Jerusalem (AFP) – Israel on Wednesday renewed its threat to attack Iranian military targets in Syria, after the two Muslim allies signed an accord on security cooperation. “The IDF (Israel Defence Forces) will continue to take strong and determined action against Iran’s attempts to station forces and advanced weapons systems in Syria,” Prime Minister Benjamin […]
Yemen: Saudis, UAE, US and Houthis All Guilty of War Crimes – UN
By Nina LARSON | – Geneva (AFP) – All sides in Yemen’s bloody conflict may have committed war crimes, UN investigators said Tuesday, highlighting deadly air strikes, rampant sexual violence, and the recruitment of young children as soldiers. In their first report, a team of UN-mandated investigators said they had “reasonable grounds to believe that […]
Iran Launches Suit at UN Court against Trump Sanctions
By Jan Hennop and Roland Lloyd Parry | – The Hague (AFP) – Iran demanded Monday that the UN’s top court order the United States to suspend nuclear-linked sanctions against Tehran, but Washington vowed to “vigorously” fend off the legal challenge. The Islamic Republic launched a suit at the International Court of Justice over US […]
From this AFP Report, it Seems Vietnam gave Warmer Tributes to McCain than Trump White House
Informed Comment syndicates select AFP pieces, and as I prepared this one for publication, the difference between the reported Vietnam response to his death and the petty pouting in the Trump White House (which went back and forth on whether to lower the flag and only issued a grudging statement late afternoon Monday. – Juan […]
Russian Trolls Tried to Kill Us: Hackers Stirred up anti-Vaxxers to Roil US
Washington (AFP) – Russian trolls and bots on Twitter attempted to influence the debate over vaccine safety with the aim of sowing discord among the US public on hot-button issues in the run-up to the 2016 election, US researchers reported this week. “Did you know there was a secret government database of #vaccine-damaged children? #VaccinateUS,” […]
Yemen: Outcry over Saudi Airstrikes on Children Marks 3 Years of War
Sanaa (AFP) – A Saudi-led coalition launched military operations in Yemen in 2015, helping the government to push back against rebels who had taken control of the capital and seized several provinces. The conflict has killed nearly 10,000 people, the vast majority of them civilians, and injured more than 55,000, according to the World Health […]
Trump Slashes more than $200 mn in Aid to Palestinians
Washington (AFP) – The United States said Friday that it had canceled more than $200 million in aid for the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, leading their ambassador to accuse President Donald Trump’s administration of being “anti-peace.” A senior State Department official said the decision, made “at the direction of the president,” […]
Gaza is Running out of Fuel, Medicine: UN
United Nations (United States) (AFP) – The United Nations has run out of funding to pay for fuel needed for hospitals, water plants and other critical facilities in the Gaza Strip, the UN political chief said Wednesday. Rosemary Di Carlo also told the Security Council that recent violent escalations between Israel and Palestinian militants “threatened […]
Int’l Court of Justice Hears Iran’s Suit against Trump’s Unilateral Sanctions
The Hague (AFP) – Iran’s legal challenge against renewed sanctions by the United States goes before the UN’s top court Monday, as Tehran seeks to avert painful punitive measures that could hurt its still fragile economy. Tehran filed a suit against US President Donald Trump’s decision to reimpose economic sanctions at the Hague-based International Court […]