Associated Press: Armed Groups Besieging Towns In Northeastern Mali Driving Residents, Many Children, To Hunger

“A humanitarian crisis is worsening in northeastern Mali where armed groups linked to Islamic State have besieged major towns leaving residents including some 80,000 children vulnerable to malnutrition, locals and an aid group warned Wednesday. The town of Ménaka has been under siege for four months, driving up the prices of food. Other essential goods like medication are increasingly hard to find, residents and aid groups say. “The humanitarian situation is catastrophic, with displaced people going from house to house asking for food for their families. Children are threatened with starvation,” Wani Ould Hamadi, deputy mayor of the town of Ménaka, told the Associated Press.Mali, along with its neighbors Burkina Faso and Niger, has for over a decade battled an insurgency fought by armed groups, including some allied with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. Following military coups in all three nations in recent years, the ruling juntas have expelled French forces and turned to Russia’s mercenary units for security assistance instead.”

Bloomberg: US And Saudis Near Defense Pact Meant To Reshape Middle East

“The US and Saudi Arabia are nearing a historic pact that would offer the kingdom security guarantees and lay out a possible pathway to diplomatic ties with Israel, if its government brings the war in Gaza to an end, people familiar with the matter said. The agreement faces plenty of obstacles but would amount to a new version of a framework that was scuttled when Hamas militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, triggering the conflict in Gaza. Negotiations between Washington and Riyadh have sped up recently, and many officials are optimistic that they could reach a deal within weeks, according to the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private deliberations.”

United States

Associated Press: Sentencing Postponed For Minnesota Man Who Regrets Joining Islamic State Group

“A Minnesota man who once fought for the Islamic State group in Syria but now expresses remorse for joining a “death cult” and has been cooperating with federal authorities will have to wait to learn how much prison time he faces after his sentencing hearing set for Wednesday was canceled. Federal prosecutors have recommended 12 years for Abelhamid Al-Madioum in recognition both of the seriousness of his crime and the help has he given the U.S. and other governments. His attorney says that seven years is enough and that Al-Madioum, 27, stopped believing in the group’s extremist ideology years ago. A court notice posted online just over two hours before the hearing was to begin said it would be rescheduled for a date to be determined. The notice did not give a reason for the cancellation.”

Associated Press: The Latest | In Israel, Blinken Pushes Hamas To Agree On Gaza Cease-Fire Deal

“U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Israel on Wednesday to press for a cease-fire deal in the Israel-Hamas war, saying “ the time is now ” and warning that Hamas would bear the blame for any failure to reach an agreement to halt the war in Gaza. On his seventh visit since the latest war between Israel and Hamas broke out in October, Blinken is trying to advance a truce that would free hostages held by Hamas in exchange for a halt to the fighting and delivery of much needed food, medicine and water into Gaza. Palestinian prisoners are also expected to be released as part of the deal. The U.S. has pressured Israel to increase aid deliveries during the war, and on Tuesday, Israel reopened a border crossing with hard-hit northern Gaza Strip for the first time since it was damaged at the start of the war.”

Voice Of America: US, China Stumble On Hamas In Efforts To Seek Peace In Middle East

“U.S. and Israeli efforts to isolate Hamas diplomatically have run up against the reality that a cease-fire and the release of 129 Israeli hostages cannot be achieved without engaging the group responsible for the massacre of some 1,200 people on October 7. Standing next to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken later in October, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Hamas "should be spit out from the community of nations. No leader should meet them. No country should harbor them. And those that do should be sanctioned." But almost seven months later, Hamas leaders have neither been ostracized nor have countries that engage with them faced sanctions. Last week, Hamas representatives were in Beijing discussing reconciliation with Fatah, another Palestinian faction. A week before that, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh met with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul.”

Turkey

Reuters: Turkish Police Detain 217 May Day Protesters In Istanbul, Minister Says

“Turkish police detained 217 people on Wednesday, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said, after tear gas and rubber bullets were used to stop the protesters reaching Taksim Square, the traditional focal point of May Day rallies in Istanbul. President Tayyip Erdogan said on the eve of May Day that the annual protests would not be allowed to take place on Taksim Square, which was cordoned off by police. Legal experts say this stance violates the right of Turks to organise public meetings and demonstrations, a right upheld by the Constitutional Court in a ruling last October. The leader of Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), Ozgur Ozel, called for the rally to go ahead in the square despite a ban issued by the Istanbul governor's office. "If May 1 is not celebrated in the country's main square, democracy is in trouble. This struggle will continue until Taksim is free," Ozel told reporters on Wednesday in the district of Sarachane.”

