In the past months, Iraq has been under internal flames, as the government has been scrambling to run its country. There was an inconclusive election in May earlier this year, and ever since the election, there has been gridlock and protests throughout the country. Parliament had met at the beginning of September in order to answer some of their citizens’… Read more »
Israel on Sunday released a French-Palestinian lawyer held without charge for the past 13 months over unspecified allegations, his lawyer said. Salah Hamouri, 33, was freed at Jerusalem police headquarters after being brought from his cell in a prison in southern Israel’s Negev desert. Attorney Mahmud Hassan told AFP that Hamouri was forbidden to take part in demonstrations, protests or… Read more »
Iraq’s parliament elected veteran Kurdish politician Barham Salih president on Tuesday after months of political deadlock, with 219 of its 329 lawmakers voting for him. “I promise to safeguard Iraq’s unity and safety,” Salih said as he was sworn in. Iraq’s presidency, traditionally occupied by a Kurd, is a largely ceremonial position but the vote is a key step toward forming a new… Read more »
“The abode of peace and capital of Islam” – this is how 14th century explorer Ibn Battuta described Baghdad in his writings. The city’s recent history, however, has been anything but peaceful: rocked by the US-led invasion, sectarian violence and deadly terrorist attacks. However, some are now finally beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel, as FRANCE… Read more »
Syrian rebels have completed the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the frontline of the last opposition-held province of Idlib, Turkish state media reported Monday. Citing their correspondent in Idlib, news agency Anadolu said the withdrawal was concluded under a deal reached last month between Syrian regime ally Moscow and rebel backer Ankara. Turkey-backed Syrian opposition forces as well as anti-regime armed… Read more »
Yemen has been a place of civil war since 2015. As the Yemeni government lead by Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi and the Iranian backed houthi militia clash against each other, they both claim that they constitute the Yemeni government. As this civil war is taking place, millions of people are put at risk with ongoing attacks by both sides. Three UN… Read more »
Arab and EU states expected to increase donations to UNRWA, as $185m required to keep agency running until end of 2018. New York, United States – The UN Palestinian refugee agency has welcomed the “huge solidarity” shown by several countries as the humanitarian organisation seeks to rapidly plug the hole left by the US, which pulled its financial support in August…. Read more »
Iraqi Shiite leader Moqtada Sadr called Thursday for “radical” solutions to a health crisis which has sparked mass rallies and left seven protesters dead this week. Thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets in the southern city of Basra, angry at pollution of the water supply which has put 30,000 people in hospital. Seven demonstrators have been killed in… Read more »
Moscow on Monday announced new security measures to protect its military in Syria, including supplying the Syrian army with a new S-300 air defence system and jamming radars following the downing of a Russian plane last week. Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said that President Vladimir Putin has ordered additional security measures after a Syrian Soviet-era S-200 air defence missile shot down a Russian military plane by… Read more »
More than five million children are at risk of famine in Yemen as the ongoing war causes food and fuel prices to soar across the country, charity Save the Children warned Wednesday. Disruption to supplies coming through the embattled Red Sea port of Hodeida could “cause starvation on an unprecedented scale,” the British based NGO said in a new report. Save the… Read more »