As the Middle East crisis continues the humanitarian fallout is worsening, with aid route disruptions and food and fuel price hikes wrecking the lives and the rights of the most vulnerable people worldwide, UN agencies warned on Friday.
UN says Israel death penalty law targets Palestinians, erodes rights A United Nations anti-racism body has warned that new Israeli legislation introducing the death penalty for certain attacks deepens discrimination against Palestinians and undermines fundamental rights. The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination said the measure “perpetuates racial discrimination against Palestinians and amounts to a grave erosion of human rights”. In a statement, the committee said: “The new law is a severe blow to human rights, rolling back Israel’s long-standing de facto moratorium on executions since 1962 and expanding the use of the death penalty in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
The Route Back Home: How Gaza's children use art to express the nightmares of genocide Submitted by Joe Gill on Thu, 04/30/2026 - 08:48 The project at Old Palestine House in Brighton features paintings by children who have lived through Israel's atrocities in the besieged territory A painting by one of the children that features in the project shows a girl walking amid the shrouds of the dead in Gaza (Joe Gill/MEE) Off Amid the remarkable, moving artwork and written testimonies of children from Gaza on display at the Old Palestine House in Brighton, there is one blank canvas suspended among the others. It belongs to Ghazi Ramadan. The eight-year-old Palestinian boy wanted to draw a shopping mall where he could go and buy things.
Dozens of residents in Tehran displaced by a 40-day war with the US and Israel said municipal authorities ordered them to vacate temporary hotel housing despite unsafe homes and limited aid, according to interviews published by Etemad newspaper on Thursday.
OpEd by Dr Marta Schaaf & Nazia Erum The world’s slide into authoritarian practices is accelerating the climate crisis. At its core, the authoritarian goal is typically to enable resource consolidation for a few. Such projects pursue muscular governance that puts the concerns of these few people ahead of the planet, while weaponising disinformation and […] The post Authoritarianism is supercharging the climate crisis appeared first on Amnesty International .
Palestinian football chief refuses to pose next to Israeli counterpart at Fifa event The President of the Palestine Football Association Jibril Rajoub has denied posing alongside Vice-President of the Israeli Football Association Basim Sheikh Suliman. "I cannot shake the hand of someone the Israelis have brought to whitewash their fascism and genocide. We are suffering," Rajoub told Reuters.
Lindsay and Craig Foreman are facing the reality of a 10-year prison sentence following their arrest in Iran while on a motorcycle tour last year.
The Modi administration’s systematic throttling of free speech sets a dangerous precedent for the world.
Turkish activist describes Israeli navy's raid of Gaza-bound flotilla as 'unlawful' A Turkish activist aboard a Gaza-bound aid flotilla has described the Israeli navy's raid in international waters as “unlawful” and “brutal”. A Turkish activist aboard a Gaza-bound aid flotilla has described Israeli intervention in international waters as “unlawful” and “brutal” after several vessels were intercepted overnight. pic.
Policing and government policy are essential, but not sufficient to address rising hate crime against Jews The stabbing of two men in north-west London on Wednesday by an attacker described as seeking anyone “visibly Jewish” would be horrifying under any circumstances. That it comes amid rising antisemitic crime in the area, in the UK and around the world makes it all the more frightening. A community persecuted throughout history faces a fresh wave of hatred and abuse.
At Least 22 Executed in Six Weeks as Secret Trials, Torture, and Forced Confessions Drive a Wave of Death Sentences Protesters, Women, and Juveniles Swept into a Fast-Tracked System of State Retribution for Dissent April 30, 2026 — In an extraordinary increase in the use of the death penalty as a political tool of repression, […] The post Iran’s Execution Machine: Political Hangings Surge as Dozens Face Imminent Death appeared first on Center for Human Rights in Iran .
