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[1/10] Cadets of Military Institute of Taras Shevchenko National University take part in a swearing-in ceremony at the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine September 8, 2023. "We want Ukraine to win, but not through the efforts of the same people," she said in an interview at her home in Kyiv. Women on the home front have also had to become stronger, she added: "But at what cost did we become stronger?" Only Ukrainian men aged between 27 and 60 can be mobilised by draft officers. Ukraine, which has said it has about 1 million people under arms, has barred military-age men from going abroad.

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☆ Up to 1 mln people 'disappeared' in Iraq in last half century - UN
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

GENEVA, April 4 (Reuters) - Up to 1 million people have been "disappeared" in Iraq during a tumultuous last half century spanning the dictatorial rule of Saddam Hussein, U.S.-led military occupation and the rise of Islamic State militants, the United Nations said on Tuesday. The U.N. Committee on Enforced Disappearances urged Iraq, which has one of the highest numbers of missing people in the world, to seek victims and punish perpetrators. But that was hampered by the lack of definition of enforced disappearance as a crime in Iraqi law, its report said. "The UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances urged Iraq to immediately establish the basis to prevent, eradicate and repair this heinous crime," it said. Up to 290,000 people, including some 100,000 Kurds, were forcibly disappeared by Hussein's "genocidal campaign" in Kurdistan between 1968 and 2003, the U.N. report said.

☆ 'Every victim of Saddam Hussein was waiting for this moment'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Charlotte Bruneau | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Ali Hassan al-Haidari, who testified against former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein during the Dujail trial, that led to Saddam's death sentence, sits at his home in Dujail, Iraq, January 28, 2023. "Every victim of Saddam Hussein was waiting for this moment," said Haidari, one of the few people who was ready to show his face when giving testimony to the court that sent the former Iraqi strongman to the gallows. Seven of his brothers were among those killed in the security sweep after the attempt on Saddam's life as his convoy passed by. A video from the trial showed Haidari standing with Saddam behind him and telling the judges: "He is responsible for my detention, for losing my future, for executing my brothers". Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq's most influential Shi'tie cleric, issued a religious decree calling on Iraqis to fight against Islamic State.

☆ Two decades after Saddam's fall, Iraqis still haunted by disappearances
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Charlotte Bruneau | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

As exhumations dragged on, more atrocities were committed in sectarian conflict and amid the rise and fall of armed groups, such as Al Qaeda and Islamic State militants, as well as Shi'ite Muslim militias. Tens of thousands of Iraqis were killed by Saddam's forces during his rule. According to Siddiq, massacres committed by Islamic State militants, who seized much of northern Iraq in 2014 and held it for three violent years, have been prioritised. In Sinjar, where Islamic State committed what U.N. investigators described as genocide against Iraq's Yazidi minority, about 600 victims have been reburied, with some 150 identified. His name was not among the hundreds of victims identified by Siddiq's team, and Mohammed remains in limbo.

[1/2] A man holds a smartphone with a sign that reads: "I need tickets" ahead of a FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 match in Doha, Qatar, November 30, 2022. REUTERS/Charlotte BruneauDOHA, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Ashraf Ali arrived at Stadium 974 six hours ahead of the Argentina-Poland World Cup match and, in desperation, raised a hand-written sign: "We need tickets." Other ticketless soccer fans are increasingly gathering at crowded stadium perimeters in Doha during the World Cup to haggle with hawkers, quietly pushing match tickets for popular matches up to 10 times face value. SPECIAL LAWQatar passed a special law for the World Cup that grants FIFA exclusive rights to sell the tickets. "FIFA's ultimate objectives are to prioritise the safety and security of all fans and to enforce a fair pricing scheme for World Cup tickets," a spokesperson told Reuters.

