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☆ Israel is renewing its ban on Al Jazeera under its controversial media law
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-06 | by ( Hadas Gold | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The Israeli government is seeking to extend its controversial ban on the Al Jazeera news network in the country, after a court upheld the ban but shortened it by 10 days. Al Jazeera condemned the move as a “dark day for democracy” that sets a concerning precedent for other international media outlets operating in Israel. On Tuesday, a Tel Aviv District Court ruled that the ban on Al Jazeera could stand but was to be shortened to 35 days, meaning it will expire on Sunday. Israel has claimed that Al Jazeera “harms Israeli security,” and has a “close connection” with Hamas, the militant group it is waging war against in Gaza. “Al Jazeera reporters harmed Israel’s security and incited against IDF soldiers.

Persons: Israel, Jazeera, Al Jazeera, Benjamin Netanyahu, Al, “ Al, ” Netanyahu, Walid Omary, Al Jazeera’s, ”, Weeks, Yitzhak Amit, It’s Organizations: CNN, Al, Qatari, Tel, Court, Israeli Ministry of Communications, Hamas, IDF, Reuters, Associated Press, Haaretz Locations: Al Jazeera, Israel, Tel Aviv, Gaza, “, “ Al Jazeera, Al, Al Jazeera’s Jerusalem, Jerusalem

☆ Opinion | Yoav Gallant Has Shown Defiance. Will He Again?
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-02 | by ( Dahlia Scheindlin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Last month, Yoav Gallant told Israelis that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was leading the nation astray. In a government known for ironclad loyalty to the prime minister, and in the heightened intensity of war, Mr. Gallant’s statement made headlines. In March 2023, Mr. Gallant became the most prominent member of the governing coalition to publicly call for a halt to Mr. Netanyahu’s attempt to undermine the judiciary, an effort that he said was harming the country’s security. When Mr. Netanyahu tried to fire him, hundreds of thousands of protesting Israelis brought the country to a standstill, and Mr. Gallant became an instant symbol of a bulwark against what the protesters viewed as an autocratic putsch. At both these moments, liberal Israelis have grasped at the possibility that Mr. Gallant could be a lifeline out of national perdition.

Persons: Yoav Gallant, Benjamin Netanyahu, Mr, Gallant, ”, Netanyahu, Netanyahu’s, Israel unrecognizably Locations: Gaza, Israel

☆ DR Congo: Americans involved in foiled deadly coup, military says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —American citizens were involved in an attempted coup d’état that left at least three people dead on Sunday in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a military spokesperson told CNN Monday. Malanga was killed in a gun battle between the armed putschists and the presidential guards, Ekenge said. Videos widely shared on social media, but not verified by CNN, showed a man with a bloody face being surrounded by Congolese military personnel. Sunday’s incident was the second coup attempt by the now deceased Malanga, a former Congolese military veteran, Ekenge told CNN. The African Union condemned Sunday’s coup attempt in the DRC and welcomed the “control of the situation” by the country’s security forces.

Persons: d’état, Vital Kamerhe, Christian Malanga, General Sylvain Ekenge, Malanga, Ekenge, “, ” Ekenge, Marcel, Benjamin Reuben Zalman, Polun, Patrick Ducey, Taylor Thomson, “ Patrick Ducey, Lucy Tamlyn, ”, Felix Tshisekedi, Kamerhe’s, Sunday’s Organizations: CNN, Democratic, Palais, Nation, Congolese, United Congolese Party, Reuters, World Bank, Central, African Union Locations: Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, Congolese, Kinshasa, Africa, Gabon

