Supporters of powerful Iraqi Shia cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr penetrated Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone on Saturday, occupying parliament with no immediate plan to leave. In a deepening political crisis, it is the second time this week that Sadr sup…
Syrian rebel attack destroys regime army base
An opposition faction destroyed a Syrian regime military headquarters in the war-torn country’s north, leaving casualties. The al-Tahrir wal-Bina Movement, affiliated to the opposition-Syrian National Army (SNA), targeted a building with heavy artiller…
Nigeria: 2 Chibok girls escape years after Boko Haram kidnap
Nigeria said on Friday that it had found two former “Chibok girls”, eight years after their abduction by the jihadist group Boko Haram. The two women were among 276 schoolgirls aged between 12 and 19 who were abducted in 2014 from their boarding school…
Over 90% of Syria’s IDP’s have water concerns
Over 90 percent of displaced people in Northern Syria’s camps are concerned about access to water amid a scorching summer, according to a survey released on Thursday by the Syrian Response Coordination Group. When highlighting their needs, 92 percent o…
16 dead in ‘devastating’ Kentucky flooding, toll expected to rise
The death toll from severe flooding in Kentucky hit 16 on Friday and is expected to double, the US state’s governor said, after torrential rains caused flash floods that swept away some homes while people slept. “Tough news is 16 confirmed fatalities n…
Egypt protests Ethiopia plans to fill reservoir for third year
Egypt said it had protested to the UN Security Council Friday against Ethiopian plans to fill the reservoir of a controversial Nile dam for a third year without agreement from downstream countries. The multi-billion dollar Grand Ethiopian Renaissance D…
German, Turkish diplomats spar in Istanbul
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Friday urged Turkey to respect human rights during a testy visit at which she sparred openly with counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu. The former German Green party co-leader also rejected Turkey’s territorial clai…
Iran executes three women in single day: NGO
Iran this week executed three women in the space of a single day, all on charges of murdering their husbands, an NGO said on Friday. There has been growing concern over the increasing number of women being hanged in Iran as the country sees a surge in …
UN calls for ‘insulation’ of Syria talks from Ukraine war
The UN is calling for a “firewall” around the Syria constitution drafting process, after diplomatic talks for the conflict-torn country were postponed over Russian demands reportedly linked to its war in Ukraine. The UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pe…
Death toll in Iran flooding rises to 24 people in two days
Two days of flooding near the Iranian capital have killed at least 24 people and another 19 are still missing, officials said on Friday. “Because of strong rain and floods in the village of Emamzadeh Davoud to the west and the Firouzkouh, Roudehen and …