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In a complete reverse of his previous position, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has reached an agreement with Hashd al-Shaabi factions to allow them to run in the upcoming spring elections as a united coalition. The coalition, led by Abadi, is called Nasr al-Iraq and will allegedly work alongside the State of Law coalition, led […]
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Thousands of Iranians who have been sentenced to death for drug crimes could be spared following a softening in the country’s law. Capital punishment has been abolished for some drug offences, and the head of the judiciary has said all cases on death row can be reviewed. The move is set to be applied retrospectively, […]
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Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has ordered the Iraqi military to resume security talks with their Kurdish counterparts and announced another delegation will discuss international borders with KRG authorities. The Iraqi PM also admitted that security forces were still hunting for Islamic State (IS) militants in remote desert areas of Iraq, vowing to eliminate them […]
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The Iraqi Parliament on Monday voted to ban Kurdish engineering company Kar Group from operating oilfields in Kirkuk as a crackdown on the Kurdistan Region continues following the independence referendum held last September. The vote came after lawmakers in the Iraqi Parliament claimed the Kurdish firm “refused to cooperate” with Iraq’s state-run North Oil Company […]
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At least 23 people are reportedly dead and many more injured after a large explosion in the rebel-held city of Idlib, in northwestern Syria. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the blast struck the headquarters of a minor rebel faction. Seven of the dead are believed to be civilians. Meanwhile, two separate bomb […]
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More drama in the kingdom as Saudi authorities have arrested 11 princes for holding a protest at a royal palace in the capital Riyadh. The group were angered by the government’s decision to stop paying the water and energy bills of royals. Those involved have not been named. Meanwhile, A 5.1-magnitude earthquake hit Iran’s western […]
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The head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards has declared the defeat of the “sedition” in the country, referring to a wave of anti-government protests. Maj Gen Mohammad Ali Jafari made the announcement as tens of thousands of people attended pro-government rallies called to counter the unrest. It began last Thursday in the city of Mashhad and […]
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Iranian officials have threatened a stronger crackdown as protests have now raged for a week and pro-government organizers plan their own rally. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei blamed Iran’s “enemies” for the cause of at least 22 deaths reported along with hundreds arrested in Tehran. Iran accused the US of being behind the wave of violent […]
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The Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC) released footage yesterday confirming the military build-up of Iraqi and Shia Hashd al-Shaabi forces southwest of Erbil. They claim the Iraqi military buildup in and around Makhmour has continued for over a week and showed armored vehicles and Humvees being deployed. The Security Council warned earlier this week that […]
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Protests are becoming a real concern as more erupted protests in the Kurdistan Region and culminated in the arrests of the New Generation Movement’s leader Shaswar Abdulwahid in Sulaimani on Tuesday. Demonstrations turned violent again in cities across the Sulaimani and Halabja provinces. Kurdistan’s public prosecutor accused him of inciting violence. Meanwhile, fighting erupted on […]
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