e_Paper_Wednesday_December 12, 2016

DT
8
World
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016
SOUTH ASIA
Toxic liquor kills 24 more
in Pakistan
Twenty-four people, mostly Christians,
were killed and dozens more
sickened after consuming toxic
liquor on Christmas Eve in central
Pakistan, police said Tuesday, the latest
case of deadly alchohol poisoning
in the conservative Muslim country.
The incident happened in a Christian
colony in Toba Tek Singh city, 338km
south of Islamabad. REUTERS
INDIA
India intervenes in
Norway child abuse row
India’s foreign minister on Tuesday
urged Norway to return a fiveyear-old
boy to his Indian-origin
parents after authorities took the
child into their custody over suspected
abuse. Sushma Swaraj said
India’s ambassador would meet
the Norwegian authorities later
Tuesday to discuss the case, promising
to take a “firm stand”. AP
CHINA
China jails nine villagers
after land protests
Chinese authorities handed down
prison sentences to nine protesters
in a fishing village that’s
received international attention
for its demonstrations against land
seizures, state media reported
Tuesday. The villagers in Wukan
were given sentences on Monday
ranging from two to 10 years for offenses
that included illegal assembly,
blocking traffic and disrupting
public order. AP
ASIA PACIFIC
Thai police put pressure
on controversial Buddhist
temple
Thai police put more pressure
Tuesday on a wealthy, politically
influential Buddhist temple where
the leader is wanted for alleged
money laundering and related
crimes involving millions of dollars
of embezzled funds. At dawn about
400 police moved to surround
the Dhammakaya temple north of
Bangkok to remove a fence said to be
blocking public property. REUTERS
MIDDLE EAST
Saudi jailed for call to end
male control over women
A Saudi man has been jailed for one
year for calling for an end to the
Muslim kingdom’s guardianship
system that gives men wide controls
over women, local media said Tuesday.
The man, who was also fined
$8,000 by a court in the eastern
city of Dammam, was convicted
of “inciting to end guardianship of
women” in statements he posted on
Twitter and in public posters. AFP
UN resolution: Israel accuses
Obama administration
• Tribune International Desk
The White House orchestrated a
“gang-up” against Israel on last
week’s UN settlement vote, its
ambassador to Washington said
Monday in the latest sign of fury
between the longtime allies.
Ambassador Ron Dermer said
in an interview with CNN that the
Israeli government plans to show
evidence of the alleged US maneuvering
in due time.
Moreover, Israel has reportedly
suspended all working ties with the
embassies of 12 UN Security Council
members following the passing
of a UN resolution declaring the
country’s settlements on Palestinian
territories illegal. Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu has called for
Israel’s foreign ministry to temporarily
limit working ties with the
members who voted in favour of
Friday’s resolution.
The 12 countries are- Britain,
France, Russia, China, Japan,
Ukraine, Angola, Egypt, Uruguay,
Spain, Senegal and New Zealand.
US led UN ‘gang-up’
Israel has escalated its already furious
war with the outgoing US administration,
claiming that it has
“rather hard” evidence that Barack
Obama was behind a critical UN
security council resolution criticising
Israeli settlement building, and
threatening to hand over the material
to Donald Trump.
The claims have emerged in
interviews given by close Netanyahu
allies to US media outlets on
Monday after the Obama administration
denied in categorical terms
the claims originally made by Netanyahu
himself.
Doubling down on the claim a
few hours later the controversial
Israeli ambassador to Washington,
Ron Dermer, went even further
suggesting it had gathered evidence
that it would present to the
incoming Trump administration.
Reducing ties with nations over
UN vote
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said Tuesday
the country was “reducing”
ties with nations that voted for last
week’s UN Security Council resolution
demanding a halt to settlement
building in Palestinian territory.
Refuting reports that ties
had been suspended, the ministry’s
spokesperson Emmanuel
Nahshon said that Israel was
“temporarily reducing” visits and
work with embassies.
Israel has already called back
its ambassadors to New Zealand
and Senegal for consultations, and
cancelled aid programmes with
the African state.
On Tuesday, Israel informed
Angola it would be freezing its aid
programme there, Nahshon said.
Israeli media have reported that
Netanyahu, who also serves as foreign
minister, has asked officials to
visit the countries that voted for
the resolution as little as possible
for now. •
Q&A
What UN resolution means for US and Israel
The United Nations Security Council on
Friday passed a resolution condemning
Israel’s settlements in the West Bank
and East Jerusalem. The United States
abstained on the resolution, allowing
it to pass, rather than vetoing it – as it
usually does with resolutions it sees as
overly critical of Israel.
Here are some key questions about
the vote at the UN-
What are the immediate effects
of the UN resolution?
The resolution may have no immediate
practical effects on Israel, the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict, or the peace
process. That’s because the resolution
is non-binding, effectively creating
guidelines and recommendations.
Israel is concerned about exactly
that type of action. Specifically, Israel is
worried about a resolution that would
set conditions for negotiations. Such a
resolution would issue parameters for
some of the most sensitive issues in
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including
borders, the status of Jerusalem as a
contested capital, Palestinian refugees,
US President Barack Obama meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
This file photo taken on December 09 shows Israeli settlement of Qadumim
and a time-limit for negotiations.
What are the long-term effects?
The biggest blow is to Israel’s settlement
enterprise in the West Bank and
East Jerusalem. This resolution has
left little room for negotiation about
the legality of the settlements, stating
that Israel’s settlements have “no legal
validity and constitutes a flagrant violation
under international law.”
When it comes to borders, the resolution
does leave an opening for negotiations,
saying there will be no changes to
AFP
the June 4, 1967 “other than those agreed
by the parties through negotiations.”
Will Donald Trump be able to
repeal the resolution?
Theoretically, yes, the incoming administration
could repeal this resolution.
Trump would have to introduce a new
resolution that revokes this one entirely.
Then he would need at least nine
countries to vote for it and ensure that
none of the Security Council’s other permanent
members – Russia, UK, France,
and China – vetoed it. Realistically, that
is incredibly unlikely to happen.
REUTERS
Will the US and Israel take
diplomatic action against the UN?
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham
has threatened to cut US money to the
United Nations over this resolution.
The US currently provides 22% of the
UN’s budget. Israel has already cut
funding to five different UN organisations,
totaling nearly $8m, Netanyahu
announced. Netanyahu said Israel
would reevaluate its relationships with
UN representatives in Israel.
Is this the first time an American
president has taken action?
No. In fact, it’s not all that uncommon.
In 1988, Ronald Reagan began dialogue
with the PLO before the end of his second
term. In 2000, Bill Clinton laid out his
vision for peace, now known as the “Clinton
Parameters.” And in 2008, George W
Bush’s envoy voted in favour of Security
Council resolution 1850, which called for
a renewal of the peace process. •
Sources: AFP, CNN