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London CNN —The UK government’s plan to deport some asylum-seekers to Rwanda is unlawful, the Court of Appeal ruled on Thursday, in a major blow to ministers’ controversial immigration policies that have been roundly condemned by humanitarian bodies. In a three-judge decision, the court overturned a high court decision that previously ruled that Rwanda could be considered a safe third country in which to send refugees. “By a majority, this court allows the appeal on the issue of whether Rwanda is a safe third country. The British Home Office can now appeal to the Supreme Court. The judgment summary said sending asylum-seekers to Rwanda would breach the European Convention on Human Rights.

Persons: Suella Braverman, ” Organizations: London CNN, British, Office, Supreme, Conservative, Human Rights, Refugees Locations: Rwanda, England, France, Britain, Europe

☆ Nicola Bulley: British mother died from accidental drowning, coroner rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Sana Noor Haq | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

A senior coroner for Lancashire, James Adeley, said Bulley suffered “cold water shock,” and ruled out suicide as a cause of death. Weeks later, her body was recovered from the River Wyre. Investigators at the time fiercely condemned members of the public for posting unfounded claims on social media, which police said interrupted the investigation. “Sadly, we feel the need to again raise and address the issue of social media. It’s upsetting that we’ve continued to receive negative targeted messages and still wildly inaccurate speculation being shared on numerous platforms.”

Persons: Nicola Bulley –, –, James Adeley, Bulley, Weeks, Bulley’s, “, Nikki, Terry Wilcox, we’ve Organizations: CNN, UK’s, Media, Lancashire Police, Police, PA Media Locations: British, Lancashire, St, Michael’s, Wyre

CNN —A candidate from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party won a local leadership post for the first time on Sunday in a resounding victory for a group whose anti-migrant, Euroskeptic and anti-Muslim agenda is under surveillance by German authorities. The AfD’s Robert Sesselmann triumphed over incumbent Jürgen Köpper of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party to become district administrator of Sonneberg, in Thuringia, central Germany, at the weekend. “Unfortunately, it has not been a personal election as state elections have always been, it has become a pure party election,” he said. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party’s chairwoman Saskia Esken called the AfD victory in Sonneberg a “political dam-break” on Monday. Even though the move doesn’t apply to parent party AfD, it revealed a growing segment of young Germans united by extreme views on migration and anti-feminism.

Persons: Robert Sesselmann, Jürgen Köpper, Sesselmann, Köpper, ”, Olaf Scholz’s, Saskia Esken, Ricarda Lang, ” Lang, Mario Czaja, Steffen Hebestreit, ” Hebestreit, ‘, BfV, Martin Schutt, Hans Vorländer, ” Vorländer, Alice Weidel Organizations: CNN, Christian Democratic Union, CDU, Office, Statistics, Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic, Green Party, Getty Locations: Germany, Thuringia, Thuringian, Sonneberg, Ukraine, Dresden, Berlin “, Saxony

☆ Sudan conflict: The US embassy destroyed passports when it fled the violence. Some Sudanese are now 'stranded in this war zone'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Sana Noor Haq | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Courtesy Ibrahim Khalid Ibrahim MohamedMany Sudanese have fled the fighting to neighboring countries like Egypt, Chad, Ethiopia and South Sudan. The embassy advised Sudanese visa applicants without passports to apply for a new passport with the Sudanese embassy in Cairo, despite Egyptian authorities issuing a raft of entry requirements for refugees from the country. Mohamed was among several Sudanese visa applicants who told CNN they witnessed violence while attempting to flee the country. “They had to leave because it’s a life or death matter if they stayed (in Khartoum).”Alhaj Sharafeldin, a 25-year-old university graduate, told CNN he is "stranded in this war zone." “I’m here stranded in this war zone,” he told CNN.

