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☆ Russian artist receives seven-year sentence for anti-war protest
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Anna Chernova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Russian artist Alexandra Skochilenko, who had replaced price tags with anti-war messages in a St. Petersburg grocery store as an act of protest, was sentenced to seven years in jail by a court in the Russian city on Thursday. “Today, scientists and doctors around the world are fighting to increase human life expectancy and find cures for deadly diseases. Therefore, I don’t understand: what is (this) war for? War is death,” she added, according to a courtroom correspondent for the independent news outlet Mediazona. “Her persecution has become synonymous with the absurdly cruel oppression faced by Russians openly opposing their country’s criminal war.”

Persons: Alexandra Skochilenko, Skochilenko, Skochilenko “, “, ”, Marie Struthers, Struthers, ” Skochilenko “, ” Struthers Organizations: CNN, Armed Forces, Russian Federation, Novaya Gazeta, “, Amnesty, Central Asia Locations: Russian, St, Petersburg, St . Petersburg, Ukraine, Eastern Europe

Among the catalysts are Palestinian and Jewish-led groups that have been active for years in opposing Israeli policies toward the Palestinians and who now demand a cease-fire in Gaza. The groups have roots in a movement known as BDS, which calls for the boycott, divestment and sanction of Israel. That campaign generated heated rhetoric long before Hamas militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7 and Israel launched its counteroffensive. Advocates wrote op-eds for campus newspapers with appeals to protect Palestinian human rights, often accusing Israel of colonialism and racism. Protests have led to disruptions on Capitol Hill, at a major train station in Chicago and New York City’s Grand Central Station.

Persons: Brant Rosen, IFNOTNOW IfNotNow, “ Young, ”, IfNotNow, ” Eva Borgwardt, ” IfNotNow, Ron Liebowitz, Brandeis, Ron DeSantis’s, Israel, Tom Horne, Hollingsworth, Crary, Anita Snow Organizations: Israel, New York, Grand, Station, Democratic, Committee, Jewish Voice, Peace, Twitter, Columbia University, Rabbinical, Defamation League, JVP, Zionist, “, Palestinian, JUSTICE, PALESTINE, Justice, Brandeis University, American Jewish, Brandeis, Republican Florida Gov, Virginia Attorney, Brown University, UNICEF, Amnesty International, Local, Lilly Endowment Inc, AP Locations: Israel, Gaza, there’s, United States, Chicago, New, Washington, Palestine, U.S, Canada, ”, American, Toledo , Ohio, Virginia, Scottsdale , Arizona, Mission , Kansas, New York, Phoenix

Skochilenko, an artist and musician known as Sasha to her friends, has admitted replacing price tags in a supermarket in her native St Petersburg on March 31 2022 with small pieces of paper urging an end to the war and criticising the authorities. But Skochilenko, who has already spent over a year-and-a half in prison, denies the formal charge of knowingly spreading false information about the Russian army. Skochilenko is due to make a final statement on Thursday to a court in St Petersburg which is expected to deliver a verdict on the same day. Amnesty International has declared Skochilenko "a prisoner of conscience" - someone who is imprisoned solely because of who they are or what they believe. Reporting by Reuters Writing by Andrew Osborn Editing by Barbara LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Alexandra, Sasha, Skochilenko, Said, Alexandra Skochilenko, Russia's, Moscow, Vladimir Putin, Yana Nepovinnova, Andrew Osborn, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Amnesty International, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Saint Petersburg, Russia, Russian, St Petersburg

LONDON (AP) — One year after Qatar hosted the men’s World Cup, the gas-rich emirate and soccer governing body FIFA were urged Thursday by human rights group Amnesty International to do more for migrant workers who were essential to prepare the tournament and still face labor abuses. FIFA, under a different leadership, is now embarked on a similar journey toward Saudi Arabia hosting the World Cup in 2034. “Qatar’s continued failure to properly enforce or strengthen its pre-World Cup labor reforms puts any potential legacy for workers in serious peril,” Amnesty said. A key point for activists and some FIFA member federations has been compensating the families of workers in Qatar who were injured or died. Weeks before the World Cup started, FIFA’s top lawyer had said it was open to helping create a compensation fund.

