Kurds in Iraq and Syria celebrate the Newroz festival of spring at a time of new political horizons
Newroz, the Farsi-language word for 'new year,' is an ancient Persian festival that is celebrated in countries including Iraq, Syria, Turkey and Iran. It is characterized by colorful street festivals and torch-bearing processions winding their way into the mountains.
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UPI
21 minutes ago
- UPI
Brazil's high court orders Bolsonaro's house arrest, angering Trump admin.
President Donald Trump and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro listen to reporter's questions during joint press conference in the Rose Garden of the Washington, D.C.m on March 19, 2019. On Monday, Brazil's Supreme Court order Bolsonaro's house arrest. File Photo by Jim Lo Scalzo/UPI | License Photo Aug. 5 (UPI) -- Brazil's Supreme Court has ordered the house arrest of former President Jair Bolsonaro, prompting swift condemnation from the Trump administration, which has imposed penalties against those prosecuting President Donald Trump's ally. Bolsonaro is being prosecuted on charges of conspiring to overturn his 2022 election loss. In his order Monday, Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the house arrest of Bolsonaro on allegations he violated court-imposed precautionary measures by using the social media accounts of allies, including his three sons, one of whom is a congressman, to post statements online. Moraes described the social media posts as a "continued attempt to coerce the STF and obstruct justice." STF stands for Supremo Tribunal Federal, or Supreme Federal Court, in Portuguese. "The arrest is to be served at Bolsonaro's residence in Brasilia. He will not be allowed to receive visitors, except for his lawyers and other individuals previously authorized by the STF," the order states. "The former president is also prohibited from using a cell phone, either directly or through third parties." A search and seizure of any cell phones in Bolsonaro's possession was also ordered by Moraes, who is overseeing the criminal case. "There is no doubt that Jair Messias Bolsonaro violated the precautionary measures imposed on him, as the defendant produced material for publication on the social media accounts of his three sons and all his followers and political supporters, with clear content encouraging and inciting attacks on the Supreme Federal Court and openly supporting foreign intervention in the Brazilian judiciary," Moraes said. Trump, who has similarly been accused of trying to overturn his own election loss, in 2020, is an ally of Bolsonaro, and has repeatedly used his executive powers to punish those involved in the 70-year-old politician's prosecution, which has prompted accusations of meddling in Brazil's judicial system. Among the measures imposed by the American president are slapping a 40% tariff on Brazilian goods and sanctioning Moraes, as well as revoking his visas and those of his family. The U.S. State Department on Monday night condemned the house arrest order as Moraes' alleged continued use of "Brazil's institutions to silence opposition and threaten democracy." "Putting even more restrictions on Jair Bolsonaro's ability to defend himself in public it not a public service. Let Bolsonaro speak!" the State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs said in both English- and Portuguese-language statements. "The United States condemns Moraes' order imposing house arrest on Bolsonaro and will hold accountable all those aiding and abetting sanctioned conduct." Brazil charged Bolsonaro in February with attempting a coup following his 2022 election loss to current President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. According to court documents, his supporters claiming voter fraud stormed Brazil's Congress and other federal facilities on Jan. 8, 2023. The indictment accuses Bolsonaro of spreading debunked claims of fraud in election machines as far back as July 2022 in order to prepare conditions for the coup. As part of the scheme, prosecutors said they even planned the possibility of assassinating Lula. Bolsonaro has denied wrongdoing, while Trump has described the trial as a "witch hunt."
Newsweek
14 hours ago
- Newsweek
Iran Military Chief Warns of New Attacks
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Iran's army chief warned on Sunday that the threat posed by Israel "remains fully active," adding that no branch of the Iranian military views the conflict as over. Amir Hatami, who serves as commander-in-chief of the Iranian army, said Iran's missile and drone forces remain fully operational. Tehran would continue advancing its defense capabilities in response to the June campaign of airstrikes by Israel and the United States, he said. Newsweek has contacted the U.S. State Department, the Iranian foreign ministry and the Israel Defense Forces for comment. Why It Matters Tehran is ramping up its defense posture with stark warnings of a harsh response to any renewed hostilities by Israel or its Western allies. It mistrusts the U.S. and is setting a high bar for resuming nuclear negotiations, including demands for financial compensation for damage done to its nuclear facilities—demands Washington has dismissed as "ridiculous." As tensions mount, the risks of a renewed military confrontation loom large, threatening to drag the region deeper into conflict and placing an enormous burden on international stability. Traffic flows past a huge billboard bearing a painting of a missile falling on Israel with the slogan in Farsi: "The missile has fallen amidst the demons", on a main road in central Tehran on... Traffic flows past a huge billboard bearing a painting of a missile falling on Israel with the slogan in Farsi: "The missile has fallen amidst the demons", on a main road in central Tehran on July 16, 2025. A 12-day war between Iran and Israel last month was sparked by an Israeli bombing campaign that hit military and nuclear sites as well as residential areas in Iran. More ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images What To Know Hatami, who holds the rank of major general, said Iran would double down on its defense industry, science and technology with renewed determination, according to the semi-official Mehr news agency Hatami said "all branches of the armed forces, including the army's four forces, are advancing rapidly in science and technology and are more determined than ever to enhance combat readiness for comprehensive defense." A new council has been formed to oversee the development of defense strategies and to enhance the capabilities of the armed forces, the report said. The Israeli strikes in June killed several senior Iranian commanders and targeted critical defense capabilities, threatening Tehran's military establishment and chain of command. U.S. President Donald Trump has vowed never to allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons, a concern stemming out of rising uranium enrichment levels reported by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N.-backed global nuclear watchdog. Iran has rejected calls to abandon its enrichment program, which it says is for civilian purposes. Trump said Iranian leaders would be "stupid" to continue the pursuit in the face of U.S. threats of further military intervention. What People Are Saying Brigadier General Ali Fadavi, deputy commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps was quoted as saying on Sunday: "The IRGC's hardware readiness process has not been and cannot be stopped and will continue with strength." U.S. President Donald Trump said on July 28: "We wiped out their nuclear possibilities. They can start again. If they do, we'll wipe it out faster than you can wave your finger at it. We will do that gladly, openly and gladly." What Happens Next Continued nuclear talks between Iran and European parties to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal could lead to a diplomatic breakthrough if progress is made and "snapback" sanctions are avoided.
