The Iraqi PMU or the Hashd al-Shaabi forces launched an operation in the Jurf al-Nasr area in the north of Babil Province in Iraq to clear the area of ISIL terrorists. The Hashd-Al-Shaabi Operations Command in Iraq said in a statement on Sunday the launch of a large-scale operation in …

Iran has agreed to allow the UN nuclear watchdog to service surveillance equipment installed at Iranian nuclear sites following talks with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)’s Director General Rafael Grossi in Tehran, Iran’s permanent ambassador to international organizations in Vienna says. Kazem Gharibabadi made the remarks in a string …

Pope Francis said on Sunday that Hungary could preserve its Christian roots while opening up to the needy, an apparent response to nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s stand that Muslim immigration could destroy its heritage. Francis was in Hungary for an unusually short stay that underlined differences with the anti-immigrant …

A Somali asylum-seeker was arrested by Italian police after he allegedly stabbed four women and a six-year-old child in the tourist town of Rimini on Saturday night, ANSA news agency reported on Sunday. Investigators were for the moment ruling out terrorism as the motive, ANSA added. Interior minister Luciana Lamorgese …

Iraq registered 51 mortalities and 3554 new cases, according to the daily COVID-19 report issued by the Ministry of Health today. The report said that 6789 patients have recovered from the virus in the past day. According to the Ministry’s stats, 1950765 citizens have tested positive for the virus since …

The FBI has released the first batch of certain documents related to its investigation of the 9/11 attacks which fortified suspicions of official Saudi involvement with the hijackers of the planes. The families of the attacks’ victims have for years pushed the US government to declassify and make public more …

Afghan police officers have returned to work alongside Taliban security at the Kabul airport, as the international airfield is resuming operations following the hasty withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan. According to reports, Afghan police had abandoned their posts after the Taliban took power last month. But the Taliban have …

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa reached 8,024,502 as of Sunday morning, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said. The Africa CDC, the specialized healthcare agency of the African Union, said the death toll from the pandemic across the continent stands at 202,915, while …

The Taliban’s higher education minister has announced that Afghan women would be allowed to study at university as long as they are separated from men, stressing that there would be a ban on mixed classes. Abdul Baqi Haqqani made the announcement at a press briefing on Sunday, as he elaborated …

Torrential monsoon rains and mudslides hit areas in northwestern Pakistan early on Sunday, destroying homes and killing at least 17 people, police said. Officer Mohammad Nawaz Said eleven bodies were recovered from the debris of mud and brick houses in the Tor Ghar district, and rescuers were searching for the …

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has hailed the recent Baghdad conference, which aimed at promoting regional de-escalation and dialog, as an “important diplomatic achievement,” saying Iraq is key to promoting stability between Iran and Saudi Arabia. In a blog post published on the website of the European External Action Service (EEAS) …

The United States has removed its most advanced missile system and Patriot batteries from Saudi Arabia in recent weeks, the Associated Press reports, even as the kingdom faces retaliatory missile and drone strikes from Yemen. The US news agency said its analysis of satellite pictures showed the redeployment of the systems …

A US military contractor being sued for its involvement in the brutal torture of Iraqi inmates at the country’s Abu Ghraib Prison during the US-led invasion of the nation has argued that recent Supreme Court cases make clear it cannot be held liable for misconduct that occurred overseas. According to …

Anti-Taliban resistance leader Ahmad Massoud is still in Afghanistan, Iranian FARS news agency reported on Saturday, citing a source. The source reportedly said that rumors about Massoud leaving Afghanistan for Turkey or any other place were false and that 70 percent of Panjshir’s main streets had fallen to the control …

An internationally-syndicated columnist and media consultant says the recent escape of six Palestinian prisoners from a high-security facility in the northern part of the Israeli-Occupied Territories has pushed the Tel Aviv regime into yet another security crisis, describing the jailbreak as a serious embarrassment for Israel and its security apparatus. …

Two more Andalusian towns were evacuated on Sunday morning as Spain sent in military backup to tackle a wildfire that continued to rage close to a popular Costa del Sol resort. Fanned by strong winds and high late-summer temperatures, the flames have driven over 1,000 people from their homes and …

Greece is increasing its order of Dassault-made Rafale jets to 24 from 18, France’s Armed Forces Minister said on Sunday. Greek lawmakers in January approved the purchase of 18 Rafale jets from France for 2.5 billion euros ($3.04 billion). “Excellent news. Greece has just announced its intention to buy six …

UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid announced that the government has dropped its plans for the need to have domestic vaccine passports to be used upon entry to nightclubs and other crowded venues, Reuters reported on Sunday. Javid also stressed that he did not anticipate any more lockdowns due to COVID-19. …

An official reception ceremony was held today Sunday, at the International Conference Palace in the Iranian capital, Tehran, for Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, by the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ibrahim Raisi, according to the statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Media Office. “The reception ceremony witnessed the …

It’s said we become stronger in the face of adversity, as the journey back requires a degree of self-reflection that encourages healing. In the two decades after September 11, however, the US has learned nothing about itself. I was raised as a military brat – a special category of American …