Why this common fruit is essential for preventing diabetes and obesity.

Timmy Mabs| 9th September, 2024.

Researchers at Western University have identified nobiletin, a promising chemical that can be found in tangerines and sweet oranges that may help prevent diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. 

Their studies on mice suggest that this chemical generated from citrus has potential health benefits, especially for people who are battling obesity and related illnesses. 

A meal heavy in fat and cholesterol, which usually results in weight gain, insulin resistance, and elevated blood fat levels, was fed to the mice used in the study. But the mice who had nobiletin in their food were substantially thinner and fared better than the mice who did not get the substance.

France: Macron names ex-Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier as PM

Timmy Mabs | 5th September, 2024.

Barnier, the former Brexit negotiator and now France's oldest premier, is tasked with forming 'a unifying government in the service of the country'.

Barnier was named French Prime Minister two months after political deadlock in the country [Getty/file photo]

French President Emmanuel Macron picked Michel Barnier, a former EU negotiator on Brexit, as the nation's next prime minister on Thursday, the presidency revealed.

This appointment put an end to almost two months of political impasse that had been caused by unexpected polling. "A unifying government in the service of the country" is Barnier's stated mandate. At 73 years old, Barnier is the oldest premier in French history.

Since Wednesday, French politicians and the media have speculated on the potential announcement of the next chief of state to succeed Gabriel Attal, given the hung parliament that resulted from the July elections. 

A left-wing coalition became the most powerful political force in France since there were not enough seats to form an outright majority. The far-right and Macron's centrist faction are the only two major parties still present in the National Assembly.

The early favourites were thought to be former Conservative minister Xavier Bertrand and socialist prime minister Bernard Cazeneuve. 

However, all figures were contradicted by the French parliament's new mathematical structure.

In France, the prime minister is chosen by the president and is subject to parliamentary censure. 

Bertrand and Cazeneuve both run the prospect of being faced with a motion of no confidence that would be supported by the far right and the left bloc. 

Right-winger and former Brexit negotiator for the European Union, Barnier, was spotted leaving Macron's meetings at the Elysee to return to front-line politics as premier.

He has essentially vanished from French politics since his Republicans (LR) party lost the nomination to challenge Macron for president in 2022. 

An unnamed presidential advisor claims that the seasoned former foreign minister and EU commissioner is "Macron-compatible" and won't be ousted from office by parliament anytime soon. 

Unidentified but described as "extremely popular with right-wing members of parliament without being an irritant on the left" was a minister in the outgoing government.

Marine Le Decides. 

Macron appears to be counting on the far-right National Rally (RN) of three-time presidential candidate Marine Le Pen not to block the appointment of Barnier.

The party's deputy leader Sebastien Chenu, speaking to BFM TV, appeared to indicate the RN would not automatically back a vote of no confidence against Barnier, as it would for Bertrand and Cazeneuve.ee

RN party leader Jordan Bardella said Barnier would be judged "on evidence" when he addresses parliament.

Greens leader Marine Tondelier countered: "We know in the end who decides. Her name is Marine Le Pen. She is the one to whom Macron has decided to submit."

Macron's decision comes under the gun of a deadline to submit a draft 2025 budget for France's strained government finances before October 1.

It also marks his attempt to acknowledge rejection of his seven-year rule without giving up on hard-fought reforms, chief among them last year's widely resented increase to the official retirement age to 64 from 62.

After the July election deprived Macron of his relative majority in parliament, the centrist president has drawn out the appointment of a new prime minister for a period unprecedented since World War II, through the July-August Olympic Games and beyond.

Atal became the first openly gay head of state in France this year, and he has held caretaker status throughout the unrest.

He expressed his hope that his successor will be able to "convert the try" of the measures whose execution he was unable to complete in a daily interview with Le Figaro. He spoke in a rugby-like tone.

Trump campaign ordered to stop using Isaac Hayes song at rallies after family sues.

By Timmy Mabs | 4th September, 2024

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives at a campaign event, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Johnstown, Pa
Alex Brandon/AP

An order from a judge temporarily barred the use of "Hold On, I'm Coming."

A temporary injunction was issued by a federal judge in Atlanta on Tuesday, directing Donald Trump and his campaign to cease using a song that was co-written by the late artist Isaac Hayes at their events.

According to court documents that ABC News examined, the 1966 song "Hold On, I'm Coming" was played at Trump rallies and can be heard in internet campaign recordings. Ronald Coleman, a spokesman for Trump, released a statement saying that the judge did not mandate the removal of these recordings.

