Middle East Monitor

The Iraqi government has confirmed its refusal to deport foreign citizens convicted for terrorism so that they can serve the rest of their sentences in their own countries, Anadolu has reported. "Arab and foreign terrorists arrested according to Article 4 [of the Anti-Terrorism Law], will not be deported to their countries until they have fully served their sentences according to Iraqi law," said Ahmed Laibi, a spokesman for the Ministry of Justice. He added that among those prisoners, whose number was not specified, there are terrorists who are currently serving lengthy and even life sentences. "International human rights organisations and ambassadors […]

Leader of the pro-Iran Asa'ib Ahl Al-Haq militia group Qais Al-Khazali yesterday vowed to attack US troops in Iraq in response to the US air strikes that killed at least five pro- Iran Iraqi militants near the Iraqi-Syrian borders earlier this week. In a televised speech broadcasted by the group's satellite channel, Al-Ahed, Al-Khazali said: "We are not seeking blood… however the American treacherous enemy is the one who started wasting lives and moved the battle to this level." "The resistance operations have moved to a new stage, and retribution for the blood of our precious youth will only be compensated with […]

The Palestinian Authority (PA) has recently asked Israel for permission to restock its supply of anti-riot equipment, including teargas and stun grenades, in anticipation of protests across the West Bank over the Palestinian security services' extrajudicial murder of political opponent Nizar Banat in Hebron last week, Israel' Ynet News reported yesterday. The site quoted Palestinian sources as saying that such equipment can only be purchased with Israel's permission, and in limited quantities. According to the sources, the Palestinian security services' stock of anti-riot gear has almost run out following the dispersal of protests in Ramallah last week, and therefore they want to restock in anticipation of […]

Israeli Foreign Minister and Alternate-Prime Minister Yair Lapid said yesterday that former US President Donald Trump pushed for normalisation between Israel and Arabs to prove that there was no need for a political process with Palestinians. During his visit to Abu Dhabi, where he attended the inauguration of the Israeli embassy, Lapid said: "There [under Trump's administration] was a feeling sometimes that it [normalisation] comes instead of something. Let's do this to prove that we do not need… to advance on the Palestinian front." According to the Times of Israel, Lapid said that he was confident that the Biden administration wants to […]

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan has said that the US President Joe Biden "has a true love for Israel," Israeli TV Channel 7 reported today. "I think that the spirit of friendship that I feel from the current US administration is incomparable," Erdan was reported by the Israeli TV saying. "President Biden has a true love for Israel," he said, stressing that this will not push Israel "to ignore the differences" with Biden's administration, referring to the different Israeli and American views regarding a nuclear deal with Iran. "We believe that his administration is mistaken in its desire to return […]

Iran's former Minister of Intelligence, Ali Younesi, said over the last ten years, the Israeli Mossad spy agency has penetrated various sectors in the Islamic Republic to the extent that all Iranian officials should fear for their lives. Younesi, who served under President Mohammad Khatami from December 2000 to August 2005 was speaking in an interview with Jamaran news website. Competition between the Intelligence Ministry, the Intelligence Organisation of the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), and other security services who have been busy fighting insiders rather than monitoring and confronting infiltrators have weakened Iran and allowed foreign intelligence agencies to infiltrate various sectors within it. […]

Bahrain has formally appointed the country's first-ever ambassador to Israel, the state-run Bahrain News Agency (BNA) reported yesterday. Khaled Yousef Al-Jalahmah, who will be serving as Bahrain's envoy to Israel, was congratulated on the position by the country's monarch. "His Majesty, may God preserve him, congratulated Ambassador Khaled Youssef Al-Jalahma, and His Majesty expressed his lofty directives to the ambassador, wishing him success in promoting Bahrain's noble message of peace and the values of tolerance and peaceful coexistence," a statement read. HM King receives Head of diplomatic mission to #Israel https://t.co/f6juNkeRPr pic.twitter.com/phFPYTKuuy — وزارة الخارجية 🇧🇭 (@bahdiplomatic) June 29, 2021 The appointment of […]

The largest Islamist party in Algeria, the Movement for Society of Peace (MSP), announced on Tuesday that it will not take part in the government being formed after the recent legislative election. The announcement was made by MSP leader Abdel Razzaq Makri after an emergency meeting of the movement's Shura (Consultative) Council, to consider an offer from the presidency to participate in the next government. Makri said that the President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, had been informed of the decision in advance of the media statement. Tebboune accepted the resignation of the government of Prime Minister Abdelaziz Djerad after holding […]

Saudi Arabia is to launch a second national airline as part of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman's Vision2030 strategy, which aims to diversify the kingdom's economy away from dependency on oil. According to local media, the new flag carrier will make Saudi Arabia the 5th ranked airline globally in terms of air transit traffic. No details were given on when and how the airline will be launched. Last week Gulf News reported that the Saudis are looking to build a new airport in Riyadh which will serve as the base for the new airline. The kingdom's sovereign wealth fund valued at […]

One of Britain's leading trade unions, ASLEF, has published an article in its monthly journal highlighting Israeli apartheid. This is another sign of the growing awareness of systemic racism that Palestinians suffer under Israel's brutal military occupation. Under the headline "No peace without justice" the piece was written by Hussein Ezzedine, the secretary of the Edinburgh branch of the 22,000-member train drivers' union. He denounced Zionism as a racist ideology and called on readers to join the global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. BDS seeks to end the structural racism in occupied Palestine, just as international sanctions played a leading […]

Tunisia has recorded the highest number of coronavirus fatalities and infections in the Middle East and North Africa, the WHO reported yesterday. In a statement to Anadolu Agency, the director of the organisation's office in Tunisia, Yves Soteran, said: "Tunisia is the first in the Arab world and Africa in terms of the death toll and infection rates recorded since the outbreak of the pandemic. Soteran noted that the number of recorded cases and fatalities in the central city of Kairouan is significant, adding that the organisation has reported a reduction in the number of victims internationally. Tunisian authorities yesterday announced that […]

