Middle East Experience

Somalia’s al-Shabaab group attacked an African Union mission troop camp in the Shabelle region in the center of the country, a local elder and the group said on Tuesday, and another resident said three civilians had died in the crossfire.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The resident, who lives in a village near the scene, later said he saw two helicopters flying by and gunfire coming from them.“We were awoken by huge blasts early in the morning. The blasts were at the African Union mission base. Heavy exchange of gunfire followed,” local elder Mohamed Nur told Reuters by phone from el-Baraf, about 130 km (80 miles) to the north of the capital Mogadishu.Al-Shabaab, which has been fighting for years to topple the central government and establish its own rule based on its strict interpretation of Islam’s sharia law, claimed responsibility for the attack.“The Mujahideen launched a pre-dawn raid on an ATMIS (African Union Mission) military base in el-Baraf, middle Shabelle region,” al-Shabaab said in a statement.“After a fierce firefight, the Mujahideen managed to overrun the base and are now in complete control of the entire military base.”Farah Hussein, a shopkeeper, told Reuters from el-Baraf that after the initial attack, helicopters were seen flying above the scene.“We heard some gunshots and sounds of weapons being fired from the helicopters,” he said by phone.“The ATMIS forces are also in the jungles pursuing the al-Shabaab fighters. So far we know three civilians died and five others were injured in the fighting.”Officials in Shabelle and the African Union mission were not immediately available to comment on the attack.Al-Shabaab frequently carries out bombings and gun attacks in Mogadishu and elsewhere as part of its war against the Horn of Africa country’s central government.It also attacks soldiers working for the African Union peacekeeping mission.Read more: Somalia parliament picks Sheikh Adan Mohamed Nur as new speakerMillions in Somalia at risk of famine, UN agencies warnWorst drought in 40 years threatens millions in Horn of Africa
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Al-Shabaab attacks African Union camp in Somalia, three killed: Resident

Conflict with Russia could spill over into other countries, risking a third world war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned in an interview with Al Arabiya.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The official insisted that Ukrainian forces are engaged in defending their land and have no desire to occupy Russian territory or carry out military operations against their neighbor.Satellite images show that Russian ships are besieging Ukrainian ports, according to the Ukrainian leader.He also said that he was willing to engage in negotiations with Russia, but that the country’s President Vladimir Putin was holding up talks.“When the master of the Kremlin becomes ready to meet us, we are ready,” he said.Russian forces entered Ukraine on February 24 in what the Russian side calls a special military operation.But for Zelenskyy, “the war began 8 years ago,” after Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.In the interview, Zelenskyy stressed that Kyiv is not afraid of the Russian military presence in Moldova, claiming that the Moldovan separatists are untrained and afraid to confront the Ukrainian army.Russia is stifling trade channels, which could lead to a global food and economic crisis that would disproportionally affect Arab people, the president said.When asked about his stance on Ukraine joining NATO, Zelenskyy said that his country has always been neutral to outside blocs and alliances.However, he said that Kyiv is ready to consider the Russian demand that Ukraine does not join the alliance, in return for the guarantee that Russia will not attack its territory in the future.He also insisted that Russia recognizes Ukraine’s sovereignty over the Donbass and Crimea regions.Ukraine and Russia have held several rounds of negotiation since February, directly and via the internet, without significant results.Developments on the ground have sometimes impeded these talks, particularly since fighting has escalated in Mariupol and the east of the country.Read more: Zelenskyy: Lavrov a ‘great Hitlerism connoisseur’, will Russia-Israel ties remain?Israel denounces Lavrov’s Hitler comments as ‘unforgivable,’ summons Russian envoyRussia’s Lavrov says May 9 anniversary will not affect military operations in Ukraine
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Ukraine conflict risks creating third world war: Zelenskyy in Al Arabiya interview