☆ Acclaimed Iranian Film Director Flees Country After Jail Sentence
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Emma Bubola | More About Emma Bubola | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The celebrated Iranian film director Mohammad Rasoulof said he had fled the country, after a court sentenced him to eight years in prison for his movies. Mr. Rasoulof — known for his award-winning film “There Is No Evil” — had been barred from leaving Iran after his work criticized life under authoritarian rule in the country. His lawyer, Babak Paknia, wrote last week on social media that a court had sentenced Mr. Rasoulof to imprisonment, whipping and a fine for movies that it called “examples of collusion with the intention of committing a crime against the country’s security.”On Monday, Mr. Rasoulof announced his escape from Iran in an Instagram post that featured a video of snow-capped mountains and said he had reached a “safe place” after a “difficult and long journey.”Addressing Iran’s clerical rulers, Mr. Rasoulof said he had been forced to leave “because of your oppression and barbarity,” and that he had now joined Iranians in exile who were “impatiently waiting to bury you and your machine of oppression in the depths of history.”

Persons: Mohammad Rasoulof, Rasoulof, ” —, Babak Paknia, Mr, ” Locations: Iranian, Iran

President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia replaced his minister of defense on Sunday as he shook up his national security team for the first time since his invasion of Ukraine. Mr. Putin kept the minister, Sergei K. Shoigu, in his inner circle, tapping him to run the country’s security council. Andrei R. Belousov, an economist who served as first deputy prime minister in the last government and previously was the economic development minister, was nominated to become the new defense chief. It is unclear how much authority over the war effort Mr. Shoigu will retain. colleague of Mr. Putin who has headed the Russian security council for 16 years, would be moved to another position to be announced in the coming days.

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin, Sergei K, Andrei R, Shoigu, Nikolai P, Mr Locations: Russia, Ukraine

☆ Hamas officials say group willing to disarm if Palestinian state is established
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Abbas Allawati | Abbas Al Lawati | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The Palestinian militant group has long called for the Jewish state to be destroyed. Basem Naim, an Istanbul-based member of Hamas’ political bureau, told CNN on Thursday that the group would agree to disarm if an independent Palestinian state was established. Hamas has traditionally rejected a two-state solution that would see a Palestinian state established alongside Israel and has instead advocated the creation of a Palestinian state in all of historic Palestine that today encompasses Israel, the occupied West Bank, occupied East Jerusalem and Gaza. Barghouti said Hamas indicated as far back as 2007, when it led a Palestinian national unity government, that it is willing to accept a Palestinian state along the 1967 borders. Last week, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said at a news conference in the Qatari capital Doha that Hamas is willing to function solely as a political party once a Palestinian state is created, citing meetings between the group and Turkish officials.

Persons: Basem Naim, Al Qassam, ”, Mustafa Barghouti, Efraim Inbar, Israel ”, Israel “, Netanyahu, Khalil al, Hayya, ” Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Hayyah, Barghouti, Naim, Hakan Fidan, “ Organizations: CNN, Palestinian, Hamas, Israel, West Bank, Palestinian National Initiative, Jerusalem Institute for Strategy, Security, Associated Press, AP, Palestine Liberation Organization, PLO, Oslo Accords, Turkish, Qatari Locations: Israel, Gaza, Istanbul, Jerusalem, Palestinian, Palestine, East Jerusalem, United States, Israeli, Oslo, Doha, Turkish

☆ Moscow Concert Hall Shooting Russia Begins Day of Mourning for Victims
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-24 | by ( Mike Ives | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +7 min

The terrorist attack outside Moscow a few days later was a blow to his aura as a leader for whom national security is paramount. Just days later came a searing counterpoint: His vaunted security apparatus failed to prevent Russia’s deadliest terrorist attack in 20 years. Inside Russia, the election — and its predetermined outcome — underscored Mr. Putin’s dominance over the nation’s politics. The area is closed as part of increased security measures after the terrorist attack on Friday. Before Friday, the most recent mass-casualty terrorist attack in the capital region was a suicide bombing at an airport in Moscow in 2011 that killed 37 people.