Egypt's parliament has approved a draft bill which will enable employers to dismiss government employees who belong to a terror group, including members of the Muslim Brotherhood. The proposal was drafted and submitted by MP Ali Badr and applies to employees working in government ministries, local council units, public sector companies, public organisations, and other governmental authorities, reports Egyptian Streets. Most parliamentarians agreed that the bill does not contradict the constitution and works to "protect national security." Not long after the 2013 coup the Egyptian government outlawed the Muslim Brotherhood and classed it as terrorist organsiation. Opponents of the regime are regularly accused of […]

Chief of Hamas' Political Bureau Ismail Haniyeh has stressed that what the Palestinian resistance has taken from Israel by force will not be given it up during the "Gaza reconstruction talks". "What we took by force will not give up during the Gaza reconstruction talks," he told a popular gathering of Palestinian refugees and representatives of Palestinian factions in Lebanon. "The battle of the Sword of Jerusalem united the Palestinians inside and outside Palestine," he said. "The Sword of Jerusalem achieved a Palestinian consensus on the choice of resistance," he explained. Regarding how to deal with Israel's use of blackmail – […]

A group of Tunisian NGOs, groups, public figures, and political factions yesterday launched the Referendum Front to work on carrying out a referendum to change the country's political system, Arabi21 reported. Spokesman of Sumud Coalition, which forms part of the new group, Hussam Al-Hami, said: "The Referendum Front will be a force that will push for carrying out a referendum aimed at changing the political system in Tunis amidst the political disputes and contradictions between the two heads of the executive authorities." "The formation of the Referendum Front came as a result of an idea that took a long time of deliberations. […]

A Palestinian official has called for "immediate intervention" from the international community to stop the Israeli authorities from demolishing homes in the Silwan neighbourhood of occupied East Jerusalem. Hussein Al Sheikh, a member of the Fatah Central Committee and the head of the General Authority of Civil Affairs, tweeted that the area of Al-Bustan in Silwan "is being attacked by the occupation through demolition, destruction and displacement." Earlier today, Anadolu reported that the Israeli authorities are planning to demolish 100 homes in Al-Bustan under the pretext that the buildings were constructed without permits. Local Palestinian officials told the agency that the […]

Egypt has executed 16 people in one week in the northern city of Alexandria as it continues to carry out the death penalty at an alarming rate. On Sunday, eight men and one woman were hanged at the Cairo Appeals Prison which holds prisoners on death row. The previous Monday prison authorities at Borg Al-Arab Prison in Alexandria executed seven people. The executions follow a June ruling that sparked international outrage when Egypt's highest appeals court upheld the death sentence against 12 Muslim Brotherhood members including senior leaders. They were accused of charges including violence against police during the violent dispersal of the Rabaa Al-Adawiya […]

A missile attack targeted a base housing American forces in Syria on Monday, a spokesman for the US-led anti-Daesh coalition has revealed. Coalition Spokesman Colonel Wayne Marotto said that the US troops were attacked by multiple rockets but suffered no casualties. He added that "counter-battery artillery fire" was aimed at "rocket launching positions". The Syrian official news agency SANA quoted local sources in Deir Ez-Zor as saying that, "The military base housing the American occupation forces in Al-Omar oil field was targeted. READ: US defends strikes in Iraq, Syria and Iran-backed militias vow revenge The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said […]

Head of Ennahda Movement, Rached Ghannouchi, yesterday affirmed his keenness to complete the formation of the Constitutional Court, as it is a national affair while urging for national figures to be respected, especially President Kais Saied. In a statement, the Ennahda leader stressed "the need for deliberating on the subject of the Constitutional Court and other issues within the framework of full respect for national figures, most importantly  the President of the Republic, and for the requirements of national unity and coexistence between Tunisian men and women." On Friday, Saied said during a meeting with the Secretary-General of the People's Movement, […]

The Dubai Ports World (DP World) has recently sent out notices delivering a three-day suspension to 94 port workers who respected a Block the Boat community picket against the Israeli Zim Volans ship in Prince Rupert, northern British Columbia, and refused to unload the vessel.   Mondoweiss news site said DP World, owned by state-owned Dubai World, manages 78 operating terminals in over 40 countries, several of which are in Canada.    Last year, the Israeli company DoverTower and DP World signed several cooperation deals including a joint bid on the privatisation of the Haifa Port. OPINION: Palestine and the UAE's disinformation […]

The only way to resolve the Syrian conflict is through a political solution in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2254, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister has said. Prince Faisal Bin Farhan made his comment during a joint ministerial meeting on Syria in Rome yesterday. "The absence of effective international will to solve the Syrian crisis," explained Bin Farhan, "contributed to the opportunity for some parties to implement expansionist, sectarian, and demographic projects aimed at changing Syria's identity, and heralds the prolongation of the Syrian crisis and its regional and international effects." The state-backed Saudi Press Agency reported that he stressed the […]

Egyptian activist Alaa Abdelfattah has accused Egypt's judiciary of subordination to the authorities and failing to issue independent rulings. Alaa was arrested in September 2019 as part of a sweep of activists and political figures who were detained following Egyptian whistleblower Mohamed Ali's calls to protest. He had only been out of prison for six months having previously served a five-year prison sentence for allegedly organising a protest without authorisation. He made the comments on Monday at a court session to renew his detention in Tora Prison, reports Al-Araby Al-Jadeed. His sister, Mona Seif, tweeted what he said: "I have been imprisoned for 18 […]

Iraq's Minister of Electricity, Majed Mahdi Hantoosh, submitted his resignation today following an escalation of protests over the repeated power outages in the country. Spokesman for the Ministry of Electricity, Ahmed Moussa, told Anadolu Agency: "Hantoosh officially submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi." "According to the information received, the prime minister has accepted it … which came after popular pressures due to the deterioration of the electricity service." The resignation comes two days after the leader of the Sadrist movement, Muqtada Al-Sadr, called for Hantoosh to be sacked. Iraq has been suffering from a decades-old electricity shortage crisis as a […]

Turkey will work with Italy to achieve a stable peace and a political process that will yield results in Libya, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said yesterday during his visit to Rome to participate in the anti-Daesh coalition meeting. "Italy is our strategic partner and ally. Turkey has been on the side of Italy in its darkest days during the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the recent developments and challenges in the Eastern Mediterranean, the cooperation between Turkey and Italy has become highly important for the region's security and stability," Cavusoglu said, speaking to the Italian Il Messaggero newspaper. He added that both countries will […]

