Author: Abu Hadah

Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Bashar Warda recently expressed his concern to the papal foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) that the war being fought between Israel and Hamas could spread throughout the Middle East. Warda, a native of Iraq and the archbishop of Erbil, the capital of the semi-autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan, fears that a possible escalation in the conflict will end up unleashing a wave of migration in the Holy Land, which, he explained, would be devastating for the Christian community of the region, seriously affected by violence and poverty. “Speaking on behalf of all the people…

BAGHDAD — The United Nations office in Baghdad has ranked Iraq among the top five countries most affected by climate change, and in 39th place among the most water-stressed countries. Official Iraqi statistics indicate that the overall desertification rate has reached 69.7% of the country’s total area, which places a heavy burden on the ecological system in general. To address this reality, the Iraqi government has put in place a set of ambitious plans, including a tree-planting initiative to combat desertification and dust storms. This initiative is classified as one of the most important government initiatives to address climate change…

The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, irrevocably changed the trajectory of Ron DeSantis’s life. The Florida governor and Republican presidential candidate writes in his memoir, The Courage to Be Free: Florida’s Blueprint for America’s Revival, that he had already been stunned by the “strident leftism” and “revolutionary chic” he encountered as an undergrad at Yale, and his heart was no longer into Ivy League culture he anticipated as he began his studies at Harvard Law School. Inspired by his grandfather’s military service during World War II, DeSantis reached out to military recruiters and earned a commission in the Navy…

In the heart of the tumultuous Middle East, Iraq finds itself at a crossroads, grappling with the complex dynamics of the Hamas-Israel conflict while trying to navigate the intricate relationships between its Shia militias and the United States. As history demonstrates, geopolitics and domestic considerations converge, with Iraq facing a high-stakes balancing act that carries profound implications for its relations with the United States and regional stability. Iraq stands out as the sole Arab state that has steadfastly refused to sign an armistice agreement with Israel since the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Technically, Iraq remains in a state of war with…

1. Imminent ‘public health catastrophe’ in Gaza, WHO saysA “public health catastrophe” is imminent in Gaza, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned. Mass displacement, overcrowding and damage to water and sanitation infrastructure is putting civilian lives at risk, a spokesperson for the agency said. Women, children and newborns are being disproportionately affected by hostilities, both as casualties and as a result of reduced access to healthcare services. Pregnant women are unable to access maternity and obstetric services to give birth safely, warn the United Nations Children’s Fund, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the…

BAGHDAD, (Xinhua) — The Iraqi government decided on Tuesday to donate 10 million liters of gas to hospitals in the Gaza Strip. A statement issued by the government said that the donation was “to help alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people and to show the solidarity of the Iraqi people with the people of the Gaza Strip.” It did not provide further details about how and when Iraq will send the fuel to Gaza.Last month, Iraq sent humanitarian aid to Gaza through the Rafah border crossing in coordination with Egypt. On Oct. 7, Hamas launched a surprise attack on…

London – Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters rallied in London, Paris and Berlin on Saturday calling for a ceasefire in Gaza after Iranians took to the streets against the United States and Israel. – 30,000 protesters in London – Amid ongoing bombardments by Israel after the deadly Hamas attack on its territory last month killed 1,400 people, the British capital saw a large turnout in support of Palestinians for the fourth consecutive week. Israel’s bombing campaign since the October attack by Hamas has killed nearly 9,500 people, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in the Gaza Strip.…

The vote was originally scheduled for next year but was moved up in response to a popular uprising. Polls have closed across Iraq Sunday evening in parliamentary elections that were held months ahead of schedule in response to a popular uprising against corruption and mismanagement. The voting was marked by a boycott by many of the young activists who thronged the streets in late 2019, and reports of low turnout. Tens of thousands of people took part in the mass protests and were met by security forces firing live ammunition and tear gas. More than 600 people were killed and…

Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators rallied in cities in Europe, the Middle East and Asia on Saturday to show support for the Palestinians as Israel’s military widened its air and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip. In one of the biggest marches, in London, aerial footage showed large crowds marching through the centre of the capital to demand the government of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak call for a ceasefire. “The superpowers at play are not doing enough at the moment. This is why we’re here: we’re calling for a ceasefire, calling for Palestinian rights, the right to exist, to…

Overall, 21 troops have reported minor injuries as a result of the Iran-backed attacks on U.S. positions in Iraq and Syria. Nineteen American service members stationed in Iraq and Syria have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury after rocket and drone attacks from Iran-backed militants last week, the Pentagon confirmed Thursday. Fifteen troops at Al Tanf garrison in Syria and four at Al Asad air base in Iraq were diagnosed with the injury, said Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder. Two additional service members at Al Tanf sustained other minor injuries, Ryder said. POLITICO first reported the news earlier on…