Iraq Collects Humanitarian Donations for Gaza

Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani holds a meeting with the Coordination Framework forces on Saturday evening (Iraqi government)
Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani holds a meeting with the Coordination Framework forces on Saturday evening (Iraqi government)
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Iraq Collects Humanitarian Donations for Gaza

Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani holds a meeting with the Coordination Framework forces on Saturday evening (Iraqi government)
Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani holds a meeting with the Coordination Framework forces on Saturday evening (Iraqi government)

Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani held a meeting with the Shiite Coordination Framework coalition over the developments in Gaza after which he gave directives that donations be collected and dispatched to the besieged Gazans in occupied Palestine.

The attendees condemned the ongoing Zionist attack in the occupied territories, the direct targeting of civilians, and the brutal siege implemented by the occupation authorities on the Gaza Strip, which aggravated the humanitarian conditions of the Palestinians.

They also called on the international community to assume its responsibilities and work to stop the violations committed against the Palestinians.

The attendees then voiced appreciation of Iraq's government positions, the positions of the people and parliament, and the stance of the supreme religious authority in Najaf. They called for the continuation of popular and national demonstrations in support of the Palestinian cause.

They also expressed their thanks to the Iraqi government for its courageous stance in defending the Palestinian people, stressing the importance of continuing diplomatic efforts with countries of the world in order to protect the Palestinian people.

Meanwhile, the spokesman for the Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces, Major General Yahia Rasool, said the army received direct donations and humanitarian aid for the Palestinian people. “On Sunday, humanitarian aid will be delivered all day to the Palestinian people,” he noted.

On Saturday evening, the Iraqi Parliament, headed by Speaker Muhammed al-Halbousi, held a session to discuss the siege and brutal bombing of the Gaza Strip and the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Palestine.

“The heads of the parliamentary blocs expressed their firm positions towards the Palestinian issue, voicing support and solidarity with the Palestinian people, and rejecting the brutal crimes committed by the usurping Zionist entity, including genocidal massacres against the Palestinian people in Gaza and the unjust siege it imposes on its residents,” according to a statement by the Media Office of the Parliament, received by the Iraqi News Agency, INA.

The MPs condemned “the brutal practices and crimes committed by the Zionist occupation forces against the Palestinian people,” renewing the call for the Arab League to hold an emergency session to condemn the aggression against Gaza and open ways to deliver humanitarian, medical and food aid to the Gaza Strip.

Also, they called on the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union to adopt a unified and serious position to call on the international community to lift the injustice against the Palestinian people and not use the war machine to exterminate them. They expressed their categorical rejection of the Zionist entity’s policy of forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.

Meanwhile, several political and parliamentary forces called on Iraqi authorities to reconsider the country’s relationship with Washington, due to the US full support of Israel.

Iraqi political and parliamentary forces demanded that the Iraqi political leadership, including the government and parliament, boycott US Ambassador in Baghdad, Alina Romansky, who holds several weekly meetings with the majority of Iraqi political and party leaders, including the leaders of the Shiite Coordination Framework.

In this regard, the Nabni coalition called for an end to the forced displacements carried out by Israel against citizens in the Gaza Strip.



Somalia's Capital Votes in First Step toward Restoring Universal Suffrage

Members of the Justice and Solidarity Party (JSP) campaign in the streets as they share their political aims with voters in Mogadishu, Somalia, 22 December 2025. EPA/SAID YUSUF WARSAME
Members of the Justice and Solidarity Party (JSP) campaign in the streets as they share their political aims with voters in Mogadishu, Somalia, 22 December 2025. EPA/SAID YUSUF WARSAME
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Somalia's Capital Votes in First Step toward Restoring Universal Suffrage

Members of the Justice and Solidarity Party (JSP) campaign in the streets as they share their political aims with voters in Mogadishu, Somalia, 22 December 2025. EPA/SAID YUSUF WARSAME
Members of the Justice and Solidarity Party (JSP) campaign in the streets as they share their political aims with voters in Mogadishu, Somalia, 22 December 2025. EPA/SAID YUSUF WARSAME

Residents of Somalia's capital Mogadishu will vote on Thursday in municipal elections meant to pave the way for the East African country's first direct national polls in more than half a century.

With the exception of votes in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland and the breakaway region of Somaliland, Somalia last held direct elections in 1969, months before military general, Mohamed Siad Barre, took power in a coup, Reuters said.

After years of civil ‌war that ‌followed Barre's fall in 1991, indirect elections ‌were ⁠introduced in ‌2004. The idea was to promote consensus among rival clans in the face of an armed insurgency, although some Somalis say politicians prefer indirect elections because they create opportunities for corruption.

Under the system, clan representatives elect lawmakers, who then choose the president. The president, in turn, has been responsible for appointing Mogadishu's mayor.

The vote in Mogadishu, a ⁠city of some 3 million people where security conditions have improved in recent years ‌despite continuing attacks by al Qaeda-linked al ‍Shabaab militants, is seen as ‍a test run for direct elections at the national level.

Around ‍1,605 candidates are running on Thursday for 390 posts in Mogadishu's district councils, said Abdishakur Abib Hayir, a member of the National Electoral Commission. Council members will then choose a mayor.

"It shows Somalia is standing on its feet and moving forward," Hayir told Reuters. "After the local election, elections can and will take place in ⁠the entire country."