Saudi Arabia's net foreign assets, an important indicator of any country's economic health and used to measure its ability to support its currency, have continued to fall, sinking to the lowest level in more than a decade. With a drop of 0.8 per cent in May, Riyadh's net foreign assets have continued their downward spiral to $432 billion. This is a major fall from 2014 when the indicator rose to its highest point due to an oil boom, reaching $700 billion Last year's significant decline is attributed to the lower oil income which strained finances at a time when officials transferred […]

Israeli forces on Tuesday demolished a shop and an apartment in the Silwan neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem, according to local residents, Anadolu Agency reported. Israeli authorities cited lack of building permits for razing the two structures in al-Bustan and Al-Suwayeh quarters in the neighborhood, the residents said. The demolitions have triggered clashes between angry Palestinians and Israeli police, which fired tear gas canisters and rubber-coated bullets to disperse protesters. The Palestinian Red Crescent said in a statement that 13 medics were injured during the violence. There was no comment from Israeli authorities on the report. Palestinians accuse Israel of pursing a policy […]

Dozens of Palestinian families on Tuesday rallied in front of the Knesset (Israel's parliament) against government plans to vote on extending the family reunification law, Anadolu Agency reported. Protesters held banners calling to save Palestinian families under the controversial law. "Since the legislation of this racist law in 2003, we were backing this just cause for these families," Arab MK Osama Saadi said. Lawmaker Aida Touma-Suleiman, who joined the rally, also said "the claim that this law was enacted for security reasons is a big lie". "The reason for this law is only derived from the racist mentality which tries to preserve a […]

The Head of the political bureau of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, Ismail Haniyeh, met with Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah today. According to the Lebanese movement's Al-Manar TV, the two leaders discussed the latest developments related to resistance against the Israeli occupation. Also on the agenda was how to build on the recent victory in the Sword of Jerusalem battle by "utilising all capabilities in a bid to reach the final and decisive victory against the occupation." Hamas and Hezbollah reiterated the depth of the "brotherly relations" between the Palestinian and Lebanese resistance groups, as well as their importance […]

Iran reported on Tuesday that the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus, first discovered in India, was detected in more than 10 people, Anadolu Agency reported. "Unfortunately, more than 10 cases of Delta variant were detected in Mashhad yesterday evening," Mehdi Kelyan, deputy rector of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, told the semi-official Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA). He said tests were sent to Tehran for examination. "We are sure that the cases in question are Delta variants, but the final confirmation should be made by Tehran," said Kelyan. READ: UN is 'concerned' about suppression of freedoms by PA in West Bank […]

The UN investigator on human rights in Iran has called for an independent inquiry into allegations of state-ordered executions of thousands of political prisoners in 1988 and the role played by President-elect Ebrahim Raisi as Tehran deputy prosecutor, Reuters reported. Javaid Rehman, in an interview with Reuters on Monday, said that over the years his office has gathered testimonies and evidence. It was ready to share them if the United Nations Human Rights Council or other body sets up an impartial investigation. He said he was concerned at reports that some "mass graves" are being destroyed as part of a continuing cover-up. "I […]

Iraq Basra Gas (BGC) consortium has signed a $360 million loan agreement with the World Bank's International Finance Corporation (IFC) to help it reduce gas flaring across the south of the country and provide much-needed fuel for power generation, Anadolu has reported. BGC said that the five-year IFC loan will partially fund the construction of the new Basra Natural Gas Liquid Extraction Plant, which will boost gas processing capacity by 40 per cent to 1.4bn ft³ per day (14.42bn m³ per year) from 1bn ft³ per day. The expansion will contribute to increasing BGC's capacity to process an additional 400 million […]

The Palestinian ambassador to the UN has warned officials about the increasingly violent and racist attacks carried out by Israeli occupation forces and extremist settler groups against Palestinians in the occupied territories, including East Jerusalem. Riyad Mansour made his warning in letters sent to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the current president of the UN Security Council, Estonia, and the president of the UN General Assembly, Turkish diplomat Volkan Bozkir. Mansour pointed out that the occupation forces have demolished 72 buildings in just three months, which led to the displacement of 78 Palestinians, including 47 children and 15 women. More than 350 […]

A longtime Turkish lawmaker on Tuesday appealed to Egypt to reverse the death sentences handed down to Muslim Brotherhood members, Anadolu Agency reported. "The implementation of these death sentences will deal a major blow to Egypt's damaged reputation in the international arena," Mustafa Yeneroglu, an Istanbul deputy of the Democracy and Progress (DEVA) Party, told reporters. "It will deal another huge blow to social peace. It will cause irreversible and irreparable wounds in the public conscience. This wrong decision must be reversed as soon as possible." Yeneroglu added that Muslim Brotherhood leaders and members were convicted in show trials. Turkey and Egypt should […]

A Russian delegation of officials and business people arrived in Lebanon on Monday for the second time, with project offers covering oil and electricity, as well as the reconstruction of the ports of Beirut and Tripoli, RT has reported. The delegation will study the feasibility of repairing two oil refineries in Zahrani and Tripoli and two power plants in other parts of Lebanon. According to a source who attended the delegation's meetings with Lebanese officials, among the Russian team is the infrastructure company Hydro Engineering and Construction. The company enjoys the Russian government's support. Lebanon: Hezbollah looks to import Iran oil […]

The European Asylum Support Office (EASO) has announced that the number of asylum applications in the European Union fell in 2020 by an average of 32 per cent, compared with the previous year, Anadolu has reported. The EASO added in its 2021 asylum report that EU countries received 485,000 asylum applications last year, the lowest figure since 2013. The office explained that asylum applications were concentrated in three European countries: Germany, France and Spain. Germany received 112,000 asylum applications in 2020, followed by France with 93,000 and Spain with 89,000. The report pointed out that one of the main reasons for […]

Hundreds of Palestinians took part in sit-in protests on Tuesday in front of the International Red Cross offices in the occupied West Bank. Protesters called for the immediate release of four Palestinian hunger strikers in Israeli jails, Anadolu has reported. Placards called for the international and regional organisations for prisoners' affairs to put pressure on Israel to release the prisoners. The latter was named as Al-Ghadanfar Abu Atwan, 28, who has been on hunger strike for 56 consecutive days in protest at his administrative detention with neither charge nor trial; Sheikh Jamal Al-Taweel, 59, who has been on hunger strike for […]

