Horizons
Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s husband expresses uncertainty over her release
The husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the British-Iranian dual national detained in Tehran, says he still does not know if she will be released following the end of her sentence on Sunday. Zaghari-Ratcliffe was sentenced in 2016 to five years’ imprisonment over allegations of plotting t
Top Shiite cleric Al-Sistani: Christians in Iraq should live in ‘peace, security’
Christians in Iraq should live in “peace and security,” Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani, one of Shiite Islam’s top clerics, told Pope Francis in a historic meeting on the second day of the first-ever papal visit to the country. The 84-year-old pope and 90-year-old Al-Sistan
US detained nearly 100,000 migrants at Mexico border in February, sources say
WASHINGTON: US border agents detained nearly 100,000 migrants at the US-Mexico border in February, according to two people familiar with preliminary figures, the highest monthly total since a major border surge in mid-2019.The figures, which have not been previously reported, show the scope of a g
Thousands of refugees at risk of homelessness in Greece
Thousands of refugees and migrants currently in Greece are at risk of becoming homeless, as an EU scheme to provide temporary shelter and cash assistance is set to end. Aid groups and international bodies have appealed for action as up to 2,000 men, women and children in Greece face destitution a
‘Let the guns fall silent’: Pope Francis shares message of hope on Iraq visit
Pope Francis on Friday called for an end to violence in Iraq as he arrived in the country for a historic visit. The 84-year-old pontiff said he is making the trip, which has been planned for several years, as a "pilgrim of peace". "Let the guns fall silent,” he said during a
20 migrants dead after thrown into sea off Djibouti
NAIROBI: At least 20 people drowned after smugglers threw dozens of migrants overboard during a crossing between Djibouti and Yemen, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Thursday.“Survivors believe at least 20 people have been killed. There are still some unaccounted for.
Hundreds of migrants saved in Mediterranean as NGO accuses Italy of blocking rescue ship
A charity accused Italy of blocking a ship carrying hundreds of migrants rescued in the Mediterranean Sea. The Sea-Watch 3 vessel saved 363 migrants in just three days from boats attempting to cross from Africa into Europe. However, efforts to find a safe port in Italy or Malta for mig
Trump targets disloyal Republicans, repeats election lies and hints at 2024 run
WASHINGTON: Former President Donald Trump hinted on Sunday at a possible presidential run in 2024, attacked President Joe Biden and repeated his fraudulent claims he won the 2020 election in his first major appearance since leaving the White House nearly six weeks ago.Addressing the Conservative P
UN Human Rights Office says 18 dead in Myanmar crackdown
The UN Human Rights Office says it has received “credible information” that a crackdown Sunday on anti-coup protesters in Myanmar has left at least 18 people dead and over 30 wounded.“Deaths reportedly occurred as a result of live ammunition fired into crowds in Yangon, Dawei, Ma
Myanmar police launch most extensive crackdown; one woman dead, media say
Police in Myanmar launched their most sweeping crackdown in three weeks of protests against military rule on Saturday in towns and cities across the country, with media reports of a woman shot dead and dozens of people detained. The violence came after Myanmar’s U.N. envoy urged the
ICC must investigate Israeli war crimes, human rights groups say
Officials representing leading human rights groups on Thursday urged US President Joe Biden to remove sanctions imposed by his predecessor against International Criminal Court (ICC) officials, arguing war crimes committed by Israel against Palestinians must be investigated. The ICC was created in
Israel returns Palestine prisoner to jail 1 day after heart operation
The Israeli Prison Service (IPS) sent Palestinian prisoner Ahmed Abu Ali to the Negev jail just one day after he underwent a cardiac catheterisation operation. Asra Media Office said yesterday that the IPS transferred the 46-year-old prisoner from Soroka Hospital to the Negev jail, describin
Libyan authorities undergo training in migrant, refugee protection
A course in “migrant and refugee protection” for Libyan authorities has been organized by the Sovereign Order of Malta, a Catholic religious order founded in Jerusalem in the 11th century, in cooperation with the British think tank Forward Thinking. Participants include representative
Closing Guantanamo: Can Biden succeed where Obama failed?
Former president Barack Obama famously pledged to close Guantanamo Bay during his first campaign for the White House, stating that, “In the dark halls of Abu Ghraib and the detention cells of Guantanamo, we have compromised our most precious values.” Although Mr Obama signed a 2008 ex
Does Abbas intend to run for president after all?
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who signed the decree for this year’s elections, has yet to announce whether he intends to run for president. In the past 10 years, he said on at least three occasions that if and when elections take place he will not stand. But Fatah strongman Jibril Rajoub
Myanmar coup opponents in big show of rejection of military claims
Opponents of Myanmar’s military coup, including celebrities, veteran activists and students, rejected on Wednesday an army assertion that there was public support for overthrowing elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and said their campaign would not burn out.Protesters are deeply skeptical of t
Turkey targets jailed activist’s cultural organization
ANKARA: Turkey is targeting a cultural organization founded by the jailed activist and philanthropist Osman Kavala, who has been behind bars for more than three years without a conviction. The Trade Ministry filed a lawsuit demanding the dissolution of Anadolu Kultur, an Istanbul-based organ
Tanks deployed on streets and gunfire heard in Myanmar amid internet blackout
Myanmar’s military junta cut the country’s internet and put more troops on the streets nationwide on Monday as demonstrators defied fears of a widespread crackdown on anti-coup protests. The military has stepped up efforts to quell an uprising against their capture of power two weeks
