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☆ Konya: Turkey’s ancient city of whirling dervishes
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Robert Iddiols | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Konya, Turkey CNN —When most people think of Turkey bucket list destinations, a few obvious ones spring to mind - Istanbul, Turquoise Coast hotspots like Bodrum or the otherworldly landscapes of Cappadocia. As well as being a renowned Islamic scholar, Rumi launched the Mevlevi Order of the Whirling Dervishes. And while they can be seen in various locations across Turkey, Konya is the beating heart of their activities. Abdullah Çetín, a photographer based in Konya, says the city and region’s history is also what puts it on the map. Murat Oner Tas/Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesKonya is also a jumping off point for Lake Tuz, a large hypersaline lake that lies about two hours’ drive northeast of the city.

Persons: –, it’s, Celaleddin Rumi, Rumi, Maulana, ”, Kerem Polat, Adem Altan, Polat, “, ” Polat, Abdullah Çetín, Çetín, Murat Oner Tas, Fahri Tunç, Tunç, ’, ‘, ” Tunç, he’s Organizations: CNN, Turkey CNN, Getty, ”, Mevlana Museum, Anadolu Agency Locations: Konya, Turkey, Istanbul, Turquoise, – Konya, Adem, AFP, Sultanate of Rum, Balkh, Afghanistan, Mecca, Medina, Anatolia, mycan, Sille, Gevale, Rumi, Konya “, Lake Tuz, Salt, Tuz

☆ Iran's President Raisi is dead. What does the leadership void mean for the country and the world?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The President of Islamic Republic of Iran Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi during the meeting with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres UN Headquarters. Lev Radin | Lightrocket | Getty ImagesThe sudden death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash plunges Tehran into fresh uncertainty at a time when it already faces deep economic decline, popular discontent, and war. The helicopter carrying President Raisi suffered a hard landing on Sunday while returning from Azerbaijan in poor weather conditions, Iranian state media reported on Monday. "That interim presidency ... [is] going to potentially pave the way for even more IRGC control over policies." "When it comes to the relationship with the U.S., and likely [with] Israel, nothing is really going to change there.

Persons: Islamic Republic of Iran Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi, Antonio Guterres, Lev Radin, Lightrocket, Ebrahim Raisi, Raisi, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Yemen's, Ayatollah Khamenei, Mohammed Mokhber, Nader Itayim, Itayim, Joe Biden Organizations: Islamic, Antonio Guterres UN, Iran's, Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iranian, Guardian Council, Argus Media, U.S, Palestinian Locations: Islamic Republic of Iran, Tehran, Azerbaijan, Lebanese, Iran, Mideast, Israel, U.S, Gaza

☆ 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

☆ ISIS-K, Group Tied to Moscow Attack, Has Grown Bolder and More Violent
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-24 | by ( Christina Goldbaum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Few know better than the Taliban what a relentless foe the Islamic State’s affiliate in Afghanistan can be. Much of the West considers the Taliban, which reclaimed power in the country in 2021, to be an extremist Islamic movement. But the Islamic State Khorasan, the affiliate that took responsibility for a terrorist attack in suburban Moscow on Friday, has slammed the Taliban government, calling the group’s version of Islamic rule insufficiently hard-line. The Islamic State Khorasan, or ISIS-K, is one of the last significant antagonists that the Taliban face in Afghanistan. In the months after the Taliban seized power, ISIS-K carried out near daily attacks on their soldiers at roadside checkpoints and in neighborhoods that are home to the country’s Hazara ethnic minority.