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin, “, ” Aleksandr Kynev, ” Mr, Mr, ”, Nanna Heitmann, Aleksei A, ” Ruslan Leviev, Olga Skabeyeva, Margarita Simonyan, Russia’s, Aleksandr Dugin, Dugin, Dugin’s, Andriy Yusov, Putin’s, Shamil Zhumatov, Kynev, Vladimir Putin’s, Constant Méheut Organizations: Kremlin, Islamic State, Passengers, The New York Times, Terrorism, Islamic, ., Reuters Locations: Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, Russian, Beslan, United States

☆ Analysis: As Putin sails to re-election, Russia’s leader has a succession problem
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Nathan Hodge | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Russian President Vladimir Putin is widely expected to sail to re-election in a nationwide vote that begins on March 15, securing a fifth term in office and a full third decade as Russia’s paramount leader. As Kremlin chairman, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin would become the country's leader temporarily if Putin were to die or be incarcerated while in office. In 2008, Putin reached the end of his second presidential term, and stepped aside for a handpicked placeholder, Dmitry Medvedev. Some Russian political observers speculate that the real competition to succeed Putin is not likely until the 2030s, when Putin reaches his sixth term. Even the former president Medvedev, who lost the number two slot in 2020 when he stepped down in a government shakeup, may still have aspirations.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Alexey Navalny, Joseph Stalin, Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Putin “, Joe Biden, Putin’s, …, ”, Andreas Umland, “ Putin, ” Umland, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin –, “ It’s, Umland, Mikhail Mishustin, Gleb Schelkunov, Dmitry Medvedev, Medvedev, Irina Buzhor, Leonid Brezhnev, Alexander Lukashenko, Xi Jinping, Nursultan Nazarbayev, Nazarbayev, President Kassym, Tokayev, Andrey Pertsev Organizations: CNN, Stockholm Centre, Eastern European Studies, Russian, Russian Federation, Soviet, Air Force One, United Russia, Russian Security Council, AP, Chinese Communist Party, country’s Security, Kremlin Locations: Soviet, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Russian, Belarusian, Kazakhstan

Unlike in most European countries, the president of Finland holds executive power in formulating foreign and security policy, particularly when dealing with countries outside the European Union like the United States, Russia and China. “Clearly, the main task of the president is to steer foreign policy,” said Teivo Teivainen, professor of world politics at the University of Helsinki. Finland became the Western military alliance’s 31st member in April last year, much to the annoyance of Russia and President Vladimir Putin. Under the Finnish Constitution, the president decides on foreign and security policy issues together with the government. Late last year, Finland closed its border with Russia after some 1,300 migrants without proper documentation or visas arrived across the frontier just months after Finland joined NATO.

Persons: ”, Teivo Teivainen, —, Sauli Niinistö, Alexander Stubb, Pekka Haavisto, Haavisto, Jussi Halla, Olli Rehn, Niinistö, Vladimir Putin, Teivainen, Petteri, Putin, Washington —, ” Niinistö Organizations: HELSINKI, NATO, Union, University of Helsinki, Bank of Finland, Kyiv —, Hamas, Helsinki, Washington, YLE, Nordic, Kremlin Locations: Nordic, Ukraine, Russia, United States, China, Sunday’s, Finland, Ukraine —, Moscow, Sweden, Finland’s, Finnish, Moscow , Washington, Beijing, Baltic, Vainikkala

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

☆ Apple knew AirDrop users could be identified and tracked as early as 2019, researchers say
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Washington CNN —Security researchers warned Apple as early as 2019 about vulnerabilities in its AirDrop wireless sharing function that Chinese authorities claim they recently used to track down users of the feature, the researchers told CNN, in a case that experts say has sweeping implications for global privacy. AirDrop lets Apple users who are near each other share files using a proprietary mix of Bluetooth and other wireless connectivity without having to connect to the internet. A Chinese tech firm, Beijing-based Wangshendongjian Technology, was able to compromise AirDrop to identify users on the Beijing subway accused of sharing “inappropriate information,” judicial authorities in Beijing said this week. The Chinese tech firm, Wangshendongjian Technology, that claimed to have exploited AirDrop appeared to have used some of the same techniques first identified by the Darmstadt researchers in 2019, said Alexander Heinrich, one of the German researchers. “Now that Chinese security agencies are exploiting this vulnerability, it’s a tough political problem for Apple.”

