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GAZA, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Having rebuffed calls for a ceasefire, Israel was set to come under sustained pressure on Monday to avoid civilian casualties during its assault on Gaza, while a U.S. diplomatic blitz in the region sought to reduce risks of the conflict escalating. But after Blinken repeated U.S. concerns that a ceasefire could aid Hamas, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ruled that out unless hostages held by Hamas were released. "We demand that you stop them from committing these crimes immediately," Abbas told Blinken, urging an "immediate ceasefire" from Israel. "Stop in the name of God," he said, calling for humanitarian aid and help for the injured to ease the "very grave" situation in Gaza. Instead, the U.S. wants localized pauses in fighting to allow in humanitarian aid and for people to leave Gaza.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Blinken, Mahmoud Abbas, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, WAFA, we're, Jonathan Conricus, Conricus, William Burns, Burns, Lloyd Austin, Yoav Gallant, Austin, Kamala Harris, King Abdullah, Mohammed Shia, Al Sudani, Jonathan Ernst, Saeed al, Abbas, Israel, Mohammed al, Pope Francis, Nidal al, Ali Sawafta, Simon Lewis, Dan Williams, Costas Pitas, David Lawder, Lincoln, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Sunday, West Bank, Palestinian, Israeli, Hamas, Paltel, CNN, U.S, CIA, Israel, New York Times, Times, Reuters, . Defense, Pentagon, U.S . Central Command, Baghdad International, REUTERS, Israel Defense Forces, United Arab Emirates, Thomson Locations: GAZA, Israel, Gaza, U.S, Ankara, Turkey, Gaza City, Palestinian, Jordanian, Ohio, Iran, Baghdad, Iraq, LEBANON, Lebanon, Kiryat Shmona, Qatar, Saudi, Egypt, Jordan, Amman, Ramallah, Jerusalem, Los Angeles, Washington

Israeli airstrikes hit two refugee camps in the central Gaza Strip on Sunday, killing scores of people, health officials said. The strikes came as the U.S. keeps urging Israel to take a humanitarian pause from its relentless bombardment of Gaza and rising civilian deaths. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to Ramallah in the West Bank for a previously unannounced meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Political Cartoons View All 1234 ImagesCurrently:— Gaza has lost telecom contact again, while Israel’s military announces it has surrounded Gaza City. — A U.N. official says the average Palestinian in Gaza is living on two pieces of bread a day.

Persons: Israel, Antony Blinken, Mahmoud Abbas, Blinken, Mohammed Shia, Benjamin Netanyahu, Joe Biden, evacuee Sara El, Masry, –, JORDAN, Jordan, King Abdullah II, ”, Michael Hertzog, ” Hertzog, OBAMA, Barack Obama, “, he’s, ” Obama, I’ve, Alp Toker, Juliette Touma, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Ismail Haniyeh, IRNA, Khamenei, Haniyeh, JERUSALEM —, Jacob Lew, Biden, ” Lew, Isaac Herzog, Lew, Antony Blinken’s Organizations: West Bank, Iraqi, Hamas, Ministry, WHO, GAZA, SYDNEY AIRPORT SYDNEY, Nine, Sydney Airport, Australian, United Arab Emirates, Mideast, Central Command, FIRE, NATIONS, Inter, Agency, UNRWA, United Nations, Jordanian, Twitter, ISRAEL, CBS, JERUSALEM, Paltel, Associated Press, Hezbollah, U.S, Israel, Embassy, . Riot Locations: Gaza, Ramallah, Baghdad, Jordan, Israel, United States, Egypt, Qatar, Gaza City, —, U.S, Berlin, israel, Sydney, Rafah, DUBAI, United Arab, Suez, ., Ohio, America's, Iran, UN, Palestinian Territory, GAZA AMMAN, Jordanian, GAZA, Palestinian, IRAN, TEHRAN, Lebanon, GAZA JERUSALEM, Beit Hanoun, TURKEY, ISTANBUL –, Ankara, Turkish

☆ Israel Says It Has Isolated Gaza City After ‘Large’ Attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Emma Bubola | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

Many of those groups want to see the war in Gaza widen and say they are ready to take on the United States because of its support for Israel. “The attacks, the threats coming from militia that are aligned with Iran are totally unacceptable,” Mr. Blinken said in brief remarks to reporters at the Baghdad airport before his departure. Mr. al-Sudani is “in a tough position,” said Inna Rudolf, a senior research fellow at the International Center for the Study of Radicalization at King’s College London. Mr. al-Sudani assumed office after being chosen by a coalition of Shia parties in Iraq, some of which have close with ties to Iran, and he has augmented their power since. But he has also tried to keep up Iraq’s ties with Europe, the Arab world and the United States.

