Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) The governor of the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI), Ali Mohsen Al-Alaq, stated that the value of the Iraqi dinar has declined against the US dollar due to attempts by some merchants to get foreign currency from the black market instead of using the official electronic platform of the CBI, the Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported.

Al-Alaq mentioned that some merchants cannot use the platform because of their illegal financial activities, adding that the rise in the exchange rate is temporary as more individuals and companies start using the platform.

The CBIs governor indicated that traders spreading rumors create a crisis, leading to an increase in the exchange rate.

The exchange rate of the Iraqi dinar against the US dollar reached 1580 on Wednesday, compared to 1470 dinars for a US dollar about a week ago.

The official exchange rate is set at 1,300 dinars to the US dollar.

Under stricter US regulatory rules that came into force last year to control the mechanism for Iraqs access to US dollars, all requests for remittances must pass through an electronic system that includes detailed information about the final receiver of the US currency.

The US measures aim to end illegal transfers of US currency to Iran and put additional pressure on Tehran in addition to the sanctions imposed on the country because of its nuclear program and other contentious issues.

CBI officials say that the electronic system slowed down the acquisition of US currency, with waiting times sometimes exceeding a month, prompting many merchants to get the foreign currency they need from the black market, which leads to an increase in the exchange rate.

Al-Alaq noted that the CBIs daily sales of US currency are $155 million, clarifying that it is sufficient to cover all requests.

The CBI governor added that Iraqs reserves of foreign currencies are more than $113 billion.

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Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) Leading Iraqi real estate developer Amwaj International has started construction on the $420 million mixed-use Karbala Gate project, which will include 796 villas with a mix of two- and three-bedroom units and have accommodation for up to 4,700 people.

With a variety of essential services spread throughout a 517,806 sq m area, Karbala Gate aspires to revolutionize urban life in Iraqs holiest city. According to Amwaj International, these include a cutting-edge smart AC system, a centralized gas system driven by solar energy, as well as vast green areas and a lively boulevard to create a thriving community core.

The villas are slated to be occupied by the first tenants by the end of this year, with the projects complete completion anticipated in 2027.

This development project is a significant milestone in our ongoing commitment to providing Iraq with a built environment that fits the needs of its modern citizens via vibrant residential communities, said Amwajs Founder and Chairman Namir El Akabi.

Located in central Karbala, 1 km from Karbala International Stadium and approximately 4 km from The Holy Shrine of Imam Hussain, the mixed-use development aims to celebrate its culturally rich surroundings, while also generating opportunities for urban renewal amid a period of significant investment in Karbala, a city which lies at the heart of Iraqs religious tourism industry, said El Akabi.

Karbala is now seeing an increase of new construction and developments. In order to promote religious travel, a 120-kilometer road between Baghdad and Karbala just opened. Additionally, the currently under construction Karbala International Airport is anticipated to be the biggest airport in Iraq when it is finished this year.

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Baghdad Iraq has arrested a suspect in one of the most notorious war crimes of the Islamic State group, the 2014 massacre of up to 1,700 captive cadets, authorities said Thursday.

After overrunning the air force academy at Camp Speicher where thousands of cadets were being trained, the Sunni extremists of IS separated out the Shiites and Christians among them and gunned them down one by one before dumping their bodies in mass graves or in the nearby Tigris River.

The interior ministry identified the suspect as Abdelkhalek Khazaal Soltan and said he had been arrested in a joint operation by the federal intelligence services and counter-terrorism police in Sulaimaniyah, second city of Iraqs autonomous Kurdish region.

Ministry spokesman General Saad Maan alleged that after joining IS in 2013, Soltan took part in several operations targeting the security forces and participated in the Camp Speicher massacre of which he was one of the perpetrators.

The massacre sparked a wave of revulsion around the world and prompted thousands of Shiite volunteers to join the fightback against the jihadists which culminated in a victory declaration in December 2017.

In a 2021 report to the Security Council, UN investigators found that the massacre of the predominantly Shia unarmed air cadets and their instructors involved the war crimes of murder, torture, cruel treatment and outrages upon personal dignity.

It also found that a video of the killings released by IS in July 2015 constituted a direct and public incitement to commit genocide against Shia Muslims.

The Iraqi courts have handed down dozens of death sentences against those convicted of taking part in the massacre.

In January, 14 people were sentenced to death for their part in the massacre. In 2016, Iraq hanged 36 men convicted of carrying out the killings.

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Srinagar Thousands of Shiite Muslims marched through Indian-administered Kashmirs largest city Thursday for a major religious procession permitted in the restive territory for the first time since a ban was imposed decades ago.

The Islamic calendar is currently in the month of Muharram, the holiest time for Shiites across the world when large processions mark the martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammads grandson Hussein in the seventh century.

But authorities in Kashmir had banned the traditional ceremony in 1990, the year after an armed revolt against Indian rule erupted in the disputed region that is also claimed by Pakistan.

Since imposing direct rule on the territory four years ago, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis government has been eager to claim improved security in the territory after decades of unrest.

Top police officers and administrators walked alongside mourners who marched through the streets of Srinagar beating their chests and waving flags, following several rounds of negotiations between officials and clerics to allow the march to proceed. 

This is a dividend of peace, the citys top administrator Mohammad Aijaz told reporters after the procession concluded without incident.

Some small Muharram processions have been permitted in Kashmir since the 1990 ban but often ended violently, with mourners shouting slogans demanding independence and government forces dispersing crowds with tear gas and pellet-gun fire.

Shiite Muslims are a minority in mostly Sunni Kashmir but authorities believe they account for at least 10 percent of the regions population of nearly 14 million.

This years procession was by far the largest in a generation and the first time many of those who joined were allowed to participate.

Authorities allowed the procession on condition that mourners would not use anti-national slogans or propaganda or display any references to rebel groups and banned organisations.

Decades of unrest

Tens of thousands of civilians, soldiers and rebels have been killed in Kashmir since the outbreak of an insurgency against Indian rule in 1989. 

Insurgent groups demand independence or a merger with Pakistan, which controls part of the region, and India has at least half a million troops permanently stationed around Kashmir to keep order.

Modis government revoked the territorys constitutional guarantees of limited authority in 2019. 

Indian tourists have since flocked to the region, cinema halls reopened in Srinagar last year after being shuttered for decades, and in May the city hosted a G20 meeting ahead of a September summit of world leaders in New Delhi.

