Author: Reporter

Culture and heritage: Two war-ravaged historic sites in Ukraine on UNESCO’s endangered list

The U.N.’s World Heritage Committee in September placed two major historical sites in Ukraine on its list of such sites that it considers to be in danger. The iconic St. Sophia Cathedral in the capital, Kyiv, and the medieval center of the western city of Lviv, are UNESCO World Heritage Sites central to Ukraine’s culture and history. The decision to put those two on the body’s list of sites “in danger” has no enforcement mechanism, but could help deter Russian attacks. Neither site has been directly targeted since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and...

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China restricts exports for some civilian drones over concerns of military use in Ukraine

China imposed restrictions on exports of long-range civilian drones beginning in August, citing Russia’s war in Ukraine and concern that drones might be converted to military use. Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s government is friendly with Moscow but says it is neutral in the 17-month-old war. It has been stung by reports that both sides might be using Chinese-made drones for reconnaissance and possibly attacks. Export controls took effect on August 1 to prevent use of drones for “non-peaceful purposes,” the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement. It said some drone exports still will be allowed. China is a...

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Vigils to oppose growing antisemitism held in European cities as rallies seek relief for Gaza

Thousands of people joined vigils in Berlin and London on October 22 to oppose antisemitism and support Israel, while in Paris and other cities, thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators demanded a cease-fire and relief for people in the besieged Gaza Strip. Some of those who gathered in front of Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate carried Israeli flags or posters with photos of some of the more than 200 people seized by Hamas as hostages during the militants’ deadly October 7 incursion into Israel. “It is unbearable that Jews are living in fear again today — in our country of all places,” President...

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Two female journalists who reported on Mahsa Amini’s death both given years of prison time by Iran

A court in Iran sentenced two female journalists to up to seven years in prison for “collaborating” with the United States government among other charges. Both have been imprisoned for over a year following their coverage of the death of Mahsa Amini while in police custody in September 2022, local reports said. It was a preliminary sentencing that can be appealed in 20 days. The two journalists, Niloofar Hamedi, who broke the news of Amini’s death for wearing her headscarf too loosely, and Elaheh Mohammadi, who wrote about her funeral, were sentenced to seven and six years in jail...

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Walking a tightrope: President Biden balances support for Israel with pressure from the left for restraint

President Joe Biden told a crowd of Democratic donors about a decades-old photo he took with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, an aside that seemed intended to illustrate his long support of Israel and track record of speaking bluntly with the conservative Israeli leader. Biden said he had written on the photo of himself as a young senator and Netanyahu as an embassy hand, “Bibi, I love you. I don’t agree with a damn thing you say.'” He told donors at a fundraiser on October 20, that Netanyahu still keeps the photo on his desk and had brought it up...

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Why President Biden is trying to get billions more for Ukraine and Israel by dangling border security money

President Joe Biden is trying to sweeten his pitch to allocate more money for Ukraine by mixing in billions of dollars for securing the Mexico-U.S. border, in the hope that it will bring more Republicans on board. The idea came up in September, after Ukraine assistance was stripped out of a stopgap measure to keep the government running due to growing Republican resistance to financing the war effort. A lot has changed since September 30: The House has lost its speaker and Republicans are in disarray over selecting a new one, and the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel...

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