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After riots in Iraq, the Shiite preacher Muqtada al-Sadr called on his followers to withdraw. A nationwide curfew was lifted. After two days of violent protests that left more than 37 dead, the first supporters of Iraqi Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr left the government district in Baghdad. In a speech at his headquarters, al-Sadr had previously urged his supporters to evacuate the so-called Green Zone in the center within 60 minutes. If they don't do this, he himself will withdraw from his own movement, al-Sadr said in a televised address. He apologized to the Iraqi people. He had hoped for peaceful protests. The unrest in Iraq broke out after al-Sadr's announcement that he intends to withdraw from politics. He accused rivals of having ignored calls for reforms. His followers then took up arms. Several people were killed in the riots on Monday. Government palace stormed In the heavily secured Green Zone, militias from both sides fought each other. According to the Iraqi securit...

Islamic State fighters have attacked a Syrian prison where ISIS supporters are being held. Eleven soldiers were killed in a raid in Iraq. The Islamist militia Islamic State (IS) has killed more than 70 people in attacks in Syria and Iraq. In north-eastern Syria, militants have attacked a prison in the city of Al-Hassaka where at least 3,500 suspected ISIS members are being held there. More than 20 Kurdish security forces and nearly 40 IS members were killed, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Eleven soldiers were killed in a raid on a military base in eastern Iraq, local authorities said. The fighters reported on both attacks via Amaq, the IS news channel. The aim of storming the prison in Hassakeh was "to free the prisoners," the extremists said. At least 23 Kurdish security forces and 39 IS fighters were killed in the fighting, according to the UK-based Observatory for Human Rights. Some prisoners escaped.  Russia Announces International Maneuvers The more than 1...

After three months, the state of emergency in Poland will expire in the border region with Belarus. But a new law allows journalists to continue to be denied access. After the end of the three-month state of emergency , Poland is restricting access to the border area with Belarus with a new law. The regulation passed by the Polish parliament and signed by President Andrzej Duda makes it possible, on the recommendation of the national border protection authority, to deny access to an area 15 kilometers wide for security reasons. Exceptions should only be made for residents or for people who work or study there. The border guard management also decides on access for journalists. The controversial state of emergency for the border region, which has been in force since September, automatically expires at midnight. Russia Tests Another Hypersonic Missile According to Polish law, the state of emergency can only be imposed for a maximum of three months. The government in Warsaw had proclaimed...

Many civilians were killed in the air strike in 2019 - something the military tried to cover up, according to a media report. Now it is about possible legal consequences. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has ordered a re-investigation into a deadly US military air strike in Syria in March 2019.  According to his spokesman, John Kirby, General Michael Garrett was tasked with the examination. This should decide within 90 days whether those involved should be held accountable. Many civilians, including children, were killed in the attack. Classification as a possible war crime The attack, first fully covered by the New York Times this month, occurred near the city of Baghus in eastern Syria, near the border with Iraq.  US Defends Airstrikes That Kill 'Civilians' In Syria The newspaper reported that a military judiciary was quick to classify the attack as a possible war crime that warranted an investigation.  However, the armed forces intervened in phases to cover up th...

At the border between Poland and Belarus, the situation is only apparently easing. Many refugees are still stuck, it is difficult to take care of them - and it is getting colder. For weeks, the news situation on the Polish-Belarusian border was the same: Thousands of people were stuck in catastrophic humanitarian conditions between the two countries, lured by the false promise of the Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko to get safe conduct into the EU. In the past week something suddenly seemed to move: The EU decided on further sanctions against the regime in Minsk, at the same time Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke to Lukashenko on the phone. Suddenly he agreed to provide overnight accommodation and buses to bring people back inland from the forests in the border area. At that time, the Polish authorities suspected around 4,000 people in the border area. The Belarusian regime accommodated 2,000 people in a logistics center near the border, and according to official information, several...

The death of nearly 30 refugees creates tension between Britain and France. The English Channel should not become a cemetery, said Emmanuel Macron. Britain and France blame each other after at least 27 people died in the English Channel. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called for stricter controls on France.  The measures taken so far have not been enough to deter migrants from making the dangerous crossing, he said. The mayor of the French coastal city of Calais, Natacha Bouchart, accused Johnson of cowardice in return. The prime minister takes no responsibility. On Wednesday, a boat with 33 migrants who wanted to cross illegally to Great Britain capsized in the English Channel . According to French sources, at least 27 people died, including five women and a girl. Two people are said to be in critical condition in the hospital. They were suffering from severe hypothermia, it was said. EU Commission Threatens Airlines With Sanctions For People Smuggling Four suspected smuggle...

From visas to taxis to the border: the EU accuses Belarus of organized migration. The Commission intends to sanction the travel companies involved in this in the future. In the refugee dispute with Belarus, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen spoke out in favor of sanctioning options for travel companies. The EU Commission is proposing a blacklist for all transport companies involved in human trafficking and human smuggling, said von der Leyen in the European Parliament in Strasbourg.  The legislative proposal had been submitted to the European Parliament and the member states. In its organized migration strategy, Belarus is "specifically relying on the complicity of tour operators and their middlemen," said von der Leyen. There are specialized travel agencies that offer migrants everything from visas to flights and hotels to taxis to the border.  That is why we propose a black list for all modes of transport and modes of transport on the basis of international agree...

Violence between refugees and security forces has again broken out on the border between Belarus and Poland. There were several injured. Several people were injured in violent clashes between Polish security forces and refugees on the Belarusian border. Polish security forces said they used tear gas and water cannons against refugees after stones were thrown at them from their ranks. Seven police officers, a border guard and a soldier were injured. According to Belarusian sources, several refugees also had to receive medical treatment. The Polish Ministry of Defense said there had been "an attack by migrants" to which the security forces had responded. The situation escalated when refugees tried to destroy the border fence near the Bruzgi-Kuznica crossing. Read also:  Belarusian Border: Polish Border Guards Use Water Cannons Against Migrants According to the Belarusian Ministry of Health, around 20 of the migrants currently camping on the Polish border have received medical t...