cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/46123369

Iran on Saturday denied US claims that it agreed to transfer its enriched uranium abroad and signalled that the Strait of Hormuz has been closed again due to Washington’s ongoing naval blockade.

On Friday, President Donald Trump said the US would maintain a naval blockade on Iranian ports, imposed earlier this week, until a final agreement between the two countries is reached.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/46122976

Among its goals, the US-Israel war on Iran aims to bury Palestinian self-determination. Now more than ever, a one-state framework is the only defence against surrender

Lebanese journalist Ali Shoeib was killed during an Israeli strike on March 28. To justify this attack, the Israeli army published an image online of Shoeib wearing a uniform of militant group Hezbollah. The army later admitted that the image was photoshopped.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/45775791

🇺🇸 "Law that has allowed U.S. intelligence agencies to collect... overseas communications without needing search warrants is set to expire"

Here is a completely wild thought: instead of changing or renewing it, how about the USA stops ignoring people's basic rights worldwide? 🤪

Infrastructure preparations suggest Russia is again trying to involve its ally Belarus in the war, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday. The Ukrainian president made his remarks, posted on Telegram, in response to what he said was an intelligence report issued by Ukraine’s top commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi.

“According to intelligence, road construction in areas leading to Ukraine and the establishment of artillery positions are going on in the Belarusian border area,” Zelenskyy wrote. “We believe that Russia will once again try to involve Belarus in its war.” He said Ukraine had issued instructions to warn the Belarusian leadership of “Ukraine’s readiness to defend its land and independence”.

Zelenskyy also said intelligence showed that Russia was “attempting ... to carry out a regrouping of forces - most likely to compensate for a shortage of personnel”. “In this regard, it becomes more evident why the armed forces increased their activity on the territory of Belarus.” He did not provide further evidence.

Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko, one of Vladimir Putin’s closest allies, allowed his territory to be used for part of Russia’s February 2022 invasion.

A small group of Trump allies have targeted a hallowed dogsledding event in Greenland. They’re dangling the possibility of big investments. And they're shining a light on Greenland’s painful colonial past. The effort appears to be backfiring, though, by incensing leaders on the island.

At least two merchant vessels reported they were hit by gunfire as they attempted to cross the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, three maritime security and shipping sources said, shortly after Iran said it was once more ‌tightening control of the waterway.

Some merchant vessels received a radio message from Iran's Navy that the vital energy chokepoint was shut again and no ships were allowed to pass through, shipping sources said.

Media reports published this week suggested that Palestinian soccer officials were barred from entering Canada ahead of the FIFA Congress slated to take place in Vancouver later this month.

But CBC News has learned that while emails from FIFA suggest Palestinian officials may be experiencing hurdles in the visa approval process, it appears that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has yet to issue final visa decisions.

The Guardian reported Thursday that three unnamed officials from the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) "have had applications for visas to enter Canada rejected" ahead of the 76th FIFA Congress in Vancouver on April 30. The annual legislative event allows all 212 member countries to discuss key issues in soccer.

This year’s FIFA Congress and World Cup, which includes Canadian host cities Toronto and Vancouver, comes amid PFA's ongoing grievances with Israeli football clubs operating in illegal settlements within Palestinian territories.

Kat Vilarev, a sports law expert familiar with the situation, told CBC that the PFA's attendance at the FIFA Congress is key.

"It is the only annual event at which FIFA member associations can feed into global football governance," she said.

A carbon tax would have achieved this same shift in a far more equitable fashion, which of course made it politically quite difficult.