An agreement between Qatar and Israel is being put together for the transfer of humanitarian aid to the besieged Gaza Strip through the UN as early as this weekend, Wallah news reported on Tuesday. Transfers of cash directly to the de facto Hamas authorities in Gaza have been rejected by the Israelis, who would be happy for it to be transferred via the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority. Both Qatar and Hamas won't accept this. The PA is known for its corruption. Humanitarian aid for Gaza is getting through despite the harsh criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Finance Minister Avigdor […]

READ: Israel FM to make first state visit to UAE next week Source link

Israeli settlers have claimed victory after reaching a compromise with the government over the land they took illegally over six weeks ago. The government led by far-right ultra-nationalist Neftali Bennett, a major proponent of Israel's illegal settlement enterprise, was expected to raze the Eviatar outpost in the occupied West Bank to the ground, but a compromise deal has been struck that will see settlers leave it within days. Their mobile homes will remain, though, and Israeli troops will establish a base in the area. In the meantime, the Israeli authorities will examine the legal status of the land and, as is […]

The lives of up to five million people may be at risk in Istanbul if an earthquake hits Kucukcekmece Dam, which is on the European side of the city, scientists have warned. "There are 4 to 5 million people whose lives are at stake. I highly doubt that Kucukcekmece Dam will weather an earthquake properly," Naci Gorur, a geologist at Istanbul Technical University and a member of the Turkish Academy of Sciences told Demiroren News Agency (DHA). Plans to build a canal linking the Sea of Marmara to the Black Sea will put Istanbul at greater risk from earthquakes, experts added. On Saturday, […]

Israeli occupation forces this morning raided the Silwan neighbourhood in occupied East Jerusalem, amid plans to demolish Palestinian homes in the area. According to local residents, Israeli forces fired tear gas canisters and rubber-coated steel bullets at the Palestinians who had gathered to stop the demolitions in the Al-Bustan neighbourhood. Mosques called on residents to gather to protect their homes, eyewitnesses said. There has been no comment from Israeli authorities on the report. Local officials in Silwan warned of Israeli plans to demolish around 100 homes in Al-Bustan under the pretext that they lack the almost impossible to obtain building permits […]

A number of Palestinians have been wounded as Israeli occupation forces started to demolish homes and shops on Tuesday morning, Safa news agency has reported. The demolition of the Palestinian-owned properties is taking place in Al Bustan, part of the Silwan neighbourhood in occupied Jerusalem. Palestinian protesters took to the streets in an effort to prevent Israel's demolition of a shop owned by Nidal Al-Rajabi. According to a member of the popular committee to defend Silwan, Khaled Abu Tayeh, the Israeli occupation forces attacked the Palestinians with live fire and steel-coated rubber bullets, and also fired tear gas. Several people were […]

Sudan's Minister for Federal Affairs has announced that the government is to hand over officials accused of war crimes in Darfur to the International Criminal Court (ICC). No names or dates for the handover were provided. Buthaina Dinar made her comment at the end of a closed meeting of the government in Khartoum. She explained that the process would take time due to the required procedures, some of which are state-related, with the accused being tried in other cases related to corruption and the 1989 coup. Since the fall of the regime of former President Omar Al-Bashir and the formation of […]

READ: Gaza youth 'dare to dream' in alternative Eurovision Source link

Following violent aggression against journalists, the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate called on Sunday for national and international mass media to boycott the Palestinian Authority (PA)'s presidency and government. In a statement, the syndicate called for PA Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh to fire the Palestinian police chief for not affording protection to journalists, banning them from covering the anti-PA protests, and allowing undercover forces to attack them. The syndicate called for prosecuting the aggressors and asked Shtayyeh to apologise to journalists and to pledge to respect their work and freedom of expression. If the PA's aggression on journalists continues, the syndicate warned, other […]

The deadline set by the Israeli occupation to demolish the homes of 13 Palestinian families in the Al-Bustan area of Jerusalem's neighbourhood of Silwan has ended on Sunday. The families are now facing forced deportation to make way for an Israeli archaeological park. Commenting on the issue, an activist reported by Al-Araby Al-Jadeed stated that the Al-Bustan neighbourhood, home to some 1,500 Palestinian residents, is at risk of being ethnically cleansed. Residents of the area were given a deadline, which passed on Sunday afternoon, to demolish their own homes; otherwise, Israeli forces would carry out the demolition and charge them a $20,000 […]

The head of the Hamas political bureau said on Sunday that his visit to Lebanon is of particular importance for the movement, Anadolu has reported. Ismail Haniyeh made his statement during a press conference at Beirut International Airport as he arrived in the country. His visit will last several days and is part of a foreign tour that has already included a number of Arab countries. Lebanon is important, explained Haniyeh, because he will have the opportunity to meet representatives of the state, including the presidency, parliament, and the government. He is also planning to meet local leaders of the Palestinian […]

Under pressure from the pro-Israel lobby, Scientific American magazine has removed an op-ed disclosing Israeli crimes against Palestinians and calling for solidarity with Palestinians. On 2 June, the US magazine published a piece written by a group of physicians and medical students reporting details of the recent Israeli offensive on Gaza and pledging support for Palestine and the BDS movement. "Those of us who work in health care understand well that health care does not exist in a vacuum," the physicians and students wrote. "We increasingly understand how structural forces, systematised and institutionalised oppression, racism, violence, disinvestment, and displacement, as well as […]

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok at the weekend about the normalisation of relations between Sudan and Israel, State Department spokesperson Ned Price has revealed. "[Blinken and Hamdok] discussed progress in achieving peace and implementing political, security, and economic reform," explained Price. "They also discussed regional stability, implementing Sudan's peace agreements, and Sudan's commitment to normalising relations with Israel." According to Arabi21, there are still differences between Sudan and Israel, not least concerning normalisation. It added that Sudanese officials wonder whether their country will receive an adequate economic rescue package in return for such […]

