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Fate of Protesting Workers Arrested by the IRGC Still Unknown    Approximately 200 workers are being held in IRGC-controlled warehouses, raising serious concerns among labor activists about their conditions   Omid Habibinia/The Media Line    Hundreds of striking workers in Asaluyeh, home to Iran’s most important gas hub and the world’s largest, have been detained in warehouses belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters. Communication between the detained workers and their families has been cut off for weeks.    An employee in industries linked to the South Pars gas field told The Media Line that workers across different sectors in Asaluyeh had begun holding gatherings, protests, and strikes weeks before nationwide demonstrations started in Iran.   YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJHzWrCtuo0      Brought to you by www.srnnews.com

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (AP) — Trinidad and Tobago was practically shut down on Tuesday as it neared the climax of its famed annual two-day carnival. But this year, the event — dubbed “the greatest show on Earth” — faced the pressures of rising costs, leaving a growing number of residents on the twin-island Caribbean nation no longer able to afford to participate. Ticket prices for premium parties were costing nearly $700, while the price for costumes in a popular masquerade band were in excess of $2,000. Cognizant of rising prices, teachers and musicians are finding creative ways to make carnival more accessible for residents, whose forebears were slaves barred from participating in such festivities. Joshua Lamorelle, who goes into impoverished communities and teaches stilt walking for free, said: “It is giving the kids an opportunity to be a part of something that is very hard for them to afford.” A few days shy of schools and businesses closing for the massive carnival street parade, that began on Monday, Lamorelle was giving students final pointers. He observed as 11-year-old Kanye Simmons sat on a wall and secured stilts to his legs ahead of a junior parade. Stilt-walking is Simmons’ favorite pastime, even more so than video games: “I find it’s very educational, and it’s very fun.” His mother, Chrisann Clarke, said she appreciates Lamorelle’s push to educate children on the country’s culture and the history of carnival. She was also grateful that she didn’t have to pay for her son to participate in the parade, as is customary. “It’s actually great, because most parents are unable to afford it,” she said. Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago is celebrated on the two days preceding Ash Wednesday — dubbed Carnival Monday and Tuesday. Though not official national holidays, tens of thousands of people don costumes to take part in the street parade. The carnival dates from the 18th century, when French settlers brought the festivities to the islands but forbade African slaves to participate. By the 19th century, formerly enslaved Africans rioted against British officials who tried to suppress the celebrations. Carnival has since evolved into a major festival and is a key contributor to the economy, employing thousands of people and generating millions of dollars in tourism revenue. With the prices of tickets and costumes rising, soca music star Kimba Sorzano got creative to promote his new music for this year’s carnival. He owns a minibus, known as a “maxi taxi.” On some mornings, he offers free rides to passengers on the proviso that they listen to his music for the entire ride. His promotion tactic has became so popular that fast food restaurants came on board and added free breakfast to the commute. “Some people got priced out of the carnival, but at the same time we are the carnival,” said Sorzano, who believes the true spirit of carnival lives in the hearts of Trinidadians and Tobagonians. He’s not the only performer spreading carnival cheer at no cost. Singer Patrice Roberts organized a free soca music concert in late January that drew more than 10,000 people. Acknowledging the hardships facing some families, Roberts said in a video posted on social media that she knew “not everyone can indulge” this year. “This is for all the faithful fans, families and for anyone who still wants to feel the magic,” Roberts said. Lamorelle believes that making the carnival and other aspects of Trinidad and Tobago’s culture more accessible helps enrich people’s lives. “Anything to make the youths better and have a better vision on culture is what I am going for,” he said. This year, Lamorelle formed a carnival masquerade band for children, using his own money to cover most of the costs, although a few sponsors helped. It’s a rare opportunity for a country of some 1.4 million people whose unemployment rate rose to 4.8% in the third quarter of 2025, from 3.8% in the previous quarter, according to the latest government data. The government has approved new taxes and increased certain fees since being elected last April. This has led to rising prices for consumers and job losses, with some saying they’ve been forced to shutter their businesses. Lamorelle has the support of people in his community of Valencia, a small town in northeast Trinidad. “He’s doing wonderful work in the community because he has the children more occupied than just loitering and doing nonsense,” said Nakita De Verteuil, whose two children are part of the band. One of her sons, Josiah De Verteuil, who portrayed a “midnight robber” while on four-foot-high stilts, sees Lamorelle as a mentor. “He is a very lovable person,” the 17-year-old said. “And to children, he is one of the best influencers.” Brought to you by www.srnnews.com