Persons: Pakistan’s Organizations: West Locations: Afghanistan, State Khorasan, Moscow, Hazara, Russian, Kabul

☆ The eyes have it: The intriguing history of kohl
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Zahra Hankir | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

A Palestinian woman Hadeya Qudaih applying traditional kohl eyeliner to her granddaughter in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip in March 2020. Hadeya Qudaih makes and sells traditional kohl eyeliner for medical and cosmetic purposes (photograph taken in February 2020). A Bedouin man wearing traditional kohl, photographed in the ancient Jordanian city of Petra. Kohl is so commonly worn in the area that girls are sometimes named or nicknamed Kahla by their parents or friends, roughly meaning “the girl who appears to have kohl around her eyes.” Kohl is also a feature of many millennia-old myths, rituals, and legends. “Even if she doesn’t (make kohl) anymore, I will for sure continue to do this myself,” Abu Issa said.

Persons: CNN — Kohl, kohl, Hadeya, kohl eyeliner, Khan Younis, Majdi, Tamam Farhan Abu Issa, Deir al Balah, “, Abu Issa, ”, ” Abu Issa, Issa, Qudaih, Hassan Jedi, Prophet Muhammad —, Alessandro Bigazzi, Jack Sparrow, eyeliner, Kohl, ” Kohl, Zarqa, TikTok, “ Blinkaria Kohl, tightlining, Eyeliner, Fatima Shbair, “ Kohl, I’ve Organizations: CNN, Crusaders, UNESCO, United, kohl, Quds Net News, ZUMA Press, UAE General Authority of Islamic Affairs, Endowments Locations: East, North Africa, Egypt, Europe, Lebanon, Gaza, Gaza’s, Deir, United Nations, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Palestinian, Petra, Raed, Kohl, Eastern, “

☆ Undercover Israeli Killings in West Bank Hospital May Be War Crimes: UN Experts
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

GENEVA (Reuters) - The killing of three Palestinian men in a hospital in the occupied West Bank last month by Israeli commandos disguised as medical workers and Muslim women may amount to war crimes, a group of U.N. experts said on Friday. The experts concerned are special rapporteurs engaged by the United Nations to examine a specific human rights issue. War in Israel and Gaza View All 194 ImagesIsrael’s military was not immediately available for comment on their statement. The West Bank has seen an explosion of violence since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7 and the subsequent invasion of Gaza by Israel. (Reporting by Emma Farge in Geneva; Additional reporting by Emily Rose in Jerusalem; Editing by Gareth Jones)

Persons: Ibn Sina, prima facie, Emma Farge, Emily Rose, Gareth Jones Organizations: West Bank, Shin, Basel Al, United, Hamas, Jenin Brigade, Islamic, The West Bank Locations: GENEVA, Jenin, Basel, Israel, United Nations, Gaza, headscarves, Palestinian, Geneva, Jerusalem

☆ Exclusive-US-Backed Force in Syria: More Air Defence Needed After Deadly Drone Attack
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Maya Gebeily(Reuters) - A force that has been the backbone of the U.S.-led campaign against Islamic State said additional air defences should be deployed in northeast Syria after six of its fighters were killed in a drone attack it blamed on pro-Iran factions. Mazloum Abdi, commander of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, said his force considered it "a dangerous development when our camps are targeted in drone attacks by factions backed by Iran." On Feb. 4, the SDF said an explosive drone attack by Iran-backed armed groups in eastern Syria killed six of their fighters. Asked whether he had requested additional military backing to fend off such attacks, Abdi said his Kurdish-led force would "require technical capabilities and an increase in the aerial defensive systems" deployed in northeast Syria. It holds a quarter of Syria, including oil fields and areas where some 900 U.S. troops are deployed.

