The New Arab

US gives seized Iran ammunition to Ukraine: military

The United States has given Ukraine small arms ammunition that was seized while being transferred from Iranian forces to Tehran-backed rebels in Yemen, the military said Wednesday. The move could presage the provision of more seized military gear to Ukraine at a time when Washington's ability to continue arming Kyiv has been called into question due to opposition from hardline Republican lawmakers. "The US government transferred approximately 1.1 million 7.62mm rounds to the Ukrainian armed forces" on Monday, the military's Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement. The ammunition was seiz...

UK Labour urged to confront 'reality of Israeli apartheid'

The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) has called on the Labour Party to "confront the reality of Israel's practice of the crime of apartheid" following an alleged decision by Labour to stop the PSC from using the word apartheid on its stall at the upcoming Labour conference. The restrictions by Labour also extend to the PSC's fringe meeting on 10 October titled "Justice for Palestine: End Apartheid." As a result, the title currently appears as "Justice for Palestine" on the Labour Party Conference app. According to PSC director Ben Jamal, when the PSC challenged the decision a senior party o...

Israeli minister on Saudi trip hails 'blossoming ties'

An Israeli minister on Wednesday hailed his country's "blossoming ties" with Saudi Arabia during a visit to Riyadh amid ongoing US-brokered negotiations to establish formal relations. Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi this week became the second Israeli cabinet member to formally visit the Saudi capital, heading a 14-member delegation to a United Nations conference. "We greatly appreciate the tireless efforts of the leaders of Saudi Arabia, and our prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, for nurturing the blossoming ties between our nations," Karhi told the meeting of the Universal Postal Union...

Germany charges Syrian brothers over Sweden plot

German prosecutors Wednesday charged two Syrian brothers with allegedly planning an attack inspired by the Islamic State group at a church in Sweden over Quran burning incidents in the country. The two brothers, identified only as 29-year-old An. K., and 24-year-old Ah. K., had been arrested in April and are in pre-trial detention. The older brother had since early 2023 been planning a "bomb attack, whose aim is to kill and injure many people", said prosecutors. On April 14, he allegedly told an unidentified member of the pro-IS Al-Saqri Foundation for Military Sciences that he planned to "car...

Video of Jews spitting on Christians in Jerusalem condemned

A video showing ultra-Orthodox Jews allegedly spitting towards Christian worshippers in Jerusalem has sparked widespread condemnation it was posted on the social media site X, formerly Twitter, on Monday. The video, taken in the old city of Jerusalem, shows a number of ultra-Orthodox Jews, including children, spit at a group of Christian worshipers as they exited a church carrying a cross. The video has drawn widespread condemnation from Israeli officials, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said that he "strongly condemn[s] any attempt to intimidate worshippers" and that ...

Algeria arrests banned FIS figures after govt criticism

Algerian security forces reportedly detained members of the banned Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) group on Sunday, after they issued a statement regarding "political deadlock" Algeria, which they said was a "threat" to the country. Ali Benhadjar, a spokesperson for the group, Ahmed Zaoui, a leading ideologue, and activist Mabrouk Saadi were among those detained, according to the Arabic-language site Arabi21. The statement, signed by Benhadjar, included demands for a dialogue with the Algerian authorities and an end to human rights violations. Zaoui and Saadi were also accused of involvement in ...

Morocco, Spain and Portugal to host 2030 World Cup

Morocco, Spain and Portugal have been named hosts of the 2030 soccer World Cup, while Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will host the opening matches to mark the tournament's centenary, world soccer body FIFA said on Wednesday. The joint bid from Morocco, Portugal and Spain was the sole candidate to host the tournament. FIFA were due to announce the hosts next year. The inaugural World Cup in 1930 was held in Uruguay and won by the hosts. Spain have been awarded the World Cup weeks after their disgraced former chief Luis Rubiales was forced to step down for alleged sexual assault at the Women's ...

US senator seeks to end Azerbaijan aid after offensive

The new head of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee called Wednesday for an end to security aid to Azerbaijan after the country's forces seized back Nagorno-Karabakh from ethnic Armenian separatists. "As the world continues to grapple with Azerbaijan's coordinated, intentional campaign of ethnic cleansing, we must both prioritize support for the Armenians who have been expelled as well as (hold) Azerbaijan accountable," Senator Ben Cardin said in a statement. He called on the United States to halt security assistance as leverage to prevent Azerbaijan from forcibly seeking a land corridor...

Turkey detains exiled Egyptian activist Ghada Naguib

Exiled Egyptian activist Ghada Naguib was detained by Turkish security agents in Istanbul on Monday, sparking concerns about her possible deportation to Egypt where she could face jail and torture. Naguib, 51, was at her home in the Basaksehir district of Istanbul, when Turkish plain-clothed security agents arrived and took her away with no reason made public about her arrest. Naguib's son, Youssef Hisham, said he was speaking on the phone to his mother around midnight when she was detained in a "violent manner" with her hijab allegedly forcibly removed by agents. His mother was relocated to M...

Iran morality police accused of 'beating girl into coma'

Rights groups and activists have accused Iran’s morality police of beating a 16-year-old girl into a coma on the Tehran Metro last Sunday. Armita Garawand, a Kurdish-Iranian, was "physically attacked by authorities" for not complying with the country's compulsory hijab laws, according to the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights. Hengaw also said that due to her ‘severe injuries’, Armita had to be taken to hospital. She has been in a coma since October 3. 🔴 Security is tight at a Tehran hospital as Kurdish girl Armita Garawand (16) remains in a coma after an encounter with Iran's hijab enforcer...