HALABJA, Iraq: When poison gas killed thousands of Kurds in Halabja in 1988, its residents never imagined they would ever escape Saddam Hussein's grip, let alone vote one day in a referendum on secession from Iraq.
The long-oppressed Kurds across northern Iraq are expected to get the chance to vote on Monday despite fierce opposition from the Baghdad government and regional powers who feel threatened by the referendum.
It will be a bittersweet moment for the people of Halabja, a rundown city of around 75,000 people still facing the after-effects of the attack by Iraqi government forces.
At a memorial to honour the victims is a statue of Omar Khawar, whose image holding his two dead twin babies which appeared in photographs around the world has come to symbolize the tragedy in Halabja.
Halabja residents interviewed by Reuters said they would vote "Yes". But they were only cautiously optimistic.
They wonder whether feuding Kurdish political parties can deliver on promises of a viable independent state when basic needs such as specialised medical care, jobs and infrastructure have not been met.
"He would rest peacefully knowing that we will vote Yes," said Khawar's nephew Borhan Gharib.
"We think freedom is better than anything. There is no country that gets independence without a price."
SADDAM'S BRUTALITY AGAINST KURDS
The referendum will be the culmination of a century-long struggle for self-determination for the Kurds. When the Middle was carved up by the West in a deal in 1916 after the fall of the Ottoman empire, the Kurds were the largest ethnic group without a state.
The region's roughly 30 million ethnic Kurds were left scattered across four countries – Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria.
Though they were widely mistreated, the Kurds suffered a particularly brutal fate in Iraq, where Saddam Hussein gassed them, buried them in mass graves and gave their land to Arabs.
Halabja marked the peak of his campaign against the Kurds.
Saddam accused the Halabja Kurds of siding with Iran during the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war. The gas attack was a turning point, winning the Iraqi Kurds worldwide sympathy.
Five thousand people, mostly women and children, were killed and thousands more wounded starting at 1153 a.m. on March 16, 1988 and more are still suffering from cancer and other diseases related to poison gas.
Yet, near the memorial is a hospital built for victims of the tragedy -- construction has been completed but the facility was never opened.
"I am very, very angry," said Lukman Abdel Qadir Mohammed, whose organisation represents the families of the victims.
"We still send more than 1,000 people every month to Iran for treatment."
Mohammed was speaking to Reuters in the house of Omar Khawar, donated by Borhan to the Halabja Chemical Attack Victims' Society.
On the pavement outside is the spot where Khawar died, face down on the ground, trying to protect his sons. Gas crept into homes and along streets. His wife and eight daughters perished.
Years later, the Kurds enjoyed unprecedented protection when Western powers set up a no-fly zone to protect them from Saddam Hussein's air force in the aftermath of the 1991 Gulf War.
The U.S.-led invasion which toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003 enabled the Kurds to eventually set up a semi-autonomous region.
OPPOSITION TO VOTE
But neighbouring countries worried that Iraqi Kurdish ambitions would embolden their own restive Kurdish populations to agitate for change.
Despite those concerns, stronger than ever because of the referendum, jubilant Kurds waved flags in the streets in the run-up to the vote.
Halabja seemed less enthusiastic, unlike other cities where banners drawing attention to the referendum hang on buildings.
Kurdish President Masoud Barzani has resisted pressure from Turkey and Iran, as well as Western powers, to postpone the vote for fears it could trigger regional chaos.
Kashwar Mawloud spends works as a tour guide at the museum. Like others, she says she suffers from cancer from the attack and has to travel to a major city to get treatment every month.
She never wants anyone to forget about the massacre. First she walks visitors through a room illustrating Halabja’s rich political history and culture.
Then there are re-creations of iconic images of the day of the attack and reminders of who orchestrated the suffering.
They include the rope that museum officials say was used to hang Saddam’s cousin Ali Hassan al-Majid, who earned the nickname "chemical Ali" for directing a series of chemical attacks on Kurds, including Halabja.
