Saudi Arabia-backed consortium completes takeover of Newcastle United
Plus: Elections in Iraq, Afghanistan crisis, and a 2,700-year-old toilet found in Jerusalem.
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Elections in Iraq
Iraq is to hold a general election on October 10. It is its fifth parliamentary vote since the U.S.-led invasion toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003. Reuters provides an overview of who's competing in Iraq's elections. Have a look here.
Saudi Arabia-backed consortium completes takeover of Newcastle United
English Premier League football club Newcastle United have been taken over by a Saudi Arabian-backed consortium, the league said, after a protracted takeover and legal fight involving concerns about piracy and rights abuses in the kingdom. The $409m takeover by the Saudi Public Investment Fund collapsed last year over concerns about how much control the kingdom’s leadership would have in the running of Newcastle amid concerns about Saudi human rights abuses and the pirating of sports rights. Amnesty International has warned that the takeover represents “sportswashing” of the Gulf kingdom’s human rights record. Read the full story on Al-Jazeera.
Beirut blast judged resumes his work after political attacks
Lebanon’s appeals court on Monday rejected lawsuits filed against the lead investigator of the Beirut port explosion in a decision that allows him to resume his work. The lawsuits were part of a growing campaign by Lebanon’s political class against the investigation into the devastating port explosion of Aug. 4, 2020. The blast heavily destroyed parts of Beirut killed over 200 people and wounded over 6,000. Read more on AP.
Turkey ratifies the Paris Agreement
Turkey's parliament unanimously ratified the Paris Agreement on climate change on Wednesday. The vote followed President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's announcement at the UN General Assembly in September that Turkey would implement the accord in time for next month's UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow. Read the full story here.
Afghanistan crisis
Stefanie Glinski reports Afghanistan’s economic freefall for Foreign Policy. Since the Taliban takeover, Afghanistan has been plunged into an economic and financial crisis that has paralyzed banks and businesses, sent poverty and inflation rates skyrocketing, and threatens to undermine the new Taliban government almost from its inception, she writes. Read the full story here.
Jordan to supply electricity to Lebanon
Jordan said Wednesday that it was set to provide Lebanon with its electricity needs through Syria. This confirmation came after a ministerial meeting between the ministers of energies in Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria, according to a statement by the Lebanese Ministry of energy. Read more on The Daily Star - Lebanon.
Iran returns to talks over the nuclear deal in Vienna
The Biden administration has called for an “imminent” return to talks in Vienna to revive the Iran nuclear deal, but said a resumption of the negotiations is “hinging on the Iranians”. State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters on Thursday that Washington is willing to continue the talks as soon as Tehran agrees to re-engage in the negotiations, stressing that the path to diplomacy is still open. Read the full story here.
2,700-year-old toilet found in Jerusalem
Israeli archaeologists have found a rare ancient toilet in Jerusalem dating back more than 2,700 years when private bathrooms were a luxury in the holy city, authorities said Tuesday. The full story on AP.
This is all for this week. The main goal of Inshallah is hosting the best of journalism to give you the clearest information about what is happening in the Middle East and not let you behind.
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About me
My name is Dario Sabaghi, a freelance journalist. I am interested in human rights international news with a focus on the MENA area.
Check out my work at dariosabaghi.com.
You can follow me on Twitter: @DarioSabaghi
Cover photo: Getty Images: Owen Humphreys/PA Images