We are quite pleased that the court acknowledged the First Amendment issues at stake and declined to compel the removal of already-posted films, according to Coleman, who also stated that "the campaign had already agreed to cease further use." 

The son of Hayes, Isaac Hayes III, stated on social media last month that he was suing Trump and his campaign for $4 million in unapproved usage of the song "Hold On, I'm Coming." According to court records, Trump and his associates performed the song more than 150 times without authorisation.

Following the hearing on Tuesday, Isaac Hayes III wrote, "We won," on Instagram. "@realdonaldtrump has been barred from playing @isaachayes music forever."

The injunction stops the campaign from playing the song pending further proceedings and the court would consider a motion for reconsideration based on copyright ownership if appropriate.

In response to the ruling, "the campaign has a license to play the music through an agreement with BMI and ASCAP," referring to performance rights groups Broadcast Music Inc and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.

According to court records, the song was made popular in 1966 by the musical duo Sam & Dave and peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 at that time. Although Hayes, who co-wrote the song with David Porter, died in 2008 at the age of 65, the song's right and copyright are currently held by his estate, according to court filings.

A cease-and-desist letter was submitted to the Trump campaign on behalf of Isaac Hayes Enterprises after the song was played as the "outro" music at one of their events in 2020, according to court filings.

According to court documents, the groups named as defendants in the complaint filed by Isaac Hayes Enterprises last month for hosting events and uploading videos where the song was played were the Donald J. Trump for President campaign, the Republican National Committee (RNC), Turning Point, the American Conservative Union, the National Rifle Association (NRA), and BTC.

The court observed that Hayes Enterprises withdrew the motion regarding Turning Point, the NRA, and the RNC on Tuesday. Along with Beyoncé, Celine Dion, Jack White, and the Foo Fighters, Hayes is among the musicians who have demanded that Trump cease performing their songs at his concerts.

Spain condemns the death of the six Israeli hostages kidnapped by Hamas. 

Timmy Mabs | 3rd September, 2024.

Spain is deeply troubled by the deaths of six Israeli hostages who had been held since Hamas' terrorist attacks on October 7. 

The relatives of the victims have the support and condolences of the Spanish government. 

We again implore the parties and the mediators to seek a durable truce that would facilitate the expeditious release of all detainees, a substantial influx of aid, and the promotion of peace in the Middle East.

 

Donald Trump Is Doing Well After Shooting, Leaves Hospital – RNC

Timmy Mabs|14th July, 2024.

Donald Trump is “doing well” and is grateful to law enforcement officers, according to a statement published on the Republican National Committee (RNC), external website

As we proceed with the convention to nominate him to be the 47th president of the United States, he shares his delight about travelling to Milwaukee to be with the rest of us. In a statement, the RNC and the Trump campaign said, "As our party's nominee, [he] will continue to share his vision to Make America Great Again."

Earlier, Trump posted a statement on Truth Social, a platform he founded.

He thanked law enforcement officers and the Secret Service for their “rapid response”.

“Most importantly, I want to extend my condolences to the family of the person at the rally who was killed, and also to the family of another person that was badly injured. That an act of this kind can occur in our nation is astounding," he remarked.

 Joe Biden tells supporters, "I'm OK," but Democrats continue to disagree about the likelihood of a US election.

Timmy Mabs | 13th July, 2024.

Joe Biden stopped at a Detroit restaurant to speak to supporters.Photo Credit: (Reuters: Elizabeth Frantz)

Democrats are still divided about Joe Biden's bid for US president; while some are increasing pressure on him to withdraw from the race, others are defending him. 

The president is in the battleground state of Michigan for his campaign, one day after giving his rivals two highly shareable gaffes during a prime-time press conference. With his hometown fans, he has cracked jokes about his age and assured them, "I promise you I'm OK."

He remarked, "I'm only 41," to a gathering of people in a Detroit restaurant. "Being the second-youngest man elected to the United States Senate, I was too young for a long time," Mr. Biden stated. 

I'm too old now. 

On the other hand, fortunately, wisdom increases with age. Additionally, I believe that there isn't much of an alternative right now.

In an attempt to right the political ship, Mr. Biden is scheduled to speak at a rally in Detroit in the near future. He has raised concerns about his suitability for government and raised doubts about it.

Two more members of Congress joined the list of Democrats publicly pressing the 81-year-old president to move aside for a younger candidate.

The calls from Colorado's Brittany Petterson and California's Mike Levin mean there are now 19 House Democrats and one senator publicly asking Mr Biden not to run.

"Pass the torch to one of our many capable Democratic leaders so we have the best chance to defeat [Republican candidate] Donald Trump," Ms. Petterson urged Mr. Biden to say. 