Persons: Apple, “, ”, Benjamin Ismail, Florida Sen, Marco Rubio, ” Rubio, Milan Stute, Sascha Meinrath, Palmer, Alexander Heinrich, ” Heinrich, Kenn White, Heinrich et al, ” White, Sen, Ron Wyden, ” Wyden, “ Apple, Qi An Xin, Dakota Cary, SentinelOne, Ismail, would’ve, Matthew Green Organizations: Washington CNN —, CNN, Apple, Bluetooth, Technology, Republican, Senate Intelligence Committee, Technical University of Darmstadt, Penn State University, Wangshendongjian Technology, ” Apple, Oregon Democrat, Beijing, Olympic, Xinhua, Johns Hopkins University, “ Locations: China, Washington, Hong Kong, Beijing, Florida, Germany, Darmstadt, Oregon, cyberattacks, Dakota

That challenge is one of the major reasons US officials are keen on seeing a surge of humanitarian aid into northern Gaza. Multiple US officials have also stressed the need to create areas in the south that are clearly understood to be protected for civilians. Instead, Israel must be “more cautious, more careful, more deliberate, and more precise in their targeting,” one senior administration official said. While it’s not clear whether Israel would ultimately agree, some US officials expressed optimism that Israel was at least receptive to considering such ideas. “There is an understanding that a different type of campaign has to be conducted in the south than was conducted in the north,” another senior administration official said.

Persons: CNN —, Joe Biden, –, it’s, Israel, ”, Benjamin Netanyahu, Antony Blinken, Biden, Blinken, Samantha Power, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Israel won’t, Mahmoud Abbas, Kaitlan Collins Organizations: CNN, CNN — Biden, Israel Defense Forces, Biden, US, Democrats, Capitol, ” Palestinian, Palestinian Locations: Gaza, Israel, Qatar, Egypt, Doha, European, ”

☆ Israel-Hamas War U.S. and Israel Strike Militias Tied to Iran in Reminder of Risks in Mideast
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Andrés R. Martínez | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

“We need to see the following two things,” Mr. Netanyahu told NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “Gaza has to be demilitarized and Gaza has to be de-radicalized. He said that Israel must maintain security control there “for as long as necessary” and have the ability to enter Gaza at will to deal with perceived threats there. More than 11,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, according to Gazan health officials. “The massacre of Oct. 7 proved once and for all that in every place that Israel does not have security control, terrorism entrenches itself,” Mr. Netanyahu said on Saturday. Mr. Netanyahu, a conservative and Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, has been prosecuting the war amid plummeting approval ratings.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Mr, Netanyahu, NBC’s “, ”, “, ” Mr, Netanyahu’s, Biden, Antony J, Blinken, António Guterres, CNN’s “ Fareed Zakaria, Israel’s, Mahmoud Abbas, forthrightly, Israel —, Abbas, ” Nabil Abu Rudeineh, Abu Rudeineh, Wafa Organizations: Israeli Army, Palestinian, Press, Palestinian Authority, Israeli, West Bank, United Nations, “, West Locations: Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, Qatar, Samaria, ”, West Bank, East Jerusalem

☆ Netanyahu says he sees no role for the Palestinian Authority in Gaza, for now.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Isabel Kershner | More About Isabel Kershner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

“We need to see the following two things,” Mr. Netanyahu told NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “Gaza has to be demilitarized and Gaza has to be de-radicalized. His remarks appeared to be somewhat at odds with the Biden administration, which last week made it clear that there should be no Israeli “re-occupation” of Gaza. More than 11,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, according to Gazan health officials. “The massacre of Oct. 7 proved once and for all that in every place that Israel does not have security control, terrorism entrenches itself,” Mr. Netanyahu said on Saturday. Mr. Netanyahu, a conservative and Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, has been prosecuting the war amid plummeting approval ratings.