Persons: Maya Gebeily, Mazloum Abdi, Jan, Abdi, That's, Bashar al, Assad, Phil Stewart, William Maclean Organizations: Islamic State, Syrian Democratic Forces, U.S, Hamas, SDF, Reuters, Pentagon, State Department, White, Islamic Locations: U.S, Syria, Iran, State, Israel, Palestinian, Gaza, Jordan, Kurdish, Washington, Islamic State, Turkey

☆ Many Pakistanis Make a Perilous Journey to Vote
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

With tens of thousands displaced from the tribal regions, most candidates vying to represent constituencies there have campaigned in other cities such as Dera Ismail Khan. "Due to the war, people's houses were destroyed," Moulana Jamal Uddin, a candidate from South Waziristan, told Reuters by phone. "I appeal to the people of South Waziristan to vote," he said. Khan Ullah, a 42-year-old shop owner, said he has avoided political gatherings in Dera Ismail Khan because he feared an attack on them was a real possibility. (Reporting by Saud Mehsud in Dera Ismail Khan; writing by Ariba Shahid in Karachi; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)

Persons: Saud Mehsud DERA ISMAIL, Ullah Mehsud, Mehsud, Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan's, Amjad Khan, Khan, hometowns, Maulana Raheem Ullah, Moulana Jamal Uddin, Khan Ullah, Saud Mehsud, Ariba Shahid, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Reuters, Pakhtunkhwa, Pak Institute, Peace Studies, Force Locations: Saud Mehsud DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan, South Waziristan, Qaeda, U.S, Afghanistan, Waziristan, Khyber, Taliban Pakistan, Balochistan, KP, Karachi

☆ The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict and the Long Shadow of 1948
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Emily Bazelon | A Discussion Moderated Emily Bazelon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +18 min

In 1948, Jews realized their wildly improbable dream of a state, and Palestinians experienced the mass flight and expulsion called the Nakba, or catastrophe. It’s only in 1948 that the Arabs become Palestinians and the Jews become Israelis. Many Jews became lower-level officers during World War II, and they brought their new military expertise to the 1948 war. Zoltan Kluger/GPO, via Getty Images Palestinian bombers destroyed buildings on Ben Yehuda Street in Jerusalem in March 1948. Bettmann/Getty Images A Palestinian refugee cut off from her home by the border established after the 1948 war.

Persons: Matson, —, Khalil Raad, Yaakov Ben Dov Delegates, Haj Amin al, Husseini, ”, It’s, Avraham Avinu, David, Fox, King David Hotel, David Ben, Gurion, “, Hitler, Hans Pinn, Abd al, Qadir al, Chalil, Zoltan Kluger, Ben Yehuda, Hugo H, Mendelsohn, John Phillips, Palestine ”, UNSCOP, Bettmann, Ruth Orkin, David Seymour, Jordan, Israel, Abdullah, Nadim, Leena Dallasheh, Abigail Jacobson, Moshe Naor, ” Derek Penslar, ” Itamar Rabinovich, Salim Tamari, Emily Bazelon, Herzl, Faisal Al, Hashemi, James Russell &, Bain, Jabotinsky, Abraham Pisarek, Weizmann, Heinrich Hoffmann Organizations: Congress, Institute for Palestine, Palestinian, . Institute for Palestine, Matson, Palestine, Getty, of Congress British, Peel, Zionist, Jewish, British Armed Forces, Allied, King, of Congress Women, Hulton, Biltmore, British, Agence France, Getty Images, Refugees, West Bank, Shutterstock, United Nations, League of Nations, United, United Nations Jewish, Madver, The, Palestine Studies, Columbia University, Columbia University , New York University, Rice University, Islamic, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Center for Jewish Studies, Harvard University, Tel Aviv University, Birzeit University, Institute for Palestine Studies, The New York Times Magazine, James Russell & Sons, of Congress, Israel, Ben, General Photographic Agency, Society, International Affairs Locations: Palestine, City, Jerusalem, Canadian American, Israel, British, Jaffa, Damascus, Old City, Hebron, Safed, Europe, Arab, North Africa, New York City, Middle Eastern, Haifa, Cyprus, Jenin, U.S, United Nations, Iraq, Tel Aviv’s Lod, Lebanon, Eyal, el Bared, Egypt, Syria, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Ashdod, Palestinian, United States, Qatar, Iran, Columbia University ,, Nazareth, Israeli, Husseini

