Australia cancels hockey tournament over Israel safety threat: Reports
Australia’s ice hockey federation says it cancelled a planned international qualifying tournament because of safety concerns, with local media reporting the decision was linked to the participation of the Israeli national team.
Multiple media outlets cited an internal email from Ice Hockey Australia (IHA) to the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) saying it couldn’t hold the tournament due to security concerns over Israel’s attendance.
IHA said in a statement that it decided to cancel the event, which was set to take place in Melbourne in April, after consultation with police and participating venues.
The statement did not mention Israel, with the body saying it could not comment on “global issues outside the sport”.
“The decision was primarily made to ensure the safety and security of athletes, volunteers, spectators, and other participants,” it said. “IHA does not shy away from making this decision with safety at the forefront.”
Israel signs deals with Elbit to make bombs domestically: Ministry
Israel’s defence ministry says it has signed deals worth about $275m with the country’s largest domestic private arms maker Elbit to make heavy bombs and raw materials needed for defence, reducing dependence on imports.
“These strategic agreements are crucial for enhancing” Israel forces’ “operational endurance and force build-up capabilities”, it said, describing the need to reduce dependence on imports as “a central lesson” from the war in Gaza.
Under one agreement, Elbit will supply the military with thousands of heavy air munitions. The second deal would see it establish a plant to produce raw materials previously sourced mainly from abroad.
The ministry did not specify the raw materials but suggested they were used to make munitions.
Gaza genocide hidden by propaganda: American filmmaker Michael Moore
American documentary filmmaker Michael Moore has accused powerful propaganda campaigns of concealing what human rights groups describe as genocide and ethnic cleansing in Gaza, following Israel’s attacks on the besieged territory.
Moore highlighted the ongoing humanitarian crisis in a film project called From Ground Zero that includes work by Palestinian filmmakers Aws al-Banna, Ahmed al-Danf, Basil al-Maqousi, and Mustafa al-Nabih.
The film project, which has been released in the US, features 22 short films spanning documentary, drama, action, and animation genres.
In a post on X, Moore said “no filmmaker, writer, or artist should ever have to tell the story of their own extermination”.
“Yet 22 courageous Palestinian filmmakers found a way to film their story this past year in Gaza, using whatever tools they could pull from the rubble of their homes and cities,” he said.
“The extraordinary film From Ground Zero – for which I am proud to be an executive producer – is the collection of these short films, told all together in under 2 hours. The fact that this film exists at all is a human and cinematic miracle. Go see From Ground Zero.”
On his website michaelmoore.com, Moore further criticised media complicity, stating: “These are stories not being told anywhere. You do not see these stories on the evening news. Military leaders prohibit access so that journalists and filmmakers cannot bring us the truth.”
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