After hearing from hundreds of constituents in the two weeks following Mr. Biden's debate with Mr. Trump, Mr. Levin said he had made his choice.

In a letter to the Los Angeles television station KTLA, he stated, "Making this statement is not easy.

" According to the New York Times, while Mr. Biden is still the contender, significant contributors have reportedly frozen $US90 million ($132 million) in pledged contributions. Following Mr. Biden's significant press conference yesterday, Hakeem Jeffries, the most senior Democrat in the House of Representatives, announced that he had asked for and been given a meeting with the president.

In a letter to the Los Angeles television station KTLA, he stated, "Making this statement is not easy." 

According to the New York Times, while Mr. Biden is still the contender, significant contributors have reportedly frozen $US90 million ($132 million) in pledged contributions. 

Following Mr. Biden's significant press conference yesterday, Hakeem Jeffries, the most senior Democrat in the House of Representatives, announced that he had asked for and been given a meeting with the president.

California Governor Gavin Newsom, one of the Democrats often touted as a possible replacement for Mr Biden, said he had been responding to such suggestions with "delete, delete, delete, delete".

In an interview excerpt published by CBS, Mr Newsom said he was "all in, no daylight" as a supporter of Mr Biden.

And influential South Carolina congressman Jim Clyburn told NBC he was "ridin' with Biden".

Asked if he believed Mr Biden was "still the same man" as he was in 2020, Mr Clyburn said: "Physically, I don't think so. Mentally, I do think so."

Kenyans protest: Ruto promises action against "rogue" cops and apologises for the "arrogance" of legislators.

James Coleman | 5th July, 2024.

On Friday, Kenyan President William Ruto expressed regret to the public for the "arrogance and show of opulence" displayed by governing party lawmakers and ministers. He also pledged to take action against the "rogue" police officers who opened fire on unarmed civilians during the protests against tax hikes.

In response to the haughty remarks made by the officials, Ruto indicated that public speaking was "difficult" and that certain people made "mistakes" for which he would accept responsibility. He also promised that the authorities' behaviour would change.

Kenya experienced a fortnight of violence and unrest during the protests over the finance bill. Protestors even stormed the Parliament during the vote on the bill.

President Ruto was hosted Friday on the microblogging site X by social media influencer Osama Otero, who said he was abducted on the night of the protests and beaten by the cops.

Ruto said that he was regretful of the abduction and that he would take action, adding that it was "not right". “You don't deserve the kind of treatment you went through,” he added.

Noting that the police are independent entities who are not controlled by any executive branch of the government, Ruto promised to ensure prosecution of those responsible.

"As president, I bear the ultimate responsibility, which is why I expressed regret," Ruto stated.

When protestors stormed into the Parliament during a finance bill vote -- which if approved, would have led to an increase in tax -- legislators fled the premises through an underground tunnel.

Police responded to the storming by opening fire leading to several agitators being shot dead.

Later, Ruto said that he would not sign the finance bill and told the Parliament that the proposed legislation should be withdrawn. However, protests continued to rage on with demands for Ruto's resignation over poor governance.

Ridden with corruption, Kenya's latest such case has been that sale and distribution of thousands of fake fertiliser bags worth millions of shillings by the agriculture ministry.

On Friday, the President was accused of not showing empathy and not mentioning the names of those who died during the protests. Responding to the accusations, Ruto said, "people are born differently".

Ruto was accused of not acknowledging the correct number of those who died in the protests. He stated the number to be 25 while the Kenya National Commission for Human Rights said that 39 persons were killed.

Before his interaction on X, Ruto -- in a televised address -- announced specific stern measures that included the dissolution of "47 state corporations with overlapping and duplicative functions" to save on operation and maintenance costs.

Additionally, the appointment of fifty chief administrative secretaries was "suspended" by the Kenyan president when their posts were legally challenged as unlawful.
Ruto further declared that no public funds will be used to support the prime minister's office, the first lady's office, or the spouses of the deputy prime minister and cabinet secretary.
A restructuring that President Ruto stated was "coming soon" was demanded by the youth speakers during Friday's engagement. These speakers emphasized the necessity for the president to remove inept cabinet ministers. 

PERSPECTIVE: A changed Party: Thousands of British Jews re-establish confidence in the Labour Party.

Keir Starmer pledges to work closely with the Jewish community going ahead.

Timmy Mabs | 5th July, 2024.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria Starmer are cheered at a watch party for the results of the 2024 General Election in central London.