Persons: CNN — Ibrahim Mohamed, “, ”, Haitham Ibrahim, Ibrahim Mohamed, Ibrahim Khalid Ibrahim Mohamed, Mohamed, Fayez Nureldine, Arwa Idris, Idris, Alhaj, “ It’s, ” Sabah Ahmed, Zeyazen, Kareem, Renad, Sabah Ahmed, Madani, Ahmed, Ahmed’s, Abdelazim Alhajaa, ” Alhajaa, ” Ahmed Organizations: CNN, Rapid Support Forces, Saudi, Hadath, Television, International Organization for Migration, American, Ministry, US State Department, Getty, UN, Sudanese Locations: Khartoum, Nuzha, Egypt, Chad, Ethiopia, South Sudan, United States, Kabul, Cairo, Sudan, Saudi, Port Sudan, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, AFP, New York, “, Wadi Halfa, Iowa, Bahri, Omdurman, Columbus , Ohio

They undermine law and order in Judea and Samaria [West Bank] and must stop immediately,” he said at a cabinet meeting on Sunday. These calls hurt the vital interests of the State of Israel and they must stop immediately.”Israeli authorities describe the West Bank as Judea and Samaria. I emphasize – approved.”The recent uptick in violence peaked on Wednesday, when Israeli settlers attacked the Palestinian village of Turmusayya in the occupied West Bank, the day after the killing of four Jewish settlers nearby, according to the mayor of the village. ‘Nationalist terrorism’Senior Israeli security officials condemned what they called “nationalist terrorism” by some settlers, after the latest attacks took place on Saturday around the Palestinian village of Umm Safr, north of Ramallah. Sven Kuhn von Burgsdorff, the head of the European Union's mission to the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, stands inside a destroyed structure in Ramallah on Friday.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, “, ”, ’, Herzi Halevi, Yaakov Shabtai, Umm, Sven Kuhn von Burgsdorff, Ahmad Gharabli, ” Ghassan Douglas, Mohammad Radee Organizations: Jerusalem CNN, Israeli, West Bank, West, UN, Palestinian, Nationalist, Israeli General Staff, Israel Security Agency, ISA, Israel’s Police, Israel Police, Getty, Palestine TV, CNN, Palestine, Palestinian Foreign Ministry Locations: Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, West, Israel, West Bank, Turmusayya, Jenin, Umm Safr, Ramallah, “, Gaza, AFP

One year after the US Supreme Court struck down Roe v Wade and reignited a worldwide protest movement against restricting abortion access, pro-choice advocates in the UK say little progress has been made to increase access to reproductive health services. Proudman said the decision of the US Supreme Court last year to overturn the landmark Roe v Wade ruling had made her reflect on the state of abortion laws in the UK. So, we’re effectively asking that politicians do the same,” O’Brien told CNN. The recent criminal conviction in Stoke-On-Trent has only highlighted how “restrictive” and “draconian” UK abortion laws are, O’Brien said. ‘Ready to take action’Charities such as BPAS which provide abortion care to women on behalf of the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) maintain that the current abortion laws are making life “more difficult” for providers, clinicians and women themselves.

Persons: Roe, Wade, “, ” Nadia Hirsi, Jennifer Dean, ’, Jenny Wickham, ”, Charlotte Proudman, didn’t, Nadia Hirsi, Ella Valentine, Sana Noor Haq, CNN Jennifer Dean, CNN Proudman, Stella Creasy, Proudman, Katherine O’Brien, we’re, ” O’Brien, O’Brien, Annabel Sowemimo, ” Sowemimo, White Organizations: London CNN, US Supreme, CNN, Trent Crown, Public Prosecutions, Wales, US, Charity, British Pregnancy Advisory, Proudman, Trent, US Centers for Disease Control, National Health Service Locations: UK’s, London, England, Wales, British, Stoke, Trent, USA, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Canada, Poland, Texas, Netherlands

Kalamata, Greece CNN —A boat that sank killing dozens of people was caused by a “sudden” shift in weight, Greek authorities said Thursday, in one of the largest-scale migrant vessel disasters in southern Europe this year. “A sudden shift in weight is likely to be the cause of what led the boat to capsize and then sink,” Hellenic Coast Guard spokesman Nikos Alexiou told CNN on Thursday. A migrant vessel pictured by the Greek coast guard on June 13 sank in the Mediterranean on Wednesday. From their accounts there seem to have been women and children on board,” he told CNN while helping survivors on the ground. “These people had not eaten for many days, had not drunk water for many days, were burnt by the sun,” the Greek Rescue Team member told CNN affiliate CNN Greece.