Nearby is the death certificate issued after Saddam Hussein was executed following his trial.
But when it comes to the future, Halabja Kurds wonder whether anything will change.
"No one has invested anything in Halabja except for this museum," said Mawloud.
POLITICAL RIVALRIES
The region has long been plagued by political disunity between Barzani's Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and decades-old rival Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), headed by Jalal Talabani. It was most recently exacerbated by the extension of Barzani's term.
The KDP controls the western part of the region while the PUK runs the east, where Halabja is located. The two fought a civil war during the 1990s.
Kurdish officials were not immediately available for comment on allegations that Halabja has been neglected.
Galawish Kareem, 70, lives across the street from Omar Khawar's former home. She has not relied on any Kurdish political leaders for help since the attack destroyed her neighbourhood and killed 70 relatives, including her son.
"Barzani, Talabani have done nothing for us," she said. "We rebuilt our houses ourselves." She laughed when asked if the central government in Baghdad had helped.
For some, like Gibrael Omar, Halabja's dark past, not the path to independence, is still the overriding issue.
Omar and his mother take turns visiting the mass grave where 33 members of their family were buried in the days following the attack.
"I will vote for neither Yes or No," he said at a cemetery.
Some residents worry that the vote will only bring more bloodshed to the region, with fierce opposition from Turkey and Iran. The Baghdad government has called the vote unconstitutional.
Tensions are running high between Iranian-backed Shi'ite militias and Kurdish fighters -- who cooperated in the fight against Daesh -- over the prospect of an independent Kurdistan.
Despite the uncertainty, Mohammed, the head of the victims' organisation, says sacrifices must be made for the sake of liberty. He lost his siblings, mother and wife and is still suffering from medical issues.
"Conflict (between Kurds and Shi’ite militias) will happen maybe not today or tomorrow. But it has to," he said.
"But ultimately we will be fine. One hundred fighters from Halabja died fighting Daesh. We can send one hundred more to fight the militias."
Kurdish city gassed by Saddam hopes referendum heralds better days
Kurdish city gassed by Saddam hopes referendum heralds better days
Afghanistan welcomes upgraded diplomatic ties with Pakistan
- The move signals easing tensions between the neighboring countries have cooled in recent months
- Tensions fueled by security concerns and a campaign by Islamabad to expel tens of thousands of Afghans
The move signals easing tensions between the neighboring countries, as relations between the Taliban authorities and Pakistan – already rocky – have cooled in recent months, fueled by security concerns and a campaign by Islamabad to expel tens of thousands of Afghans.
Pakistan’s top diplomat on Friday said the charge d’affaires stationed in Kabul would be elevated to the rank of ambassador, with Kabul later announcing its representative in Islamabad would also be upgraded.
“This elevation in diplomatic representation between Afghanistan & Pakistan paves the way for enhanced bilateral cooperation in multiple domains,” the Aghan foreign ministry said on X.
Kabul’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is due to visit Pakistan “in the coming days,” ministry spokesman Zia Ahmad Takal said.
Muttaqi met with Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in May in Beijing as part of a trilateral meeting with their Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.
Wang afterwards announced Kabul and Islamabad’s intention to exchange ambassadors and expressed Beijing’s willingness “to continue to assist with improving Afghanistan-Pakistan ties.”
Dar hailed the “positive trajectory” of Pakistan-Afghanistan relations on Friday, saying the upgrading of their representatives would “promote further exchanges between two fraternal countries.”
Only a handful of countries – including China – have agreed to host Taliban government ambassadors since their return to power in 2021, with no country yet formally recognizing the administration.
Russia last month said it would also accredit a Taliban government ambassador, days after removing the group’s “terrorist” designation.
