The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will travel to Atlanta next week to showcase a collection of familiar and unreleased pieces to both new and returning audiences.

The company will put on four public performances at the Fox Theatre in downtown from Jan. 25-27 as part of its 2024 national tour celebrating the 65th anniversary of its founding.

Each show will feature an assortment of individual productions brought to life by internationally acclaimed choreographers, including the return of a modern company classic originally choreographed by the late founder himself.

Artistic director emerita of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Judith Jamison, said that the company’s performers and choreographers have prepared a show that combines traditional elements of Ailey’s signature performance style with fresh, updated concepts capable of shifting the company into future programming.

She also said that creating art like Amy Hall Garner’s piece “CENTURY,” which honors the life of the Ailey artist in residence’s 100-year-old grandfather, is critical in that it acknowledges the contributions of previous generations and helps keep cultural traditions in performance alive.

“We extend ourselves through our ancestors,” Jamison said. “We are who we are because of them.”

Among the week’s performances, a contemporary piece by Kyle Abraham called “Are You in Your Feelings?” will explore love, relationships and Black culture on stage while featuring music from influential artists like Kendrick Lamar and Lauryn Hill.

Another piece, choreographed by Ronald K. Brown, will pay tribute to Judith Jamison’s impact and illustrious career, named after her 1993 autobiography, “Dancing Spirit.”

Jamison, who danced with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for 15 years before becoming the company’s artistic director in 1989, said the ensemble has expanded since her debut in 1965 but has nonetheless remained focused on the company’s mission to hold the Ailey name in high regard, as well as the art of dance in general.

“(The company’s) grown, but we are still connected,” Jamison said. “That’s the important thing that differentiates this company from other companies. It’s a big family.”

Jamison also said that Ailey’s cast of artists always strives to leave a lasting impression on its audiences around the world and that those who attend a show should be mindful of the intimacy and importance of live theatre as they watch the performances.

“Have some fun, have a good time, go on a journey, enjoy what you see, absorb what you see,” Jamison said. “We’re there to entertain, we’re there to enlighten, and to make you feel uplifted when you leave the theater.”

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will perform each evening at 7:30 p.m. and perform an additional Saturday afternoon show beginning at 2 p.m.

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 (CNN) — Congress passed a short-term funding extension Thursday, averting a partial government shutdown at the end of the week after lawmakers raced the clock ahead of a key Friday deadline.

The bill will now be sent to President Joe Biden to be signed into law. The Senate voted first to pass the measure by a tally of 77 to 18. The House passed the bill later in the day, 314 to 108.

But major challenges still lay ahead. Lawmakers must now attempt to pass a series of full-year spending bills before new March deadlines – a painstaking process with a wide array of potential landmines as the two parties fight for competing policy priorities.

In a rare event, lawmakers had been confronting not one but two government shutdown deadlines early this year – on January 19 and February 2.

The short-term funding extension sets up two new funding deadlines on March 1 and March 8. The stopgap measure will provide more time for full-year appropriations bills to be negotiated and passed.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, who presides over an extremely narrow majority, has faced intense pushback from his right flank amid the government spending fight.

Johnson has been criticized by conservatives over a topline spending deal he struck with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, which would set spending at close to $1.66 trillion overall. Conservatives were also quick to criticize the proposal for a short-term funding extension after it was announced.

“This is what surrender looks like,” the far-right House Freedom Caucus posted on X.

Johnson has defended the topline agreement and said in a statement Sunday that the short-term spending bill “is required to complete what House Republicans are working hard to achieve: an end to governance by omnibus, meaningful policy wins, and better stewardship of American tax dollars.”

In addition to the effort to avert a shutdown, a group of Senate negotiators have been working to try to strike a deal on border security that could unlock passage of aid to Ukraine and Israel.

Top congressional leaders emerged from a Wednesday meeting with Biden at the White House hopeful that a deal on a national security supplemental aid package can be reached.

If a deal is reached in the Senate, however, its fate in the House will be uncertain. A number of House Republicans have warned that they don’t believe a Senate compromise on border security would be adequate to address the issues at the border and would be ready to reject such a measure.

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Washington (CNN) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday appeared to reject the idea of creating a Palestinian state, a statement that could contribute to growing tensions between Washington and Jerusalem.

“In any future arrangement … Israel needs security control all territory west of Jordan. This clashes with the idea of (Palestinian) sovereignty. What can you do?” he told a news conference in Tel Aviv when asked about reports that he told American officials he opposes the idea of Palestinian sovereignty.