Taliban officials in Afghanistan’s most progressive city have told driving instructors to stop issuing licenses to women, professionals from the sector told AFP.While Afghanistan is a deeply conservative, patriarchal country, it is not uncommon for women to drive in larger cities -- particularly Herat in the northwest, which has long been considered liberal by Afghan standards.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“We have been verbally instructed to stop issuing licenses to women drivers ... but not directed to stop women from driving in the city,” said Jan Agha Achakzai, the head ofHerat's Traffic Management Institute that oversees driving schools.Adila Adeel, a 29-year-old woman driving instructor who owns a training institute said the Taliban want to ensure that the next generation will not have the same opportunities as their mothers“We were told not to offer driving lessons and not to issue licenses,” she said.The insurgents-turned-rulers seized back control of the country in August last year, promising a softer rule than their last stint in power between 1996 and 2001, which was dominated by human rights abuses.But they have increasingly restricted the rights of Afghans, particularly girls and women who have been prevented from returning to secondary school and many government jobs.“I personally told a Taliban (guard) that it’s more comfortable for me to travel in my car than sit beside a taxi driver,” said Shaima Wafa as she drove to a local market to buy Eid al-Fitr gifts for her family.“I need to be able to take my family to a doctor in my car without waiting for my brother or husband to come home,” she said.Naim al-Haq Haqqani, who heads the provincial information and culture department, said no official order had been given. The Taliban have largely refrained from issuing national, written decrees, instead allowing local authorities to issue their own edicts, sometimes verbally.“It is not written on any car that it belongs only to men,” said Fereshteh Yaqoobi, a woman who has been driving for years.“In fact it is safer if a woman drives her own vehicle.”Zainab Mohseni, 26, has recently applied for a license because she says women feel safer in their own cars than in taxis driven by male drivers.To Mohseni, the latest decision is just a fresh sign that the new regime will stop at nothing to prevent Afghan women from enjoying the few rights they have left.“Slowly, slowly the Taliban want to increase the restrictions on women,” she said.Read more:Blasts cut power to millions in Afghanistan ahead of EidAs Iran-Taliban tensions rise, Afghan migrants in tinderboxSecond bombing in two days in Kabul on eve of Eid al-Fitr holiday
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Afghan women defend right to drive as Taliban stops issuing licenses for women

India’s budget airlines SpiceJet is being scrutinized by the government after severe turbulence injured at least 15 people, CNN reported citing News18.Videos of the aftermath from the turbulence were shared widely by social media users, where injured passengers could be seen bleeding, oxygen masks dangling, and some paneling come loose.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.All the injured were transported to the hospital, CNN reported on Sunday, but a passenger account shared on the BBC said that the ambulances took an hour to arrive.Two of the injured are reported to be in the intensive care unit (ICU), one for a head injury and the other spinal.The two-hour-long flight from Mumbai carrying about 200 passengers and crew reportedly ran into trouble during its descent into the Indian city of Durgapur, West Bengal.Some reports say that the turbulent air disengaged the autopilot, and that the crew had to steer the aircraft through the pocket of rough air.In a statement to CNN, SpiceJet reportedly said that the “seat belt sign was on when the aircraft encountered turbulence. Multiple announcements were made by the pilots and the crew instructing passengers to remain seated and keep their seat belts fastened. Due to severe turbulence, injuries were caused to few passengers.”The BBC cited passenger Amit Baul saying that he had seen passengers forget to fasten their seat belts, resulting in them “being bounced up and down from their seats and hitting the overhead baggage bins.”Baul also said that 15 to 17 minutes into descent were “the worst moments” of his life.The aircraft in question, a Boeing 737, was consequently grounded and several crew members were “benched” according to the CNN report.The country’s union minister for civil aviation said that “the matter is being dealt with utmost seriousness and deftness,” in a tweet.This includes an inspection of the entire SpiceJet fleet consisting of 91 aircraft.“The passenger charter of rights issued by the Ministry of Civil Aviation in 2019 states that for domestic travel, in case of death or bodily injury to a passenger on-board an aircraft, the airline is liable to pay up to Rs 20 lakh [$26,000] per passenger,” The Indian Express stated in their report of the incident.No remuneration was announced by the governing authorities or SpiceJet.Read more:Fire from oxygen mask caused 2016 EgyptAir disaster: ExpertsPilots pulled controls in opposite directions in Air France landing scare: ReportChina Eastern airline restarts flights using Boeing 737-800 after March crash
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: India’s SpiceJet airlines facing government inquiry after turbulence injures 15

JOINT PRESS RELEASE Indian authorities are increasingly targeting journalists and online critics for their criticism of government policies and practices, including by prosecuting them under counterterrorism and sedition laws, ten human rights organizations said today on World Press Freedom Day. The Indian authorities should respect the right to freedom of expression and release any journalists ..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: INDIA: Authorities Should Stop Targeting, Prosecuting Journalists and Online Critics

Over four years since the end of ISIS's self-proclaimed..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Years after ISIS defeat, northern Iraq is yet to recover

At least 228 probable case of acute hepatitis in children have been reported to the WHO so far.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Gaza child dies after contracting unexplained hepatitis

Toporovsky will convene the meetings of faction chairmen who decide what bills will be legislated and their timetable. He will also ensure a majority for every bill brought to a vote.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Toporovsky to serve as de facto coalition head

Reacting to today’s decision by the Athens Mixed Jury Court acquitting four police officers of involvement in the death of LGBTI activist Zak Kostopoulos, Glykeria Arapi, Director of Amnesty International Greece said: “It beggars belief that despite footage showing police using unnecessary force to arrest Zak while he lay dying on the ground, no officer ..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Greece: Letting police officers involved in brutal death of LGBTI activist off the hook sends chilling sign of impunity

Police stressed that the reopening of the site to Jewish visitors would be dependent on a situation assessment.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Temple Mount expected to reopen to Jewish visitors on Independence Day