POWER HUNGRY | Second in a Seattle Times and ProPublica series about the impact of data centers in Washington. This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with The Seattle Times. Times Watchdog stories dig deep to hold power accountable, right wrongs and create change. This work is made possible by The … Read more
Sihame Denguir enrolled her teenage son and daughter in France’s largest Muslim private school, Averroes, in Lille, which lost government funding due to not complying with secular principles.
The Israeli military has lifted a ban on the sale of food to Gaza from Israel and the occupied West Bank amid international aid choking as a result of the battlefield offensive. Gaza traders have been given permission to resume purchasing food such as fresh fruit, vegetables, and dairy products from Israeli and Palestinian suppliers. The deliveries are vetted by the Israeli military at the Kerem Shalom border crossing, with only products for sale allowed and no charitable donations permitted. The flow of deliveries has been inconsistent, with prices often too high for cash-strapped families in Gaza.
Russian President Vladimir Putin urged all sides in the Middle East to avoid actions that could lead to a new confrontation with catastrophic consequences for the region. Putin spoke to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi about Iran’s retaliatory measures against Israel and emphasized the need for restraint to prevent further escalation. The root cause of instability in the Middle East was attributed to the unresolved conflict between Palestinians and Israel. Both leaders confirmed their support for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and a political settlement of the crisis. Iran has provided Russia with powerful missiles and drones used in Ukraine.
Fact: The annual inflation rate in the northern part of Cyprus hit 94.5 per cent in March, with monthly food inflation reaching 3.4 per cent.
Iranian police have arrested a senior operative of Islamic State, along with two other members, for planning a suicide attack during Ramadan celebrations. The arrests were made in Karaj, west of Tehran, following clashes.
Fact: Iranian police arrested a senior operative of Islamic State and two other members accused of planning a suicide attack during celebrations marking the end of Ramadan.
The embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Nicosia prepared and distributed 300 food parcels for Ramadan in collaboration with Sharjah Charity International.
Fact: The opposition party CHP secured an unprecedented victory in Turkey’s local elections, trouncing President Erdogan’s AK Party.
Polls closed at 5pm on Sunday in Turkey’s local elections. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan once said that whoever wins Istanbul wins Turkey. Murat Kurum is the preferred candidate of Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar. Imamoglu is hoping to retain the mayoralty in Istanbul. Erdogan’s Ak Parti is unlikely to win in Ankara and Izmir. Violence was reported in some areas during the elections, with three people killed in shootings related to mukhtar elections.