newsinsightplus.com
- .In
- 106m
- April 7, 2024
- 0 Comments
BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaGaza war: Where does Israel get its weapons?Published1 day agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsIsrael-Gaza warImage source, AFPImage caption, The US has supplied Israel’s air force with F-35s, the most advanced fighter jets ever madeBy David GrittenBBC NewsWestern governments are coming under growing pressure to halt arms sales to Israel over how it is waging the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.Israel is a major weapons exporter, but its military has been heavily reliant on imported aircraft, guided bombs and missiles to conduct what experts have described as one of the most intense and destructive aerial campaigns in recent history. Campaign groups and some politicians among Israel’s Western allies say arms exports should be suspended because, they say, Israel is failing to do enough to protect the lives of civilians and ensure enough humanitarian aid reaches them.On Friday, the UN Human Rights Council backed a weapons ban, with 28 countries voting in favour, six against and 13 abstentions. The US and Germany – which account for the vast majority of Israel’s arms imports – both voted against. Germany said it did so because the resolution did not explicitly condemn Hamas. The war was triggered by Hamas’s attack on Israel on 7 October, which killed about 1,200 people, mainly civilians, according Israeli tallies. More than 33,000 people have been killed in Gaza, 70% of them children and women, the Hamas-run health ministry says.Israel insists that its forces are working to avoid civilian casualties, accuses Hamas of deliberately putting civilians in the line of fire and has said there are no limits on aid deliveries. United StatesThe US is by far the biggest supplier of arms to Israel, having helped it build one of the most technologically sophisticated militaries in the world.According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the US accounted for 69% of Israel’s arms imports between 2019 and 2023. The US provides Israel with $3.8bn (£3bn) in annual military aid under a 10-year agreement that is intended to allow its ally to maintain what it calls a “qualitative military edge” over neighbouring countries. Israel has used the grants to finance orders of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, a stealth aircraft considered the most advanced ever made. It has so far ordered 75 and taken delivery of more than 30 of the aircraft. It was the first country other than the US to receive an F-35 and the first to use one in combat. Part of the aid – $500m annually – is set aside to fund missile defence programmes, including the jointly developed Iron Dome, Arrow and David’s Sling systems. Israel has relied on them during the war to defend itself against rocket, missile and drone attacks by Palestinian armed groups in Gaza, as well as other Iran-backed armed groups based in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq.In the days after Hamas’s 7 October attack, President Joe Biden said the US was “surging additional military assistance” to Israel.Since the start of the war, only two US military sales to Israel have been made public after receiving emergency approval – one for 14,000 rounds of tank ammunition worth $106m and the other for $147m of components to make 155mm artillery shells. But US media report that President Joe Biden’s administration has also quietly made more than 100 military sales to Israel, most falling below the dollar amount that would require Congress to be formally notified. They are said to include thousands of precision-guided munitions, small-diameter bombs, bunker busters and small arms. Image source, ReutersImage caption, Israel’s Iron Dome batteries help protect cities and towns from rocket and missile fireHowever, SIPRI’s report says that despite the deliveries, the total volume of Israeli arms imports from the US in 2023 was almost the same as in 2022.One deal that is large enough to require Congressional notification is the $18bn sale of up to 50 F-15 fighter jets, news about which emerged this week. Congress has not yet approved the deal.Even though the aircraft would need to be built from scratch and would not be delivered immediately, the sale is expected to be hotly debated by Mr Biden’s Democratic Party, many of whose representatives in Congress and supporters are increasingly concerned by Israel’s actions in Gaza. Senator Elizabeth Warren has said she is prepared to block the deal and has accused Israel of “indiscriminate bombing” in Gaza.GermanyGermany is the next biggest arms exporter to Israel, accounting for 30% of imports between 2019 and 2023, according to SIPRI.As of early November, the European nation’s weapons sales to Israel last year were worth €300m ($326m; $257m) – a 10-fold increase compared with 2022 – with the majority of those export licences granted after the 7 October attacks. Components for air defence systems and communications equipment accounted for most of the sales, according to the DPA news agency.Chancellor Olaf Scholz has been a staunch supporter of Israel’s right to self-defence throughout the war and, although his tone on Israeli actions in Gaza has shifted in recent weeks and there has been some debate in Germany, the arms sales do not appear to be at risk of suspension.Image source, ReutersImage caption, Israel rejects accusations that it is failing to do enough to protect civilians in Gaza and instead blames