Lebanese panic as tremor strikes, sea retreats

Wed, 2023-02-22 21:13

BEIRUT: A small earthquake that struck South Lebanon early on Wednesday sparked widespread panic as residents ran from their homes barefoot, with many saying they “feared for their children’s lives.”
The 4.3-magnitude tremor, the latest in a series of minor quakes, hit the coastline near the southern city of Sidon shortly after 8 a.m., further terrifying Lebanese still recovering from the shock of twin earthquakes that devastated large areas of Turkiye and Syria over two weeks ago.

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10 Palestinians killed, scores shot in Israel’s West Bank raid

Wed, 2023-02-22 20:59

RAMALLAH: Israeli troops killed 10 Palestinians on Wednesday in an hourslong raid on the occupied West Bank city of Nablus that also left more than 100 people with gunshot wounds, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.
The Israeli army said the raid targeted militant suspects “in a hideout apartment” who were accused of shootings in the West Bank. Three of the suspects — two from the Lion’s Den militant group and one from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad — were killed, it added.

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Israeli reforms would undermine judiciary, UN rights chief says

Wed, 2023-02-22 00:55

GENEVA: The United Nations’ human rights chief on Tuesday voiced concern that a proposed overhaul of Israel’s judicial system would “drastically undermine” the ability of the judiciary to uphold human rights and the rule of law.
Israel’s parliament is pushing ahead with changes promoted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s religious-nationalist government which it says are needed to rein in activist judges who intervene in politics.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Volker Turk delivers a statement in Port-au-Prince, Haiti February 10, 2023. (REUTERS)
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Iran slaps tit-for-tat sanctions on EU, Britain

Wed, 2023-02-22 02:34

TEHRAN, Iran: Iran imposed sanctions Tuesday on 36 individuals and entities from the European Union and Britain in reaction to similar measures against Tehran over its response to months-long protests.
Tehran placed the names on its “sanction list for supporting terrorism and terrorist groups” as well as for “interference in domestic affairs… fomenting violence and unrest,” the Iranian foreign ministry said in a statement.

The Iranian flag is seen flying over a street in Tehran, Iran, February 1, 2023. (REUTERS)
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Sheikh Hamad Hospital in Gaza opens two specialized units

Tue, 2023-02-21 23:32

DOHA: Two specialized units have opened at Sheikh Hamad Hospital for Rehabilitation and Prosthetics in Gaza. One is for patients with foot complications resulting from diabetes, the other for people suffering from chronic diseases.

Dr. Khaled Abd El-Hadi, the vice chairperson of the hospital, said the units are the first of their kinds in the Gaza Strip, which has lacked the necessary medical expertise and equipment as a result of the Israeli blockade.

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