☆ Soccer World Cup fans see double standard in stadium politics ban
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Andrew Mills | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The first World Cup in the Middle East has been anything but insulated from the troubles of the volatile region, set against a backdrop of anti-government protests in Iran and an upsurge in Israeli-Palestinian violence. On Thursday, security ushered through hundreds of fans draped in flags, hats and scarves showing support for Palestine ahead of the Morocco v Canada match. Qatar's World Cup organisers said that "security authorities stepped in to deescalate tension and restore calm." A FIFA Qatar World Cup stadium code of conduct prohibits banners, flags, fliers, apparel and other paraphernalia of a "political, offensive and/or discriminatory nature". "I felt welcomed by the Qatari people and by all present here ... people greet us with ‘Palestine Palestine'," said Palestinian fan Saeed Khalil.

In earlier matches they had tied with Croatia and scored a surprise win over Belgium, the second-ranked team in the world. "This team can go all the way in this World Cup!" In Qatar, where the home team along with Saudi Arabia and Tunisia have already been knocked out, Morocco now carries the mantle for an Arab world that has cheered victories by Arab teams against some of the tournament favourites. FIFA and Qatar's World Cup organisers, the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the crowding outside the stadium. Morocco's last World Cup appearance, four years ago, ended in the group stage.

"There is a big solidarity between us, Morocco, Tunisia, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. "Look at what Saudi Arabia and Morocco have done. We hope that it will be crowned with a Tunisian and Saudi victory today," he said. "It's a good feeling, the first time (a World Cup is hosted) in an Arabian country," said Ali Abbas Moussa, a 30-year-old pharmacist from Iraq. Some Arab leaders attending the World Cup have echoed the sense of pan-Arab solidarity during matches.

[1/2] Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - World Cup Accommodation - Doha, Qatar - November 28, 2022 General view of Barwa Barahat al Janoub complex which is some of the cheapest accommodation available for World Cup fans in Qatar REUTERS/Charlotte BruneauAL WAKRAH, Qatar, Nov 29 (Reuters) - For tens of thousands of World Cup fans, home base in Qatar is a concrete complex on the edge of the desert, next to a slaughterhouse and a set of high-voltage electrical wires. The new complex, which features 1,404 clusters of three-storey buildings laid out in a grid of narrow streets, was designed to house some 67,000 low-income workers - a group that makes up the majority of Qatar's 3 million population - who are expected to move in some time after the World Cup. I was saving money since like the last two years," said Sandipan Bhowmick from India, who is attending his first World Cup. Sombrero-toting Mexicans, flag-draped Moroccans and a group of Brazilians singing "Ole, Ole, Ole" emerge from buses and taxis. Reporting by Andrew Mills and Charlotte Bruneau; Writing by Andrew Mills; Editing by Conor HumphriesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Qatar, which has strong ties with Washington and friendly relations with Tehran, has staked its reputation on delivering a smooth World Cup, beefing up security at Iran games and banning some items deemed inflammatory, like Iran's pre-Revolution flag. The Qatar official, when asked about fans' security concerns and complaints over restrictions, said authorities would ensure every match at the World Cup is "safe and welcoming for all spectators". Items that "could increase tensions and risk the safety of fans" would not be permitted at stadiums, the official said. The United States and Iran severed formal relations in 1980 after the Revolution and ties were hostile when their soccer teams clashed in the 1998 World Cup. Reporting by Maya Gebeily and Charlotte Bruneau; Writing by Ghaida Ghantous; Editing by Peter RutherfordOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Still, politics have spilled into the World Cup, the first to be held in a Middle East country. We don't have voice in Iran," said an Iranian living in the United States who gave his name only as Sam. Steve Garcia, from Phoenix, Arizona, said the United States and Iran had their differences but could come together in sport. The United States has imposed sanctions on Iranian officials over the crackdown on protesters. When their soccer teams clashed in the 1998 World Cup, Iran emerged with a 2-1 victory.