☆ Israel Is in Crisis. These Authors See Reason for Hope.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Ethan Bronner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The citizens’ faith in their political leader, a prime minister charged with bribery and fraud, was plummeting even before the attack. The answer: a mix of risk-taking newcomers and the culture of innovation fostered among young Israelis by their mandatory military service. “Israel has been exposed to constant trauma,” the authors write, and yet the country has some of the lowest rates of alcohol abuse, opioid death and suicide in the world. Israel’s citizens also consistently rank among the happiest on the planet. They have long lives and produce, far and away, the most children per family of any rich country.

Persons: Dan Senor, Saul Singer, Israel, Singer, Israel’s, “ Organizations: Jerusalem, “, Nasdaq Locations: United States, Britain, France, Japan, “ Israel, Canada

CNN —A teenage Iranian girl who fell into a coma after she was allegedly assaulted by the country’s morality police for not wearing a headscarf is “brain dead,” state-aligned media said. Earlier in October, the Norway-based Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, which focuses on Kurdish rights, said Geravand was “assaulted” by morality police and fell into a coma. “This request resulted in an altercation with the morality police officers physically assaulting Geravand. Iranian authorities have denied the allegations, saying Geravand was hospitalized due to an injury caused by low blood pressure. Armita Geravand was hospitalized in October following an incident at a Tehran metro station.

Persons: Armita Geravand, Geravand, “, ” Hengaw, Awyer Shekhi, ” Shekhi, Mahsa, Niloofar Hamedi, Elaheh Mohammadi, Hamedi’s, Mohammad Hossein Ajorloo, ”, Sherif Mansour Organizations: CNN, Organization for Human Rights, UN, Shargh, Twitter, Committee, Protect Journalists Locations: Tehran, Iran, Norway, Shohada, United States, Niloofar, Middle East, North Africa

☆ Niger junta says it has blocked President Bazoum's escape bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Niger’s military government said Thursday it foiled a late-night escape attempt by deposed President Mohamed Bazoum to flee to neighboring Nigeria after being held in custody for nearly three months following his ouster in a coup. The deposed Nigerien leader – who has yet to resign as president– had been placed under house arrest since the military junta overthrew him on July 27. Later that month, the junta said it had “gathered the necessary evidence” to prosecute Bazoum for “high treason.”The junta has held on to power despite pressure from Niger’s Western and regional allies. Last week, the US said it was putting a hold on its assistance programs to Niger, including funding while formally declaring Bazoum’s ouster as a coup. The military rulers said they ovethrew Bazoum because of the country’s security problems and struggling economy.

Persons: CNN —, Mohamed Bazoum, Bazoum, they’ll, ”, –, Bazoum’s Organizations: CNN, Nigerien Locations: Nigeria, Niger’s, Niamey, ”, Niger

☆ American mother and daughter taken hostage by Hamas have been released, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Alex Marquardt Kaitlan Collins Oren Liebermann Michael Conte Sana Noor Haq | Alex Marquardt | Kaitlan Collins | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Hamas released two American hostages, Judith Tai Raanan and her 17-year-old daughter, Natali Raanan, on Friday after they abducted around 200 people from Israel in a deadly attack on October 7. They are being released on “humanitarian grounds” because the mother is in poor health, the same source said. US officials have not said whether they believe any of the American hostages are dead and have previously noted that all hostages are assumed alive. Amnesty International has said Israel’s “collective punishment” of Palestinian civilians for Hamas’ attack amounts to a war crime. “The families’ headquarters welcomes the release of hostages from Hamas captivity,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement to CNN.

