Jordan Retrieves 58 Smuggled Antiquities from Canada

Jordanian royal desert forces stand guard in front of Al Khazneh, Arabic for the Treasury, the most dramatic of many facades carved into the mountains, in the ancient city of Petra, Jordan. March 24, 2015 (photo credit: AP/Raad Adayleh)
Jordanian royal desert forces stand guard in front of Al Khazneh, Arabic for the Treasury, the most dramatic of many facades carved into the mountains, in the ancient city of Petra, Jordan. March 24, 2015 (photo credit: AP/Raad Adayleh)
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Jordan Retrieves 58 Smuggled Antiquities from Canada

Jordanian royal desert forces stand guard in front of Al Khazneh, Arabic for the Treasury, the most dramatic of many facades carved into the mountains, in the ancient city of Petra, Jordan. March 24, 2015 (photo credit: AP/Raad Adayleh)
Jordanian royal desert forces stand guard in front of Al Khazneh, Arabic for the Treasury, the most dramatic of many facades carved into the mountains, in the ancient city of Petra, Jordan. March 24, 2015 (photo credit: AP/Raad Adayleh)

The Jordanian Antiquities Department announced that a number of Jordanian smuggled artifacts that were confiscated by the Canadian authorities have been returned to Amman.

The Department of Antiquities said in a statement on Monday: "The Jordanian Embassy in Canada has completed the procedures of returning archaeological artifacts to Jordan and commissioned a specialized shipping company to pack, secure and ship the pieces in accordance with the highest international standards and under the direct supervision of the embassy staff in Canada."

The Canadian authorities had confiscated two sets of Jordanian artifacts at the airport in 2016 and 2017, which were smuggled by passengers on a plane coming from Amman. The 58 artifacts include potteries, small statues, and some colored jars and glass containers of different sizes and shapes.

Acting Director of the Department of Public Antiquities Yazeed Alian praised, in the statement, the efforts and cooperation of the Canadian authorities in combating smuggling and illegal trafficking of antiquities and its compliance with international conventions and treaties.

"All the pieces have been returned to Jordan and they match the description submitted by the Canadian authorities," Alian said, adding that the artifacts dated back to the Bronze Ages from the fourth millennium B.C., the Roman and the Ayyubid dynasties.

After the documentation and record of the pieces, the Department of Antiquities will consider displaying them in museums or storing them in the warehouses of the Department's archaeological holdings.



Iran Grants Iraq Few Days to Relocate Kurdish Fighters

The Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Mohammad Bagheri (IRNA)
The Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Mohammad Bagheri (IRNA)
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Iran Grants Iraq Few Days to Relocate Kurdish Fighters

The Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Mohammad Bagheri (IRNA)
The Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Mohammad Bagheri (IRNA)

The Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Mohammad Bagheri, said his country is giving the Kurdistan region and Iraq a few days to disarm the Kurdish parties and expel them from all over Iraq.

Iranian media outlets reported Bagheri saying there is no place in the region for Iran's enemies, foreigners, or the opposing Kurdish parties.

He added that the armed separatist terrorist forces must be completely disarmed and expelled from all over Iraq.

Bagheri explained that it was planned to disarm these groups by September 19, but during the six-month deadline, these groups were slightly retreated from the borders.

He also mentioned that President Ebrahim Raisi asked the forces to be patient and granted a few days' extension, as reported by the Arab World News Agency.

Earlier, Raisi said during a military parade commemorating the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s that the Iraqi government has taken a positive step.

However, he requested the Iranian Chief of Staff to dispatch military delegations to the Kurdistan region to ensure the disarmament of the "separatist" Kurdish parties, whether at the borders with Iran, deep within the region, or any other location.

Iran had set September 19 as the final date for Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to take action against Kurdish parties opposed to Tehran, bases along the borders

The high committee for the implementation of the joint security agreement between Iraq and Iran announced on Tuesday the final evacuation of the bases of the Iranian opposition groups near the border.

The Radio Farda website cited Kurdish sources, saying that some of these parties detonated their headquarters near the Iranian border before leaving those sites, including the base of the Kurdistan Democratic Party in Qoy Sanjaq.

Iraqi Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated that Baghdad has started implementing on-the-ground procedures to secure its border with Iran in coordination with the Kurdistan Regional Government.