Persons: ”, Steve Cockburn, “ Qatar’s, “, Weeks, Michael Llamas Organizations: —, Qatar, FIFA, Amnesty, Progress, “ Qatar, United Nations, International Labor Organization, Labor, ” Amnesty, InBev, Budweiser, ” FIFA, “, ILO, Ministry of Labor Locations: Qatar, United States, Saudi Arabia, Gibraltar, “, Geneva

CNN —Israeli forces launched a raid Wednesday on Gaza’s largest hospital, Al-Shifa, after accusing Hamas of operating from tunnels beneath the vast complex – a claim denied by the militant group and hospital officials. A satellite image shows Al-Shifa hospital, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Gaza on November 7. Hagari at the time offered only one piece of evidence: a phone call purporting to be between two Gazans discussing the presence of Hamas’s headquarters at the Al-Shifa hospital. An aerial view shows the compound of Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City on November 7. Wounded Palestinians sit in Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, after arriving from Al-Ahli hospital following an explosion there on October 17.

Persons: Khaled Abu Samra, “, ”, Khader Al Za’anoun, Peter Lerner, Dawood Nemer, Israel, Daniel Hagari, Hagari, Al Rantisi children’s, Bashar Taleb, Israel’s, Wednesday’s, Medhat Abbas, Mai Al, Kaila, Abed Khaled, ” John Kirby, Joe Biden, Kirby, Biden, Shin, Avi Dichter Organizations: CNN, UN, Hamas, Maxar Technologies, Palestinian Ministry of Health, Israel Defense Forces, Wednesday, Getty, IDF, Al, Palestinian Authority Health, Israel, United Nations, US National Security Council, Internal Security, Amnesty Locations: Al, Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, Ramallah, ”, Gaza City, AFP, Hagari, “, Ahli, United States

☆ Opinion | The Question of Anti-Zionism and Antisemitism
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Charles M. Blow | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

Last week, I gave a lecture at the University of California at San Diego about politics and social justice. Afterward, as I was signing books, a young Black woman approached my table and whispered a question, asking me what I thought about the horrors playing out in Gaza. Almost all of them described themselves as anti-Zionist, but in our conversations, all of them also condemned antisemitism. When I talked to the pro-Palestinian activists and scholars, I posed a simple question that is often asked: Do you believe that Israel has a right to exist? When I told Greenblatt that none of my interviewees gave a direct “yes” to the right-to-exist question, he said that was “almost indescribably offensive” because he connects any hesitation on the question to historical antisemitism and a denial of the Jewish people’s right to self-determination.

Persons: Jonathan Greenblatt, Defamation League —, ”, I’m, Marc Lamont Hill, “, Hill, Greenblatt, “ There’s, ” Greenblatt, Israel Organizations: University of California, Palestinian, Defamation League, Amnesty, West Bank Locations: San Diego, Gaza, Israel, America, Palestine, East Jerusalem

☆ Russian Artist Who Used Supermarket Price Tags to Criticise Ukraine War Faces Verdict
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Andrew Osborn(Reuters) - A Russian artist who replaced supermarket price tags with messages calling for an end to Moscow's war in Ukraine is expected to learn her fate in court on Thursday with a state prosecutor asking for her to be jailed for eight years. But Skochilenko, who has already spent over a year-and-a half in prison, denies the formal charge of knowingly spreading false information about the Russian army. Skochilenko is due to make a final statement on Thursday to a court in St Petersburg which is expected to deliver a verdict on the same day. Amnesty International has declared Skochilenko "a prisoner of conscience" - someone who is imprisoned solely because of who they are or what they believe. One of her lawyers, Yana Nepovinnova, told the court on Monday that her client should be acquitted.

