Hezbollah fires rockets at Israel in response to killing of Hamas leader – POLITICO

Hezbollah fires rockets at Israel in response to killing of Hamas leader – POLITICO

Lebanese militant group Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets at Israel on Saturday in retaliation for the targeted killing of a Hamas leader in Beirut this week amid mounting fears of a larger regional war, according to media reports. Hezbollah said in a statement Saturday that it targeted an Israeli air surveillance base in northern Israel with … Read more

China’s Xinjiang region says all new religious buildings must ‘reflect Chinese characteristics’

China’s Xinjiang region says all new religious buildings must ‘reflect Chinese characteristics’

The rules state: “Newly built, renovated, expanded or rebuilt religious venues should reflect Chinese characteristics and culture in aspects such as architecture, sculpture, paintings [and] decorations.” They also say for the first time that interpretations of religious doctrine must “meet the requirements of contemporary China’s development and China’s outstanding traditional culture”. The new rules also … Read more

Dennis Edney, lawyer for former Guantanamo Bay prisoner Omar Khadr, dead at 77

Dennis Edney, lawyer for former Guantanamo Bay prisoner Omar Khadr, dead at 77

Dennis Edney, a lawyer who played a critical role in the release of former Guantanamo Bay prisoner Omar Khadr, has died at 77. An obituary published in the Edmonton Journal said Edney had dementia and died Saturday. The soccer-player-turned-lawyer took on many high-profile cases throughout his career. But his Scottish accent became known across the … Read more

What is home in the age of exile? – POLITICO

What is home in the age of exile? – POLITICO

Press play to listen to this article Voiced by artificial intelligence. Tatyana Margolin is co-founder of STROIKA, with a mission to reverse the tide of rising authoritarianism by building, resourcing and connecting resistance movements around the globe. One can reliably gauge the latest geopolitical upheaval by who is sleeping on the red pullout couch in … Read more

Democracy is in peril in the world’s bonanza year of elections – POLITICO

Democracy is in peril in the world’s bonanza year of elections – POLITICO

Press play to listen to this article Voiced by artificial intelligence. Is 2024 the year when democracy hits a tipping point and slides toward autocracy? It may seem like an odd question to ask at a time when countries representing nearly half the world’s population, or an estimated 3.8 billion people, are sending their voters … Read more

Israel green-lights Cypriot aid plan for Palestinians as military pounds Gaza – POLITICO

Israel green-lights Cypriot aid plan for Palestinians as military pounds Gaza – POLITICO

Israel will allow ships from several European countries to deliver aid directly to war-torn Gaza, the country’s top diplomat said Sunday, as the Israeli military ramped up large-scale air attacks across central Gaza. Ships from countries including France, Greece, the Netherlands and the U.K. can “immediately” start shipping aid packages via a proposed sea corridor … Read more

The uncertain future of the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor – POLITICO

The uncertain future of the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor – POLITICO

Anchal Vohra is an international affairs commentator and was based in Beirut until recently. The India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC) was launched on the sidelines of the G20 summit in New Delhi amid much fanfare. A key pillar of United States President Joe Biden’s Indo-Pacific and Middle East strategies, the American leader hailed the project as … Read more

Russia uses POWs as a political weapon against Kyiv – POLITICO

Russia uses POWs as a political weapon against Kyiv – POLITICO

KYIV — The last time Valentyna Tkachenko, a 35-year-old mother of two from Chernihiv in northern Ukraine, saw her husband Serhii was just before Russia invaded her country. Serhii, a National Guard soldier, was captured on February 24 of last year, the day Moscow launched its all-out invasion of Ukraine. His unit was guarding the … Read more

What is the idea (or word) that will define 2024? – POLITICO

What is the idea (or word) that will define 2024? – POLITICO

Press play to listen to this article Voiced by artificial intelligence. Ivo Daalder: Isolationism The next year will be marked by a profound debate within the U.S. about America’s future global role, and its outcome will be watched with great trepidation by the rest of the world.  For 80 years now, the U.S. has embraced … Read more

Colorado leaders ask Congress to demand cease-fire between Israel and Hamas

Colorado leaders ask Congress to demand cease-fire between Israel and Hamas

More than 50 current and former elected officials, community leaders, religious leaders and representatives of nonprofit groups called Thursday for Colorado’s congressional delegation to push more forcefully for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas to stop the killing of civilians. “We must demand a cease-fire,” State Rep. Iman Jodeh said on the west steps of … Read more