UNITED NATIONS: Following elections, Iraq must move quickly to form a government that can overcome sectarian divisions and push ahead with badly-needed reforms, the UN envoy said Wednesday.
An alliance led by nationalist cleric Moqtada Sadr won the biggest share of seats in parliamentary elections on May 12, the first polls held since the defeat of Daesh.
The election saw a record number of abstentions as Iraqis snubbed the corruption-tainted elite that has dominated the country since the 2003 toppling of Saddam Hussein.
“The post-election phase represents a crucial time for Iraq,” UN envoy Jan Kubis told a Security Council meeting on Iraq, calling for the swift formation of a new government.
“It is essential that the new government works as one across the sectarian and ethnic divides in pursuing much-needed political, economic and social reforms,” he said.
The new government will face the daunting task of rebuilding the country, just five months after the defeat of the IS group.
Sadr is working to form a government of technocrats and has called for less foreign meddling, raising tensions with the United States and Iran.
US Ambassador Nikki Haley said the government formation talks represented a “key moment in Iraqi history.”
“Iraq’s next government is going to make a series of important decisions that will set Iraq’s course for decades to come,” Haley told the council.
The new government “will have to decide whether Iraq is serious about elevating female leaders” and set policies that “will allow Iraq to close the door on the extremism and the sectarian politics that have cause so much suffering before,” she added.
The council last month postponed a planned visit to Iraq that had been proposed by the United States, at the request of the former government. No new date for a visit has been proposed, diplomats said.
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New Iraq government must overcome sectarian divide: UN
New Iraq government must overcome sectarian divide: UN
Lebanon says three killed in Israeli strike on vehicle in south
The ministry said in a statement that an “Israeli enemy” drone strike on a vehicle in the southern town of Mais Al-Jabal killed “a Lebanese and two Syrians.”
UAE, Lebanon agree to deepen economic and diplomatic ties during President Aoun’s visit
- The UAE’s Knowledge Exchange Office will visit Beirut to share expertise on improving government performance and institutional excellence
- The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development will dispatch a delegation to Lebanon to evaluate potential joint economic projects
- Both sides also agreed to facilitate travel between their countries
DUBAI: The UAE and Lebanon have agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation through a series of initiatives, state news agnecy WAM reported on Thursday.
The initiatives include the formation of a joint Emirati-Lebanese Business Council, efforts to increase mutual diplomatic representation, and support for Lebanon’s economic development and institutional reform.
The announcement came during Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s working visit to the UAE, where he was received by President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan at Al-Shati Palace in Abu Dhabi.
The two leaders discussed ways to expand cooperation in economic, investment, and government sectors. As part of this effort, the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development will send a delegation to Lebanon to assess potential joint projects, while the UAE’s Knowledge Exchange Office will visit Beirut to share best practices on government performance and institutional excellence.
Sheikh Mohamed reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to supporting Lebanon’s stability, security, and sovereignty, emphasizing its strategic role within the Arab region. He expressed hope that the visit would bolster relations and advance mutual development goals.
The UAE president also said the reopening of its embassy in Beirut was a symbol of the country’s commitment to supporting Lebanon’s new phase.
Both sides also agreed to facilitate travel between their countries through appropriate mechanisms.
The leaders exchanged views on regional developments and stressed the importance of Arab unity and security.
President Aoun thanked the UAE for its longstanding support and expressed readiness to enhance bilateral ties.
UN: At least 542 killed in North Darfur in past three weeks
- The war has left tens of thousands dead and triggered what aid agencies describe as the world’s largest displacement and hunger crises
GENEVA: At least 542 civilians have been confirmed killed in Sudan’s North Darfur region in the past three weeks, the United Nations said Thursday, warning the actual death toll was likely “much higher.”
“The horror unfolding in Sudan knows no bounds,” UN rights chief Volker Turk said in a statement, referring to the country’s ongoing civil war.
Darfur in particular has become a key battleground in the war that erupted on April 15, 2023 between the regular army, led by Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), headed by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
The war has left tens of thousands dead and triggered what aid agencies describe as the world’s largest displacement and hunger crises.
The battle for El-Fasher, the last major city in Darfur to elude RSF control, has intensified in recent weeks as the paramilitaries have sought to compensate for their loss of the capital Khartoum last month.
Turk pointed to an attack three days ago by the RSF on El-Fasher and the Abu Shouk camp that killed at least 40 civilians.