☆ Israeli Forces Kill 3 Gunmen in West Bank Hospital, Army Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Israeli forces killed three Palestinian gunmen in a hospital in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, the army said, adding that one had been suspected of planning an imminent attack like Hamas' Oct. 7 cross-border rampages from the Gaza Strip. There was no immediate Palestinian confirmation of their identities. Voice of Palestine radio reported the killing of three Palestinians at the hospital. The West Bank, among areas where Palestinians seek statehood, has seen a surge of violence since the Oct. 7 attack triggered the Gaza war between Israel and Hamas. (Reporting by Ali Sawafta; Writing by Nadine Awadalla; Editing by Tom Hogue)

Persons: Ibn Sina, Ali Sawafta, Nadine Awadalla, Tom Hogue Organizations: West Bank, Reuters, Islamic, Palestine, Hamas Locations: RAMALLAH, West, Gaza, Jenin, Islamic Jihad, Israel

☆ Iran-Backed Attacks on US Troops in the Middle East Since Oct. 7
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

About 2,500 U.S. troops are stationed in Iraq and 900 in Syria to prevent a resurgence of Islamic State militants. Here is a timeline of major attacks since then:OCT. 18 - U.S. forces in Iraq are targeted in two separate drone attacks. OCT. 19 - U.S. forces in Syria bring down two drones targeting them, leading to some minor injuries. OCT. 26 - An Iran-backed militia launches a drone at an air base that penetrates U.S. air defenses and crashes into the barracks housing American troops but fails to detonate. DEC. 25 - A one-way drone attack in Iraq by Iran-aligned militants leaves one U.S. service member in critical condition and wounds two other U.S. personnel.

Persons: Ahmed Aboulenein, Diane Craft Organizations: WASHINGTON, Sunday, U.S, Islamic, DEC Locations: Jordan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Gaza, Israel, U.S

A key part of that lofty aspiration was the drafting of a convention that codified and committed nations to prevent and punish a new crime, sometimes called the crime of crimes: genocide. Now, in response to Israel's devastating military offensive in Gaza that was triggered by murders and atrocities perpetrated by Hamas militants on Oct. 7, South Africa has gone to the International Court of Justice and accused Israel of genocide. The ICC prosecutes individuals and is separate to the International Court of Justice, which rules in disputes between nations. At public hearings earlier this month and in its detailed written submission to the ICJ, South Africa cited comments by Israeli officials that it claimed demonstrate intent. Both Gambia and South Africa have filed ICJ cases in conflicts they are not directly involved in.

Persons: Reich, Mary Ellen O’Connell, Notre Dame University's, Israel, “, Joan E, Donoghue, ”, Marieke de Hoon, Said O’Connell, Malcolm Shaw, Serbia “, —, Radovan Karadzic, Ratko Mladic, Jean Paul Akayesu, Omar al, Bashir, Danica Kirka Organizations: —, United Nations, Nazi, Notre Dame, Notre Dame University's Kroc, International Court of, Criminal, ICC, International Court of Justice, University of Amsterdam, of Islamic Cooperation, Rwanda —, Yugoslav, Bosnian, Associated Locations: HAGUE, Netherlands, Nazi Germany, Germany, Eastern Europe, Russia, Gaza, South Africa, Israel, Pretoria, Africa, ”, Rome, Serbia, Srebrenica, Bosnian, Moscow, Ukraine, Gambia, Myanmar, That's, Yugoslavia, Rwanda, Arusha, Tanzania, Darfur, Cambodia, Khmer Rouge, London

☆ U.S. Privately Warned Iran About 'Terrorist Threat' Ahead of Islamic State Attack -Official
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

By Simon LewisWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government privately warned Iran about a "terrorist threat" within its borders ahead of a deadly attack last month claimed by the Islamic State militant group, a U.S. official said on Thursday. Two explosions at a memorial for Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani in the southeastern Iranian city of Kerman killed nearly 100 people and wounded scores more on Jan. 3. “The U.S. Government followed a longstanding ‘duty to warn’ policy that has been implemented across administrations to warn governments against potential lethal threats. We provide these warnings in part because we do not want to see innocent lives lost in terror attacks,” the U.S. official said, requesting anonymity. The Wall Street Journal first reported the warning on Thursday.

