Recently, Iraq has taken the initiative in hosting a summit between itself, and the ever feuding regional powers of Saudi Arabia and Iran. This has been perceived by many as an effort by Iraq to “rebrand” itself so to speak. After decades of war tearing Iraq apart, the middle eastern nation is making an effort to appear as a friendly… Read more »
A referendum closed last Monday in Egypt that is expected to give power to Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi until 2030. Results from the poll will determine some of the extended presidential powers given to Egypt’s leader, which will be announced on April 27th. Pro-Sisi activists were chanting near polling stations and chanting nationalist songs. Egyptian TV stations urged citizens to vote… Read more »
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/pakistan-shooting-bus-attack-balochistan-gwadar-karachi-death-toll-a8875581.html Gunmen killed 14 people after ambushing a passenger bus in southwestern Pakistan, local authorities have said. Around 35 people are thought to have been travelling from Karachi to Gwadarwhen armed men stopped the vehicle, checked the identities of those on board and then began shooting people selectively. It is not yet clear why specific passengers were targeted, said officials in Balochistan province, where the attack took place…. Read more »
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/kabul-explosion-gunmen-telecommunications-ministry-afghanistan-a8878956.html At least seven people were killed during an attack on Afghanistan’s Ministry of Communications on Saturday. An explosion hit the centre of Kabul as attackers tried to storm the multi-storey building which houses the government department. The blast was from a suicide bomb, which was detonated at the building’s entrance, shortly after midday. Television images showed people fleeing after gunfire and explosions were… Read more »
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/egypt-referendum-sisi-voting-bribes-military-president-power-a8882606.html Polls closed on Monday night after Egyptians voted in a referendum expected to allow President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi to stay in power until 2030 – amid allegations of widespread vote-buying and bribery. The proposed constitutional amendments would extend presidential term limits from four to six years, increase the role of the Egyptian military, and grant the president more control over… Read more »
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/saudi-arabia-death-penalty-mass-executions-terrorism-capital-punishment-human-rights-a8882891.html Saudi Arabia executed 37 people for terror offences on Tuesday, the country’s interior minister said, in one of the largest mass executions in recent years. Human Rights Watch described the punishment as “grotesque,” and said the news represented a “day we have feared.” The country’s state news agency said the Saudi nationals were guilty of “adopting extremist terrorist ideologies and… Read more »
Ever since its emergence as a state, the US and Israel have enjoyed a good relationship, and today, under the leadership of President Trump, the two countries are stronger allies than ever before. Why this might be the case stems from a wide variety of reasons. Israel, a country of jews, is more ideologically and socially homogeneous to the United… Read more »
Algerian authorities have arrested five billionaires as part of an anti-corruption investigation, State TV reported. Issad Rebrab, the founder and chairman of Cevital, Algeria‘s biggest privately held company, was arrested on Monday alongside four brothers from the Kouninef family. Reda, Abdelkader, Karim and Tarek Kouninef are believed to be part of former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika‘s inner circle while Rebrab, owner of the… Read more »
A hospitalised Palestinian teen has said he was shot twice in his thighs by Israeli soldiers while he was handcuffed and blindfolded – the latest in what a leading rights group portrayed as a series of unjustified shootings of Palestinians by Israeli soldiers. Israel’s military said on Monday it was investigating last week’s incident, which it said took place as… Read more »
A summit organised by Iraq brought together regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran on Saturday as part of a broader effort by Iraqi leaders to fashion the country’s image as a friend among neighbours. Scarred by more than three decades of war, Iraq is recasting itself as a mediator among neighbours who are often at odds over weighty issues, including… Read more »