in Iraq

Iraq

Missile Fired from Rebel-Controlled Yemen Misses Container Ship

Voice of America - Fri, 12/15/2023 - 06:05
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A missile fired from territory controlled by Yemen's Houthi rebels missed a container ship traveling through the crucial Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Thursday, a U.S. defense official said, the latest attack threatening shipping in the crucial maritime chokepoint. The seaborne assaults attributed to the Iran-backed Houthis have been part of their pressure campaign over the Israel-Hamas war raging in the Gaza Strip. The Houthis have attacked vessels in the Red...
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Iranian Female Football Fans Allowed in Stadium for Men's Game; FIFA Praises Progress

Voice of America - Fri, 12/15/2023 - 01:45
TEHRAN, Iran — Female football fans in Iran claimed a small win Thursday in their long campaign to be allowed into stadiums to watch men's games after decades of exclusion.  A photograph was posted on social media by the campaign group Open Stadiums of three female fans inside the Azadi Stadium in Tehran for the game between city rivals Persepolis and Esteghlal. Up to 3,000 tickets were set to be made available for women.  "Historical day for women's rights activists and the...
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Report: Iran Lifts Visa Rules for 33 Countries, Including Gulf States

Voice of America - Fri, 12/15/2023 - 01:27
DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES — Iran said it was lifting visa requirements for 33 countries, including Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia, with which Tehran had frosty relations for years until a recent rapprochement, the Iranian Students News Agency said on Thursday. "The ministry of tourism believes that an open-door policy will showcase Iran's determination to engage with different countries of the world," the semiofficial ISNA reported. The decision will increase to 45 the...
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Israel-Hamas War Brings Controversy to US Campuses  

Voice of America - Thu, 12/14/2023 - 23:09
Three top U.S. universities and their presidents have drawn criticism after accusations that they failed to stop antisemitism and Islamophobia on their campuses. University leaders testified on Capitol Hill last week, but that did little to end the controversy over their mission and the safety of students. Robin Guess reports.
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Effects of War Put Squeeze on West Bank's Economy, Israeli Construction Industry

Voice of America - Thu, 12/14/2023 - 21:07
The war between Israel and Hamas means the economy in the West Bank is suffering. Employees of the Palestinian Authority have not been paid properly in weeks and work permits for Palestinians working in Israel have been revoked, those being just two of the issues. In this report from Ramallah in the West Bank, Henry Wilkins speaks to tradesmen whose businesses have ground to a halt, as commentators say the squeeze could lead to civil unrest.
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US Lawmakers Pass Sweeping $886 Billion Defense Spending Bill

Voice of America - Thu, 12/14/2023 - 20:29
Washington — U.S. lawmakers passed the massive annual defense spending bill Thursday, approving the $886 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) by a vote of 310-118 to be signed into law by President Joe Biden. The bill setting policy and spending priorities for the Department of Defense for 2024 is $28 billion larger than last year’s spending bill, an increase of around three percent. “The NDAA is one of the most consequential bills Congress considers,” said Rep. Mike Rogers,...
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In Photos: After Three-day Vote, Egypt Waits for Presidential Election Results

Voice of America - Thu, 12/14/2023 - 20:11
As Egyptians struggle with record-high annual inflation, President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi appears poised to be declared the winner of a third, six-year term in an electoral race against three low-profile candidates. Cairo-based photojournalist Hamada Elrasam followed voters over the course of the three-day voting period that ended on December 12. Results are expected on December 18. Written in collaboration with Elle Kurancid.
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Biden Warns Netanyahu Israel Losing Support in War Against Hamas

Voice of America - Thu, 12/14/2023 - 01:54
The Biden administration's support of Israel in the war against Hamas has drawn sharp criticism both from Americans protesting Palestinian civilian deaths and from State Department staff calling for a cease-fire. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden has been signaling to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he needs to change course or risk international standing. VOA Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports.
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COP28 Climate Summit: ‘Historic’ Deal Set to Transition From Fossil Fuels

Voice of America - Wed, 12/13/2023 - 22:52
London/Dubai — Nearly 200 countries signed a deal Wednesday at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai to transition away from fossil fuels. Proponents say it heralds the end of the age of oil — but not all nations are satisfied with the text of the deal.  The deal calls for “transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner ... so as to achieve net zero by 2050 in keeping with the science.”     It also calls for a tripling of renewable energy...
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Refugee Forum Seeks Solutions for 114 Million Forcibly Displaced People

Voice of America - Wed, 12/13/2023 - 20:18
GENEVA — Over the next three days, more than 3,500 delegates attending the world’s largest international conference on refugee issues will seek concrete, practical solutions to ease the plight of 114 million people forcibly displaced by persecution, human rights violations, violence, and armed conflict. In opening the Global Refugee Forum Wednesday, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi called the gathering “an opportunity for all of us to re-commit to some basic actions needed...
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 COP28 Deal a ‘Disappointing’ Win, Experts and Activists Say 

Voice of America - Wed, 12/13/2023 - 19:15
Dubai, UAE — The world’s largest climate conference, COP28 in Dubai, closed with a historic deal to transition away from fossil fuels, but some experts and activists call the agreed text “weak.” After two weeks of intense negotiations and the hope for a phase-out of fossil fuels, countries agreed only on a “phase-down of unabated coal power” and “phasing out [of] inefficient fossil fuel subsidies.” They also gave a nod to the role of “transitional fuels” in reducing carbon emissions. This...
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Israeli-Palestinian History Course Divides California School District

Voice of America - Wed, 12/13/2023 - 17:47
What should young people be taught about the Israeli-Palestinian crisis? It’s a question one California school district has struggled with, even before the war in Gaza. Genia Dulot has our story.
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US to Spend $700M on New Embassy in Ireland, Breaks Ground on New Embassy in Saudi Arabia

Voice of America - Wed, 12/13/2023 - 17:05
Washington — The Biden administration has notified Congress that it intends to spend nearly $700 million to buy a former Dublin hotel, demolish it and construct new buildings to turn the site into the new U.S. Embassy in Ireland. The State Department also announced that it had broken ground on a new embassy complex in Saudi Arabia as part of a revamp of its diplomatic facilities in the Gulf. The department informed lawmakers late Monday that it plans to buy the former Jury’s Hotel in...
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