Dispatch: Tiptoeing Through Kurdistan

(SHERIDAN, Ind.) — U. S. Rep. Victoria Spartz, the first and only Ukrainian-born member of Congress, emerged early on as a natural advocate for supporting her native country in its war with Russia. But when $61 billion in additional support for the war effort came up for a vote in the House recently, she voted against it. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Instead she has called for better oversight of U.

Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, appear increasingly concerned that the International Criminal Court (ICC) may issue arrest warrants against the country’s officials for actions taken in the war between Israel and Hamas. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] On Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted on X that “Israel will never accept any attempt by the ICC to undermine its inherent right of self-defense… While the ICC will not affect Israel’s actions, it would set a dangerous precedent that threatens the soldiers and officials of all democracies fighting savage terrorism and wanton aggression.” Under my leadership, Israel will never accept any attempt by the ICC to undermine its inherent right of self-defense.

Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf resigned on Monday ahead of a vote of no confidence on Wednesday that appeared he would lose. His resignation comes little more than a year after he took up the post, becoming the first non-white and first Muslim leader of Scotland. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Read More: Meet the New Face of Scotland “I cannot tell you what an honour it is being the first minister of the country I love, the country I’m raising my family in and the only country I will ever call home,” Yousaf said from Bute House, the official residence of the First Minister.

NAIROBI, Kenya — A dam collapsed in western Kenya early Monday, killing at least 40 people after a wall of water swept through houses and cut off a major road, police said. The Old Kijabe Dam, located in the Mai Mahiu area of the Great Rift Valley region that is prone to flash floods, collapsed and water spilled downstream, police official Stephen Kirui told The Associated Press. Ongoing rains in Kenya have caused flooding that has already killed nearly 100 people and caused the opening of schools to be postponed. Heavy rains have been pounding the country since mid-March and the Meteorology Department has warned of more rainfall. The East African region is experiencing flooding due to the heavy rains, and 155 people have reportedly died in Tanzania while more than 200,000 people are affected in neighboring Burundi. Kenya’s main airport was flooded on Saturday, forcing some flights to be diverted, as videos of a flooded runway, terminals and cargo section were shared online. More than 200,000 people across Kenya the country have been affected by the floods, with houses in flood-prone areas submerged and people seeking refuge in schools. President William Ruto had instructed the National Youth Service to provide land for use as a temporary camp for those affected.

PARIS — French media are reporting that police have summoned actor Gérard Depardieu for questioning about allegations made by two women that he sexually assaulted them on movie sets. Broadcaster BFMTV and the daily Le Parisien both reported that the 75-year-old actor was called in for police questioning in Paris on Monday. The Paris police, the Paris prosecutor’s office, Depardieu’s lawyers and a lawyer for one of the alleged victims did not immediately respond to Associated Press emails seeking comment. BFMTV and Le Parisien reported that the police summons relates to accusations of sexual assault filed by two women who accuse him of groping during filming — one in 2014, the other in 2021. Depardieu has also been accused by more than a dozen other women of harassing, groping or sexually assaulting them.

HONG KONG — A Hong Kong transgender activist on Monday received a new ID card reflecting his gender change, after a yearslong legal battle to change the document, and he vowed to continue working for equality for the LGBTQ+ community. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Henry Tse won his appeal over the government’s refusal to change the gender on his ID card in February 2023.