India lost fighter jets in recent conflict with Pakistan, Indian defense chief confirms
- On May 7, Indian jets bombed what New Delhi called ‘terrorist infrastructure’ sites across the border
- Pakistan has said it downed six Indian planes, including at least three Rafale fighters, in initial clashes
SINGAPORE: India switched tactics after suffering losses in the air on the first day of conflict with Pakistan earlier this month and established a decisive advantage before the neighbors announced a ceasefire three days later, India’s highest ranking general said on Saturday.
The heaviest fighting in decades between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan was sparked by an April 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people, most of them tourists. New Delhi blamed the incident on “terrorists” backed by Pakistan, a charge denied by Islamabad.
On May 7, Indian jets bombed what New Delhi called “terrorist infrastructure” sites across the border. Pakistan has said it downed six Indian planes, including at least three Rafale fighters, in the initial clashes.
The ceasefire was announced on May 10 after bitter fighting in which both sides used fighter jets, missiles, drones and artillery.
General Anil Chauhan, India’s chief of defense staff, said in an interview that India suffered initial losses in the air, but declined to give details.
“What was important is, why did these losses occur, and what we’ll do after that,” he told Reuters on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in Singapore, referring to the Pakistani claim of downing jets.
“So we rectified tactics and then went back on the 7th, 8th and 10th in large numbers to hit air bases deep inside Pakistan, penetrated all their air defenses with impunity, carried out precision strikes.”
The Indian air force “flew all types of aircraft with all types of ordinances on the 10th,” he said.
India has previously said its missiles and drones struck at least eight Pakistani air bases across the country that day, including one near the capital Islamabad.
The Pakistan military says that India did not fly its fighter jets again in the conflict after suffering losses on May 7.
India’s director general of air operations, Air Marshal A.K. Bharti, had told a press conference earlier in the month that “losses are a part of combat” and that India had downed some Pakistani jets.
Islamabad has denied it suffered any losses of planes but has acknowledged its air bases suffered some hits although losses were minimal.
NO NUCLEAR WORRIES
Some of the attacks were on bases near Pakistan’s nuclear facilities, but they themselves were not targeted, media reports have said.
“Most of the strikes were delivered with pinpoint accuracy, some even to a meter, to whatever was our selected mean point of impact,” Chauhan said.
Chauhan, and Pakistan’s chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Gen. Sahir Shamshad Mirza, have both said there was no danger at any time during the conflict that nuclear weapons were considered.
“I think there’s a lot of space before that nuclear threshold is crossed, a lot of signalling before that, I think nothing like that happened,” Chauhan said. “There’s a lot of space for conventional operations which has been created, and this will be the new norm.
“It’s my personal view that the most rational people are people in uniform when conflict takes place,” he added. “During this operation, I found both sides displaying a lot of rationality in their thoughts as well as actions. So why should we assume that in the nuclear domain there will be irrationality on someone else’s part?“
Chauhan also said that although Pakistan is closely allied with China, which borders India in the north and east, there was no sign of any actual help from Beijing during the conflict.
“While this was unfolding from (April) 22nd onwards, we didn’t find any unusual activity in the operational or tactical depth of our northern borders, and things were generally all right.”
Asked whether China may have provided any satellite imagery or other real-time intelligence to Pakistan during the conflict, Chauhan said such imagery was commercially available and could have been procured from China as well as other sources.
He added that while hostilities had ceased, the Indian government had made it clear it would “respond precisely and decisively should there be any further terror attacks emanating from Pakistan.”
“So that has its own dynamics as far the armed forces are concerned. It will require us to be prepared 24/7.”
Review: ‘Doom: The Dark Ages’ sets new bar for first-person carnage
LONDON: The first “Doom” game back in 1993 helped define the first-person shooter genre, spawning numerous sequels and even a Hollywood film. Now it is back, and in a crowded market packed with chaotic shooters and arena brawlers, this game slices its way into the pantheon with style — and a spinning shield saw.
