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Gaza hospital blast: what we know about the explosion
  + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +7 min
Rescue personnel work at scene At Al-Ahli Hospital, after hundreds of Palestinians were killed in a blast at Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza that Israeli and Palestinian officials blamed on each other in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, in this screen grab obtained from video, October 17, 2023. Some Western countries have called for an investigation, without pointing the finger at this stage, while Arab states have blamed Israel. Founded 1882 and run by the Anglican church, Al Ahli Arab Hospital described itself on its website as "a haven of peace in the middle of one of the world’s most troubled places". It is located in the Zeitoun neighbourhood of Gaza City, which lies in the northern region of the Gaza Strip. Israel previously told Palestinians in the north of Gaza, including people in Gaza City, to move south for their own safety.
Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Israel, Dr Fadel Naim, Dr Ibrahim Al, Naqa, Dr Naim, Dr Naqa, Ismail Haniyeh, Washington, Benjamin Netanyahu, Justin Welby, Canterbury, Lord God, Jordan's King Abdullah, Edmund Blair, Angus MacSwan Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, U.S, Hamas, WHO, Palestinian, Al Ahli Arab Hospital, Islamic, West Bank, Authority, Israel Defense Forces, Intelligence, UNITED STATES, Israeli, Protesters, Thomson Locations: Al, Ahli, Gaza, Gaza City, Israel, GAZA, Al Ahli, Zeitoun, Kuwaiti, Rafah, Palestinian, United States, Islamic Jihad, Israeli, Amman, Egypt, Lebanon, Iran, Beirut
Several Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq issued statements condemning Israel and accusing its military of bombing the hospital. People gather in Tahrir Square to protest the Gaza hospital blast in Baghdad, Iraq, on October 17. One group made an attempt to “reach it,” but a security source told CNN that security forces dealt with them and pushed them away. Jordanian security forces also used tear gas to disperse the protesters, according to two activists and videos posted to social media. TAP said “mass protests were held on Tuesday night,” in several areas “in solidarity with the Palestinian people” and against Israeli bombardment of Gaza.
Persons: Israel, Jihad, Murtadha, CNN’s Ben Wedeman, Protesters, Zohra Bensemra, Tayyip Erdogan, Joe Biden, Ayman Safadi, Safadi, “ can’t Organizations: CNN, Al, Ahli Baptist Hospital, Israel Defense Forces, Palestinian Islamic, United Arab, West, Anadolu Agency, US State Department, Security, Reuters, TAP, Palestinian Authority, West Bank, Jordan’s Foreign Affairs, IDF, UN, Episcopal, Al Ahli Baptist Hospital Locations: Israel, East, North Africa, Gaza City, Ahli, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Lebanon, Kuwait, Tunisia, West Bank, Ramallah, Gaza, Tahrir, Baghdad, Amman , Jordan, Jordanian, Beirut, Iran, Tehran, France, England, America, Esfahan, Qom ., Tunis, Istanbul, Turkish, , Jerusalem, Al Ahli, Al
Palestinians inspect damages of a house hit by Israeli strikes, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip October 11, 2023. Egypt has long restricted the flow of Gazans onto its territory, even during the fiercest conflicts. LIMITED CEASEFIREEgypt has been intensifying its efforts to contain the situation in Gaza, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi told Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani during a meeting in Cairo, a statement from Sisi's office said. According to the Egyptian security sources, talks between Egypt and the United States, Qatar and Turkey discussed the idea of delivering humanitarian aid through the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula under a geographically limited ceasefire. The crossing, which is the main exit point from Gaza not controlled by Israel, has been closed since Tuesday after Israeli bombardments hit on the Palestinian side, according to officials in Gaza and Egyptian sources.
Persons: Khan Younis, Abu Mustafa, Jake Sullivan, Abdel Fattah al, Sisi, Antonio Tajani, Tajani, Sameh Shoukry, Omar Abdel Razak, Ahmed Elimam, Aidan Lewis, Alison Williams, Toby Chopra Organizations: REUTERS, Hamas, U.S . National, Italian, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Egypt, CAIRO, United States, Israel, Cairo, Qatar, Turkey, Europe
Palestinian fighters appear to have captured an Israeli tank amid an unprecedented wave of attacks. Unconfirmed reports claim that Hamas has captured Israeli soldiers and taken them to the Gaza Strip. AdvertisementAdvertisementPalestinian fighters appear to have captured an Israeli tank and set it on fire, according to videos circulating on social media. AdvertisementAdvertisementA Hamas-affiliated Telegram channel published multiple photos appearing to show dead Israeli soldiers lying in streets. The channel also claimed that Hamas fighters had abducted Israeli soldiers and taken them back to the Gaza Strip.