HamasItalyItaly is the third-biggest arms exporter to Israel, but it accounted for only 0.9% of Israeli imports between 2019 and 2023. They have reportedly included helicopters and naval artillery.The sales amounted to €13.7m ($14.8m; £11.7m) last year, according to national statistics bureau ISTAT.Some €2.1m of exports were approved between October and December, despite the government’s assurances that it was blocking them under a law which bans weapons sales to countries that are waging war or are deemed to be violating human rights.Defence Minister Guido Crosetto told parliament last month that Italy had honoured existing contracts after checking them on a case-by-case basis and ensuring “they did not concern materials that could be used against civilians”. Other countriesThe UK’s arms exports to Israel are “relatively small”, according to the UK government, amounting to only £42m ($53m) in 2022. The Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) says that since 2008, the UK has granted arms export licences to Israel worth £574m ($727m) in total. Much of those are for components used in US-made warplanes that end up in Israel. But the British government is coming under growing pressure to suspend even those exports.Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said the UK has a “very careful export licensing regime” and said Israel must “act in accordance with international humanitarian law”. The UK government is also preparing an assessment that will advise on the risk of Israel breaching international law in its actions from early 2024.But a senior government source told the BBC that an arms embargo on Israel was “not going to happen”.The government of Canada, whose arms sales to Israel were worth 21.3m Canadian dollars ($15.7m; £12.4m) in 2022, said in January that it had suspended approving new exit permits for weapons until it could ensure they were being used in accordance with Canadian law. However, pre-existing permits remained valid.Israeli defence industryImage source, AFPImage caption, Israel’s Elbit Systems developed the Hermes 450 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) being used in GazaIsrael has also built up its own defence industry with US help and now ranks as the ninth-largest arms exporter in the world, with a focus on advanced technological products rather than large-scale hardware.It held a 2.3% share of global sales between 2019 and 2023, according to SIPRI, with India (37%), the Philippines (12%) and the US (8.7%) the three main recipients. The sales were worth $12.5bn (£9.9bn) in 2022, according to the Israeli defence ministry. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) made up 25% of those exports, followed by missiles, rockets and air defence systems (19%) and radar and electronic warfare systems (13%), the ministry said. In September, just before the war began, Germany agreed a $3.5bn deal with Israel to buy the sophisticated Arrow 3 missile defence system, which intercepts long-range ballistic missiles. The deal – Israel’s largest-ever – had to be approved by the US because it jointly developed the system.US military stockpile in IsraelImage source, EPAImage caption, The US has reportedly allowed Israel to draw artillery shells from its reserve stockpile thereIsrael is also home to a vast US arms depot set up in 1984 to pre-position supplies for its troops in case of a regional conflict, as well as to give Israel quick access to weapons in emergencies. The Pentagon shipped about 300,000 155mm artillery shells from the War Reserve Stockpile Ammunition-Israel to Ukraine following the Russian invasion.Stockpiled munitions at the depot have also reportedly been supplied to Israel since the start of the Gaza war.Related TopicsIsrael-Gaza warIsraelGermanyArms tradeItalyUnited StatesMore on this storyBiden tells Israel it must prevent civilian harm to keep US supportPublished2 days agoAid worker’s family criticises selling Israel armsPublished2 days agoTop StoriesJeremy Bowen: Obstacles to peace seem larger than everPublished4 hours agoLive. Israelis demand hostage deal six months on from Hamas attacksPost Office bosses earned millions despite scandalPublished8 hours agoFeaturesThe eclipse’s 4-minute window into the Sun’s secretsThe Papers: ‘Gaza famine’ warning and Corrie ‘budgeting row’Where in the UK can you see Monday’s solar eclipse?7 lessons from my first series of University ChallengeThe singer-songwriters who are pop’s new breakout starsIndigenous deaths in custody haunt AustraliaSix months on, how close is Israel to eliminating Hamas?Path of darkness – scroll every mile of total eclipse’A game of Jenga’: Inside the perilous Baltimore bridge clean-upElsewhere on the BBCGet a job, pay the bills. Sounds simple, right?Fresh, surreal comedy from the mind of Lucia KeskinAttributioniPlayerThis family bonds over Race Across the WorldThese are the the things we love on the BBCAttributioniPlayerOne of the most talented bands to never make it…Why did trailblazers Microdisney fail to achieve the commercial success they deserved?AttributioniPlayerDid you know these scenes were filmed in… Glasgow?!Ali Plumb travels through the city’s silver screen sightsAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Where in the UK can you see Monday’s solar eclipse?2Hardest Geezer: The man who ran the length of Africa3’Gaza famine’ warning and Corrie ‘budgeting row’4Post Office bosses earned millions despite scandal5Woman dies after stabbing in busy city centre6Nail technicians join forces to raise prices7Bowen: Obstacles to peace seem larger than ever8Russia-friendly populist elected Slovak president97 lessons from my first series of University Challenge10Incinerator opposed by Barclay sees permit delayed