Boasting 22 adrenaline-soaked levels, “Doom: The Dark Ages” sticks to the classic formula of annihilating every enemy in the room before moving on. Yet it rarely pauses for breath, charging through its campaign. While there are secrets to uncover and collectible toys to find, it always feels hurried, pushing players forward with breakneck urgency.
Where it stands out is in its innovative combat tools — a shield saw that doubles as a melee weapon, a flail for crowd control, and a shield charge that turns defense into offense. Combat is fast, demanding, and utterly satisfying, especially in boss fights where success hinges on timing and picking the right attack for the enemy.
The gunplay is awesomely brutal and weapons evolve through Sentinel Shrines, letting players fine-tune their arsenal to match the rising difficulty. This isn't just a shooter; it’s a metal-fueled ballet of aggression, where being passive is punished and staying alive means staying angry.
The music? Pure heavy metal fury, matching the gameplay beat for beat. Visuals run at a crisp 60 frames per second and every environment drips with cosmic dread, from crumbling hellscapes to star-forged citadels. The new cosmic realm adds visual diversity, while massive set-pieces like dragon-riding with autocannons and piloting giant sentinels crank the spectacle to 11.
This is bone-crunching mayhem at its finest. It’s Halo-esque in scope, “Doom”-like in execution, but ultimately a beast of its own making.
China rebukes Macron's comparison of Ukraine and Taiwan
- China's embassy fired back that the "Taiwan question is entirely China's internal affair
SINGAPORE: China hit back at French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday for drawing a connection between the Ukraine conflict and the fate of Taiwan, saying the two issues are "different in nature, and not comparable at all".
"Comparing the Taiwan question with the Ukraine issue is unacceptable," China's embassy in Singapore said on social media, a day after Macron warned Asian defence officials in Singapore not to view Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a far-away problem.
"If we consider that Russia could be allowed to take a part of the territory of Ukraine without any restriction, without any constraint, without any reaction of the global order, how would you phrase what could happen in Taiwan?" Macron told the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's premier annual security forum.
"What would you do the day something happens in the Philippines?"
China's embassy fired back that the "Taiwan question is entirely China's internal affair. There is but one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory."
While Taiwan considers itself a sovereign nation, China has said it will not rule out using force to bring it under its control.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth warned Saturday at the same forum in Singapore that China was "credibly preparing" to use military force to upend the balance of power in Asia, adding the Chinese military was building the capabilities to invade Taiwan and "rehearsing for the real deal".
Pakistan national airline resumes direct flights from Dubai to Skardu to boost tourism
- Skardu lies in the heart of Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region, home to five of the world’s 14 tallest peaks and a major tourist destination
- The development comes days after PIA announced the launch of direct flights from Lahore to Paris, with the first flight taking off on June 18
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has resumed direct flights between Dubai and Pakistan’s mountainous Skardu district, the Pakistani consulate in Dubai said on Friday, in a bid to boost tourism.
The Skardu district lies in Pakistan’s northern Gilgit-Baltistan region, which is home to five of the world’s 14 peaks above 8,000 meters and a major tourist destination. In Jan., CNN declared the scenic region among top 25 destinations in the world that are particularly worth visiting in 2025.
To mark the resumption of PIA’s Dubai-Skardu flights, initially launched in Aug. 2023, a ceremony was held at the airline’s office in Dubai, which was attended by Pakistani Consul General Hussain Muhammad and other officials.
“PIA Regional Manager Mr. Sarmad Aizaz and his team hosted the event, celebrating this significant step toward boosting tourism and strengthening people-to-people ties between the UAE and Pakistan,” the Pakistani consulate said.
“The event also welcomed members of a foreign tourist group traveling on the inaugural flight, underscoring the growing interest in Pakistan’s scenic northern areas.”
The development comes days after PIA announced the launch of direct flights from Lahore to Paris, with the first flight taking off on June 18.
In January, PIA resumed flights to Europe after a four-and-a-half-year ban was lifted by EU regulators, becoming the only carrier to offer a direct route to and from the European Union.