But critics say that authorities have dramatically curtailed civil liberties in a clampdown on unrest, with ongoing restrictions on journalists, public protests...

Beijing China said Thursday it opposed malicious hype concerning this weeks removal of foreign minister Qin Gang, as it continued to avoid questions about the senior diplomats disappearance.

Qin, a former ambassador to the United States and confidant of President Xi Jinping, was removed from his position on Tuesday.

Asked Thursday about whether she believed Beijings foreign ministry had been transparent about Qins removal from office, spokeswoman Mao Ning insisted China has released information about recent personnel changes in a timely manner.

We consistently oppose malicious hype of this matter, she said.

Qin was removed from office by Beijings top lawmaking body after just 207 days in the job, following weeks of speculation that he had fallen out of favour.

He has been replaced by Wang Yi, a veteran diplomat who served as foreign minister before Qin and who outranked him in the Chinese government hierarchy.

Beijing has offered no explanation for Qins dismissal, nor why he has not been seen in public for more than a month.

What I can tell you is that Chinas diplomatic work has always been carried out under the centralised and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, Mao said on Thursday.

Qin has been scrubbed from the foreign ministrys website, with searches for his name yielding no results. Previous articles about his diplomatic appearances showed a message saying the page does not exist or has been deleted.

The foreign ministry website will be updated in a timely manner in accordance with relevant management regulations, Mao said.

Please have a look after the website is updated, OK?

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Kuwait City Kuwait put to death five people on Thursday, including a man convicted of involvement in a 2015 Islamic State group suicide bombing that killed 26 people, the Public Prosecution said.

In a statement, the Public Prosecution said it oversaw the implementation of the death sentence in Kuwaits Central Prison against five people, most of them accused of murder.

They include Abdulrahman Sabah Saud the main convict in the 2015 bombing that struck a Shiite mosque in the capital during Friday prayers. It was the bloodiest attack in Kuwaits history.

Saud, a stateless Arab, was convicted of driving the bomber to the mosque and bringing the explosives belt he used from near the Saudi border.

At his initial trial, Saud pleaded guilty to most charges but, in the appeals and supreme courts, he denied them all.

The other men executed on Thursday included a Kuwaiti, an Egyptian and a member of Kuwaits stateless Bidoon minority, all of whom had been convicted of murder.

A Sri Lankan was put to death on drug charges.

The Public Prosecution said all five were executed by hanging.

The executions are the first since the oil-rich Gulf state put to death seven people in November last year ending a five-year moratorium. 

Although Kuwait has executed dozens of people since it introduced the death penalty in the mid-1960s, the punishment is relatively rare.

Most of those condemned have been convicted of murder or drug trafficking.

In April 2013, Kuwaiti authorities hanged three men convicted of murder. Two months later, two Egyptians, convicted of kidnap and murder, were executed.

In 2017, the emirate carried out a mass execution of seven prisoners, including a ruling family member.

Capital punishment is widespread in the region, particularly in Saudi Arabia, where 74 people have been put to death this year alone, according to an AFP tally.

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London Shell and other energy majors posted sliding net profits Thursday after oil and gas prices weakened in the first half.

Energy prices had soared a year ago following the invasion of Ukraine by key energy producer Russia, sending global inflation to the highest levels in decades. 

Gas and oil prices have since pulled back but remain at elevated levels, prolonging a cost-of-living crisis.

British giant Shell on Thursday said its profit after tax came in at $3.13 billion in the second quarter, down 80 percent compared with the April-June period a year earlier.

Shell delivered strong operational performance and cash flows in the second quarter, despite a lower commodity price environment, chief executive Wael Sawan said in an earnings statement.

Despite the drop in profits, caused also by lower gas sales, Shell said it would return $3 billion to shareholders.

Sector-wide falls

Elsewhere Thursday, French group TotalEnergies said its net profit dropped 28 percent to $4.1 billion in the second quarter from a year earlier.

In a favourable but softening oil and gas environment TotalEnergies once again delivered this quarter robust results, strong cash flow, and attractive shareholder distribution, chief executive Patrick Pouyanne said in an earnings statement.

The share prices of Shell and TotalEnergies dropped at the start of trading following the earnings updates.

Spains Repsol also posted drops in profits on Thursday, a day after similar results reported by Norwegian state-owned energy company Equinor.

The impact of the sharp falls in oil and gas prices was laid bare and with BP results next week this is likely to be a familiar theme, noted Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK.

Gas prices had soared last year after Russia cut gas shipments to Europe while oil markets were also rocked by supply concerns.

But natural gas prices fell sharply as European countries found new suppliers, built up reserves and experienced a mild winter.

Oil prices have also tumbled, partly on fears of falling demand as the global economy slows, with major consumer Chinas post-Covid recovery stumbling.

Profits remain large, however, as oil and gas firms pivot toward cleaner energy and away from fossil fuels.

A British court this week dismissed a lawsuit that accused Shells leadership of mismanaging climate risks to the oil giant.

ClientEarth, an environmental law NGO and a minor Shell shareholder, plans to appeal the ruling handed down by the High Court of England and Wales.

Corporations have faced a growing number of climate-related lawsuits in recent years as they come under pressure to step up efforts to curb global warming.

The post...

Hong Kong Most markets rose Thursday on hopes the Federal Reserves latest interest rate hike will be its last as data indicates inflation is being brought under control and the US economy is set to avert a recession.

The broadly welcomed announcement compounded the upbeat mood on trading floors in Asia fuelled by this weeks pledges of fresh stimulus to boost Chinese growth.

After Wednesdays keenly awaited meeting, bank boss Jerome Powell left the door open for another increase in September but added that any decision would be data-dependent.

Policy has not been restrictive enough for long enough to have its full desired effects, he told reporters after the decision. 

So we intend, again, to keep policy restrictive until were confident that inflation is coming down sustainably toward our two percent target and were prepared to further tighten if that is appropriate.

But he added that officials would be going meeting by meeting.

In its official statement, the Fed said it would continue to assess additional information and its implications for monetary policy, looking at a range of data points.

Analysts said that with a healthy run of indicators in recent months, there was hope that more than a year of tightening may have finally come to an end.

Powell also said he was optimistic that the worlds top economy could dodge a recession, a situation many had bet on earlier in the year.

The staff now has a noticeable slowdown in growth starting later this year in the forecast, but given the resilience of the economy recently, they are no longer forecasting a recession, he added.

Analysts said the meeting did all it needed to do by maintaining a hawkish tilt even as most observers think the hiking campaign is essentially over.