[ad_1] The war was triggered by Hamas’s attack on Israel on 7 October, which killed about 1,200 people, mainly civilians, according Israeli tallies. More than 33,000 people have been killed…
![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityBusinessMarket DataEconomyYour MoneyCompaniesTechnology of BusinessCEO SecretsArtificial IntelligenceCan Sweden keep its edge in the music industry?Published1 hour agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Abba can take some credit for Stockholm’s bustling music tech sceneBy Maddy SavageBBC News, StockholmFrom Abba to Spotify, Avicii to Soundcloud, Stockholm has spawned both some of the world’s most successful musicians and music tech companies.With seven wins, Sweden has won the Eurovision Song Contest more than any other nation and Malmö will host this year’s competition.That legacy is evident moments after stepping off the underground at Stockholm’s central station.Sergels torg, the capital’s main square paved in black and white triangles, is home to the Avicii Experience, an interactive museum celebrating the late Tim Bergling. He grew up here and became one of the world’s bestselling DJs under his artist name Avicii.On the fifteenth floor sits Per Sundin, chief executive of Pophouse Entertainment which runs the museum. The company is focussed on creating the “next generation” of high-tech entertainment experiences, with a portfolio that also includes the Abba Voyage stage show in London, performed by avatar versions of Sweden’s biggest supergroup.It is developing plans for a new show in 2027 involving digital versions of the US rock band Kiss, after testing the technology at the band’s final real-life gig last year.”What’s the similarity between Kiss and Abba?,” asks Mr Sundin rhetorically from his private office with floor-to-ceiling windows. “They really have super fans, both artists, and they have a wide catalogue, and they have global presence all over the world.”Despite selling more than two million tickets for Abba Voyage since May 2022, he says Pophouse Entertainment still hasn’t broken even on its investments, which include the technology (created in collaboration with US filmmaker George Lucas’s visual effects company Industrial Light and Magic), and the event’s bespoke east London arena.Image source, Maddy SavageImage caption, Per Sundin’s firm is using virtual tech to keep bands performingBut Mr Sundin – a former Universal Music executive – says he has faith in the concept, and hopes it can be adapted for a handful of other big-name legacy artists in future. “This is for those who can’t tour anymore, can’t really make themselves as good [as they were]… or [want to] do different kinds of things with their music legacy,” says Mr Sundin. Pophouse’s innovations follow a string of other music tech success stories emerging from Stockholm, a capital with a population of just 10 million.Daniel Ek’s Spotify launched here in 2008, while Soundcloud was founded a year earlier by two students from Stockholm School of Economics, Alex Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, who later relocated the business to Berlin.Other companies who’ve made a global impact include Soundtrack Your Brand, which provides a subscription service enabling businesses to play commercial music without licensing issues, and Epidemic Sound, a platform for rights-free music for content creators, recently valued at 12.5bn kronor (£950m; $1.2bn), according to Swedish business news site Dagens Industri. “We all know there must be something in the water,” laughs Sarah Herlin, co-founder of Stockholm Music City, an organisation that encourages collaboration between the capital’s music and tech sectors, and provides support to start-ups.Image source, Maddy SavageImage caption, Sarah Herlin says there is a culture of collaboration among Swedish start-upsOn a more serious note, she argues that there are several key ingredients in Stockholm’s recipe for music tech success.These include Sweden’s historically strong music scene, with artists like Roxette, The Cardigans and legendary pop producer/songwriter Max Martin cementing the reputation set by Abba, and giving credibility to Swedish tech companies with a music-related focus.Plus, the country has long had a tech-savvy population, with many of today’s entrepreneurs growing up in the 1990s when there were tax cuts on home hardware in Sweden, followed by an early adoption of broadband.The business culture in Sweden, which tends to promote collaboration over competition has also created a supportive ecosystem, argues Herlin.”If you realise someone else is doing the same thing, you contact each other and see how can we do this together,” she says. “That often means that they all succeed instead of nobody succeeding.”More technology of businessWhen wind turbine blades get old what’s next?Could product passports revolutionise the way we shop?Why firms are racing to produce green ammoniaWhy some cyber-attacks hit harder than othersThe brewing secrets behind tastier no-alcohol beerOne recent example is Elk, a company that provides a remote, collaborative recording platform for artists, which was founded after two local businesses figured out they were developing similar software tools.Ms Herlin has just finished a meeting at The Node, a physical recording studio hub which opened last