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The United States House of Representatives has overwhelmingly passed a bill that would expand the federal definition of anti-Semitism, despite opposition from civil liberties groups.

The bill passed the House on Wednesday by a margin of 320 to 91, and it is largely seen as a reaction to the ongoing antiwar protests unfolding on US university campuses. It now goes to the Senate for consideration.

If the bill were to become law, it would codify a definition of anti-Semitism created by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) in Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

IHRA’s working definition of anti-Semitism is “a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of anti-Semitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities”.

According to the IHRA, that definition also encompasses the “targeting of the state of Israel, conceived as a Jewish collectivity”.

The group also includes certain examples in its definition to illustrate anti-Semitism. Saying, for instance, that “the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor” would be deemed anti-Semitic under its terms. The definition also bars any comparison between “contemporary Israeli policy” and “that of the Nazis”.

Rights groups, however, have raised concerns the definition nevertheless conflates criticism of the state of Israel and Zionism with anti-Semitism.

In a letter sent to lawmakers on Friday, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) urged House members to vote against the legislation, saying federal law already prohibits anti-Semitic discrimination and harassment.

“Instead, it would likely chill free speech of students on college campuses by incorrectly equating criticism of the Israeli government with anti-Semitism.”

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Colombian President Gustavo Petro has announced plans to cut diplomatic ties with Israel over its war in the Gaza Strip, which human rights advocates and other experts have warned could amount to genocide.

Speaking to a crowd marking International Workers’ Day in Bogota on Wednesday, Petro said countries cannot be passive in the face of the crisis unfolding in Gaza.

“Here in front of you, the government of change, of the president of the republic, announces that tomorrow we will break diplomatic relations with the state of Israel … for having a government, for having a president who is genocidal,” Petro said.

A left-wing leader who came to power in 2022, Petro is considered part of a progressive wave known as the “pink tide” in Latin America. He has been one of the region’s most vocal critics of Israel since the start of the Gaza war.

In October, just days after the conflict began, Israel said it was “halting security exports” to Colombia after Petro accused Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant of using language similar to what the “Nazis said of the Jews”.

And in February, Colombia suspended Israeli weapons purchases after Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinians scrambling for food aid in Gaza — an event Petro said “recalls the Holocaust”.

Meanwhile, in early April, the Colombian government requested to join a case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) accusing Israel of genocide.

“Colombia’s ultimate goal in this endeavour is to ensure the urgent and fullest possible protection for Palestinians in Gaza, in particular such vulnerable populations as women, children, persons with disabilities and the elderly,” the country said.

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Image is by the PFLP

Americans who get their news primarily from cable are the only people who believe that Israel is not committing a genocide in Gaza, according to a new survey that examined the relationship between attitudes toward the war and news consumption habits.

The survey puts numbers on trends that have become increasingly apparent: Cable news viewers are more supportive of Israel’s war effort, less likely to think Israel is committing war crimes, and less interested in the war in general. People who get their news primarily from social media, YouTube, or podcasts, by contrast, generally side with the Palestinians, believe Israel is committing war crimes and genocide, and consider the issue of significant importance.

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The US is working to prevent the issuance of an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the attack on Gaza, Israeli media has reported.

According to the news site Walla, Netanyahu is leading a "non-stop push over the telephone" to prevent an arrest warrant being issued against him by the ICC, particularly communicating with the White House.

The Israeli newspaper Maariv has reported that Netanyahu is "frightened and unusually stressed" by the possibility of an imminent arrest warrant.

Sources close to the paper believe that the arrest warrants are only a matter of time.

The paper reported that Defence Minister Yoav Galant and Chief of Staff Major-General Herzi Halevi could also be served with warrants. ⠀

An internal State Department memo reviewed by Reuters on Saturday revealed senior US officials have advised Secretary of State Antony Blinken that they do not find "credible or reliable" Israel's assurances that it is using US-supplied weapons in accordance with international humanitarian law.

Other officials upheld support for Israel's representation.

Under a National Security Memorandum issued by President Joe Biden in February, Blinken must report to Congress by 8 May on whether he finds credible Israel's assurances that its use of US weapons does not violate US or international law.

By 24 March, at least seven State Department bureaus had sent in their contributions to an initial "options memo" to Blinken. Parts of the memo, which has not been previously reported, were classified.

