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Yemen s internationally recognised government on Monday welcomed Washington s decision to designate the Iran-backed Houthi rebels and their leaders as global terrorists, effective from January 19.
The announcement was made only 10 days before US President Donald Trump leaves office. The designations are intended to hold Ansar Allah accountable for its terrorist acts, including cross-border attacks threatening civilian populations, infrastructure and commercial shipping, said US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, using the Houthis official name.
The rebels have led a brutal campaign that has killed many people, continues to destabilise the region and denies Yemenis a peaceful solution to the conflict in their country, Mr Pompeo said.
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Iraq is set to receive its first batch of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine in early February.
The country struggled to contain the virus when it erupted last March, with cases reaching nearly 4,000 a day, and it has recorded more than 600,000 cases.
“Pfizer staff will train Iraqi healthcare workers upon delivery of the vaccine, which will be available at the beginning or middle of next month,” Riyadh Al Halfi, the Director General of Public Health at the Health Ministry, said in a statement to the state news agency.
Mr Al Halfi said the ministry has developed a plan that included providing coolers for the vaccine.
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Deadly clashes erupted between Iraqi security forces and anti-government protesters on Sunday in the southern city of Nasiriyah following the death of two activists and a policeman.
The protests started last Friday after security forces arrested an activist in the city’s Haboubi Square.
Footage showed protesters running and chanting while security forces confronted them with teargas and gunshots, injured. One policeman was killed and 33 others were injured during the events that took place today, Sunday, in the city of Nasiriyah, Dhi Qar Governorate,
the country s security forces said.
Two civilians were killed during the p
ast 48 hours, the Iraqi High Commission of Human Rights, told