Pro-Palestinian sympathies among fans have also spilt into stadiums as four Arab teams compete. Qatari players have worn pro-Palestinian arm-bands, even as Qatar has allowed Israeli fans to fly in directly for the first time. The first Middle Eastern nation to host the World Cup, Qatar has often seemed a regional maverick: it hosts the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas but has also previously had some trade relations with Israel. Arab fans have shunned Israeli journalists reporting from Qatar. Omar Barakat, a soccer coach for the Palestinian national team who was in Doha for the World Cup, said he had carried his flag into matches without being stopped.

Now, with mass protests, many would prefer it withdrew from the World Cup being held just across the Gulf from their homeland. Some Iranian fans who went to Qatar for the World Cup made no secret of their solidarity with the unrest. In the Iranian capital Tehran, some banners of the national team have been burned by angry protesters. Pejman Zarji, a 38-year-old sports coach who was in Qatar for the World Cup, said the Iranian team belonged to the people not the government. There’s something really important to understand (now) - 'Team Melli' is what we call the Iran team, it's the team of the people before being the team of the government," he said.

DOHA, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Taking selfies from the stands and sitting on the grassy pitch, thousands of migrant workers gathered in a Doha stadium to watch the opening match of the first World Cup in the Middle East. It sat adjacent to several worker camps where many of Qatar's hundreds of thousands of low-income labourers live. "We are here to enjoy our sweat now," said Ronald Ssenyondo, a 25-year old Ugandan who was rooting for Qatar on Sunday. The wealthy gas-producing country is home to 2.9 million people, the vast majority of whom are foreign workers ranging from low-income construction workers to high-powered executives. But on Sunday, he was grateful to be with fellow workers watching on a screen - even though Qatar's loss was a disappointment.

☆ Busking Brit crosses Iraq on his way to COP27 without flying
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( Charlotte Bruneau | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/6] Briton Dan Hodd, 29 years old, who left Spain about a month ago to go to the COP27 in Sharm el Sheikh without flying, but mostly biking and using public transportation, plays the violin in Baghdad, Iraq October 26, 2022. “I am trying to illustrate the importance within the transport sector to do more about the climate crisis,” the 29-year-old Briton said. After a drop during the coronavirus pandemic, air traffic is expected to bounce back to 2019 levels by 2024-25, he said. Avoiding flying is not only part of Hodd’s message to delegates at COP27. His trip to Egypt is part of a long-term project to visit 100 countries in 10 years without flying, busking with his violin to earn enough to go on.

☆ Spanish soccer fan walking to Qatar World Cup missing in Iran
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Spanish man, Santiago Sanchez, walks in Iraq's Kurdistan region towards Qatar, where he aims to attend the 2022 World Cup, near Zakho, Iraq August 28, 2022. REUTERS/Charlotte BruneauMADRID, Oct 26 (Reuters) - A 41-year-old Spanish soccer fan who set out to walk to Qatar to attend the World Cup in November has gone missing in Iran, where unrest has erupted in the past few weeks, Spain's foreign ministry has confirmed. Spain's Foreign Ministry confirmed Sanchez was in Iran and its embassy in Tehran was urgently seeking information on his whereabouts to provide him with consular assistance. He has already been to Iran, it's a hospitable country... but this time it was a delicate moment." He told Reuters in Zakho in Iraqi Kurdistan last month that he hoped he might meet the Spanish team and inspire them to victory in the 2022 World Cup.

☆ Mosul sculptor 'recreates what was demolished' on murals depicting Iraq history
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Sept 22 (Reuters) - Iraqi sculptor Khaled Al-Abadi's carefully chiselled engravings of lions, chariots, and birds decorate his Mosul workshop - the fulfilment of a dream to "to recreate what was demolished" during turbulent years of war. "During the Islamic State period, when my colleague and I were walking around, we would see the statues that were removed, and the gates that were being demolished, we were really troubled by this," Al-Abadi told Reuters. His clay-based murals reflect the country's long history – from the Assyrian period through to the Islamic State occupation. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register1/4 The sculptor Khaled al-Abadi works inside his workshop on his sculptures which depict scenes from the history of the city of Mosul, in Mosul, Iraq, September 15, 2022. "This is the history of Mosul.

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