Persons: Judith Tai Raanan, Natali, Daniel Hagari, Abu Obaida, Biden, ”, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Majid Al, Ansari, Joe Biden, “, “ Jill, Israel, Antony Blinken, Rishi Sunak Organizations: CNN, Israel Defense Forces, Brigades, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, United Nations, Amnesty Locations: Israel, Gaza, Chicago, Nahal Oz, Qatar, ” Qatar, Israel’s, Mexico, Brazil, Thailand

☆ China’s Military Is Making Risky Moves and Adding Nuclear Warheads, U.S. Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Chris Buckley | More About Chris Buckley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Risky ManeuversSince the fall of 2021, the Pentagon report says, the United States has recorded more than 180 intercepts of U.S. aircraft by Chinese military forces in the region. Beijing has long bristled at the U.S. military aircraft and ships that operate in international skies and seas near China. Beijing did not immediately comment on the Pentagon report. The most eye-catching evidence of China’s nuclear buildup in recent years has been three clusters of missile silos that have been dug out of the deserts of northern China. The Pentagon report found that construction of the silos had been completed by last year and that “at least some” intercontinental ballistic missiles had been installed in them.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Xi Organizations: Pentagon, U.S, People’s Liberation Army Locations: United States, Beijing, China . China, China, Canada, U.S, Chinese, Taiwan, Russia

☆ America’s Middle East Imperative: Contain Iran
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Reuel Marc Gerecht | Ray Takeyh | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

When the warriors of Hamas broke out of their fiefdom in Gaza to kill and kidnap Israelis, a historic failure of imagination came painfully into view. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ’s government—and many in the country’s security and intelligence agencies—had seen the Palestinians as a manageable problem. Israelis were certainly aware of the growing missile threat from Gaza. The Israeli army and air force had ripped into Gaza in 2014 to destroy, among other things, missile factories. They knew that Hamas’s relations with Iran, which has developed great skill in missilery, had deepened.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu ’, —, Jerusalem, Ismail Qaani —, Iran’s, Islamic Revolutionary Guard — Organizations: Iran’s Quds Force, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Locations: Gaza, Iran, Beirut, Iran’s Quds

CNN —Armenia’s prime minister has called his country’s security relationships “ineffective,” in a swipe at Russia after Azerbaijan claimed the breakaway province of Nagorno-Karabakh following a swift military campaign. But this week, Azerbaijan forced the surrender of ethnic Armenian fighters in Nagorno-Karabakh, seemingly bringing to an end a conflict that has simmered for decades and raising the question whether Armenia could rely on long-term ally Russia. Although internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh is home to 120,000 ethnic Armenians, who make up the majority of the population, and have created their own de facto government, rejecting Azerbaijani rule. Pashinyan’s comments come as the first group of civilians arrived in Armenia from Nagorno-Karabakh. One local official in the disputed region, said that the bulk of Nagorno-Karabakh’s Armenian population would leave for Armenia.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Nikol Pashinyan, Pashinyan, Azerbaijan’s, ” Pashinyan, ” David Babayan, Samvel Shahramanyan, ” Babayan, Cross Organizations: CNN, Collective Security, Organisation, NATO, Armenia’s Public, Reuters, International Committee, Twitter, Armenian Locations: Russia, Azerbaijan, Nagorno, Karabakh, Armenia, Russian, “ Armenia, “, Republic of Artsakh, Artsakh

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden announced new U.S. sanctions Friday on “some of Iran's more egregious human rights abusers” as he marked the anniversary of the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died while being held by the country's morality police. Amini had been detained for allegedly wearing her hijab too loosely in violation of laws that require women in public to wear the Islamic headscarf. Her death set off protests in dozens of cities across the country of 80 million people, with young women marching in the streets and publicly exposing and cutting off their hair. Taken in coordination with the U.K., Canada, Australia, and other nations, this is the United States' 13th round of sanctions designations in response to Iran’s crackdown on protests. The U.S. has already sanctioned over 70 Iranian people and entities “responsible for supporting the regime’s oppression of its people," Biden said.