Persons: Andrew Osborn, Alexandra Skochilenko, Russia's, Moscow, Vladimir Putin, Sasha, Skochilenko, Yana Nepovinnova, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Amnesty International, Reuters Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Russia, St Petersburg

[1/5] Several volunteers give Spanish classes to migrants outside the Las Raices Camp in La Laguna, Spain, November 5, 2023. The mix-up shows just how overwhelmed the Spanish archipelago is, Canary Islands president Fernando Clavijo told Reuters, after a record 32,000 migrants came so far this year. At Tenerife's Las Raices adult migrants' centre in San Cristobal de La Laguna, Camara and his friend from the voyage, 16-year-old Modou Lamin Jarju from Gambia, sat around with dozens of other west Africans. Reuters GraphicsOne of the most strained of the eight Canary Islands is El Hierro, its population of 9,000 more than matched by the arrival of 11,000 migrants this year. At its largest minors' centre on a recent day, some 300 children ate breakfast on a basketball court before Spanish lessons.

Persons: Borja Suarez, Moussa Camara, Camara, Classing, Fernando Clavijo, Fran Morenilla, Salaoum Colley, Amparo Morales, Clavijo, El Hierro, Corina Pons, Horaci Garcia, Charlie Devereux, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: REUTERS, CRISTOBAL, LA LAGUNA, Reuters, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Las, Amnesty, Canaries, San Cristobal de La Laguna, Camara, Thomson Locations: La Laguna, Spain, Guinea, Europe, Islands, Spanish, Almeria, Canary, San Cristobal de La, Jarju, Gambia, El Hierro, European Union, Africa, Senegal

☆ EU says roughly 100 civilians reportedly killed during massacre on village in Burkina Faso
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Nimi Princewill | Niamh Kennedy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Roughly 100 civilians were reportedly killed during a massacre on a village in the West African country of Burkina Faso, the European Union’s diplomatic service said Monday. “Nearly a hundred civilians, including women and children, are reported to have been killed in a massacre in the village of Zaongo, in the north-central region of Burkina Faso,” the EU External Action (EEAS) said in a statement. In early April, authorities blamed terrorists for the killing of at least 44 people in separate attacks on villages in northern Burkina Faso. Later that month, 136 others, including babies were killed in a similar onslaught on a village in the same region by armed men in military uniform. Burkina Faso has been the epicenter of violence that has spread across the vast Sahel region by Islamist groups linked to al Qaeda and the Islamic State.

Persons: d’état, ” Organizations: CNN, Authorities, Islamic, Amnesty International, Burkina Faso ” Locations: West, Burkina Faso, Zaongo, al Qaeda

☆ Leila de Lima: Philippine court grants bail to fierce ‘war on drugs’ critic after six years in custody
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | Jinky Jorgio | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A Philippine court has granted bail for Leila De Lima, one of the most vocal critics of ex-President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody “war on drugs” after being held in police custody for over six years. Organizations like the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch have criticized De Lima’s detention, calling it “arbitrary” and demanding her immediate release. De Lima’s bail “must lead to dismissal of last bogus charge against her,” Amnesty International said in a statement on Monday. “The court’s granting of Leila de Lima’s bail application is indeed a welcome development. “Leila has been targeted by the government for her criticism of the murderous ‘war on drugs’ and other human rights violations.

Persons: Leila De Lima, Rodrigo Duterte’s, “, ” De Lima, Gener, Gito, Leila, ”, De Lima, De, de Lima, Leila de Lima, Eloisa Lopez, “ She’s, She’s, Leila de Lima’s, Butch Olano, “ Leila, expeditiously, ” Olano Organizations: CNN, United Nations, Human Rights, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Reuters, Amnesty Locations: Muntinlupa City, De Lima, Muntinlupa, Philippines, Amnesty International Philippines

Authorities have detained nearly 20,000 people for anti-war activity and opened over 800 criminal cases against anti-war dissidents, according to the OVD-Info rights group. Skochilenko replaced price tags in a supermarket in her native St Petersburg on March 31 2022 with five small pieces of paper urging an end to the war. "Even you, your honour (the judge), even you, the state prosecutor, you also don’t want people to die prematurely, for young soldiers to lie in the fields, for civilians to die." Copies of the imitation price tags produced by Skochilenko are on display on a website maintained by her supporters. Another alleges Russia was sending conscripts to fight in Ukraine, which Russia has also denied.

