Iraq bans normalizing relations with Israel

The new law criminalizes all relations with Israel, including business ties. [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- What The World is following Iraq bans normalizing relations with Israel [Followers of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr celebrate the passing of a law criminalizing the normalization of ties with Israel, in Tahrir Square, Baghdad, Iraq, May 26, 2022.] Credit: Hadi Mizban/AP Iraq Iraq’s parliament has passed a bill that bans any attempts at [normalizing relations with Israel](. It criminalizes all relations, including business ties, with the legislation stating that violating the law will be [punishable by the death or life imprisonment](. The two countries have no diplomatic ties, and Baghdad has not recognized Israel since its creation in 1948. Earlier this year, Iran fired ballistic missiles at the northern Iraqi city of Irbil, saying it was targeting an Israeli intelligence base. The move comes amid Israel’s recent embracing of diplomatic relations with some Arab countries, including the UAE and Bahrain. The US State Department has slammed Iraq’s decision. Democratic Republic of Congo Heavy fighting has ensued in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo [between the army and M23 rebels](, who are largely an ethnic Tutsi group. They’re opposed to the government that started in 2012 and which has been in control of the city of Goma for about a month. The group resurfaced recently after the army and UN forces removed them from the city ahead of a [2013 peace agreement](. Many of the rebels fled to Rwanda and Uganda, but those two countries have denied claims that they support the group. World Health Organization The World Health Organization says that nearly [200 cases of monkeypox]( have been reported in more than 20 countries. The group, however, described the outbreak as “containable.” The UK Health Security Agency has advised that patients should [avoid any contact with their pets]( for 21 days, as gerbils, hamsters and other rodents are particularly susceptible to the disease. A top adviser to WHO said this week that infections have been seen in Europe, the US, Israel, Australia, and some other places. --------------------------------------------------------------- From The World [Maine’s largest school district serves up African-inspired dishes to get more students excited about school lunch]( [Sample portions of chicken and kale stew over rice. The dish was based on North African cuisine, and was the third meal offered to Portland, Maine, high school students as part of the semester project to test new dishes.]( Credit: Ari Snider/The World A high school in Portland, Maine, is infusing North African flavors into its school lunches as it experiments with being [more inclusive]( of its diverse student body. The state’s largest city is home to a growing number of immigrants from Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi and Rwanda. Students there speak more than 50 languages. [Shanghai sees exodus as people flee China's lockdown woes]( [A man tries to receive medicine he bought at a pharmacy through its closed glass doors in Shanghai, China, May 22, 2022.]( Credit: Chen Si/AP China's zero-COVID-19 policy has shattered many people's trust in the government, especially in Shanghai. The monthslong lockdown has left people exhausted and [thinking of ways to escape](. But getting out of the city isn't easy. --------------------------------------------------------------- Bright spot New exhibits at the Billy Ireland museum and the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center in Santa Rosa, California are preparing for the centenary of the birth of “Peanuts” cartoonist Charles M. Schulz on Nov. 26. When Schulz retired in 1999 following a cancer diagnosis, his creation had run in more than 2,600 newspapers, was translated into 21 languages in 75 countries and had an estimated daily readership of 355 million. [Lucy Shelton Caswell, founding curator of the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library Museum, examines memorabilia tied to the comic strip "Peanuts” in Columbus, Ohio, May 20, 2022.] Credit: Patrick Orsagos/AP/File photo In case you missed it on The World --------------------------------------------------------------- The Top of the World newsletter will resume on Tuesday, May 31 after the Memorial Day holiday. --------------------------------------------------------------- Don't forget to subscribe to The World's Latest Edition podcast using your favorite podcast player: [RadioPublic](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Stitcher](, [Soundcloud](, [RSS]( [The World logo]( [The World on Facebook]( [The World's Twitter account]( [Donate]( | [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( Top of the World is written weekday mornings by the team at [The World](. [The World]( is produced by [PRX]( and [GBH](.