Persons: Greece CNN —, Nikos Alexiou, Thanasis Vasilopoulos, ”, “, –, ” Flavio Di Giacomo, Dimitris Chaliotis, Maria Triantou, Triantou, Frido Herinckx, ” Herinckx, Francesco Rocca, ” Rocca Organizations: Greece CNN, Hellenic Coast Guard, CNN, Rescuers, International Organization for Migration, UNHCR, ERT, NGO, Hellenic, Cross, International Federation of Red, Red Crescent Societies, Greek Rescue, CNN Greece, ” CNN Locations: Kalamata, Greece, Europe, “, East, Asia, Africa, Tobruk, Libya, Italy, ‘ State, Hypocrates, Athens

CNN —Three people were found dead in the central English city of Nottingham on Tuesday, in what police described as a major incident. Police were first alerted to an incident on Ilkeston Road near the city center early Tuesday local time, where two people were found dead. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”Authorities reacted to the “horrific and tragic” incident on Tuesday. “This is an horrific and tragic incident which has claimed the lives of three people,” said Chief Constable Kate Meynell. Our gratitude is with our blue light responders for their work today also.”

Persons: Jacob King, Darren Staples, Lynn Haggitt, ” Haggitt, “, “ I’ve, ”, Constable Kate Meynell, Rishi Sunak, Robert Jenrick, “ I’m, Alex Norris Organizations: CNN, Nottinghamshire Police, Police, AP, Getty, BBC, ” Authorities, British, UK Locations: English, Nottingham, Ilkeston, Milton, AFP, Nottinghamshire

☆ Woman who took abortion pill after UK term limit sentenced to 28 months
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Sana Noor Haq | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A British woman who used medication to induce an abortion after the United Kingdom’s legally allowed limit has been sentenced to prison for 28 months, the PA Media news agency reported. The woman was between 32 and 34 weeks pregnant at the time, a post-mortem examination revealed. Abortion laws in the UK stipulate that a person may be able to have a medical abortion at home if they are less than 10 weeks pregnant, according to the National Health Service. The case triggered calls for an “urgent reform” of abortion laws in the UK. A woman who had an abortion without following correct procedures just got 28 months under an 1868 act,” UK lawmaker Stella Creasy tweeted.

Persons: CNN —, BPAS, ”, Robert Price, “, Pepperall, Stella Creasy, Rishi Sunak, I’m Organizations: CNN, United, PA Media, Trent Crown, Pregnancy Advisory, National Health Service, British Locations: Stoke, Trent, England, Netherlands, Scotland, wales, Great Britain

CNN —A 24-year-old man has been hailed as a hero for chasing a man suspected of launching a knife rampage in Annecy, which left six people injured including four toddlers. Two young children are still in intensive care following Thursday’s knife attack in southeast France, when screams rippled through a playground in the small alpine town during the brutal assault. A 31-year-old Syrian asylum-seeker was detained shortly after in suspicion of carrying out the attack, French media and CNN affiliate BFMTV reported Thursday. People lay flowers near the scene at a lakeside park in Annecy, France, on Friday, after a knife attack left four children and two adults wounded. He is on a nine-month journey across the country to visit the most beautiful cathedrals of France, he told BFMTV.

