Lebanon’s precarious sectarian balance tipping amid Hezbollah-Israeli war
Beirut, Lebanon Reuters As the Lebanese Christian village of Rmeish marks its first Easter since the Gaza war erupted, residents say a parallel confrontation between Hezbollah and Israel is dragging them into a conflict they did not choose. Like many Christians elsewhere in southern Lebanon, residents are angry and fearful their homes could be caught […]
Bangladesh, Pakistan and India bottom in air quality rankings in 2023, data shows
Singapore Reuters Pakistan remained one of the world’s three smoggiest countries in 2023, as Bangladesh and India replaced Chad and Iran, with particulate matter about 15 times the level recommended by the World Health Organization, data published on Tuesday showed. Average concentrations of PM2.5 – small airborne particles that damage the lungs – reached 79.9 […]
Mahsa Amini’s death in Iran custody was “unlawful”, says UN mission
Geneva, Switzerland Reuters A fact-finding mission mandated by the United Nations said on Monday the death of Mahsa Amini in custody of Iran’s morality police was “unlawful” and caused by violence and that women in the country remain subjected to wide-ranging discrimination. The death of 22-year-old Amini, a Kurdish Iranian woman, in September, 2022, while […]
West decries Putin’s election win, China, India vow closer ties
London, UK Reuters Western governments lined up on Monday to condemn Vladimir Putin’s landslide election victory as unfair and undemocratic, but China, India and North Korea congratulated the veteran Russian leader on extending his rule by a further six years. The contrasting reactions underscored the geopolitical fault lines that have gaped wider since Russia launched […]
A bomb destroyed a Jewish community centre in Argentina in 1994. What has happened since?
Buenos Aires, Argentina AP On 18th July, 1994, an explosion destroyed the Buenos Aires headquarters of the Argentine-Israelite Mutual Association, a Jewish community centre. The worst such attack in the history of Argentina left 85 dead and more than 300 injured. Official reports established that the attack on the center, known by its Spanish initials […]
Iran vote turnout hits historic low amid discontent
Reuters Turnout for Iran’s parliamentary election, seen as a test of the clerical establishment’s legitimacy, appears to have hit an historic low of around 41 per cent, according to unofficial reports quoted by state media on Saturday. The election followed anti-government protests in 2022-23 that spiralled into some of Iran’s worst political turmoil since the […]
US, British forces carry out more strikes against Houthis in Yemen
Washington DC, US Reuters US and British forces carried out strikes against more than a dozen Houthi targets in Yemen on Saturday, officials said, the latest round of military action against the Iran-linked group that continues to attack shipping in the region. The United States has carried out near daily strikes against the Houthis, who […]
Kataib Hezbollah commander killed in Baghdad in US strike
Baghdad, Iraq Reuters A commander from Kataib Hezbollah, an Iran-backed armed group in Iraq that the Pentagon has blamed for attacking its troops, was killed in a US strike on Wednesday, the US military said. “[US] forces conducted a unilateral strike in Iraq in response to the attacks on US service members, killing a Kataib […]
US, Britain wage strikes against Iran-linked Houthis in Yemen
Washington DC, US Reuters The United States and Britain launched strikes against 36 Houthi targets in Yemen on Saturday, in the second day of major US operations against Iran-linked groups following a deadly attack on American troops last weekend. The strikes hit buried weapons storage facilities, missile systems, launchers and other capabilities the Houthis have […]
US launches retaliatory strikes in Iraq, Syria; nearly 40 reported killed
Washington DC, US/Baghdad, Iraq Reuters The United States launched airstrikes in Iraq and Syria against more than 85 targets linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and militias it backs, reportedly killing nearly 40 people, in retaliation for a deadly attack on US troops. The strikes, which included the use of long-range B-1 bombers flown from the […]