March 24, 2024
“Insensitive, Unacceptable”: Singapore Makes Israeli Embassy Delete Palestinian Post
Singapore made the Israeli embassy in the city-state take down an “insensitive” social media post about the Palestinians over the weekend after warning it could inflame tensions, the interior minister said Monday.
The Israel-Hamas war and the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza since the Hamas’ unprecedented attacks on October 7 have divided opinion across the world.
The post reportedly said Israel was mentioned 43 times in the Koran but Palestine — the name Palestinians give to what they hope will become their independent, sovereign state — was not, according to local media.
Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam said he asked Singapore’s foreign ministry to tell the Israeli embassy to remove the post made on Sunday after learning about it, which the mission immediately did.
“That post on the Israeli embassy social media page is completely unacceptable. I was very upset when I was told about it,” Shanmugam told reporters, according to a transcript.
“It is insensitive and inappropriate. It carries the risk of undermining our safety, security and harmony in Singapore.”
Shanmugam said the post had been taken down.
“Posts like these can… inflame tensions, and can put the Jewish community here at risk. The anger from the post can potentially spill over into the physical realm,” he added.
The Israeli embassy was not immediately available for comment.
Singapore has condemned the Hamas attacks on Israel but has also said that Israel’s military response “has now gone too far”.
The post was apparently posted in the context of the war between Israel and Hamas, which began after Hamas attacks that resulted in about 1,160 deaths in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
Israel has vowed to destroy the Hamas, who also seized about 250 hostages, of whom Israel believes around 130 remain in Gaza, including 33 presumed dead.
The health ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip on Sunday put the total death count in the territory at 32,226, most of them women and children.
–
March 25, 2024
UN Security Council For The 1st Time Demands Immediate Gaza Ceasefire
After more than five months of war, the UN Security Council for the first time Monday demanded an immediate ceasefire after the United States, Israel’s ally which vetoed previous drafts, abstained.
Drawing unusual applause in the often staid Security Council, all 14 other members voted in favor of the resolution which “demands an immediate ceasefire” for the ongoing Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
The resolution calls for the truce to lead to a “lasting, sustainable ceasefire” and demands that Hamas and other militants free hostages seized on October 7.
Russia at the last minute objected to the removal of the word “permanent” ceasefire and called a vote, which failed to gain passage.
The successful resolution was drafted in part by Algeria, the Arab bloc’s current member on the Security Council, with a diverse array of countries including Slovenia and Switzerland.
The United States has vetoed previous bids for a ceasefire but has shown growing frustration with Israel, including its stated plans to expand its military operation to the packed southern city of Rafah.
A change in tone toward its Middle Eastern ally was seen Friday, when the United States put forward a resolution to recognize “the imperative” of an “immediate and sustained ceasefire.”
But that text was blocked by Russia and China, which along with Arab states criticized it for stopping short of explicitly demanding Israel halt its campaign in Gaza.
The United States had repeatedly blocked ceasefire resolutions as it attempts to walk a line between supporting Israel with military aid and voicing frustration with leader Benjamin Netanyahu as the civilian death count in the Gaza Strip mounts.
Unlike Friday’s text, the call for a ceasefire in the new resolution is not directly linked to ongoing talks, led by Qatar with support from the United States and Egypt, to halt fighting in return for Hamas releasing hostages.
Israel has criticized the Security Council for previous resolutions that have not specifically condemned Hamas.
The October 7 attack by the Palestinian militant group on Israel resulted in the deaths of about 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli figures.
The militants also seized 250 hostages, of whom Israel believes around 130 remain in Gaza, including 33 presumed dead.
Israel’s military campaign in response to eliminate Hamas has killed more than 32,000 people, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
The Security Council has been divided over the Israel-Hamas war since the October 7 attacks, only approving two of eight resolutions, which both mainly dealt with humanitarian aid.
And those resolutions seem to have had little effect on the ground, where UN personnel say Israel continues to block aid convoys as experts warn of looming famine.
–
March 26, 2024
US Bridge Collapses After Ship Collision, Vehicles, People Fall In Water
Ship monitoring website MarineTraffic showed a Singapore-flagged container ship called the Dali stopped under the bridge early Tuesday.
A major bridge in the US city of Baltimore almost entirely collapsed Tuesday after being struck by a container ship, sending multiple vehicles and up to 20 people plunging into the harbor below.
Dramatic footage showed a 300-meter vessel hitting a footing of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, sending the steel-built structure crashing into the Patapsco River.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland which crosses the Patapsco River has reportedly Collapsed within the last few minutes after being Struck by a Large Container Ship; a Mass Casualty Incident has been Declared with over a Dozen Cars and many Individuals said to… pic.twitter.com/SsPMU8Mjph— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) March 26, 2024
Lights from what appear to be vehicles can be seen on the road surface as the bridge warps and crashes in sections, with the third tranche cantilevering upwards before it, too, tumbles into the water.
