UN report warns Iran is stepping up electronic surveillance of women

GENEVA (AP) — Iran increasingly relies on electronic surveillance and the public to inform on women refusing to wear the country’s mandatory headscarf in public, even as hard-liners push for harsher penalties for those protesting the law. That’s according to a United Nations report released Friday. The findings of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran come after it determined last year that the country’s theocracy was responsible for the “physical violence” that led to the death of Mahsa Amini. Her death led to nationwide protests against the country’s mandatory hijab laws and the public disobedience against them that continues even today, despite the threat of violent arrest and imprisonment.

Hamas says it will release a US-Israeli hostage and 4 bodies

JERUSALEM (AP) — Hamas says it has accepted a proposal from mediators to release one living American-Israeli hostage and the bodies of four dual nationals who had died in captivity. The militant group didn’t immediately specify Friday when the release of soldier Edan Alexander and the four bodies would occur or what it expected to receive in return. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office immediately cast doubt on the offer. The office accused Hamas of using manipulation to sabotage the ongoing talks in Qatar on the next stage of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire. Its first phase ended two weeks ago.

Official: US envoy is taking Putin’s comments on Ukraine ceasefire proposal to Trump

(AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin met with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff to discuss details of the American proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in the war with Ukraine, asking him to convey Moscow’s thoughts to Washington, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday. Putin asked Witkoff late Thursday to give additional messages to U.S. President Donald Trump, Peskov told reporters, after the Russian leader said at a news conference that he supported a truce in principle but set out a host of details that need to be clarified before it is agreed. Trump said the U.S. held “very good and productive” discussions with Putin the day before. In a post on his Truth Social site Friday morning, Trump said “that there is a very good chance that this horrible, bloody war can finally come to an end.”

China, Russia and Iran call for end to US sanctions on Iran

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Representatives of China, Russia and Iran have called for an end to U.S. sanctions on Iran over its rapidly advancing nuclear program and a restart to multinational talks on the issue. The talks come after U.S. President Donald Trump wrote to Iran’s supreme leader in an attempt to jumpstart talks. The letter was offered as Trump levied new sanctions on Iran as part of his “maximum pressure” campaign that holds out the possibility of military action while emphasizing he still believed a new deal could be reached. The three nations who met Friday emphasized the necessity of ending all unilateral sanctions, their joint statement said.