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☆ UNRWA to close East Jerusalem headquarters after arson attack by ‘Israeli extremists’
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Hande Atay Alam | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The United Nations’ agency for Palestinian refugees will shutter its East Jerusalem headquarters after the compound was set on fire by “Israeli extremists” while staff were inside, its chief said Thursday. “This evening, Israeli residents set fire twice to the perimeter of the UNRWA Headquarters in occupied East Jerusalem. This took place while UNRWA and other UN Agencies’ staff were on the compound,” Lazzarini said. Israeli officials have long criticized UNRWA, which plays a central role in feeding and sheltering hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees. Anything less will set a new dangerous standard.”CNN has reached out to the Israeli government for comment.

Persons: ”, Philippe Lazzarini, ” Lazzarini, Lazzarini, “, UNWRA, Israel Organizations: CNN, United Nations, UNRWA, ’, UN Locations: Jerusalem, East Jerusalem, Gaza, Israel

☆ Mohammad Rasoulof: Iran sentences renowned director to 8 years in prison and flogging, lawyer says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Hande Atay Alam | Artemis Moshtaghian | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A court in Iran has sentenced acclaimed movie director Mohammad Rasoulof to eight years in prison and flogging for national security crimes, his lawyer said on Wednesday. The writer-director’s latest work, “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” is due to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in France next week. According to Paknia, some also alleged they were asked by officials to tell Rasoulof to withdraw the film from the festival. “Once again, the judiciary’s verdict against Mohammad Rasoulof proved that the law is only a playground for stubbornness and revenge in the legal system contaminated by government jurisprudence,” it said. “Independent and freedom-loving cinematographers condemn the invalid judgment of the judiciary against Mohammad Rasoulof and stand by him and all the artists who make fun of government censorship.”

Persons: CNN —, Mohammad Rasoulof, Babak Paknia, Paknia, Rasoulof, ”, HRW, “ Organizations: CNN, Cannes, Cannes Film, Human Rights Watch, Association Locations: Iran, France, Cannes

☆ Welcome to ‘the Tepid Twenties’? The US economy’s strength won’t be enough to boost global growth
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Invigorating growth is critical: When the economy expands, it improves standards of living, promotes innovation and makes households wealthier. Economic growth in Spain and France was stronger than expected last year. But the US is outperforming mainly for one key reason: Robust productivity growth. Productivity growth came in well below expectations in the first three months of the year, according to Labor Department data released last week. A “course correction” isn’t an even stronger US economy: Economic policymakers around the world need to address a range of key issues.

Persons: ” Kristalina Georgieva, ” Georgieva, ” Stephen Gallagher, Gallagher, “, ”, Hande Atay Alam, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Israel Katz, John Williams, Neel Kashkari, Lisa Cook, Krispy Kreme, John’s, Austan Goolsbee Organizations: Washington CNN, Monetary, IMF, European Central Bank, Labor Department, Societe Generale, CNN, Reuters, Palantir Technologies, Tyson Foods, Marriott Worldwide, New York Fed, Disney, UBS, Duke Energy, Suncor, Bros, Minneapolis, Toyota, Uber, Anheuser, Busch InBev, Airbnb, Fox Corporation, News Corporation, Duolingo, Icahn Enterprises, New York Times Company, AMC Entertainment, Honda, Warner Bros Discovery, Warner Music Group, Hyatt, Hilton, Bank of England, US Labor Department, United Kingdom’s, National Statistics, University of Michigan, . Chicago Fed, China’s National Bureau of Statistics Locations: Europe, China, United States, Spain, France, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Israel, Gaza, Olesya, “ Turkey, Lyft, TripAdvisor

☆ Turkey halts trade with Israel over Gaza war
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Hande Atay Alam | Olesya Dmitracova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Turkey has halted all import and export transactions with Israel in protest over the war in Gaza. “All import and export transactions related to Israel, including all products, have been stopped,” Turkey’s trade ministry said in a statement Thursday. Thursday’s measures by Turkey follow the introduction last month of restrictions on its exports to Israel after the Turkish foreign minister accused Israel of denying a request to airdrop aid to Gaza. Turkey is one of the biggest donors of aid to Gaza, according to Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories. Israeli attacks in Gaza have killed more than 34,600 Palestinians as of May 1, according to the territory’s Ministry of Health.

