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☆ Egypt human rights record under fire as it hosts COP27 climate conference
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Hyder Abbasi | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

When world leaders, diplomats, campaigners and scientists from nearly 200 countries arrive for the United Nations climate change conference in Egypt Monday, their focus will be on curbing global warming. They have called for the world leaders attending the event, known as COP27, to confront the Egyptian government over its alleged human-rights abuses, particularly its treatment of political prisoners. In 2019, he was jailed for “joining a terrorist group” and “spreading false news” to undermine national security. It said that Fattah, 40, a British national, was being prosecuted because of his activism and social media posts highlighting human rights violations allegedly committed by the Egyptian government. Amnesty’s head, Agnes Callamard, warned Sunday that Egypt had no more than 72 hours to save the jailed dissident's life.

☆ Powerball jackpot rolls up to record $1.9 billion for Monday drawing
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Hyder Abbasi | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

The Powerball jackpot now stands at a record $1.9 billion when it rolled Saturday night, after no ticket matched all six drawn numbers — white balls 28, 45, 53, 56, 69 and red Powerball 20. The record jackpot has narrowly edged out the previous high, a $1.586 billion prize won by three ticketholders in 2016. Despite there being no jackpot-winning ticket, more than 10.9 million tickets won cash prizes totaling $102.2 million in the Saturday, Nov. 5 drawing. Monday’s drawing will be the 41st Powerball drawing since the jackpot was last won on Aug. 3 in Pennsylvania. The only other Powerball jackpot run to reach 41 consecutive drawings ended on Oct. 4, 2021, with a $699.8 million winner in California.

☆ At least 50 homes destroyed as tornadoes rip through Texas and Oklahoma
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Hyder Abbasi | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Tornadoes ripped through parts of Texas and Oklahoma, destroying and damaging dozens of homes and injuring at least 10 people Friday, officials said. Two people were in “critical but stable,” condition, a statement posted to the Facebook page of the Lamar County Sheriff’s Office in northern Texas said. The small town of Idabel saw a church, medical center and school torn apart, according to the Associated Press. The National Weather Service said tornadoes also were reported Arkansas and a storm system was heading toward Louisiana. There were 17 reports of tornadoes in northeastern Texas, southeastern Oklahoma, and Arkansas late Friday, according to the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center.

☆ Matt Hancock 'I'm a Celebrity' appearance sparks new U.K. anger at politicians
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Hyder Abbasi | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

After the news broke Tuesday that he would be participating in the show, Hancock was swiftly suspended from the ruling Conservative Party and subjected to a mix of public anger and ridicule. In West Suffolk, the area in East England that Hancock represents, the local Conservative Party association said it was “disappointed" by his bid for prime-time TV stardom. Hancock will not be the first lawmaker to appear on "I'm a Celebrity...Get me out of Here!" She was also suspended from the Conservative Party for appearing on the program but was later readmitted and served as a minister in Johnson's government. But Street also said he could see how Hancock appearing on the program could help him with voters.

☆ Zelenskyy accuses Russia of creating 'artificial famine' after Moscow suspends crucial grain deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( Hyder Abbasi | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of creating “conditions of artificial famine” and suggested it should be expelled from the G-20 group of nations on Saturday after Moscow withdrew from a crucial grain export deal. “How can Russia be among the G-20 if it is deliberately working for starvation on several continents?” Zelenskyy said during an address on Ukrainian television. President Joe Biden warned that global hunger could increase because of Russia’s decision to suspend the deal. The U.N. negotiated that deal and that should be the end of it.”Secretary of State Antony Blinken also accused Russia of weaponizing food. The grain deal had restarted shipments from Ukraine, allowing sales on world markets, targeting the prewar level of 5 million metric tons exported from Ukraine each month.

President Joe Biden was among several world leaders to send his condolences to South Korea after at least 153 people were killed and 82 injured during Halloween festivities in a popular nightlife district, in the capital Seoul. Xi added that he hoped South Korea “will make every effort to cure and deal with the aftermath,” Xinhua reported. “I am devastated by news of the terrible incident in connection with Halloween celebrations in Seoul,” Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt said in a statement. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz wrote on Twitter that he was deeply shocked by the “tragic events in #Seoul” and added that “This is a sad day for South Korea. "My heart goes out to those who lost their loved ones and I wish a speedy recovery to the injured.