Persons: Alexandra, Sasha, Skochilenko, Alexandra Skochilenko, Moscow's, Vladimir Putin, Alexander Gladyshev, Putin, Andrew Osborn, Mark Trevelyan, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Authorities, Moscow, Wednesday, Amnesty, NATO, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Saint Petersburg, Russia, Russian, St Petersburg, Mariupol, Moscow

☆ Lawyers Seek Release of Russian Artist Who Staged Anti-War Price Tag Protest
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

Critics say it is part of a crackdown on anyone who speaks out against Moscow's "special military operation". Authorities have detained nearly 20,000 people for anti-war activity and opened over 800 criminal cases against anti-war dissidents, according to the OVD-Info rights group. The justice ministry has designated the rights group a "foreign agent" and its website is blocked in Russia. Copies of the imitation price tags produced by Skochilenko are on display on a website maintained by her supporters. Another alleges Russia was sending conscripts to fight in Ukraine, which Russia has also denied.

Persons: Andrew Osborn, Alexandra Skochilenko, Sasha, Moscow's, Vladimir Putin, Skochilenko, Alexander Gladyshev, Putin, Mark Trevelyan, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Authorities, Moscow, Wednesday, Amnesty, NATO, Reuters Locations: Russian, Ukraine, St Petersburg, Russia, Mariupol, Moscow

[1/2] A child casts a ballot on behalf of a voter at a polling station during Hungarian parliamentary elections in Veresegyhaz, Hungary April 3, 2022. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsARLINGTON, Virginia, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Private spy firm Black Cube was behind a hidden video campaign that used LinkedIn to target Hungarian activists and journalists leading to last year's election in the central European country, the professional networking site said on Thursday. A researcher for Microsoft-owned (MSFT.O) LinkedIn said Black Cube, based in Israel, created a network of fake personas that used bogus job postings to connect with their targets on the platform. Black Cube did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment. The operation attributed to Black Cube by LinkedIn began in 2020 and targeted at least 12 activists and journalists who have been critical of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Persons: Leonhard Foeger, Mona Damian, Damian, Harvey Weinstein, Viktor Orban, Orban, Amnesty International Hungary Orsolya Jeney, Rohac, Raphael Satter, Rod Nickel Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Microsoft, LinkedIn, Politico, Hungarian, Reuters, Amnesty International, American Enterprise Institute, Thomson Locations: Veresegyhaz, Hungary, Rights ARLINGTON , Virginia, Israel, Arlington , Virginia, Hungary's, Amnesty International Hungary, Washington

☆ Israel-Hamas War France Puts Focus on Dire Conditions in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Aurelien Breeden | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

President Emmanuel Macron of France has insisted that Israel has the right to defend itself after the Hamas attack, but says it needs to follow international laws on protecting civilians in Gaza. President Emmanuel Macron of France is hoping to secure more humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza at an international conference in Paris on Thursday as conditions in the territory continue to deteriorate under weeks of bombardment by Israel. The goal of the conference is to assess the situation in Gaza with international organizations working there and to find ways of improving access to humanitarian aid. Many civilians fear for their safety daily, even in United Nations-run shelters, some of which have been damaged in Israeli strikes. But Israel — which has rebuffed calls for a cease-fire or a “humanitarian pause” — is not sending a representative.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Mohammad Shtayyeh, Uzra Zeya Organizations: United Nations, Amnesty, Gaza, UNRWA, International Committee, Red Cross, European Union, European, Palestinian Locations: France, Israel, Gaza, Paris, United, Palestinian, United States

☆ Albania to host no more than 3,000 migrants under deal with Italy
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An Italian Coast Guard vessel carrying migrants rescued at sea passes near a tourist boat, on the Sicilian island of Lampedusa, Italy, September 18, 2023. The figure compares with the more than 145,000 sea migrants who have arrived in Italy so far this year, a sharp increase from 2022 which Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's right-wing government is keen to contain. Announcing the deal with Albania on Monday, Meloni said as many as 36,000 migrants per year could pass through the Albanian camps, but hitting this target depends on how quickly Italy can process asylum applications. The protocol states that Italy will shield Albania from any costs from legal action against the initiative. The facilities are more than 1,000 kilometres from Lampedusa, the island where most Italy-bound sea migrants currently land.