Persons: “, ”, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Israel Katz, Katz, Israel, Turkey’s, Eyad Organizations: CNN, Reuters, Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hamas, territory’s Ministry of Health Locations: Turkey, Israel, Gaza, “ Turkey, “ Israel, Territories, Republic of Turkey, Gaziantep

☆ Saudi women’s rights activist sentenced to 11 years in jail, rights groups say
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Radina Gigova | Hande Atay Alam | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Human rights groups are calling for the release of a Saudi woman, who they say has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for supporting women’s rights and for the way she dressed. Manahel al-Otaibi, a 29-year-old fitness instructor and women’s rights activist, was sentenced during a “secret hearing” before the kingdom’s Specialized Criminal Court on January 9, 2024, Amnesty International and the London-based Saudi rights organization ALQST said in a joint statement Tuesday. Saudi Arabia’s authorities “must immediately and unconditionally” release Manahel al-Otaibi, as the decision to imprison her “directly contradicts the authorities’ narrative of reform and women’s empowerment,” Amnesty and ALQST said. “Manahel’s conviction and 11-year sentence is an appalling and cruel injustice,” said Bissan Fakih, Amnesty International’s Campaigner on Saudi Arabia. Al-Otaibi’s sentencing comes “amid an intensified crackdown on free speech in Saudi Arabia, including online expression,” the groups said.

Persons: Manahel, ”, ALQST, Otaibi “, Al, Fawzia, “, Bissan Fakih, Otaibi, Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Organizations: CNN, Amnesty International, Saudi, United Nations, UN, Amnesty, Human Rights Locations: Saudi, London, Geneva, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh

☆ Ramadan in Malaysia: Raids and fines for those caught breaking fast spotlight growing religious conservatism
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

In many parts of Malaysia, Muslims caught eating or drinking during daytime hours can find themselves on the wrong side of the law. Those caught eating or drinking during daytime hours face fines of up to 1,000 Malaysian Ringgit (about $200) and prison terms of up to a year. CNN reached out to multiple state religious bodies across Malaysia for comment. Complaints were made to the state religious department, media reports said, and the scandal caused a national stir – drawing scorn from conservative politicians and prompting public apologies from the celebrities. “As long as you look Malay, you must fast during Ramadan – those are the rules,” Yusuf told CNN.

Persons: Rahmad Mariman, ” Mariman, TikTok, ” JAIPK, Hadi Awang, ”, MOHD RASFAN, –, Ameena Siddiqi, Siddiqi, ” Siddiqi, Salahuddin Abdul Aziz, Annice Lyn, Anisah Mahmood, Fadhlina Sidek, “, Haji Ahmad Bin Yahaya, Yusuf, ” Yusuf Organizations: CNN, Malaysian, Islamic Religious Department, JAIM, PAS, Malaysia Islamic Party, AFP, Getty, Annice, Education Locations: Malaysia, Malacca, Perak, Gerik, South, Southeast Asia, AFP, Malaysian, Islam, Kuala Lumpur, Shah Alam, Selangor, London, Malay, Johor

☆ Fire at Istanbul nightclub kills dozens during renovation work, state media says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Tanem Zaman | Hande Atay Alam | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —At least 29 people have died in a blaze which started during daytime repair work at a nightclub in Istanbul, Turkey, state media reported Tuesday. A further eight people were injured, with seven of those in serious condition, the Istanbul governor’s office said. ET), state media reported, at a 16-story block on Gundogdu Street, a busy part of Istanbul’s Gayrettepe neighborhood. The blaze started during renovations at the site, which is located underground, says Anadolu, the Turkish news state agency. Arrest warrants for five people have been issued, including three people who managed the nightclub and one responsible for the renovation, Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc wrote on X.