The latest hike comes after the bank stood pat on rates last month, but Kerry Craig at JP Morgan Asset Management pointed out that several members of the policy board at that meeting foresaw two more hikes in 2023.

Given this, there would have been little benefit for the Fed conveying anything other than a hawkish lean and commitment to getting inflation back to target in their commentary, he added.

By reiterating data dependency ahead of future measures, the Fed wants to increase its optionality as it has the chance to digest two more inflation and jobs reports before the next meeting. 

Wall Street provided a tepid lead, though the Dow rose for a 13th-straight day, its best run since 1987, according to Bloomberg News.

Asia enjoyed a strong start, though some markets struggled to maintain momentum.

Hong Kong rose more than one percent, and Tokyo, Sydney, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei and Bangkok were also up. But Shanghai, Mumbai and Jakarta dipped, while Manila and Welling...

Frankfurt Volkswagen said Thursday its profits slipped in the second quarter as it battles to regain ground in China, the German auto giants most important market.

From April to June, net profit came in at 3.8 billion euros ($4.2 billion), 3.1 percent below the same quarter a year earlier.

The 10-brand group whose models include Audi, Seat and Skoda makes a big chunk of its overall sales in China. 

But it has faced increased competition in the worlds number two economy, particularly in the booming electric car market. 

In the first half of 2023, Volkswagens deliveries of vehicles in China were down 1.2 percent compared to the previous year, weighed down by a poor start to the year.

The auto giant nevertheless struck a positive note about its prospects in the major market, saying it was stepping up the pace of transformation in China.

On Wednesday, the carmaker announced it would invest over 600 million euros in Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer XPeng, acquiring a stake of just under five percent. 

The two companies plan to develop two mid-sized VW-branded electric models to be rolled out on the Chinese market in 2026. 

VWs premium Audi brand has also signed a memorandum with the groups existing Chinese partner SAIC to expand their cooperation and work on new high-end electric vehicles.

The collaborations align with the companys in China for China strategy, which enables it to address market-defining trends in China at an early stage and better leverage the growth momentum of the Chinese market, the group said.  

Volkswagen confirmed its financial outlook for the year but slightly reduced its forecast for vehicle deliveries. 

Sales revenues in the second quarter rose 15.2 percent to 80.1 billion euros. In the first half of the year, sales rose in all regions of the world, except for China.

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Niamey On the road linking Nigers capital Niamey with the south of the country, illegal fuel warehouses have closed and intrepid black-market touts waving petrol canisters at passing cars have become an endangered species.

The reason? 

Neighbouring Nigeria has scrapped its subsidies for petrol a move that tripled domestic prices and ended the fat profits that smugglers could make by sneaking fuel into Niger.

In Niameys suburbs, residents no longer witness the spectacular chases between customs officers and gasoline vendors.

Gone too are the streams of cars and motorcycles which under the noses of customs officers shuttled across the border, laden with loads of jerrycans.

The rampant trafficking has stopped, said Adamou Gueraou, mayor of Dan-Issa, the smugglers gateway to southern Niger.

Before Nigeria ended its subsidies, petrol exchanged hands on Nigers black market for between 250-275 CFA francs (42-46 US cents) a litre, or $1.61-1.76 per US gallon. 

Today, the price varies between 550-700 CFA francs, which is more expensive than at regular petrol stations.

Since 2011, Niger has been producing 20,000 barrels of refined petrol and diesel per day, while the scourge of smuggling has cost it billions of CFA francs (millions of dollars) in lost revenue, according to the authorities.

The current shortage on the black market is causing a rush to the few filling stations, especially in areas close to Nigeria which used to rely heavily on smuggled petrol.

Jihadist groups to take a hit

The petrol has stopped flowing, were screwed! complained Dari Amadou, one of many contraband hawkers striving to make a living on the back streets of Niamey.

Ilia Mahamadou, another black market vendor and father of four, was also worried.

The futures grim, he said. Our main source of income is going to dry up.

The squeeze could also have an impact on the financing of armed jihadist groups in the Sahel.

A recent report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) noted that fuel smuggling from Nigeria even finances terrorist groups through taxes levied for transit and storage in areas under their control.

According to Nigers oil ministry, official sales doubled between May and June.

Prices even increased tenfold in Zinder and Maradi in the south and Tahoua in the southwest, according to Kabirou Zakari, director general of hydrocarbons at the Nigers oil ministry.

As black market stocks run out, demand at the pump increases, explained Bio Abdourahamane, head of communications for SONIDEP, the Nigerien Company for Oil Products.

The firm, he said, had braced for the move and was for now coping with the surge thanks to reserves and suppl...

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) The Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fuad Hussein, stressed the need to prevent acts offensive to Islam and the Holy Quran during a phone call with his Danish counterpart on Wednesday, according to a statement issued by the Iraqi Foreign Ministry.

The statement illustrated that the Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, confirmed the Danish governments rejection of anti-Islamic acts.

Hussein expressed that the government and people of Iraq denounce the burning and desecration of the Quran and the Iraqi flag in Denmark, indicating that such actions contradict human rights.

The Iraqi Foreign Minister called on the Danish government to confront the recurrence of such provocative acts offensive to religions, expressing that Iraq welcomes the resolution issued by the United Nations General Assembly to promote interreligious and intercultural dialogue and tolerance in countering hate speech.

Hussein also elaborated that the Iraqi government is eager to maintain the safety of diplomatic missions in Iraq, including the Danish mission.

The Iraqi Foreign Minister emphasized that Iraq respects freedom of expression in accordance with international laws.  

Rasmussen expressed Denmarks condemnation of acts offensive to religions, stressing that the Danish government strongly rejects such anti-Islamic acts, renewing the Danish governments commitment to protecting the Iraqi embassy in Copenhagen.

Husseins remarks took place after tensions in the diplomatic relations rose between Iraq from one side and Sweden and Denmark from the other side after Quran burning incidents occurred in the past few days in Stockholm and Copenhagen, and in response, protests took place outside the embassies of the two countries in Baghdad.

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Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) The Iraqi Ministry of Oil announced on Wednesday that oil export revenues during June exceeded $7.17 billion.

According to final statistics issued by the State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO), the total exports of crude oil during June were 100,059,052 barrels, with revenues reaching $7,179,760.

SOMO data revealed that the total quantities of crude oil exported during June from oil fields in central and southern Iraq were 98,725,620 barrels, while the quantities loaded from warehouses to Jordan were 299,445 barrels.