Last September, the IRGC attacked with more than 70 surface-to-air missiles and dozens of booby-trapped drones in Iraqi Kurdistan, targeting several locations, including the headquarters of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan.

At the time, observers said the attack was an attempt to divert attention from the protests that raged in the country for months after the death of the young Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, while the morality police were detaining her.

Iran blamed Western countries for being behind the protests and accused the Kurdish opposition parties of expanding them to Kurdish cities in western Iran.


Iraqi Prime Minister to Meet US President at White House

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani at the General Assembly (Iraq's Premiership)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani at the General Assembly (Iraq's Premiership)
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Iraqi Prime Minister to Meet US President at White House

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani at the General Assembly (Iraq's Premiership)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani at the General Assembly (Iraq's Premiership)

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani traveled to New York to lead his country's delegation to the United Nations General Assembly meetings.

Sudani's supporters, including factions of the Shiite Coordination Framework, expressed concerns over the possibility of a meeting with US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

While the primary aim may not necessarily have been securing a meeting with Biden, the real intention for Sudani's trip to New York was to sidestep criticisms from adversaries.

Several critics argued that Sudani's government, which refrained from any criticism of Washington for the past few months, would, at best, secure a mere photo-op with Biden.

However, events in New York unfolded in Sudani's favor. After his arrival, the Prime Minister embarked on a series of meetings with top US officials, followed by diverse interactions with global leaders, corporate heads, and media entities.

One of Sudani's key meetings was with an assistant to the US Treasury Secretary.

A significant indicator of the US support was an official invitation extended by Secretary of State Antony Blinken to attend an official summit with Biden in Washington later in the year.

The invitation served as a relief for Sudani's supporters as it conveyed a broader message.

Many of his supporters, especially from the Shiite Coordination Framework, perceived as adversaries to the US, welcomed this development.

Meanwhile, Rabie Nader, Sudani's media director, expressed his satisfaction with the visit, highlighting the successful series of meetings in New York.

Nader emphasized the proactive engagement and attention the Iraqi Prime Minister received from global leaders, indicating a sincere interest in deepening ties with Iraq beyond mere symbolic gestures.

Sudani projected Iraq's balanced stance throughout his six-day visit, emphasizing economic partnerships and collaborative endeavors.


World Bank Approves $150 Mn for Better Health, Nutrition in Yemen

Two million Yemeni children face the threat of extreme malnutrition (UN)
Two million Yemeni children face the threat of extreme malnutrition (UN)
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World Bank Approves $150 Mn for Better Health, Nutrition in Yemen

Two million Yemeni children face the threat of extreme malnutrition (UN)
Two million Yemeni children face the threat of extreme malnutrition (UN)

The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors has approved an International Development Association (IDA) grant amounting to $150 million as a Second Additional Financing (AF2) for the Yemen Emergency Human Capital Project (YEHCP).

The financing is set to continue delivering essential health, nutrition, water supply, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services while strengthening the country's systems throughout the embattled nation.

The Bank highlighted that a series of catastrophic events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, measles outbreaks, a cholera epidemic, a locust invasion, and flooding, coupled with escalating food prices, food insecurity, and fragmented delivery of services have adversely affected the country's systems to respond to basic needs.

- Four Key Areas

The project focuses on four main areas: improving healthcare and nutrition services at primary healthcare centers and hospitals, enhancing water supply and sanitation services, strengthening local systems, and providing comprehensive project support and management.

The additional financing aims to bolster institutional capacity and strengthen the health, water, and sanitation system's ability to improve coverage and quality of essential services and resilience against cyclical infectious disease outbreaks.

A vital aspect of this enhancement includes bolstering surveillance, enhancing early detection services, and reinforcing the expertise of healthcare professionals.

The additional financing will also support the country's health information management system to collect quality data for health policy and service delivery.

According to the World Bank's data, As of March 31, 2023, 8.4 million beneficiaries had been served by the project, exceeding its initial target.

The health and nutrition program alone has helped over 4.49 million women and over three million children, with sustained, high coverage of critical maternal and child health services offered at over 2,000 health facilities.

Furthermore, water supply and sanitation measures have provided over 450,000 individuals, 48.5 percent of whom were women and girls, with improved access.

However, based on the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), 17 million people still face acute food insecurity.

Acute malnutrition plagues two million children and 1.3 million pregnant and lactating women. It is a fight against time and deteriorating human conditions.