Persons: Yilmaz Tunc, ” Organizations: CNN, Besiktas, Turkish Locations: Istanbul, Turkey, Istanbul’s Gayrettepe, Anadolu, Turkish

CNN —A top commander in Iran’s Revolutionary Guard was killed among several others in an airstrike on the country’s consulate building in Damascus, Syria, according to Iranian officials and state-affiliated media, which blamed Israel for the attack. Iran’s Foreign Ministry said that senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRCG) commander Mohammed Reza Zahedi was killed in the attack. Footage of the aftermath of the blast, published by Iranian state media Press TV, showed extensive damage, fire and smoke at the scene. Iranian embassy staff and military advisers were among the dead, he said. Zahedi, the slain commander, was previously the commander of IRGC’s ground forces, the commander of IRGC’s air force, and the deputy commander of the IRGC’s operations.

Persons: Israel, Mohammed Reza Zahedi, Hossein Akbari, “, ” Akbari, Akbari, ”, Nasser Kanaani, ” Kanaani, Hossein Amir, Faisal Mekdad, Amir, Matthew Miller, ” Miller, we’re Organizations: CNN, Revolutionary Guard, Iran’s, Ministry, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp, Press, Zionist, Israel Defense Forces, Fars News, Iranian, Syrian Foreign, Diplomatic Relations, United States State Department Locations: Damascus, Syria, Iranian, Islamic Republic, Iran, Fars, Syrian, Vienna

☆ Pouria Zeraati: ‘Brutal stabbing’ of exiled Iranian journalist prompts counterterrorism investigation
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Joshua Berlinger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A prominent exiled Iranian journalist was stabbed outside his home in London on Friday, prompting British police to launch a counterterrorism investigation. Pouria Zeraati, a television anchor at the UK-based channel Iran International, was reportedly attacked by a group of men outside his home in south-western Wimbledon. Iran has designated the television station a “terrorist entity.” Iranian state media has repeatedly accused the channel of fomenting unrest. Zeraati’s stabbing comes after an investigation by Britain’s ITV last year revealed that Iranian spies had attempted to pay a people smuggler $200,000 to assassinate two Iran International journalists. Kearns noted on Twitter that Iran International had only recently returned to the air from London after having to shut down in the UK.

Persons: Pouria, Dominic Murphy, Britain’s, Alicia Kearns, Michelle Stanistreet, ” Stanistreet, Kearns, ”, CNN’s Mostafa Salem, Atay Alam Organizations: CNN, British, Iran, London Metropolitan Police, Britain’s ITV, Iran International, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Foreign Affairs Committee, British National Union of Journalists, BBC Persian Service, UN, Twitter Locations: Iranian, London, Wimbledon, Tehran, Iran

NTSB crews used the ship’s voyage data recorder, or VDR, to piece together a rough timeline of events leading up to the collision. But it will take months for them to gather the piles of physical evidence, maintenance records, ship data and witness interviews required to deliver a full report, Homendy said. • 01:24:59 a.m.: Numerous audible alarms were recorded on the ship’s bridge audio. • 01:26:39 a.m.: The ship’s pilot made a general very high frequency (VHF) radio call for tugboats in the vicinity to assist the vessel. • Around 01:27:04 a.m.: The pilot ordered that the ship’s port anchor be dropped and issued additional steering commands.

Persons: Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key, Jennifer Homendy, Marcel Muise, Investigators, Homendy, “, who’ve, ” Homendy, James Wallace, Peter Gautier, Divers, Roland L, Butler Jr, Pete Buttigieg, Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, Butler, ”, Miguel Luna, Maynor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, CNN’s Tori B, Powell, Sarah Engel, Elise Hammond, Curt Devine, Casey Tolan, Isabelle Chapman, Daniel Medina, Sahar Akbarzai, Melissa Alonso, Hande Atay Alam, Lucas Lilieholm Organizations: CNN, Transportation, NTSB, Port, Fort McHenry, Maryland Transportation Authority, •, US Coast Guard, Maritime, Port Authority, Baltimore City Fire, Coast Guard, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Locations: Seagirt, Port of Boston, Maryland, Singapore, Baltimore, Patapsco, Mexico, Guatemala, Camotán, Mexican

☆ It's not just Nvidia: The AI boom could create semiconductor jobs across the US and reduce reliance on risky Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The demand for Nvidia's AI chips could bolster job growth across the semiconductor industry. It could also help bring more semiconductor chip manufacturing stateside and reduce the US's reliance on Taiwan — which remains vulnerable to Chinese invasion that would wreak havoc on the global economy. AdvertisementEven without the AI boom, the semiconductor industry was already poised for big job gains in the near future. Of the 115,000 US new semiconductor jobs the Semiconductor Industry Association is projecting by 2030, it said roughly 67,000 of these positions risk going unfilled given current college degree completion rates. In an effort to prevent a worker shortage, community colleges and universities across the country have partnered with semiconductor companies.

