The beauty of Sanaa will endure
Inhabited continuously for more than 2500 years, and connected to the civilisations of the Bible and Koran, the old city of Sana’a in Yemen is an architectural and cultural jewel.
It is also under attack, with the possibility the UNESCO World Heritage site could suffer the same fate as Syria’s Aleppo, where fierce fighting has devastated its population and cultural treasures.
Australian photographer Rod Waddington, who visited Yemen in 2013, fears a tragedy: “It would be major; it’s like what ISIS is doing in Northern Iraq, destroying all of the sights.”
Following are a selection of images from Mr Waddington and UNESCO portraying a country he describes as one of the most photogenic in the world.
Source: Tabsir
Why Palestine joining the International Criminal Court could be a total game changer
After more than five years and much diplomatic wrangling, Palestine has joined the International Criminal Court (ICC). Now, the prospect of Israel being held accountable for war crimes has greatly increased, and that will have significant repercussions for the peace process and for Palestinian statehood.
ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda opened a preliminary investigation on January 16. This can investigate everything that has happened in Palestinian territories since June 13 2014 – the date that Palestine formally accepted ICC jurisdiction. This is also the date when Israel broke a ceasefire with Hamas leading to Operation Protective Edge, which raged throughout the summer of 2014, leading to the deaths of at least 1,473 civilians in Gaza and bringing widespread international condemnation against Israeli actions.
Source: Informed Comment
What the people say: Iran and the nuclear deal
A hundred yards away from Railroad Square in southern Tehran, nestled between a kebab shop and a pizza parlor, is a small store. Everything imaginable sits in its large display window, from hookahs of all sizes, watches, and rings made of agate to charcoal, notebooks and a large selection of magnifying glasses.
The shop owner looks about 45 years old and appears to have a somber disposition. I wait a few minutes for his customers to thin out and then ask him: has he been following the nuclear negotiations? His response is short and somewhat indifferent: “Don’t I have anything better to do?”
Source: Iran Wire