PESHAWAR, Pakistan — The oldest prisoner at the Guantanamo Bay detention center was released and “reunited with his family” in Pakistan, the country's foreign ministry said in a statement Saturday. “We are glad that a Pakistani citizen detained abroad is finally reunited with his family,” the statement said. The Pentagon said in a statement Saturday that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had “notified Congress of his intent to repatriate Saifullah Paracha to Pakistan” last month. Following Paracha’s release, 35 detainees remain in Guantanamo Bay and 18 have been cleared for release, according to Amnesty International. The most high-profile prisoner held at Guantanamo Bay prison is Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 attacks.

☆ Biden questions Putin claim Russia won't use nuclear weapons in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Hyder Abbasi | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

If Vladimir Putin really does have no intention of deploying nuclear weapons in Ukraine, President Joe Biden asked Thursday, then "why does he keep talking about it?" After weeks of threats from Moscow and fears of escalation in the conflict, the Russian leader had earlier played down the idea of the Kremlin taking such a drastic step. Biden told NewsNation in an interview late Thursday in Syracuse, N.Y."He’s been very dangerous with how he’s approached this, and he should just get out — he could end this all, get out of Ukraine,” Biden added. “We do not need a nuclear strike on Ukraine, there is no point — neither political nor military,” Putin said in the speech. He instead sought to blame the United States and its allies, insisting Russia had only ever been responding to Western nuclear "blackmail."

Almost six weeks after the death of Mahsa Amini, the unrest in Iran shows little sign of abating. Defying security forces, thousands marched to her grave in the northwestern city of Saqqez on Wednesday, as crowds clashed with security forces on the streets of the capital, Tehran, and several other major metropolitan areas. Wednesday was 40 days since Amini's death after she was detained by morality police last month. “Freedom, freedom! A crowd chants "Freedom, freedom!

Security forces clashed with crowds who had gathered at 22-year-old Amini's grave in her hometown of Saqqez, according to a semi-official Iranian news agency, which also said that the internet in the region was subsequently cut-off. Anti-government protests since Amini’s death last month have persisted across Iran despite an intense crackdown. Cemetery clashes“A limited number of those present at Mahsa Amini’s memorial clashed with police forces on the outskirts of Saqqez and were dispersed," according to the semi-official news agency ISNA. Internet in Saqqez was then "cut off due to security considerations,” the agency reported, adding about 10,000 people had gathered. The governor also said that Amini's family decided against holding a memorial service for her and described as "false" any reports of roads to Saqqez being closed.

☆ Boris Johnson battles to win support in shock U.K. PM comeback bid
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Hyder Abbasi | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

LONDON — Thousands tracked his flight back to the U.K. as he returned from a Caribbean vacation, and several lawmakers have tweeted “welcome back boss,” but on Sunday, Boris Johnson was fighting to get enough support to make a shock return as Britain’s prime minister. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during a Cabinet meeting alongside Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak in London in May. Former Conservative party leader William Hague said Friday that Johnson’s return would lead to a “death spiral” for the party. A selection of the front pages of British national newspapers showing the reaction to the resignation of Prime Minister Liz Truss in London on Friday. “A significant majority of the British people wanted him to resign as prime minister, and his approval ratings were historically low by the time he stopped being prime minister,” he said.

☆ Russian-installed authorities order evacuation of Kherson in face of Ukrainian counteroffensive
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( Hyder Abbasi | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Russian-installed authorities in the occupied city of Kherson on Saturday urged residents to leave immediately in the face of a looming counteroffensive by Ukraine’s armed forces that aimed to recapture the southern city. Ukrainian forces bombarded Russian positions and targeted supply routes across the province on Friday, inching closer to a full assault on the only provincial capital that has remained in Russian hands throughout the war. The Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant on the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast, Ukraine. Infrastructure in the southern city of Odesa had also been hit, he said. Iran sent trainers and technical support to enable Russian forces to use Iranian-made drones “with better lethality,” John Kirby, White House National Security Council spokesperson, told reporters.