“This conflict is not about the absence of a (Palestinian) state but about the existence of a state, the Jewish state,” Netanyahu also said.

The apparent rejection of a Palestinian state is at direct odds with the stated position of one of Netanyahu’s staunchest allies, US President Joe Biden, who has long advocated for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Even as Biden offers support for Israel, behind the scenes he and top officials have grown frustrated that Netanyahu appears to be rejecting advice and pressure on the campaign in Gaza.

American officials said Thursday they would not allow Netanyahu’s apparent rejection of an eventual Palestinian state to stop them from pressing the matter with their Israeli counterparts.

A senior administration official noted after Netanyahu’s comments that the prime minister had reversed himself on hardline positions before – and that his statement Thursday was not necessarily the final word.

“If we took such statements as the final word, there would be no humanitarian assistance going into Gaza and no hostages released,” a senior US administration official said. “As with those and many other issues, we will continue to work toward the right outcome, particularly on issues where we strongly disagree.”

One person familiar with the matter said it wasn’t clear whether Netanyahu had, in fact, relayed his views directly to American officials, as he stated during his news conference. The person said inside the administration, his comments aren’t being viewed as a major departure from what he’s said previously.

A public rift opened between Biden and Netanyahu last month over the mounting civilian casualties in Gaza and differences in opinion about what a future for Palestinians should look like after combat operations end. The US has been signaling that it wants Israel to move to a lower intensity phase of the war that focuses more on Hamas leaders and militants rather than the mass strikes that have led to tens of thousands of Palestinian civilian deaths.

“I want them to be focused on how to save civilian lives. Not stop going after Hamas, but be more careful,” Biden said last month.

Both Biden and Netanyahu have faced increasing domestic political pressure as the military campaign in Gaza has dragged on. The US president is confronted constantly by pro-Palestinian protesters who demand he call for a ceasefire and up the pressure on the Israelis to end their military campaign that began in the wake of the October 7 terror attack by Hamas.

Meanwhile Netanyahu faces pressure from Israelis over the fact that scores of hostages are still being held from Hamas’ attack and the security failures that allowed it to take place. Failure to deliver on the return of those hostages would intensify political pressure on a decisive leader whose popularity among Israelis has only plunged since October 7.

Amid calls for Netanyahu to resign, the prime minister claimed in the news conference that the Israeli politicians asking for him to step down are essentially asking for the creation of a Palestinian state.

“Those who talk about the day after Netanyahu are actually talking about the establishment of a Palestinian state,” he said, adding that an Israeli prime minister needs to be “capable of saying no to our friends,” he added.

When asked about Netanyahu’s remarks, John Kirby, the US National Security Council spokesman, told reporters aboard Air Force One on Thursday that “nothing has changed” in Biden’s desire for a Palestinian state.

“We’re not going to stop working towards that goal. And this is this is not a new comment by Prime Minister Netanyahu,” he said.

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Costs of food, energy, and other related necessities around Atlanta saw modest decreases over the final few months of 2023, prompting consumers to start 2024 with comparably lower prices, particularly for clothing, dairy products, and gasoline.

According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Atlanta metropolitan statistical area ended last year with consumer prices about 3.6 percent higher compared to prices from the year before, but seven-tenths of a percentage point lower than those seen four months prior.

Prices on a national scale, however, have increased steadily month-to-month all throughout 2023, only staying the same from September to October.

2023 marked the first year since 2019 where prices for goods in the metro area declined continuously from August to December, dropping six tenths of a percentage point during the first two months and another tenth of a percentage point by the end of the year.

Labor percentages in Atlanta adjusted by similar means last year, rising long-term while falling marginally over the past few months.

Unemployment rates increased slightly in the city over a 12-month time span, rising from 2.7% in November 2022 to 3.1% last November. Local unemployment reached its 2023 peak in August, reaching 3.7% before dropping to 3.4% in September.

Contrarily, national unemployment rates increased by just a tenth of a percentage point over the course of the same 12 months, from 3.4% to 3.5%. Unemployment for the civilian population aged 16 and older reached 3.7% nationwide in December, according to a report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.

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(CNN) — An aide who called 911 requesting an ambulance to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s house on New Year’s Day asked that the ambulance be discreet and “not show up with lights and sirens.”

“We’re trying to remain a little subtle,” the aide told the dispatcher in a recording of the call obtained by CNN through the Freedom of Information Act from the Fairfax County Department of Public Safety Communications.