World Bank Country Manager for Yemen Tania Meyer emphasized the race against time and the deteriorating humanitarian conditions, voicing concerns over the alarming decline of human capital in Yemen.

"In 2023 alone, nearly 21.6 million people, which is roughly three-quarters of the population and includes a staggering 12.9 million children, are in dire need of assistance," she said.

"With this additional financing, we will remain laser-focused on preserving essential health, nutrition, and WASH services while enhancing local systems for delivery. It is imperative that partners continue to collaborate and innovate with scale and urgency to support the country."

The World Bank's country-wide program for Yemen has reached $3.9 billion in IDA grants since 2016.

In addition to funding, the World Bank provides technical expertise to design projects and guide their implementation by building solid partnerships with UN agencies and local institutions with working capacity on the ground.


Israeli Military Raid Kills 2 Palestinians in West Bank

Palestinians inspect a damaged building following an Israeli army raid in Nour Shams refugee camp in the northern West Bank, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)
Palestinians inspect a damaged building following an Israeli army raid in Nour Shams refugee camp in the northern West Bank, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)
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Israeli Military Raid Kills 2 Palestinians in West Bank

Palestinians inspect a damaged building following an Israeli army raid in Nour Shams refugee camp in the northern West Bank, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)
Palestinians inspect a damaged building following an Israeli army raid in Nour Shams refugee camp in the northern West Bank, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

Two Palestinians were killed during an Israeli military raid Sunday in the northern West Bank, Palestinian health officials said.

The Israeli military said it moved into the Nour Shams refugee camp, near the town of Tulkarem, to destroy what it described as a militant command center and bomb-storage facility in a building.

It said that engineering units detonated a number of bombs planted under roads, and that militants opened fire and hurled explosives, as troops responded with live fire.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said two men — Asid Abu Ali, 21, and Abdulrahman Abu Daghash, 32 — were killed by Israeli fire. The raid caused heavy damage to roads and the suspected building.

Israel has been carrying out stepped-up military raids, primarily in the northern West Bank, for the past year and a half in what it says is a campaign to root out Palestinian militants and thwart future attacks.

But Palestinians say the raids entrench Israel’s 56-year occupation over the West Bank. The raids have shown little sign of slowing the fighting and contributed to the weakening of the Palestinian Authority.


Bathily Urges Authorities in East, West Libya to Work Together Following Floods

Bathily met on Saturday with members of the Political Affairs Commission of the High Council of State. Photo: UNSMIL
Bathily met on Saturday with members of the Political Affairs Commission of the High Council of State. Photo: UNSMIL
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Bathily Urges Authorities in East, West Libya to Work Together Following Floods

Bathily met on Saturday with members of the Political Affairs Commission of the High Council of State. Photo: UNSMIL
Bathily met on Saturday with members of the Political Affairs Commission of the High Council of State. Photo: UNSMIL

Head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Abdoulaye Bathily has stressed the need for the authorities in East and West Libya to conduct a joint assessment of the humanitarian response following deadly floods in the country’s northeast.

Bathily met on Saturday with members of the Political Affairs Commission of the High Council of State.

He said on X (formerly Twitter) that he “listened to their assessment of the social, humanitarian, economic and political dimensions of the Derna disaster.”

“I stressed the need for authorities in the East and West to conduct a joint assessment of the humanitarian response and reconstruction needs,” he said.

“It is imperative that political leaders live up the moment and work together to overcome the tragedy,” he added.

The disaster in the Libyan city of Derna was caused by the collapse of two dams during a storm on the night of Sept. 10 that unleashed a deadly torrent.


UN Secretary General Meets Alimi, Pledges Efforts to Renew Truce in Yemen

 Chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, Dr. Rashad al-Alimi, addresses the 78th United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City on September 21, 2023. (AFP)
Chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, Dr. Rashad al-Alimi, addresses the 78th United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City on September 21, 2023. (AFP)
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UN Secretary General Meets Alimi, Pledges Efforts to Renew Truce in Yemen

 Chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, Dr. Rashad al-Alimi, addresses the 78th United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City on September 21, 2023. (AFP)
Chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, Dr. Rashad al-Alimi, addresses the 78th United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City on September 21, 2023. (AFP)

UN Secretary-General António Guterres pledged ‏to exert all efforts to renew the truce in Yemen, ‏restart the political process, and enable Yemenis to build ‏a state based on partnership and respect for human rights

During a meeting in New York with Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) President Dr. Rashad al-Alimi, Guterres renewed the ‏international organization's commitment to supporting the ‏ PLC and government, the official Yemeni news agency SABA reported.‏

Alimi said‏ that the ‏government is open to initiatives that could lead to a comprehensive ‏solution agreed upon at national, regional and international levels, ‏particularly to those respecting UN resolutions.

