Category: News

Israel has decided to close its embassy in Dublin because of Ireland’s strong stance against it. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar mentioned that this action is a reaction to Ireland recognizing Palestine as a state and its support for taking legal steps against Israel.

Back in May, Israel recalled its ambassador from Dublin after Ireland made its statement about Palestine. Recently, Dublin supported South Africa’s claims against Israel in the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which involves serious accusations like genocide.

Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris expressed disappointment over Israel’s decision, saying, “I completely disagree that Ireland is anti-Israel. We stand for peace, human rights, and international law.” He emphasized that Ireland wants a solution where both Israel and Palestine can coexist peacefully.

Moreover, Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin stated that while the World Court will decide on allegations like genocide, the attacks by Hamas on October 7 and the events in Gaza reflect a serious violation of humanitarian laws.

In a separate update, Israel’s foreign ministry announced that it will open a new embassy in Moldova.

Donald Trump, the President-elect of the United States, has chosen Devin Nunes to lead the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board (PIAB). This board helps the President understand how well the intelligence agencies are working. Trump shared this news on his Truth Social platform, saying, “Devin will use his experience from being the former Chair of the House Intelligence Committee and his work to expose the Russia Hoax to provide me with his thoughts on the intelligence community’s effectiveness.”

So, who is Devin Nunes? Here are some quick facts:

1. Nunes is a strong supporter of Trump and is currently the CEO of Truth Social, a social media platform created by Trump in February 2022. He will do both jobs at the same time.

2. He is a Republican and used to be a member of the House of Representatives from California.

3. In December 2021, Nunes left Congress to become the CEO of Trump Media & Technology Group, which runs Truth Social.

4. He was the Chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence in 2015 and released a memo in 2018 claiming the FBI was working against Trump. Some Democrats said the memo was misleading.

5. This appointment is just one of many where Trump has chosen people linked to his media company, including Kash Patel for FBI director and Linda McMahon for the Department of Education, who are also on the board of Trump Media.

A 19-year-old student named Aleysha Ortiz, who went to Hartford Public School and has a disability, says she graduated without being able to read or write. She has now filed a lawsuit because she was bullied and neglected by the school staff, including her special education case manager.

Aleysha is asking for $3 million in damages. Her lawyer, Anthony Spinella, said, “We’re not asking for help to learn reading and writing. We’re suing to get back the emotional pain she felt while trying to get the school to help her and how badly some teachers and staff treated her.”

This is Aleysha’s second lawsuit against the school and its staff. In her first suit, she asked for help learning basic skills she missed in school, and that case is still ongoing.

In the new lawsuit, she claims her special education case manager, Tilda Santiago, bullied her for months. Aleysha says Santiago tried to control who could help her and even argued with teachers. According to the lawsuit, Santiago embarrassed her in front of others, scared her, and changed her attendance records.

The Hartford Board of Education employees are also accused of not doing their jobs to stop the bullying against Aleysha.

Antony Blinken, the U.S. Secretary of State, has just completed what might be his last trip to the Middle East as the top U.S. diplomat. His mission was to stop Syria from falling further into chaos after President Bashar Assad suddenly left the country for Russia. Blinken traveled to Jordan, Turkey, and Iraq, hoping to work together with other countries about what should happen in Syria now that Assad is gone.

During his trip, Blinken pointed out that what happens in Syria can have serious effects on the whole region, including problems like people fleeing their homes and the threat of terrorism. He spoke with leaders from Arab nations, Turkey, and important officials from the European Union and the United Nations in Jordan. They all agreed that the new government in Syria should respect the rights of everyone, especially minorities and women, and prevent terrorist groups from gaining power.

One of Blinken’s goals is to maintain stability in the region, especially since the Islamic State group remains a threat. The U.S. has about 900 troops in Syria, helping to fight this group and ensure they don’t regain control. After Assad stepped down, the U.S. quickly targeted around 75 terrorist positions in a bid to stop them from growing stronger.

As Blinken made these important discussions, there were concerns about how the incoming Trump administration would handle Middle East issues. Trump has been vocal about releasing hostages in Gaza and generally wants the U.S. to stay out of Syria. However, officials believe Trump might not cut U.S. military presence in Syria because he often takes credit for defeating ISIS.

The Biden administration is also focused on finding Americans missing in Syria, including Austin Tice, a journalist who has been missing for over ten years. They are working hard to locate him and return him home. Recently, another American named Travis Timmerman was found and safely transported to Jordan after being held in Syria.