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Syria's Kurds demand 'democratic decentralised' Syria

Syria's Kurdish parties on Saturday adopted a joint political vision calling for a "decentralised democratic" state in Syria with guarantees for Kurdish rights.Their statement came at the end of a conference held in Qamishli, northeastern Syria, where a top Kurdish official disputed suggestions that the meeting sought division following the fall of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad.Syria's new Islamist-led rulers seek to establish government control over the entire country since they ousted Assad in December after more than 13 years of civil war.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Syria's Kurds demand 'democratic decentralised' Syria

Palestinian president Abbas appoints aide as potential successor

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas appointed a close aide as the first ever vice president of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) on Saturday, positioning him as a potential successor to the veteran leader.Hussein al-Sheikh was appointed by Abbas, 89, after the vice presidency position was created during a convention held in Ramallah this week.The new post follows years of international pressure to reform the PLO and comes as Arab and Western powers envision an expanded role for Abbas's Palestinian Authority (PA) in the post-war governance of the Gaza Strip.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Palestinian president Abbas appoints aide as potential successor

Iran's president visits site of port blast that killed 28

Iran's president visited on Sunday the scene of a massive port blast that killed 28 people and injured more than 1,000, as fires still blazed more than 24 hours after the explosion.The blast occurred on Saturday at Shahid Rajaee Port in southern Iran, near the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of world oil output passes.With choking smoke and air pollution spreading throughout the area, all schools and offices in Bandar Abbas, the nearby capital of Hormozgan province, were ordered closed on Sunday to allow authorities to focus on the emergency effort, state TV said.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Iran's president visits site of port blast that killed 28