Persons: , — Muhammad Arif Khan, Al Arabiya, David, Benjamin Netanyahu Organizations: Hamas, Service, Qassam Brigades, IDF Locations: Gaza, Israel
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman receives U.S. President Joe Biden at Al Salman Palace upon his arrival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, July 15, 2022. Washington could also sweeten any deal by designating Saudi Arabia a Major Non-NATO Ally, a status already given to Israel, the U.S. source said. "Saudi Arabia supports a peace plan for the Palestinians, but this time it wanted something for Saudi Arabia, not just for the Palestinians." SEEKING ISRAELI COMMITMENTSIsrael's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hailed the possibility of a "historic" peace with Saudi Arabia, the heartland of Islam. Yet, even if the U.S, Israel and Saudi Arabia agree, winning support from lawmakers in the U.S. Congress remains a challenge.
Persons: Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Joe Biden, NATO Ally, Biden, Washington, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Mahmoud Abbas, Jamal Khashoggi, China, Samia Nakhoul, James Mackenzie, Dan Williams, Ali Sawafta, Aziz El Yaacouby, Steve Holland, Matt Spetalnick, Humeyra Pamuk, Patricia Zengerle, Edmund Blair Organizations: Al, Saudi Royal Court, REUTERS Acquire, Defence, NATO, Saudi, U.S, U.S . Navy Fifth, Saudi Arabia, U.S . State Department, U.S . Atomic Energy, Israel's, MbS, Fox, Israel, West Bank, Palestinian Authority, West, Biden's Democratic Party, Washington Post, Congress, Thomson Locations: Saudi, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Bandar, Bahrain, Washington, Israel, United States, U.S, Riyadh, Iran, Tehran, Japan, Egypt, West Bank, East Jerusalem, Yemen, Beijing, Dubai, Jerusalmen
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military said Monday it had captured an operator for the Islamic State extremist group during a helicopter raid in northern Syria. The operator, Abu Halil al-Fad’ani, “was assessed to have relationships throughout the ISIS network in the region,” U.S. Central Command said in a statement. The U.S. has approximately 900 troops in Syria focused on countering the remnants of the Islamic State group, which had held a wide swath of Syria until 2019. News of the capture came as U.S.-backed Kurdish-led forces imposed a curfew after continued skirmishes with rival Arab militiamen. Political Cartoons View All 1179 ImagesSyria remains in a bloody 12-year civil war that has killed a half-million people.
Persons: Abu Halil al, , Troy Garlock, Bashar Assad Organizations: WASHINGTON, State, ISIS, U.S . Central Command, Islamic State, Syrian Democratic Forces Locations: Syria, U.S, Col, Kurdish, Deir el, Zour, Ziban, Damascus, United States
Thousands of people are confirmed dead and thousands more missing, with the mayor saying the toll could reach 20,000. Usama Al Husadi, a 52-year-old driver, had been searching for his wife and five children since the disaster. Husadi, who had been working the night of the storm, dialled his wife's phone number once again. "We lost at least 50 members from my father’s family, between missing and dead," he said. Confirmed death tolls given by officials so far have varied, but all are in the thousands, with thousands more on lists of the missing.
Persons: Hassan El Salheen, Aly, Storm Daniel, Mohamed Abd El Ghany, Usama Al Husadi, Husadi, Wali Eddin Mohamed Adam, Abdulmenam, Ghaithi, Mohamed Mohsen Bujmila, Khadija, Bujmila, Muammar Gaddafi, Peter Graff, Angus MacSwan Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Derna, Saudi, Al, Rescue, United Arab, NATO, of National Unity, Thomson Locations: Libya, Al Sharief, Bani Swief, Egypt, DERNA, Libyan, Al Arabiya, Derna, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Qatar, Tripoli
JERUSALEM, Sept 3 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday appeared to shift blame to his top diplomat for the disclosure of a secret meeting with the Libyan foreign minister that has caused a backlash in Tripoli. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen's office on Aug. 26 went public with his having met Najla Mangoush, his Libyan counterpart, in Italy earlier in the month. The statement came on the heels of an Israeli media report about the meeting. The news triggered protests in Libya, which does not recognise Israel and where pro-Palestinian sentiment is strong, and led Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah to fire Mangoush. In the ANT1 interview, Netanyahu called the handling of the Cohen-Magoush meeting "an exception to the rule".
Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Eli Cohen's, Najla Mangoush, Abdulhamid, Netanyahu, I've, Cohen, Dan Williams, Michele Kambas, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Libyan, Cypriot TV, Thomson Locations: Tripoli, Israeli, Italy, Libya, Israel, United States
An American soldier sits on a military vehicle, at al-Omar oil field in Deir Al Zor, Syria March 23, 2019. An Arab tribal backlash against the rule of the Kurdish YPG militia has led to clashes, with over 150 killed and dozens injured. Arab tribal fighters initially drove out the Kurdish-led forces from several large towns but the SDF has begun to regain the upper hand. Arab tribal leaders say they have been deprived of their oil wealth after the Kurdish-led forces laid their hands on Syria's biggest oil wells after the departure of Islamic State. Washington has pushed for a bigger say for Arab inhabitants in running their affairs in SDF areas, Western diplomats say.
Persons: Omar, Aboud, Syria Ethan Goldrich, Joel B Vowell, Deir al Zor, Sheikh Mahmoud al Jarallah, Suleiman Al, Khalidi, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: REUTERS, SDF, Senior U.S, Kurdish YPG, Syrian Democratic Forces, Islamic, U.S, State Department, Thomson Locations: American, al, Deir Al Zor, Syria, Iran, AMMAN, Zor, U.S, Islamic State, Arab, Busayrah, Shuhail, Kurdish, Russia, Damascus, Deir al, Washington
A video compilation featuring clips of the 2020 explosion at Lebanon’s Beirut port has been falsely linked online to the Russian missile strikes on the port of Odesa in Ukraine in 2023. The clip at 1:03-1:09 can be seen in a Beirut explosion video hosted by licensing platform Newsflare (here). Reuters was not able to source the clip showing a yellow car (1:33-1:43), but the visuals of the explosion align with the other clips of the Beirut explosion. The white structure visible in the final video at 1:44 video matches the silos at the Beirut port (bit.ly/47n9tZ8). A video compilation shows the Beirut port blast in 2020, not Russian missile attacks on the port in Odesa, Ukraine.
Persons: Getty, Read Organizations: Russian, Reuters, Russian Missiles, British Cargo Ships, Facebook, Al, Google, Guardian, ABC News Locations: Beirut, Odesa, Ukraine, Moscow, The Port, Odessa, Russian, Al Arabiya,
Fighting flares in South Darfur amid fears of new civil war
  + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +3 min
Chadian cart owners transport belongings of Sudanese people who fled the conflict in Sudan's Darfur region, while crossing the border between Sudan and Chad in Adre, Chad August 4, 2023. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra/File PhotoAug 13 (Reuters) - Violence flared in the western Sudanese city of Nyala and elsewhere in the state of South Darfur on Sunday, witnesses said, threatening to engulf the region in Sudan's protracted war. The latest flare-up has lasted three days, with both the army and RSF firing artillery into residential neighbourhoods, witnesses told Reuters. At least eight people were killed on Saturday alone, according to the Darfur Bar Association, a national human rights monitor. The fighting killed 24 people, it said.
Persons: Chad August, Zohra, Meta, Volker Perthes, Khalid Abdelaziz, Nick Macfie Organizations: REUTERS, Rapid Support Forces, Reuters, Darfur Bar Association, International, Court, Thomson Locations: Darfur, Sudan, Chad, Adre, Sudanese, Nyala, South Darfur, Khartoum, West Darfur, Egypt, South Sudan, Dubai, Nafisa, Cairo
Khartoum’s morgues have reached “breaking point,” international aid group Save The Children said Tuesday. Bodies in the morgues are also decomposing as prolonged power outages have left them without refrigeration, the group said. Most of the hospitals in the capital and other states are out of service, Save the Children added. Residents of Omdurman, north of Khartoum, told CNN that fighting had intensified on Tuesday, saying they heard heavy artillery and bombardment overnight. The fighting has left Khartoum in ruins.
