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Palestinian prisoners plight

Palestinians have launched a general strike in the occupied Bethlehem Governorate over the death of a cancer-stricken Palestinian recently released from an Israeli jail on health ground. Hussein Masalma was abducted by the Israeli military in 2002 and sentenced to 20 years in prison. While in detention, he had been denied urgently-needed medical treatment for his leukemia. The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society says the Israeli regime is fully responsible for his death, especially since Masalma was subject to medical negligence. Various Palestinian groups have also called for protests across the occupied territories after the funeral on Thursday. Recently, Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip have held a number of mass rallies against the Israeli regime’s mistreatment of Palestinian inmates.

Racism in UK

Black and minority ethnic girls in England are more than twice as likely to be excluded from school as their white counterparts. That’s according to a data uncovered by Agenda, a group campaigning for the most excluded women. The data shows black Caribbean girls were permanently excluded from school at a rate double that of white British girls during the autumn term in both 2018-19 and 2019-20. The figure was three times as high for mixed white and Caribbean girls. During the same period, girls from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities faced permanent exclusion that were four times higher than those of white British girls. While boys continue to face higher rates of exclusion overall, the report notes that the number of girls excluded is increasing.

Slamming US, EU sanctions

The Venezuelan president has called for the lifting of sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union on his country. Nicolas Maduro made the remarks in his speech to the United Nations General Assembly. He said sanctions prevent Venezuelan oil and mining companies from selling their products. Maduro denounced what he called permanent systematic aggression waged against Venezuela through these restrictions. The Venezuelan president called for the establishment of a new world free of colonialism and imperialism.

UK CO2 price shock

The UK has warned the food industry about a sharp rise in carbon dioxide prices after wholesale gas prices soar in the country. Environment Secretary George Eustice said the cost of every ton of CO2 would rise five-fold to around 1,000 pounds. The warning came after London offered tens of millions of dollars to restart production of carbon dioxide at a US-owned plant. The C-F Industries was shut recently because of soaring gas prices. The government has warned that some food producers, including poultry plants, would need to close. A leading gas distributor company has also expressed concern that the UK carbon dioxide shortage is spilling over into the rest of Europe. The continent faces a liquefied natural gas crisis as high demand in Asia pushed down supplies to Europe.

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