An airstrike, believed to be carried out by Turkey, targeted the Shingal Resistance Units (YBS), a Yazidi militia group, in Sinjar, northern Iraq. Local officials reported conflicting casualty numbers, with the Kurdish counter-terrorism service stating three fighters were killed and one wounded, while a militia-affiliated town council member claimed there were no deaths, only a lightly injured civilian. The YBS, which has ties to the banned Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK), was formed in 2014 to combat the Islamic State and has been a frequent target of Turkish attacks. The incident exacerbates the difficulty of Yazidi resettlement in their ancestral lands, a process already hindered by previous clashes and displacement. A UN-brokered power-sharing agreement in the region has not been successfully implemented.

An Iraqi police officer has been sentenced to death for the murder of a well-known security analyst in Baghdad, who was a critic of Iran-backed militias. The analyst was killed nearly three years ago, and the officer's conviction is seen as a significant development in the case. The victim's family supports the verdict but is worried it might be overturned on appeal. They also believe that the masterminds behind the assassination are still at large. The officer had previously confessed to the killing in a video but did not admit to any connections with armed groups.

An Iraqi police officer, Ahmed Hamdawi al-Kinani, was sentenced to death for the murder of Hisham al-Hashimi, a security analyst critical of powerful militias. Al-Hashimi was assassinated outside his Baghdad home in July 2020 after receiving threats from Iran-backed militias. The conviction was based on a terrorism charge, and the case is now referred to an appeals court. Al-Hashimi was known for his expertise on the Islamic State group and had advised the U.S.-led coalition. His death has highlighted the issue of government inaction against militias, which have been implicated in a series of activist killings since a mass protest movement in 2019.

Health officials in Gaza have reported over 24,000 deaths due to the ongoing war with Israel. The conflict has led to a humanitarian crisis, with the United Nations and aid groups warning of the dire situation for the 2.4 million residents. Hospitals have been repeatedly hit and are mostly non-functional. Hamas has released a video claiming the death of two Israeli hostages, while Israel continues its military campaign. The UN has called for a humanitarian ceasefire, and international pressure is mounting on Israel due to the high civilian casualties. Regional violence has also escalated, with involvement from Iran-backed allies of Hamas. International diplomatic efforts are underway to seek a durable peace in the region.

The article reports on a surge of violence against migrant-owned businesses in Limassol, Cyprus, where masked men with Cypriot flags and molotov cocktails attacked establishments. Egyptian restaurateur Mohammed el-Basaraty and Vietnamese vendor Chu Thi Dao were among those targeted. The violence is part of a broader trend of xenophobia in Cyprus, which has seen the highest proportion of first-time asylum seekers in the EU. Experts attribute the rise in xenophobic attacks to the mainstreaming of xenophobia in politics and media, as well as the mismanagement of migrant arrivals. The far-right party Elam, known for its anti-immigration stance, has been suspected of involvement, although they deny it. The Cyprus Refugee Council and UN refugee agency have expressed concerns over the government's handling of asylum applications and the normalisation of hate speech. The violence has left the migrant community feeling unsafe and has drawn attention to the need for better management and integration policies.

An airstrike in Sinjar, northern Iraq, targeted the Shingal Resistance Units (YBS), a militia group predominantly composed of Yazidis. Local officials reported conflicting casualty numbers, with the Kurdish counter-terrorism service stating three fighters were killed and one wounded, while a militia-affiliated council member claimed only one civilian was lightly injured. The YBS, which has ties to the PKK, a group banned in Turkey, has been a frequent target of Turkish attacks. The violence has hindered the return of Yazidis to their homeland after years of displacement due to conflict. Despite a UN-brokered power-sharing agreement in Sinjar, tensions persist among the various security forces in the region.

An airstrike in Sinjar, northern Iraq, which is predominantly inhabited by Yazidis, has been attributed to Turkey by local officials. The Kurdish region's counter-terrorism service reported that three militants were killed and one was wounded in the strike. However, a member of the militia-affiliated town council contradicted this report, stating that there were no deaths and only one civilian was lightly injured. The Turkish Defense Ministry has not provided any comments on the incident when requested.

