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Baghdad, Iraq CNN —Iraqi social media star Ghufran Sawadi, better known as Umm Fahad, was shot dead outside her home in Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, on Friday night, a Baghdad police source told CNN. The attack took place in the Zayouna area east of Baghdad, and was captured on video by a surveillance camera and shared on social media. A Baghdad police source confirmed the authenticity of the video to CNN. Other Iraqi social media personalities have previously been targeted in deadly attacks. Most recently, another popular Iraqi TikTok personality, Noor Alsaffar, known as Noor BM, was shot dead in Baghdad in September 2023, an Iraqi security source told CNN at the time.

Persons: Ghufran, Umm Fahad, Sawadi, ” Sawadi, ”, Noor Alsaffar, Noor, Alsaffar Organizations: Iraq CNN, CNN Locations: Baghdad, Iraq, Iraqi, Instagram

☆ ‘Huge explosion’ south of Baghdad at military base, Iraqi security source says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Aqeel Najim | Hamdi Alkhshali | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

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☆ Iran-backed militia in Iraq vows to continue attacks on US forces as White House mulls military action
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Mostafa Salem In Abu Dhabi | Aqeel Najim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Al-Kaabi said that attacks against the US won’t stop until American troops withdraw from Iraq, and Israeli military operations cease in Gaza, according to a statement on Friday. The US believes an umbrella group of Iran-backed militants called Islamic Resistance in Iraq was behind the strike on the Jordan base and is now preparing to respond. On Friday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said his country will not initiateany war but will “respond strongly” to bullies. The US has meanwhile carried out a series of strikes in Iraq, Syria and Yemen. Yemen’s Houthis have also continued to attack US interests despite multiple airstrikes by US and UK forces.

Persons: Biden, Akram Al, Kaabi, ”, Ebrahim Raisi, “, Yemen’s Houthis Organizations: CNN, US, Al, American Locations: An Iran, Iraq, States, Jordan, Gaza, Iran, Israel, Syria, Yemen, Islamic Republic of Iran, Iranian Hormozgan

CNN —In a surprise move, the most powerful Iran-backed militia in Iraq, Kataib Hezbollah, announced on Tuesday the suspension of its military operations against US forces in the region two days after a drone attack killed three US service members and wounded dozens of others. “We are announcing the suspension of military and security operations against the occupation forces (US troops) – in order to prevent embarrassment to the Iraqi government,” Kataib Hezbollah said in a statement. The US holds Iran broadly responsible for arming and supporting these groups and has specifically singled out Kataib Hezbollah as likely to have carried out the deadly attack on Sunday. Asked about the statement, Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said at a briefing Tuesday, “We’ve seen those reports. The motive behind the group’s decision is unclear, but an adviser to the Iraqi prime minister said the prime minister’s efforts have paid off.

Persons: ” Kataib, Pat Ryder, “ We’ve, ” Ryder, Ryder, Kataib, ”, Islamic Republic –, Mohammed Shia, Hisham Al Organizations: CNN, US, Free Hezbollah Brigades, Iraqi Locations: Iran, Iraq, Gaza, Syria, Jordan, Islamic Republic, Iraqi

☆ Yemen's Houthi rebels are using the Israel-Hamas war to show off their growing arsenal, and US warships are in the crossfire
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The US Defense Department later confirmed that the Houthi missiles had a range of no less than 2,000 kilometers, or about 1,240 miles. AdvertisementAdvertisementUSS Carney fires on Houthi missiles and drones over the Red Sea on October 19. A third incident, on October 31, saw Israel's advanced Arrow air-defense system intercept a Houthi ballistic missile and an Israeli F-35 stealth fighter shoot down a cruise missile. Houthi ballistic missiles "have long proven" inaccurate, and the group likely doesn't have a very large stockpile of advanced long-range missiles and drones, Bey added. Sailors in USS Carney's Combat Information Center during an operation to defeat Houthi missiles and drones on October 19.

Persons: Yemen's Houthi, —, Carney, MCS2 Aaron Lau, Houthis, Khaled Abdullah The, Matthew Bey, RANE, Khaled Abdullah, Bey, wasn't, Mason, ANDREW CABALLERO, REYNOLDS, Bryan Clark, Clark, Paul Iddon Organizations: US Navy, Service, Hamas, US Defense Department, REUTERS, Saudi, Ballistic, Houthi, Tomahawk, Patriot, Getty, Hudson Institute Locations: Israel, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Taba, Nuweiba, Israeli, Gaza, Sanaa, Iran, Tehran, Riyadh, Yemeni, Mandeb

According to the United Nations, there are now some 5.9 million Palestinian refugees worldwide, most of them descendants of that 1948 generation of exiles. The struggle of the Palestinians is felt especially keenly in Jordan, where more than half of the population is either Palestinian or of Palestinian descent – including more than two million Palestinian refugees. But that passion for the Palestinian cause resonates across the Arab world that is home to more than 450 million people. Young people from across the Arab world have chanted the very same rallying cries their parents and grandparents chanted before them. Leon Neal/Getty Images“For much of the Arab world, the question of Palestine represents the last colonized Arab people trying to gain their freedom,” said H.A.