Persons: Antony J, Blinken, Mohammed Shia, Hashd, “ Antony Blinken, ” Ali, ” —, —, Mr, “, Sudani, ”, Inna Rudolf, ’, Hakan Fidan Organizations: Israel, Popular Mobilization Forces, Hezbollah, United, U.S, Publicly, U.S . State Department, International Center, King’s College London, Hamas Locations: Baghdad, Turkey, Iran, Gaza, United States, Syria, Iraq, U.S, Hasakah, Europe, Israel, ”, Ankara, Japan

Humanitarian agencies have lost contact with aid workers in Gaza, as the Palestinian enclave faces its third communications blackout of the Israel-Hamas war, according to operators. Earlier in the day, the IDF said its soldiers had reached the coast as part of an effort to encircle Hamas forces and strike targets in Gaza. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah spoke on Friday about the October 7 Hamas attacks and ensuing war in Gaza. IDF accuses Hamas of using civilian infrastructure: The Israeli military released what it said was evidence of Hamas using civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and children’s playgrounds, as shields for its attacks on Israel. Hostages in Gaza: The Israeli military’s current count of hostages being held by Hamas is 240, Hagari, the Israel Defense Forces' spokesperson, said Sunday.

Persons: Paltel, Daniel Hagari, Antony Blinken's, Blinken, Mohammed Shia, Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s, ” Organizations: Facebook, United Nations, Palestine Red Crescent Society, Israel Defense Forces, CNN, IDF, Iraqi, Hamas, Palestinian, West Bank, Palestinian Authority, Turkish, Air Force, Anadolu Agency, Humanitarian Relief Foundation, " Police Locations: Gaza, Israel, Palestine, Sderot, Blinken, Iraq, Sudani, Baghdad, Jordan, Ramallah, Turkey, Lebanon, Iran, Turkish, United States, Anadolu

☆ Blinken says Palestinian voices key to Gaza future
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Simon Lewis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Blinken passed through Israeli checkpoints to meet Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah, and then traveled on to Iraq. Palestinian views, voices and aspirations need to be “at the center” of conversations about the future of Gaza, Blinken told reporters in Baghdad. Blinken had some "good ideas" about the future he said, but "now is the time to ....stop the murder of civilians"Abbas told Blinken there should be an immediate ceasefire and that aid should be allowed into Gaza, according to spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh. While Hamas tightly controls besieged Gaza, the West Bank is a complex patchwork of hillside cities, Israeli settlements and army checkpoints that split Palestinian communities. Blinken credited Abbas for tamping down tension in the West Bank and told him he had pressed Israeli officials for accountability, the senior State Department official said.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Blinken, Mahmoud Abbas, Israel, Abbas, WAFA, Mohammed Shia, Al Sudani, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, Matthew Miller, Miller, Jordan, Simon Lewis, Ali Sawafta, Doina Chiacu, Ted Hesson, Hugh Lawson, Alexander Smith, Heather Timmons Organizations: U.S, Palestinian Authority, Palestinian, West Bank, Hamas, CBS, United Nations, senior State Department, Thomson Locations: RAMALLAH, BAGHDAD, Gaza, Ramallah, Iraq, Israel, Baghdad, Iran, United States, East Jerusalem, Palestinian, U.S, United Kingdom, Egypt, Washington

☆ Blinken makes unannounced visit to Iraq
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Baghdad, Iraq CNN —Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced visit to Iraq on Sunday – a significant stop on his whirlwind trip through the region. Blinken met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in Baghdad for more than an hour. In the wake of Hamas’ October 7 attack, Iranian-backed proxy groups have scaled up attacks aimed at US troops in Iraq and Syria. Ahead of his stop in Iraq, Blinken on Sunday also met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah amid escalating Israeli settler violence in the West Bank. Before Blinken’s visit to Iraq, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was the highest-ranking Biden administration official to travel to the country, when he made an unannounced trip to Baghdad in March.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Blinken, Mohammed Shia, “, ” Blinken, Matthew Miller, ” Miller, Mahmoud Abbas, Blinken’s, Defense Lloyd Austin, Biden, CNN’s Jack Forrest, Abby Baggini, Oren Liebermann Organizations: Iraq CNN, Sunday, Iraqi, Embassy, US, State Department, Palestinian, West Bank, Defense Locations: Baghdad, Iraq, Sudani, Israel, Iranian, Syria, Gaza, Ramallah, Jordan, Cyprus, Turkey