An airstrike has occurred in Sinjar, northern Iraq, which is known to be the Yazidi heartland. Local officials believe the strike was carried out by Turkey. There are conflicting reports about casualties: the Kurdish region's counter-terrorism service claims three militants were killed and one wounded, while a local militia-affiliated town council member states there were no deaths, only one civilian lightly injured. The Turkish Defense Ministry has not provided any comments on the incident.

An airstrike has been carried out in Sinjar, the Yazidi region of northern Iraq, which local officials believe was conducted by Turkey. There are conflicting reports about the casualties from the strike. The Kurdish region's counter-terrorism service claims three militants were killed and one was wounded, while a town council member from a militia-affiliated group states that there were no deaths, but one civilian was lightly injured. The Turkish Defense Ministry has not provided any comments on the incident.

An airstrike in Sinjar, northern Iraq, believed to be conducted by Turkey, targeted the Shingal Resistance Units (YBS), a militia group predominantly composed of Yazidis. There are conflicting reports on casualties, with Kurdish counter-terrorism stating three fighters were killed, while a local militia-affiliated council member reported one civilian lightly injured. The YBS, which has ties to the banned PKK, has been a frequent target of Turkish attacks. The violence has hindered the return of Yazidis to their homeland after years of displacement due to conflict, including a genocide by the Islamic State in 2014. Despite a UN-brokered power-sharing agreement in 2020, tensions and clashes continue in the region, complicating security and the return of displaced populations.

An Iraqi police officer, Ahmed Hamdawi al-Kinani, was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of Hisham al-Hashimi, a security analyst critical of powerful militias. Al-Hashimi was assassinated outside his Baghdad home in July 2020 after receiving threats from Iran-backed militias. The Supreme Judicial Council stated that al-Kinani was charged with terrorism and the case is now referred to an appeals court. Al-Hashimi was known for his expertise on the Islamic State group and had advised the U.S.-led coalition. His death has highlighted the issue of government inaction against militias, which have been implicated in a series of activist killings since a mass protest movement in 2019.

An Iraqi court has sentenced an Iraqi police officer to death for the assassination of Hisham al-Hashimi, a prominent security analyst known for his expertise on the Islamic State group. Al-Hashimi was killed in July 2020 outside his home in Baghdad by two motorcycle assailants after he had received threats from Iran-backed militias. His death is part of a broader pattern of killings targeting activists and critics in Iraq, which escalated during a crackdown on protests that began in 2019. The court's decision was announced by Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council.

An Iraqi police officer has been sentenced to death for the murder of a well-known security analyst in Baghdad, who was a critic of Iran-backed militias. The analyst was killed nearly three years ago, and the officer's conviction is seen as a significant development in the case. The victim's family supports the verdict but is worried it might be overturned on appeal. They also believe that the masterminds behind the assassination are still at large. The officer had previously confessed to the crime in a video but did not admit to any connections with armed groups.

An Iraqi court has sentenced a police officer to death for the assassination of Hisham al-Hashimi, a prominent Iraqi security analyst known for his expertise on the Islamic State group. Al-Hashimi was killed in July 2020 outside his home in Baghdad by two motorcycle assailants after he had received threats from Iran-backed militias. His death is part of a broader pattern of violence against activists and critics in Iraq, which escalated during a crackdown on protests that began in 2019. The court's decision was announced by Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council.

An Iraqi police officer has been sentenced to death for the murder of a well-known security analyst in Baghdad. The analyst, who was a critic of Iran-backed militias, was killed nearly three years ago. The family of the deceased supports the verdict but is concerned about a potential appeal and believes that the masterminds behind the murder are still at large. The convicted officer had previously confessed on video but did not admit to any connections with armed groups.