The average price per barrel was more than $71.75.

Iraqi oil exports during June were loaded by 33 international companies from ports on the Arabian Gulf and through the Turkish port of Ceyhan.

In May, Iraqs oil export revenues exceeded $7.32 billion, while Aprils revenues were more than $7.69 billion, according to official statements.

The total exports of crude oil during March exceeded 100.9 million barrels, with revenues slightly exceeding $7.5 billion.

Crude oil exports during February were a little more than 92.25 million barrels with revenues exceeding $7.62 billion, while in January, Iraq exported more than 101.24 million barrels with $7.66 billion in revenues.

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Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) The Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed on Wednesday a resolution issued by the United Nations General Assembly to promote interreligious and intercultural dialogue and tolerance in countering hate speech, according to a statement issued by the Iraqi Foreign Ministry.

The UN General Assembly called upon member states on Tuesday to engage with all relevant stakeholders to promote interreligious and intercultural dialogue and acceptance of differences, to reject the spread of hate speech, which constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility and violence.

The Iraqi Foreign Ministry stressed the need to combat all forms of discrimination and hate speech, calling on all relevant actors, including states, to increase their efforts to address this phenomenon in accordance with international human rights law.

Contempt for beliefs and religions can lead to polarization and cause tensions in societies, provoking anger and strife among people and transforming differences into hatred and perhaps violence, as mentioned in the statement.

The UN decision followed tensions in the diplomatic relations between Iraq from one side and Sweden and Denmark from the other side after Quran burning incidents took place in the past few days in Stockholm and Copenhagen, and in response, protests took place outside the embassies of the two countries in Baghdad.

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Kuwait City Kuwait recorded its first surplus in nine years for the 2022-2023 fiscal year which ended in March, the finance ministry said on Wednesday, crediting last years surge in oil prices. 

The Gulf emirate, whose revenues rely heavily on hydrocarbons, closed its fiscal balance with a surplus of $21 billion, the ministry said.

The final account of the states financial administration records an actual surplus for the first time in nine years, the ministry said in a statement on its website. 

More than 92 percent of revenues came from oil after prices surged following last years Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Oil revenues for the fiscal year which started in April 2022 stood at $87 billion, a 64 percent increase from the previous year, the ministry said.

The average price of a barrel of oil over the fiscal year stood at $97.1, an increase of 21.4 percent compared to the previous year. Output was 2.7 million barrels per day. 

Revenues for the current fiscal year are expected to fall due to a decline in oil prices. 

The draft budget for the 2023-2024 fiscal year published in January was calculated based on a price of $70 per barrel.

The 2023-2024 draft budget projects a growing deficit, with total revenues expected to drop to around $63.8 billion.

Kuwait, which borders Saudi Arabia and Iraq, is home to seven percent of the worlds crude reserves. It has little debt and one of the strongest sovereign wealth funds in the world.

However, it suffers from constant stand-offs between elected lawmakers and governments installed by the ruling family, which maintains a strong grip over political life despite a parliamentary system in place since 1962.

The political instability, which has seen seven general elections held in little more than a decade, has spooked investors and stymied economic reforms.

Kuwaits fifth government in less than a year took the oath of office last month after the latest election returned an opposition-controlled parliament.

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Madrid Spanish lender Banco Santander reported Wednesday a record profit for the first half of the year despite a windfall tax imposed on banks, as rising interest rates lifted its earnings.

Banco Santander is the latest European banking giant to get a lift from central bank rate hikes aimed at taming high inflation.

Over the first six months of the year, its net profit reached a record 5.2 billion euros ($5.8 billion), seven percent higher than in the same period in 2022.

The bank is on pace to break the 10-billion-euro mark for the year after posting a record profit of 9.6 billion euros in 2022.

Thanks to these good results we will keep all our objectives for 2023, Santanders executive chairwoman Ana Botin said in a statement, pointing to double-digit growth in revenue to 28.23 billion euros in the first half.

The lender said it benefited from growth in the number of customers and positive balance sheet sensitivity to higher interest rates in Europe.

The European Central Bank and its peers outside the eurozone have hiked interest rates in efforts to combat high inflation, which soared following Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Britains Lloyds bank and Italian lender UniCredit also announced on Wednesday that the higher rates brought them bigger profits in their second quarters.

Banco Santander said it has 164 million customers across the world nine million more than a year ago, raising deposits by four percent to 1.1 billion euros. 

Spains left-wing government imposed a temporary windfall tax on big banks in January to fund measures to help households cope with higher prices. 

The levy, which will carry into next year, will bring the state an additional 1.5 billion euros in revenue this year.

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Rhodes Greece was expecting scorching heat on Wednesday as crews scrambled to douse deadly wildfires that have also struck nations around the Mediterranean.

Thousands of people have evacuated as Greek authorities struggle against flames on three major fronts, including the tourist islands of Rhodes and Corfu.

Fires have also flared in Croatia and Italy and flames killed dozens of people in Algeria earlier in the week, with scorching heat leaving landscapes tinder dry.

Scientists from the World Weather Attribution group said this week the heatwaves that have hit parts of Europe and North America this month would have been almost impossible without human-caused climate change.

Temperatures are expected to hit between 43-45 degrees Celsius (109-113 degrees Fahrenheit) in central and southern Greece, according to the national meteorological service.

Greece is used to summer heatwaves, but is experiencing one of the longest ones in recent years, according to experts.

The civil protection ministry has warned of an extreme danger of fire in six of the countrys 13 regions on Wednesday. 

Wildfires, which have been burning in several parts of the country for more than 10 days, were ravaging the tourist islands of Rhodes, Corfu and Evia. 

At least 100 firefighters were working to contain the flames on Evia, where on Tuesday two pilots were killed when their water bomber aircraft crashed. 

The body of a third victim was also found on Evia. 

Fires around the Mediterranean

Authorities have evacuated tens of thousands of people from fire areas in Greece, including many tourists.

The severe heatwave in Greece has also been reflected across much of southern Europe and northern Africa.

In Algeria at least 34 people have died as wildfires tore through residential areas, forcing mass evacuations.

Witnesses described fleeing walls of flames that raged like a blowtorch, and TV footage showed charred cars, burnt-out shops and smouldering scrubland.

In Italy, firefighters spent the night battling wildfires in Sicily, one of which approached so close to Palermo airport that it shut down for several hours Tuesday morning.

Italys civil protection department on Tuesday reported extensive fires across the south.