Persons: Yara, Giorgia Meloni's, Meloni, repatriating, Alvise, Christina Fincher Organizations: Italian Coast Guard, REUTERS, Rights, Amnesty International, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Lampedusa, Italy, Albania, EU, Shëngjin

[1/2] Kenyan workers check clothes made for export at the United Aryan Export Processing Zone (EPZ) factory, operating under the U.S. African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), in Ruaraka district of Nairobi, Kenya October 26, 2023. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya Acquire Licensing RightsNov 1 (Reuters) - South Africa will host the annual African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Forum in Johannesburg from Nov 2-4 to discuss the United States' flagship trade programme for the continent. The African Growth and Opportunity Act is a U.S. trade initiative passed in 2000 under former President Bill Clinton to deepen trade ties with Sub-Saharan Africa and help African countries develop their economies. AGOA provides duty-free access to the U.S. market for most agricultural and manufactured products exported by eligible African countries. African countries are pushing for an early 10-year extension without changes in order to reassure businesses and investors who might have concerns over AGOA's future.

Persons: Thomas Mukoya, Bill Clinton, AGOA, Nellie Peyton, Joe Bavier, Alexander Smith Organizations: United Aryan, Processing, U.S ., REUTERS, WHO, AGOA, U.S . Trade, Thomson Locations: Ruaraka district, Nairobi, Kenya, South Africa, Johannesburg, United States, U.S, Saharan Africa, Ghana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Ethiopia, AGOA .

☆ How the Nigerian military fatally shot a young captive
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +19 min

The Nigerian government and military – including the presidency, Ministry of Defence, defence headquarters and army leaders – did not respond to detailed questions for this story. Various entities have accused Nigerian security forces of other abuses in connection with killings of civilians and captives. Two security force members told Reuters they saw multiple prisoners brought out of the barracks and shot after the fighting ceased. Tweets from Nigerian defence headquarters in Abuja show the military declared the hostilities over shortly after 11 a.m. Nine shots fired A uniformed security force member shot nine rounds at the young captive, pulling the trigger at least seven times, according to forensic audio experts who listened to the recording at Reuters’ request.

Persons: Melanie O’Brien, –, Ocampo, Christopher Musa, Musa, ” Musa, “, extrajudicially, Michael Oluoha Agi, ’ ”, ”, Boko, ‘ Allahu akbar ’, Yahaya, Haram, Biu, Bellingcat, Belllingcat, Chris Olukolade, Emmanuel Emeka, Emeka, Reade Levinson, David Lewis, Tim Cocks, Carlos Gonzales, Paul Carsten, Daphne Psaledakis, Stephanie van den Berg, Youri van, Adolfo Arranz, Sam Hart, Feilding, Julie Marquis, Alexandra Zavis Organizations: Reuters, International Association of, Nigerian, Ministry of Defence, ICC, Islamic, Human Rights Commission, United Nations, Twitter, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, U.S . State Department, U.S, Boko, Civilian, Task Force, Defence, Facebook, 231, Battalion, 331 Artillery Regiment Locations: Geneva, Nigeria, Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province, Nigerian, United States, Britain, U.S, Biu, Boko Haram, Abuja, Largema

REUTERS/Mohammad... Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreDHAKA, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Bangladesh's main opposition party will boycott the next general election if Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina does not make way for a neutral government to conduct the poll, two party leaders said, amid a crackdown on opposition politicians and deadly protests. "The intensified crackdown on opposition party leaders and protesters over the weekend signals an attempt at a complete clamp-down on dissent," said Yasasmin Kaviratne, Amnesty's regional campaigner for South Asia. Hasina's main rival and two-time premier, BNP leader Khaleda Zia, is effectively under house arrest for what her party calls trumped-up corruption charges. Shakil Ahmed, an assistant professor at Jahangirnagar University in Dhaka, said street violence had become "regular in Bangladesh during the transfer of power". Reporting by Krishna N. Das in New Delhi and Ruma Paul in Dhaka; Editing by Raju GopalakrishnanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sheikh Hasina, Hasina, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Zahir Uddin Swapon, Yasasmin Kaviratne, Khaleda Zia, BNP's, Tarique Rahman, Shakil Ahmed, Krishna N, Ruma Paul, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Bangladesh Nationalist Party, BNP, REUTERS, Reuters, Amnesty, Police, Jahangirnagar University, Das, Thomson Locations: Dhaka, Bangladesh, Mohammad, DHAKA, United States, Canada, India, South Asia, New Delhi