The submissions to the memo provide the most extensive picture to date of the divisions inside the State Department over whether Israel might be violating international humanitarian law in Gaza.

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The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela filed a complaint with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) against the Argentine Republic. The claim is brought under Article 84 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, its Annexes and the ICAO Dispute Settlement Rules.

In the complaint, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela asserts that, since 8 June 2022, the Argentine Republic has committed violations by applying illegal unilateral restrictive measures of a discriminatory nature against Venezuela.

Such violations, according to , Caracas occurred against non-scheduled flights, carried out with the aircraft Boeing 747 - 300 registration YV 3531 belonging to the CONVIASA Consortium and leased by the latter to the Southern Air Carrier S. A. EMTRASUR.

During the year 2022, in the areopuerto of Ezeiza, Argentina. There, on August 11 of the same year, an Argentine judge agreed to the request of the United States to seize the ship. At the same time, without any accusation or mention of a crime, the federal judge Federico Villena ordered an operation to kidnap the cellphones of the 14 Venezuelans and the five Iranians who made up the crew.

In the early morning of Monday this year 2024 landed in the US, at an airport in Florida, Dade-Collier, before noon. Finally, the aircraft was stored and dismantled at the Dade-Collier Transition and Training Airport (TNT), located 58 kilometers from the city of Miami.

The action was pointed out by Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil as a "blatant robbery", while denouncing "the collusion between the Governments of the United States of America and the Republic of Argentina, which have deviously violated all the rules governing civil aeronautics, as well as the commercial, civil and political rights of the company, putting aviation safety at risk in the region".

For its part, ICAO has verified that all the requirements for the filing of an official complaint against the Republic of Argentina are met. According to the organization, the lawsuit has all the requirements to proceed correctly.

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On Tuesday and Wednesday, Cubana de Aviacion flights to Buenos Aires were canceled because fuel suppliers in Argentina refused to serve the airline.

The companies have invoked "provisions of the United States blockade against Cuba" to not supply the aircraft of the Cuban state airline.

Additionally, this measure has affected other airlines contracted by Cubana de Aviacion, preventing them from fulfilling commitments to passengers.

This surprising decision took place despite the Cuban flights being approved by the Argentina's National Civil Aviation Administration (ANAC).

In response to this situation, the airline has decided to assist affected passengers in Cuba by sending them back on flights operated by other airlines connecting to Argentina. Other passengers will be eligible for a full refund of their airfare. ⠀

During the first quarter of 2024, the Cuban airline transported 3,221 passengers with an occupancy rate of 61 percent. The number of Argentine travelers to Cuba increased by 44 percent compared to the same period last year, reaching 12,753 people.

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Seventy-two of the 99 journalists killed worldwide in 2023 were Palestinians reporting on Israel’s war on Gaza, making those 12 months the deadliest for the media in almost a decade, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Killings of reporters would have dropped globally year-on-year had it not been for the deaths in the ongoing war on Gaza, the CPJ said in its annual report released on Thursday.

“In December 2023, CPJ reported that more journalists were killed in the first three months of the Israel-Gaza war than have ever been killed in a single country over an entire year,” the organisation said.

In total, it documented 77 journalists killed in the war on Gaza last year while doing their jobs: 72 Palestinians, three Lebanese and two Israelis.

The Palestinian victims account for nearly 75 percent of all journalists killed worldwide.

“This war is unprecedented in terms of the threat to journalists,” Jodie Ginsberg, president of the CPJ, told Al Jazeera from New York.

“What’s important to remember about this war is that Gazan journalists are the only journalists able to report on what’s happening inside Gaza. International journalists have not been able to get in, have not been allowed in, except on very, very controlled trips that are overseen by the Israeli army.

“So we are entirely reliant on those [Palestinian] journalists, who are risking their lives to bring us this story,” she added.

On February 7, the New York-based press freedom organisation said the number of journalists killed in the war on Gaza had risen to 85.

The CPJ has previously attacked what it calls the “persecution” of journalists by Israeli forces and is investigating whether a dozen journalists killed in the Gaza conflict were deliberately targeted by Israeli soldiers, which would constitute a war crime.

