GAZA CITY: Delayed rebuilding efforts in Gaza have frustrated locals, with many still living in temporary accomodation a year after the end of fierce fighting. Ayman Dahman has lived with his family for more than a year in a rented house after his home was destroyed during the Palestinian-Israel conflict in May last year. Dahman…
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LONDON: An Iranian opposition group operating within and outside the Islamic republic has released figures claiming nearly half-a-million people have died from COVID-19 in the country. According to the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, more than 499,800 virus-related deaths had occurred in Iran, almost four times the latest official toll of 132,274. In the worst-hit…
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BEIRUT: Lebanese Information Minister George Kordahi announced on Friday that he had decided to “give up” his position in Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s government, which was formed on Sept. 10. “Staying in the government has become absurd because I have been asked to resign and it is better to make way for other endeavors,” he…
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JERUSALEM: For media-obsessed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the coronavirus vaccine has arrived just in time.With elections approaching in March, Netanyahu has placed his world-leading vaccination drive at the center of his reelection campaign — launching an aggressive media blitz portraying him as almost singlehandedly leading the country out of the pandemic. He appears to be…
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BRUSSELS: EU leaders met the head of Libya’s Government of National Accord (GNA) on Wednesday as they scramble to contain the escalating crisis there, with Germany warning the country could deteriorate into a “second Syria.”Fayez Al-Sarraj, whose beleaguered government is facing an offensive by rival forces who control the country’s east, met EU diplomatic chief…
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JERUSALEM: Israel’s defense minister on Wednesday said he aimed to boost the number of Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank to one million within a decade, from around 400,000 at present.Naftali Bennett, a hawk who draws much of his support from settlers, is leading his New Right party to elections in March.He was speaking…
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BRUSSELS: NATO said Tuesday it would take “some personnel” out of Iraq because of the increased danger there after the US killing of an Iranian general triggered revenge threats.The withdrawal is temporary but “the safety of our personnel is paramount,” a NATO official said in a statement.US and allied foreign troops in Iraq are concerned…
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WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Tuesday Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani was not in Baghdad pursuing a peaceful diplomatic mission when the US killed him in a drone attack last week. “Is there any history that would indicate that it was remotely possible that this kind gentleman, this diplomat of great order -…
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DUBAI/WASHIGNTON: Saudi Arabia condemned the rocket attack which killed a US defense contractor and wounded several American and Iraqi troops, state news agency SPA reported on Tuesday. The statement from the Kingdom added that the terror attacks violated the sovereignty of Iraq. The attack happened on Friday, Dec. 27, 2019, in northern Iraq, US officials said.According to…
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A roundup of some of the biggest news stories of the year in the eyes of the Arab world. FEBRUARY Pope Francis makes historic visit to the UAE Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, began a three-day trip to the UAE on Feb. 3, which he described as an opportunity to write “a…
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ANKARA, Turkey: Police in Turkey detained dozens of people suspected of links to the Daesh group, the state-run news agency reported Monday, in an apparent sweep against the militant group ahead of New Year celebrations.At least 33 foreign nationals were detained in the capital Ankara in a joint operation by anti-terrorism police and the national…
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BASRA: Operations have resumed at Iraq’s southern Nassiriya oilfield on Monday, two oil sources said, but it will take up to two days for output to be fully restored.Protesters broke into the oilfield, which produces 80,000-85,000 barrels of oil per day, on Saturday and forced employees to cut off electricity from its control station, taking…
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Iraq protesters lock down Nasiriyah oilfield, production and exports not affected NASIRIYAH, Iraq: Iraqi anti-government protesters blockaded an oil field and rallied in southern cities Sunday while political factions remained paralyzed in their attempts to form a new government.Several hundred people demanding jobs shut off access to the Nasiriyah field, 300 kilometers (190 miles) south…
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ISTANBUL: Turkey will not withdraw from its observation posts in Syrian rebel bastion province of Idlib which has seen an increase in violence carried out by regime forces supported by Russian airstrikes, the defense minister said.The posts were established under a September 2018 deal between Syrian regime ally Moscow and Ankara, which backs the rebels,…
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ANKARA: Experts say that the rift between Moscow and Ankara over policy differences in Libya may intensify following Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s decision to send troops to Libya at the request of the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA). The presence of a senior Turkish delegation in Moscow on Monday to meet their Russian…
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ANKARA: Experts say that the rift between Moscow and Ankara over policy differences in Libya may intensify following Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s decision to send troops to Libya at the request of the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA). The presence of a senior Turkish delegation in Moscow on Monday to meet their Russian…
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