☆ Saudi Arabia set to host 2034 World Cup after Australia decides not to bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Saudi Arabia looks set to be the host of the 2034 World Cup after the only other country to have shown an interest in hosting — Australia — made a last-minute decision not to bid. Some fans were also frustrated at the location, as the World Cup took place in the winter due to the Gulf region's soaring summer temperatures. The 2030 FIFA World Cup, meanwhile, will be hosted by Morocco, Spain and Portugal, with the three opening matches to be played in South America. Saudi Arabia is criticized for its well-documented human rights violations, abuses of women's rights and criminalization of homosexuality. Amnesty International reported that Saudi Arabia in 2022 oversaw the highest number of yearly executions in 30 years, with 196 people killed.

Persons: Australia —, Prince Mohammed bin Salman Organizations: Australia, Football Australia, Amnesty International, Saudi Locations: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Morocco, Spain, Portugal, South America, Saudi

☆ Wildfires Erupt in Southern Lebanon, Civil Defence Blames Israeli Shells
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

The fires started around 1700 GMT and were caused by Israeli shells containing white phosphorous being launched across the border, Abdalla Mousawae, head of the Tyre Regional Center of Lebanese civil defence, told Reuters. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Earlier this month, the Israeli military said an accusation by Human Rights Watch that it had used white phosphorus munitions in Gaza was "unequivocally false." White phosphorus munitions can legally be used on battlefields to make smoke screens, generate illumination, mark targets or burn bunkers and buildings. White phosphorus is considered an incendiary weapon under Protocol III of the Convention on the Prohibition of Use of Certain Conventional Weapons.

Persons: Mousawae, Israel, Abdallah Bou Habib, Aya Majzoub, Riham Alkousaa, Henriette Chacar, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Firefighters, Tyre Regional Center of, Reuters, Hamas, United Nations, UN Security, National News Agency, Amnesty, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch Locations: BEIRUT, Lebanon, Tyre, Israel, Iran, Lebanese, Labbouneh, East, North Africa, Gaza, Jerusalem

☆ Wildfires erupt in southern Lebanon, civil defense blames Israeli shells
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The fires started around 1700 GMT and were caused by Israeli shells containing white phosphorous being launched across the border, Abdalla Mousawae, head of the Tyre Regional Center of Lebanese civil defense, told Reuters. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Earlier this month, the Israeli military said an accusation by Human Rights Watch that it had used white phosphorus munitions in Gaza was "unequivocally false." White phosphorus munitions can legally be used on battlefields to make smoke screens, generate illumination, mark targets or burn bunkers and buildings. White phosphorus is considered an incendiary weapon under Protocol III of the Convention on the Prohibition of Use of Certain Conventional Weapons.

Persons: Violeta Santos Moura, Mousawae, Israel, Abdallah Bou Habib, Aya Majzoub, Riham Alkousaa, Henriette Chacar, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Firefighters, Tyre Regional Center of, Reuters, Hamas, United Nations, UN Security, National News Agency, Amnesty, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Thomson Locations: Lebanon, Israel, Nahariya, Rights BEIRUT, Tyre, Iran, Lebanese, Labbouneh, East, North Africa, Gaza, Jerusalem

☆ Saudi Arabia set to host 2034 World Cup as Australia withdraws interest
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Sammy Mncwabe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Saudi Arabia is set to host the 2034 men’s FIFA World Cup after Australia withdrew its interest in hosting the global showpiece just hours before the bid deadline on Tuesday. Instead the Australia football federation has opted to proceed with their bids for the Women’s Asian Cup in 2026 and the FIFA Club World Cup in 2029. In a press release sent out on Tuesday, FIFA confirmed that Saudi Arabia was the only bidder for the 2034 tournament. In 2022, Oleksandr Usyk beat Anthony Joshua at the King Abdullah Sports City Arena in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in a heavyweight title clash. To host the World Cup would be viewed as a major coup for Saudi Arabia, which has been frequently been criticized of sportswashing.

