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Grief, Anger as Fire in Iraq Covid Unit Kills 64

Grief and anger gripped the Iraqi city of Nasiriyah after fire swept through a Covid isolation unit killing 64 people and wounding dozens more.

The devastating Monday evening blaze in the city's Al-Hussein Hospital, which medics said was fuelled by the explosion of oxygen canisters, was the second such fire in Iraq in three months. 

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Iraqis Remain Skeptical of Vaccines as Covid Cases Rise

War-scarred Iraq is seeing thousands of new Covid cases a day but few people wear face masks and even fewer are vaccinated, sparking fears of an "epidemiological catastrophe".

Healthcare workers say they are battling not just the pandemic but also a widespread skepticism over vaccines, borne of misinformation and public mistrust in the state.

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Israel to Deduct Palestinian Money over 'Terror' Payments

Israel said Sunday it would punish Palestinians for the practice of paying militants for attacks by freezing tax payments it collects for the Palestinian Authority.

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Israel Expands Gaza Fishing Zone, Allows More Imports

Israel said Monday it had expanded the fishing zone off Gaza and would allow additional imports into the blockaded Palestinian territory following "recent security calm."

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Jordan ex-Officials Handed 15-Year Jail Terms over 'Coup Plot'

A Jordanian court on Monday sentenced two former officials to 15 years in jail after finding them guilty of a coup plot that sparked a rare crisis in a kingdom seen as a pillar of stability in the region.

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EU Seeks Israel 'Fresh Start' as Minister Visits

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday the bloc was hoping for a fresh start with Israel's new government, as Foreign Minister Yair Lapid held talks in Brussels.

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Netanyahu Leaves Official Residence a Month after Losing Office

Israel's former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu formally departed his official Jerusalem residence early on Sunday, nearly a month after he was ousted by his successor Naftali Bennett.

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Iraq PM Visits Activist in Hospital after Abduction, Assault

Iraq's Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi early Sunday visited in hospital a pro-democracy activist who has been critical of pro-Iran armed factions, after the campaigner had been abducted and assaulted.

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Shell Lands near U.S.-Led Coalition Base in Syria

A mortar shell landed in a gas field in eastern Syria housing coalition forces, a war monitor reported on Sunday.

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Syria Raises Bread, Diesel Prices as Assad Hikes Wages

Steep bread and diesel price hikes went into force in government-held parts of war-torn Syria on Sunday, bringing more pain for civilians in a long-running economic crisis. 

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