In the Palestinian territories, even when journalists are not on the job, they face the risk of Israeli bombardment or arrest. Gaza’s Government Media Office said at least 126 Palestinian media workers have been killed since Israel’s war began on October 7. ⠀

“It’s very important that these killings are thoroughly investigated and that those responsible are held accountable,” Ginsberg told Al Jazeera.

She said her organisation was doing the work to document attacks against journalists in Gaza, which could later be used as evidence and presented to bodies such as the International Court of Justice or the International Criminal Court.

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• China and Russia surpass the U.S. in approval ratings in Africa.

• U.S. approval ratings in Africa at 56%, lagging behind China (58%) and Russia (64%).

• Russia's increasing popularity is attributed to arms sales, military training, and economic initiatives in Africa.

The survey which involved 130 countries globally saw a global increase in America’s disapproval ratings from 33% in 2022 to 36% in 2023. However, the US’s approval ratings between the same period remained the same at 41%.

In Africa however, the US’s approval rating stands at 56%, with China and Russia having 2% and 8% more respectively. ⠀

In Uganda, Gambia, and Kenya the approval rating of the US dropped by 29, 21 and 14 percentage points, respectively. With 23% and 25%, respectively, Libya and Somalia had the lowest scores. ⠀

As the US media recently claimed, citing an anonymous US source, Moscow may be able to address the continent's urgent security demands through arms sales that exceed Washington's capacity, which might account for Russia's increasing popularity in Africa. ⠀

Russia has been on a mission to increase its influence in Africa. In addition to military ties, Russia has initiated a number of economic initiatives with the continent, including the building of a House of Africa in several of its states, shipments of free grains to the continent, nuclear deals, and more.

Over the last week, Pro-Palestinian demonstrations have erupted on campuses across the United States, calling for a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and cessation of U.S. military aid to Israel.

On Wednesday, 93 people were arrested at the University of Southern California's Los Angeles campus for trespassing. Despite certain U.S. politicians branding the demonstrators as "anti-Semitic" and the arrest of students, the anti-war protests continue to gain momentum.

The University of Southern California (USC) has closed its gates amid rising tensions after pro-Palestinian protesters clashed with police on Wednesday.

A growing number of protesters, including students and non-students, started a "Gaza Solidarity Occupation" at the university's Alumni Park on Wednesday morning.

The USC Divest from Death Coalition said it was made of USC students, staff, faculty, alumni and Los Angeles community members. USC has come under fire after the university announced last week that it cancelled valedictorian Asna Tabassum's planned speech after pro-Palestinian posts, citing potential campus safety risks.

The students with "Gaza Solidarity Encampment" opposed Israeli military action in Gaza and demanded the university divest from companies that "profit from Israeli apartheid."

In Texas, police bulldozed into student protesters at the University of Texas at Austin on Wednesday. More than 50 people were arrested, said a report from local media outlet Austin American-Statesman.

On Monday, more than 40 students from Yale University, who occupied Beinecke Plaza at the center of campus starting Friday night, were arrested.

Last week, Shafik, Columbia University's president, sent a letter to the New York Police Department (NYPD), requesting that the police help remove individuals who had occupied the South Lawn of the university's Morningside Heights campus.

The NYPD arrested more than 100 protesters from the campus of the university on the afternoon of April 18.

However, despite pressure and arrests, students occupying Columbia's West Lawn said they are planning to remain until the university meets their demands for divestment from anything related to Israel. The negotiations between the university and student protesters regarding the dismantling of the pro-Palestinian encampment are still underway.

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The Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday that fragments of the bird flu virus had been detected in some samples of pasteurized milk in the U.S. While the agency maintains that the milk is safe to drink, it notes that it is still waiting on the results of studies to confirm this.

The findings come less than a month after an outbreak of the H5N1 strain of bird flu was found, for the first time, in herds of dairy cows in several states. It has since been detected in herds in eight states. ⠀

The FDA is specifically testing whether pasteurization inactivates bird flu in cow milk. The findings will be available in the “next few days to weeks,” it said. ⠀

Still, the virus remains a cause of concern among health officials, given its particularly high mortality rate of around 50%. Bird flu doesn’t spread easily from person to person, but there’s worry that it could mutate as it spreads among cows to a version that spreads more easily among people. So far, there’s no evidence indicating that has happened, according to the CDC.

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