Persons: —, Pat Gelsinger, It's, who've, TSMC, Syed Alam, Ed Kaste, GlobalFoundries, Mark Muro, Muro, Jensen Huang, hasn't, Dylan Patel, SemiAnalysis, Patel, Accenture's Alam, Alam Organizations: Nvidia, TSMC, Service, Deloitte, Semiconductor Industry Association, Accenture, Meta, Intel, AMD, Brookings Institution, Samsung, Google, IBM, Lam Research, Materials, KLA Corporation Locations: Taiwan, Arizona

CNN —The mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes, has declared a state of public health emergency due to a dengue epidemic, according to CNN affiliate CNN Brasil. The surge in dengue cases comes as Rio and the rest of the country gear up for carnival celebrations where millions of people pour onto the streets for parades and block parties. In January alone, Rio’s city health network had 362 people hospitalized due to dengue, a record number, topping the previous high from 2008, CNN Brasil reported. According to data from the Rio de Janeiro City Council’s Epidemiological Observatory panel, 11,202 cases have already been registered in 2024. The Municipal Health Department is planning to vaccinate children as soon as the vaccines are released by the Ministry of Health, CNN Brasil reported.

Persons: Eduardo Paes, Daniel Soranz, Rio Organizations: CNN, CNN Brasil, US Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, CDC, Rio’s Municipal Health, Municipal Health Department, Ministry of Health Locations: Rio de Janeiro, Rio, Rio’s

☆ Why the average Super Bowl ticket already costs nearly $11,000
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Cork Gaines | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Super Bowl in Las Vegas is now set with the Chiefs and 49ers playing for the Lombardi Trophy. According to TicketIQ, a ticket search engine that also conducts ticket market analysis, the cheapest ticket to the Super Bowl as of Monday is $8,872. This is the first time the NFL has hosted the Super Bowl in Las Vegas. Swift will be in Tokyo in the days leading up to the Super Bowl for part of the international leg of her "The Eras Tour" concerts. All these factors have created a perfect storm for the Super Bowl and demand is pushing ticket prices to a place rarely ever seen.

Persons: —, TicketIQ, Jesse Lawrence of TicketIQ, Lawrence, Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Nick Bosa, George Kittle, Sterling Skye, Brynn Anderson, Raymond James, Robin Alam, Taylor, Swift, Taylor Swift, Patrick Smith, Kelce Organizations: Chiefs, 49ers, Service, Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, Business, NFL, AP, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Philadelphia Eagles, Getty, AFC, NFC Championship, Super, Super Bowl Locations: Las Vegas, Detroit, Tampa, Tokyo

CNN —Two journalists imprisoned in Iran following their coverage of the death of Mahsa Amini, which sparked nationwide protests in 2022, have been temporarily released on bail, according to state-run media. Convicted in October, Niloofar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi are currently awaiting a verdict on their appeals, according to Iran’s state-run news agency IRNA. But the women were allowed to leave their Tehran jail on Sunday with a bail of 10 billion tomans each (nearly $200,000 each), IRNA reported. Mohammadi was arrested after reporting on Amini’s funeral, according to RSF and the United Nations. “UNESCO welcomed the release on bail today of Iranian journalists Niloofar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi, two of the three laureates of the 2023 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano Press Freedom Prize.

