** IRAN DAILY
- Serious human rights concerns ahead of Paris 2024 Olympics
With less than a hundred days until the start of the Paris 2024 Olympics, serious concerns have been raised by human rights activists regarding widespread police violence and illegal actions against immigrants, especially French Muslims, in France. The Paris Olympics are scheduled to take place from July 26 to August 11. In preparation for the event, an embellished façade has been constructed for Paris to cover up the harsh reality that many marginalized families from immigrant communities, mainly from French-speaking African countries such as Burkina Faso, Guinea, Ivory Coast, and Senegal, have been grappling with day in and day out.
- UNGA backs Palestinian bid for membership
The UN general assembly voted overwhelmingly to back the Palestinian bid for full UN membership, a move that reflects growing global solidarity with Palestinians and a rebuke to Israel and the United States amid alarm over the war in Gaza and the extent of the humanitarian crisis in the territory. The assembly voted by 143 to nine, with 25 abstentions, for a resolution that called on the UN Security Council to bestow full membership to the state of Palestine, while enhancing its current mission with a range of new rights and privileges, in addition to what it is allowed in its current observer status. The highly charged gesture drew an immediate rebuke from Israel. Its envoy to the UN, Gilad Erdan, delivered a fiery denunciation of the resolution and its backers before the vote.
- Jahanbakhsh fancies Bundesliga future once Feyenoord contract expires
Feyenoord midfielder Alireza Jahanbakhsh hinted at a future away from the Dutch Eredivisie as he is to embark on a new chapter in his career.
The 30-year-old Iranian, whose contract with the Dutch club runs out at the end of season, said the German Bundesliga could be a fascinating destination for the start of next campaign. “Bundesliga has always been one of my favorite leagues in Europe. We had many Iranian players in the German league, who played at the highest level and I grew up watching them play for their clubs and the national team,” the Iranian said in an interview with Ziggo Sport in the Netherlands.
** TEHRAN TIMES
- Historic vote for Palestine
The adoption of a resolution by the United Nations General Assembly that overwhelmingly backed the Palestinian bid for full UN membership has highlighted growing global solidarity with Palestinians in the wake of Israel’s brutal war on the Gaza Strip. On Friday, the assembly approved the resolution by a vote of 143 to 9 with 25 abstentions. The United States was among the countries that voted against the resolution. However, some of Washington’s allies including France supported it. Some European nations such as Britain and Germany abstained.
- “Kurds are one of us”: Leader
In a meeting with Iraqi Kurdistan Region President Nechervan Barzani, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei emphasized the close bonds between Iran and the Kurdish communities outside the country. "We consider the relations between us and the Kurdish community, both in Iran and Iraq, to be closer than those with any other nation," Ayatollah Khamenei stated. "They (Kurds) are one of us," he told Barzani. Details of the Monday meeting were published in an article by the Khat-e-Hezbollah (course of Hezbollah) weekly on Friday.
- Foreign attendees hail magnificence of Tehran International Book Fair
The 35th Tehran International Book Fair (TIBF) is underway in Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Mosalla (prayer grounds), bringing together over 2,700 local and 60 foreign publishers from 25 countries attending the event. Having been held for 35 years in a row, the cultural event serves as the most significant cultural event in Iran and has turned into a landmark, momentous book fair in West Asia. The International section boasts a diverse selection of titles, primarily in English and Arabic. However, visitors can also explore books in Turkish, Russian, French, German, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese.
** KAYHAN INTERNATIONAL
- Nightmare in Rafah
Israel’s military issued new evacuation orders in Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah, forcing even more Palestinians to relocate on Saturday ahead of a likely expanded ground invasion of the territory. The new evacuation orders encompass areas closer to the city center. The Zionist regime warned people that the military will act with “great force” in those neighborhoods.
- Only US opposes full Palestinian membership at UN
The United Nations General Assembly has voted in favor of granting “new rights and privileges” to the state of Palestine, paving a pathway to full UN-member status. At an emergency session at the 49th meeting of the UN General Assembly, 143 countries voted in favor of upgrading Palestine’s status at the United Nations, with nine voting against and 25 abstentions. The occupying regime of Israel and the US voted against the resolution.
- Iranian rowers secure Paris 2024 Paralympic berth
Iranian rowers Shahla Behrouzirad and Saeed Husseinpour have secured Paralympic quota for Paris 2024 after making it to the final at the 2024 ICF Paracanoe World Championships in Szeged, Hungary.
Behrouzirad took part in the semifinal round of the Paracanoe World Championships in the women’s KL3 class. She went up against competitors from India, Hungary, Spain, Italy, two Australian opponents, and two Chinese opponents.
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