Thursday, March 28, 2024

Latest News and Views from Iran and the World

Nowruz, a millennia-old tradition

Nowruz, which marks the beginning of Persian New Year and the arrival of the spring, has been celebrated for thousands of years.

World will be judged for children suffering in Gaza Strip: WHO chief

The head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has stated that the world will be judged for the suffering of children in the Gaza Strip.

Israel trapped in Gaza quagmire: Iran FM

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian says that the Zionist regime has gotten stuck in a crisis in the Gaza Strip, adding that the era of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has come to an end.

US urges Qatar to pressure Hamas with expulsion from Doha as Gaza ceasefire negotiations stalled

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivered a stern message to Qatar earlier this month: Tell Palestinian group Hamas that they must deliver on a hostage and ceasefire deal that would halt the war in the Gaza Strip or risk getting kicked out of Doha where senior members of the group are based, two US officials told CNN.

UN: Satellite images show 35% of Gaza’s buildings destroyed or damaged

The United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) has compared high-resolution satellite images of Gaza collected on February 29 with images taken before and after the start of the latest conflict.

Russia announces new gains in Donbass, eastern Ukraine

The Russian Army has captured the village of Tonenkoye in Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), the Russian Defense Ministry announced on Thursday, referring to the self-proclaimed republic in eastern Ukraine. Tonenkoye has seen intense combat over the past few weeks, following the taking of the key Donbass town of Avdeevka in mid-February.

World Cup Qualifiers: Iran dominates Turkmenistan 5-0

Iran’s national football team overwhelmed Turkmenistan with a commanding 5-0 victory at Tehran's Azadi Stadium, securing their second win in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Nowruz traffic tragedy: 271 killed during car accidents in Iran

Commander of Iran’s traffic police says as of 8 am on Thursday 271 people had died in Nowruz car accidents.

Russia conducts largest missile strike on Ukraine capital in weeks

Russia launched its largest missile attack in weeks on Kyiv and the surrounding region on Thursday, injuring more than a dozen and damaging schools, residential buildings and industrial facilities, officials have confirmed.

685 medical workers killed in Gaza by Israel: WHO

Since the beginning of the war in the Gaza Strip, 685 healthcare workers have been killed by the Israeli military, and 902 have been injured, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Iranian snooker sensation: Vafai’s triumph over world no. 1 stuns audience

In a historic moment for Iranian sports, Hossein Vafai has etched his name in the annals of snooker history with an astonishing victory over "Rani O'Sullivan," the reigning world number one, in the 2024 World Open Snooker Tournament.

Donors warn Biden’s Gaza policy ‘increasing chances’ of Trump victory

A group of more than 100 donors for the US Democratic Party sent a letter to President Joe Biden, warning him that his "unconditional support" for Israel's war on the besieged Gaza Strip is increasing his odds of losing the upcoming presidential election.

Iranian actress Yekta Nasser alleges domestic abuse, child kidnapping in emotional video

Renowned Iranian actress Yekta Nasser has made shocking allegations in a recent video, revealing a decade-long ordeal of domestic abuse and her struggle to recover from a two-year-old divorce.

UK says its forces won’t ‘fight side by side’ with Ukrainians against Russia

London has no plans to send troops to fight Russia alongside Ukrainian soldiers, a UK government spokesman has stated.

Germany says not to let Putin dictate peace terms in Ukraine

Berlin will not let Russian President Vladimir Putin forcibly alter Ukraine’s borders or impose the terms of peace, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has vowed.

Water level in Lake Urmia has improved after recent rainfalls

With a 50 percent increase in rainfalls in the catchment area of the receding Lake Urmia in Iran’s northwest compared to last year and the release of the water rights from upstream dams, the lake is in better condition now.

Iran seeking to reclaim artifacts looted from Jiroft

Iran is seeking to get back the ancient artifacts stolen over two decades ago from the country’s southeastern city of Jiroft and illegally smuggled out of the country.

Senate Democrats urge ‘bold’ US push on Palestinian state

More than a third of the US Senate's Democrats have called on the administration of President Joe Biden to take "bold" action toward establishing a Palestinian state, in the latest pushback against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Nowruz commemorated at United Nations

Envoys and diplomats from Iran and eleven other countries held a ceremony on Wednesday to mark the Persian New Year, Nowruz, at the United Nations with the president of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in attendance.

Hamas: Israel intensifying civilian attacks to get concessions in truce talks

Hamas official Osama Hamdan has cautioned Israel continues to target civilian areas in the Gaza Strip to strengthen its hand in truce talks

US imposes fresh sanctions against Iran over its missile, nuclear programs

The United States Treasury Department has introduced a new round of sanctions targeting Iran's ballistic missile and nuclear programs.

Afghanistan tops list of world’s unhappiest country: Report

Finland remained the world's happiest country for a seventh straight year in an annual UN sponsored World Happiness Report. Afghanistan, plagued by a humanitarian catastrophe since the Taliban regained control in 2020, stayed at the bottom of the 143 countries surveyed.

Over half of Gaza’s population on brink of famine: World Bank

The World Bank has warned that more than half the population of Gaza is on the brink of famine, including children and the elderly as Israel keeps blocking humanitarian aid to the enclave.

Rights groups urge EU to suspend trade agreement with Israel over Gaza war

More than 200 civil society organizations called on the European Union to suspend the EU-Israel trade agreement without delay due to Israel’s bloody war on the Gaza Strip and the violation of basic human rights.

Axis of Resistance has foiled US schemes in West Asia: Iran Leader

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has praised the anti-Israel military operations by resistance factions in Palestine, Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq. He stressed that the Axis of Resistance has demonstrated its potential and effectively disrupted the US strategic calculations in West Asia