British-Iranian Ghoncheh Ghavami, who was jailed in Iran after trying to see a volleyball match, is currently on a hunger strike, her brother told AFP. The 25-year-old law graduate is refusing to eat liquids or food because the judge has not confirmed her one-year jail sentence, her brother said. “She’s been on hunger strike from Saturday. She’s not eating any …

Rights group Amnesty International accused the Israeli military of displaying “shocking disregard” for civilian lives in the Gaza Strip during the 50-day war. In a report published on Wednesday, the group said that it had documented eight instances in which Israeli security forces attacked houses in Gaza “without warning”, killing “at least 104 civilians including 62 children”. “The report reveals …

 What will it take for Hollywood to recognise Palestinian cinema? By Hamid Dabashi- After it was premiered in Ramallah at the Ramallah Cultural Palace, Najwa Najjar’s second feature film “Eyes of a Thief” (2014) is now officially selected as this year Oscar contender in the best foreign-language film category from Palestine. Six years in the making, the nomination of Najjar’s …

Arab American patriots will be honored on Veteran’s day at an original exhibition presented by the Arab American National Musuem (AANM) at the Rotunda of the Russell Senate Office Building at Capitol Hill, Washington. The exhibition, titled “Patriots and Peacemakers”, is open from November 10th to the 14th, and is open to all; admission is free. The interactive, multimedia presentation …

Israeli policemen overnight arrested over 23 Palestinians in east Jerusalem, Palestinian officials said on Monday; the crackdown transpired after months of clashes between Israeli police and Palestinian people in the city. However, an Israeli spokeswoman said that only four Palestinians were arrested, and did not account for the people being held by other security forces. The Palestinian were arrested from …

There is hope for mental illness in Canada, but the system is broken By Clay Nikiforuk– Ricochet Just three weeks after Mental Illness Awareness week, the media is still reverberating with the shocking news of what appears, to me, to be a murder–suicide in Canada’s capital. This tragedy has sparked conversation about mental health services in Canada, and it should. …

Masked gunmen in Saudi Arabia killed five Shi’ite worshippers during a major religious commemoration, Saudi police said on Tuesday, in an unparalleled attack highlighting sectarian tension in the largely Sunni kingdom. According to the police, six people were detained in Eastern Province of the shooting, which happened late on Monday night as Shi’ites were preparing for their Ashura, one of …

Mario Bahjat Shaabo, who was born in a Syrian prison 26 years ago to anti-regime activist parents, was arrested on Tuesday after a trip abroad, the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights said on Tuesday. “Maria Bahjat Shaabo was born in jail in 1988, while her mother was serving a four-year sentence for her political activism. On Sunday, Maria was arrested”, …

Advocacy group Human Rights Watch on Tuesday said that Islamic State (IS) extremists had tortured teenagers from Syrian town of Kobane for six months in captivity. According to the rights group, 153 school-going children were kidnapped by the IS in May while they were returning to Kobane after sitting for exams in Aleppo; it released 25 of the hostages late …

Israel on Monday approved plans for around 500 settler homes in the occupied Palestinian territory of East Jerusalem, only a week after the Israeli government pledged to build the settlements. The Israeli Interior Ministry gave the green flag for the new units, to be built near the already existing Ramat Shlomo settlement in east Jerusalem, the NGO Peace Now said. …