Republican bill faces slim prospects of becoming law due to President Joe Biden’s opposition to attached spending cuts.
The United States House of Representatives has passed a Republican plan providing $14.5bn in military aid for Israel, setting up a partisan clash over the usually bipartisan issue of backing the staunch US ally.
The plan, which is funded by cuts to the Internal Revenue Service, passed on Thursday by 226 votes to 196, largely along party lines.
The plan is the first major legislative action under new Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, who took on his role last week after Kevin McCarthy was removed by the hard-right faction of his party.
The package includes $4bn to replenish Israel’s Iron Dome and David’s Sling missile defence systems and military equipment transferred from US stocks.
Johnson on Thursday urged the Senate and White House to quickly approve the bill.
“The Senate and White House cannot let this moment pass, and I urge them to act swiftly and pass this bill as the House did today,” Johnson said on the social media platform X.
The bill, however, has a slim prospect of becoming law after US President Joe Biden and his fellow Democrats in the Senate signalled their opposition due to its inclusion of spending cuts and a lack of aid for Ukraine.
To become law, the bill would have to pass the Senate, where the Democrats have a majority, and receive Biden’s signature.
Ahead of the vote, the White House said the bill “would have devastating implications for our safety and alliances in the years ahead”.
Biden has instead asked Congress to pass a $106bn emergency spending package that includes funding for Israel, Taiwan and Ukraine.
While most Republicans still strongly back Ukraine, a vocal minority of the party has questioned the need to continue providing financial assistance to Kyiv at a time of steep budget deficits.
House Democrat Rosa DeLauro on Thursday accused Republicans of delaying aid to US allies with their bill.
“This bill abandons Ukraine. We will not abandon Israel and we will not abandon Ukraine. But their fortunes are linked,” she said.
The US has given Israel more military assistance than any other country since World War II, providing aid worth more than $124bn.
The US ally is already receiving $3.8bn per year in military assistance under a 10-year plan that began in 2016.
At least 20 people were injured when the balcony of a restaurant in Cape Town collapsed, reports . The incident occurred at 102 Castle Street, which houses La Trip Club & Social and shares a building with The Athletic Club & Social.
While there were no major injuries reported, patients were taken to nearby hospitals, including Groote Schuur, Christiaan Barnard, and New Somerset, as well as private clinics. By the time cleanup crews arrived, the street was quiet as all injured individuals had already been transported to hospitals.
Luanda- The Ministry of Culture will organise on the 13th and 14th of November, in Luanda, a Forum on the National Intellectual Property System, with a view to safeguarding author's rights and combating piracy, announced this Tuesday the director general of the National Service for Copyright and Related Issues (Senadiac), Barro José Licença.
The event, according to the official, who spoke at a press conference, will analyze the issue in a multisectoral and holistic way, aiming to find appropriate measures to mitigate acts of piracy.
He made it known that, among other objectives, the meeting, which will take place under the motto “the challenges of creation, innovation and protection of intellectual property in Angola”, also aims to stimulate innovation to satisfy the population's needs.
According to the manager, there has been a worrying rate of acts that constitute piracy, resulting from several factors, including the lack of awareness of the need for protection and respect for intellectual property, the motive for which is easy profit, harming economic agents and innovative companies that invest their capital.
He stated that, on the other hand, there is a lack of instruments for harmonizing and articulating policies to encourage research and development activities, to promote interaction between universities, research institutions, as well as to encourage innovation and dissemination of knowledge
In this way, he pointed out, the holding of the Forum as a way to combat piracy, so that protection becomes effective.
Protection means ensuring copyright to the creator or holder of Intellectual Property Rights over the intellectual work and guaranteeing exclusive economic exploitation.
Sofonie Dala, the founder of this platform, has a postgraduate degree in media management and leadership. She was awarded the Media Manager degree in 2020 by Rhodes University, South Africa. Since then she has been promoting Media and Information Literacy around the world, across all her digital platforms, as well as creating public awareness campaigns for citizens of all ages about the SDGs.
Knowledge and information have become transformative dimensions of our existence and are key drivers behind the implementation of all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). From government to small villages, knowledge and information guides what people do and how they do it. The 2030 Agenda recognizes the need to develop knowledge societies where everyone has opportunities to learn and engage with others, which starkly highlights the need for access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). This is my reading of SDG 9, which calls on states to “build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.”
Yet, in many places, people and communities cannot access computers or the Internet. In the developed world, for example, over 80% of individuals use the Internet; in the developing world, less than 35% do. The remaining 65% are often poor and remote communities or disenfranchised groups. They may be fragile communities struggling every day to recover from years of conflict. All these communities need access and I believe it is especially true of conflict-affected or post-conflict communities.
I UNITE TO ACT! What do you UNITE for? Join me and millions of others UNITING to #ACT4SDGs for a more just, equitable, peaceful, sustainable, and green future.
2023 Theme: Media and Information Literacy in Digital Spaces: A Collective Global Agenda
In Our Common Agenda report of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, twelve commitments were made by world leaders. Among these commitments, UN Secretary-General António Guterres highlighted the values of trust and solidarity as being the glue for social cohesion and social breakthroughs for the common good.
However, the harsh reality is that the trust factor is being eroded. Considering Our Common Agenda, we are calling on the global community to not only reaffirm and increase commitment to Media and Information Literacy (MIL) for all, but to also develop new initiatives on MIL to nurture trust.
