 Hello and welcome to the International Daily Roundup by People's Dispatch where we bring you major news developments from around the world, our headlines, protest segons the arrest of rapper Pablo Hacel continue across Spain, US withdraws Trump in our letters declaring re-imposition of sanctions in Iran, South Carolina passes a bill imposing near total ban on abortions, Israel is preparing a law prohibiting cooperation with the International Criminal Court, and in our video section we take a look at a new law approved by the French National Assembly which has been increasingly contentious. In our first story protest segons the arrest of rapper Pablo Hacel continued for the third consecutive night in Spain on February 18th. The protest has spread across several cities including Barcelona, Madrid and in Catalonia. Hacel was forcefully arrested by the police on February 16th and is now serving a ninth month prison sentence. He was convicted on charges related to glorifying terrorism and insulting the Spanish monarchy and state institutions. As reported by the Associated Press, Spanish authorities are now announced that Hacel has lost a recent appeal and might face an additional two and a half years in prison. The charges are related to assault and obstruction of justice in 2017. Protests broke out across different cities on Tuesday night after hours after he was imprisoned. Thousands gathered in Barcelona, Girona and Segria demanding his release. Police forces deployed tear gas, rubber bullets and beaten charges to disperse protesters in several areas. Over 100 people have been injured and nearly 80 have been arrested during the protests so far. The Spanish newspaper LPI reported that the Health Department had confirmed that the woman had lost an eye during the rally in Barcelona. United States group Iridia has stated that the injury was caused by a form-trip projectile. Pablo Hacel's arrest is the latest in a series of persecutions under Spain's 2015 public security law. The law, which was passed by the former conservative government, has been widely criticized for cracking down on dissent and restricting free assembly. In our next story, we go to the United States where the Biden administration has withdrawn three Trump-era letters claiming the re-imposition of international sanctions on Iran. The Trump administration had sent these letters to the UN Security Council in September 2020. The acting U.S. ambassador to the UN Richard Mills sent a letter to the Security Council withdrawing the previous letters on February 18. He stated that the sanctions against Iran, which had been terminated after the 2015 nuclear deal, will, to quote him, remain terminated. The U.S. is now also in favor of holding talks with Iran. State Department spokesperson Ned Price confirmed on February 18 that the U.S. would accept an invitation by the European Union to hold these talks. These measures have been welcomed as possible steps towards the U.S. rejoining the deal formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Iran also announced the same deal that it would stop implementing the additional protocols of the International Atomic Energy Agency if the U.S. did not lift all its unilateral sanctions. Former President Trump had imposed these sanctions on Iran after withdrawing from the 2018, therefore the nuclear deal in 2018. The Trump administration then proceeded to unilaterally declare the re-imposition of UN sanctions against Iran as well. This was despite the fact that 13 out of the 15 Security Council members had voted against the action. A special aid to the president of the Iranian Parliament of International Affairs has now stated that the U.S. and U.S. signatories have four days to lift the sanctions. Iran has stated that its breach of provisions of the deal are reversible, provided all signatories return to full compliance. This also includes the U.S. rejoining the deal and lifting all sanctions. Continuing with the U.S., the state of South Carolina has passed a new bill which will implement a near total ban on abortion. Republican Governor Henry McMaster signed the South Carolina Fetal Heartbeat in Protection from Abortion Act on February 18. The bill was passed by the South Carolina General Assembly with a majority of 79 to 35 on February 17 and finalized on February 18. Once enforced, the bill will require doctors to perform ultrasounds to detect a heartbeat in the fetus. If a heartbeat is detected, an abortion will be allowed only in cases where there is a fetal anomaly or if the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest or if it poses threat to life. The law can also charge the person performing the abortion with a felony. If found guilty, they could face up to two years in prison and a fine of $10,000. Reproductive healthcare nonprofit Planned Parenthood announced on February 18 that it would file a lawsuit against the bill. The organization further stated that over 200 bills, banning or restricting abortions had been introduced by state politicians in less than two months. We now go to Israel, where a country is preparing a law which will prohibit any cooperation with the International Criminal Court. Israeli media channel 7 reported that any violations to this law will carry a five-year prison sentence. The law will include bans on handing over Israeli citizens to the ICC and the financing of legal defense. It will also sanction the court and the people employed there. This will include bans on entry and residence in Israel, as well as restrictions on foreign entities assisting the court. Israeli citizens and entities, including any company or authority, will be banned from cooperating with the ICC without a special permit. This includes any investigations conducted in the occupied Palestinian territories. The announcement comes days after the ICC ruled that it had jurisdiction to investigate the territories occupied by Israel. The decision, which was issued on February 5th, covers Gaza, the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. ICC chief prosecutor Fatah Ben-Sauda had stated in 2019 that there was reasonable basis to launch a war crimes investigation into Israel's military actions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. Ben-Sauda had then appealed to the ICC to confirm if it had a territorial jurisdiction in these cases. Israel denounced the decision as being politically motivated. The ICC has denied this, stating that it provided a legal answer in accordance with the Rome Statue. The new law proposed in Israel is being seen as an attempt to protect its officers and the military from any potential investigation. For our final story, we go to France, where the National Assembly has approved a contentious new bill, supposedly aimed at reinforcing Republican values. The bill was passed on February 16th, following 135 hours of debate. The bill has been widely criticized by many who feel that it will further perpetuate stigma against the Muslim community. Here is a video feature on the bill. On Tuesday, February 16th, after 135 hours of debate, a new bill aimed at reinforcing Republican values was approved by the French National Assembly. The bill, officially named Respect for the Principles of the Republic, has been subject of fierce debate in civil society and among politicians. It will go to the Senate next month for final approval. The bill seeks oversight of mosques, schools and sports clubs, among other institutions perpetually to protect France from Islamists. Now, the bill does not mention Muslims or Islam. Critics point out that this legislation is against Muslims. The French Communist Party's deputies in the parliament said that the bill will allow the right and power right to develop Islamophobic theories. This bill gives the government the power to dissolve or ban associations as it sees fit. The bill also introduces stricter financial control over foreign money sent to religious organizations. The bill, according to the government, is expected to strengthen Lysite, the French idea of secularism, which calls for a strict separation of religion and state. The legislation will also tighten controls on homeschooling, online hate, and aims to combat misogyny rooted in religion. The bill also allows the state to close places of worship and religious schools as well as to ban extremist preachers. The bill has been put forward in the context of recent attacks by religious extremists in the last few years. The murder of Samuel Patti, a schoolteacher, is said to have been a major trigger. Hundreds of activists, academics, journalists, and religious figures gathered in Paris to protest the bill on February 12. Critics have said that the proposed law will stigmatize Muslims and that the existing laws are enough to cover the issues sought to be addressed by the new legislation. Emmanuel Macron has often been accused of catering to the sentiments of the far right and appeasing them by exaggerating the danger of Islamist groups.