☆ Blinken visits Iraq in bid to prevent Gaza spillover
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Washington wants to prevent a wider regional conflict and has stepped up diplomacy with regional countries whose populations have been angered by Israel's assault on Gaza. Blinken landed at Baghdad’s international airport, donned a ballistic vest and traveled by Black Hawk helicopter to the Green Zone, a remnant of the U.S. occupation of Iraq after its 2003 invasion. At the U.S. ambassador’s residence he was briefed on threats to U.S. facilities, before heading to the prime minister’s office. Iran-backed group Kataib Hezbollah issued a warning on Saturday night that the expected Blinken visit would be met with "an unprecedented escalation." Iraqi armed groups aligned with Iran have threatened to target U.S. interests with missiles and drones if Washington intervened to support Israel against Hamas in Gaza.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Mohammed Shia, Al Sudani, Blinken, Mohammed al, Sudani, Asad, Hezbollah's, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Simon Lewis, Hugh Lawson, Conor Humphries Organizations: Hamas, West Bank, U.S, Iraqi, Baghdad’s, Black, Green, Thomson Locations: Baghdad, Israel, Palestinian, Iraq, BAGHDAD, . Washington, Gaza, Turkey, Iran, Syria, Gaza . Iraqi, Ain, Harir, Iraqi, Erbil, Lebanon, U.S

CNN —Dozens were killed and many more injured in a blast at the Al-Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip late Saturday night, according to an official at a nearby hospital and eyewitnesses who spoke with CNN. One resident of the camp told CNN: “We were sitting in our homes, suddenly we heard a very, very powerful sound of an explosion. People check the damage at the Al-Maghazi refugee camp on Sunday. Alaloul, who is a freelance photojournalist with the Turkish news agency Anadolu, said his home was destroyed in an Israeli airstrike that targeted the Al-Maghazi refugee camp. The Al-Maghazi refugee camp is located in the central part of the coastal enclave south of Wadi Gaza, the waterway that divides north from south Gaza.

Persons: Mohammad al Hajj, Dr Eyad Abu Zaher, ”, Khalil Al, “, Mahmud Hams, Muhammed Alaloul, Alaloul, Kenan, Rahaf, Ahmad, …, Qais, ” Alaloul, Jamal Al Aloul, Samah Shaqoura, CNN “, Sundos Shaqura, Israel, Antony Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Blinken, Mohammed Shia, ” “ Israel, We’ve Organizations: CNN, Hamas, of Health, Al, Israel Defense Forces, Aqsa Martyr’s Hospital, IDF, Getty, Israel, Palestinian Ministry of Health, Sunday, Anadolu, United Nations Relief, Works Agency, Iraqi Locations: Gaza, Aqsa, AFP, Wadi Gaza, Ramallah, Turkish, Jordan, Iraq, Sudani, Baghdad

He had been scheduled to take a tour of CS Wind, the world’s largest facility for wind tower manufacturing. The official, who was not authorized to comment about the president's potential visit, said a final decision to visit Israel hasn't been made. Blinken was in Israel on Monday for his second visit in less than a week for talks with Israeli leaders. He has been crisscrossing the Middle East with stops in Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. It’s the deadliest war for Israel since the 1973 conflict with Egypt and Syria.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Abdel Fattah el, Mohammed Shia, Olaf Scholz, Harris, Jeff Zients, Jake Sullivan, National Intelligence Avril Haines, Bill Burns, Israel hasn't, idled, Sissi, Antony Blinken, Blinken, ”, Benjamin Netanyahu, Matthew Miller, Israel, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Chuck Schumer, “, ” Schumer, Schumer, Kevin McCarthy, Jacob Lew, — Lee, Jon Gambrell, Mary Clare Jalonick Organizations: WASHINGTON, National, National Intelligence, Central Intelligence Agency, CS, U.S, Union, United, United Arab Emirates, Israeli, ”, “, Israel, Air, Hamas, Israeli Ministry of Defense, United States Senate, Foreign, AP Locations: Gaza, Israel, Iraqi, Pueblo , Colorado, Egypt’s, Cairo, Europe, Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab, Syria, Iran, Hezbollah, Lebanon, U.S, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Washington

