In a statement released today, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani directed the deployment of two aircraft to evacuate Iraqi citizens stranded in Sudan due to the ongoing violent events in the country. Al-Sudani also instructed relevant security agencies to coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ensure the …
Read More »WHO says assessing risk after fighters seize Sudan lab
The World Health Organization said Wednesday it was assessing the threats to public health after fighters in Sudan occupied a national laboratory holding samples of a range of deadly diseases. “The team on the ground, and with our bio-risk and biosafety teams here, are carrying out an extensive risk assessment,” …
Read More »European Commission to ban Ukrainian grain exports to Romania
The European Commission will ban Ukrainian grain and oilseeds exports to Romania until June 5, Romanian Agriculture Minister Petre Daea said on Wednesday. Romania has stopped short of enforcing a ban, whereas Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria and Slovakia took unilateral steps to protect local markets from a flow of Ukrainian farm …
Read More »Chinese leader Xi Jinping speaks with Ukraine’s Zelensky for first time since Russia’s invasion
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke Wednesday with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Moscow’s most important diplomatic partner, in the first phone call between the two leaders since the start of Russia’s invasion. “I had a long and meaningful phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping. I believe that this call, as …
Read More »Withdrawal of Turkish troops discussed at four-party meeting in Moscow: Syria
Damascus says defense ministers and intelligence chiefs of Russia, Syria, Turkey, and Iran have discussed the withdrawal of Turkish troops from the Arab country, as efforts continue to mend ties between Ankara and Damascus. Syria’s official news agency SANA, citing the country’s Defense Ministry, reported that the participants discussed the issue …
Read More »Biden, 80, announces bid for 2024 US presidential election
US President Joe Biden, 80, has announced his 2024 reelection campaign setting the scene for a rematch against his Republican predecessor Donald Trump, who will be 77 next year. Already Biden is the oldest president in US history and he would be 86 by the end of his second term …
Read More »UN warns of further displacement from Sudan despite ceasefire
The United Nations has warned that the ongoing clashes in Sudan would trigger “further displacement” of people, who risk dangerous roads to flee the violence and seek refuge in neighboring South Sudan, Egypt and Chad. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) warned on Tuesday that more people are expected to leave …
Read More »PM Al-Sudani chairs meeting to discuss security, economic files
The 17th regular session of the Council of Ministers was chaired by the Prime Minister, Mr. Mohammed S. Al-Sudani. During the session, the council discussed a range of topics, including the current state of affairs, as well as issues related to security, service, and economic matters. They also reviewed files …
Read More »Iraq completes 100% of electrical interconnection with Turkey
The spokesperson of the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity, Ahmed Musa, revealed last week that the electrical interconnection with Turkey is 100% complete, but Iraq is waiting for the preparation of an appropriate pricing list to implement the final operating agreement, the Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported. Musa confirmed that work …
Read More »Russia considers abandoning missile moratorium amid US threats
Russia says it might abandon the moratorium on the deployment of intermediate and shorter-range missiles, as a result of the destabilizing military programs of the United States in the region. The Russian foreign ministry’s head of nuclear non-proliferation, Vladimir Yermakov, told the TASS news agency on Tuesday that the destabilizing …
Read More »Sudan’s Warring Sides Pledge to Observe 3-Day Cease-fire
A three-day cease-fire between Sudan’s warring factions went into effect Tuesday after what the United States called “intense negotiation.” Both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) publicly pledged to uphold the halt in fighting. “To support a durable end to the fighting, the United States …
Read More »Biden announces 2024 reelection bid: ‘Let’s finish this job’ !
US President Joe Biden on Tuesday formally announced that he is running for reelection in 2024, asking voters to give him more time to ”finish this job” he began when he was sworn into office and to set aside their concerns about extending the run of America’s oldest president for …
Read More »World Military Spending Reaches Record High
Global military spending grew for the eighth consecutive year in 2022 to a record $2.24 trillion, with a sharp increase in Europe, mainly due to Russian and Ukrainian spending, a Swedish think tank said on Monday. Spending globally increased by 3.7% in real terms, but military spending in Europe increased …
Read More »Iran FM thanks Iraq for its role in Tehran-Riyadh agreement
Iranian Foreign Minister Hussein Amir Abdollahian expressed gratitude to Iraq on Monday for its role in assisting Tehran and Riyadh to reach a mutual understanding and ultimately sign an agreement in China. This came during a telephone conversation between the Iranian Minister and his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein on Sunday, …
Read More »At least 427 people killed since fighting started in Sudan, West pulls diplomats
Europe, China, and Japan raced to extract their citizens from Sudan on Monday and thousands more people used a partial lull in fighting between the army and a paramilitary force over the past two days to escape the country’s deepening crisis. The sudden eruption of violence between the military and …
Read More »US government ‘annoyed’ by Macron’s Ukraine push – Bloomberg
The White House is “annoyed” by French President Emmanuel Macron’s unilateral attempt to initiate diplomatic negotiations on the Russia-Ukraine conflict with mediation by China, sources have told Bloomberg. According to people familiar with the US government’s thinking on the issue, the recent move by the French leader “hasn’t gone down …
Read More »Palestinian youth killed, three injured in Israeli raid in occupied West Bank
Israeli forces have killed a young Palestinian man and injured three others during a raid on a refugee camp in the eastern West Bank city of Ariha, amid simmering tensions across the occupied territories. The governor of Ariha and the Jordan Valley, Jihad Abu al-Asal, told the official Palestinian Wafa …
Read More »EU, UK impose additional sanctions on Iranian individuals, entities
The European Union and the UK have imposed new sanctions on a number of Iranian individuals and entities over alleged human rights violations, despite the fact that the failure of such a policy has been proven many times over the past years. In another hostile move, the European Union’s Council …
Read More »Iraqi Prime Minister announces possible change of government
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani announced an imminent reshuffle in the cabinet and among a number of governors. Sudani formed his government in Oct. 2022. Upon taking office, he pledged that he would evaluate the performance of ministers and those with special grades (governors, directors, and undersecretaries of ministries), …
Read More »At least 85 killed, 322 injured in Yemen stampede
Scores of people have been killed and hundreds more injured in Yemen’s capital due to a stampede that broke out during a charity distribution, according to the country’s Ansarullah resistance movement. Al-Houthi health officials told AFP on Thursday that at least 85 were killed and 322 were injured following the …
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