☆ Plane crashes into New Hampshire home killing everyone on board
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( Hyder Abbasi | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

A small plane crashed into the side of a New Hampshire home killing everyone on board, officials in the city of Keene said late Friday. Unfortunately those on the plane have perished,” the city said in a Facebook post. The aircraft came down near the Keene Airport, the post said. Steve Tenney told the station that he did not have any information about the passengers and crew on board the aircraft, how many there were, or why the plane came down. The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that it would investigate the incident along with the National Transportation Safety Board.

☆ A feared Iranian militia is leading the crackdown on protesters. Who are the Basij?
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( Hyder Abbasi | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Dressed in black, the group of chanting schoolgirls in the Iranian city of Shiraz appeared determined to make themselves heard. Several videos posted to social media since her death have featured demonstrators shouting angry chants against the Basij. The Basij gave them access to higher education, subsidized consumer goods, free health care and job security, he added. Suppression methodsThere are three primary methods the Basij use to suppress anti-government protests, Golkar said. In 2009, rights groups including Amnesty International, said the group had used excessive force during peaceful anti-government protests triggered by a disputed presidential election.

Ancient rock carvings that are believed to be more than 2,700 years old have been unearthed by a team of archaeologists in Iraq's northern city of Mosul. The marble slabs were found during restoration work on the Mashki Gate, an ancient monument that was partially destroyed by Islamic State militants when they captured the city in 2016. The relief carvings show scenes of war from the rule of Assyrian kings, in the ancient city of Nineveh, the Iraqi State Board of Antiquities and Heritage said in a statement Wednesday. The gray stone carvings date to the rule of King Sennacherib, in power from 705 to 681 B.C., the statement added. The discovery was made last week by an Iraqi team, alongside American experts from the University of Pennsylvania who are helping to lead the reconstruction effort.

☆ Iranian climber Elnaz Rekabi returns to cheering crowds after competing without hijab
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Hyder Abbasi | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

An Iranian rock climber who drew global headlines and concerns after competing abroad without the Islamic Republic's compulsory headscarf arrived home early Wednesday to cheering crowds. The Islamic headscarf has become a focus of weeks of social unrest that have engulfed Iran and developed into the most serious challenge to the government in more than a decade. Rekabi did not wear the hijab during Sunday’s final at the International Federation of Sport Climbing’s Asia Championship, in which she finished fourth. Rekabi is not the first female Iranian involved in competitions abroad to face issues after appearing in attire that violates the dress code. The International Federation of Sport Climbing said in a statement Tuesday that it has been in contact with Rekabi and the Iranian Climbing Federation.

☆ U.S. to provide Ukraine with more weapons as Putin signals end to unpopular mobilization drive
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-15 | by ( Hyder Abbasi | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Missiles, rockets and anti-tank weapons will form part of a new security assistance package for Ukraine, the Defense Department said Friday, hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin signaled an end to his unpopular mobilization drive. “The United States has delivered unprecedented security assistance to Ukraine and will continue to work with allies and partners to ensure Ukraine has the support it needs,” the statement said. The U.S. has contributed approximately $17.6 billion in security assistance “since the beginning of Russia’s unprovoked and brutal invasion on February 24,” it added. The Pentagon's announcement came after Putin indicated that his controversial military mobilization drive was coming to an end. His said the strikes came after four Russian drones destroyed buildings and caused fires to break out in the region late Friday.

☆ Too late for a Saudi rethink? Critics say oil cut was a predictable blow for Biden
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-15 | by ( Hyder Abbasi | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

The cut is also seen as helping Russia, the world’s second-largest oil exporter, finance its war in Ukraine. “It failed both on blood and on oil,” Dr. Khalid Aljabri, a Saudi rights activist, told NBC News Thursday by telephone. Lina Alhathloul / TwitterAs a presidential candidate, Biden made no bones about his stance on the U.S.-Saudi relationship. Shortly after announcing his candidacy, he declared he was going to “cancel the blank check” the Trump administration had given Saudi Arabia during its war in Yemen, in which thousands of people have lost their lives. The U.S. has several options on how it can respond to Saudi Arabia, such as “freezing all arms sales and security cooperation, to withdrawing U.S. troops from Saudi Arabia,” Sheline said.