“This brings the confirmed number of civilians killed in North Darfur to at least 542 in just the last three weeks,” he said.
“The actual death toll is likely much higher.”
He also cited “the ominous warning by the RSF of ‘bloodshed’ ahead of imminent battles with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and their associated armed movements.”
“Everything must be done to protect civilians trapped amid dire conditions in and around El-Fasher.”
Turk also highlighted “reports of extrajudicial executions in Khartoum state,” which he described as “extremely disturbing.”
“Horrific videos circulating on social media show at least 30 men in civilian clothing being rounded up and executed by armed men in RSF uniforms in Al-Salha in southern Omdurman,” he said, adding that in a subsequent video, “an RSF field commander acknowledged the killings.”
Those videos came after “shocking reports in recent weeks of the extrajudicial execution of dozens of people accused of collaborating with the RSF in southern Khartoum, allegedly committed by the Al-Baraa Brigade,” a pro-SAF militia, Turk said.
“Deliberately taking the life of a civilian or anyone no longer directly taking part in hostilities is a war crime,” he insisted.
The UN rights chief said he had “personally alerted both leaders of the RSF and SAF to the catastrophic human rights consequences of this war.”
“These harrowing consequences are a daily, lived reality for millions of Sudanese. It is well past time for this conflict to stop.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin receives UAE’s interior minister to discuss bilateral cooperation
- 2 sides discuss joint initiatives in fields of security, policing
DUBAI: Russian President Vladimir Putin received Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the UAE’s deputy prime minister and minister of interior, during an official meeting, the Emirates News Agency reported on Thursday.
The two sides discussed bilateral ties, highlighting their shared commitment to promoting peace and global cooperation.
They also looked at joint initiatives in the fields of security and policing, including progress on strategic police dialogue, training programs in child protection, and other collaborative efforts.
The meeting was also attended by Dr. Mohammed Ahmed Al-Jaber, the UAE’s ambassador to the Russian Federation.
Israel firefighters battle blaze near Jerusalem as roads reopen
- The fires broke out on Wednesday along the main Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had warned the flames could reach Jerusalem
JERUSALEM: Israeli firefighting teams battled bushfires that threatened Jerusalem for a second day on Thursday, with police reporting the reopening of several major roads that had been closed.
The fires broke out on Wednesday along the main Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway, prompting police to shut roads and evacuate thousands of residents from nearby communities.
Israel’s firefighting service said 163 ground crews and 12 aircraft were working to contain the blaze, which authorities said was the country’s largest in a decade.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had warned the flames could reach Jerusalem, declaring the situation a “national emergency.”
Crews worked through the night, allowing the reopening of main roads, including the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv route, according to police.
“All routes have been reopened to traffic,” they said in a statement, adding residents of the Mavo Horon settlement had been allowed to return.
AFP footage on Thursday showed firefighters dousing scorched fields near a church and a stand of charred tree trunks.
Several ceremonies scheduled for Wednesday — the eve of Israel’s Independence Day — were canceled due to the fires, but events to mark the occasion were still being held on Thursday.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir hinted that arson may be behind the fires, though authorities have not presented any evidence to support such claims.
While wildfires are not unheard of in Israel this time of year in the past, they are not considered a regular occurrence.
Rescue agency Magen David Adom said it treated 23 people on Wednesday, mostly for smoke inhalation and burns.
Seventeen firefighters were injured, according to public broadcaster Kansas
The Israeli military said its personnel were helping in Jerusalem and other central districts.
“Overnight dozens of engineering vehicles started operating throughout the country to form lines to prevent the fire from spreading into other trees,” said a military statement.
“The IAF (air force) continues assisting in the effort to extinguish the fires,” it said, adding that about 50 firetrucks were dispatched to where the blaze had spread.
Fanned by strong winds, the fires spread rapidly through wooded areas on Wednesday, prompting evacuations from at least five communities, police said.
“It’s just very sad because we knew the weather, we kind of knew that would happen, and still we feel like they weren’t ready enough with the big planes that can drop large amounts of water,” evacuee Yuval Aharoni, 40, said on Wednesday.
“A lot of police arrived, a lot of firefighters, but it didn’t really help. The fire had already completely taken over the whole area here,” student Yosef Aaron said from the side of a highway, flames visible in the distance.
Late Wednesday, the foreign ministry said firefighting aircraft were expected to arrive from Croatia, France, Italy, Romania and Spain to join the operation.
Cyprus and Serbia also announced they were sending firefighting helicopters to Israel.
