October 11, 2022

*) UN fears Russian strikes to provoke more displacements The United Nations refugee chief has warned more people will be forced to flee their homes in Ukraine after Russian missiles rained down on Kiev and other Ukrainian cities. UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said the bombing of civilians, of houses and of non-military infrastructure in an indiscriminate manner, means the war is becoming harder and more difficult for civilians. Grandi said he feared that the latest events will provoke more displacements. *) Iran enhances its ability on uranium enrichment — IAEA Iran is rapidly expanding its ability to enrich uranium with advanced centrifuges at its underground plant at Natanz, a confidential UN nuclear watchdog report has shown. While indirect talks between Iran and the US on reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal have stalled, Tehran has brought onstream an ever larger number of advanced centrifuges to produce enriched uranium. These machines are far more efficient than the first-generation IR-1, the only centrifuge that the deal lets Iran use to grow its stock of enriched uranium. *) Palestinians accuse Israelis of burning Quran as settlers storm Al Aqsa A Palestinian official has accused Israeli settlers of burning copies of the Quran, Islam’s holy book, in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron. Nidal Al Jabari, the director of Waqf Department in Hebron, said burnt copies of the Quran were found near the Qaytoun mosque in Hebron's Old City. He suggested that the copies were burnt during celebrations of a Jewish holiday in recent days, calling for an investigation into the incident. *) Hurricane Ian death toll climbs above 100 in Florida alone The death toll from Hurricane Ian, one of the most powerful storms ever to hit the United States, has soared above 100 in Florida alone. Homes, restaurants and businesses were ripped apart when Ian roared ashore as a powerful Category 4 hurricane on September 26. The Florida Medical Examiners Commission confirmed that the number of stor