Persons: Simon Lewis WASHINGTON, Qassem Soleimani, Simon Lewis, Chizu Nomiyama Organizations: U.S, Islamic State, Government, Street Journal Locations: Iran, Iranian, Kerman

☆ US Personnel Suffer Minor Injuries in Iraq Base Attack: U.S. Official
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON/BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. personnel suffered minor injuries and a member of Iraq's security forces was seriously wounded in an attack on Iraq's Ain al-Asad air base on Saturday, a U.S. official said. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said initial reports indicated that the base was hit by ballistic missiles but he left open the possibility it was struck by rockets. Two security sources in Iraq and one government source said the base was hit by multiple rockets fired from inside Iraq. A second U.S. official said the attack was carried out by militants from inside Iraq. Iraq is deeply concerned about becoming a battleground between the United States, Israel and Iran.

Persons: Asad, Mohammed Shia, Phil Stewart, Timour, Alistair Bell Organizations: U.S, Hamas, U.S ., Iraq's, Pentagon, Monday Locations: WASHINGTON, BAGHDAD, Ain, Iraq, Israel, Syria, Iran, United States, U.S, State, Baghdad, Erbil, Iraq's, Kurdistan, Iraqi, Washington

☆ South Africa's genocide case against Israel has 'global support,' finance minister says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

South Africa's legal case accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza has "global support," the country's Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana told CNBC Monday. A two-day hearing last week at the International Court of Justice in the Hague, Netherlands, saw South African lawyers lay out arguments alleging that Israel's bombardment of Gaza that has caused massive casualties was tantamount to genocide. "Supporters of Israel of course, including the U.K., will say our application is nonsense but there is global support for our view that in fact, our case was substantive and we have argued our case." Turkey, Jordan, Brazil, Colombia, Bolivia, Pakistan and Malaysia are among the states that have publicly supported South Africa's application, along with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. The Saudi-based organization consists of 57 member states, 48 of which are Muslim-majority countries.

Persons: Ronald Lamola, Israel, Enoch Godongwana, Godongwana Organizations: International Court of Justice, country's Finance, CNBC, South, United, Economic, Organization of Islamic Cooperation Locations: Africa's, South Africa, Israel, Gaza, The Hague, Netherlands, Hague, Africa, United Nations, Davos, Turkey, Jordan, Brazil, Colombia, Bolivia, Pakistan, Malaysia, Saudi

KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — From Berlin to London and Limassol to Karachi, thousands of people took to the streets Sunday to mark the 100th day of Israel’s war with Hamas. Opposing demonstrations either demanded the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas or called for a cease-fire in Gaza. In the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, tens of thousands waved Palestinian flags or wore the keffiyeh, the traditional Palestinian scarf, to express their solidarity with Palestinians in a rally organized by the country’s largest religious political party, Jamaat-e-Islami. The party’s Karachi chief, Hafiz Naeem Ur Rehman, called on the U.S. to stop backing Israel and compensate Palestinians for their losses. Protesters in London held posters with photos and the words “100 days in hell” to express their solidarity with Israel.