Persons: Joe Biden, ”, Amini, Biden, Antony Blinken, ” Blinken, Jon Gambrell Organizations: WASHINGTON, Treasury’s, Foreign, Iran’s Prisons Organization, paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, Press, State Department, Associated Press Locations: Islamic Republic, Iran, Fars, U.S, Canada, Australia, United States, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

JERUSALEM (AP) — Thousands of Israeli academics and artists have urged U.S. President Joe Biden and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres to shun Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit to the United States next week, underlining the divide between Israel's far-right government and segments of the country's population. Netanyahu’s public itinerary so far does not feature an appointment with Biden at the White House. Proponents of the plan say the country’s unelected judiciary, led by the Supreme Court, wields too much power. Biden expressed concerns when Israel's parliament slammed through the first piece of legislation in July, calling the outcome “unfortunate.” On Tuesday, Israel's Supreme Court opened the first case to look at the legality of Netanyahu’s deeply contentious plans. The country’s academics, artists, business leaders and even military reservists have come out against the overhaul.

Persons: Joe Biden, António Guterres, Benjamin Netanyahu, David Grossman, Tamar Getter, Guterres, Netanyahu, General Assembly’s, “ Netanyahu, Biden, Netanyahu “, Netanyahu's ultranationalist, —, Netanyahu’s Organizations: JERUSALEM, U.S, United Nations, Biden, White, General, West Bank, Supreme, Israel's Locations: United States, Israel's, California, New York, Israel, Washington, U.S

☆ Ukrainian strikes reportedly hit bases in Russia housing supersonic warplanes
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Ivana Kottasová Tim Lister Svitlana Vlasova Mariya Knight Gianluca Mezzofiore Eve Brennan Olga Voitovych Sarah El Sirgany | Ivana Kottasová | Tim Lister | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Ukrainian forces appear to have stepped up their efforts to weaken Russian air superiority in the war by attacking bases that house supersonic warplanes deep inside Russian territory. Over the weekend, Russia’s defense ministry said another Ukrainian drone hit the Soltsy military airfield in the Novgorod region, also hundreds of kilometers north of Ukraine. The Shaykovka military air base operates Tupolev Tu-22M3 supersonic long-range bombers that have been used by Russia to strike targets in Ukraine since the start of its full-scale invasion last year. Degrading moraleThe attack on Monday was the second strike against a Russian air base housing powerful hardware in just three days. Ukrainian media reported that attacks on Russian bases over the past few days have destroyed several aircraft including two bombers, citing unnamed Ukrainian defense intelligence officials.

Persons: Shaykovka, Andriy Yusov, Yusov, Tupolev, YURI KADOBNOV, Baza –, –, ” Mash, Vladislav Shapsha, ” Organizations: CNN, Ukrainian, Kyiv, Tupolev, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, Main Directorate of Intelligence, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry, Getty, Russian Telegram, Russia’s Defense, Planet Labs, for, Russian Ministry of Defense Locations: Ukrainian, Novgorod, Ukraine, Netherlands, Denmark, Russia, Russia’s Kaluga, AFP, Russian, Kirov, Soltsy, Washington

☆ Women’s Rights Activists Rounded Up in Iran as Protest Anniversary Nears
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Leily Nikounazar | Aaron Boxerman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In a sweeping operation ahead of an important anniversary, the Iranian authorities have detained at least 12 rights activists, all but one of them women, over the past two days, human rights groups and Iranian media have reported. Hundreds were killed in the ensuing government crackdown, including at least 44 minors, while around 20,000 Iranians were arrested, the United Nations calculated. The arrested activists were rounded up in cities across Iran’s northern Gilan Province, according to HRANA, an Iranian human rights organization. On Thursday, Iranian officials accused the 12 detainees of planning to incite “chaos and vandalism” on the upcoming anniversary of Ms. Amini’s death, the semiofficial Fars News Agency reported. According to Fars, which has close ties to the country’s security agencies, the officials also accused the activists of being funded by foreign intelligence and collaborating with Iran International, an opposition television channel based in Washington.

Persons: Amini, “, ”, Sanam Vakil, Amini’s Organizations: United Nations, Chatham House, Fars News Agency, Iran International Locations: Iran, Iran’s, Gilan Province, Iranian, East, North Africa, London, Fars, Washington

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