“Yeah, I understand,” the dispatcher responded to the aide, whose name is redacted from the audio. The dispatcher explained that ambulances typically turn off their lights and sirens on residential streets.

The aide asked that Austin — whose name is also redacted from the call — be taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

The audio, first reported on by The Daily Beast, provides new insight into the defense secretary’s physical state at the start of what became a two-week stay at Walter Reed for Austin, who was experiencing complications from a December 22 procedure to treat prostate cancer.

Austin, the aide said, was not experiencing chest pain or feeling like he was going to pass out. He was awake and oriented, according to the audio.

While Austin and the aide’s names are redacted from the audio, the street name of the partially redacted address provided to the dispatcher matches Austin’s address.

While Austin was admitted to the hospital on January 1 — and the intensive care unit on January 2 — the public did not know about his health complications until January 5. It was later discovered that the White House, including President Joe Biden, had not been notified until January 4. Congress was not notified until January 5. The revelation has raised numerous questions about Austin’s compliance with notification requirements and transparency in the Pentagon.

Biden has since said that Austin’s delay in notifying him was a lapse in judgment.

The Pentagon’s inspector general has launched a review of whether the Pentagon has the appropriate policies in place to ensure an effective transfer of power and duties following Austin’s hospitalizations.

Austin’s doctors said last week that he had a “minimally invasive surgical procedure” on December 22, but on January 1 he was experiencing “nausea with severe abdominal, hip and leg pain,” and was found to have a urinary tract infection.

“Further evaluation revealed abdominal fluid collections impairing the function of his small intestines,” the statement from his doctors last week said. “This resulted in the back up of his intestinal contents which was treated by placing a tube through his nose to drain his stomach. The abdominal fluid collections were drained by non-surgical drain placement.  He has progressed steadily throughout his stay.”

Austin was released on Monday, and his doctors said in a previous statement that he is expected to “make a full recovery.”

“Secretary Austin’s prostate cancer was treated early and effectively, and his prognosis is excellent,” said the statement from Dr. John Maddox, trauma medical director, and Dr. Gregory Chesnut, director of the Center for Prostate Disease Research at the Murtha Cancer Center at Walter Reed. “He has no planned further treatment for his cancer other than regular post-prostatectomy surveillance.”

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Atlanta businesswoman Diane Larché died on Friday, January 12, at the age of 65, after battling pancreatic cancer. Larché was the owner of Larché Communications, an Atlanta-based public relations agency that she operated for over 20 years.

Larché also owned Footittr specialty shoe store with her husband Joseph Larché. 

During her decades working in public relations, marketing, and advertising, Larché was able to represent many clients in politics, entertainment, and sports, including Home Box Office (HBO); Dallas Mavericks Guard Jason Terry (formerly of the Atlanta Hawks); S.T.E.P.S. Events Planning Firm President & CEO Jamahl King; Divine Mill/ Warner Bros. Recording artist Jaheim; 2001 NAACP Image Award nominated actress Krysten Leigh Jones of the blockbuster movie Remember The Titans; and more. 

Larché was not only considered a successful businesswoman but an important member of the Atlanta community. She was also a dear friend to The Atlanta Voice and a huge supporter of the Black Press. 

A native of Philadelphia, Larche earned bachelor’s degrees in English and Political Science from the University of Pittsburgh and a Certificate in Publishing from Howard University. She started her career as a newspaper and radio journalist. 

While in Pittsburgh, she served as a founder and former board member of the National Association of Black Journalists Pittsburgh Chapter. Larche was also a member of the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists, Public Relations Society of America, Atlanta Sports Council, Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, Atlanta Press Club, Junior League of Atlanta, Inc., and Atlanta Commission on Women. 

At the time of her passing,  Larché was the founding and current president of the Greater Atlanta Section of the National Council of Negro (NCNW), the largest section ever to be chartered in the 83-year history of NCNW.

She served on the board of directors of the League of Women Voters of Atlanta-Fulton County, the National Association of Black Cardiologists Center For Women’s Health, and the Lupus Foundation of America, Georgia Chapter.

Larché was also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Atlanta Alumnae Chapter and Ben Hill United Methodist Church.

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ATLANTA – Gov. Brian Kemp is talking up Georgia to foreign business and political big wigs for the second January in a row.

Kemp is spending the week in Switzerland attending the World Economic Forum, meeting business executives and political leaders and taking part in discussion panels.

“We get a lot of value being able to see, talk to, and pitch a lot of people in one place,” Kemp told Capitol Beat Tuesday in an exclusive interview from Davos, Switzerland. “The exposure we get is really helpful selling the state.”

