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'The genocide has not stopped!' - Amsterdam street iftar brings Muslims together in solidarity with Palestine

'The genocide has not stopped!' - Amsterdam street iftar brings Muslims together in solidarity with Palestine

"Thousands gathered at Dam Square in Amsterdam on Saturday for 'The Street Iftar,' organised by pro-Palestinian groups to show solidarity with Gaza during the holy month of Ramadan. Footage shows dozens of Muslim participants offering prayers and others breaking their fast together at the square, while some attendees were seen waving Palestinian and Iranian flags. "This iftar was organised by people who are active in the movement to support Palestine, and we hope that this will bring us all together. We hope freedom for Palestine will come soon," shared Elize. "There's a lot going on in the Middle East right now. These are heavy times, so I think it's good to focus on things that bring us together in these difficult times and to find support in each other," she added. Abu Nasser, another participant, said the gathering aimed to 'remind the world about Gaza', emphasising that the people in the region continue to face severe hardships. "The genocide has not stopped. The genocide is only stopped on camera, in the media, but it is still continuing. People are being bombed, people are being starved, and this has to be stopped," he added. The iftar was organised by groups including Amsterdam Palestina Coalitie and Global Movement to Gaza NL, among others. Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is observed worldwide as a period of fasting, prayer and reflection, commemorating the revelation of the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad. The conflict between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, 2023, after Hamas launched an attack that killed 1,139 people in Israel and took more than 200 hostages. Israel subsequently launched a large-scale military campaign in Gaza. According to Palestinian health authorities, more than 72,000 Palestinians have been killed since. In January, US envoy Steve Witkoff outlined President Donald Trump's plan aimed at ending the conflict, including Hamas’ disarmament and reconstruction efforts."

Half-mast tribute - Shanghai Cooperation Organisation lowers flag after killing of Iran's Khamenei

Half-mast tribute - Shanghai Cooperation Organisation lowers flag after killing of Iran's Khamenei

"The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) lowered its flag to half-mast at its Secretariat headquarters in Beijing in tribute to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after his death in US-Israeli joint strikes on Saturday. The SCO said the move was made "in connection with the declaration of national mourning in the Islamic Republic of Iran over the death of the Supreme Leader of the State, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei." Donald Trump confirmed 'major combat operations' in Iran in a video posted on his Truth Social: "To the members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, the armed forces and all of the police, I say tonight that you must lay down your weapons and have complete immunity - or in the alternative, face certain death." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the launch of a joint operation with the United States "to eliminate the existential threat posed by the terrorist regime in Iran." According to media reports, Iran targeted bases providing support to the United States and Israel, with explosions heard in the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Iran, Israel, Bahrain, Iraq, Qatar and Kuwait reportedly closed their airspace and temporary restrictions have been imposed in the UAE. The Russian Foreign Ministry condemned Washington and Tel Aviv’s attacks on Iran, calling them "a planned and unprovoked act of armed aggression against a sovereign state." The ministry added that the motives of the attackers "have nothing to do with the non-proliferation regime." They violate the basic principles of international law and pose a threat to the Middle East with a 'radiological' disaster. It comes following three rounds of talks between the Iranian and American sides, one in Muscat and two in Geneva in recent "

Phoenix Dance Theatre: Interplay review – mixed bill draws on hip-hop, classical greats and 2000s nostalgia

Phoenix Dance Theatre: Interplay review – mixed bill draws on hip-hop, classical greats and 2000s nostalgia

York Theatre Royal From an ode to the pure goodness of the dancefloor to clapping rhythms, playful duets and retro classics Marcus Jarrell Willis wants us to rewind. Back to the good old days. The Phoenix Dance Theatre director has made a new piece, Suite Release, with fellow choreographer (and fellow Alvin Ailey alumni) Yusha-Marie Sorzano that’s an ode to the pure goodness of the dancefloor, filtered through memories of 1990s hip-hop culture. Here’s the voice of DJ Kool Herc, godfather of hip-hop. And here’s a clan of friends, hanging out and vibing on the kind of connection you can only get by dancing together. The sound of Labrinth singing the hymn How Great Thou Art sets out the almost spiritual nature of the exercise, then they bust through Buju Banton, A Tribe Called Quest and the theme from TV show A Different World, with all the loose energy of the dancefloor (plus the guiding hand of a director) drawing on hip-hop, house and dancehall. Modernity intrudes to complicate matters, but the message is clear: can we get back to how it was? From the more recent past, this nicely chosen mixed bill features two short revivals: Jarrell Willis’s Next of Kin, from 2013, which has playful antics in a sibling-like duet; then Ed Myhill’s Why Are People Clapping? from 2018, a very enjoyable 13 minutes, based on Steve Reich’s Clapping Music, that cleverly visualises rhythm with levity and glee. Continue reading...