year on the same square as the Avicii museum, and includes some of the late DJ’s equipment. “Where you have producers, you will have music tech start-ups, and you will have investors coming to check it out,” she says.Late on a Monday afternoon the neon-pink lit cafe area is largely empty, save for several nonchalant staff. But Ms Herlin says the space is creating a global buzz. “We’ve noticed already people pop up here from New York and from London to check it out.”Seedtable, a platform that tracks the fastest growing companies in Europe lists 69 music and and audio start-ups to watch and work for in 2024, with 13 of them based in Stockholm, more than any other city in relation to population size.Image source, Maddy SavageImage caption, Ankit Desai is looking for “diamonds in the rough”A few blocks away from The Node, one of them, Snafu Records, is based at a shared office space with a parquet floor and a cocktail bar.Described by its co-founder and chief executive Ankit Desai as “the first AI enabled music label in the world”, the start-up has developed an algorithm which trawls the internet to pinpoint new artists it believes can make an impact.”We try to find those diamonds in the rough… those undervalued artists and give them a platform to shine,” says Mr Desai. Since launching in 2019, the company has signed more than 150 artists. Snafu Records takes a 50% cut of all its artists earnings, although Desai says most traditional labels take up to 80%.The start-up’s investors include Agnetha Fältskog (Agnetha from Abba), Finnish gaming entrepreneur Mikko Kodisoja, and Pophouse Entertainment, and it raised $7m (£5.5m) in its second funding round in late 2023. But Mr Desai admits that raising capital was “a lot harder” than when the label first launched in 2019, and the company is yet to turn a profit. Business Daily: Stockholm: The capital of music tech?Emil Widhagen, a journalist for Swedish tech and start-up news site Breakit, argues many of Stockholm’s music tech start-ups are facing similar challenges to Snafu Records, as a result of global economic jitters.”People tend to move towards more safe investments in more difficult times, and music tech companies in general aren’t producing profits, not even Spotify.”Indeed, Spotify – the world’s biggest subscription audio streaming site – reported a loss of around €75m (£64m; $82m) in the final quarter of 2023, despite cutting around 1,500 jobs. But the company still saw a 4% increase in subscribers despite putting its prices up.Some music tech entrepreneurs argue the speed at which AI tools are growing globally is also putting pressure on Stockholm’s well-oiled music tech ecosystem.Image source, Maddy SavageImage caption, Emelie Olsson says raising money is harder for start-ups than before”One of the biggest challenges is to keep up with everything,” says Emelie Olsson, chief operating officer and co-founder at Corite, a music tech start-up which uses crowdfunding to help artists gain financial backing from fans (and rewards fans if artists score a hit). “It’s really a race, I would say, with a lot of companies doing a lot of cool things at the same time.”Corite has also struggled to turn a profit, and is pinning its hopes on a new tool for artists and other content creators which is launching later this year. “We are about to raise money again and we are definitely humble,” says Ms Olsson. “I think, companies have a bit more to prove a bit earlier than they had before.”Related TopicsTechnology of BusinessTop StoriesRayner wants to see Abbott back as Labour MPPublished8 hours agoPM under pressure over ‘new £5m’ from donor accused of racismPublished5 hours agoWhat Russians are being told about Putin’s re-electionPublished1 hour agoFeaturesFear and chaos await Haitian migrants forced back over borderShould Abbott have been able to speak at PMQs?How a head teacher saved his pupils from a knifemanCancer patients stopped from leaving Gaza for treatmentSteve Rosenberg on Russia’s stage-managed electionPost Office victim’s child: ‘Scandal left me mute’What is the new extremism definition and who could be listed?Critics say Morning Show star is magnetic on stageReality TV star Vicky Pattison: Why I’d donate my frozen eggs. VideoReality TV star Vicky Pattison: Why I’d donate my frozen eggsElsewhere on the BBCCow, goat, oat, almond, soya…Which milk is the cream of the crop for your health and the planet?AttributionSoundsWhy did four tragic murders spark an online obsession?The case racked up nearly two billion views on TikTok worldwideAttributioniPlayerPractical, passionate and hilarious conversationsJoanna Lumley and Roger Allam return with their award-winning comedy playing a long-married coupleAttributionSoundsExploring the mysterious deaths of Nazi fugitivesThree brothers investigate whether a family connection may explain the truthAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Father of school gunman convicted of manslaughter2A ball of barnacles wins wildlife photo award3What Russians are being told about Putin’s re-election4Trying to stay alive in a town of despair5Lenny Henry emotional ahead of final Comic Relief6HelloFresh denies taking money after accounts closed7Rayner wants to see Abbott back as Labour MP8Meghan launches surprise new lifestyle brand9PM pressured over ‘new £5m’ from racism accused donor10Al-Shabab attacks hotel in Somali capital](https://newsinsightplus.com/wp-content/uploads/https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/47A6/production/_132924381_emelieolsson-index.jpg)
