Ocean Pact, Brussels announced a summit on the state of the Baltic Sea in late September.
The semi-enclosed sea is surrounded by industrial and agricultural nations Germany, Poland, Russia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and the three Baltic states.
Connected to the Atlantic only by the narrow waters of the Danish straits, the Baltic is known for its shallow, low-salinity waters, which are highly sensitive to the climate and environmental changes that have accumulated over the years.
“Today, the once massive Baltic cod stocks have collapsed, herring stocks in several sub-basins are balancing on critical levels, sprat recruitment is at a record low and wild salmon stocks are in decline,” Swedish European MP Isabella Lovin, rapporteur for the EU Committee of Fishing, warned in a report, calling the situation “critical.”
The Baltic Sea is home to some of the world’s largest dead marine zones, mainly due to excess nutrient runoff into the sea from human activities on land — a challenge the sea has long grappled with.
The runoff has primarily been phosphorus and nitrogen from waste water and fertilizers used in agriculture, as well as other activities such as forestry.
It causes vast algae blooms in summer, a process known as eutrophication that removes oxygen from the water, leaving behind dead seabeds and marine habitats and threatening species living in the Baltic.
Today, agriculture is the biggest source of nutrient pollution.
Marine biodiversity in the relatively small sea has also deteriorated due to pollution from hazardous substances, land use, extraction of resources and climate change, according to the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (HELCOM).
“The state of the Baltic Sea is not good,” Maria Laamanen, a senior adviser at the Finnish environment ministry, told AFP.
Climate change poses “a massive additional challenge” for the marine environment, she said.
Of the world’s coastal seas, the Baltic Sea is warming the fastest.
A 2024 study said sea surface and sea floor temperatures have increased by 1.8 and 1.3 degrees Celsius respectively in the Finnish archipelago in the northern Baltic Sea, in the period from 1927 to 2020.
The consequences of rising temperatures already affect species, while increased rainfall has led to more runoff from land to sea.
Better waste water treatment and gypsum treatment of agricultural soil, as well as an expansion of protected marine areas in Finland, have had a positive effect on the maritime environment, according to Laamanen, who said environmental engagement had grown in recent years.
“The situation would be much worse without the measures already implemented,” she said.
In her report, Lovin called for an ambitious reform of fisheries, with stronger attention paid to environmental and climate change impacts.
The report also questioned whether the Baltic could continue to sustain industrial-scale trawling, and suggested giving “priority access to low-impact fisheries and fishing for human consumption.”
The head of the Finnish Fishermen’s Association (SAKL) Kim Jordas said eutrophication was to blame for the declining fish stocks in the Baltic Sea, not overfishing.
“Looking at cod for example, it is entirely due to the state of the Baltic Sea and the poor oxygen situation,” Jordas told AFP.
In Finland, the number of commercial fishermen has been declining, with a total of around 400 active today.
