- The Guardian
- Issue #2186
US: President Donald Trump acknowledged in an interview that the United States had supplied weapons to anti-government protesters in Iran during recent January unrest. The munitions were funnelled through Kurdish groups. When the US and Israel illegally attacked Iran on 28 February, they hoped the Kurdish militants would join the attack on the ground. The United States and Israel were quite willing to sacrifice their proxies to achieve regime change, but this time they failed.
INDIA: Frequently described as “the world’s largest democracy,” India often takes pride in the massive logistics involved in national elections. Not so democratically, some nine million voters have been removed from electoral rolls in West Bengal. The removal is supposed to get rid of outdated or duplicate entries, but comments from Prime Minister Modi seem to aim at Muslim voters. 12% of voters have been removed. The disenfranchised can apply to be put back on the roll, but that won’t happen until after the state election.
YEMEN: Yemen’s Houthi rebels have carried out an attack against Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. It was the fifth major military operation by the group since joining the regional response to US and Israeli strikes on Iran. A Houthi military spokesman said the attack was motivated by support for resisting forces in Iran, Lebanon, Iraq, and Palestine. He tied the action directly to a confrontation with what he described as a Zionist plan to establish a Greater Israel under the guise of a so-called New Middle East. He also stressed that the latest strike was a coordinated effort rather than an isolated act.
GAZA: The Palestinian Centre for Missing and Forcibly Disappeared Persons issued a strong warning about the escalating humanitarian crisis specifically impacting children. During 29 months of relentless Israeli attacks, 21,510 children were killed and over 8,000 children are missing. The centre also reported that about 200 minors have vanished without a trace in various parts of Gaza, raising strong suspicions of forced disappearances. The centre drew attention to the fact that thousands of children were still buried under the rubble. The centre urged the international community and the United Nations to adopt urgent, concrete measures, including the immediate opening of safe corridors to help with essential rescue operations, with all the necessary equipment and prompt independent investigations into all cases of forced disappearances. The plight of Gazan children highlights a total neglect of international law and demands of global condemnation. Those responsible for the atrocities committed against Gaza’s civilians, including children, should stand trial as war criminals.
HUNGARY: Hungary, Russia, Turkey and Serbia agreed to strengthen protection of the TurkStream gas pipeline from possible attacks from Ukraine, the Hungarian Foreign Minister said after a meeting of Hungary’s Defence Council. The agreement followed a sabotage attempt targeting gas infrastructure crucial for the country’s and the region’s energy supply. Serbian law enforcement agencies had discovered a cache of explosives near the gas pipeline connecting the country with Hungary. Markings on the explosives indicated they were manufactured in the US. Hungary views the incident as an attack on the country’s sovereignty. The Srbijagas director claimed that Hungary was the actual target, since Serbia would not have been left without gas.
RUSSIA: Russians have celebrated the 65th anniversary of the first human space flight. On 12 April 1961, Yuri Gagarin successfully completed a historic 108-minute mission of orbiting the Earth. Since then Russia has celebrated Cosmonautics Day in honour of Gagarin’s flight. In 2011, the United Nations General Assembly declared 12 April the International Day of Human Space Flight.