The London Central General Election, 2024.
The unprecedented landslide victory for Labour is evidence of the prime minister's reformation of the party. From the dark days of 2019, Keir's leadership and the perseverance of everyone who believes Labour can be a credible, mainstream party of government have transformed our party beyond recognition.

Outside Downing Street, addressing the country as the first Labour leader to go from opposition to government in 27 years,  the prime minister spoke eloquently and honestly of a “wound” brought about by a lack of trust in British politics.

Nowhere was this lack of trust more apparent than in the Labour party itself prior to his leadership. For the last five years, Keir Starmer has worked tirelessly to rid his party of Corbyn-era antisemitism that in 2019 deprived British Jews of a choice. Five years on, thousands of British Jews once again put their trust in the Labour party.

This is an extraordinary feat of leadership.  Seeing so many constituencies with significant Jewish communities back Labour is the best measure of the progress our party has made towards Keir’s commitment to tear out Corbyn-era antisemitism by its roots. Witnessing a new generation of Jewish parliamentarians enter parliament as proud Labour Zionists is incredibly heartening. They are joined by a huge new intake of allies who have stood with the Jewish community in recent years. Many of them have visited Israel on LFI delegations over the past 18 months and I’ve seen first-hand how impressive they are.

The prime minister’s acknowledgment that he enters Downing Street at a time of unprecedented global insecurity is nowhere more apparent than for Israel and the Middle East. Keir has been clear in the need to end the violence, release the hostages and a massive scaling up of aid to Gaza. He has also rightly recognised there has been a lack of British leadership when it comes to supporting a path to a two-state solution and has committed to working with our allies, including Arab States, to restart a political process.

One of the biggest achievements of the last Labour government was the Good Friday Agreement. Underpinning peace in Northern Ireland was an investment in people-to-people peace-building – through the International Fund for Ireland – that laid the foundation for peace.

Michael Rubin, Labour Friends of Israel.

Inspired by the Irish fund, and pioneered by the Alliance for Middle East Peace, there is a huge opportunity for the creation of an International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace. As ALLMEP’s John Lyndon has said, if a renewed diplomatic process is to succeed where all its predecessors have failed, then it must be very different to what has come before.

Civil society must be put at the core of any strategy, rather than at the margins as has been the case in every single previous attempt at final status diplomacy. It’s therefore encouraging that both Keir and David Lammy have committed to supporting the International Fund. Given the recent history of conflict in our own islands, championing this initiative is a uniquely important contribution Britain’s new government can play.

The insecure world the Prime Minister acknowledges Britain is facing is in large part due to the malign and de-stabilising influence of the regime in Iran. Labour has rightly acknowledged this clear and present threat.  The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), the regime’s ideological army, led the unprecedented direct assault on Israel in April, have worked to radicalise British young people and have been behind murderous attacks in the UK.

The Labour party has been clear that the IRGC must be proscribed, with the manifesto pledging to take the approach used for dealing with non-state terrorism and adapt it to deal with state-based domestic security threats.

In recent years LFI has played our part in identifying areas where the UK can learn from the Jewish state. Despite the security crisis facing Israel, it remains a country making groundbreaking advances in priority areas for the new government, including in health, climate and agriculture technology.

There are significant opportunities for the government to look to Israel for the advances the UK will need to reform the NHS and stimulate economic growth.  Expanding and deepening the UK-Israel bilateral relationship for the benefit of our universities, businesses and community is the best answer to BDS.

The prime minister spoke movingly about Britain’s ability to navigate the ‘storms of history’. Israel and the Jewish people have all too often found themselves downwind of these storms.  It is huge comfort to know the UK has a strong Labour prime minister committed to weathering these storms and taking us toward safer shores, hand-in-hand with the Jewish community.

Israel continues to plunder Palestinian land as a result of West Bank colonisation.

Timmy Mabs| 3rd July, 2024.

Palestinians walk along a damaged road following an Israeli operation in Nur Shams refugee camp, near the West Bank town of Tulkarem, July 1, 2024. Photo credit: AP 

As disclosed on Wednesday by an anti-settlement watchdog, Israel has authorised the biggest takeover of Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank in more than thirty years. 

According to Peace Now, over five square kilometres of Jordan Valley territory has lately been cleared for appropriation by the authorities. According to data gathered by the group, this is the biggest single expropriation authorised since the Oslo Accords of 1993 between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organisation.

The West Bank has seen an increase in settler violence against Palestinians during Israel's invasion of Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of over 37,000 people. 

