Georgian MP punches opponent in face in brawl over ‘foreign agents’ bill (www.theguardian.com)
Iran has just strengthened Netanyahu’s hand (www.politico.eu)
Israeli leader had been facing the heat over Gaza, but Tehran’s direct assault now makes it hard for allies to rein in support....
Jordan airforce shoots down Iranian drones flying over to Israel (www.reuters.com)
Colombians told to shower with a friend as drought hits capital water supplies (www.theguardian.com)
Bogotá brings in water rationing with El Niño weather phenomenon meaning city could run out in under two months...
German university rescinds US scholar’s job offer over pro-Palestinian letter (www.theguardian.com)
A leading Jewish American philosopher has been disinvited from taking up a prestigious professorship at the University of Cologne after signing a letter expressing solidarity with Palestinians and condemning the killings in Gaza carried out by Israeli forces.
Gaza War Turns Spotlight on Long Pipeline of U.S. Weapons to Israel (www.nytimes.com)
In the fall of 2016, the Obama administration sealed a major military agreement with Israel that committed the United States to giving the country $38 billion in arms over 10 years....
The Shift: Biden says he’s ‘outraged’ over killing of aid workers . . . and moves to send Israel more weapons (mondoweiss.net)
cross-posted from: lemmy.ml/post/14088188...
Finland school shooting: 12-year-old arrested after fellow pupil dies (www.theguardian.com)
Two other children seriously injured in incident in Helsinki suburb described by minister as ‘horrifying’...
Belgium’s renowned chocolatiers grapple with soaring cocoa prices (www.politico.eu)
You famously never know what you’re going to get when you open a box of chocolates. But for Belgium, a state that’s synonymous with the high-end confectionery, soaring cocoa prices are making life for the nation’s chocolate aficionados even more uncertain than usual....
Russia criticised for using veto to end UN monitoring of North Korea sanctions (www.theguardian.com)
Russia has blocked the renewal of a UN panel monitoring sanctions against North Korea, weeks after the body said it was investigating reports of arms transfers between Moscow and Pyongyang....
Everest climbers will have to take their poop away with them, as Nepal tries to address growing waste problem (www.cnn.com)
How Does Paris Stay Paris? By Pouring Billions Into Public Housing (www.nytimes.com)
The two-bedroom penthouse comes with sweeping views of the Eiffel Tower and just about every other monument across the Paris skyline. The rent, at 600 euros a month, is a steal....
The world’s 100 worst polluted cities are in Asia — and 83 of them are in just one country (www.cnn.com)
All but one of the 100 cities with the world’s worst air pollution last year were in Asia, according to a new report, with the climate crisis playing a pivotal role in bad air quality that is risking the health of billions of people worldwide....
Israel ‘yet to give any evidence’ UN staff were linked to Hamas massacre (www.yahoo.com)
Living outside China has become more like living inside China (www.economist.com)
The Communist Party is trying to tighten its grip on the Chinese diaspora...
Russia ‘ready’ for nuclear war, Putin claims (www.politico.eu)
India says it uncovers trafficking racket duping people into fighting for Russia in Ukraine (www.reuters.com)
Saudi oil giant Aramco announces $121 billion profit last year, down from 2022 record (apnews.com)
Plane veered off flight path after both pilots fell asleep, Indonesian authorities say (www.cnn.com)
Indonesia’s transport ministry will launch an investigation after two Batik Air pilots fell asleep during a recent flight, according to state news agency Antara, citing the ministry’s civil aviation director-general M Kristi Endah Murni....
5 children killed in humanitarian aid airdrop, Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health says (abc13.com)
U.S. Airdrops Food to Gaza While Arming Israel to Drop Bombs (www.democracynow.org)
Portugal’s far right on rise as election campaign begins (www.theguardian.com)
Multiple corruption scandals fuel support for populist Chega party led by André Ventura...
Police called to investigate alleged LGBTQ propaganda at Russian ‘My Little Pony’ convention (www.nbcnews.com)
The Russian Supreme Court banned what the government called the LGBTQ “movement” in Russia in November, labeling it an extremist organization....
Israel declares Brazil’s Lula ‘persona non grata’ over comparison of Gaza war to Holocaust (www.timesofisrael.com)
Russia claims full control of Avdiivka after Ukrainian retreat (www.theguardian.com)
Russia has said it has taken full control of the eastern Ukrainian city of Avdiivka, its biggest gain since capturing Bakhmut last May, after a retreat by Ukrainian troops....
