The measure will also affect foreigners who go to the West Bank to work, volunteer, study, teach or have a relationship with a Palestinian. [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- What The World is following New Israeli policy to impose further restrictions on West Bank
[Kenae Totah, plays while his parents Morgan Cooper and Saleh Totah pose for a photo in front of their restaurant in the West Bank city of Ramallah, May 2, 2022.]
Credit: Nasser Nasser/AP ââIsrael
The Israeli military body in charge of civilian affairs in the occupied West Bank, known as COGAT, has released a new 97-page policy to take effect later this year. It ââimposes new restrictions on movement and civilian affairs, [including on foreigners]( who go to the West Bank to work, volunteer, study or teach. One of the new measures also requires foreigners who marry Palestinians there, or âstart a relationshipâ with one â defined by an engagement, wedding or moving in together â will be required to notify the Israeli military within 30 days. The move has sparked outrage among legal experts, academics and rights groups. Meanwhile, Israelâs high court has also ruled that around [1,000 Palestinians can be evicted]( from the rural Masafer Yatta area, allowing for the land to be repurposed for Israeli military use. Itâs one of the single biggest expulsion decisions since Israelâs military occupation began in 1967. COVID-19
The World Health Organization has estimated that [nearly 15 million people]( around the world have died over the past two years, either directly or indirectly from COVID-19. Thatâs more than double the official stated death toll of 6 million. The WHO says that most of the deaths have occurred in Southeast Asia, Europe and the Americas, and also believes that [many countries have undercounted]( their true number of fatalities. Although it says that the majority of the additional deaths were caused directly by the virus, indirect causes include issues like being unable to access hospitals. Iraq
More than 5,000 have been treated in hospitals for respiratory problems amid [severe sandstorms in Iraq](. At least one person has also died. The seventh storm in a month swept across the capital Baghdad and the holy city of Najaf on Thursday. Six of Iraqâs 18 provinces have been affected. The health ministry said that the people hit hardest are those suffering from â[chronic respiratory diseases](, such as asthma.â The dust particles can also cause cardiovascular ailments, and spread bacteria and viruses. In recent years, the country has seen a significant increase in the frequency of dust storms, caused by soil degradation and intense droughts. --------------------------------------------------------------- From The World [A bicycle, thousands of miles, and a life-changing journey](
[Rebecca Lowe poses with her bicycle in Iran.]
Credit: Courtesy of Rebecca Lowe In 2015, British journalist Rebecca Lowe decided to bike from her home in London all the way to Tehran, Iran. ð² She then wrote about her adventures. "A lot of what we read in the newspapers inevitably is about the leaders, about the politics of these countries. And then you sort of you tend to then believe that [they] are somehow a shorthand for the culture and the character of the countries, but they're not actually," Lowe said. The Worldâs Shirin Jaafari spoke with Lowe about her new book, âSlow Road to Tehran.â [Listen to the story.]( ð§ --------------------------------------------------------------- Bright spot An Asiatic cheetah has [given birth to three cubs]( by cesarean section in Iran, in what's being called the first in captivity for the endangered species. ð "By preserving these cubs, we can increase the cheetah population in captivity and then in semi-captivity," said Ali Salajegheh, the head of the environment department. Iran is one of the last remaining countries in the world where Asiatic cheetahs live in the wild, with only about a dozen left there. The country began a UN-supported protection program for them in 2001. [Screenshot of Iranian Cheetah Society tweet](
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