A square mile of land was taken in February and about three square miles of land in the West Bank in March. The land seizure was authorised late last month but was not made public until this Wednesday. Consequently, according to Peace Now, 2024 will be by far the highest year for Israeli land grabs in the occupied West Bank.

The contiguous land pieces are situated northeast of Ramallah, the capital city of the West Bank and home to the Palestinian Authority. The Israeli government has made them state property, meaning that Palestinians cannot own them privately and can only lease them to Israelis. 

According to Palestinians, one of the primary obstacles to any long-term peace deal is the growth of settlements in the occupied West Bank. They are prohibited in the majority of countries.

Throughout the West Bank, Israel has constructed well over a hundred settlements, some of which are miniature towns or fully established suburbs. More over 500,000 Israeli-citizen Jewish settlers reside there, while the three million Palestinians in the West Bank are subject to unrestricted Israeli military authority. 

While 60% of the Israeli-occupied West Bank is off-limits to Palestinian Authority operations, the Authority does oversee some areas of the land where the settlements are situated. Leading human rights groups have accused Israel of the international crime of apartheid, citing its authority over the West Bank as evidence. Israel denies these accusations as an assault on its legitimacy.

Leading human rights organisations have accused Israel of the international crime of apartheid, citing its authority over the West Bank as evidence. Israel denies these accusations as an assault on its legitimacy.

Since assuming greater control over Israel's management of the occupied area under the current ruling coalition—the most politically extremist in Israeli history—far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has accelerated land seizures and settlement development.

Stampede in northern India claims at least 60 lives.

By Timmy Mabs| 2nd July, 2024.

Women mourn next to the body of a relative outside the Sikandrarao hospital in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh state, India, July 2, 2024. At least 60 people are dead and scores are injured after a stampede Tuesday at a religious gathering in Hathras. Photo credit by AP

A stampede during a religious gathering in a village in the Hathras district of northern India has left at least 60 persons dead, according to police and medical officials. 

The incident happened after a sizable throng gathered in the village, which is roughly 200 km southeast of New Delhi, India's capital, and was hurrying to leave a Hindu event known as a satsang, which was organised by local religious leader Bhole Baba. 

District Magistrate Ashish Kumar informed reporters about this to media. Overcrowding was probably a role, according to police. According to reports, among the dead were a number of women and children.

Video and images posted to social media show bodies on the ground. The injured were ferried to local hospitals.

The chief minister of the state of Uttar Pradesh, Mahant Yogi Adityanath, announced on his X account that he has assembled a committee to look into the incident.

On Tuesday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his profound sadness over the disaster and vowed to "help the injured in every possible way" during a meeting with the legislature. 

During Indian religious festivals, tremendous crowds congregate in confined spaces with no safety measures, often leading to deadly stampedes.

India: Repressive new criminal legislation must be promptly repealed by the authorities.

Timmy Mabs | 1st July, 2024.

Today, three new criminal laws in India—the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhinayam (BSA)—replace three statutes from the British era. Amnesty International India's board chair, Aakar Patel, stated: 

"The effective realisation of the rights to freedom of expression, association, peaceful assembly, and fair trial would be severely hampered by the provisions of the amendments to and overhaul of India's criminal laws."

"It is incorrect that the Indian government has abolished sedition laws; on the contrary, they have been reinstated following a suspension by the Supreme Court of India in 2022. The BNS incorporates a new clause that reads identically to the previous sedition statute, making "acts endangering the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India" illegal. It also raises the mandatory minimum sentence to seven years under the legislation. 

The laws as they stand will be used as an excuse to violate the rights of anyone who dared to tell the truth to authority. 

Amnesty International India's chair of the board, Aakar Patel

"Instead of just the first two weeks following an arrest, the police may now request 15 days of custody of an accused person at any point before the 40–60 day permitted remand period is up, according to the new Code of Criminal Procedure, or BNSS.

This ambiguity creates an ideal environment for torture and other cruel treatment. The BSA permits the admissibility of electronic records as evidence, much as the Indian Evidence Act. 

The new law allows for abuse since it lacks a strong data protection regulation and because the use of electronic evidence in the Bhima Koregaon and Newsclick cases has been established.

Background 

The BNS, BNSS, and BSA bills were introduced in the Indian Parliament on August 11, 2023, by the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs, to replace the 1860 Indian Penal Code, 1973 Code of Criminal Procedure, and 1872 Indian Evidence Act, respectively. 

The legislation were based on the suggestions of a national committee that the Ministry of Home Affairs had established in 2020 to review India's criminal laws. The Indian government asserted that a thorough consultation process was carried out, but the committee's lack of representation from civil society and from women was criticised, and its final report was never made available to the public.