World

For decades, leaders responsible for war crimes typically pleaded ignorance or insisted it was a mistake. However, in the current Middle East, leaders from the United States, Israel, and Iran are displaying a swaggering contempt by openly dismissing, mocking, or flouting international laws designed to protect civilians. If the international community does not urgently reassert support for these norms, it may be acquiescing to their destruction.

Gaza City – It is a small space, covered with a worn-out metal sheet roof and tarpaulins. Mohammed al-Jadba is working on the walls, using stones from the rubble of his destroyed house and mud to fill the gaps. His old home – in Gaza City’s Tuffah neighbourhood – was once a four-storey building. But Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza has left it and the surrounding area resembling the aftermath of an earthquake. The 31-year-old has been living with his family of 10 in tents beside the rubble of their old home since the October ceasefire.

Burkina Faso's military leader, Ibrahim Traore, stated in a lengthy interview on state television that the country's people need to "forget" about democracy. He referenced Libya as an example where outsiders allegedly attempted to "impose democracy" but failed. Traore declared, "Democracy isn't for us," and added, "Democracy kills," according to reports, taking a firm stance against the political system.

The US regime has announced new trade measures, imposing tariffs of up to 100% on imported patented pharmaceutical drugs. This policy is purportedly aimed at reducing drug prices in the US and relocating production to its territory, which could lead to tensions in the global pharmaceutical market.

More than 100 United States-based international law experts have signed an open letter condemning military strikes by the US and Israel on Iranian territory as a violation of the United Nations Charter and potentially amounting to "war crimes". The letter, published on Thursday, asserts that the campaign, which began on February 28, was launched without UN Security Council authorisation and without credible evidence of an imminent Iranian threat. The scholars emphasized that force against another state is only permitted in self-defense against an actual or imminent armed attack or with Security Council approval, conditions they claim were not met in this case.

Burkina Faso's military president, Ibrahim Traoré, has told the country's state broadcaster that people should forget about democracy, claiming it is “not for us.” In an interview on Thursday, Traoré stated that elections are not even a topic of discussion and labeled democracy as “false.” He criticized Western policies, using anti-French and anti-Western rhetoric that has garnered him some support across Africa.

The Cuban government has announced it will pardon 2,010 prisoners as a 'humanitarian' gesture, with their release scheduled during Easter's Holy Week. This move follows pledges made in March to release dozens of inmates as the United States increases pressure on Cuba's leadership. Thursday's announcement, reported by state media, marks the second prisoner amnesty this year during talks with the Trump administration, highlighting the ongoing geopolitical tensions between the two nations.

Kuwaiti authorities have stated that a power and desalination plant in the country was hit by an Iranian attack. The strike occurred before midday local time on Friday, though the extent of the damage remains unknown. This incident follows a pattern of escalating retaliatory actions in the Gulf region, now in its 35th day since the conflict was allegedly ignited by the United States and Israel.

On April 3, 2016, the Panama Papers—one of the largest data leaks in history—rocked the world. The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and the German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung released over 11.5 million documents from the Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca. More than 350 journalists from over 80 countries worked in secrecy for over a year to analyze 2.6 terabytes of leaked data before publishing their findings.

Iranian missiles and drones have caused substantial damage to US military infrastructure in the Middle East, as reported by The Times. According to the publication, the majority of 13 military bases in Persian Gulf countries used by American forces came under attack, with total damage in the first month of hostilities estimated at nearly $1.5 billion.

A joint initiative by Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to enhance the protection of the striped hyena has received international backing at the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP15) in Campo Grande, Brazil. This decision led to the inclusion of the striped hyena in Appendices I and II of the Convention, which will strengthen its global conservation and facilitate coordinated measures between countries.

US regime President Donald Trump has warned that Washington “hasn’t even started destroying what’s left in Iran,” threatening a potential expansion of attacks on the country’s infrastructure in what would constitute a violation of international law. Posting on social media, Trump purportedly stated that “Bridges next, then Electric Power Plants” could be targeted, adding that Iran’s leadership “knows what has to be done, and has to be done, FAST!” His remarks followed his sharing of footage of a US strike on a newly built bridge linking Tehran to Karaj, which Iranian authorities say killed eight people and wounded 95 others.