A 2024 law restored universal suffrage ahead of federal elections expected next year. However, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud reached a deal in August with some opposition leaders stipulating that while lawmakers would be directly elected in 2026, the president would still be chosen by parliament.

Opposition parties have argued the rapid introduction of a new electoral system would benefit Mohamud's re-election prospects.

They also question whether the country is safe enough for mass voting given al Shabaab's control over vast areas of the countryside and regular strikes ‌on major population centers.


Sudan's RSF Says Captured Areas Near Chad Border

Sudanese refugee girls carry water supplies near a polling station in the refugee camp of Zamzam, on the outskirts of el-Fasher, Darfur, Sudan, on April 13, 2010. (AP)
Sudanese refugee girls carry water supplies near a polling station in the refugee camp of Zamzam, on the outskirts of el-Fasher, Darfur, Sudan, on April 13, 2010. (AP)
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Sudan's RSF Says Captured Areas Near Chad Border

Sudanese refugee girls carry water supplies near a polling station in the refugee camp of Zamzam, on the outskirts of el-Fasher, Darfur, Sudan, on April 13, 2010. (AP)
Sudanese refugee girls carry water supplies near a polling station in the refugee camp of Zamzam, on the outskirts of el-Fasher, Darfur, Sudan, on April 13, 2010. (AP)

Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) announced on Wednesday that it had seized full control of areas bordering Chad in North Darfur in western Sudan.

The RSF released videos of its forces as they deployed in several towns in the regions.

The Sudanese army has yet to comment on the development.

In a statement, the RSF said that along with allies forces, it captured the regions of Um Qamra and Abu Barro in the westernmost point in North Darfur.

It accused the army and its allied forces of carrying out “systematic attacks” and “reprisals” against civilians in the area.

The RSF said the capture of the regions “ends the deployment of armed forces” and puts and end to the “reprisals and chaos”.

It added that it has deployed military units “to protect the civilians and secure roads and public areas to restore normal life there.”

On Tuesday, prior to the capture, Darfur region governor and leader of the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army Minni Minnawi had warned of an imminent RSF attack.

He had called on the people to defend themselves and their property, adding: “Defend your existence... the land that is not protected by its people gets stolen, and the dignity that is not defended is killed.”

His call had prompted harsh criticism in Darfur who accused him of attempting to embroil the people in an uneven confrontation with the RSF that is far better equipped and ready to fight.

They wondered why the joint forces of various parties had withdrawn from the area and not held their ground to fight the RSF.

The RSF had in the early hours of Wednesday launched attacks on the towns of al-Tina and Kernoi, capturing them without resistance.

With its latest capture, the RSF now has control of Sudan’s borders with Chad, Libya, Central Africa and South Sudan.


Shaibani: Syrian-Russian Ties Entering New Phase

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani attend a meeting in Moscow, Russia December 24, 2025. (Russian Foreign Ministry/Handout via Reuters)
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani attend a meeting in Moscow, Russia December 24, 2025. (Russian Foreign Ministry/Handout via Reuters)
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Shaibani: Syrian-Russian Ties Entering New Phase

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani attend a meeting in Moscow, Russia December 24, 2025. (Russian Foreign Ministry/Handout via Reuters)
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani attend a meeting in Moscow, Russia December 24, 2025. (Russian Foreign Ministry/Handout via Reuters)

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani stressed on Wednesday that relations between Damascus and Moscow were entering a new phase based on mutual respect.

He met in Moscow with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, saying: “We aspire to establish balanced relations with everyone.”

“We are working on attracting investments to Syria to improve the economy,” he added, remarking: “We are forging ahead in rebuilding the country.”

For his part, Lavrov said the meeting tackled various issues, underlining the importance of maintaining Syria’s territorial integrity and bolstering bilateral ties between Damascus and Moscow.

On Tuesday, Shaibani and Defense Minister Major General Murhaf Abu Qasra met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss political, military, and economic issues of mutual interest, with particular emphasis on strategic cooperation in the defense industry sector, reported Syria’s state news agency SANA.

They reviewed ways to advance military and technical partnership in a manner that strengthens the defensive capabilities of the Syrian army and keeps pace with modern developments in military industries.

Discussions focused on upgrading military equipment, transferring technical expertise and know-how, and expanding cooperation in research and development to boost Syria’s national defense system and support security and stability in Syria and the region.

On the political front, the two sides exchanged views on regional and international developments, underscoring the importance of continued political and diplomatic coordination between Damascus and Moscow in international forums.

They stressed the need to respect international law, rejecting all forms of external interference in the internal affairs of states.

Economically, the meeting addressed prospects for expanding economic and trade cooperation, including support for reconstruction projects, development of infrastructure sectors, and encouragement of investment in Syria.

The talks also covered boosting trade exchange and facilitating partnerships in ways that positively impact the Syrian economy and contribute to improving living conditions.

Putin underscored Russia’s steadfast support for Syria, stressing the importance of preserving Syria’s unity, territorial integrity, and full sovereignty, and rejecting “any projects aimed at partitioning the country or undermining its independent national decision”.

He also renewed Moscow’s condemnation of repeated Israeli violations of Syrian territory, describing them as “a direct threat to regional security and stability”.