Persons: “, Oleksandr Usyk, Anthony Joshua, Andrew Couldridge, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Luca Bruno, ”, Steve Cockburn Organizations: CNN, FIFA, Australia, ” Football Australia, FIFA Club, FIFA Council, ” FIFA, King Abdullah Sports City Arena, Formula One, Saudi Pro League, sportswashing, MBS, Fox News, Sports & Rights Alliance, Getty, Economic, Social, “ FIFA, Rights, Saudi Arabia Football Federation Locations: Saudi Arabia, Asia, Oceania, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina, Jeddah, Saudi Arabian, Saudi

☆ Opinion | The Memories That Feed Distrust in the Middle East
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Zeynep Tufekci | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +10 min

His pained voice turned to anger when he recounted encountering disbelief that Hamas committed terrible atrocities when it attacked Israel. Indeed, since Hamas did murder children and take others as hostages, should it get credit if it didn’t also behead them? But if the U.S. response after Sept. 11 is a model, it is as a model of what not to do. After the attacks, the United States received deep global sympathy. In the Middle East, the devastating aftermath of that war — justified by false claims — has never ended.

Persons: Moshe Lavi, Lavi, there’s, Biden, didn’t, that’s, ”, Bush, —, Peter Lerner, Saddam Hussein, Saddam, Benjamin Netanyahu Organizations: Hamas, New York Times, United Nations, Britain’s Sky, United, Iraqi Army, The New York Times, Guardian, Israeli Defense Forces, Hamas’s Naval Police, Naval Force, Amnesty International, Kuwaiti, American, Rights, Amnesty, West Bank Locations: Israel, Gaza, Iraq, U.S, United States, Abu Ghraib, People, Israeli, Kuwait, Vietnam, Kuwaiti

There are currently no federal laws in the United States against the creation and sharing of non-consensual deepfake pornography. This is the online landscape that has allowed creating and trading non-consensual deepfake pornography to develop into a thriving business. With advancements in artificial intelligence, deepfake pornography is becoming increasingly common — and it almost exclusively targets women. Deepfake porn sites are facilitated and enabled by search engines that drive web traffic toward deepfake content. In the US, however, only a handful of states have laws addressing non-consensual deepfake pornography, and many of them are limited in scope.

Persons: Sophie Compton, Reuben Hamlyn, ”, Taylor, deepfakes, —, didn’t, Helen, “, We’ve, Danielle Citron Organizations: CNN, Facebook, Communications, Amnesty International, Twitter, University of Virginia School of Law Locations: British, New York, New England, United States, England, Wales

☆ Opinion: My country abolished the death penalty. So can yours
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Opinion Elbegdorj Tsakhia | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

He is commissioner of the International Committee against Death Penalty (ICDP). When I entered office in 2009, I quickly came to realize that use of the death penalty in Mongolia had been arbitrary, secretive and cruel. By the end of 2022, more than two-thirds of the world’s nations had done away with the practice, according to the Washington, DC-based Death Penalty Information Center. Research from Amnesty International found no evidence that the death penalty deterred crime more than life imprisonment. When I became Mongolia’s president, five crimes were eligible for the death penalty: two forms of terrorist attacks, sabotage, rape and aggravated murder.

Persons: Tsakhia, Read, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, it’s, who’s, Elbegdorj, –, Lui Tuck Yew, Tharman Organizations: International, CNN, International Covenant, Civil, Political, Amnesty, Central African, Research, Amnesty International Locations: Mongolia, Singapore, Washington, DC, Kazakhstan, Papua New Guinea, Sierra Leone, Central African Republic, Iran, Saudi Arabia, China, Thailand, Malaysia, United States

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