Persons: morgues, Abdallah Attiya, , Bashir Kamal Eldin Hamid, Abdel Fattah al, Burhan, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, Omar al, Bashir, RSF, Organizations: CNN, Sudanese Armed Forces, SAF, Rapid Support Forces, Humanitarian Affairs, Federal Ministry of Health, UNICEF, UN, Sudanese Doctors Syndicate, Al, Health, Nutrition, Sudanese, International Organization for Migration, Integrated Food Locations: Sudan, Khartoum, Al Arabiya, morgues, Omdurman, , United States, Saudi Arabia, Jeddah
ChatGPT, a publicly available language-learning AI, was not designed to create things like crochet or knitting patterns. Before we begin …A few notes on my methodology:For every crochet pattern I generated, I used the prompt “Create a crochet pattern for (blank).”I followed the crochet pattern exactly. At first glance, ChatGPT’s crochet patterns look and read exactly like a crochet pattern. In a traditional crochet pattern, instructions for assembly would note specific places and methods to attach pieces, along with photos or notes on particularly tricky steps. Theoretically, it would be possible to create AI that generated amazing crochet patterns, but that would require very specific training and programming.
Persons: , AJ Willingham, ChatGPT, ’ AJ Willingham, You’ll, Yoda ’ AJ Willingham, Yoda, Casey Miller, ” Miller, It’s, Antarctica ’ AJ Willingham, , Al Arab ’ AJ Willingham, CNN I’ll, Khalifa, you’ve, Eliot, don’t Organizations: CNN, Antarctica, Burj Al, Burj Locations: Kennesaw , Georgia, Antarctica, Al Arab, Al, Arab, Dubai, Burj, Arab’s
Although only two people were expected to take part, the organisers said they would tear up and burn the Koran. Sweden sought NATO membership in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year. But alliance member Ankara has held up the process, accusing Sweden of harbouring people it considers terrorists and demanding their extradition. While Swedish police have rejected several recent applications for anti-Koran demonstrations, courts have overruled those decisions, saying they infringed on freedom of speech. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said at a press conference on Wednesday he would not speculate about how the approved Koran burning could affect Sweden's NATO process.
Persons: Ulf Kristersson, Kristersson, Momika, Rasmus Paludan, Paludan, Louise Breusch Rasmussen, Marie Mannes, Johan Ahlander, Terje Solsvik, Peter Graff, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Police, NATO, Islam, Atlantic Treaty Organization, Swedish, Thomson Locations: STOCKHOLM, Stockholm, Turkey, Sweden, Ukraine, Ankara, Danish, Turkish, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait, Copenhagen
Sudan's RSF commander announces a unilateral truce over Eid
  + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: 1 min
CAIRO, June 26 (Reuters) - Sudan's RSF paramilitary commander announced on Monday a unilateral truce during Muslims' Eid al Adha. General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as Hemedti, said in an audio recording aired on Al Arabiya TV the truce will be effective on Tuesday and Wednesday. Reporting by Omar Abdel-Razek and Hatem Maher Editing by Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons: Eid, Adha, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, Omar Abdel, Razek, Hatem Maher, Chris Reese Organizations: Al, Thomson Locations: CAIRO, Al Arabiya
He announced the output cut after the meeting, calling it a "Saudi lollipop". Saudi Arabia said it would cut output in July by 10% or 1 million barrels per day (bpd) to 9 million bpd and may extend cuts further if needed. As well as the Saudi cut, OPEC+ lowered its collective production target for 2024 and the nine participating countries extended the April voluntary cuts to the end of 2024. Nonetheless, all those producers stand to benefit if they can keep output the same or pump a bit more, especially if the Saudi cut boosts prices. "Saudi cuts are playing second fiddle to worries about the state of the global economy," said Stephen Brennock of oil broker PVM, although he added the Saudi cut could widen a supply deficit in July.
Persons: Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, Prince Abdulaziz, Abu, Al Arabiya, Brent, Stephen Brennock, Rowena Edwards, Maha El, Simon Webb, David Evans Organizations: Saudi, Saudi Energy, Organization of, Petroleum, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Energy Ministry, OPEC's, Thomson Locations: Riyadh, Saudi, Saudi Arabia, Vienna, OPEC, Russia, Abu Dhabi, OPEC's Vienna, UAE, Nigeria, Angola, Friday's
The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), in the eighth week of a power struggle with the army, attacked the Yarmouk complex on Tuesday, witnesses said. Due to the proximity of fuel and gas depots, "any explosion could destroy residents and the whole area", he said. Residents in Omdurman and Bahri reported towering flames were visible after nightfall at Yarmouk as clashes continued there. The RSF quickly seized swathes of the capital after war erupted in Khartoum on April 15. The army and RSF, which together staged a coup in 2021, fell out over the chain of command and military restructuring plans under the transition.