Persons: Mahsa, Niloofar, IRNA, Hamedi, Mohammadi, Amini, ”, Hamedi’s, Mohamad Hosein Ajoroloo –, –, Amini’s, Amjad, “, Sherif Mansour, Guillermo Cano, Elaheh Mohammadi, —, Niloofar Hamedi Organizations: CNN, United Nations, Committee, Protect Journalists, UNESCO, TIME, Sunday, “ UNESCO Locations: Iran, Tehran, United States, Islamic Republic of Iran, IRNA, East, North Africa

☆ 'Leave The World Behind': Strangers, danger and layers, says Julia Roberts
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Hanna Rantala | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Cast members Julia Roberts and Myha'la Herrold attend the World Premiere of the film "Leave the World Behind" in London, Britain, November 29, 2023. REUTERS/Hannah McKay Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 29 (Reuters) - U.S. actress Julia Roberts says her new film "Leave The World Behind" is a multilayered disaster thriller that allowed her to play someone very different from herself. Executive produced by former U.S. President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, the movie is written and directed by "Mr. It was just all the layers of the people and the circumstances," Roberts told Reuters at the film's premiere in London on Wednesday. "Leave The World Behind", which also stars Ethan Hawke and Kevin Bacon, is out in select cinemas and starts streaming on Netflix on Dec. 8.

Persons: Julia Roberts, Myha'la Herrold, Hannah McKay, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Mr, Sam Esmail, Rumaan Alam, Roberts, Amanda, Mahershala Ali, Myha'la, Esmail, Ethan Hawke, Kevin Bacon, Hanna Rantala, Josie Kao Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, Reuters, Hollywood, Netflix, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

☆ Clashes on border with Israel uproot thousands in Lebanon - again
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( John Davison | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/4] Children look out from balconies in Shatila Palestinian refugee camp, in Beirut suburbs, Lebanon November 21, 2023. Rostom is Lebanese, Mashouz is a refugee from Syria and Hajeh is a Palestinian refugee. Hajeh has fled his crowded refugee camp four times this year during fighting between militant groups. Since the Israel-Hamas war began seven weeks ago in Gaza, the clashes on Lebanon's border with Israel have displaced nearly 50,000 people, according to U.N. figures, and at least 13 civilians have been killed in Lebanon, Lebanese officials say. Hajeh, the Palestinian refugee, left Yarmouk refugee camp in Syria in 2013 under the bombs of Syrian warplanes.

Persons: Mohamed Azakir, Rose Rostom, Nahida Mashouz, Ammar Hajeh, Rostom, Mashouz, we'd, We've, Jacob Boswall, Ziad Makary, We're, Charbel Alam, Hajeh, Timothy Organizations: REUTERS, Palestinian, Islamic, Hamas, Islamic State, Mercy Corps, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Beirut, Lebanon, Gaza, Israel, Lebanon BEIRUT, Syrian, Islamic State, Western, Iran, Rostom, Syria, Palestinian, Hajeh, Sidon, Raqqa, Rostom's, Europe, tatters, Lebanese, Rmeich, Yarmouk, Ain El, Ain El Hilweh

☆ UN mourns more than 100 staff killed in Gaza, the highest number killed in any other conflict in its history
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Hande Atay Alam | Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

“In the last 24 hours, one UNRWA staff member was killed with her family in the north of the Gaza Strip due to strikes,” the agency said in a statement. “This is the highest number of United Nations aid workers killed in a conflict in the history of the United Nations.”UN offices around the world lowered their flags to half-mast and UN staff held a moment of silence Monday to mourn and honor their colleagues killed in Gaza. “They were teachers, school principals, health workers, including a gynecologist, engineers, support staff and a psychologist,” the statement said. Israel’s current siege and bombardment has created a deepening humanitarian crisis with desperate conditions inside Gaza, including the near total collapse of the healthcare system and the widespread destruction of whole neighborhoods. This is the area of Gaza to which the Israeli military has instructed civilians in the north of Gaza and Gaza City to move.