In the north, a 16-year-old girl on a camping trip was among two people killed by falling trees during violent storms.

Dozens of firefighters were battling a wildfire near Croatias picturesque southern city of Dubrovnik, authorities said Wednesday, with water-bombing planes dispatched to help contain the blaze.

Around 130 firefighters were working to contain the flames that had been spread by strong winds on Tuesday.

Local media reported the fire also triggered landmines to explode in the area.

During the bloody break-up of Yugoslavia in the 1990s,...

London The chief executive of Britains NatWest bank, Alison Rose, stepped down Wednesday after admitting a serious error of judgment in speaking to a reporter about the banking affairs of arch-Brexiteer Nigel Farage.

Farage, former leader of the Brexit Party and the anti-immigration party UKIP, had complained about the closure of his account with the upmarket Coutts, the bank used by the late Queen Elizabeth II and subsidiary of NatWest.

He said he was removed as a client for his political views.

But, in a report which it has since apologised for, public broadcaster the BBC suggested Farages accounts were closed because he did not have sufficient funds to remain a client of the prestigious establishment.

Rose previously admitted she was the source for the story, and acknowledged a serious error in judgment in discussing Farages relationship with the bank.

NatWests board on Tuesday gave its backing to Rose, a 30-year veteran of the company. But by early Wednesday it announced she was stepping down.

Farage, a Eurosceptic politician and now a television presenter, campaigned for decades for Britains withdrawal from the European Union and was a key figure in the 2016 Brexit referendum.

The Board and Alison Rose have agreed, by mutual consent, that she will step down as CEO of the NatWest Group, board chairman Howard Davies said in a statement.

It is a sad moment. She has dedicated all her working life so far to NatWest and will leave many colleagues who respect and admire her.

The board has appointed Paul Thwaite, current CEO of the commercial and institutional business, to take her place for an initial period of a year.

A further process will take place in due course to appoint a permanent successor, it added.

Business or political decision?

Addressing her dealings with the BBC journalist earlier, Rose admitted that she had given the reporter the impression that the decision to close Mr. Farages account was purely commercial, calling it a serious error of judgment.

Farage obtained a 40-page report regarding the closure of his account from the 331-year-old institution.

The report, according to him, repeatedly mentioned Brexit and his support for former US president Donald Trump.

The politician did not align with the banks purpose and values and was seen as xenophobic and racist, he quoted it as saying.

In the statement announcing her departure, Rose said she was immensely proud of the progress the bank has made in supporting people, families and business across the UK, and building the foundations for sustainable growth.

My NatWest colleagues are central to that success, and so I would like to personally thank them...

Taoyuan Taiwan staged its first-ever military drill at Taoyuan International Airport on Wednesday, briefly halting commercial traffic as soldiers practised defending the facility against a simulated attack by Beijing. 

The exercise is part of Taiwans week-long massive wargames the annual Han Kuang (Han Glory) drills which this year has included protecting civilian airports as Beijing ramps up military and political pressures on the island.

This is the first such drill held at Taiwans biggest airport near the capital since it opened in 1979. 

Military expert Alexander Huang said Taiwan is drawing experiences from Moscows invasion of Ukraine, which last year fended off a seizure by Russian paratroopers at the Antonov airport just outside Kyiv. 

Seizing an adversarys airport is key to sending in large numbers of assault forces via air transport in an invasion operation, Huang, at Taipeis Tamkang University, said.  

In addition to familiarising our forces with command and control, this drill can also signal to potential enemies that we are getting ourselves prepared for such contingency, he told AFP. 

As air traffic was halted for about 30 minutes, dozens of soldiers fought off enemies landing on the airports tarmac from attack helicopters. 

Airport police and firefighters also joined the operation, which the government said is aimed at combining civilian and military forces to protect critical infrastructure.

China, which regards Taiwan as its territory, has upped the pressure in recent years, with near-daily warplane incursions and Chinese vessels deployed around the islands waters. 

Taiwan has always held frequent military drills, but in recent months increased the civilian component. This week, as the army holds various exercises across the island, local governments are also holding air raid drills in different cities. 

We need to start from the concept of a whole-society defence, to integrate and utilise the resources of the military, central government, local governments and civilian sectors, and to coordinate all units to work together, said Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, during her visit to a drill at an oil refinery in Taoyuan. 

Dressed in fatigues and wearing a mask she was diagnosed with Covid this week, though has mild symptoms Tsai watched on as soldiers fended off attack agents that parachuted out of helicopters. 

The protection of the oil refinery was incorporated into this Han Kuang exercise to simulate possible attacks or disasters to establish comprehensive contingency measures, and effectively protect our critical infrastructure, Tsai said.

A drill was initially scheduled at an airport in Taiwans southeast Taitung Tuesday, but was c...

Washington The US Federal Reserve is poised to announce a fresh quarter percentage-point hike to its benchmark lending rate on Wednesday to tackle inflation, while keeping the option open for more such moves in the coming months.

The Fed last month halted its aggressive campaign of monetary tightening after 10 consecutive rate increases to give policymakers more time to assess the health of the worlds largest economy.

At the June meeting, members of the rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) nevertheless indicated they see possibly two additional interest rate hikes this year.

The forecast is for the Federal Open Market Committee to hike the target range for the fed funds rate by 25bps but maintain a bias toward additional rate hikes, if needed, Oxford Economics chief US economist Ryan Sweet wrote in a note to clients.

A rate hike on Wednesday, the 11th since the US central bank launched its cycle of monetary tightening in March last year, would raise the Feds benchmark lending rate to a range between 5.25 and 5.5 percent its highest level in 22 years.

Futures traders see a probability of close to 99 percent that the Fed will proceed with a quarter percentage-point hike, according to data from CME Group. 

September skip?

Since the June decision to pause rate hikes, inflation has continued to fall, although it remains above the Feds long-term target of two percent.

Meanwhile, unemployment has remained close to historic lows, while economic growth for the first quarter has been revised up sharply on resilient consumer spending data. 

The more positive economic news has increased the chances of a so-called soft landing, in which the Fed succeeds in bringing down inflation by raising interest rates, while avoiding a recession and a surge in unemployment.

Given the near-unanimity of expectations for a hike on Wednesday, analysts and traders will be closely scrutinizing Fed Chair Jerome Powell for signs of what the central bank might do next. 

They will probably signal that they want to see the impact of the current tightening cycle and that they will probably skip raising rates in September, OANDAs senior Americas market analyst, Edward Moya, wrote in a recent note.