Morocco's Minister of Foreign Affairs has said that his country supports Libyan efforts to prepare for the country's December general election. Nasser Bourita was speaking to journalists in Rabat with the Prime Minister in the Libyan transitional government, Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, making an official visit to the Moroccan capital. He noted that Dbeibeh's visit comes in the context of the continued communication between Morocco and Libya's legitimate institutions. "This is in line with the guidelines of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, who stresses the importance of reinforcing contacts with Libyans and listening to their viewpoints on all issues of concern." The […]

The number of Palestinians in Syria who have been tortured to death by the regime of Bashar Al-Assad has risen to 631, a rights group has revealed. According to the data released by the Action Group for Palestinians of Syria (AGPS), the killings of an additional three Palestinian refugees residing in Syria have been documented since the beginning of this year. This brings the total number of Palestinians killed in regime prisons to 631 since the start of the Syrian revolution in 2011. The Syrian security services, reported the AGPS, have sent the personal papers and documentation of dozens of the […]

The Minister of Labour in the Palestinian Authority, Nasri Abu Jaish, is going to resign, a member of his party announced yesterday, as protesters marched for a fourth day demanding that President Mahmoud Abbas should step down. The left-wing Palestinian People's Party has withdrawn from the Fatah-led PA due to "its lack of respect for laws and public freedoms," explained Issam Abu Bakr. Demonstrations against the PA erupted on Thursday following the arrest and killing in custody of activist Nizar Banat. Palestinian human rights group Al-Haq has accused the PA security forces of "attacking protesters with batons and rocks", while dragging […]

The latest victim of real estate fraud and systematic looting of property in Mosul is the late Zaha Hadid, the renowned architect who died in 2016. According to documents obtained by Al-Quds Al-Arabi, there is a sophisticated forging operation in operation intended to transfer the ownership of a plot of land that Hadid inherited from her maternal grandfather from the Sabounji family. The criminal seizure of real estate and property is widespread in Nineveh, not least due to the influence of the so-called "economic offices" of factions and parties affiliated with the People's Mobilisation Forces (PMF). This led to the closure […]

A Malaysian aid agency has entered the Gaza Strip through the Rafah Crossing on the Egyptian border, making it the first to do so following the Israeli military offensive last month. Viva Palestina Malaysia (VPM) crossed the border today. The Israeli assault killed over 250 Palestinians, including 66 children. According to the agency, aid worth around $250,000 was taken into Gaza. The money was raised last month by the charity in cooperation with the fashion label the Duck Group. Although charities and countries such as Kuwait and Tunisia have already sent aid to Gaza, VPM is the first delegation to be […]

A new opinion poll in Tunisia has revealed a significant drop in the popularity of President Kais Saied, as well as the leader of the Free Destourian Party, Abir Moussi. There is also a wave of discontent towards UAE and French interference in Tunisian politics. The poll was conducted among a sample of 1,200 people spread over eight regions and from different age and social groups, with a margin of error not exceeding 2.5 per cent. As the satisfaction level of the president's performance fell, journalist and MP Safi Said topped the ranking as a preferred candidate for political office. He […]

The United Arab Emirates has asked Italy to withdraw aircraft and personnel from a military base in the Gulf state by July 2, an Italian government source said on Monday, in what appeared to be fallout from Rome halting the sale of missiles to the UAE, Reuters reported. The source told Reuters negotiations were ongoing to try to resolve the matter. The UAE foreign ministry did not reply to a request for comment. As part of multinational operations, Italy, a NATO member, has used al Minhad airbase, which hosts aircraft from various nations, for flights to Iraq, Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa and […]

The Secretary-General of Lebanon's Hezbollah movement, Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah, said on Friday that the logistics are in place to import Iranian fuel as the country continues to suffer from shortages. "I want to stress that I promised and I'm still promising… if we have to go to Iran to get gasoline and fuel oil we will, even if it causes a problem," Nasrallah told a TV audience. The pledge repeats what he said earlier this month. It was announced despite Lebanon's former Energy Minister's claim that the country has no intention of negotiating with Iran to import fuel. READ: Lebanon approves […]

The United States on Monday strongly defended weekend strikes against Iran-aligned militias but the fighters vowed revenge and both Iraq and Syria condemned the unilateral US air strikes as violations of their sovereignty, Reuters reported. The US military said it targeted operational and weapons storage facilities at two locations in Syria and one in Iraq in response to drone attacks by the militia against US personnel and facilities in Iraq. "We took necessary, appropriate, deliberate action that is designed to limit the risk of escalation, but also to send a clear and unambiguous deterrent message," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told […]

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday that there are up to 10,000 Daesh fighters being held by the pro-American Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), news agencies have reported. Speaking at a meeting of the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh held in Rome, Blinken described the situation as "simply untenable". The meeting was held to renew international efforts to combat the extremist group. The US official called on the 78 member countries of the coalition against Daesh in attendance at the meeting to repatriate their citizens who had joined Daesh, for rehabilitation or prosecution. "This situation is simply untenable," said […]

Outgoing Israeli President Reuven Rivlin is scheduled to meet with US President Joe Biden in the White House today. This will be the first meeting between Biden and an Israeli leader since his inauguration in January. "President Rivlin's visit will highlight the enduring partnership between the United States and Israel and the deep ties between our governments and our people," said the White House. Rivlin landed in New York yesterday and met with executives of major Jewish organisations in Manhattan along with Israel's Ambassador to the US and UN, Gilad Erdan. According to Haaretz, Rivlin plans to thank Biden for his […]

Lebanon: Hezbollah looks to import Iran oil amid fuel shortages Source link

The ministerial meeting of the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh kicked off in Italy's capital Rome on Monday, Anadolu Agency reported. Hosted by Italy, the anti-Daesh Global Coalition meeting, which will be attended at the ministerial level by more than half of the 83-member coalition, is being co-chaired by the US. Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu is attending the meeting, along with the host country's Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg among other officials. Speaking at the opening of the meeting, Italy's Di Maio said Daesh was defeated in terms of losing […]

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi have discussed the issue of Israeli captives in Gaza, local media reported on Monday. In their first telephone conversation, Bennett told Sisi that the Israeli soldiers detained in Gaza must be released. Efforts to consolidate a permanent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas should continue, he added. The Egyptian leader is reported to have reiterated the importance of the ceasefire and the need to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza. According to the Jerusalem Post, the two leaders agreed to set up a face-to-face meeting as soon as possible. READ: Israel offers […]

