Author: ALJAZEERA

Varanasi, India – “Hum paani ke jeev hain. We are creatures of water,” says 29-year-old Vishwakarma Sahni. Sahni belongs to Varanasi’s community of approximately 8,000 mallah, the boatmen whose lives are deeply intertwined with the Ganges – a river considered sacred in India and which they hold in profound reverence. To them, the Ganges is not merely a river; it is their lifeline. A boatman offers prayers before setting out on his boat [Uday Narayanan/Al Jazeera] On its journey eastward from the Himalayas, the Ganges traverses more than 2,500 km (1,550 miles) before flowing into the Bay of Bengal in…

Turkish president says two leaders discussed steps the two countries could take against the PKK armed group.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has met Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in Baghdad for talks on security, economic and energy cooperation. In a joint news conference on Monday, Erdogan said the two leaders discussed steps the two countries could take against the armed group the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and welcomed Iraq’s designation of the PKK as a banned group. Erdogan said he had shared his strong belief that the PKK’s presence in Iraqi territory would end as soon as possible. The…

Accra, Ghana – At a construction site on the outskirts of Accra, the spirited figure of Eric Kwaku Gyimah directs the flurry of activity. Clad in sturdy work boots caked with dust from the floor, his worn jeans bear the marks of many hours spent amid the concrete and steel and a high-visibility vest drapes over his shoulders. Amid stacks of shipping containers and the hum of heavy machinery, his voice rises above the noise, issuing directives to his employees. For him, this is more than just a construction site; here, discarded shipping containers are transformed into eco-friendly homes, offering…

PodcastPodcast, The TakeThe story of one pregnant mother in Gaza navigating a warzone. Lubna Al Rayyes dreamed about having a child. When she found out that meant having a Caesarean section in Gaza, her dream became a nightmare. Israel’s war on Gaza has shut down maternity wards. She had two choices: deliver on her own or find a way out. In this episode:  Episode credits: This episode was produced by Sonia Bhagat and Chloe K Li with host Natasha Del Toro, in for Malika Bilal. Zaina Badr, Catherine Nouhan and Manahil Naveed fact-checked this episode. Our sound designer is Alex…

Anthony Albanese says decision to challenge takedown order for content related to church stabbing ‘extraordinary’.Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has criticised social media platform X for its “extraordinary” decision to fight an order by the country’s internet watchdog to remove footage of a stabbing during a livestreamed church service. X, owned by tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, announced over the weekend that it would challenge the order to take down content related to the stabbing of an Assyrian Christian bishop during a service in western Sydney. ESafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant said last week that X had been issued notices to…

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Bill targeting Chinese-owned app goes to the US Senate after passing the House in bipartisan vote.TikTok has slammed a bill that would ban the video-sharing app in the United States if it does not divest from its Chinese owner, accusing lawmakers of trampling on citizens’ right to free speech. “It is unfortunate that the House of Representatives is using the cover of important foreign and humanitarian assistance to once again jam through a ban bill that would trample the free speech rights of 170 million Americans,” TikTok said in a statement on Sunday. TikTok issued the statement after the US…

Doha says families will receive medical, psychological and social support, state media report.Qatar says 20 Russian and Ukrainian families have arrived in Doha to be provided healthcare and comprehensive support within Qatar’s ongoing mediation efforts to reunite families separated due to Russia’s war on Ukraine, Qatari state media have reported. Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Doha will host the families between April 18 and 27 to enable them to receive medical, psychological and social support, state news agency QNA reported on Saturday. “This initiative represents a foundational step in aiding and assisting families with their recovery process. It is…

Sabreen Jouda was delivered prematurely after her mother’s death; deadly Israeli attack hits Nuseirat refugee camp. Source link

Israeli prime minister says he will fight any sanctions targeting Israeli military units for alleged rights violations.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he would fight against any sanctions being imposed on Israeli military units for alleged rights violations, after a United States media outlet reported that Washington was planning such a step. The US-based Axios news site on Saturday reported that Washington was planning to impose sanctions on Israel’s Netzah Yehuda battalion, which has operated in the occupied West Bank, though the Israeli military said it was not aware of any such measures. Israeli media also identified the unit…