☆ Iranian news broadcast hacked after female students heckle president
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-09 | by ( Hyder Abbasi | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Unrest on the streets of the Iranian capital Tehran on Saturday. Throughout the 15-second hack, a caption read “Join us and stand up!” along with text criticizing Khamenei for their deaths. Several state-run Iranian media outlets noted Sunday that similar hacks had taken place in the past. Police initially said Amini, an Iranian Kurd, died after falling ill and slipping into a coma. Elsewhere, a visit by Iran's president, Ebrahim Raisi, to a women's university in Tehran seemingly backfired after the students there began to heckle him.

☆ Russia appoints new overall commander for its military in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-08 | by ( Hyder Abbasi | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Russia has appointed a single commander to lead all its forces in Ukraine, the country's Defense Ministry said Saturday. The army general, who is also head of Russia's air force, was placed in charge of Russian troops in southern Ukraine over the summer. Surovikin's appointment follows the reported sacking earlier this week of the commanders of two of Russia’s five military regions. Black smoke billows from a fire on the Kerch Strait Bridge that links Crimea to Russia on Saturday. It cited official information from Ukraine as well as reports from IAEA experts at the site, which is held by Russian forces.

What is the latest challenge for Iran's cleric-led government as it works to crush weeks of anti-government protests? “It’s an indication that this is a struggle for the future,” said Hadi Ghaemi, executive director of the Center for Human Rights in Iran. Last month the human rights group Amnesty International also said it had documented children among the people killed by the government in its crackdown. On Wednesday Human Rights Watch said that Iran's security forces have used excessive force against women protesting peacefully across the country. Human Rights Watch said assault rifles and shotguns have been employed against the demonstrators - even against people fleeing from the police and the military.

☆ Women and girls are leading Iran protests, but others are joining from across society
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-05 | by ( Hyder Abbasi | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

But the protests that have engulfed the nation for weeks are also attracting support from across society as they evolve into a sustained anti-government movement. While women and girls continue to be the driving force behind the protests, male students, soccer stars and striking workers have added to this show of opposition. “These are not pockets of protests,” said Anoush Ehteshami, a professor in international relations at Durham University in England. via AFP - Getty ImagesThere were student-led protests in the cities of Tehran, Tabriz and Shiraz, according to video on social media. Also Saturday, shops and businesses were closed in 20 cities in strike action in Kurdistan province, in northwestern Iran, according to the human rights organization Hengaw.

☆ Senior Russian lawmakers express concern over Putin's mobilization drive 'excesses'
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( Hyder Abbasi | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Amid increasing public anger about Russia's mobilization drive, two of the country's most senior lawmakers ordered regional officials to solve the “excesses” that have stoked protests and seen flocks of military-age men attempt to flee. “Appeals are coming in,” Volodin, speaker of the Duma, Russia’s lower chamber of Parliament, said in a post Sunday. Russian State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin in St. Petersburg in April. It said hundreds of people had been detained by police across Russia for protesting against the mobilization and the war. The territory controlled by Russian or Russian-backed forces in the four regions represents about 15% of Ukrainian territory.

A manhunt is underway for a gunman who shot three people at an amusement park in Pennsylvania on Saturday, police said. Three people including a juvenile male were hit after an altercation between two groups of teenage males near the Musik Express ride at the Kennywood amusement park in West Mifflin, a spokesman for Allegheny County Police told a news conference. Describing the suspect as a Black man wearing a black Covid-style mask, the spokesman said there was “an ongoing search” for the shooter. Bags were searched by the park with metal detectors at the entrance of the park in the southeast Pittsburgh, the spokesman said. Members of the park’s security, Allegheny County, and West Mifflin police departments were already on site and immediately responded.”

As thousands of Russians try to flee the country to escape the partial mobilization of civilians into the military, Ukraine’s president late Friday urged those who are conscripted to “sabotage any enemy activity.”Addressing Ukrainians in Russian-occupied regions, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video address that his countrymen should “hide” from mobilization and “avoid summons” of military commanders. His comments came three days after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilization of reservists. One woman, 23, said she booked seats on a flight to Kyrgyzstan with her husband, 24, an hour after Putin made his mobilization announcement. NBC News agreed not to name the couple because they fear repercussions by Russian authorities for speaking to foreign media. After crossing into Georgia, he told The Associated Press that he did "not very much like," what Russia was doing in Ukraine.

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