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Grueling conditions in Indian shrimp industry ‘dangerous and abusive’; Report

29 March 2024; AP: SAN FRANCISCO — Noriko Kuwabara was excited to try a new recipe she’d seen on social media for crispy shrimp spring rolls, so she and her husband headed to Costco’s frozen foods aisle. But when she grabbed a bag of farm-raised shrimp from the freezer and saw “Product of India,” she wrinkled her nose.

“I actually try to avoid shrimp from India,” said Kuwabara, an artist. “I hear some bad things about how it’s grown there.”

UN hopes that in India 'everyone's rights' are 'protected', people are able to vote in 'free & fair' atmosphere

United Nations, Mar 29 (PTI) A spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said the world body "hopes” that in India and any country that is having elections, people’s "political and civil rights" are "protected" and everyone is able to vote in a "free and fair" atmosphere.

Israeli court halts subsidies for ultra-Orthodox, deepening turmoil over mandatory military service

29 March 2024; AP: TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel’s Supreme Court on Thursday ordered an end to government subsidies for many ultra-Orthodox men who do not serve in the armya blockbuster ruling that could have far-reaching consequences for the government and the tens of thousands of religious men who refuse to take part in mandatory military

Russian veto brings an end to the UN panel that monitors North Korea nuclear sanctions

29 March 2024; UNITED NATIONS (AP) — A veto Thursday by Russia ended monitoring of U.N. sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear program, prompting Western accusations that Moscow is seeking to avoid scrutiny as it allegedly violates the sanctions to buy weapons from Pyongyang for its war in Ukraine.

India: Congress says it has received fresh I-T notices of over Rs 1,800 crore, calls it "tax terrorism" of BJP

New Delhi, Mar 29 (PTI) The Congress on Friday said it has received fresh notices from the income-tax department, asking it to pay Rs 1,823.08 crore, and accused the ruling BJP of indulging in "tax terrorism" to financially cripple the opposition party ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

US says UN ceasefire resolution not binding on Israel

27 March 2024; MEMO: The UN resolution passed on Monday and which calls for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza is not binding on Israel, the US has claimed.

All UN Security Council resolutions are binding, however White House National Security Council, John Kirby, said: “It’s a non-binding resolution, so there’s no impact at all on Israel’s ability to continue to go after Hamas.”

Americans do not want to be 'complicit in the slaughter' of Palestinian children: Senator

27 March 2024; MEMO: Americans do not want to see Palestinian children killed in the Gaza Strip, Independent Senator, Bernie Sanders, said Wednesday, Anadolu Agency reports.

“The American people, in my view, no matter what your politics may be, do not want to be complicit in the slaughter of small kids who are bombed to death while they sleep.

Israel asks US to reschedule scrapped meeting on Rafah offensive plans

27 March 2024; MEMO: Israel has asked to reschedule a meeting with US officials to discuss its military plans in Gaza’s southern city of Rafah, a US official said on Wednesday, days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu abruptly scrapped the planned talks, Reuters reports.

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USA: Obama, Clinton and big-name entertainers help Biden raise a record $26 million for his reelection

29 March 2024; AP: NEW YORK — Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and some big names from the entertainment world teamed up Thursday night to deliver a rousing New York embrace of President Joe Biden that hauled in a record-setting $26 million-plus for his reelection campaign.

USA: Outpaced by Biden, Trump hopes to rake in $33 million during Florida fundraiser

29 March 2024; AP: Former President Donald Trump’s campaign is seeking to outraise President Joe Biden next week, aiming to take in more than $33 million to top a new single-event fundraising record set by Biden on Thursday with $25 million, said a person familiar with the Trump event who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal planning.

Spain air drops 26 tons of humanitarian aid to Gaza after 18 Palestinians killed of malfunction

28 March 2024; MEMO: Spanish military aircraft delivered 26 tonnes of humanitarian aid yesterday to Palestinians in the blockaded Gaza Strip, with Madrid urging Israel to open land border crossings to prevent famine, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Pakistan's top judge says interference of executive in judicial affairs intolerable

Islamabad, Mar 28 (PTI) Pakistan's Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa Thursday said that “interference" by the executive in the affairs and judicial workings of judges will not be tolerated as the government announced a formal probe into the explosive allegations by the high court judges about the powerful intelligence agencies meddling in their affairs.

Pope expresses solidarity with Palestinian Catholics in Holy Land

28 March 2024; MEMO: Pope Francis has expressed his support for Catholics in the Holy Land as Easter approaches. He assured them, “You are not alone.”

The statement came following a meeting with two peace activists, Bassam Aramin, a Palestinian, and Rami Elhanan, an Israeli, who both lost their daughters, ages ten and 13, because of the war.

Jordan says electric link with Iraq to begin operation on Saturday

28 March 2024; MEMO: Jordan said an electricity grid inter-connection with Iraq will go into operation on Saturday, Anadolu Agency reports.

The electric line between Jordan’s Risha power station and Iraq’s Rutba station will have a capacity of 13 megawatts, Amjad Rawashdeh, head of the Jordanian National Electric Power Company, told the state news agency, Petra.

India: Mukhtar Ansari's death: Akhilesh demands probe supervised by SC judge into 'doubtful' cases

Lucknow, Mar 29 (PTI) Raising a question mark on the law-and-order situation in Uttar Pradesh after the death of mafia don-turned-politician Mukhtan Ansari following a cardiac arrest in Banda, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday said there should be a probe supervised by a Supreme Court judge into such doubtful cases.

Ansari died in the Banda Medical College due to a cardiac arrest on Thursday. He was rushed to the hospital from the district jail after his health condition deteriorated.

Palestinian PM Mustafa forms cabinet, calls for immediate ceasefire in Gaza

28 March 2024; MEMO: Palestinian Prime Minister, Mohammad Mustafa, formed a new cabinet on Thursday, in which he will also serve as Foreign Minister, making an immediate ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal from Gaza a top priority, Palestinian news agency, WAFA, reported.

Articles and Interviews

US changes how it categorizes people by race and ethnicity. It’s the first revision in 27 years

by MIKE SCHNEIDER

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — For the first time in 27 years, the U.S. government is changing how it categorizes people by race and ethnicity, an effort that federal officials believe will more accurately count residents who identify as Hispanic and of Middle Eastern and North African heritage.

Opinions

Young US evangelicals are refusing to be ‘useful idiots’ for Israel

by Omar Ahmed

“The Zionist establishment has realised the value of Christian Zionism, despite the essential anti-Semitism of its ideology. To Jewish Zionists, the Christian Zionists are useful idiots. For end-timer Christian Zionists, the Jews are sacrificial lambs.” — Author and lecturer Irving Wesley Hall

Will Joe Biden hear this US airman’s harrowing cry of ‘Free Palestine’?

by Yvonne Ridley

“Free Palestine” is an enduring phrase that will come to define the street chants of millions of angry citizens who’ve marched and protested in capital cities around the world against Israel’s brutal, genocidal onslaught in Gaza.

Netanyahu’s last battle promises no victory, just slaughter in Rafah

by Dr Ramzy Baroud

The Palestinian city of Rafah is not only older than Israel, it is also as old as civilisation itself. Rafah has existed for thousands of years. The Canaanites referred to it as Rafia, and Rafia has been almost always there, guarding the southern frontiers of Palestine, ancient and modern.

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