Persons: Hafiz Naeem Ur Rehman, Israel, ” Rehman, Ishrat Zahid, ”, Ayelet Svatitzky, “, ’ ’, Nadav Popplewell, Channah Peri, Peri, Roi Popplewell, Akrotiri, Osman Delibas, Delibas, Pope Francis, ____, Hadjicostis, Christophe Ena, Andrew Wilks, Frances D'Emilio Organizations: Hamas, Islami, Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Protesters, Israel, Palestine, ” Protesters, RAF, British, British Ministry of Defense, Turkey’s Humanitarian Relief Foundation, . Foundation, Anadolu, Associated, Associated Press Locations: KARACHI, Pakistan, Berlin, London, Limassol, Karachi, Gaza, Pakistani, Israel, Dublin, Edinburgh, Paris, ”, Cyprus, British, Yemen, Britain, Egypt, Turkey, Istanbul, Iraq, Kurdish, St, Ukraine, Palestine, Rome

☆ Turkey's Erdogan says Israel's Netanyahu 'will be tried as war criminal'
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

ISTANBUL, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would eventually be tried as a war criminal over Israel's ongoing offensive in the Gaza Strip, while slamming Western countries supporting Israel. Turkey, which supports a two-state solution to the decades-old conflict, has sharply criticised Israel over its campaign in Gaza, launched in response to militant group Hamas' rampage on Oct. 7. In a speech to an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) committee meeting in Istanbul, Erdogan said the Western nations supporting Israel were giving it "unconditional support to kill babies" and were complicit in its crimes. "Beyond being a war criminal, Netanyahu, who is the butcher of Gaza right now, will be tried as the butcher of Gaza, just as Milosevic was tried," Erdogan said, in reference to Yugoslav ex-President Slobodan Milosevic who was tried for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes at a tribunal in The Hague. "We must absolutely evaluate the United Nations Human Rights Council and the International Criminal Court (ICC) within this framework," he said, adding Israel's nuclear arsenal must not be forgotten.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Benjamin Netanyahu, Erdogan, Netanyahu, Milosevic, Slobodan Milosevic, U.N, Antonio, Guterres, Daren Butler, Jonathan Spicer, Alex Richardson Organizations: Hamas, Islamic Cooperation, NATO, OIC, Arab League, United Nations Human Rights Council, Criminal Court, ICC, United Nations Security Council, Security Council, Thomson Locations: ISTANBUL, Gaza, Israel, Turkey, Istanbul, Yugoslav, The Hague, Western, United States, Russia, China, Britain, France

☆ Suspected U.S. Strike in Iraq Kills 5 Militia Members, Sources Say
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Dec. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - A suspected U.S. air strike killed five members of an Iran-aligned Iraqi armed group north of the city of Kirkuk as they were preparing to launch projectiles at U.S. forces in the country, three Iraqi security sources said. U.S. military officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Iraqi armed groups have claimed more than 70 such attacks against U.S. forces since Oct. 17 over Washington's backing of Israel in its bombardment of Gaza. The U.S. in November launched two series of strikes against what it said were Iran-aligned armed groups who had engaged in attacks against their forces. Those strikes killed at least 10 militants who were identified both as members of shadowy militia Kataeb Hezbollah and of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces, an official security institution composed mainly of Shi'ite Muslim armed groups, many with close links to Iran.

Persons: Timour, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Reuters, U.S, Hezbollah, Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces, United Locations: Iran, Kirkuk, U.S, Syria, Gaza, Israel, United States, Iraq, State

☆ Suspected U.S. strike in Iraq kills five militia members, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 3 (Reuters) - A suspected U.S. air strike killed five members of an Iran-aligned Iraqi armed group north of the city of Kirkuk as they were preparing to launch projectiles at U.S. forces in the country, three Iraqi security sources said. U.S. military officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Iraqi armed groups have claimed more than 70 such attacks against U.S. forces since Oct. 17 over Washington's backing of Israel in its bombardment of Gaza. The U.S. in November launched two series of strikes against what it said were Iran-aligned armed groups who had engaged in attacks against their forces. Those strikes killed at least 10 militants who were identified both as members of shadowy militia Kataeb Hezbollah and of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces, an official security institution composed mainly of Shi'ite Muslim armed groups, many with close links to Iran.

