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A10 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 6 november 2019
3 protesters killed in clashes as Iraq tries to reopen port

By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA ing apps remain blocked
Associated Press or degraded." Authorities
BAGHDAD (AP) — At least shut down internet access
three anti-government pro- and blocked social media
testers have been killed in sites several times during
clashes with security forces the protests in October, but
in southern Iraq, officials Netblocks said the latest
said Tuesday, as authorities shutdown was the most se-
tried to reopen the coun- vere yet.
try's main port, which had Abdul-Mahdi has ex-
been blocked by demon- pressed support for the
strators for three days. protesters' demands and
Security and medical of- condemned violence on
ficials said a protester was all sides while resisting calls
killed and eight more were to step down. He has urged
wounded in Umm Qasr, protesters to reopen roads
a key oil terminal on the so that life can return to
Persian Gulf. The Iraqi High normal, saying the disrup-
Commission for Human tions are costing billions of
Rights, a semi-official agen- dollars.
cy, said two people were He met with senior judicial
killed and 23 wounded in and security officials at the
clashes in the southern city Protesters stage a sit-in under a bridge that leads to the Green Zone where many government Federal Police Headquar-
of Nasiriyah. offices and embassies are located, during ongoing anti-government protests in Baghdad, Iraq, ters late Monday to dis-
The officials, who spoke Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019. cuss how to restore stability
on condition of anonymity Associated Press while preserving the right
because they were not au- killed at least 267 protesters torched the offices of po- set tires and trash contain- to protest and to protect
thorized to talk to reporters, in two major waves of anti- litical parties linked to Iran. ers ablaze within 500 me- private property, a govern-
said security forces in Umm government demonstra- On Sunday night, they at- ters (yards) of the offices, ment statement said.
Qasr fired live ammunition tions since Oct. 1 in Bagh- tacked the Iranian Consul- sending huge clouds of The British Embassy urged
and tear gas, and that pro- dad and across the mostly ate in the Shiite holy city black smoke into the sky. Iraq's government to en-
testers seized an armored Shiite south. The protesters of Karbala. In Baghdad, Netblocks, a group that sure security forces "protect
vehicle. Video showed want an overhaul of the protesters crossed a Tigris monitors worldwide internet protesters and act appro-
dozens of protesters run- political system established River bridge on Monday access, reported a major priately." It said on its Face-
ning on a road near the after the 2003 U.S.-led inva- and clashed with security shutdown by Iraqi authori- book page: "Peaceful pro-
port with gunfire crackling sion, accusing the govern- forces near the headquar- ties overnight, with usage test is the right of the Iraqi
in the distance. ment and major parties of ters of state-run TV and the in Baghdad and southern people. Violence against
"This is Iraqi blood on the corruption and incompe- office of Prime Minister Adel Iraq dropping to 19% of them is unacceptable."
ground!" one of the protest- tence in dealing with the Abdul-Mahdi. At least five normal. It said the internet U.S. Secretary of State Mike
ers screamed. "Iraqi blood economy and unemploy- protesters and a member was partially restored early Pompeo said last week that
is being spilled because of ment. of the security forces were Tuesday, but that "some Iraq's government should
this rotten government." In southern Iraq, protest- killed, and scores were networks are still offline and listen to the protesters' "le-
Security forces in Iraq have ers have ransacked and wounded. The protesters social media and messag- gitimate demands."q

Yemen’s government, separatists sign deal to stop infighting

By SAMY MAGDY loyal to Hadi, which are The agreement further dic-
Associated Press backed by Saudi Arabia. tates that both sides pull
CAIRO (AP) — Yemen's in- Tuesday's power-sharing their forces out of Aden,
ternationally recognized deal allows for President and says all sides would be
government signed a pow- Hadi to return to Aden and under the Saudi-led coali-
er-sharing deal on Tuesday envisages a new Cabinet. tion's control. It leaves only
with southern separatists A copy of the deal ob- a unit of the presidential
backed by the United Arab tained by The Associated guard in Aden to protect
Emirates. The deal aims to Press also shows the sepa- Hadi, while coalition forces
end months of infighting in ratists agreed to disband will protect the southern
the country's south. their militias, which would separatists' leaders.
The two groups are in an be integrated into Hadi's Peter Salisbury, Yemen ex-
alliance against Yemen's forces within three months. pert at the Crisis Interna-
Houthi rebels. But their In return, the southern sep- tional Group, a Brussels-
deadly clashes have ex- aratists are to take part in based think tank, said the
posed a potential rift in In this photo released by the Saudi Royal Palace, Yemeni Southern United Nations-brokered agreement solves two
Transitional Council member and former Aden Governor Nasser
the anti-Houthi bloc and al-Khabji, left, and Yemen's deputy Prime Minister Salem al- talks between Hadi's gov- short-term problems, if it
threatened to further de- Khanbashi sign a power-sharing deal in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, ernment and the Houthi can be successfully imple-
stabilize the Arab world's Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019. rebels. mented. It prevents a war-
poorest country. Associated Press Those talks aim to end the within-a-war between the
Saudi Arabia's state TV Rabbo Mansour Hadi, has men. wider conflict in Yemen, southern separatists and
broadcast the signing cer- been in exile since 2014, In August, the UAE-backed which has killed tens of Hadi's government. It also
emony in the Saudi capi- when the Houthis took con- southern separatists took thousands of people and provides more credibility to
tal, Riyadh. That's where trol of the capital Sanaa control of Aden, the tem- caused near-famine con- future government nego-
Yemen's president, Abed and much of northern Ye- porary capital, from forces ditions in some areas. tiations with the Houthis. q