Persons: BFMTV, Henri, ” “, Frenchman, “, ”, ” Henri, Peter Byrne, Emmanuel Macron, Brigitte Macron, Benoit Lagneux, Olivier Veran, François Astorg, Brigitte, Veran, Macron Organizations: CNN, Getty, Reuters, France, Annecy Locations: Annecy, France, Grenoble, AFP, Geneva, hitchhike

☆ Kyiv warns against loose talk as Russia claims to repel a Ukrainian ‘large-scale’ offensive attack in Donetsk
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Nathan Hodge Sebastian Shukla Olga Voitovych Sana Noor Haq | Nathan Hodge | Sebastian Shukla | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Monday’s announcement from the Russian side was no exception: The Russian military claimed in a statement to have killed 250 Ukrainians and destroyed armored vehicles used in the assault, but provided scant evidence. A spokesperson for the Ukraine Armed Forces, Bohdan Senyk, told CNN that Ukraine does “not have information” on a purported “large-scale offensive” in Donetsk. Gerasimov, who is chief of Russia’s General Staff, was put in overall command of Russian military operations in Ukraine early this year. Ukrainian troops are pictured near the town of Avdiivka in Donetsk on May 31, 2023. He claimed that Ukrainian troops have increased the intensity of their shelling, and fired Storm Shadow missiles.

Persons: Bohdan Senyk, “, ”, Valery Gerasimov “, Gerasimov, Wagner, Viacheslav Ratynskyi, Zelensky, Sean Gallup, Zaporizhzhia, Vladimir Rogov, ” Rogov, Muhammed Enes, Hanna Maliar, Volodymyr Zelensky, ” Zelensky, Jake Sullivan –, Joe Biden’s, –, Washington, ” Sullivan, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria Organizations: CNN, Russian Defense Ministry, Russian, Ukraine Armed Forces, Russia’s, Staff, Reuters, Getty, Novosti, Storm, Anadolu Agency, Wall Street, Kyiv Locations: Ukrainian, Donetsk, Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, Avdiivka, Russian, Azov, “

☆ Assad banks on new 'global order' to help revive his status
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Cnn Staff | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

During his address, Assad presented himself as an elder statesman, lecturing his neighbors about the need to take advantage of changes in global politics. “Today we are faced with an opportunity of change in the global order, which has become multipolar due to the hegemony of the West, which is devoid of principles, morals, friends or partners,” Assad told the summit, held in the Saudi port city of Jeddah. But observers have differed as to whether real economic cooperation with Syria is possible without access to the Western financial system, which has been blocked by Western sanctions on the country. “They can also try working with or through Russia, and possibly with and through Iran – although that carries its own obvious risks,” he said, referring to Arab states that want to do business in Syia. There are plenty of ways of doing this.”Assad’s ultimate goal however, said Landis, is to get sanctions lifted with the help of Arab states.

CNN —Deadly floods that have engulfed the northern Italian region of Emilia Romagna, killing at least 14 people, are another sign of the accelerating climate crisis, according to researchers. The floods come after years of severe drought in the region, which has compacted the soil, reducing its ability to abemsorb rainfall. Researchers say the devastation is linked to the climate crisis. The town of Lugo, pictured on Thursday, was left under water following floods that left at least 14 people dead. The climate crisis “is affecting territories with increasingly intense extreme events, with risks to people’s lives, and impacts on the environment and the economy.

CNN —The United Arab Emirates has invited Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to attend the United Nations’ COP28 Climate Summit, which will take place from November 30 in Dubai. The UAE embassy in Damascus said in a post on Twitter on Sunday that Assad had received an invitation to attend COP28 from Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, president of the UAE and ruler of Abu Dhabi. If Assad attends, it would be his first global summit since the start of the country’s brutal civil war in 2011, and could cause diplomatic tensions for countries which continue to impose sanctions on his regime. A COP28 spokesperson told Reuters in a statement this week: “COP28 is committed to an inclusive COP process that produces transformational solutions. This can only happen if we have everyone in the room.”In March, Assad visited the UAE on an official invitation for the first time since the Syrian civil war began.

