Betsafe joins firms exiting Kenya on increasing taxes
Betsafe has exited the Kenyan market due to increased taxation, rendering its employees jobless.
war
Cyprus nears conclusions in probe of Russian sanctions violations
Cypriot authorities are investigating possible breaches of EU sanctions on Russian billionaires related to the war in Ukraine. Investigators are looking into cases involving high-profile individuals like Alexei Mordashov, who reportedly transferred shares worth €1.4 billion to his wife after the sanctions were imposed. The Attorney General’s office met with investigators to review progress and issue instructions, with potential prosecutions looming. Sources indicate that evidence from foreign countries is being sought to support potential charges, with funds leaving Cyprus before the sanctions were implemented being a focus of the investigation.
Gaza death toll: how many Palestinians has Israel’s attack killed
Israel’s ground and air campaign in Gaza has killed more than 35,000 people, mostly civilians, and driven most of the enclave’s 2.3 million people from their homes. The Palestinian Health Ministry reported a death toll of 34,844, with 21,058 counted from bodies arriving at morgues and 3,715 reported online by family members. The ministry estimates that around 10,000 bodies are uncounted. The credibility of the death toll is supported by public health experts and the World Health Organization, although there are specific questions about certain casualties. Hamas does not control the figures, as the Health Ministry also answers to the Palestinian Authority ministry in the West Bank. Israeli officials have questioned the figures, but the military has acknowledged their reliability. Israel estimates that 14,000 Hamas fighters and 16,000 Palestinian civilians have been killed in the war. The Palestinian Health Ministry reports that over 70% of the dead are women and children under 18, with children representing slightly over 40% of all those killed.
Huge manhunt launched in France as gunmen kill two guards, free inmate from prison van
Two French prison guards were shot dead and three others injured when armed men ambushed a prison van to free an inmate in Incarville, France. The inmate and attackers escaped, triggering a major manhunt led by Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin. The Justice Minister Éric Dupond-Moretti stated that efforts will be made to find and punish the criminals responsible for the attack. The fugitive inmate has been named as Mohamed A., suspected of ordering a murder in Marseille and having ties to the city’s powerful “Blacks” gang.
Criminal gangs, profiteers thrive in Gaza as cash shortage worsens misery
A shortage of banknotes in Gaza is causing chaos, with only a few ATMs operational in the southern city of Rafah. Residents are facing long waits and sometimes paying fees to access cash, as armed gangs exploit the situation. The conflict has led to a lack of liquidity in the enclave, with hundreds of millions of shekels stuck in bank vaults. Essential goods remain scarce, and some merchants are profiteering from the shortage by charging high commissions. Gaza’s economy relies heavily on Israel, which has blocked cash imports since the start of the war.
Israeli forces push into Gaza from north and south
Israeli forces have re-entered the northern edge of Gaza to prevent fighters from returning, resulting in intense fighting on both the northern and southern edges of the enclave. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have fled, and aid groups warn of a looming humanitarian crisis. The death toll has surpassed 35,000, with many more feared buried under rubble. Israel’s assault on Rafah has strained its relationship with the United States, leading to a temporary hold on weapon shipments. Hamas fighters are engaged in battles with Israeli forces in various areas of Gaza.
Israel protests after Nobel laureate denounces Gaza invasion at Vatican
Israel’s Embassy to the Holy See protested against Yemeni Nobel Prize winner Tawakkol Karman for accusing Israel of “genocide” in Gaza during an event at the Vatican. Israeli embassy rejected the accusations as “lies” and criticized the anti-Semitic speech. The tension between the Vatican and Israel has increased since the war in Gaza, with Jewish groups accusing Pope Francis of not recognizing Israel’s actions as self-defense.
Faithful descend on Portugal’s Fatima to pray for peace as wars rage
Tens of thousands of faithful prayed for peace at Portugal’s Fatima shrine amid wars in Ukraine, Gaza, and other places. The shrine marks the site of reported visions of the Virgin Mary over 100 years ago. The Roman Catholic Church believes she gave three messages to three Portuguese children in 1917. Pope Francis made two of the children saints in 2017. Some pilgrims brought Ukrainian flags in support following Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
Israeli forces step up attacks on Gaza’s Jabalia camp, Rafah
Israeli tanks advanced into Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, while airstrikes targeted Rafah in the south. Tanks were trying to reach the heart of the camp, with tank shells and air strikes destroying houses. Israeli troops forced Palestinians in shelters to evacuate. In Rafah, heavy bombardments killed people, and the city remained a “ghost town”. Hamas fighters engaged in gun battles with Israeli forces in both areas. The death toll in Gaza has surpassed 35,000, causing a humanitarian crisis. The conflict began with a Hamas attack on southern Israel, resulting in casualties on both sides.
Campus Gaza rallies may subside, but experts see possible ‘hot summer of protest’
About a dozen students were arrested during a sit-in at a Denver college campus, but emerged from detainment to cheers from fellow pro-Palestinian protesters. The protesters are demanding a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, university divestment from companies profiting from the war, and amnesty for disciplined or fired protesters. Academics believe that maintaining the energy of the movement once students leave campus will be a challenge, but the protests have spread across the country and to smaller universities, showing staying power. The movement may evolve or fade away, but students in Denver are committed to continuing their protests until their demands are met, even through summer break and into the fall. Police responses to protests have ignited a sense of activism in a new generation of students, and there are expectations for a summer of protest leading up to the presidential election. Michael Heaney, a lecturer in politics, believes that the protests are just one tactic in a wider movement and that they could grow if Israel’s offensive in Gaza continues. Despite the potential for the campus to become a ghost town after graduation, student protesters in Denver are determined to continue their encampment.