"This is important for the predictability of the oil market, and ultimately for the well-being of all mankind," Putin said. Russia and Saudi have coordinated supply cuts - both as part of OPEC+ and with side agreements - to support oil prices in recent years. Putin praised Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and said that if there were differences on extending OPEC+ cuts, then the Kremlin would seek consensus. "For the stability of the oil market, the interaction of the main suppliers is necessary, and on open, transparent terms. And it is with this logic that Russia works with partners within the framework of OPEC+," Putin said.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Putin, Vladimir Putin, Mohammed Shia Al, Alexander Novak, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Vladimir Soldatkin, Guy Faulconbridge, Christina Fincher Organizations: REUTERS, Putin, Organization of, Petroleum, Russian Energy, Iraqi, Kremlin, Hamas, OPEC, Crown, Thomson Locations: OPEC, MOSCOW, Russia, Moscow, Sudani, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Iran, Kuwait, Venezuela, Saudi

☆ Russia says it's talking to both Israel and Palestinians as Putin blames failure of US policy
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"I think that many people will agree with me that this is a vivid example of the failure of United States policy in the Middle East," Putin told visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani. The United States, Putin said, had ignored the interests of Palestinians, including their need for their own independent Palestinian state. He did not mention Russia's own role in the Middle East peace process over the years. Along with the United States, the United Nations and the European Union, it has since 2002 formed part of a "Quartet" of powers charged with helping to mediate. Moscow has said it is worried that the violence could escalate into a broader conflict in the Middle East.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Metzel, Putin, Mohammed Shia Al, Sudani, Washington, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Mark Trevelyan, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Financial Security, Sirius, of Science, Art, Sputnik, Rights, Iraqi, United States, United Nations, European Union, Kremlin, stoke, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Krasnodar region, Russia, Israel, Moscow, States, United, United States, Gaza, Russian, Palestinian

☆ As Israel goes to war, Russia must now decide where its loyalty lies in the Middle East
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Kremlin in Moscow on January 30, 2020. Maxim Shemetov | Afp | Getty ImagesThe outbreak of bloodshed, violence and outright war between Israel and Hamas has put Russia in an awkward position, with Moscow traditionally treading a fine diplomatic line between Israel and its allies in the Middle East. Russia has enjoyed warm and constructive relations with Israel in recent years. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi hold a meeting in Tehran on July 19, 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during their meeting at the Kremlin on April 21, 2016.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Benjamin Netanyahu, Maxim Shemetov, Tatiana Stanovaya, Ebrahim Raisi, Sergei Savostyanov, Stanovaya, Saudi Arabia —, Vladimir Putin's, Bashar Assad's, Bashar Assad, Sergei Shoigu, Alexei Nikolsky, Netanyahu, Putin, Mohammed Shia, Al Sudani, Mikhail Svetlov, tellingly, Russia's, Ian Bremmer, Antony Blinken, Petroleum Javad, Erdogan Organizations: Israeli, Kremlin, Afp, Getty, Hamas, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, AFP, Saudi, Russian Defense, Sputnik, AP Putin, Iraqi, . Security Council, Israel, Eurasia Group, ., Ukraine, Ministry of Defence, Institute for, Petroleum, Turkish Locations: Moscow, Israel, Russia, Ukraine, Iran, Russian, Tehran, Syria, Eastern, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq, Umayyad, Damascus, U.S, Palestinian, China

☆ Putin Says Violence in Israel and Palestine Shows US Failure in Middle East
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday said the surge of violence between Israel and the Palestinians showed the failure of US policy, which he said had sought to monopolise negotiations while ignoring Palestinian interests. "I think that many people will agree with me that this is a vivid example of the failure of United States policy in the Middle East," Putin told visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani. Putin said the United States had sought to "monopolise" international efforts at forging peace in the region, and accused Washington of neglecting to seek compromises that would be acceptable to each side. The United States, Putin said, had ignored the interests of Palestinians, including the need for an independent Palestinian state. The Palestinians want a state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip with East Jerusalem as its capital - all territory captured by Israel in the 1967 war.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Mohammed Shia Al, Sudani, Washington, Alexander Marrow, Mark Trevelyan Organizations: Iraqi, United States, West Bank, Reuters Locations: MOSCOW, Israel, States, United, United States, Gaza, East Jerusalem