☆ Yevgeny Prigozhin: Wagner boss denies Washington Post report that he offered intelligence to Kyiv in exchange for territory
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Kostan Nechyporenko Victoria Butenko Anna Chernova Sana Noor Haq | Kostan Nechyporenko | Victoria Butenko | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Ukrainian soldiers, pictured in Bakhmut on Friday, fire a cannon near the eastern city, where a fierce battle for control against Russian forces rages. Prigozhin made the offer to Ukraine’s military intelligence directorate, known as HUR, in January, the Post alleged. It quoted one leaked document as stating that Prigozhin met HUR officers in an unspecified country in Africa. “Therefore, I simply could not meet with anyone there physically.”In his message, Prigozhin asked rhetorically, “Who is behind this? Kyiv also said it was operating “effective counterattacks” in the Bakhmut area, matching remarks by Prigozhin that Kyiv had recaptured some territory.

Istanbul, Turkey CNN —Turkey will have a runoff election on May 28 after longtime leader President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was forced into a second round with only a narrow lead over his rival, Kemal Kilicdaroglu. Neither candidate achieved the required 50% to take the presidency outright, but Kilicdaroglu now faces a tough battle to win the second round after Erdogan performed better than some opinion polls had suggested. With the final count, the electorate will turn to a second round of voting that could extend Erdogan’s 20-year grip on power, or set the stage for a change in political direction. “If our nation says second round, we gladly accept it. We will absolutely win this election in the second round.

☆ Israel-Gaza violence: Islamic Jihad targets Jerusalem for the first time in current conflict as it fires barrage of rockets at Israel
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Elliott Gotkine Ibrahim Dahman Abeer Salman Richard Allen Greene Alex Stambaugh Sana Noor Haq | Elliott Gotkine | Ibrahim Dahman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The al Quds Brigades of Islamic Jihad said in a statement shortly after the rocket fire: “The launching towards Jerusalem is a message, and everyone should understand its purpose. Talks to bring about a ceasefire between Israel and Islamic Jihad in Gaza are “on ice right now,” a diplomatic source familiar with the negotiations told CNN Friday. One command center was used by senior Islamic Jihad operative Muhammad Abu Al Ata for “the planning and command of terrorist activity against Israel,” the IDF said. The Israel Defense Forces said that IDF fighter jets also struck four military posts belonging to Islamic Jihad. ‘Shield and Arrow’The IDF began unleashing waves of airstrikes on Tuesday on what it says are Islamic Jihad operatives and infrastructure along the strip.

☆ Turkey, Syria, Russia and Iran in highest-level talks since Syrian war
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ANKARA, May 10 (Reuters) - Foreign ministers for Turkey, Syria, Russia and Iran met on Wednesday in Moscow, marking the highest-level talks so far on rebuilding ties between Ankara and Damascus after years of animosity during Syria's civil war. NATO member Turkey has backed political and armed opposition to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during the 12-year civil war, and sent its own troops into the country's north. Cavusoglu said "taking the political process in Syria forward and protection of Syria's territorial integrity" were the other issues discussed. Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement there had been a "positive and constructive atmosphere" and that the countries' deputy foreign ministers would be tasked with preparing a roadmap to advance Syria-Turkey ties. Syrian and Turkish defence ministers had also held talks in Moscow in December.

CNN —Saudi Arabia and Syria have resumed the work of diplomatic missions in both countries, according to state media, more than a decade after Riyadh cut ties over the Syrian government’s brutal handling of its civil war. “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia decided to resume the work of its diplomatic mission in the Syrian Arab Republic,” the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported Tuesday. Damascus also announced the decision to resume work of its diplomatic mission in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, according to Syrian state media SANA, citing a statement from an official source at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “Based on the deep bonds and common affiliation of the peoples of the Syrian Arab Republic and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and in confirmation of both communities’ wills, and based on the Syrian Arab Republic believe in the importance of strengthening bilateral relations between Arab countries to serve joint Arab action, The Syrian Arab Republic decided to resume the work of its diplomatic mission in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” the statement reads. Officials and analysts have said that Syria’s re-admission into the Arab League, while symbolic, comes with the hope that it could pave the way for President Bashar Al Assad’s rehabilitation internationally, and potentially the removal of crippling sanctions against his regime.

