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Conflict Spillovers Causing Surge of Human Rights Violations, UN Rights Chief Warns

Voice of America - Mon, 03/04/2024 - 21:33
Geneva — U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warns the potential spillover of dozens of conflicts around the world is threatening global peace and causing human rights violations to surge in all regions. Türk, who presented an update about the situation of human rights around the world at the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva Monday, painted a frightening picture of a world where proliferating conflicts are devastating the lives of millions of civilians. “Rarely has...
Categories: Iraq

Ship Hit by Houthi Rebels Sinks in Red Sea

Voice of America - Mon, 03/04/2024 - 04:47
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A ship attacked by Yemen's Houthi rebels has sunk in the Red Sea after days of taking on water, officials said Saturday, the first vessel to be fully destroyed as part of their campaign over Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The sinking of the Rubymar, which carried a cargo of fertilizer and previously leaked fuel, could cause ecological damage to the Red Sea and its coral reefs. Persistent Houthi attacks have already disrupted traffic in...
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Netanyahu Rival Visits US, Signals Wider Cracks in Israel’s Wartime Leadership

Voice of America - Mon, 03/04/2024 - 04:00
Tel Aviv, Israel — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rebuked a top Cabinet minister arriving in Washington on Sunday for talks with U.S. officials, according to an Israeli official, signaling widening cracks within the country’s leadership nearly five months into its war with Hamas. The trip by Benny Gantz, a centrist political rival who joined Netanyahu’s wartime Cabinet following Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, comes as friction between the U.S. and Netanyahu is rising over how to alleviate the...
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The Justice of Israel’s War in Gaza Will Depend on How It Ends

NY Times Iraq - Mon, 03/04/2024 - 01:22
How to think about the moral complexities in the Israel-Gaza war.
Categories: Iraq

Hard-Liners Dominate Iran Parliamentary Vote That Saw A Record-Low Turnout And Boycott Calls

Voice of America - Mon, 03/04/2024 - 00:56
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iranian hard-line politicians dominated the country's vote for parliament, results released Monday showed, maintaining their hold on the legislature in a vote that saw a record- low turnout amid boycott calls. While praising Iranians for withstanding "bad weather and continuous propaganda by the enemy," Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said the vote saw 25 million ballots cast — a turnout of just under 41%. The lowest previous came in the last...
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Iran Executes 'Terrorist' Over Alleged Israel Link to Attack

Voice of America - Mon, 03/04/2024 - 00:20
Tehran, Iran — Iran's judiciary has executed a "terrorist" over a drone attack that targeted a defense ministry site in central Iran last year, state media reported Sunday.  According to state TV, the person "planned to explode the workshop complex of the Ministry of Defense in Isfahan under guidance of the intelligence officer of Mossad," Israel's spy agency.  The date of the execution and identity of the accused person were not immediately clear.  Iran has...
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Gaza Cease-Fire Talks Resume in Cairo  

Voice of America - Sun, 03/03/2024 - 19:36
Categories: Iraq

Israel to Revise Eurovision Entries Said to Allude to Hamas Attack 

Voice of America - Sun, 03/03/2024 - 15:44
Jerusalem — Israel on Sunday said it had asked lyricists to revise its proposed Eurovision Song Contest entries, potentially heading off a dispute with organizers over political content. Authorities last week said Israel would not be able to participate in this year's edition of the popular competition if organizers rejected the song choice, which reportedly referenced victims of Hamas's October 7 attack on southern Israel that triggered the ongoing war in Gaza. Eurovision rules...
Categories: Iraq

Gaza Cease-Fire Talks to Resume Sunday

Voice of America - Sun, 03/03/2024 - 12:12
Categories: Iraq

Kuwait to Hold Parliamentary Elections on April 4

Voice of America - Sun, 03/03/2024 - 07:35
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Kuwait said Saturday it will hold elections for its national assembly on April 4, its latest round of voting after years of political turmoil. The state-run KUNA news agency made the announcement, citing a decree published by the oil-rich country's official gazette. In February, Kuwait's emir dissolved parliament after a lawmaker reportedly insulted the ruler. Domestic political disputes have been gripping Kuwait for years — including the overhaul...
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Thousands Join Israeli Hostages' Families in March on Jerusalem

Voice of America - Sun, 03/03/2024 - 02:35
JERUSALEM — A march by thousands of Israelis demanding the release of hostages held in Gaza reached Jerusalem on Saturday as negotiators prepared to resume cease-fire negotiations in Cairo that would include a swap deal with Hamas.  A column of protesters, led by families of hostages seized by Palestinian militants during Hamas' deadly rampage through southern Israel on October 7, walked up the winding highway to Jerusalem, arriving at the city at sundown.   Holding up Israeli flags,...
Categories: Iraq

Ship Leaks Oil, Fertilizer, Revealing Risks to Red Sea from Houthi Attacks

Voice of America - Sun, 03/03/2024 - 01:51
MIAMI, FLORIDA — A vibrant fishing industry, some of the world's largest coral reefs, desalination plants supplying millions with drinking water. They're all at risk from the fertilizer and oil spilled into the Red Sea by the sinking of a cargo ship attacked by Yemen's Houthi rebels.  Officials said Saturday the M/V Rubymar, a Belize-flagged vessel reportedly carrying 22,000 metric tons of toxic fertilizer, sunk after taking on water in the February 18 attack.  Even before...
Categories: Iraq

US Airdrops of Humanitarian Aid Into Gaza Explained

Voice of America - Sat, 03/02/2024 - 21:58
WASHINGTON — The United States on Saturday began airdrops of emergency humanitarian assistance into Gaza. President Joe Biden, who announced the operation Friday, said the U.S. was looking into additional ways to help Palestinians in the Hamas-ruled territory as the Israel-Hamas war goes on. Here is a look at what to know: When did the airdrops start? Three C-130 cargo planes from Air Forces Central dropped 66 bundles containing about 35,000 meals into Gaza at 8:30 a.m. EST Saturday. The...
Categories: Iraq

Namibia’s Call for Sanctions Against Israel Draws Mixed Responses

Voice of America - Sat, 03/02/2024 - 20:01
WINDHOEK, NAMIBIA — Reactions have been mixed on Namibia’s call last month for an international boycott of Israeli goods and companies in response to Israeli policies and practices in the Palestinian territories. If implemented, such a boycott could harm Namibia’s economy, as Israel is a key trading partner with the nation’s diamond mining industry. Diamonds are Namibia’s largest export earner, bringing in at least 10% of the country’s gross domestic product. Trade figures from 2022 show...
Categories: Iraq