The trip includes meetings both with executives from companies with an existing presence in Georgia and those that might be interested in setting up shop in the Peach State.

On Tuesday, the governor met with officials from Korean automaker Hyundai, which is building a massive electric vehicle manufacturing plant west of Savannah, and multinational technology company Cisco, which has offices in Midtown Atlanta. Tomorrow, the state will host a luncheon reception for 25 companies.

Kemp also participated in a panel discussion on the EV industry, which has become a major player in Georgia with both the Hyundai plant and a manufacturing facility Rivian is building east of Atlanta along the Interstate 20 corridor.

The governor will lead Georgia’s delegation to meetings elsewhere in Switzerland later this week before heading back home on Saturday.

Kemp, a potential candidate for the U.S. Senate after his second term as governor expires in 2026, dismissed the notion that he’s out to burnish his own national and international profile by going to Davos.

“My No.-1 goal is selling our state,” he said. “That’s the reason I came to the forum.”

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In commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and mission, on January 15th, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, both clients and employees of Smith & Young Talent came together at the Alpha Bonding parking lot to distribute goods to the less fortunate.

The agency distributed yogurt packs, socks, and an assortment of goods. Established in 2017, Smith & Young Talent, an Atlanta-based agency, initiated the project as a philanthropic mission in collaboration with New York Times bestselling author of “I’m not Dying With You Tonight,” and Community Activist Kimberly Latrice Jones, along with Smith & Young co-founder Chris Young. The intention was to give back to a community that had given so much to them, said Jones. “God’s given me so much and he requires so much for what he’s given me,” she said. “I’ve done so much as a creative writer and now what am I doing for my people.’

Jones, a writer signed to Smith Young Talent, revealed the idea of the MLK Sock Drive was born during discussions with her agent, Chris Young. “If we couldn’t provide shoes, the least that we felt like we could do is run out and find providers of socks or just simply purchase them ourselves,” Young said. Recognizing the need for more community engagement, the pair brainstormed ideas for impactful projects. Jones drew inspiration from a conversation with a family friend, an emergency room doctor at Grady Memorial Hospital, who shed light on the critical need for socks among the less fortunate. “People don’t realize the significance of having dry feet,” Jones explained. “Without proper footwear, individuals are susceptible to infections that can affect their overall health.” This led to the inception of the MLK Sock Drive, a project aimed at providing a basic yet often overlooked necessity to those in need.

Individuals facing homelessness frequently navigate the streets for extended durations, at times wearing ill-fitting shoes and worn-out socks. Dr. Hwang cited in a 2015 report written by Homeless Hub highlighted that foot-related disorders, including onychomycosis, tinea pedis, corns, callouses, and immersion foot, often stem from inadequate footwear, prolonged exposure to moisture, extensive walking and standing, and repetitive minor trauma. Moreover, Dr. Hwang’s research also states that those living on the streets are particularly susceptible to skin diseases such as cellulitis, impetigo, venous stasis disease, scabies, and body lice. The challenges of limited access to showers and maintaining proper hygiene further compound existing health issues in this vulnerable population.

Growing up in Chicago, Jones attributes much of her inspiration to the legacy of the Black Panther Party, which she believed went unnoticed for the community development work that they provided to the community, such as their breakfast program, housing initiatives, and efforts in providing for the community’s basic needs. “One of the things that people don’t talk about enough, or they do talk about it but not sufficiently, was all of their community engagement,” Jones told The Atlanta Voice.

Accompanying Young and Jones were several of their neighbors, family members, and community members. This includes Kenneth Reddick II and his son 6-year-old Kenneth Reddick III, along with his daughter Cameron Reddick, who is a graduate of Hampton University and member of A.K.A. “Part of my organization is sisterhood, scholarship, and service. Service is very important to me. It’s not just something that I’m required to do,” Cameron Reddick said of why she chose to volunteer. “It’s something I enjoy doing. So I just wanted to make sure that on today, Founders Day, as well as MLK Day, I was able to recognize that.”

The volunteers walked around the downtown area, meeting individuals living in encampments under the expressway, as well as on the streets.

John Elvis Tindall, also known as “Hustle,” an Atlanta resident of sixteen years, and a recipient of the drive has seen MLK Day evolve for the better. Born in South Carolina, Tindall moved to Atlanta to pursue a career in the emerging film and television industry. A resident of the Welcome House near Memorial Avenue, Tindall praises the evolution of community efforts since being in Atlanta. “People are coming out here giving out stuff to people. They are helping out the elderly, helping older people, and giving them clothes. I think it’s great. It’s lovely,” Tindall told The Atlanta Voice.

