Iraqi PM inspects site of Iranian missile attack in north

1 / 4
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi inspects the site of a damaged building a day after a missile attack, in Irbil, Iraq, March 14, 2022. (Reuters)
Short Url
Updated 14 March 2022
Follow

Iraqi PM inspects site of Iranian missile attack in north

  • Al-Kadhimi was received by Masrour Barzani, PM of the semi-autonomous Kurdish-controlled region
  • Iran claimed responsibility for Sunday’s missile barrage, calling it retaliation for an Israeli strike in Syria

BAGHDAD: Iraq’s prime minister met with Kurdish officials on Monday and inspected the site of an Iranian missile attack near the American consulate in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil.
Mustafa Al-Kadhimi was received by Masrour Barzani, prime minister of the semi-autonomous Kurdish-controlled region. The Iraqi premier also inspected damage caused by some 12 ballistic missiles that landed near the US consulate, which is new and unoccupied, and caused damage to a nearby local television channel.
Iran claimed responsibility for Sunday’s missile barrage, calling it retaliation for an Israeli strike in Syria that killed two members of its Revolutionary Guard earlier last week.
No injuries were reported in the attack on the city of Irbil. But it marked a significant escalation between the US and Iran and upset Iraq’s leadership which called it a “violation of international law and norms” and summoned the Iranian ambassador to Baghdad in protest. Hostility between the US and Iran has often played out in Iraq, whose government is allied with both countries.
A government official in Baghdad said Al-Kadhimi’s visit to Irbil Monday was meant to express solidarity with the Kurdistan region and show support for its government.” The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment on the visit.
The United States also condemned the attack. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement the attack targeted a civilian residence in Irbil “without any justification.”
“We will support the Government of Iraq in holding Iran accountable, and we will support our partners throughout the Middle East in confronting similar threats from Iran,” he said.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Sunday called Al-Kadhimi and Barzani to express solidarity and denounce the attacks.


UAE, Egypt sign MoU in ‘significant milestone’ for Arab space cooperation

Updated 5 sec ago
Follow

UAE, Egypt sign MoU in ‘significant milestone’ for Arab space cooperation

  • Agreement covers joint projects and knowledge exchange in areas such as satellite technology, earth observation and space research
  • Signing coincided with the African Space Agency’s headquarters opening in Cairo

DUBAI: The UAE and Egypt have signed a memorandum of understanding to boost collaboration in peaceful space activities, marking what Emirati officials described as a “significant milestone” in Arab space cooperation, state news agency WAM reported on Wednesday.

The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the 11th meeting of the Arab Space Cooperation Group and the “NewSpace Africa” conference in Cairo, with the UAE delegation led by Salem Butti Al-Qubaisi, director-general of the UAE Space Agency.

“The MoU represents a significant milestone in Arab space cooperation and reflects the UAE’s strategic vision, which sees space as a gateway to sustainable development, knowledge exchange and innovative solutions to shared challenges,” Al-Qubaisi said.

He highlighted that partnering with Egypt reinforced the UAE’s commitment to investing in people, localizing scientific expertise and developing a competitive, innovation-driven knowledge economy. He said that these goals aligned with broader regional ambitions for prosperity and stability.

The MoU establishes a long-term framework for cooperation in civil space programs, including the exchange of expertise, research and technology, and the implementation of joint projects supporting both countries’ sustainable development goals.

Planned areas of collaboration include communications technologies, satellite navigation and timing, Earth observation, remote sensing, space situational awareness, remote asset management and R&D in emerging and advanced technologies.

The UAE delegation also attended the opening ceremony of the African Space Agency’s new headquarters at Egyptian Space City, an event that drew senior officials, ministers and space-sector leaders from across Africa.


At least 12 killed overnight by Israeli strikes in Gaza

Updated 30 April 2025
Follow

At least 12 killed overnight by Israeli strikes in Gaza

  • The pre-dawn strikes hit three houses in the urban Nuseirat refugee camp
  • Israel has carried out daily strikes on Gaza since ending its ceasefire with Hamas last month

At least 12 people including children were killed overnight in Gaza by Israeli strikes, hospital workers said Wednesday.
The pre-dawn strikes hit three houses in the urban Nuseirat refugee camp, according to staff at the Al-Aqsa hospital, which received the bodies. Among the dead were three children, including two brothers whose bodies arrived in pieces, according to the hospital’s morgue.
Israel has carried out daily strikes on Gaza since ending its ceasefire with Hamas last month. It has cut off the territory’s 2 million Palestinians from all imports, including food and medicine, since the beginning of March in what it says is an attempt to pressure the militant group to release hostages.
The strikes come after more than two dozen people were killed earlier this week in Gaza City and Beit Lahiya.
Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza has killed more than 52,000 Palestinians, according to the territory’s Health Ministry.


UAE arrests cell smuggling weapons to Sudanese army

Updated 33 min 15 sec ago
Follow

UAE arrests cell smuggling weapons to Sudanese army

  • UAE Attorney-General says security forces arrested a cell involved in unauthorized trafficking of military equipment to the Sudanese Armed Forces

DUBAI: UAE security services thwarted an attempt to illegally transfer weapons and military equipment to the Sudanese Armed Forces, Emirates News Agency reported.

“The country’s security services foiled an attempt to illegally smuggle weapons and military equipment to the Sudanese Armed Forces,” read a statement on WAM.

UAE Attorney-General Hamad Saif Al-Shamsi said authorities prevented the illegal transfer of “a quantity of military equipment to the Sudanese Armed Forces following the arrest of members of a cell involved in unauthorized mediation, brokering and illicit trafficking of military equipment, without obtaining the necessary licenses.”

The statement said the defendants were arrested during an inspection of ammunition in a private aircraft at one of the country’s airports.

Authorities seized about 5 million rounds of 7.62x54mmR ammunition found on the plane.

Al-Shamsi said the investigation revealed the involvement of some Sudanese military leaders, including former intelligence chief Salah Gosh who is a political figure close to General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan. Several Sudanese businessmen were also implicated. 


US official tells UN top court ‘serious concerns’ over UNRWA impartiality

Updated 55 min 44 sec ago
Follow

US official tells UN top court ‘serious concerns’ over UNRWA impartiality

THE HAGUE: A US official on Wednesday told the International Court of Justice there were “serious concerns” about the impartiality of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.
ICJ judges are holding a week of hearings to help them formulate an advisory opinion on Israel’s obligations toward UN agencies delivering aid to Palestinians in Gaza.
“There are serious concerns about UNRWA’s impartiality, including information that Hamas has used UNRWA facilities and that UNRWA staff participated in the October 7th terrorist attack against Israel,” said Josh Simmons from the US State Department legal team.


Syrian state media says 11 dead in new clashes near Damascus

Updated 30 April 2025
Follow

Syrian state media says 11 dead in new clashes near Damascus

  • Clashes erupted overnight between security forces and “outlaw groups” near Damascus

DAMASCUS: Syria state media said Wednesday that 11 people had been killed in clashes that erupted overnight between security forces and “outlaw groups” near Damascus.
“The number of dead after outlaw groups targeted civilians and security forces” in the Sahnaya area “has risen to 11 dead and a number of wounded,” state news agency SANA said, citing a health ministry statement, without elaborating on the identity of those killed.