PARIS: The deadly collapse of a building in southwestern Iran has accentuated anger over price rises and economic deprivation that sparked protests which have now lasted three weeks and show no sign of abating, observers say.

With video footage showing the use of bitter slogans against the government and even supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the protests present a hugely delicate moment for the Islamic republic’s leadership.

US and Israeli officials committed to coordinating efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons in a meeting of senior officials, the White House said in a statement on Wednesday.
The officials also discussed economic and diplomatic steps to achieve their goals and reviewed ongoing cooperation between the US and Israeli militaries in Tuesday’s meeting, the White House said.

ANKARA: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday Turkey will rid northern Syria’s Tal Rifaat and Manbij areas of terrorists, confirming the targets of the new incursion for the first time and saying it will continue into other regions.

His comments, in a speech to lawmakers from his ruling AK Party, came a week after he pledged a new military incursion on Turkey’s southern border against the US-backed Syrian Kurdish militia YPG, which Ankara views as a terrorist group.

LONDON: Attacks on students, teachers and academics have increased significantly over the past two years in Palestine, Syria and Yemen, according to a report by Human Rights Watch.
“Researchers for ‘Education under Attack 2022’ found that the number of attacks on education and the military use of schools increased from 2019 to 2020 by one-third, and continued at this heightened rate in 2021, even as schools and universities around the world closed for prolonged periods during the pandemic,” the report said.

TUNIS: Tunisia’s powerful UGTT union on Tuesday called a national strike in June in public services and state firms after the government refused to increase wages, an escalation that may hinder the government’s efforts to reach a deal with the International Monetary Fund.
Tunisia faces its worst financial crisis and is seeking a $4 billion loan from the IMF seen as necessary to ward off national bankruptcy, in exchange for unpopular reforms, including food and energy subsidies cuts and wage freezes.