An Iraqi police officer has been sentenced to death for the murder of a well-known security analyst in Baghdad, who was a critic of Iran-backed militias. The analyst was killed nearly three years ago, and the officer's conviction is seen as a significant development in the case. The victim's family supports the verdict but is worried it might be overturned on appeal. They also believe that the masterminds behind the assassination are still at large. The officer had previously confessed to the crime in a video but did not admit to any connections with armed groups.

An airstrike in Sinjar, northern Iraq, believed to be conducted by Turkey, targeted the Shingal Resistance Units (YBS), a militia group predominantly composed of Yazidis. The Kurdish counter-terrorism service reported three fighters killed and one wounded, while a local council member, Ali Hamed, stated there was one civilian lightly injured and no deaths. The YBS, which has ties to the banned PKK, has been a frequent target of Turkish attacks. The ongoing violence hampers the return of Yazidis to their homeland after years of displacement. Last year, clashes between the Yazidi militia and the Iraqi army led to further displacement. Despite a UN-brokered power-sharing agreement, tensions persist in Sinjar among various security forces.

An airstrike in Sinjar, northern Iraq, believed to be conducted by Turkey, targeted the Shingal Resistance Units (YBS), a militia group predominantly composed of Yazidis. The Kurdish counter-terrorism service reported three fighters killed and one wounded, while a local militia-affiliated council member, Ali Hamed, stated there were no deaths, only a lightly injured civilian. The YBS, which has ties to the PKK, a group banned in Turkey, has been a frequent target of Turkish attacks. The violence has hindered the return of Yazidis to their homeland after years of displacement due to conflict. A UN-brokered power-sharing agreement in the region has not been successfully implemented, maintaining high tensions among the various security forces in Sinjar.

An airstrike in Sinjar, northern Iraq, believed to be conducted by Turkey, targeted the Shingal Resistance Units (YBS), a militia group predominantly composed of Yazidis. Local officials reported conflicting casualty numbers, with the Kurdish counter-terrorism service stating three fighters were killed and one wounded, while a militia-affiliated council member claimed there were no deaths, only a lightly injured civilian. The YBS, which has ties to the PKK, has been a target of Turkish attacks due to its association with the separatist group. The ongoing violence hampers the return of Yazidis to their homeland after years of displacement. A UN-brokered power-sharing agreement in the region has not been successfully implemented, maintaining high tensions among the various security forces in Sinjar.

An airstrike in Sinjar, northern Iraq, believed to be conducted by Turkey, targeted the Shingal Resistance Units (YBS), a militia group predominantly composed of Yazidis. The Kurdish counter-terrorism service reported three fighters killed and one wounded, while a local militia-affiliated council member, Ali Hamed, stated there were no deaths, only one civilian lightly injured. The YBS, which has ties to the PKK, a group banned in Turkey, has been subject to Turkish attacks due to these connections. The strike adds to the ongoing violence in the region, which hampers the return of Yazidis to their homeland after years of conflict and displacement. A UN-brokered power-sharing agreement in the region has not been successfully implemented, maintaining high tensions among the various security forces in Sinjar.

An airstrike in Sinjar, northern Iraq, targeted the Shingal Resistance Units (YBS), a group with ties to the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK). Local officials reported conflicting casualty numbers, with the Kurdish counter-terrorism service stating three fighters were killed and one wounded, while a militia-affiliated council member claimed only one civilian was lightly injured. The YBS, primarily composed of Yazidis, has been a target of Turkish attacks due to its association with the PKK. The violence has hindered Yazidi efforts to return to Sinjar after displacement caused by the Islamic State group and subsequent conflicts. A UN-brokered power-sharing agreement in the region has not been successfully implemented.

An airstrike in Sinjar, northern Iraq, believed to be conducted by Turkey, targeted the Shingal Resistance Units (YBS), a militia group predominantly composed of Yazidis. The Kurdish counter-terrorism service reported three fighters killed and one wounded, while a local council member claimed only one civilian was lightly injured. The YBS, which has ties to the PKK, a group banned in Turkey, has been a frequent target of Turkish attacks. The violence has hindered the return of Yazidis to Sinjar after their displacement by Islamic State militants and subsequent conflicts. Despite a UN-brokered power-sharing agreement in 2020, tensions persist among the various security forces in the region.