He praised the mediation efforts ‏led by Saudi Arabia and Oman to ‏renew the truce and launch a political process under UN auspices.


Ukraine’s Zelenskiy Meets Sudan’s Burhan, Discusses Russian Paramilitaries

In this handout photograph taken and released by Ukrainian Presidential Press Service on September 23, 2023, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy (R) speaks with President of the Sudanese Sovereign Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (L) during their meeting at Shannon Airport, in Shannon, western Ireland. (Handout / Ukrainian Presidential Press Service / AFP)
In this handout photograph taken and released by Ukrainian Presidential Press Service on September 23, 2023, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy (R) speaks with President of the Sudanese Sovereign Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (L) during their meeting at Shannon Airport, in Shannon, western Ireland. (Handout / Ukrainian Presidential Press Service / AFP)
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Ukraine’s Zelenskiy Meets Sudan’s Burhan, Discusses Russian Paramilitaries

In this handout photograph taken and released by Ukrainian Presidential Press Service on September 23, 2023, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy (R) speaks with President of the Sudanese Sovereign Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (L) during their meeting at Shannon Airport, in Shannon, western Ireland. (Handout / Ukrainian Presidential Press Service / AFP)
In this handout photograph taken and released by Ukrainian Presidential Press Service on September 23, 2023, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy (R) speaks with President of the Sudanese Sovereign Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (L) during their meeting at Shannon Airport, in Shannon, western Ireland. (Handout / Ukrainian Presidential Press Service / AFP)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday he held an impromptu meeting in Ireland's Shannon airport with the head of the Sudanese Sovereign Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and that they discussed Russia-funded armed groups.

"We discussed our common security challenges, namely the activities of illegal armed groups financed by Russia," Zelenskiy wrote on Telegram.

He thanked Sudan, which is currently in the midst of a deadly civil war, for its support of Ukraine's territorial integrity.

Russia's Wagner mercenary group has operated in Ukraine throughout Moscow's invasion. Western diplomats and media have said the group is also present in Sudan, although Wagner denied this.


Bombing at Checkpoint in Somalia Kills at Least 15 People, Authorities Say

In this grab taken from video, smoke billows after an explosion in Beledweyne, Somalia, Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. (AP)
In this grab taken from video, smoke billows after an explosion in Beledweyne, Somalia, Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. (AP)
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Bombing at Checkpoint in Somalia Kills at Least 15 People, Authorities Say

In this grab taken from video, smoke billows after an explosion in Beledweyne, Somalia, Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. (AP)
In this grab taken from video, smoke billows after an explosion in Beledweyne, Somalia, Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. (AP)

An explosives-laden vehicle detonated Saturday at a security checkpoint in the central Somalia city of Beledweyne, killing at least 15 people and wounding 40 others, authorities said.

Abdifatah Mohamed Yusuf, the director-general of the Hirshabelle Ministry of Humanitarian and Disaster Management, confirmed the deaths.

“Twenty of the wounded have been admitted to Beledweyne hospitals, while another 20 are in critical condition, prompting a request for their airlift to Mogadishu for advanced medical treatment,” he said.

Hirshabelle is a state that includes Beledweyne, which is the capital of the Hiran region and has been the center of the Somali government’s latest military offensive against extremists from East Africa’s al-Qaeda affiliate, al-Shabaab.

Images on social media showed black smoke billowing and a smashed truck cab blazing at the checkpoint.

Dr. Suleyman Abdi Ali, the director of Beledweyne General Hospital, said the bodies of 10 victims were brought to his hospital.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility from al-Shabaab, which often carries out such attacks and controls parts of Somalia.


Lebanese Army Says It Exchanged Tear Gas, Smoke Bomb Fire with Israel

The Lebanese-Israeli border.
The Lebanese-Israeli border.
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Lebanese Army Says It Exchanged Tear Gas, Smoke Bomb Fire with Israel

The Lebanese-Israeli border.
The Lebanese-Israeli border.