An international committee to campaign for the abolition of the death penalty in Arab countries has been established under the leadership of former Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki, Anadolu has reported. Marzouki was selected for the presidency of the committee during an online meeting on Friday with over 100 attendees from the US, Europe, and the Arab world. Other board members include former Human Rights Watch (HRW) head Sarah Leah Whitson; Nobel Peace Prize laureate Tawakkol Karman from Yemen; and Ahmad Tu'mah, the former prime minister of the interim Syrian government elected by the National Coalition for Syria's opposition forces. According to […]

Israel's Foreign Ministry summoned Polish Ambassador Marek Magierowski on Sunday to express concerns over a new law that Israelis fear would block compensation claims for World War II atrocities. According to a written statement published, the ministry said up to 90 per cent of property restitution claims could be affected. It also commented on Warsaw's argument that Poland was in no way responsible for the Holocaust. "This is not a historical debate about responsibility for the Holocaust but a moral debt of Poland to those who were its citizens and whose property was looted during the Holocaust and under the Communist […]

Saudi Arabia's former commander in charge of the coalition war in Yemen has been sentenced to death following a military trial, according to a report yesterday by the Washington DC-based Institute for Gulf Affairs. The report cited one of his relatives, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Fahd Bin Turki Bin Abdulaziz, a senior Saudi prince, and nephew of King Salman was apparently sentenced to death for treason after being accused of attempting a coup to oust the king and his son, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. The source is said to have revealed text messages he received from a former […]

Iran-backed militias under the umbrella of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) have threatened to avenge the US airstrikes yesterday on their facilities. Five militants were killed in the strikes. The PMF said that the strikes resulted in the "martyrdom" of a group of "heroic" fighters. "We will remain the shield defending our beloved nation, and we are fully ready… to respond and take revenge." The strikes targeted two facilities in Syria and one in Iraq, which were reportedly being used by the militias, including Kataib Hezbollah and Kataib Sayyid Al-Shuhada. According to a statement from the US Defence Department, "The targets […]

Vermont State Labour Council has announced joining alliance of Labor for Palestine which stands against "Israeli apartheid," raising the number of American labour bodies which joined this alliance to 15. "Our affiliate Vermont State Labor Council AFL-CIO joins its counterpart at the Connecticut Labor Council in standing against Israeli apartheid," the council said in a statement posted on Facebook. "This should come as no surprise," it said, citing its leadership's "reputation of standing on the right side of history and embracing rank-and-file unionism." Meanwhile, in the statement, the council said: We congratulate our affiliate for its undeterred and uncompromising solidarity with […]

Yemen's Southern Transitional Council (STC) has suspended its participation in consultations with the government to implement the Riyadh Agreement, following the arrests of STC leaders southeast of the country. This came in a statement issued by Spokesperson for the UAE-backed STC Ali Al-Kathiri on Friday, published on the council's website. Two weeks ago, consultations were launched between the Yemeni government and the STC in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, to complete the implementation of the Riyadh Agreement under the auspices of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Al-Kathiri accused the government forces of arresting a number of STC leaders, including head of the […]

Unidentified gunmen on Friday assassinated Iraqi captain Muhammad Al-Shamousi, who was in charge of fighting corruption in the Maysan governorate, south of the country. Anadolu Agency quoted a Maysan police officer stating: "The captain in charge of executing arrest warrants against those accused of corruption was shot dead by unknown gunmen in the city of Al-Amarah, the capital of the province." The source explained that Al-Shamousi was in charge of a preliminary investigation of defendants before referring them to the court to complete the investigations and sentence the perpetrators. The Iraqi government has not yet commented on Al-Shamousi's assassination. Read: Iraq summons […]

The Algerian national company for electricity and gas, Sonelgaz, announced that it would start supplying Libya with its electricity needs through the Tunisian network. Sonelgaz affirmed Algeria's intention to back Libya in its new economic launch as a source of constructive support to the Libyans in the upcoming path of development. The company explained that the CEO of Sonelgaz, Chaher Boulakhras, visited the Libyan capital on Thursday, accompanied by a delegation of senior employees and a team of technicians from various company branches. Boulakhras pointed out that the visit aimed to: "Discuss ways to supply Libya with electricity this summer." The Algerian delegation met […]

The Saudi minister confirmed that the world has become a mobile media outlet Saudi acting Media Minister Majid Bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi announced the formation of a working group to develop a unified media vision with Egypt, stressing that there is an urgent need to unify the two countries' media horizons. According to Al-Qasabi: "Lies, sedition, malicious people and those who target the Arabs, Egyptians and Saudis must be confronted with a media institution that aims at educating our sons and daughters to these media attacks, as we face media aggressions by educating our children." The Saudi minister explained: "Every individual worldwide […]

Head of the General Federation of Trade Unions Sami Al-Amasi has confirmed that 20 factories were destroyed during the last offensive on Gaza, and 5,000 workers had lost their jobs. In a statement, Al-Amasi disclosed that the latest Israeli offensive inflicted a massive blow to the economic sector in the Gaza Strip. He noted that it aggravated the already weak economy, which has been suffering for more than one and a half decades, with increased adversity due to COVID-19. Al-Amasi indicated that the economy was the main target for the Israeli attacks, pointing to the demolition of the offices of big […]

Lebanese authorities announced on Friday the thwarting of half a billion in counterfeit US dollars through Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport, Arabi21 reported. In a statement, the internal security services confirmed that its customs staff at the airport had foiled the smuggling of $480 million in counterfeit US dollars. The money was hidden in the luggage of three Lebanese citizens who were heading for Turkey. According to the statement, the counterfeit money was seized by the Office of Anti-Financial and Money Laundering Crimes. The three Lebanese citizens were detained and will be subjected to further investigation. Source link

Lebanon's Medical Equipment & Devices Importers Syndicate warned on Friday that stocks of medication for chronic diseases and infant formula will run out within weeks. This came in a statement issued by Head of the syndicate Karim Jbara during a press conference in the capital, Beirut. Jbara stated: "The stock of medications, medicines for incurable diseases and baby formula will run out after a few weeks. We will not be able to overcome this critical situation unless imports are allowed." He added: "Import is suspended because we need prior approval from the Health Ministry and the Banque du Liban. Most companies will not send […]