Afghanistan

Associated Press: Phones, Islamic Books And Currency Exchange. Some Businesses Are Making Money Out Of Taliban Rule

“Yunis Safi, a businessman in Kabul, knows very well the importance of showing off your phone if you want something done. “In Afghanistan, your phone is your personality,” he said, smiling, a jewel-encrusted ring on each hand. One boasts an emerald, the other a fat Russian diamond. “When you go to a meeting with the government, the better your phone, the more they respect you.” Safi runs a phone shop in the posh Shar-e-Naw neighborhood. An armed guard stands outside. The iPhone 15 Pro Max adorns the shop shelves, retailing for $1,400. He has customers ready to part with this sum of money, which may come as a surprise to some given the country’s economic woes and more than half the population relying on humanitarian aid to survive. Afghanistan’s finances were on shaky ground even before the Taliban seized power in 2021. The budget relied heavily on foreign aid and corruption was rife. The takeover sent Afghanistan’s economy into a tailspin, billions in international funds were frozen, and tens of thousands of highly skilled Afghans fled the country and took their money with them.”

Voice Of America: Taliban Aiming To Bring Visitors To Afghanistan

“A school for tourism and hotel management has opened its doors to students in Kabul, Afghanistan. The students are of different ages and their levels of education and professional experience are not the same. They are all men because Afghan women are banned from studying after sixth grade. The men do not know anything about tourism or the hospitality industry. But they hope to show a different side of Afghanistan in the future. The country’s Taliban leaders are interested in their efforts. The international community mostly rejects Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers because of their restrictions on women and girls. The Afghan economy is struggling. Roads, bridges and other structures are in poor condition and people have little money. However, foreigners are visiting the country because violence has decreased. There are also more air travel connections from places like Dubai, and some people enjoy vacationing in an unusual place. The numbers are not large, but there is a notable increase in Afghan tourism.”

Lebanon

Associated Press: EU Announces 1 Billion Euros In Aid For Lebanon Amid A Surge In Irregular Migration

“The European Union announced on Thursday an aid package for Lebanon of 1 billion euros — about $1.06 billion — much of which will go to strengthening border control to halt the flow of asylum seekers and migrants from the small, crisis-wracked country across the Mediterranean Sea to Cyprus and Italy. The deal follows other recent deals by the EU to provide funds to countries such as Egypt, Tunisia and Mauritania to fortify their borders. It comes against a backdrop of increasing hostility toward Syrian refugees in Lebanon and a major surge in irregular migration of Syrian refugees from Lebanon to Cyprus. European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the aid, which will be distributed between this year and 2027, during a visit to Beirut alongside Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides. The bulk of the package — 736 million euros — would go to supporting Syrian refugees “and other vulnerable groups” in Lebanon, while 200 million euros would bolster Lebanese security services in enforcing border and migration control, according to figures provided by the Cypriot government.”

Qatar

Euronews: From Sword Dancing To Modern Theatre, Performing Arts Are On A Show In Qatar

“The performing arts scene in Qatar is ever-evolving. This episode of Qatar 365 gives you a glimpse of the live entertainment options on offer, from traditional dances to modern theatre. First, Aadel Haleem followed the crowds to the Darb Al Saai festival, highlighting the importance of retaining Qatari heritage, like the art of 'Ardha', a traditional sword dance. When Qatar was populated by Bedouins and tribes, the folk dance of 'Ardha' was performed to lift the spirits of returning soldiers or fighters. Nowadays, elders preserve this art by teaching the younger generation during cultural celebrations. Um Mubarak Al-Mohannadi, head of The Al Khor Traditional Art Band, performs songs that used to be part of their ancestors' daily lives and explained the importance of sharing the knowledge of times gone by.”

Australia

Associated Press: Judge Denies Bail To Teen Charged With Terror-Related Offenses After Stabbings At Sydney Church

“A judge denied bail Thursday to a 15-year-old boy alleged to be in a network planning terrorist acts and who claimed to be a friend of another teen accused of stabbing a Sydney bishop last month. The attack on the bishop triggered an investigation that led to the arrests of six teens, ages 14 to 17, who were charged last week with a range of offenses including conspiring to engage in or planning a terrorist act. All remain in custody. The 15-year-old boy’s lawyer Ahmed Dib had applied for bail Wednesday in the Parramatta Children’s Court, arguing there were exceptional circumstances that required his client’s release. But Magistrate James Viney ruled such circumstances did not exist. “There is an unacceptable risk to the protection of the community,” Viney said. Viney said he found the boy’s alleged threats to stab Jewish or Assyrian people, a predominantly Christian ethnic group native to the Middle East, and an alleged assault to be “gravely concerning.””

Colombia

Associated Press: Colombia’s President Says Country Will Break Diplomatic Relations With Israel Over War In Gaza

“Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Wednesday announced his government will break diplomatic relations with Israel effective Thursday in the latest escalation of tensions between the countries over the Israel-Hamas war. Petro again described Israel’s siege of Gaza as “genocide.” He previously suspended purchases of weapons from Israel and compared that country’s actions in Gaza to those of Nazi Germany. “Tomorrow, diplomatic relations with the State of Israel will be broken … for having a genocidal president,” Petro said during an International Workers’ Day march in Colombia’s capital. “If Palestine dies, humanity dies, and we are not going to let it die.” Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz quickly rebuked Petro’s comments on the platform X.”