An airstrike in Sinjar, northern Iraq, believed to be conducted by Turkey, targeted the Shingal Resistance Units (YBS), a militia group predominantly composed of Yazidis. The Kurdish counter-terrorism service reported three fighters killed and one wounded, while a local militia-affiliated council member, Ali Hamed, stated there were no deaths, only a lightly injured civilian. The YBS, which has ties to the PKK, has been a frequent target of Turkish attacks. The ongoing violence hampers the return of Yazidis to their homeland after years of displacement due to conflict, including a genocide by the Islamic State group. A UN-brokered power-sharing agreement in the region has not been successfully implemented, maintaining high tensions among various security forces in Sinjar.

An airstrike in Sinjar, northern Iraq, believed to be conducted by Turkey, targeted the Shingal Resistance Units (YBS), a militia group predominantly composed of Yazidis. The Kurdish counter-terrorism service reported three fighters killed and one wounded, while a local militia-affiliated council member, Ali Hamed, stated there was one civilian lightly injured. The YBS, which has ties to the PKK, a group banned in Turkey, has been a frequent target of Turkish attacks. The ongoing violence hampers the return of Yazidis to their homeland after years of displacement due to conflict. A UN-brokered power-sharing agreement in Sinjar has not been successfully implemented, maintaining high tensions in the region.

An Iraqi court has sentenced a police officer to death for the assassination of Hisham al-Hashimi, a prominent Iraqi security analyst. Al-Hashimi was killed in July 2020 outside his home in Baghdad by two motorcycle assailants. His death occurred amidst a wave of killings targeting activists and critics, often attributed to Iran-backed militias. The crackdown on dissent followed mass protests that began in Iraq in 2019. The officer was convicted on terrorism charges by the criminal court, as announced by Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council.

The article reports on a surge of violence against migrant-owned businesses in Limassol, Cyprus, where men with Cypriot flags and molotov cocktails attacked establishments. Egyptian restaurateur Mohammed el-Basaraty and other migrants experienced the violence firsthand. The attacks are part of a broader trend of xenophobia in Cyprus, which has seen the highest proportion of first-time asylum seekers in the EU. Experts attribute the rise in xenophobic violence to the mainstreaming of xenophobic rhetoric in politics and media, and the mismanagement of migrant arrivals. The far-right party Elam, known for its anti-immigration stance, is suspected to be involved, although they deny it. The Cyprus Refugee Council and the UN refugee agency have criticized the government's handling of the situation, including pushbacks and inadequate asylum application screenings. The violence has left the migrant community feeling unsafe and has drawn some community and government support for the victims.

The article discusses the plight of Yadgar Hussein and her family, who were deported back to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq after attempting to migrate to Western Europe via Belarus. Despite the relative prosperity of northern Iraq, unemployment and corruption are driving many Kurds to undertake risky journeys to Europe. The article highlights the recent tragedy where 27 migrants drowned in the English Channel, most of whom were Iraqi Kurds. The EU accuses Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko of using migrants as pawns in response to Western sanctions, which Belarus denies. The story of Hussein and her family illustrates the desperation and challenges faced by women in Kurdistan, as well as the broader economic issues prompting migration. The family's failed migration attempt has left them financially strained and uncertain about their future.

Iraq has facilitated the return of over 600 migrants from Belarus with a second wave of repatriation. The migrants, who had hoped to reach the European Union, were flown back on two Iraqi Airways charter flights that landed in Erbil and then proceeded to Baghdad. The repatriation comes after the tragic deaths of 27 migrants attempting to cross the English Channel. One returnee, Shaho Omar, expressed that the recent tragedy and harsh treatment by Belarusian border police, coupled with the offer of a free flight home, convinced him and others to abandon their plans to reach the EU.