They will likely be clear in suggesting that more tightening could very well happen, he added. 

Sweet agreed, saying: Odds are that Powell will signal additional rate hikes are not off the table, but the Fed will take a more cautious approach, conveying it will skip a hike in September. 

Fed officials back hikes  

Many FOMC members have publicly backed additional hikes this year especially if last months positive inflation data proves to be a one-off. 

Given how far weve come, it may make...

Seoul North Korea rolled out the red carpet for the Russian defence minister, state media said Wednesday, with delegations from Moscow and Beijing set to attend Korean War anniversary events, the countrys first known foreign visitors since its pandemic border closure.

Pyongyang on Thursday will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the signing of the July 27, 1953 Korean War armistice, which ended open hostilities and is marked as Victory Day in the North.

The Russian national anthem blared throughout Pyongyang International Airport, which was wrapped up in a warm welcome atmosphere to greet Moscows Sergei Shoigu and his delegation Tuesday evening, the Korean Central News Agency said.

Flags of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation were fluttering at the flagstaffs and the guards of honor of the Korean Peoples Army (KPA) lined up at the station before the terminal, KCNA said.

Shoigu was greeted by North Korean Defence Minister Kang Sun Nam, and photos carried by the official Rodong Sinmun newspaper showed hundreds of uniformed KPA soldiers lining the airport holding signs welcoming the Russians.

The North Koreans expressed their full support for the Russian army and people, who are struggling to defend the sovereign rights and development and interests of their country, KCNA added.

Russia, a historic ally of Pyongyang, is one of a handful of nations that maintains friendly relations with the North.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been steadfast in his support for Moscows invasion of Ukraine, including, Washington says, supplying rockets and missiles.

Park Won-gon, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, said the fact that Russias defence minister flew to Pyongyang while his country is at war was very significant.

Even though the emergency quarantine system remains in place, Kim Jong Un may have felt the need to show something to his people at the Victory Day celebrations, Park told AFP.

For the Chinese and Russians, their presence could send a strong unified message to the United States, he added.

Change in border policy?

The inclusion of foreign guests at this years celebrations is a post-pandemic first and hints at new flexibility towards enforcing border controls.

China also said it would send a delegation led by Politburo member Li Hongzhong that was due to arrive in Pyongyang later Wednesday, suggesting they would not be required to undergo an extensive quarantine ahead of the Thursday anniversary event.

North Korea has been under a rigid self-imposed coronavirus blockade since early 2020 to protect itself from Covid-19, preventing even its own nationals from entering the country.

The North only resumed some trade with China last year and...

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) The Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, received on Tuesday the CEO of General Electric (GE) Gas Power, Eric Gray, where he emphasized that the Iraqi government prioritizes the electricity sector, calling on the company to cooperate with the Ministry of Electricity in meeting Iraqs needs for electricity, according to a statement issued by the Prime Ministers Office (PMO).

The meeting was attended by a delegation from GE, the Iraqi Minister of Electricity and other Iraqi officials.

The statement indicated that Al-Sudani urged accelerating the completion of the combined cycle power plants to increase energy production without the need for more fuel.

The meeting addressed projects for recovering the associated gas, according to the statement.

Al-Sudani emphasized that the government is working on ending gas flaring in Iraq to be used in energy production projects and other transformational industries.

GEs delegation reviewed the projects the company is carrying out in Iraq, especially in the field of energy production.

Gray stressed that GE is committed to the contracts it signed with the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity to improve and develop the electrical system in the country.

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Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) The Australian embassy in Iraq issued a statement condemning the desecration of the Quran in Copenhagen and the attack on the Swedish embassy in Baghdad.

The statement mentioned that Australia unequivocally opposes the desecration of the Quran and other religious texts.

The statement elaborated that such acts are provocative and entirely inconsistent with Australias firmly held belief in the freedom of religion and the equality of all people.

The Australian embassy expressed its disappointment at the failure to prevent recent Quran burnings in Copenhagen.

The statement also revealed that there are no Danish officials on the Australian embassy compound in Baghdad.

Australia supports the right to protest, but incursions into diplomatic premises cannot be justified. Australia expects governments to honor their obligations under the Vienna Convention to protect diplomatic missions and staff in all circumstances, according to the statement.

The statement added that Australia has a vibrant Muslim community, and many Iraqis call Australia home.

Two people burned a copy of the Quran outside the Iraqi embassy in Copenhagen on Monday, raising the possibility of a deterioration in relations between Iraq and Denmark.

One of the two people crushed the copy of the Quran into the ground with his feet and set it on fire, placing the Iraqi flag next to it on the ground.

The two people belong to a Danish anti-Islam group called Danske Patrioter (Danish Patriots), which carried out a similar incident last week, broadcasting it directly on Facebook.

The Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs mentioned in a statement that Iraq condemns the burning of the Quran outside its embassy in Copenhagen, according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA).

The Iraqi Foreign Ministry called on the authorities of the European Union to quickly reconsider the so-called freedom of expression and the right to demonstrate, INA reported.

Iran and Iraq witnessed protests after the authorities in Denmark and Sweden allowed the burning of copies of the Quran under laws protecting the right to freedom of expression.

Protesters in Iraq set fire to the Swedish embassy in Baghdad last Thursday.

Thousands of Iraqis demonstrated in Baghdad on Saturday to condemn the burning or tearing of copies of the Quran in Sweden and Denmark.

The spokesperson for the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Al-Sahhaf, announced on Monday that Danish diplomats left Baghdad two days ago.

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Hong Kong Hong Kong led a surge across markets Tuesday after Chinas leaders pledged fresh measures to boost the nations stuttering economy, building on optimism that central banks were nearing the end of their rate-hiking cycle.

With data in recent months showing growth stuttering and business activity slowing, Beijing has come under pressure to provide much-needed support, particularly for the vast property sector.

Despite a series of announcements and minor interest rate cuts, investors have been largely disappointed by the policy response from authorities, with very few concrete measures being unveiled.

However, top leaders on Monday signalled a fresh push to get the post-Covid recovery back on track, particularly the troubled property sector, which accounts for a major part of the worlds number-two economy.

After a meeting, the 24-person Politburo recognised the current economic operation is facing new difficulties and challenges and agreed they must implement precise and effective macroeconomic regulation, strengthen countercyclical regulation and policy reserves.