Persons: Hussein, Abdel, Munim Dababsheh, Israel, Hatem Moussa, Gazans, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Abdel Fattah el, Sisi, ”, Dababsheh, won’t, “, Mustafa Hamarneh, ” Hamarneh, CNN’s Clarissa Ward, Rahma Zein, Leon Neal, Ahmed El, Saied, Alya, Bezalel Smotrich, Itamar Ben Gvir, Meir Kahane, Ben Gvir’s, Ayala Nimrodi, Benjamin Netanyahu, ” Hellyer, Hanya, ” CNN’s Claudia Otto, Aqeel Najim Organizations: Jordan CNN —, United Nations, Camp, West Bank, Israel, European Union, Israel Defense Forces, Press, UNRWA, Tel Aviv University, Sunday, Getty, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, Royal United Services Institute, Hamas, Finance, National, CNN Locations: Amman, Jordan, Jabal Al, Jordanian, Palestine, America, ”, Israel, Gaza, Egypt, Deir al, Palestinian, reoccupying Gaza, Rafah, Lebanon, Libya, Tunisia, Iraq, Yemen, Kuwait, Iran, Young, Tel Aviv, London, Baghdad, Huwara

Baghdad, Iraq CNN —A popular Iraqi TikTok personality was shot dead on Monday in Baghdad, an Iraqi security source told CNN. Known on social media as “Noor BM,” 23-year-old Noor Alsaffar had over 370,000 followers collectively on Instagram and TikTok. While being queer is not explicitly banned under current Iraqi legislation, LGBTQ people are often targeted under vague morality clauses in its penal code. Alsaffar spoke in videos about facing threats on social media over choices of dressing. The Iraqi LGBTQ rights group, IraQueer, posted about Alsaffar’s death, adding the hashtags #Transphobia and #MuderOfTransPeople on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Persons: Iraq CNN —, Noor, Noor Alsaffar, Alsaffar, ” Khaled Almehna, Iraq’s Al, “ I’m, I’m, Samir Jermani, “, ”, Iraq “ Organizations: Iraq CNN, CNN, Twitter, Human Rights Watch Locations: Baghdad, Iraq, Iraqi, Sweden, Denmark, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Tunisia

The kingdom's sovereign wealth fund reported an AUM of 1.98 trillion riyals for 2021. The PIF said it generated a total shareholders' return of 8% and established 25 companies in 2022, and locally deployed 120 billion riyals in that year in strategic sectors. The PIF said 23% of its AUM were international investments, while 68% were local investments and the remainder were treasury. PIF is the chosen vehicle of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's de facto ruler, to drive an economic agenda aimed at cutting reliance on oil. The fund raised $5.5 billion in February from a green bond sale, following its inaugural green bond that raised $3 billion in October.

Persons: Yasir Othman Al, Mohammed Abdullah Al Jadaan, Ahmed Aqeel Al Khateeb, Ibrahim Abdulaziz Al, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Majid Abdullah Al Qasabi, Khalid Abdulaziz Al Falih, PIF, Ahmed Elimam, Alex Richardson Organizations: Saudi Public Investment, Saudi Finance, Tourism, Investment, Read, Saudi, Public Investment Fund, Sunday, Aramco, Sanabil Investments, Thomson Locations: Saudi, DUBAI, London , New York, Hong Kong, Saudi Aramco

CNN —Hundreds of protesters stormed the main gates of the Swedish embassy in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad early Thursday in response to police in Stockholm granting permission for a demonstration were organizers are reportedly planning another burning of the Muslim holy book, the Quran. Videos posted on social media showed a large number of protesters inside the Swedish embassy’s perimeter as well as black smoke and fire coming from the building. According to AFP, Swedish police said Wednesday they had granted a permit for a protest outside the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm, with media reporting the organizers planned to burn the Muslim holy book. Stockholm police told AFP they had granted a permit for a “public gathering” outside the Iraqi embassy but did not wish to give further comments on what the protesters were planning. A large number of protesters breached the Swedish embassy in Baghdad early Thursday.

Persons: ” Organizations: CNN, AFP, Swedish, Swedish Embassy, Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs Locations: Swedish, Baghdad, Stockholm, Sweden, Stockholm’s, Iraq

Baghdad, Iraq CNN —Condemnation grew in Iraq after a 300-year-old minaret, viewed as a heritage site by the Ministry of Culture, was demolished in the southern city of Basra on Friday. Built in 1727, the 11-meter Siraji minaret, was demolished to create road expansion following complaints of traffic around the mosque, Basra Governor Assad Al Eidani said in a televised interview with Al Taghyeer news channel on Friday. He added that the leveling was a necessary step for road expansion in a growing city experiencing traffic jams. Local residents and government officials were left furious with the decision to proceed with the demolition. A resident of Basra, Ahmed Ali Ibrahim, told CNN that the people of the city “are in pain” over the demolition of the historic minaret.

