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Israel-Hamas Truce Talks to Resume Sunday in Cairo, Reports Egyptian TV

Voice of America - Sat, 03/30/2024 - 23:10
cairo — Truce talks between Israel and Hamas will resume Sunday in Cairo, the latest attempt to bring about a pause after nearly six months of war in the Gaza Strip, Egypt's Al Qahera News TV reported Saturday, citing a security source.  An Israeli official told Reuters that Israel will send a delegation to Cairo on Sunday. However, a Hamas official told Reuters the group would wait to hear from Cairo mediators on the outcome of their talks with Israel first.  The warring sides have...
Categories: Iraq

Israel Confirms Troops Killed 2 Palestinians on Gaza Beach

Voice of America - Sat, 03/30/2024 - 21:21
JERUSALEM — Israeli troops shot dead two Palestinians and wounded a third on Gaza’s beach, the military acknowledged Saturday, responding to a video that showed one man falling to the ground after walking in an open area and then a bulldozer pushing two bodies into the garbage-strewn sand. The military said troops opened fire after the men allegedly ignored warning shots. The video was broadcast earlier this week by the Al Jazeera television network. The origin of the footage remains...
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India rescues hijacked Iranian fishing vessel, frees Pakistani crew

Voice of America - Sat, 03/30/2024 - 18:32
NEW DELHI — The Indian navy said it had freed the 23-strong crew of an Iranian fishing vessel that was seized by armed pirates off Somalia.  The Al-Kambar 786 was southwest of the Yemeni island of Socotra, in the Arabian Sea, on March 28 when it was reported to have been boarded by nine pirates, according to a naval statement Friday.  The vessel was intercepted by the navy's INS Sumedha and INS Trishul, leading to "over 12 hours of intense coercive tactical measures" forcing...
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Chaotic Gaza Aid Delivery Turns Deadly After Gunfire, Stampede

Voice of America - Sat, 03/30/2024 - 13:25
Gaza City — At least five people were killed and dozens more injured Saturday during a chaotic humanitarian aid delivery in the Gaza Strip as thousands of civilians rushed for food from trucks before dawn. Witnesses told Agence France-Presse that Palestinians overseeing the aid delivery of some 15 trucks of flour and other food shot into the air to quell the thousands of people swarming the aid convoy in Gaza City's Kuwait roundabout. Israeli troops in the area also opened fire, and...
Categories: Iraq

Why Biden won't put conditions on military aid to Israel

Voice of America - Sat, 03/30/2024 - 03:26
washington — President Joe Biden has steadily ramped up pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to allow more humanitarian aid and to rein in its offensive in the Gaza Strip. That includes increasingly public criticism of Israel and the recent U.S. abstention vote at the U.N. Security Council that allowed for a cease-fire resolution to pass. However, Biden has stopped short of using what may be his strongest leverage — conditioning U.S. aid for Israel. The...
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UK Anti-Terrorism Police Investigate Stabbing of Persian-Language Journalist

Voice of America - Sat, 03/30/2024 - 03:22
london — British counterterrorism detectives are investigating after a journalist working for a Persian-language media organization was stabbed Friday in London amid fears he had been targeted because of his job, police said. Police said the man, in his 30s, was attacked and suffered an injury to his leg in the Friday afternoon incident in Wimbledon, southwest London. Britain's National Union of Journalists (NUJ) said the victim was prominent Britain-based Iranian journalist Pouria...
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Indian Navy Says It Intercepted Hijacked Vessel Near Somalia

Voice of America - Sat, 03/30/2024 - 00:29
New Delhi — India's navy said Friday it intercepted a fishing vessel in the Arabian Sea after a suspected hijacking, its latest anti-piracy operation after a spate of regional attacks on shipping.  Two Indian vessels had approached the Iranian-flagged FV Al Kamar 786 around 165 kilometers (103 miles) southwest of the Yemeni island of Socotra, not far from the eastern tip of Somalia.  An operation was "currently underway by the Indian Navy towards rescue of hijacked FV & its...
Categories: Iraq

Iraq to Import Electricity From Jordan

Voice of America - Sat, 03/30/2024 - 00:28
baghdad, iraq — Iraq said Friday that a power line would soon bring electricity from Jordan to the border area as authorities aim to diversify energy sources to ease the country's chronic outages. With its generating capacity ravaged by decades of conflict and underinvestment, Iraq has long relied on imports of gas and electricity from neighboring Iran. The 340-kilometer (210-mile) power line from Jordan will officially start operating on Saturday, the Electricity Ministry said in a...
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World Braces for Islamic State to Build on Moscow Attack

Voice of America - Fri, 03/29/2024 - 22:19
WASHINGTON — What is normally a time of celebration is turning to one of anxiety, as counterterrorism officials are on high alert for the Islamic State terror group to build on its deadly Moscow attack with new plots targeting Easter. Already, some European countries have issued heightened threat alerts while increasing security. Italy, in particular, cites the approach of the Easter holiday as one reason for additional concern. The latest propaganda from Islamic State, also known as IS or...
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Blinken Heading to Paris, Brussels to Seek Unity on Ukraine, Gaza Wars

Voice of America - Fri, 03/29/2024 - 05:13
Secretary of State Antony Blinken plans to go to France and Belgium next week to try to build unity among allies in support of Ukraine in its war against Russia and of Israel in its war against Hamas. Analysts say he faces a tough task. VOA Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports.
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Kenyan Health Care Business Brings Low-Cost Ultrasound to Expectant Mothers

Voice of America - Fri, 03/29/2024 - 00:56
For most pregnant women in the slums of Nairobi, ultrasound services are an unaffordable luxury. Now, a Kenyan health care business is using portable, low-cost ultrasound systems to give expectant mothers a chance to see their babies and detect any health problems before the delivery day. Victoria Amunga reports from Nairobi. Videographer: Jimmy Makhulo
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Palestinian Authority Announces New Cabinet as It Faces Calls for Reform

Voice of America - Thu, 03/28/2024 - 16:51
RAMALLAH, West Bank — The Palestinian Authority announced the formation of a new Cabinet on Thursday as it faces international pressure to reform.  President Mahmoud Abbas, who has led the Palestinian Authority for nearly two decades and remains in overall control, announced the new government in a presidential decree. None of the incoming ministers is a well-known figure.  Abbas tapped Mohammad Mustafa, a longtime adviser, to be prime minister earlier this month. Mustafa, a politically...
Categories: Iraq