Israel’s top Jewish religious body 'refuses to condemn' smashing of Jesus statue Submitted by Nadav Rapaport on Thu, 04/30/2026 - 14:27 Army sought statement denouncing incident as contrary to Jewish law amid backlash, report says Footage of an Israeli soldier smashing a statue of Jesus was widely condemned (Screenshot/X) Off Israel ’s Chief Rabbinate has declined to condemn the smashing of a statue of Jesus by a soldier in southern Lebanon earlier this month, according to Army Radio . The report on Thursday said military officials had asked the Rabbinate, the highest Jewish religious authority in Israel, to issue a statement condemning the incident, which drew widespread criticism. According to the report, the army requested that the Rabbinate denounce the act as contrary to Jewish law, but no such condemnation was issued.
Responding to reports that Israeli forces intercepted 22 vessels and detained around 175 crew members of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which was attempting to break Israel’s illegal blockade and deliver essential humanitarian aid to the occupied Gaza Strip, amidst Israel’s ongoing genocide, Amnesty International’s Senior Director for Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns, Erika Guevara Rosas, […] The post Israel’s brazen interception of Global Sumud Flotilla bound for Gaza sparks fears for 175 arbitrarily detained appeared first on Amnesty International .
UK terror watchdog urges 'moratorium' on pro-Palestine marches Submitted by MEE staff on Thu, 04/30/2026 - 12:58 Jonathan Hall made the comments following stabbing of two Jewish people in Golders Green Protesters wave Palestinian flags as they march past Harrods department store during a march organised by the Palestine Coalition in central London, 28 March (AFP) Off The UK's independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, Jonathan Hall, has called for a "moratorium" on pro- Palestine marches because of recent antisemitic attacks in London. A 45-year-old Somali -born British national was arrested on Wednesday afternoon after two Jewish men in Golders Green, aged 34 and 76, were stabbed in a London neighbourhood with a large Jewish population. Both are expected to make a full recovery.
Nun assaulted in Jerusalem amid 'pattern' of anti-Christian attacks by Israelis Submitted by Nadav Rapaport on Thu, 04/30/2026 - 12:37 Police arrest suspect who struck a 48-year-old nun in the face while she was walking in the city The 48-year-old nun was attacked on 28 April 2026 in occupied East Jerusalem, leaving her face bruised (Israeli police). Off A nun was assaulted in occupied East Jerusalem earlier this week amid growing concern over Israeli attacks against Christians. The 48-year-old, a researcher at Jerusalem’s French School of Biblical and Archaeological Research, was attacked on Tuesday in front of the Cenacle, a site on Mount Zion regarded as holy by both Christians and Jews.
Starmer calls for ‘swift and visible’ response to attacks on Jews A stronger and more immediate response to attacks targeting Britain’s Jewish community has been called for by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. "It’s really important that we are able collectively to demonstrate that the response will be swift and visible," he said during a high-level meeting held at Downing Street following an attack in north London yesterday which wounded two people.
Telegraph and Politico owner says journalists must support Israel or resign Submitted by Elis Gjevori on Thu, 04/30/2026 - 08:34 Mathias Dopfner has been accused of editorial interference by journalists over his pro-Israel mandates CEO of Axel Springer media group Mathias Doepfner (John MacDougall/AFP) Off The owner of the Telegraph and Politico has said the outlets' journalists must back Israel or resign, prompting accusations that the newsroom’s independence is under threat. Tensions inside Politico were laid bare this week after Axel Springer CEO Mathias Dopfner told staff that backing Israel forms a core value of working at the outlet. Axel Springer acquired the political news site in 2021.
When silence becomes a crime: Ousmane B. * “More than a dozen journalists I know have been harassed and threatened, even to the point of being abducted or arrested. Every time I’ve spoken out in support of a colleague who was abducted, I’ve been told, ‘You’ll be next’.
After months of upheaval, many are attempting to get on with their lives while quietly grappling with grief, economic stress and a loss of hope.
New Delhi [India], April 30 (ANI): BJP Spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill said on Thursday, requested the Ministry of External Affairs to assist several elderly Iranian Sikh couples stranded at a Gurudwara in Tehran, stating that a Mahaan Air flight scheduled from Tehran to India on May 5 is reportedly not allowing them to board without clearance from the Government of India.