Persons: Basra Governor Assad Al Eidani, Al, Al Eidani, Ahmed Al Badrani, Ahmed Ali Ibrahim, ” Ibrahim Organizations: Iraq CNN, Ministry of Culture, Iraq’s, CNN Locations: Baghdad, Iraq, Basra, Basra Governor

In Pakistan, authorities said more than 300 of its nationals died in the tragedy, but did not specify how they received the information. The Federal Investigation Agency of Pakistan in a statement Tuesday said that 88 people have officially been registered as missing by family members. Last week, Greek authorities denied claims that the boat had capsized after the coast guard attempted to tow it to shore. Migrants rest in a shelter, following a rescue operation, after their boat capsized at open sea, in Kalamata, Greece, June 14, 2023. “This is what they’re doing and it’s absolutely necessary to prevent it.”Migrants arrive at the port of Kalamata, following a rescue operation, after their boat capsized at open sea, in Kalamata, Greece, June 14, 2023.

Persons: Adriana, Saeed Anwar, Abdul Jabbar, selfie, Gibran Peshimam, Jabbar, Anwar, ” Anwar, “, ”, Tarek Aldroobi, Stelios Misinas, Raja Aqeel, Aqeel, Home Affairs Ylva Johansson, Johansson Organizations: Kashmir CNN, Federal Investigation Agency of Pakistan, Union, CNN, United Nations Migration Agency, Authorities, Reuters, Home Affairs, ”, Eurokinissi, Reuters Authorities, Human Rights Locations: Bandali, Pakistan, Kashmir, Greece, Europe, Khuiratta, Italy, Libya, East, Asia, Africa, Kalamata, Islamabad, Lahore, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi

CNN —Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei decried the presence of the US military in Iraq during a meeting with Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid in Tehran on Saturday. “The presence of even one American in Iraq is too much,” Khamenei said, Iranian state media outlet IRNA reported. “The United States will continue to strengthen and broaden our partnerships in support of Iraqi security, stability and sovereignty,” Austin said during his Baghdad visit. Growing tensionsIraq plays a crucial role for the United States in containing Iran’s influence in the region. Tensions between the United States and Iran are also growing over Tehran’s actions in Syria.

Stringer/ReutersThe RSF denied those reports, telling CNN in a statement that it “will never assault any UN staff or employees. Meanwhile, tense efforts to establish a ceasefire have ramped up, with the UN calling for rival factions to end their hostilities. Satellite imagery of the smoke plume at Khartoum International Airport on Sunday. The Sudanese Armed Forces later issued conflicting statements on a proposed 24-hour ceasefire, intended to go into effect later on Tuesday. Both sides had previously agreed to a three-hour ceasefire on Sunday, and again on Monday, with fighting resuming afterward, Perthes said.

☆ Saudi Arabia deposits $5 bln in Turkey's central bank - statement
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI, March 6 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia has signed an agreement with Turkey to deposit $5 billion in the country's central bank through the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD), the fund said on Monday. Saudi Minister of Finance Mohammed Bin Abdullah Al-Jadaan announced his country's intention to make the deposit in December. The Turkish central bank's net international reserves fell some $1.4 billion to $20.2 billion in the week to Feb. 24, data from the bank showed on Thursday. The Saudi deposit follows joint efforts by Ankara and Riyadh to mend ties that were ruptured after the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 at the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul. The deposit was signed between SFD Chairman Ahmed Aqeel Al-Khateeb, who is also Saudi Arabia's tourism minister, and Turkish Central Bank Governor Sahap Kavcioglu, the SFD statement said.

☆ Analysis: Iraqi PM walks diplomatic tightrope in crackdown on dollars smuggled to Iran
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Ahmed Rasheed | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The New York Federal Reserve introduced tighter controls on international dollar transactions by commercial Iraqi banks in November. "Americans are using the dollar transfer rigid restrictions as warning messages to Prime Minister Sudani to stay tuned with the American interests. The new system has slowed down dollar transactions, said Nabil al-Marsoumi, economics professor at Basra University. Meanwhile the price of consumer goods has increased and the Iraqi currency has taken a beating. The Iraqi prime minister replaced the central bank governor after the slide in the dinar, the state news agency said on Monday.

Saudi Press Agency/Handout via REUTERSDUBAI, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) is working with Lazard (LAZ.N) on funding options and a potential initial public offering of Masar, a $27 billion mega project in the holy city of Mecca, two sources with direct knowledge told Reuters. The PIF, Lazard and Masar did not respond to a Reuters query for comment. Bloomberg first reported Lazard was advising the sovereign wealth fund on NEOM. Masar is a 1.2 million square metre urban development project in the western part of Mecca. Reporting by Hadeel Al Sayegh;Editing by Elaine HardcastleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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