Persons: Timour, Sharon Singleton Organizations: U.S, Hezbollah, Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces, United, Thomson Locations: Iran, Kirkuk, U.S, Syria, Gaza, Israel, United States, Iraq, State

☆ Despite Pause, a Long-Term End to Israel-Hamas War Is Not in Sight
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Michele Chabin | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +6 min

Its militants killed 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals, most of them civilians, and fired thousands of rockets into Israel. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants or those killed by IDF airstrikes or errant Palestinian rockets. At the completion of a humanitarian truce that began on Nov. 24, Israel’s goal is to gain military control over northern Gaza and gradually ferret out Hamas in southern Gaza. The operation in the south “will require a very different mode of operation,” Novik said, because 2 million Palestinian civilians – half of them displaced from northern Gaza – live there. As long as Hamas remains a threat, most of the 200,000 Israelis evacuated from southern Israel cannot go home.

Persons: ”, Nimrod Novik, Israel, ” Novik, Jake Sullivan, Israel’s, “, ” Jonathan Rynhold, Joe Biden, Biden, Jeff Horwitt, Gilad Shalit, Sara Hirschhorn, “ Israel, ” Hirschhorn Organizations: Hamas, Israel, “, U.S, Israel Defense Forces, CBS, Bar Ilan University, NBC, Democratic, Hart Research Associates, Biden, Israel Democracy Institute, University of Haifa, Israel’s Finance Ministry, Palestinian Liberation Organization Locations: JERUSALEM, Israel, Gaza, Lebanon

☆ UN Security Council Due to Vote on Lifting Arms Embargo on Somalia
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Michelle Nichols and Giulia ParaviciniUNITED NATIONS/NAIROBI (Reuters) - The United Nations Security Council is due to vote on Friday to remove the final restrictions on weapons deliveries to Somalia's government and its security forces, diplomats said, more than 30 years after an arms embargo was first imposed on the country. The 15-member body is due to adopt two British-drafted resolutions on Friday, diplomats said - one to remove the full arms embargo on Somalia and another to reimpose an arms embargo on Al Qaeda-linked Al Shabaab militants. One of the draft resolutions spells out that "for the avoidance of doubt, that there is no arms embargo on the Government of the Federal Republic of Somalia." Somalia's government had long asked for the arms embargo to be removed so it could beef up its forces to take on the militants. The Security Council began to partially start lifting measures Somalia's security forces in 2013.

Persons: Michelle Nichols, Giulia Paravicini, Mohamed Siad Barre, Al Shabaab, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, al, Grant McCool Organizations: Giulia Paravicini UNITED, United Nations Security, Government of, Security, Union Locations: Giulia Paravicini UNITED NATIONS, NAIROBI, Somalia, of Africa, Al Qaeda, Al Shabaab, Federal Republic of Somalia, Al, Somali, al Shabaab

☆ Erdogan tells UN chief Israel must be tried in international courts for Gaza crimes
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan attends a press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (not pictured) at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, November 17, 2023. REUTERS/Liesa Johannssen/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsANKARA, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday told United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres that Israel must be held accountable in international courts for what he called war crimes it committed in Gaza, the Turkish presidency said. Israel has mounted an offensive by air and ground against Hamas militants in Gaza in which more than 15,000 people have been killed, according to Gaza health authorities. "During the call, President Erdogan said Israel continues to shamelessly trample on international law, the laws of war, and international humanitarian law by looking in the eyes of the international community, and it must be held accountable for the crimes it committed in front of international law," it said in a statement. Erdogan has called the Israeli attacks on Gaza a genocide and accused Israel of being a "teror state".

