Jailed Kurdish leader issues call to lay down arms
Abdullah Ocalan had earlier met pro-Kurdish MPs on an island where he has been in jail since 1999.
Trump administration ends funding for UN program fighting HIV/Aids
Peter Marocco sends letter to UNAids terminating US involvement in serious blow to live-saving health service
The Trump administration has terminated its funding of the joint United Nations program on HIV/Aids, known as UNAids, delivering another devastating blow to the global fight against the disease.
The notice that US funding of UNAids is being cut off is the latest move by the administration to end American involvement in life-saving health and anti-poverty programs around the world. It was issued by Peter Marocco, a Trump loyalist who is spearheading the evisceration of the US overseas aid program through USAid.
Continue reading...On Thailand’s Forced Return of Uyghurs to China – Department of State
- On Thailand’s Forced Return of Uyghurs to China Department of State
- US Embassy in Thailand warns Americans of 'violent retaliatory attacks' risk after Uyghurs deported to China Fox News
- Thailand deports dozens of Uyghurs to China despite torture fears The Guardian
- Thai government under fire for claiming Uyghurs left voluntarily Bangkok Post
- Thailand Deports Dozens of Uyghurs to China Despite Pleas The New York Times
G20 finance chiefs fail to agree joint communique after trade and climate clashes – Financial Times
- G20 finance chiefs fail to agree joint communique after trade and climate clashes Financial Times
- G20 finance meeting ends without consensus or communique Reuters
- Trump Trade War: Geopolitical Bushfires Threaten G-20’s Global Multilaterism Bloomberg
- South Africa's Ramaphosa defends multilateralism at G20 DW (English)
- Top finance ministers snub G20 as global co-operation comes under strain Financial Times
Trump’s threatened 25% tariffs on EU imports could trigger ‘economic turmoil’
US president’s plan could prove to be an economic shock to both blocs, German thinktank says
Donald Trump’s threatened 25% tariffs on EU imports could trigger “economic turmoil”, sharply push down growth and send inflation soaring, according to a German thinktank.
The Kiel Institute said the US president’s promise on Wednesday that he would impose the levies “very soon” was a profound moment in the postwar relationship between Washington and Brussels and could prove to be an economic shock to both parties.
Continue reading...DR Congo conflict: Gunfire and explosions at rebel rally in Bukavu – BBC.com
- DR Congo conflict: Gunfire and explosions at rebel rally in Bukavu BBC.com
- Dozens reportedly injured after explosions rock a meeting of M23 rebel group leaders in Congo ABC News
- At least 11 killed in blasts at M23 rally in eastern DR Congo, rebels say Al Jazeera English
- Deadly blasts hit M23 rebel rally in captured DRC city of Bukavu The Guardian
- Blasts at M23 rally in eastern Congo kill 11, wound 65, rebel leader says Reuters
Raunchy Paintings Show A Wine-Glugging Cult Of “Wild Women” At Pompeii – IFLScience
- Raunchy Paintings Show A Wine-Glugging Cult Of "Wild Women" At Pompeii IFLScience
- New Pompeii Excavations Reveal Frescoes Depicting a Mysterious Ritual artnet News
- New frescoes discovered at Pompeii shed light on Bacchanalian mysteries Euronews
- See the Stunning Frescoes of a Mysterious Dionysian Cult Discovered in Ancient Pompeii Smithsonian Magazine
- Very rare paintings depicting the god of wine unearthed in Pompeii 2,000 years after city was buried by ash and lava CBS News
El Al flight to New York diverted to Paris for unknown reason – The Jerusalem Post
- El Al flight to New York diverted to Paris for unknown reason The Jerusalem Post
- Israeli commuter who averted bus bombing: ‘I was a messenger of God’ JNS.org
- Three buses explode in Israel in 'suspected terror attack', police say BBC.com
- Shin Bet Arrests Two Israelis Suspected of Involvement in Tel Aviv Suburbs Bus Bombs Haaretz
- Katz in West Bank: ‘We will hunt down and eliminate’ anybody involved in terror The Times of Israel
Jailed Kurdish leader calls for PKK to disarm – in shift that could shake up Turkey and Middle East
Abdullah Öcalan’s message, which follows four decades of guerrilla warfare, will have far-reaching implications
The ageing leader of a Kurdish militant group imprisoned on a remote Turkish island has called on the group to disarm and dissolve itself, opening the door to a fragile peace with Turkey after four decades of guerrilla warfare, attacks and reprisals.
Abdullah Öcalan, a founding member of the Kurdistan Workers’ party (PKK), a group long regarded as a terrorist organisation in Turkey as well as in Britain and the US, issued the message in a letter read out by allies in Istanbul.