The meeting, headed by President Xi Jinping, also called for efforts to expand domestic consumption and adjust and optimise real estate policies in a timely manner, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

The overall stance remains in a pro-growth mindset, but the focus is more forward-looking with an increased emphasis on addressing structural challenges (i.e. local government debt) to facilitate longer-term sustainable growth, said Erin Xin at HSBC.

The announcement keeps a supportive tone, which can help provide some support for the recovery and it may provide some boost to market sentiment, she added.

While it was nowhere near the blockbuster spending plans seen in the past, the news gave investors a boost, with Hong Kong jumping nearly four percent thanks to a rally in real estate companies and tech giants.

Among the standout performers were developers Country Garden and Sunac, which piled on almost 20 percent each. The two firms are among several struggling under the weight of massive debts that have sent shivers through the industry. 

Investors now believe the Politburo meeting sets an encouraging tone for more substantial and comprehensive policy easing down the road, said SPI Asset Managements Stephen Innes.

Why is it different this time? Because the lawmakers acknowledged the problem. And to fix any problem, you must acknowledge there is a problem.

And Jizhou Dong, at Nomura Holdings, noted that confidence was lifted by the fact there was no use of the often-repeated message that housing is for living in but not for speculation, which had been a key part of policy-making since 2016, Bloomberg News said.

Shanghai climbed more than two per...

Nablus Israeli troops killed three Palestinians in the occupied West Bank Tuesday, the Palestinian health ministry said, the latest deaths in a surge of violence in the territory since early last year.

Three Palestinians have been killed by Israeli bullets in Nablus, the ministry said, adding the identities of those killed in the northern West Bank city were still unknown.

The Israeli army said three armed terrorists had opened fire on its soldiers from a vehicle in a Nablus neighbourhood and the troops fired back to neutralise them.

The soldiers recovered three M-16 rifles, a gun, cartridges and other military equipment, the army said in a statement.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since the Six-Day War of 1967.

Since early last year, the territory has seen a string of attacks by Palestinians on Israeli targets, as well as violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinian communities.

Violence linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict this year has killed at least 201 Palestinians, 27 Israelis, one Ukrainian and one Italian, according to an AFP tally compiled from official sources on both sides.

They include, on the Palestinian side, combatants as well civilians and, on the Israeli side, three members of the Arab minority.

The West Bank is home to nearly three million Palestinians, as well as around 490,000 Israelis who live in settlements considered illegal under international law.

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Paris Blistering heat that has baked swathes of North America and Europe this month would have been virtually impossible without human-caused climate change, researchers said Tuesday, as intense temperatures spark health alerts and stoke ferocious wildfires.

With tens of million people affected in the northern hemisphere and July on track to be the hottest month globally since records began, experts warn that worse is to come unless we reduce planet-heating emissions. 

Severe heatwaves have gripped southern Europe, parts of the United States, Mexico and China this month, with temperatures above 45 degrees Celsius. 

In the new rapid analysis of the scorching temperatures, scientists from the World Weather Attribution group found that the heatwaves in parts of Europe and North America would have been almost impossible without climate change.

Temperatures in China were made 50 times more likely by global warming, they found.  

The role of climate change is absolutely overwhelming, said climate scientist Friederike Otto, of the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment, Imperial College London. 

Intense temperatures have swept much of the southwest and southern United States including in Phoenix, Arizona, which suffered a record-breaking three straight weeks of highs above 43C.

Blazes on the Greek mainland and islands have caused tens of thousands to flee, sent tourists scrambling for evacuation flights and prompted the prime minister to say the country is at war. 

In Beijing, the government urged the elderly to stay indoors and children to shorten outdoor playtime to reduce exposure to the heat and ground-level ozone pollution.

More extreme

Scientists have already established that climate change with about 1.2C of global warming since the late 1800s has made heatwaves in general hotter, longer and more frequent. 

To trace how far the July heatwaves in the northern hemisphere had departed from what would have been expected without that warming, Otto and her WWA colleagues used weather data and computer model simulations to compare the climate as it is today with that of the past.

Researchers said they focused on periods when the heat was most dangerous in each region.

Otto said in the past it would have been basically impossible that such severe heat waves would happen at the same time and that people should no longer be surprised to see temperature records tumbling. 

The future could be even worse.  

As long as we keep burning fossil fuels we will see more and more of these extremes.

The researchers found that these severe heatwaves can now be expected roughly once every 15 years in North America, every 10 years in southern Europe and every five years in China.

And they...

Kyiv Karina, a seven-year-old war orphan who lives in Kyiv with her aunt, has vivid memories of life before her parents were killed fleeing invading Russian forces.

I remember mom and dad. Me and dad ate sausages, she says with a giggle. The sausages only with dad, she stresses, adding: I helped mum wash the dishes and clean up.

The swelling number of orphans like Karina has added to the pressure on a care system already in need of reform before Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year.

More than 9,000 children many of them traumatised by their experiences in the conflict have lost their parents due to the war, according to Ukrainian social services. 

Karinas mother and father died as the family tried to flee their village in the besieged northern region of Chernigiv in the early stages of the conflict.

An explosion potentially caused by a land mine or a shell killed her parents and catapulted Karina out of the car they were in.

She had a concussion because she flew out the window, says Karinas aunt Ruslana Nosenko.

On her back the burns were dark, dark blue. They have not healed completely, says Nosenko, 22, who took Karina in after she had been treated in hospital in Chernigiv.

Physically, I think she was very, very lucky, but psychologically she suffered a lot.

Family home

Over 100,000 children lived in Ukraines institutional orphanages before the war the largest number in Europe after Russia. 

Now, authorities are looking to place more children in foster homes and with families, providing financial incentives for carers.

But despite moves to make adoption easier, the process still involves too many hurdles for Nosenko.

You need to have an official income, unlike mine, says Nosenko, who studies in Kyiv and has a child of her own.

I simply couldnt process the adoption, and at this stage I cant process it either, because Im a student.

At their Kyiv apartment, Karina practices playing the keyboard for Nosenko, who acts as the girls guardian in lieu of adoption.

A month after the incident, Karina was reunited with her aunt, who broke the news of her parents death to the girl.

She was very nervous. She cried a lot, Nosenko says, recalling how Karina would wake up in the night sobbing.

Nosenko took Karina to a psychologist, who encouraged her to write letters to her parents to work through the trauma.

Protecting children from the psychological consequences of the war has become a challenge, according to Ukraines first lady Olena Zelenska, who has campaigned on the issue.