Sudanese Foreign Minister Mariam Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi ruled out using force to stop Ethiopia's second filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Sudanese media reported on Friday. "The first filling of the dam was a stab in the back," she conveyed in press remarks, noting that it caused a "massive shock" to confidence between the two countries. The minister accused Ethiopia of using the issue of the dam to mobilise international and African public opinion against Sudan. Egypt and Sudan view the dam as a threat because of their dependence on Nile waters, while Ethiopia considers it essential for its electrification […]

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Friday welcomed what he described as the end of verbal altercations between Paris and Ankara, and demanded in return real initiatives from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on a series of contentious issues. Le Drian told BFM TV: "There is a truce in verbal attacks. It is a good thing, but it is not enough," considering that the bilateral ties between the two sides are "in a stage of recovery". He added: "Ending verbal attacks does not mean actions, and we expect actions from Turkey on sensitive files, especially in Libya and Syria, as well […]

A bomb attack targeted a convoy of trucks carrying logistical equipment for the US-led anti-Daesh coalition, west of Iraq, a security source said. Anadolu reported Iraq Army Lieutenant Alaa Muhammad as saying: "An explosive device was planted near the highway within the administrative borders of Anbar Governorate, and exploded when a convoy of civilian trucks carrying logistical equipment belonging to the international coalition forces passed by." Muhammad explained that "the explosion did not cause any material or human damages." The past weeks have witnessed a rise in the frequency of attacks targeting US forces and other foreign coalition forces in Iraq. Armed […]

Israeli District Court of Jerusalem is to look into the forced displacement of four Palestinian families from Jerusalem's Sheikh Jarrah on 2 August, Arab48 reported yesterday. The court hearing comes following last week's High Court decision that a hearing on this issue should be held as soon as possible. Early this month, Israel's Attorney General, Avichai Mandelblit, informed the Israeli Supreme Court that he would not intervene in the legal proceedings of the Sheikh Jarrah case in which four Palestinian families in occupied East Jerusalem are facing imminent forced expulsion to allow Israeli settlers to take over their homes. A committee representing Palestinian families in […]

Algeria's Movement of Society for Peace (MSP) announced, following the announcement of the legislative election results on Tuesday night, that it would consider any proposal to join the next government, provided that it is a serious offer that would be compatible with the party vision and platform. On Tuesday, the National Independent Authority for Elections (ANIE) announced that the National Liberation Front (FLN) had won 105 seats in parliament. The FLN, Algeria's former ruling party, won the largest number of seats in the House of Representatives, but fell well short of the 204 seats needed to score a majority in the 407-seat parliament. […]

Nine human rights organisations have signed a letter condemning the death sentences upheld by Egypt's Court of Cassation on Monday. The death sentences were against 12 men who took part in the anti-coup protests in 2013 and include several senior members of the Muslim Brotherhood. There are also four men who were arrested at a checkpoint as they left the Rabaa sit-in one month before the massacre. They were detained after soldiers discovered that two brothers were related to a senior Brotherhood member. The four men were previously sentenced to three years in prison but added to the 'Rabaa Dispersal' case after they had completed two years of their […]

Sudan is disappointed with the results of normalising relations with Israel and complained about insufficient investments in the fields of agriculture and technology, Israeli broadcaster Kan reported. The channel quoted Sudanese officials as saying that the US has not yet fulfilled the promise to invest in Sudan, as it pledged during the announcement of normalising relations with Israel nine months ago. The officials noted that signing the agreement had disputes between government members in Sudan, and economic investments would have helped market the deal to the public. Last December, an official Israeli delegation arrived in Sudan for the first time since the start of the normalisation process. The delegation […]

Tunisia's Ministry of Justice yesterday announced that it was opening an investigation into the attempted assassination of President Kais Saied. "The Minister of Justice authorized the Public Prosecution, represented by the Public Prosecutor at the Court of Appeal in Tunis, to conduct the necessary inquiries and investigations into the circulated news about an attempt to assassinate the President of the Republic," a ministry statement said. On Tuesday, Saied said during a meeting with ex-government chiefs that "the dialogue should not be held to search for making deals with those inside or the outside [the country]… Whoever wants to engage in dialogue […]

Prince Hamzah Bin Hussein is likely to be called as a witness in the case known in the media as the "Sedition Case" against former Chief of the Jordanian Royal Court, Bassem Awadallah. Awadallah's lawyer, Muhammad Afif, said in statements to CNN Arabic: "With the approaching date of the trial in the sedition case, there is a tendency to request Prince Hamzah as a witness, and any other witnesses, whether from the Jordanian royal family or others," noting that the trial might take four months, and its first session will start next week. He added that his client and the second defendant in […]

The High Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel (HFC) has condemned the arrest of the Imam of the Grand Omari Mosque in the city of Lod at dawn on Thursday. Sheikh Yousef Al-Baz's arrest, said the committee, is part of "an organised campaign targeting political and leadership figures." Approximately 1,800 activists have been arrested by the Israeli authorities over the past few weeks, the committee explained. "The aim is to intimidate the masses and deter them from claiming their legitimate political and civil rights." The arrest of Sheikh Al-Baz came less than 24 hours after Knesset member Itamar Ben-Gvir sent […]

Commander of the Sabha military region in southern Libya, Ahmad Al-Utaybi, revealed that armed troops affiliated with the militias of retired General Khalifa Haftar arrived in the city of Sabha from the east. Al-Utaybi said in a statement to Al-Quds Al-Arabi that they included hundreds of armed vehicles. He indicated that these factions are now stationed at Tamanhint Air Base, and forcibly evicted the inhabitants of the area, noting that these factions want to control the south of Libya entirely, as well as the oil ports. The military official confirmed that the Sabha command contacted the Ministry of Defence of the Government of […]