The Hill
17 hours ago
- The Hill
Iranian Americans are demanding peace, not war
Iranian Americans are still reeling from Israel's attack on Iran in June. For 12 days, we were frantically trying to reach our loved ones across Iran hoping that Israeli attacks would not kill our families as they fled cities, spurred on by cryptic social media threats from President Trump. Ultimately, more than a thousand Iranians were killed, most of them civilians, and it is likely that Israeli and American bombs will soon fall again if there is no diplomatic settlement. As the fog of war clears, an important truth has once again been exposed, which powerful voices in Washington and Tel Aviv have spent years and enormous resources distorting: Iranian Americans firmly believe that diplomacy – not war and sanctions that destroy innocent lives – is the most effective path for the U.S. to deal with Iran's government, whether on nuclear policy, regional stability, or its human rights abuses. For years now, an echo chamber on social media has sought to portray Iranian Americans as united in begging Trump and Netanyahu to bomb Iran and 'Make Iran Great Again.' On Persian-language satellite networks like Iran International — created and long funded by individuals closely tied to the Saudi royal family – viewers are led to believe that most Iranians view Netanyahu as a 'liberator' and welcome U.S. bombs and sanctions on Iran as tools of freedom. Meanwhile, voices opposed to war and sanctions have been viciously silenced. Our organization, NIAC, along with countless independent researchers, grassroots advocates, and prominent experts, has long been demonized, including by an oped author in this very publication, falsely smeared as part of a vast pro-Tehran conspiracy because of our anti-war, pro-diplomacy stance. In reality, our organization and those opposed to war and supportive of diplomacy put the interests of ordinary Americans first, guided by the belief that more war is not good for American security and prosperity — or for the people and future of Iran. Reports from Middle East Eye and Politico Magazine have detailed some of the scale of the campaign against pro-peace Iranian Americans – from doctored videos and anonymous bomb threats, to rape and death threats that have driven many out of the public debate. Until May 2019, the U.S. State Department was even funding an operation, the Iran Disinformation Project, until it was exposed defaming Iranian American journalists, human rights experts, and NIAC as ''mouthpieces' and supporters of the Iranian government.' The New York Times recently reported that Israel had used social media posts and AI-generated videos during the war on Iran to attempt to incite unrest there, raising urgent questions about the extent of these tactics' deployment in what Netanyahu has called the 'second battlefield' of information and public discourse. Politico also reported that a $2 million Israeli government-linked disinformation campaign targeted 128 U.S. lawmakers through hundreds of fake social media profiles, demonstrating that Americans are also on the target list. The intent behind a campaign to portray Iranian Americans as supportive of military invasion — and to silence those who disagree — echoes the same strategy used to justify the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Once again, violence is being repackaged as popularly supported liberation and humanitarianism. But when the war long pushed by hawks finally came, many of the Islamic Republic's staunchest critics inside Iran stood against the foreign bombs falling on their communities. Outside Iran, pro-war figures and outlets like Iran International watched their own bases turn against them. Those who opposed this violence weren't regime sympathizers — they were, and are, the majority of ordinary Iranians and Iranian Americans. That's why, before this illegal war began, our organization launched an independent, comprehensive poll to determine where Iranian Americans actually stand on war, sanctions, and diplomacy. We were driven by concern that outside political interests were distorting our community's views to sell yet another U.S.-backed regime change war. Contrary to what the propaganda machine was churning out, the views of Iranian Americans are clear. Most of us are anti-war, anti-broad sanctions, and pro-diplomacy. In the poll, conducted by YouGov in May and June, we found that: 53 percent of Iranian Americans oppose military action against Iran, versus just 36 percent in support. 62 percent support a new U.S. nuclear agreement with Iran. 49 percent say diplomacy is the most effective way to prevent a nuclear Iran — compared to just 22 percent who favor war. Only 21 percentsupport broad-based economic sanctions. 60 percent oppose Israel's military actions in Gaza. This is not a community calling for more bombs or the fantasy of cruel sanctions and 'liberating' Iran through airstrikes or invasion. It is a community calling for smarter, more humane policies that advance peace and protect people. In a time when truth is under siege and lives hang in the balance, this campaign of smears, disinformation, and intimidation are not just attacks on one community or organization. They are an attack on the idea that people should have a say in matters of war and peace in our democracy. The goal isn't just to manufacture consent for war, but to manufacture fear and surrender to the idea that war is inevitable. We reject that premise wholeheartedly and remain committed to advancing peace – which is supported not just by most Iranian Americans, but by most Americans as well.