Persons: RSF, Nader Youssef, Omar al, Bashir, Bahri, Khalid Abdelaziz, Nafisa, Aidan Lewis, Mark Heinrich, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Rapid Support Forces, Reuters, Residents, Army, UNICEF, International Organization for Migration, United, Saudi TV, Al, United Arab Emirates, European Union, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Khartoum, Darfur KHARTOUM, Yarmouk, Bahri, Omdurman, Darfur, Khartoum's Mygoma, Sudan, El Geneina, West Darfur, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, United States, Al Arabiya
Saudi-owned Al Arabiya said the two sides had agreed to indirect talks without providing details. RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo said on Sunday he had spoken with Farhan and expressed his support for the Jeddah platform. Artillery and air strikes continued overnight, with residents in southern and eastern Khartoum and northern Bahri reporting sounds of artillery and gun clashes on Tuesday morning. Looters, some of whom Khartoum residents and neighbourhood committees said belong to the RSF, have pillaged neighbourhoods, stealing cars, breaking open safes, and occupying homes. Aid groups have struggled to provide extensive assistance to Khartoum residents, who face electricity and water shortages as well as dwindling supplies in shops and pharmacies.
Persons: Al Arabiya, RSF, General Abdel Fattah al, Burhan, Faisal bin Farhan, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, Farhan, Jawahir Mohamed, El Obeid, Dafallah al, Haj, Khalid Abdelaziz, Nafisa Eltahir, Adam Makary, Christina Fincher, Grant McCool Organizations: Rapid Support Forces, Sovereign, Artillery, army's Engineers Corps, Engineers ' Corps, Emergency Lawyers, Nafisa, Thomson Locations: KHARTOUM, United States, Saudi Arabia, Al Arabiya, Khartoum, Saudi, Jeddah, Bahri, OMDURMAN, Omdurman, Darfur, Egypt, Sudan, Dubai, Cairo
Investors in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates are pouring money into Western media and entertainment. Sovereign funds and other entities in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE are pouring millions into US media and entertainment, and they're finding plenty of takers. The channels for money from Saudi Arabia and other parts of the Middle East are complex. Insider broke down the key entities — their owners, leaders, and high-profile investments and joint ventures — in the top three Middle Eastern nations pouring money into US entertainment and media. It describes itself as the largest media company in the Middle East and North Africa and runs one of the largest TV news channels, Al Arabiya.
Persons: Jamal Khashoggi's, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, , WME, Jimmy Finkelstein's, Abu Dhabi's, It's, Yasir Al, Rumayyan, Waleed bin Ibrahim Al Ibrahim, Sam Barnett, Peter Smith —, Christina Wayne, SRMG, Mohammed bin Salman, Alrashid, Johnny Depp, Jeanne du Barry, Sharon Stone, Bruno Mars, Luca Guadanigno, Vince McMahon's, Turki Al, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Dayel, Mansoor bin Ebrahim Al, Mahmoud, Peter Chernin, Nasser Al, Germain, BeIN, Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad, Khalifa Al, Vincent, Asghar Farhadi's Oscar, Nart Bouran, JAF, Jeff Zucker, Graydon Carter's, it's, Semafor, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Mansour, Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber Organizations: United, Sovereign, Saudi, Washington Post, Saudi Crown, Endeavor, UFC, IMI, Abu Dhabi Media Investment Corporation, Public Investment Fund, Saudi Aramco, Newcastle United, English football, PGA, MBC, Shahid, Netflix, Vice Media, Variety, MBC Group's, Antenna Group, Cineflex Studios, NBCUniversal International, Amazon, AMC, Saudi Research, Media, Publicly, Red Sea, Cannes, Penske Media Corporation, Bloomberg Media, Vince McMahon's WWE, country's General Entertainment Authority, Development, Cultural Development Fund, George Washington University, American University . Qatar Qatar Investment, Qatar Investment Authority, Providence, BeIN Media, Paris Saint, Miramax, Paramount, Doha Film, Doha Film Institute, H.E, Hollywood Reporter, United Arab Emirates Abu, Investment Authority, UAE, Abu, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Hollywood, Dubai Studio, Dubai Media City, National Geographic, BBC News, International Media Investments International Media Investments, National, CNN, Sky News Arabia, Reuters, JAF Communications, Grid, RedBird Capital Partners, Punchbowl News, New York Times, Manchester City, The, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company Locations: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, UAE, Saudi, East, North Africa, Al Arabiya, Netherlands, Greece, Dubai, Jeddah, SRMG, Riyadh, Doha, Europe, Americas, ViacomCBS, Qatari, Thani, Abu Dhabi
Syria's Assad arrives to Saudi Arabia for Arab league summit
  + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: 1 min