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Olaf Scholz, Liesa, General Antonio Guterres, Erdogan, Guterres, Israel, Hakan Fidan, Alison Williams, Angus MacSwan Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Tuesday, United Nations, Security, Wednesday, . Security, Arab League, of Islamic Cooperation, European Union, Israel, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, Rights ANKARA, Israel, Gaza, New York, Turkey, United States, European, Spain, Belgium

Borrell said all EU members attending the meeting of Mediterranean nations in Barcelona and almost all attendees overall had agreed on the need for a two-state solution. In response to that attack, Israel bombarded the enclave and mounted a ground offensive in the north. A two-state solution envisages a state for the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip alongside Israel. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan spoke as a representative of a group of ministers from the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Jordan's Safadi added, however: "Some among us are still refusing to call for a ceasefire... We demand it be implemented immediately."

Persons: Josep Borrell, Mohammad Shtayyeh, Nasser Nasser, Borrell, Ayman Safadi, Riyad al, Maliki, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Jordan's Safadi, Joan Faus, David Latona, Aislinn Laing, Ed Osmond, Alex Richardson, Nick Macfie Organizations: Palestinian, West Bank, Rights, European Union, Palestinian Authority, Hamas, Reuters, Union of, Saudi Foreign, Arab League, of Islamic Cooperation, Thomson Locations: Ramallah, Rights BARCELONA, Spain, Palestinian, Gaza, Barcelona, Israel, Jordanian, Qatar, Egypt, United States

New Zealand's Foreign Minister Winston Peters arrives at a news conference after he attended an emergency meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul, Turkey, March 22, 2019. The role of deputy prime minister, a key sticking point in the discussions, will be split between the populist NZ First party leader Winston Peters and ACT party leader David Seymour, the group announced in a statement. National Party deputy leader Nicola Willis will be finance minister and Peters will be foreign minister, the parties said. The coalition plans to repeal a ban on offshore oil and gas exploration and a ban on the sale of cigarettes to future generations introduced by the previous Labour government, according to coalition documents. "Foreign affairs does matter to this country.... all relationships do matter to this country," Peters said in a joint news conference in the capital Wellington after the announcement.

Persons: Winston Peters, Murad Sezer, David Seymour, Nicola Willis, Peters, Christopher Luxon, Luxon, ” Luxon, Jacinda, Helen Clark, Lucy Craymer, Praveen Menon, Diane Craft Organizations: Zealand's, of Islamic Cooperation, REUTERS, ACT NZ, National Party, NZ First, ACT, Party, Reserve, New Zealand, Bank of New, Labour, “, New Zealanders, Police, Thomson Locations: Istanbul, Turkey, WELLINGTON, Bank of New Zealand, Wellington, Niue

[1/5] Mourners carry the coffins of Iraq's Kataib Hezbollah fighters who were killed by US airstrike in Jurf al-Sakhar, south of Baghdad during a funeral in Baghdad, Iraq November 22, 2023. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani Acquire Licensing RightsBAGHDAD, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Iraq's government condemned overnight U.S. airstrikes south of Baghdad that killed eight members of Iran-aligned Iraqi armed group Kataib Hezbollah, saying they were a "dangerous escalation" not coordinated with authorities. The U.S. has carried out two series of strikes in Iraq since Tuesday, in response to more than 60 attacks by Iran-aligned militias against forces in the region, and destroyed a Kataib Hezbollah operations centre and a command and control node. Kataib Hezbollah said the strikes in Iraq killed eight of its members in its stronghold of Jurf al-Sakhar, south of Baghdad. In a statement, it threatened to attack a wider array of targets if U.S. strikes continued.

Persons: Iraq's, Thaier, Kataib, Mohammed Shia Al, Sudani, Ahmed Rasheed, Timour, Timour Azhari, Andrew Heavens, Alex Richardson, Bernadette Baum Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Israel, Hamas, Iraq's, Islamic State, Popular, Forces, Islamic, United, Thomson Locations: Jurf, Baghdad, Iraq, Rights BAGHDAD, Iran, U.S, United States, Gaza, Syria, Israel, Ain, Asad, Iranian, Islamic State, Iraqi, State

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