Men celebrate fourth anniversary of Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan

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Thousands gather for Kabul ‘flower showers’ while women stage protests

Thousands of men gathered across Kabul on Friday to watch flowers being scattered from helicopters to mark the fourth anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power – a celebration that women were barred from attending.

Three of the six “flower shower” locations were already off-limits to women, who have been prohibited from entering parks and recreational areas since November 2022.

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Israeli unit tasked with smearing Gaza journalists as Hamas fighters – report

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Israeli-Palestinian magazine says IDF ‘legitimisation cell’ set up to blunt global outrage over killing of media staff

A special unit in Israel’s military was tasked with identifying reporters it could smear as undercover Hamas fighters, to target them and to blunt international outrage over the killing of media workers, the Israeli-Palestinian outlet +972 Magazine reports.

The “legitimisation cell” was set up after the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack to gather information that could bolster Israel’s image and shore up diplomatic and military support from key allies, the report said, citing three intelligence sources.

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‘Hellish’: heatwave brings hottest nights on record to the Middle East

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Temperatures did not drop below 36C in Sedom, Israel on Tuesday night, while several parts of Jordan stayed above 35C on Monday

Jordan and Israel have suffered through their hottest nights on record, with nocturnal temperatures in the Levant well above levels that scientists consider “hellish”.

Temperatures on Monday night did not go below 35C (95F) in Ghor es-Safi and Aqaba in Jordan, while in the capital, Amman, they stayed above 31.8C.

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Live: UN calls Israeli West Bank settlement plan a war crime as 31 Palestinians killed in Gaza – Middle East Eye

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  1. Live: UN calls Israeli West Bank settlement plan a war crime as 31 Palestinians killed in Gaza  Middle East Eye
  2. LIVE: Israel starves another Palestinian child to death in Gaza  Al Jazeera
  3. Israeli gunfire kills at least 25 in Gaza as Netanyahu says he will allow Palestinians to leave  AP News
  4. Israel intensifies bombing of Gaza, killing 89 Palestinians in 24 hours  The Guardian
  5. Israel Kills Over 100 Palestinians in a Day and Presses South Sudan to Resettle Gaza’s Population  Democracy Now!
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Afghan women barred from Taliban takeover anniversary celebrations in Kabul – AP News

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  1. Afghan women barred from Taliban takeover anniversary celebrations in Kabul  AP News
  2. Four years after the fall of Kabul, Taliban succeeds in near-total exclusion of women  France 24
  3. Afghanistan is starting its fifth year of Taliban rule. Here are 5 things to know  AP News
  4. Amid the chaos after the fall of Kabul, two men became my lifeline | Shadi Khan Saif  The Guardian
  5. The Taliban will shower Kabul with flowers from helicopters for their takeover anniversary  ABC News
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Flash floods kill at least 159 people in Pakistan after huge cloudburst – The Guardian

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  1. Flash floods kill at least 159 people in Pakistan after huge cloudburst  The Guardian
  2. Flash floods kill more than 300 in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir  BBC
  3. 'Death staring in face': Pakistan floods leave 344 dead; helicopter crash, mass funerals, widespread dest  The Times of India
  4. More than 300 people dead in Pakistan after heavy rains, floods  Reuters
  5. Flash Floods in Pakistan Kill at Least 150 People in a Single Day  The New York Times
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UN rights office says Israeli settlement plan breaks international law – Reuters

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  1. UN rights office says Israeli settlement plan breaks international law  Reuters
  2. Israel’s West Bank settlement plan could ‘bury’ the prospect of a Palestinian state. Here’s why  CNN
  3. Plan for Israeli Settlements Advances and Will ‘Bury’ Palestinian Statehood, Minister Vows  The New York Times
  4. West Bank settlement plan illegal, Germany tells Israel  DW
  5. How the world is reacting to Israel’s settlement plan in occupied West Bank  Al Jazeera
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Climate wars are simmering among the NSW Liberals – and they could pose a problem for Mark Speakman

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Energy policy had been an area of mostly bipartisan agreement for the NSW opposition – until now

The never-ending war within the Coalition over energy policy and climate targets appears to have infected the New South Wales Liberals as they struggle to restore the administration of their branch and get traction with voters.

It’s bad news for the NSW opposition leader, Mark Speakman, whose hold on the leadership is being increasingly questioned.

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UTS academics describe ‘culture of fear’ as enrolments put on hold for nearly a fifth of courses

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The freeze comes as the university pursues $100m in cost cuts and after it announced in April it could axe 400 jobs

Academics at the University of Technology Sydney have described feelings of stress and a “culture of fear” after the educational institution temporarily paused student enrolments for nearly a fifth of its courses, leaving staff wondering if their jobs will be among the hundreds set to be axed.

The university has stopped taking in new students for 120 of its 615 courses, including masters degrees in teaching primary and secondary education. More than 50 of the affected courses were international study options attached to other degrees. The pause will last until the end of the autumn 2026 semester.

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