Several small explosions can also be seen during the rapid collapse.
“Unfortunately, we understand that there were up to 20 individuals who may be in the Patapsco River right now as well as multiple vehicles,” Kevin Cartwright of the Baltimore Fire Department told CNN.
“So we have… a mass-casualty multi agency incident underway.
“We understand that there could have potentially been a vehicle, a tractor trailer or a vehicle as large as a tractor trailer on the bridge at the time that it collapsed.”
The footage appeared to show the ship going dark twice in the moments before the collision, with thick black smoke issuing from the ship’s funnel, possibly indicating activity from the engine.
A huge emergency response swung into action after the collision, which happened around 1:30 am (0530 GMT), with first response vehicles crowding the shoreline.
Divers were in the water looking for survivors, Cartwright said.
CNN reported that water temperatures were around 48 Fahrenheit (8.8 Celsius), complicating search and rescue efforts and narrowing the window of survivability for anyone in the water.
Photographs from the scene show debris from the bridge resting on the deck of the ship, where containers were stacked several high.
Reports suggested some of the containers were unstable, complicating rescue efforts.
A man who identified himself as a former Baltimore fire department worker said he could see the bridge from his bedroom window.
“We were awakened by what appeared to be an earthquake and a long, rolling sound of thunder,” he told local media.
“I saw some emergency lights in the area and decided to drive up… what was in progress was a multi-jurisdictional response to a disaster.”
The 1.6-mile (2.6-kilometer), four-lane bridge spans the Patapsco River southwest of Baltimore.
It opened in 1977 and carries more than 11 million vehicles a year, around 31,000 a day.
It is a major part of the road network around Baltimore, an industrial city on the US East Coast next to the capital Washington.
The Maryland Transportation Authority told drivers to avoid the area, part of the I-695 interstate highway, which it called an “active scene”.
Ship monitoring website MarineTraffic showed a Singapore-flagged container ship called the Dali stopped under the bridge early Tuesday.
Logs show the vessel was en route from Baltimore to Colombo in Sri Lanka.
The BBC reported Synergy Marine Group confirming its vessel had been involved.
“Whilst the exact cause of the incident is yet to be determined, the ‘Dali’ has now mobilised its Qualified Individual Incident response service,” it says.
All crew, as well as pilots — the specialised mariners who navigate vessels around port areas — have been accounted with no reports of any injuries.
US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said on social media that he was in contact with the mayor of Baltimore and the governor of Maryland, and had offered federal help.
“Rescue efforts remain underway and drivers in the Baltimore area should follow local responder guidance on detours and response,” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Baltimore is one of the busiest cargo ports in the United States, handling billions of dollars of vehicles, containers, forest products and project cargo, according to the city’s port authority.
–
Cyber Attack, Israel, World War 3: US Bridge Collapse Sparks Conspiracy Theories
Conspiracy theorists said Tuesday that the Baltimore bridge collapse resulted from an intentional attack — despite officials quickly saying there was no evidence for that.
Hours after a container ship struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge, sending vehicles and people plunging into the US city’s frigid harbor, users across X and other platforms blamed everything from terrorists to Israel.
Among the most widespread posts came from influencer Andrew Tate, who told his nine million followers on X that the 300-meter vessel “was cyber-attacked.”
“Lights go off and it deliberately steers towards the bridge support,” the US-born Briton said. “Foreign agents of the USA attack digital infrastructures. Nothing is safe.”
InfoWars founder Alex Jones, found liable in multiple defamation lawsuits for claiming the 2012 Sandy Hook elementary school mass shooting was a hoax, reposted the allegation.
“Looks deliberate to me,” he said. “A cyber-attack is probable. WW3 has already started.”
There was no immediate confirmation of the cause of the collapse, but Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said there was no indication of terrorism.
Footage appeared to show the ship going dark twice in the moments before the collision, and Maryland Governor Wes Moore said during a press conference Tuesday that “the crew notified authorities of a power issue.”
Moore added that officials had not seen “any credible evidence of a terrorist attack.” Bill DelBagno, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Baltimore field office, also said there was no evidence of terrorism.
Those assurances have not stopped the deluge of rumors on X, where some accounts are linking the tragedy to the United States’ abstention in a UN Security Council vote calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza war.
“Did Israel just hit the US over not using the Veto power yesterday??” one account said in a post with thousands of interactions.
Others blamed the bridge collapse on the Islamic State group or corporate diversity initiatives that have become a flashpoint ahead of the US presidential election, while suggestions of a “false flag” populated the most conspiratorial pages.
Synergy Marine Group, the managers of the Singapore-flagged Dali container ship controlled by two Baltimore port pilots at the time of the collision, said the cause of the crash has yet to be determined. None of the crew were injured.
Michael Ruark 