The horrors of war meant a large number of our children, li...

Los Angeles Tue Nguyen became a TikTok star by posting videos of herself cooking Vietnamese dishes during the pandemic.

With lockdowns over, the young chef has leapt from the virtual to the real world to open her first restaurant near Los Angeles.

I think thats always kind of been like a dream, Nguyen, 25, told AFP recently at Di Di, her restaurant in the vibrant suburb of West Hollywood.

But I honestly didnt know that it would come this fast.

Nguyen attended culinary school to learn the basics of the craft, but says she truly mastered gastronomy when she tapped into her heritage.

I genuinely didnt learn how to cook until I really looked back at what I grew up with. And thats the taste of my moms cooking.

Nguyen, who immigrated to the United States from Vietnam with her family as a child, credits her mother and stepfather as her main influences in the kitchen.

They remind me every time that Im in the kitchen to cook, to make good food and to trust your taste, Nguyen said.

Find my taste in the kitchen

Known on social media as @TwayDaBae, Nguyen first started posting mukbangs, or videos in which people livestream themselves eating.

But it was her cooking videos that made her genuinely popular on platforms like TikTok.

Nguyen began posting on social media just for fun, but she quickly saw that people had an appetite not only for eating but also for learning to recreate the food themselves.

And that was when I realized okay Im going to take this opportunity as a way for me to not only learn but also develop like my style of cooking and find my taste in the kitchen.

Unlike other chefs who rise to restaurant fame before they become media celebrities, Nguyen tried the opposite approach and began bringing her online dishes to the real world at pop-up restaurant venues.

The location of her first appearance is where she later opened Di Di.

With hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok, and millions of likes on her videos, Nguyen doesnt think sharing her recipes with the world will hurt her restaurant business.

A lot of times my recipes online are very easy to follow, Nguyen said. 

Here, Nguyen said of Di Di, its more polished.

My story, my heart

Filled with huge armchairs and golden lamps and decorated with tropical plants, Di Di the Vietnamese phrase for Lets go opened its doors on Thursday.

Nguyen, who takes care of every detail at Di Di, describes her cooking style as a blend of the techniques she learned in culinary school and the taste of her mothers cooking she grew up with....

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) The Jordanian Prime Minister, Bishr Hani Al-Khasawneh, stated on Monday that the second phase of the electrical interconnection with Iraq is progressing quickly, the Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported.

In a joint press conference with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, Al-Khasawneh mentioned that Iraqi-Jordanian relations are strong, highlighting the importance of military coordination to combat terrorism.

The Jordanian Prime Minister called for strengthened cooperation to fight drug cartels, pointing out that he discussed Iraqs need for renewable energy.

Al-Khasawneh illustrated that he also discussed the tripartite mechanism between Iraq, Jordan and Egypt, indicating that there are promising discoveries near the Iraqi-Jordanian border.

The Jordanian official arrived earlier on Monday in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, where he and Al-Sudani headed the meetings of the joint Iraqi-Jordanian committee.

The Iraqi Prime Minister elaborated that the bilateral meetings were constructive, specifying that important issues related to the economy, health, food security, and public security were discussed.

Al-Sudani illustrated that he supports cooperation between the Iraqi and Jordanian private sectors and encourages the Iraqi-Jordanian Business Council to invest in real estate development, housing, industrial and agricultural projects.

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Algiers Wildfires raging across Algeria during a blistering heatwave have killed more than 30 people and forced mass evacuations, the government said on Monday.

As temperatures hit 48 degrees Celsius (118 Fahrenheit) in parts of the North African country, it recorded 97 blazes across 16 provinces, fanned by strong winds, said the interior ministry.

The fires killed at least 34 people, including 10 soldiers, as they raged through residential areas, the interior ministry said, revising an earlier toll of 15 dead.

According to that initial toll, at least 26 people were also injured.

Some 1,500 people were evacuated from the Bejaia, Bouira and Jijel provinces east of the capital Algiers, according to the ministry.

The three provinces in Algerias Mediterranean coastal region have seen the worst of the fires.

President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on Monday expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased.

The interior ministry said that 7,500 firefighters and 350 firetrucks were mobilised with aerial support to fight the flames.

Operations were underway to extinguish fires in six provinces, it added, calling on citizens to avoid areas affected by the fires and to report new blazes on toll-free phone numbers.

Civil protection services remain mobilised until the fires are completely extinguished, the ministry said.

The Bejaia prosecutors office has ordered a preliminary probe to identify the causes of the blazes and potential perpetrators, it said in a statement.

Images shared by local media showed fields and forests that had caught fire in the area as well as charred vehicles and storefronts destroyed by the flames.

In the northeastern province of Tizi Ouzou, 15 fires were extinguished late Sunday, according to civil protection forces.

Fires regularly rage through forests and fields in Algeria in summer, and this year have been exacerbated by a heatwave that has seen several Mediterranean countries break temperature records.

Mediterranean heatwave

In neighbouring Tunisia, temperatures on Monday neared 50 degrees Celsius.

Tunisias state energy supplier STEG announced planned half-hour to one-hour power cuts in a bid to preserve the networks performance.

Fires raged again on Monday in a Tunisian pine forest near the border with Algeria, after another blaze in the area last week.

At least 300 people were evacuated by sea and by land from the village of Melloula, according to the national guard.

AFP journalists saw extensive damage near the town of Nefza, about 150 kilometres (90 miles) west of Tunis.

During last weeks fire, a border crossing had to close temporarily, according to Tunisian officials who confirmed 470 hectares (1,100 acres) of forest had been burned.

In some other North African countries such as Morocco and...

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) Lania Fakher, hailed as the youngest equestrian in Iraq, recently received a generous donation of horses from Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the present ruler of Dubai.

At only eight-years-old, Fakher has stirred deep emotions among social media users. In a touching video, she mourns the loss of her beloved horse, Jesno, which was a gift from her father at the age of five. The horse was her most valued and cherished companion.

Sheikh Mohammed was deeply moved by the young girl in the viral video. He has pledged his support to establish a personal training center for the aspiring rider, along with his gift of new horses.

Despite the veterinarians warning about the risks involved, Fakher continued to care for her sick horse, showing unwavering dedication and love. The young rider persists in making frequent visits to the horses grave, offering sugar and apples as a tribute, despite the profound pain she endures from the loss.

Fakher dreams of one day educating fellow young Iraqis about various disciplines of horse riding, showcasing the deep bond and harmony between riders and horses.

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