Continue reading...Trump threatens China with additional 10% tariff in escalation of trade war
US president also insists delayed tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico will go into effect on 4 March
Donald Trump has threatened China with an additional 10% tariff on its exports to the US, setting the stage for another significant escalation in his trade war with Beijing.
The US president also claimed that he plans to impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico starting next Tuesday, having delayed their imposition last month following talks with his counterparts.
Continue reading...Andrew Tate and brother arrive in US after Romania travel ban lifted
Romanian prosecutors confirm travel ban lifted as court rules to lift seizure of multiple assets.
Afghanistan vs Australia – ICC Champions Trophy: Match time, points, teams
The teams meet in a virtual knockout with a semifinal spot on the line and their cricket boards at loggerheads.
Mystery disease kills more than 50 in DRC: What we know so far
Officials have ruled out Ebola or Marburg virus, but say those infected are presenting symptoms of a 'hemorrhagic fever'
Deadly blasts hit M23 rebel rally in captured DRC city of Bukavu
Deaths and injuries reported after explosions at rally attended by thousands in city captured by rebel group
Several people have been killed and dozens more injured after blasts at a mass rally held by the M23 group in Bukavu, the city in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo captured by the rebels earlier this month.
Footage posted on social media showed people fleeing the scene. In another video, bloodied bodies lay on the ground and injured people were being carried away.
Continue reading...US, EU move apart as Trump eyes Ukraine’s minerals and a deal with Russia
Two UN votes find the US siding with Russia against Europe, as Ukraine’s Zelenskyy prepares for pact on mineral wealth.
King asks Moroccans not to kill sheep for Eid al-Adha as drought reduces herds
First such request in 29 years blames economic hardship and climate crisis for high livestock prices and shortages
King Mohammed VI has urged his fellow Moroccans not to slaughter sheep for upcoming Eid al-Adha festivities as the country grapples with dwindling herds due to a six-year drought.
The request was delivered on Wednesday by the minister of Islamic affairs, Ahmed Toufiq, who read a letter on the monarch’s behalf on the state-run Al Aoula TV channel. He cited economic hardship and the climate crisis as reasons for the rising prices of livestock and sheep shortage in the north African state.
Continue reading...Israel and Hamas have something in common – The Economist
- Israel and Hamas have something in common The Economist
- Israel and Hamas have begun negotiating next phase of Gaza ceasefire, Egypt says The Associated Press
- Talks under way in Egypt for second phase of Israel-Hamas ceasefire in Gaza Al Jazeera English
- Anxiety in Gaza and Israel as Cease-Fire Nears End of First Phase The New York Times
- Sa’ar: Delegation heading to Cairo to ‘see whether we have common ground to negotiate’ The Times of Israel
Cypriot authorities ‘failed’ British teenager who reported alleged gang rape, says ECHR
Court highlights shortcomings in 2019 police investigation amid ‘certain biases concerning women in Cyprus’
A British woman who alleges she was gang-raped in Ayia Napa has won a “monumental victory” over Cypriot authorities after the European court of human rights (ECHR) ruled they did not properly investigate the case.
The woman, who was 18 and on holiday at the time, told Cypriot police in July 2019 that she had been raped in a hotel room by several Israeli males.
Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organisations. In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland, or 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html
Continue reading...Putin Deepens Russia’s Ties with US Adversaries as US-Russia Talks Begin – Institute for the Study of War
- Putin Deepens Russia's Ties with US Adversaries as US-Russia Talks Begin Institute for the Study of War
- With new U.S. stance, Russians envision a return to normalcy — and Ikea The Washington Post
- Putin says US-Russia contacts give ‘hope’ amid talks in Turkey on restoring ties – as it happened The Guardian
- Vladimir Putin hopeful after US talks on Ukraine ceasefire Financial Times
- Putin Praises Trump for Working to Thaw U.S.-Russia Tensions The New York Times
Why has PKK leader called on group to dissolve – and why does it matter?
Abdullah Öcalan’s declaration paves way for end to 40-year conflict between militant Kurdish groups and Turkish state
The jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ party (PKK) has called on the group to disarm and dissolve, a major development that paves the way towards ending the 40-year conflict between militant Kurdish groups and the Turkish state and has far-reaching implications for the rest of the Middle East.
“I am making a call for the laying down of arms and I take on the historical responsibility for this call,” Abdullah Öcalan was quoted as saying in a letter read out by political allies in Istanbul. “All groups must lay down their arms and the PKK must dissolve itself.”
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