☆ Iraq wedding fire caused by 'gross negligence', government investigation says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Volunteers search for the remains of missing bodies following a fatal fire at a wedding celebration, in the district of Hamdaniya, in Nineveh province, Iraq, September 28, 2023. REUTERS/Ahmed Saad Acquire Licensing RightsBAGHDAD, Oct 1 (Reuters) - A fire that swept through a crowded wedding hall in a northern Iraqi town killing more than 100 people was blamed on "gross negligence" and lack of safety measures, the results of a government investigation into the disaster said. “The fire was accidental and unintentional and occurred due to gross negligence,” the investigation findings said. The blaze trapped people inside the wedding hall and rescue teams struggled to reach them because exit doors were few and small, Shammari said. The investigation also made recommendations that legal action should be taken against local officials.

Persons: Ahmed Saad, Abdul Amir al, ” Shammari, Shammari, Mohammed Shia Al, Sudani, Ahmed Rasheed, Jane Merriman Organizations: Volunteers, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Hamdaniya, Nineveh province, Iraq, Rights BAGHDAD, Iraqi, Christian

CNN —A fire at a wedding in northern Iraq has killed at least 100 people and injured 150 others, according to the Iraqi state news agency INA citing local authorities. The disaster in the Hamdaniya district of northeast Nineveh governorate, was set off by fireworks, candles, and other materials used during the wedding celebration, the Iraqi Civil Defense said. Nineveh governor Najm Al-Jubouri told the Iraqi state news agency INA that the injured were transferred to hospitals in Nineveh and the Kurdistan region. Videos from the scene show thick smoke billowing out of the at the Al Haytham Wedding Hall while crowds and ambulances gather outside. The wedding hall where the fire broke out was covered with highly flammable Ecobond panels that violated safety instructions requirements, according to the Iraqi Civil Defense, ANI reported.

Persons: Najm Al, Jubouri, ” Al, Al Haytham, Mohammed Shiaa Al, Sudani Organizations: CNN, Iraqi Civil Defense, INA Locations: Iraq, Hamdaniya, Nineveh, Iraqi, Kurdistan

☆ Iraq’s Leader, Heading to U.N., Pitches Himself as Face of Change
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Alissa J. Rubin | More About Alissa J. Rubin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When Iraq’s prime minister addresses the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week, he is hoping to persuade the world that he is the leader who can finally solve his country’s persistent problems of corruption and political instability — and make it a reliable partner for the region. He asserts that as the first Iraqi leader since the U.S. invasion in 2003 to have spent his entire life within the country, he is better able to understand what Iraqis have been through, and to make changes. Every other prime minister after the toppling of Saddam Hussein spent years in exile or working abroad, but Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, 53, never fled Iraq, despite Mr. Hussein’s having ordered the execution of his father and other close relatives. “I am a product of the institutions of the state,” Mr. al-Sudani said in a recent interview in Baghdad, “and I understand the citizens and their priorities.” He described himself as part of “a second generation” of post-Hussein politicians, and said those with his background were closer to the people and understood that “the street wants a change.”

Persons: Saddam Hussein, Mohammed Shia, Hussein’s, “, Mr, Sudani, Hussein, ” Organizations: United Nations General Assembly Locations: New York, U.S, Iraq, Baghdad, “

☆ U.S. Treasury official says Iraq must act to avoid further action on banks
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Timour Azhari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Employees walk at the headquarters of the Central Bank of Iraq in Baghdad, Iraq August 15, 2023. Despite the crackdown, the senior U.S. Treasury official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said there were still other Iraqi banks operating with risks "that must be remediated". Iraq's central bank governor has said Iraq is committed to implementing tighter financial regulations and combating the smuggling of dollars. The central bank did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday. However, there were still "vested interests comfortable with the status quo that can create friction to driving change," the Treasury official said, without identifying who these were.

