Nasrin Sotoudeh: Iran human rights lawyer jailed for 38 years, say family

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Ms Sotoudeh is one of at least seven human rights lawyers arrested in Iran last year A prominent Iranian human rights lawyer has been sentenced to a total of 38 years in jail and 148 lashes in Tehran, her family say. Nasrin Sotoudeh was charged with several national security-related […]

Hakeem al-Araibi, refugee footballer, gets Australian citizenship

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Hakeem al-Araibi says he feels secure now A refugee footballer whose detention in Thailand sparked a global outcry has become an Australian citizen after a ceremony in Melbourne. Hakeem al-Araibi was accused by the Bahraini government of vandalising a police station during the Arab Spring uprising in 2011. He […]

Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika drops bid for fifth term

Image copyright AFP Image caption Abdelaziz Bouteflika, pictured here in 2017, has not spoken in public since 2014 Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has postponed the 18 April presidential elections and said he will not seek a fifth term in office. President Bouteflika’s candidacy had provoked mass protests across Algeria over the past few weeks. He […]

Iran’s President Rouhani seeks Iraqi help to mitigate US sanctions

Image copyright AFP Image caption Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (L) was welcomed by his Iraqi counterpart, Barham Saleh Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani has begun his first official visit to Iraq since taking office five years ago. After meeting his Iraqi counterpart, Mr Rouhani said he wanted deeper political and economic ties between their states, which […]

Iran’s President Rouhani seeks Iraqi help to mitigate US sanctions

Image copyright AFP Image caption Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (L) was welcomed by his Iraqi counterpart, Barham Saleh Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani has begun his first official visit to Iraq since taking office five years ago. After meeting his Iraqi counterpart, Mr Rouhani said he wanted deeper political and economic ties between their states, which […]

Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot wades into Netanyahu row over Israeli Arabs

Image copyright Getty Images Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot has defended a fellow actress who is embroiled in a row with the prime minister over Israel’s Arab minority. “Love your neighbour as yourself,” she said, amid wrangling over the role of Israeli Arab parties in upcoming polls. PM Benjamin Netanyahu caused a stir when he […]

Algeria protests: Judges refuse to oversee poll

Media captionAlgeria protesters chant: “Peaceful! Peaceful!” More than 1,000 judges in Algeria say they will refuse to oversee next month’s election if President Abdelaziz Bouteflika is a candidate. The 82-year-old’s decision to run for a fifth term has prompted big nationwide protests, the biggest threat so far to his 20-year rule. The judges say they […]

SDF attack Islamic State group’s Syria enclave Baghuz

Image copyright AFP/Getty Image caption The Syrian Democratic Forces, backed by the US, are fighting to clear Baghuz of militants The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have launched another assault on the Islamic State group’s last enclave in Syria. Head of the SDF media office, Mustafa Bali, tweeted their troops were in “direct violent clashes”. […]

Shamima Begum: ‘Not safe’ to rescue IS bride’s baby, says Hunt

Media captionShamima Begum: “I got tricked and I was hoping someone would have sympathy with me” It was too dangerous to send British officials to rescue Shamima Begum’s baby son in Syria, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said. The child died in a refugee camp after his mother, who joined IS in 2015, was stripped […]

SDF attack Islamic State group’s Syria enclave Baghuz

Image copyright AFP/Getty Image caption The Syrian Democratic Forces, backed by the US, are fighting to clear Baghuz of militants The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have launched another assault on the Islamic State group’s last enclave in Syria. Head of the SDF media office, Mustafa Bali, tweeted their troops were in “direct violent clashes”. […]