Russian servicemen rehearse on Sunday for the Victory Day parade, when Moscow will aim to display its military prowess. Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP/Getty ImagesSeveral Russian regions have cut back on Victory Day celebrations, due to insufficient military weapons available for display. World leaders such as former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan attended the military parade in previous years. ‘Evil has returned’Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday suggested moving Ukraine's Victory Day parade a day earlier so it does not align with Moscow's celebrations. Like Russia, Ukraine traditionally commemorates victory over the Nazis on May 9, but that date has become increasingly associated with a parade in Moscow.

☆ Syria's Assad boosted by return to Arab fold
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Tom Perry | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

[1/3] Syria's President Bashar al-Assad addresses the new members of parliament in Damascus, Syria in this handout released by SANA on August 12, 2020. Now, as Arab states bring him back into the fold, the logic appears to have worked for him once again. In exchange for ending Syria's isolation, Arab states want action, notably towards ending trafficking of the highly-addictive and lucrative amphetamine captagon across Syria's borders towards the Gulf. The threat of a U.S. missile strike was averted when Moscow brokered a deal for Syria's chemical weapons to be destroyed by the following year. But while Assad remained a pariah to the West, Arab states which once backed his opponents began opening doors to him.

Just 21% say their views on the royal family have gotten more positive over the past decade, with another 41% saying their overall opinion has stayed the same. A CNN poll suggests attitudes towards the British royal family have worsened over the past decade, ahead of the coronation of King Charles III. Prince Harry (right) and Meghan (left) are among those members of the royal family rated most favorably by young people. Jamie Lorriman/AFP/Getty ImagesBut not all members of the royal family are viewed in the same light. The poll was conducted on March 24 through 26 among a random sample of 2,093 UK adults aged 18 and older.

CNN —Sudanese actress Asia Abdel-Majid was killed in crossfire during fighting in the capital Khartoum on Wednesday, amid clashes between two warring factions that have devastated Sudan and led to the deaths of hundreds of civilians. The 80-year-old was killed after shells hit her home in Bahri, north of the capital, in fighting between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese army, her nephew told CNN. It is unclear if it was the RSF or the army that fired the shot that killed Abdel-Majid. The kindergarten is next door to Abdel-Majid’s home, where she was alone when the shelling took place. ‘Torn apart’Smoke rises over Khartoum during clashes between the RSF and the Sudanese army on April 17, 2023.

CNN —Three civilians were injured and a gas station set on fire early Saturday near the Syrian city of Homs in an attack that Syria blamed on Israeli rockets, Syria’s state news agency SANA reported, citing a military official. At around 12:50 a.m. early on Saturday, Israel launched a “number of rockets” from the direction of Lebanon, “targeting several points around the city of Homs,” the military official told SANA. “Our air defense intercepted the rockets and downed some of them,” the official said. CNN has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces. The Israeli military has yet to issue a statement on the incident.

Most Western embassies in Sudan were evacuated a week into the fighting, leaving many Sudanese visa applicants without their travel documents and in legal limbo. Several Sudanese citizens told CNN they cannot flee the conflict-ridden country because their passports are held at evacuated Western embassies. These are passports of Sudanese passport holders who have applied for a short-stay Schengen visa or an MVV (provisional residence permit). But unfortunately the ICRC cannot issue emergency travel documents for people to leave their own country,” they told CNN in a statement. Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah/Reuters“I am now an obstacle for my family since they cannot travel and leave me,” she told CNN.

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