Persons: Ahmed Saad, Farhad Alaadin, Alaadin, Saddam Hussein, Mohammed Shia Al, Timour Azhari, Alexander Smith Organizations: Central Bank of, REUTERS, Treasury, U.S, Reuters, Iraqi, U.S . Federal, Iraq, U.S . Treasury, Thomson Locations: Central Bank of Iraq, Baghdad, Iraq, Iran, BAGHDAD, U.S, United States, Iraqi, Iranian, Tehran, Iraq's

☆ French President Macron held phone call with Iraq prime minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

French President Emmanuel Macron gives a speech in front of French ambassadors during the conference of ambassadors at the Elysee Palace, Paris, France, August 28, 2023. TERESA SUAREZ/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsPARIS, Aug 30 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron held a phone call on Tuesday with Iraq Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, during which Macron reaffirmed to Al-Sudani France's support in the battle against Islamic State, said a statement from Macron's office. The talks between the two politicians come after three French soldiers were recently killed while on operation in Iraq. Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Jacqueline WongOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, TERESA SUAREZ, Mohammed Shia Al, Macron, Sudip Kar, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Rights, Iraq, Al, Islamic, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Islamic State, Iraq

☆ Escaped bear delays flight in Dubai
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Celine Alkhaldi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Abu Dhabi CNN —A bear being transported on an Iraqi Airways flight from Baghdad to Dubai Friday caused delays after it escaped from a crate in the cargo hold. The bear was sedated by a specialist team in Dubai and taken off the plane, Iraqi Airways said in a statement shared with CNN. The airline issued an apology on Saturday, saying the bear had escaped the crate “upon arrival to Dubai Airport.”“The company apologizes to the passengers on the flight from Baghdad International Airport to Dubai Airport for reasons beyond the control of the company,” it said. “Upon arrival to Dubai Airport, the animal escaped the crate specified for its shipment,” the airline said, adding that it was being transported in line with international animal welfare guidelines. “Two small, endangered bears were shipped from Baghdad, and when the flight arrived in Dubai, one of the bears broke his cage, forcing health and environment authorities at Dubai airport to sedate it,” the statement said.

Persons: Mohammed Shia Organizations: Abu Dhabi CNN, Iraqi Airways, ”, CNN, Dubai Airport, United Arab Locations: Abu Dhabi, Baghdad, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The protester didn't follow through with his plan to burn the Koran in Stockholm, but he still kicked and partially destroyed one. Iraq told the Swedish ambassador to leave and recalled its own envoy to Stockholm. This led Sadr to declare last August that he was withdrawing from politics, leaving the Iran-backed Shi'ite groups in the driving seat of government. Sadr has mostly laid low since announcing his departure from politics, engaging supporters in religious events rather than calling them to the streets for protests. That has changed after the burning of a Koran in Sweden last month, when Sadr called on supporters to engage in mass demonstrations at the Swedish embassy and other parts of Iraq.

Persons: Sadr, Muqtada al, Mohammed Shia Al, Ahmed Younis, Mohammed Sadeq al, Saddam Hussein, Mohammed Baqir, Saddam, Sudani, Renad Mansour, Tom Perry, Michael Georgy, William Maclean Organizations: U.S, Iraq, Thomson Locations: U.S, Iraq BAGHDAD, Baghdad, Sweden, Stockholm, Iraq, Swedish, Iran, Europe, Sadr, Tehran, Washington

Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said staff at the Swedish embassy in Baghdad were safe but Iraqi authorities had failed in their responsibility to protect the embassy. Thursday's demonstration was called by supporters of Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to protest at the second planned Koran burning in Sweden in weeks, according to posts in a Telegram group linked to the influential cleric and other pro-Sadr media. He stood by the embassy storming on Thursday, telling a press conference the U.S. "has no right to condemn the burning of the Swedish embassy but should have condemned the burning of the Koran". "Yes, yes to the Koran," protesters chanted. Sweden has seen several Koran burnings in recent years, mostly by far-right and anti-Muslim activists.

Persons: Tobias Billstrom, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Mohammed Shia Al, Billstrom, Muqtada al, Moqtada al, Read, Tayyip Erdogan, Ulf Kristersson, Timour Azhari, Anna Ringstrom, Supantha Mukherjee, Johan Ahlander, Marie, Louise Breusch Rasmussen, Ahmed Rasheed, Tom Hogue, Tom Perry, Lincoln, Bernadette Baum, William Maclean, Alison Williams, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: NATO, Sweden's Ericsson, State Department, Telegram, Turkish, Sweden's, Islam, Marie Mannes, Thomson Locations: Iraq, BAGHDAD, STOCKHOLM, Swedish, Stockholm, Baghdad, Iraqi, Sweden, Tehran, Turkey, Washington, Sadr, Copenhagen