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(CNN) — Most Iowa GOP caucusgoers refuse to accept President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory and say they would view former President Donald Trump, whom CNN projected will win the caucuses Monday night, as fit for office even if convicted of a crime, according to CNN’s entrance poll for the Iowa Republican presidential caucuses.

Trump’s victory highlights his strength among key groups that form the bulk of the GOP electorate, according to the entrance poll. Roughly half of Iowa caucusgoers described themselves as “very conservative,” and nearly half identified as part of the MAGA movement, referring to the “Make America Great Again” slogan popularized by Trump in 2016. Broad majorities in both of those groups broke for Trump, as did the lion’s share of White evangelicals and those age 65 and older.

The results also highlight the stark educational divide that has become a defining feature of the GOP electorate. While Trump held a commanding lead among Iowa caucusgoers without college degrees, college graduates were more closely divided among Trump, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.  

Entrance polls are a valuable tool to help understand caucusgoers’ demographic profile and political views. Like all surveys, however, entrance polls are estimates, not precise measurements of the electorate. That’s particularly true for the preliminary set of entrance poll numbers, which haven’t yet been weighted to match the final results of the caucus. But the results provide a glimpse of the type of voters turning out to participate in the first contest of the 2024 campaign.

The results of the entrance poll mark a shift in the Republican electoral landscape from the 2016 Iowa caucuses, when White evangelicals and very conservative votes broke in favor of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz over Trump. (Cruz went on to win the state that year but lost the nomination to Trump.)

Trump’s strength with the Iowa electorate is also evident in caucusgoers’ response to his previous election loss and the criminal charges he faces. About two-thirds said they do not believe that Biden’s victory over Trump more than three years ago was legitimate. There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election. More than 6 in 10 said that they would consider Trump fit for the presidency if he were to be convicted of a crime, with only about one-third saying they wouldn’t see him as fit in that circumstance.

Among the minority of caucusgoers who said Trump would be unfit for the presidency if convicted, about half backed Haley on Monday, with about one-third supporting DeSantis.

Trump’s support in Iowa has been locked in for some time, the entrance poll suggests, while his rivals have seen more recent gains. About 80% of Trump’s supporters said they made their decision to back him prior to this month. By contrast, a majority of Haley’s supporters said they made their decision sometime in January, as did roughly half of DeSantis’ backers.

Asked which of four personal qualities mattered most to them in a candidate, about 4 in 10 caucusgoers said they wanted to see a candidate who shared their values and about 3 in 10 that they wanted someone would fight for people like them, with fewer looking for a candidate who had the right temperament or could defeat Biden. While voters’ decision-making processes are too complicated to be described by a single question, the divide in responses highlights the very different appeals that Trump, DeSantis and Haley offer to their respective supporters. 

Roughly half of Trump supporters said they were looking for a candidate who would fight for people like them, with about one-third prioritizing a candidate who shared their values, and few attributing their decision to Trump’s temperament or perceived electability. A wide majority of DeSantis supporters, by contrast, said they most wanted to see a candidate who shared their values. And Haley supporters were more divided: about 37% said they prioritized temperament, 27% a candidate who shared their values, and 24% someone who could defeat Biden, with few looking for a fighter on their behalf.

About 38% of all GOP caucusgoers called the economy their top concern out of a list of four issues, with about one-third citing immigration, about one-eighth citing abortion, and roughly another one-eighth picking foreign policy. Most GOP caucusgoers – about 6 in 10 – said they’d favor a federal law banning most or all abortions nationwide, the entrance poll also finds. 

The entrance poll for Iowa’s Republican presidential caucus was conducted by Edison Research on behalf of the National Election Pool. It includes 1,628 interviews with Republican caucus participants across 45 different caucus locations. Results for the full sample have a margin of error of plus or minus 2.0 percentage points; it is larger for subgroups.  

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(CNN) — Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on Monday launched ballistic missiles at what it said was a spy base for Israel’s intelligence agency Mossad in northern Iraq, and at “anti-Iran terror groups” in Syria, in the latest escalation of hostilities that further risks spiraling into a wider regional conflict.

The strikes were condemned by the United States as “reckless” and imprecise.

Iranian forces said the midnight missile strike in Iraq destroyed “one of the main espionage headquarters” of Israel in Erbil, capital of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, in response to what they said were Israeli attacks that killed Iranian Revolutionary Guard commanders and members of the Iranian resistance front.