Persons: “, ”, Antonio Guterres, Volker Türk, Israel, Thomas White, White, Philippe Lazzarini, “ They’re, ” Lazzarini, –, Khan Younis, Tim Lister, Niamh Kennedy, Tamar Michaelis, Kareem El Damanhoury Organizations: CNN, United, UN, United Nations Relief, Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees, Hamas, United Nations, Palestinian Ministry of Health, UNRWA, Human Rights, UNRWA Affairs, Protect Journalists Locations: United Nations, Gaza, “, New York, Ramallah, Israel, Rafah, Wadi Gaza, Gaza City

Hadri and Umar on Thursday began their defence after being accused of murdering Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu. Sirul was arrested on an Interpol notice and has been held in an Australian immigration detention centre since January 2015, after fleeing Malaysia shortly before the verdict was handed down. His release comes just days after a landmark ruling by Australia's High Court that outlawed indefinite immigration detention, leading to the release of dozens of asylum seekers. Malaysia's top police official Razarudin Husain confirmed news of Sirul's release from Australian detention and said police would discuss with the Attorney-General and the courts the possibility of seeking extradition. Sirul was serving as a member of Najib’s personal security detail at the time of the murder.

Persons: Azilah Hadri, Sirul Azhar Umar, Hadri, Umar, Bazuki Muhammad, Najib Razak, Sirul, Razarudin Husain, Sirul’s, Najib, Praveen Menon, Rozanna, Lincoln Organizations: Thursday, Mongolian, REUTERS, Rights, Australia's, Attorney, Thomson Locations: Shah Alam, Kuala Lumpur, KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysian, Australia, Malaysia, Canberra, Malaysia’s, Sydney

[1/6] Rmeich's sign is seen amidst tension between Israel and Hezbollah, in the Christian village of Rmeich, Lebanon, October 31, 2023. Rmeich is one of around a dozen or more Christian villages near the border with Israel in predominantly Shi'ite Muslim south Lebanon. There is no work or money," said Charbel Al Alam, 58, who makes his living from farming tobacco, historically an important industry for south Lebanon. "In the 2006 war, tobacco plants dried out in the fields and no one was able to harvest it. We don't want war, we're a peaceful village ... so the village remains safe if others flee to it."

Persons: Zohra, Israel, Toni Elias, We're, Elias, Rmeich, Georges Madi, Al Alam, Milad Al Alam, Hezbollah's, Riham, Tom Perry, Gareth Jones Organizations: Hezbollah, REUTERS, Palestinian, Hamas, Thomson Locations: Israel, Christian, Rmeich, Lebanon, Lebanese, Iran, Muslim

Israeli tanks were deployed in the far northern border town of Metulla as rain came down near the heavily fortified border. Six people were killed on Monday - three Hezbollah members, an Israeli officer, and two Palestinian militants who touched off the violence by infiltrating Israel from Lebanon. A storm put many people in Lebanon on edge as thunder was mistaken for Israeli bombardment. Lebanon took years to rebuild from the 2006 war, during which Israeli bombardment pounded Hezbollah-controlled south Lebanon and destroyed wide areas of its stronghold in the southern suburbs of Beirut. Lebanon can ill-afford another big war with Israel, four years into a financial meltdown that has spread impoverishment and paralysed state institutions.

Persons: Charbel Alam, Alam, Nazimiya, I'm, Jihad, Orel Sigon, we've, Bassam, Dan Williams, Ayhan, Maya Gebeily, Tom Perry, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Hezbollah, Palestinian, Hamas, Lebanese, Islamic, Iran's, Guards, Sunday, Thomson Locations: Israel, Lebanon, Iran, Lebanese, Metulla, Rmeish, Gaza, Kiryat Shmona, Beirut, Syria

CNN —A fire at a wedding in northern Iraq has killed at least 100 people and injured 150 others, according to the Iraqi state news agency INA citing local authorities. The disaster in the Hamdaniya district of northeast Nineveh governorate, was set off by fireworks, candles, and other materials used during the wedding celebration, the Iraqi Civil Defense said. Nineveh governor Najm Al-Jubouri told the Iraqi state news agency INA that the injured were transferred to hospitals in Nineveh and the Kurdistan region. Videos from the scene show thick smoke billowing out of the at the Al Haytham Wedding Hall while crowds and ambulances gather outside. The wedding hall where the fire broke out was covered with highly flammable Ecobond panels that violated safety instructions requirements, according to the Iraqi Civil Defense, ANI reported.

