News

Qatar’s foreign ministry responds to Saudi criticisms

May 21 2019
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Source: 
MIDDLE EAST MONITOR
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Lolwah Al-Khater, has hit back and commented by Saudi Arabia’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Adel Al-Jubeir.
 
Al-Khater told Al Jazeera TV channel, Monday: Al-Jubeir’s statements are paradoxes. He started talking about the need for Arab unification … and then started attacking Qatar.
 
She wondered, “How can these two standpoints go together? He called for unity and then attacks a brotherly Arab country!”. Al-Jubeir claimed that Qatar has been a harming the GCC since 1995.

Kuwait’s Apprehension about Normalizing Relations with Syria

May 21 2019
Kuwait
Syria
Source: 
Atlantic Council
With the Syrian civil war winding down, politicians and observers alike recognize that President Bashar al-Assad has managed to retain his position as Syria’s head-of-state. Some countries have moved swiftly in acknowledging the outcome of the conflict by reinstating diplomatic ties with the Assad regime and reopening embassies in Damascus. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain, which, to varying degrees, opposed Assad after the civil war erupted, are two salient examples of this trend.
 

Syrian Government Documents Show Widespread Abuses, Rights Center Says

May 21 2019
Syria
Source: 
The New York Times
Thousands of Syrian government documents recovered amid the country’s civil war provide a paper trail showing widespread and systematic human rights violations by its powerful security agencies, according to a Syrian-led organization that analyzed the papers, the Syria Justice and Accountability Center.
 

Indonesian presidential candidate Prabowo rejects election result, vows to challenge it in Constitutional Court

May 21 2019
Indonesia
Source: 
THE STRAITS TIMES
Indonesian presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto on Tuesday (May 21) said he will not accept the election commission's (KPU) official result showing he lost to incumbent President Joko Widodo in last month's presidential election and plans to challenge it in the Constitutional Court, on the grounds of election fraud.
 
His comments came as Mr Joko expressed his desire to reach out to Mr Prabowo and his running-mate Sandiaga Uno in the spirit of democracy.
 

Mauritania: leaders of 12 parties press for release of political figure held in Saudi Arabia

May 20 2019
Mauritania
Saudi Arabia
Source: 
THE NORTH AFRICA POST
Leaders of the 12 parties aligned with the Mauritanian ruling regime have demanded authorities to intervene and secure the release of a political leader who has been held in Saudi Arabia for several months, Le360.ma reports.
 
Youssef Ould Horma Babana, leader of Temam [party close to the regime] has been held in custody for several months part of judicial processing on unknown charges, Le360.ma news portal reported.
 

Le budget de l’ISIE ne permet pas de prolonger les délais d’inscription

May 20 2019
Algeria
Source: 
HuffPost

Le budget “limité” de l’Instance supérieure indépendante pour les élections (ISIE) ne permet pas de prolonger les délais d’inscription des électeurs, a souligné, lundi, Anis Jarboui, membre de l’instance.

Le budget “limité” alloué à l’instance électorale pour organiser les scrutins législatif et présidentiel prévus, respectivement, en octobre et en novembre 2019 “pourrait entraver la prolongation des délais d’inscription”, a-t-il encore affirmé.

Five candidates nominated for Kurdistan's Presidency post: Parliament

May 19 2019
Iraq
Source: 
Kurdistan 24

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - Five candidates have nominated themselves for the post of President of autonomous Kurdistan Region, parliament announced on Sunday.

The candidates are incumbent Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani, Umed Abdulsalam Qadir, Mohammed Hama-Salih Omar, Rebwar Aziz Mustafa, and Hiwa Abdullah Khidir.

According to the Parliament’s earlier announcement, the candidate should not be younger than 40 years old, must be a resident of the Kurdistan Region, and maintain all civil and political rights.

Kurdish lawmakers in Iraq want committee to monitor application of Article 140 on Kirkuk

May 19 2019
Iraq
Source: 
Kurdistan 24

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdish lawmakers in the Iraqi Parliament have reportedly submitted a document requesting the formation of a committee to monitor the implementation of an article in the Iraqi Constitution related to contested regions between Erbil and Baghdad.

As tensions rise in Kirkuk, one of the disputed areas between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the Federal Government of Iraq, the leaders of Kurdish factions within the Iraqi government have called for the creation of a committee to monitor the application of Article 140, Iraqi media reported on Saturday.

Former Permatang Pauh Umno leader dies at the age of 68

May 19 2019
Malaysia
Source: 
The Star

GEORGE TOWN: Former Permatang Pauh Umno leader Datuk Ahmad Saad (pic) died early Sunday (May 19) morning at the age of 68.

Ahmad, who also used to be Penang Umno Youth chief, passed away due to old age after breathing his last at a private hospital in Bukit Mertajam.

Prayers were conducted for him before his body was buried at the Kampung Tok Panjang Cemetery, Berita Harian reported.

The former Umno leader reportedly suffered a stroke eight years ago that caused him to be bedridden, with half his body paralysed.

Sudan's opposition insists on civilian-led transitional authority

May 19 2019
Sudan
Source: 
Al Jazeera

Sudanese protest leaders have said they will continue to push for a civilian-led transitional authority during talks with the military council on Sunday.

The Freedom and Change alliance said it is determined that the country's new ruling body be "led by a civilian as its chairman and with a limited military representation," it said in a statement.

The protesters' umbrella group said talks would resume with the military council, which has ruled Sudan since President Omar al-Bashir was deposed on April 11, at 9:00pm local time (19:00GMT) on Sunday.

Opposition parties to hold protests, call APC after Eid

May 19 2019
Pakistan
Source: 
Dawn

Leaders of the opposition parties on Sunday announced their plans to "launch protests inside and outside the parliament after Eidul Fitr" and hold an All Parties Conference (APC) to "chalk out a joint strategy on how to tackle the problems facing Pakistan".

The announcement was made by PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari at a press conference that followed an iftar-dinner he hosted at Zardari House in Islamabad and which was attended by a delegation of arch rivals-turned-allies PML-N and other major opposition parties.

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