“This headquarters has been the center for developing espionage operations and planning terrorist acts” in the region and Iran, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said in a statement Monday.

CNN has reached out to Israel’s Prime Minister’s office for comment on the IRGC’s claim.

The IRGC also said it struck several locations in Erbil and claimed to target “sites of Iranian opposition groups.”

At least four civilians were killed and six others injured in the attack, according to a statement early Tuesday by the Security Council of the Kurdistan region.

A large villa belonging to a well-known Kurdish businessman was also destroyed, according to a CNN journalist in the region. There were unconfirmed reports of casualties at the residential property though it is not known if the building was an intended target.

“This blatant violation undermines the sovereignty of the Kurdistan Region and Iraq,” the Security Council said in its statement, which accused Iran of employing baseless pretexts to attack Erbil, a historically stable region that it said had never posed a threat to any party.

Also on Monday, the IRGC said it fired ballistic missiles at bases of “anti-Iran terror groups in occupied territories of Syria.”

It claimed the targets were involved in the recent dual bombings in the city of Kerman during a memorial for the slain Quds Force Commander Qasem Soleimani that left scores dead and wounded.

ISIS claimed responsibility for the deadly twin blasts near Soleimani’s burial site, in what was the deadliest attack in Iran since its 1979 revolution.

In its statement, the IRGC said it “identified and destroyed a number of key terror commanders and elements, especially Daesh (ISIS), in the occupied territories of Syria by firing a number of ballistic missiles.”

A US official said Monday initial indications of Iran’s missile attacks showed “this was a reckless and imprecise set of strikes.”

“We have seen the reports, and we tracked the missiles, which impacted in northern Iraq and northern Syria. No US personnel or facilities were targeted,” the official said.

“Iran is claiming this is in response to the terrorist attacks in Kerman, Iran, and Rask, Iran, with a focus on ISIS. We will continue to assess the situation.”

An unnamed US State Department spokesperson told CNN the strikes did not damage the “US Consulate Erbil or the New Consulate Compound under construction.”

“No American personnel were injured,” they said.

Kurdistan region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani called on “our partners in the international community not to remain silent in the face of repeated attacks against the people of Kurdistan.”

“Earlier this evening, Erbil was once again attacked by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps. Sadly, during tonight’s unjustifiable attack, several civilians have been martyred and wounded,” Barzani said in a statement.

“I condemn this cowardly attack on the people of the Kurdistan region in the strongest terms.”

Concerns of an escalating war

Iran’s attacks will further raise fears that Israel’s war in Gaza could widen into a full-scale war in the Middle East with grave humanitarian, political and economic consequences.

Israel’s relentless bombing of Gaza in response to Hamas’ October 7 terror attacks has killed more than 24,000 people, according to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health, and wrought widespread devastation, as civilians live with the threat of imminent death – either by an airstrike, starvation or disease.

The UN emergency relief chief said the war has brought famine to Gaza “with such incredible speed,” and South Africa has brought allegations of genocide at the United Nations’ top court – claims strenuously denied by Israel.

The conflict has escalated hostilities across the region, with Iran’s allies and proxies – the so-called axis of resistance – launching attacks on Israeli forces and its allies.

US forces last week sank three boats belonging to Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels in the Red Sea, and the US and UK launched strikes against Houthi targets in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen aimed at halting a series of attacks on commercial shipping.

On Monday, a Houthi missile hit a US-owned cargo ship in the Red Sea, marking what appears to be the first time the militants have successfully struck a US-owned or operated ship.

Last week, the US carried out a strike in Baghdad that killed a leader from an Iran-backed proxy group that Washington blamed for attacks against US personnel in the region. US troops in Iraq and Syria have repeatedly come under rocket and drone attacks from Tehran’s proxies.

Fighting has intensified between Israel and the powerful Iran-backed group Hezbollah, across the Lebanon border. On Sunday, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah vowed to press on with confrontations with Israeli forces on the Lebanon border until the end of the Israeli offensive in Gaza.

Last week, a senior Hezbollah commander was killed in an Israeli drone strike on his car in southern Lebanon, a Lebanese security source told CNN. Wissam Tawil is the most senior member of the Shiite militant group to be killed in an Israeli strike since Hezbollah and Israel began trading fire across the Lebanese-Israeli border on October 8.

Israel is also suspected of carrying out an attack on high-ranking Hamas leader, Saleh Al-Arouri, in Beirut, sparking fury among Hezbollah leaders who control the area where he was killed.

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