Persons: Najm Al, Jubouri, ” Al, Al Haytham, Mohammed Shiaa Al, Sudani Organizations: CNN, Iraqi Civil Defense, INA Locations: Iraq, Hamdaniya, Nineveh, Iraqi, Kurdistan

☆ Pakistan probes distributors of Roche cancer drug after patients go blind
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Mubasher Bukhari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLAHORE, Pakistan, Sept 25 (Reuters) - Pakistan said on Monday it was investigating two local distributors of Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche's (ROG.S) Avastin cancer drug after 12 diabetic patients injected with the drug went blind. The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) said the health authorities in Punjab, the most populous province, had launched the investigation into local use of the drug Avastin, which is licensed for use in Pakistan. On its website, Roche said Avastin was approved in more than 130 countries, including the United States, to treat several types of cancer. Cancer drug Avastin, when used at much lower doses, is similar to eye drug Lucentis and is used in many countries as a low-cost option to treat certain blindness-causing conditions. In its statement, Roche said: "Avastin is not approved for any use in the eye.

Persons: drugmaker Roche, Arnd, Javed Akram, Akram, Roche, Avastin, Alam, Mubasher Bukhari, Ariba Shahid, Ludwig Burger, Miral Fahmy, Alex Richardson Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan, Reuters, U.S ., Thomson Locations: Basel, Switzerland, Rights LAHORE, Pakistan, Swiss, Punjab, United States, counterfeits, Avastin, Lahore, Karachi, Frankfurt

The European Cave Rescue Association (ECRA) received a call on September 2 saying that he was experiencing severe gastric pain. American caver Mark Dickey, 40, had been trapped inside the Morca Sinkhole in southern Turkey. Turkish Government Directorate of Communications/APAn international rescue operation led by at least 200 aid workers began on Saturday. Italian Alpine Rescue/ReutersThe Turkish Caving Federation said Dickey was removed from the last exit of the cave at 12:37 am local time, in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. He is also a medical commission secretary at the European Cave Rescue Association, and the executive director at Caving Academy.

Persons: Mark Dickey, Recep Salci, Dickey, ”, “, ” Dickey, ECRA, Mark, cavers Organizations: CNN, Turkish, Federation, Rescue, Directorate of Communications, Academy, Rescue Association Locations: Anamur, Turkey, Mersin, Morca Valley, United States, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Ukraine

☆ UN's World Food Programme forced to cut food assistance from 10 million people
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Hande Atay Alam | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —As of September, 10 million Afghans have lost assistance from the UN’s World Food Programme this year, the organization announced this week. They had to cut food assistance from 2 million people in Afghanistan this month. “Due to a massive funding shortfall, going forward WFP will only be able to provide emergency assistance to 3 million people per month,” the WFP statement said. “These cuts mean that 1.4 million new and expecting mothers and their children are no longer receiving specialized food designed to prevent malnutrition,” Lee said. WFP needs US$1 billion in the next 6 months to be able to feed 21 million people with lifesaving food, the statement said.

Persons: “, ”, Hsiao, Wei Lee, ” Lee, Lee Organizations: CNN, “ Locations: Afghanistan

CNN —A Saudi court has sentenced a retired teacher to death over his comments online, say his brother and advocacy group Human Rights Watch. Muhammad al-Ghamdi, a 54-year-old retired Saudi teacher, was sentenced “following 5 tweets criticizing corruption and human rights violations,” his brother Saeed bin Nasser al-Ghamdi tweeted last week. According to the European Saudi Organization for Human Rights, Saudi Arabia has executed at least 92 people this year so far. In 2022, UK-based human rights organization ALQST cataloged 148 executions in Saudi Arabia – more than twice the number of executions it recorded in 2021. “The Saudi authorities asked me several times to return to Saudi Arabia, but I refused to do so.

Persons: Muhammad al, “, Saeed bin Nasser, Ghamdi, ” Joey Shea, Lina Alhathloul, Loujain, ”, Saeed Organizations: CNN, Saudi, Human Rights Watch, ‘, Human Rights, European Saudi Organization for Human Rights, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Interior Locations: Saudi, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom

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