DAMASCUS, May 18 (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad arrived to the Saudi city of Jeddah on Thursday to attend the Arab League summit the following day, Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV and Syrian State TV reported. Saudi Arabia invited Assad to attend the summit after Arab states agreed to reinstate Syria's full membership of the league, following 12 years of suspension over his crackdown on protests against him. Reporting by Kinda Makieh and Maya Gebeily; Editing by Alison WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Khartoum region under bombardment as Sudan's rivals talk
  + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +3 min
KHARTOUM, May 14 (Reuters) - Shelling and air strikes pounded parts of Sudan's capital on Sunday with little sign that warring military factions were ready to back down in a conflict that has killed hundreds despite ceasefire talks in Saudi Arabia. Shelling struck Bahri and air strikes hit Omdurman early on Sunday, according to a Reuters reporter and witnesses. "There were heavy air strikes near us in Saliha that shook the doors of the house," said Salma Yassin, a teacher in Omdurman. The fighting has killed hundreds of people, sent 200,000 into neighbouring countries as refugees, displaced another 700,000 inside Sudan triggering a humanitarian catastrophe and threatens to draw in outside powers and destabilise the region. The house became unsafe and we don't have enough money to travel out of Khartoum.
Syrians split over government readmission into Arab League
  + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +2 min
Readmitting Syria into the Arab League was a "shock" for Syrians and would "kill the political process", said Bader Jamous, the head of the opposition's negotiating team in stalled United Nations peace talks. The opposition was for years backed by countries now supporting normalisation, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Writing on Twitter, Jamous said Assad's opponents had "not been consulted" about the Arab League decisions. Some Syrian political activists with ties to the government - including former deputy prime minister Qadri Jamil - cautiously encouraged the move in an online statement. And a Facebook page publishing news from the campuses of various Syrian universities posted a stock photograph of Syria's seat at the Arab League with the caption: "After 12 years, the Arab League comes back to life."
Iran executes two people convicted of blasphemy
  + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Mostafa Salem | ) edition.cnn.com   time to read: +2 min
CNN —Iran hanged two people on Monday who had been sentenced to death for blasphemy, according to the judiciary news agency Mizan. Authorities convicted both after they were found to be members of a Telegram channel titled “Critique of Superstition and Religion,” according to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom. One member allegedly said that they set religious books on fire, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom claimed. The executions come days after the execution of a dual Swedish-Iranian national, Habib Chaab, who was convicted for leading a national Arab separatist group accused of attacks in Iran. The report found there was a “surge” of executions in Iran following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody in September.
CAIRO, May 7 (Reuters) - The Arab League is expected to readmit Syria at a meeting of foreign ministers on Sunday, a spokesperson for the League said, consolidating a regional push to normalise ties with President Bashar al-Assad. The decision was expected to be adopted at a closed meeting of Arab foreign ministers at the Arab League's headquarters in Cairo, said Gamal Roshdy, spokesman for the Arab League's secretary general. Syria's membership of the Arab League was suspended in 2011 after a bloody crackdown on street protests against Assad that led to a devastating civil war, and many Arab states pulled their envoys out of Damascus. Recently, several Arab states including Saudi Arabia and Egypt, have re-engaged with Syria in high-level visits and meetings, though some, including Qatar, remain opposed to full normalisation without a political solution to Syria's conflict. Arab states have been trying to reach consensus on whether to invite Assad to an Arab League summit on May 19 in Riyadh to discuss the pace of normalising ties and on what terms Syria could be allowed back.
CNN —Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi believes there are enough votes among Arab League members for Syria to return to the organization, adding that it is “only the beginning” of bringing a political end to the Syrian crisis. If Syria’s membership is approved, the Syrian delegation at the high-level Arab League summit on May 19 is “very likely” to be presided by President Bashar Al Assad, the official told CNN. Safadi said that “everybody” in the Arab League is on board to end the Syrian crisis, but there are differences on what the best approach is. The foreign ministers of Syria, Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Jordan met in the Jordanian capital Amman on Monday to discuss how to normalize ties with Syria. According to a statement issued after the meeting, Syria has agreed to help end drug trafficking across its borders with Iraq and Jordan.
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