Lebanon's army said it fired tear gas at Israeli forces over the border on Saturday in response to smoke bombs fired at its troops, though Israel said Lebanon started the confrontation.

Tensions have flared along the frontier this summer, with rockets fired at Israel during flare-ups of Israeli-Palestinian violence, and members of the heavily armed Lebanese group Hezbollah or its supporters facing off with Israeli forces.

"Elements of the Israeli enemy violated the withdrawal line and fired smoke bombs at a Lebanese army patrol that was accompanying a bulldozer removing an earthen berm erected by the Israeli enemy north of the withdrawal line, the blue line, in the Bastra area," the Lebanese army said in a statement.

The current demarcation line between the two countries is known as the Blue Line, a frontier mapped by the United Nations that marks the line to which Israeli forces withdrew when they left south Lebanon in 2000.

"The Lebanese patrol responded to the attack by firing tear bombs ... forcing them to withdraw to the occupied Palestinian territories," Lebanon's army added.

The Israeli military said it was Lebanon that started the violence.

"A short while ago, IDF soldiers spotted an engineering vehicle’s shovel crossing the Blue Line from Lebanon into Israeli territory in the area of Mount Dov," a statement from the military said. "In response, IDF soldiers used riot dispersal means."

"The vehicle returned to Lebanese territory," the military said.

UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping force in the area, said there had been tension on Saturday.

"UNIFIL is in touch with the parties to decrease tensions and prevent a misunderstanding. At the moment we are on the ground, monitoring the situation and trying to bring calm back to the area," spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said. 


Lebanese Troops Rescue 27 Migrants from Sinking Boat off Lebanon’s Coast

This photo released on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, by the Lebanese Army official website, shows a rubber boat with migrants during a rescue operation at the Mediterranean Sea, near the shores of the northern coastal town of Chekka, Lebanon. (Lebanese Army website via AP)
This photo released on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, by the Lebanese Army official website, shows a rubber boat with migrants during a rescue operation at the Mediterranean Sea, near the shores of the northern coastal town of Chekka, Lebanon. (Lebanese Army website via AP)
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Lebanese Troops Rescue 27 Migrants from Sinking Boat off Lebanon’s Coast

This photo released on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, by the Lebanese Army official website, shows a rubber boat with migrants during a rescue operation at the Mediterranean Sea, near the shores of the northern coastal town of Chekka, Lebanon. (Lebanese Army website via AP)
This photo released on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, by the Lebanese Army official website, shows a rubber boat with migrants during a rescue operation at the Mediterranean Sea, near the shores of the northern coastal town of Chekka, Lebanon. (Lebanese Army website via AP)

The Lebanese army and the country’s civil defense recused early Saturday 27 migrants whose boat was sinking off the coast of north Lebanon, the military said in a statement.

The army did not say where the migrants were heading, nor did it give their nationalities.

Over the past years, thousands of Lebanese, Syrians and Palestinian migrants took the dangerous trip from Lebanon across the Mediterranean seeking a better life in Europe. Such migrations intensified since the country’s historic economic meltdown began in October 2019.

Lebanon has hosted refugees for years. It has some 805,000 UN-registered Syrian refugees, but officials estimate the actual number to be between 1.5 million and 2 million. Lebanon is also home to tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees and their descendants, many living in 12 refugee camps scattered around the country.

Over the past months, thousands of Syrian citizens fleeing worsening economic conditions in their war-torn country made it to Lebanon through illegal crossing points seeking better opportunities. Lebanese officials have warned that the flow of Syrian refugees could create “harsh imbalances” negatively affecting the country's delicate demographic structure.

Last month, Lebanese troops detained dozens of Lebanese and Syrian traffickers in the country’s north while they were preparing to send migrants on boats to Europe across the Mediterranean Sea.

A boat carrying migrants from Lebanon capsized off Syria’s coast in September last year, leaving at least 94 people dead, one of the deadliest incidents involving migrants, and was followed by a wave of detentions of suspected smugglers.

In neighboring Syria, a navy patrol stopped a boat Saturday carrying migrants off the coast of Latakia, according to the pro-government Sham FM radio station. It gave no further details, but such incidents are rare in Syria, where a 12-year conflict has killed half a million people and left large parts of the country in ruins.