The Joint List, an alliance of mainly Palestinian political parties in Israel, has called on several embassies to intervene and stop the highly provocative rallies held by far-right Israeli groups. Letters were sent to the US, UK, German and French consulates amongst others, today, the Jerusalem Post reported, warning of "bloodshed" if pressure was not applied on the Israeli government to stop the marches which over the past few months have been a source of major controversy. "The planned provocations throughout the occupied Palestinian territories could be an opportunity for settler violence against Palestinian civilians, backed by the army," the letter said. "This […]

Israel yesterday continued its aerial bombardment of the Gaza strip, breaking a fragile ceasefire for the second time since its 11-day assault last month. Israel carried out the first series of air raids on Wednesday, targeting what it said were Hamas facilities in Khan Younis. Palestinian sources said that the strikes caused property damage, but there were no immediate reports of casualties. Palestinian sources on the ground said Israeli missiles hit several sites belonging to armed groups in the northwest of Gaza City and north of Beit Lahia. The missiles also targeted a civil administration building located to the east of the northern city Jabaliya, as […]

Israel is willing to work towards establishing ties with Southeast Asia's Muslim majority nations, its ambassador to Singapore said yesterday. The announcement comes despite their condemnation of Israel's air strikes on the besieged Gaza Strip last month. For 11 days, Israel launched attacks on the blockaded Gaza Strip. Health officials in Gaza say 254 Palestinians, including 66 children and 39 women, were killed and more than 1,900 wounded in the bombardments. Muslim-majority nations such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei had urged the United Nations to step in and stop "the atrocities carried out against the Palestinian people." In a statement last month, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Malaysia's […]

Shortly before Israel's Naftali Bennett took over as prime minister, his predecessor Benjamin Netanyahu ordered documents be shredded in his office, a report claimed yesterday. Sources who worked for Netanyahu said the former prime minister ordered them to discard the documents on Sunday, one day before the new government was due to take office. It was unclear which or how many documents were allegedly destroyed. According to both civil service regulations and a cabinet decision, the shredding of documents is illegal. All documents, whether public or private, are meant to be preserved in the office's archives, particularly documents pertaining to professional matters. In […]

Egyptian intelligence chief, Abbas Kamel, yesterday arrived in the Libyan capital of Tripoli on an unannounced visit, according to official Libyan sources. Sources told Anadolu Agency that Kamel was due to meet his Libyan counterpart, Hussein Al-Ayeb, adding that the visit aimed "to boost mutual cooperation and support the political process and stability in Libya." The sources did not provide details about how long Kamel will stay in Libya. In April, the Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, along with 11 of his ministers, also visited Tripoli, with the aim to enhance cooperation between the two countries in various fields. Following a […]

The next battle over Jerusalem will be a "regional war", a senior member of the Islamic Jihad Movement's political bureau warned yesterday. "It is enough to hear five prominent leaders in the region expressing their readiness to defend Jerusalem," Khaled Al-Batsh told reporters. He described those forces as "capable of waging war and leading a regional battle for Jerusalem." Last month Israel bombed the Gaza Strip, killing over 250 Palestinians, after resistance factions declared support for Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem who are at risked of forced displacement to make way for illegal settlers. READ: Joint List urges major powers to […]

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is reported to have made an offer to his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, to conduct joint drilling and exploration operations in Libya. The offer has apparently been accepted. Following his participation in the NATO summit in Brussels, Erdogan travelled to Azerbaijan where he met with President Aliyev. After visiting the Azeri-controlled region of Nagorno-Karabakh, captured by Azeri forces from Armenia last year with Turkish support, Erdogan is reported to have held a meeting with journalists in the capital Baku. When asked whether Turkey and Azerbaijan have any plans to explore jointly for gas and oil in […]

A 15-year-old boy yesterday succumbed to his injuries after being shot with live ammunition by Israeli occupation forces in Beita, a village south of Nablus. Ahmad Zahi Ibrahim Bani Shamsa spent a day in intensive care before being pronounced dead by the Palestinian Health Ministry. The occupation forces claimed Bani Shamsa had approached the illegal Israeli outpost in Beita with a group of friends, one "hurled a suspicious object at him, which exploded adjacent to the soldier." The soldier then fired at the teenager who was hit and critically injured. There were no Israeli casualties. As Palestinians continue to hold weekly […]

The Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) has today requested that the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights urgently intervene in the imminent execution of twelve men sentenced to death following the decision by Egypt's highest appeals court's to confirm the death sentences on 14 June 2021. The death penalties followed a mass trial of seven hundred and thirty nine people over their participation in pro-democracy sit-ins in Cairo's Rabaa al-Adawiya square in July and August 2013. Amnesty International has described the trials' sentences as 'shameful,' and according to Human Rights Watch the trials 'failed to assess the individual guilt of […]

Israeli occupation forces today issued demolition orders against eight Palestinian structures in the village of Jawaya, based near Hebron, reported Wafa news agency. Coordinator of the National and Popular Committee in southern Hebron, Rateb Al-Jbour, said that Israeli forces barged their way into the village and handed six villagers demolition orders for their property. Among the properties slated for demolition are three houses, including a two-storey house, an agricultural room and a shed besides four wells. The soldiers also delivered demolition orders against five Palestinian houses, including some built using brick and tin sheets, to the east of Yatta city, which will displace […]

Sudanese Foreign Minister, Mariam Al-Mahdi, yesterday warned against what she described as the "danger of possible armed mercenaries returning from Libya to Sudan," adding that such a move would threaten the "entire region's security." Speaking in a meeting with her Libyan counterpart, Najla El Mangoush, the Sudanese official said that it was "important to consider the issue as a regional security matter." "The mechanisms to demobilise, reintegrate, and absorb those militants into national projects that support the stability of Sudan must be seriously considered," Al-Mahdi added. The two ministers met on the sidelines of an Arab foreign ministerial meeting held on […]

A study of the Israeli Medical Association's (IMA) complicity in the practice of torture in the occupation state has uncovered serious shortcomings within the World Medical Association (WMA). After over a decade of failing to hold the IMA to account over its alleged breach of medical ethics, Dr Derek Summerfield of King's College London has accused the WMA of "partisan violation of its mandate to be the official international watchdog on the ethical behaviour of doctors." Summerfield has presented an account of a 12-year campaign, initiated in 2009 by 725 doctors, including 115 professors from 43 countries, urging the WMA to […]