The world in focus, as seen by Canadian leading global affairs analyst Michael Bociurkiw in a quick review of the biggest news in international media today.
Two senior Iranian justices have been killed in a shooting attack in the Supreme Court in the capital Tehran, according to the judiciary and state media. The “assassination” was carried out by an armed person, who killed himself after opening fire early on Saturday, according to a statement by the media centre of the judiciary. The victims were identified as Muslim scholars Ali Razini and Mohammad Moghiseh, both holding the rank of hujjat al-Islam and each presiding over a different branch of the court. “[They] were actively involved in combating crimes against national security, espionage, and terrorism,” the statement added, describing the slain judges as “courageous and experienced”. Judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir told Iranian state television that “a person armed with a handgun entered the room” of the two judges and shot them. He said the assailant committed suicide. The identity of the attacker and his motive were not immediately clear. – Al Jazeera
Hamas is expected to provide the list of hostages slated for release on Sunday within hours, the Saudi television channel Al Hadath reported on Saturday. Despite prior commitments, Hamas missed the 4:30 p.m. deadline but reportedly assured mediators it would submit the list soon after transferring them to a secure location, according to Saudi network Al Arabiya. Israeli officials remain confident that the plan will proceed as scheduled. The government approved the cease-fire agreement with Hamas early Saturday, set to take effect Sunday at 8:30 a.m., 415 days after the first truce following the December 2023 hostage deal and 471 days since the October 7 massacre that sparked the war. Under the deal’s initial phase, 33 hostages will be released over 42 days, starting with three hostages scheduled for release Sunday evening in exchange for dozens of Palestinian prisoners – Ynet