New Jersey’s acting attorney general said Tuesday she will not ask the state Supreme Court to review the dismissal of racketeering charges against Democratic power broker George E. Norcross III and those charged alongside him. The decision by Jennifer Davenport, who was recently appointed by new Gov. Mikie Sherrill, came nearly three weeks after a three-judge appellate panel upheld a state judge’s decision to toss the criminal charges. The indictment had been obtained by Matt Platkin, who served as attorney general under Sherrill’s predecessor and fellow Democrat Phil Murphy. “In light of the Appellate Division’s decision, we have concluded that our prosecutorial resources would be best spent on other matters,” the attorney general’s office said in a statement. “Our office remains committed to prioritizing public corruption prosecutions in this time of deepening mistrust in government.” The charges stemmed from a June 2024 indictment announced by Platkin at a news conference at which Norcross himself took the unusual step of appearing in person and sitting directly in front of the attorney general. Norcross and five other defendants were accused of running “an enterprise” going back to 2012 to use their political influence to craft legislation to serve their own interests. But in a nearly 100-page ruling, the state judge found the prosecution’s allegations did not amount to criminal coercion or extortion and are time-barred. Norcross and his lawyers have long maintained his innocence, claiming the indictment was politically motivated, an allegation Platkin has repeatedly denied. Norcross, who served as executive chairman of the insurance firm Conner Strong & Buckelew, has been widely viewed as among the most influential unelected Democrats in the state. He was a Democratic National Committee member until 2021 and previously served as the head of the Camden County Democratic Party. Brought to you by www.srnnews.com

Poll: 65% of Syrians Favor US Engagement, 59% Say Peace With Israel Is Likely   By The Media Line Staff   A majority of Syrians now express favorable views toward the United States and believe a future peace with Israel is possible, according to a new YouGov survey.    The poll, commissioned by the Council for a Secure America, found that 65% of Syrians approve of US engagement in Syria, while 12% disapprove and the remainder describe themselves as neutral or undecided. The findings reflect a notable shift in public attitudes following the overthrow of former president Bashar Assad in December 2024.   Views on Israel also showed significant movement. According to the survey, 59% of respondents said peace with Israel is likely in the future, compared with 14% who said it is unlikely. The rest reported no clear opinion. Support was even stronger for limited cooperation, with 64% backing a security arrangement with Israel, 9% opposing it and about 30% neutral or undecided.   Opinions were more divided on full diplomatic normalization. A plurality of respondents, 47%, said they would support normalization with Israel after a Palestine resolution, while 13% opposed such a move and 40% said they were undecided.   The poll also highlighted widespread negative sentiment toward Hezbollah. Seventy percent of Syrians surveyed said the Iran-backed terror group has had a negative impact on the country. Only 11% expressed a positive view, while more than one-third said they had no opinion. Assad maintained close ties to Hezbollah and Iran during his rule.   Public assessments of Syria’s new president, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, were largely favorable. About 69% of respondents rated his performance as “good,” while 12% rated it poorly and 19% said they were undecided. The Trump administration has strongly supported al-Sharaa despite his past as a former member of al-Qaida, as his government works to secure control across the country.   The survey questioned 260 Syrians aged 18 and older between Jan. 8 and Jan. 15, drawn from an active panel of 40,000 members. The margin of error was plus or minus 5 percentage points.   US forces remain active in Syria as part of ongoing efforts to counter the Islamic State, which Washington has described as a continuing threat despite recent leadership changes in Damascus.       Brought to you by www.srnnews.com

Drone Strike Kills 28 at Market in Central Sudan, Rights Group Says   By The Media Line Staff   At least 28 civilians were killed when drones struck a busy market in central Sudan, a rights group said Monday, as fighting between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) intensified along one of the war’s most contested fronts, AFP reported.   The Emergency Lawyers, a group that monitors violations during the conflict, said several drones hit the al-Safiya market on Sunday in an area controlled by the RSF near the town of Sodari in North Kordofan. The group said the market was crowded at the time of the attack and warned that the casualty figure could rise.   Sodari is located in a remote part of northern Kordofan, where desert trade routes converge. The town lies about 230 kilometres (132 miles) northwest of El-Obeid, the North Kordofan state capital, which the RSF has sought to encircle for months as part of its broader campaign in the region.   Kordofan has become a focal point of the three-year-old war, with an increase in lethal drone attacks as both sides battle for control of Sudan’s main east-west corridor. The route connects the RSF-held western region of Darfur through El-Obeid to the army-controlled capital, Khartoum, and onward to other parts of the country.   Drone strikes and other aerial attacks have repeatedly hit towns and villages across vast areas of Sudan, often killing large numbers of civilians in single incidents. Both the army and the RSF have been blamed for attacks on populated areas far from active front lines.   Last Wednesday, a drone strike killed two children and wounded about a dozen people when it hit a school, according to earlier reports. Another attack that same day severely damaged a United Nations warehouse used to store famine relief supplies.   After consolidating its hold over Darfur last year, the RSF pushed east into oil- and gold-rich Kordofan in an effort to seize Sudan’s central corridor and expand its territorial control.   The conflict, which erupted in April 2023, has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced around 11 million, triggering what humanitarian agencies describe as the world’s largest hunger and displacement crisis. The fighting has effectively divided Sudan, with the army controlling much of the center, north and east, while the RSF holds the west and, together with allied groups, parts of the south.    Brought to you by www.srnnews.com