Hundreds of protesters stormed the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad early Thursday and set fire to parts of it ahead of a demonstration outside the Iraqi Embassy in Sweden, where recent Quran burnings have inflamed anger in the Muslim world. At the latest demonstration in Sweden on Thursday, Mr. Momika and another protester kicked around copies of the Quran and stomped on a replica of the Iraqi flag. In response, Iraq’s prime minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, expelled the Swedish ambassador and directed Iraq’s chargé d’affairs to withdraw from the Iraqi embassy in Sweden, a government spokesman said. The severing of diplomatic relations came “in response to the repeated permission of the Swedish government to burn the Noble Qur’an, insult Islamic sanctities and burn the Iraqi flag,” Mr. al-Sudani said in a tweet. The Iraqi government also suspended the operating license in the country of the Swedish telecommunications company Ericsson.

Persons: Salwan, Eid, Momika, Mohammed Shia, Iraq’s, d’affairs, Mr, Sudani Organizations: Iraqi Embassy, Ericsson Locations: Swedish, Baghdad, Iraqi, Sweden, Stockholm

☆ Iraqi PM Sudani, Syria's Assad hold talks on security, water in Damascus
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Timour Azhari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] Syria's President Bashar al-Assad and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani review an honor guard in Damascus, Syria July 16, 2023. Syrian Presidency/Handout via REUTERSBAGHDAD, July 16 (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani held talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus on Sunday in the first such visit by an Iraqi premier since the outbreak of the Syrian war in 2011. Assad and Sudani discussed securing their shared 600km border from security threats, including Islamic State militants, and agreed to enhance cooperation to reduce drug smuggling, they said during a joint news conference. Sudani said Iraq supported the lifting of sanctions on Syria, put in place and expanded by the U.S. and European countries since 2011. Sudani's visit comes as other countries, including Saudi Arabia, rebuild relations with Damascus after years of tensions.

Persons: Bashar al, Assad, Mohammed Shia Al, Sudani, Farhad Alaaldin, Timour Azhari, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: REUTERS, Iraqi, Islamic State militants, U.S, Islamic, Arab League, Top, European Union, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Iraqi, Damascus, Syria, Syrian, REUTERS BAGHDAD, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Baghdad, Islamic State, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Jordan, United States, United Kingdom, European

☆ Iraq-Iran gas-for-oil barter would likely violate US sanctions
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Arshad Mohammed | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

However, three former U.S. officials said a barter would likely run afoul of U.S. sanctions. There has been speculation the waiver might be amended to allow barter, an issue the official declined to address. We have no comment at this time regarding reports of a barter arrangement between Iraq and Iran," the official said. Former U.S. officials said the Treasury Department, which oversees most U.S. sanctions against Iran, defines the term "transaction" so broadly that it would cover a barter exchange. "As far as a strictly legal question, it absolutely does violate U.S. sanctions," he added.

Persons: Mohammed Shia, Sudani, Richard Goldberg, Goldberg, Antony Blinken, that's, Arshad Mohammed, Josie Kao Organizations: Iraqi, Foundation for Defense, Democracies, Trump, State Department, Iran, U.S, Treasury Department, Treasury, Thomson Locations: Tehran, U.S, Iraq, Iran, Baghdad, Iraqi, Washington

☆ Iraq to trade crude oil for Iranian gas to settle power debt - PM
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

July 11 (Reuters) - Iraq will begin trading crude oil for Iranian gas to end the recurring issue of payment delays to Tehran due to the need for U.S. approval, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Sudani said on Tuesday. By trading Iraqi crude for Iranian gas, Sudani said, Iraq would avoid rolling power cuts every summer while working to complete gas capture and extraction projects that would help make the country self-sufficient. The United States has pushed Iraq, OPEC second-largest producer, to cut its reliance on Iranian gas. Iraq spends roughly $4 billion per year on imports of Iranian gas and power while burning massive quantities of natural gas as a byproduct of its hydrocarbons sector. On Monday Iraq signed a massive deal with French oil major TotalEnergies that includes plans to capture gas from oilfields in the southern Basra region.

Persons: Mohammed Shia Sudani, Sudani, Farhad Alaaldin, Henry Rome, Timour Azhari, Arshad Mohammed, David Gregorio, Stephen Coates Organizations: Iraqi, Reuters, State Department, Biden, Washington Institute for Near, Policy, Monday Iraq, Thomson Locations: Iraq, Tehran, Iran, Baghdad, Washington, United States, OPEC, Basra, Erbil

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