The Global MIL Week 2023 focuses on digital spaces and gives the opportunity to explore paths for strengthening multilateral cooperation with digital platforms and other stakeholders. It highlights some promising actions in connection with media and information literacy in the last year and how media and information literacy helps with nurturing trust and countering mistrust.
Background
Media and Information Literacy for the Public Good
In 2021, the UN General Assembly decided to commemorate Media and Information Literacy (MIL) week, citing the need for the dissemination of factual, timely, targeted, clear, accessible, multilingual and science-based information. The resolution recognizes that the substantial digital divide and data inequalities that exist among different countries and within them, can be addressed in part by improving people’s competencies to seek, receive and impart information in the digital realm.
In the current ecosystem of complex and sometimes contradictory messages and meanings, it is hard to conceive of the public good being advanced, if the public is disempowered in the face of opportunities and threats. Each individual needs to be equipped with media and information literacy competencies to understand the stakes, and to contribute to and benefit from information and communication opportunities.
Our brains depend on information to work optimally. The quality of information we engage with largely determines our perceptions, beliefs and attitudes. It could be information from other persons, the media, libraries, archives, museums, publishers, or other information providers including those on the Internet.
People across the world are witnessing a dramatic increase in access to information and communication. While some people are starved for information, others are flooded with print, broadcast and digital content. Media and Information Literacy (MIL) provides answers to the questions that we all ask ourselves at some point. How can we access, search, critically assess, use and contribute content wisely, both online and offline? What are our rights online and offline? What are the ethical issues surrounding the access and use of information? How can we engage with media and information and communications technologies (ICTs) to promote equality, intercultural and interreligious dialogue, peace, freedom of expression and access to information?
Luanda - The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Esmeralda Mendonça, highlighted Monday the role the United Nations (UN) has played in providing humanitarian assistance, distributing food and protecting refugees, benefiting millions of people around the world.
The Angolan official emphasized the importance of the 2030 Agenda and the partnership between Angola and the UN to promote sustainable development in the country.
Speaking on behalf of the head of Angolan diplomacy, Téte António, during the 78th anniversary of the UN, Mendonça highlighted the remarkable evolution of the organization since its foundation, with its peace missions, humanitarian programmes and actions around the world.
Mendonça said the date shows that equal rights and the hope for a better world continues to be the core of the United Nations, representing the unity of nations in the face of common challenges.
Esmeralda Mendonça took the opportunity to congratulate the United Nations family and its Member States on 78 years of service to humanity and their commitment to promote the fundamental pillars of peace, security, human rights and sustainable development.
Zahira Virani, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Angola, congratulated the Angolan government on its new National Development Plan and reiterated the United Nations System's commitment to supporting the country in its quest for prosperity and the well-being of all Angolans.
The UN representative highlighted the cooperation framework between Angola and the organization, having highlighted the ongoing commitment of the United Nations’ Agencies, Funds and Programmes to serving the Angolan people.
The UN is an international organization founded in 1945, made up of 193 member countries, which aims to promote peace, security, international cooperation and sustainable development.
It acts as a global forum for conflict resolution, human rights, humanitarian assistance and cooperation on global issues such as climate change and health and plays a crucial role in promoting peace and finding solutions to world problems.
Luanda - The new Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Denise António, highlighted the excellent diplomatic work of the Angolan State with regard to policies for attracting new investments.
These aim, she said, to facilitate visas for tourists, businesspeople and reduce hunger and combat poverty, within the framework of the 2030 and 2063 Agendas endorsed by the African Union and the UN.
During an audience granted by the head of Angolan diplomacy, Téte Antonio, after receiving the Letters of Credentials, the minister said that Angolan diplomacy in general is willing to work with UN agencies, with the aim to strengthen cooperation and monitoring sustainable development programs implemented throughout the national territory.
Denise António cited the National Development Program (PDN) as a clear demonstration of the Angolan State's engagement and alignment with regional, continental and global policies, whether at bilateral or at multilateral level, where the United Nations, via the UNDP fits in.
The new head of the UNDP's operational activities in Angola, Denise António, is a senior employee of the United Nations System, having already performed numerous functions before coming to embrace this new professional challenge in Angola.
She has worked in Jamaica, Belize, Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Turkey, Côte d Ivoire, Zimbabwe and Ghana.
Cuvango - Ten million euros is the amount that the Kirchmayer Investiments group, from Austria, will invest as from 2024 in the production of cereals and fruits, as well as in timber exploration, in the municipality of Cuvango, southern province of Huíla.
This is the company's first investment in Huíla and in agriculture. The group will produce corn, soybeans, vegetables and fruits, while for wood exploration the focus is on setting up a carpentry shop where it will manufacture formwork panels, beams of glue, pellets and charcoal.
When speaking about the project on Tuesday, in the municipality, after meeting with the local administrator, Luís Marcelo, businessman Kirchmayer Thomas, without revealing the exact date of the start of work, stated that it is an investment that is expected to guarantee 580 jobs direct and will boost the region's economy.
He stated that the industrial wood development project needs 500 thousand cubic meters/year of sustainable supply of round wood, while for mechanized agriculture it will be applied on five thousand hectares.
“It is necessary to acquire existing forests or larger plantations and also have the possibility of investing in new plantations for the sustainable supply of round wood over the next decade,” he declared.
On the occasion, the municipal administrator of Cuvango, Luís Marcelo Ndala, valued the interest in the municipality, which is open to any private investment, whether national or foreign, with the aim of promoting more jobs for youth and developing the local economy.
Located 356 kilometers east of Lubango, Cuvango has nine thousand 680 km², home to 103 thousand 262 people.
