Former Iraqi PM returns to Baghdad despite security threats

DAMASCUS: Participants in Syria’s national dialogue conference affirmed on Tuesday their rejection of “provocative” statements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has said no Syrian armed forces should be deployed south of Damascus.
In a closing statement read out by Houda Atassi, a member of the conference’s preparatory committee, the attendees stressed their “rejection of the provocative statements by the Israeli prime minister.”
They also called on the international community to pressure Israel to stop any “aggression and violations,” while condemning “the Israeli incursion into Syrian territory.”
On Sunday, Netanyahu said: “We will not allow forces from the HTS organization or the new Syrian army to enter the area south of Damascus,” referring to the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham which spearheaded the offensive that toppled Bashar Assad in December.
“We demand the complete demilitarization of southern Syria, including the Quneitra, Daraa and Suwayda provinces,” the Israeli prime minister declared at a military ceremony.
In Suwayda city, whose surrounding province is predominantly Druze Arab, hundreds of people gathered to protest against Netanyahu.
In Damascus, dozens of protesters gathered outside the headquarters of the United Nations, AFP photographers reported.
“I am here to support the people of my country and to affirm that Syria is sovereign over its entire territory,” Marwa Al-Maqbil, an artist at the protest, told AFP.
There were similar protests in Daraa and Quneitra in the south, in Latakia and Tartus in the west and in Aleppo in the north of Syria, according to the official SANA news agency.
Before the overthrow of Assad, his forces abandoned their positions in the south of the country ahead of the arrival of armed rebels in Damascus.
At the time, Israel launched an incursion into the UN-patrolled buffer zone between Israeli and Syrian forces on the Golan Heights.
It also launched hundreds of air strikes on Syrian military positions, saying it was moving to prevent strategic weapons from falling into the hands of groups hostile to Israel.
On Sunday, Netanyahu said Israeli troops would remain in the buffer zone “for an indefinite period to protect our communities and thwart any threat.”

AQABA: Queen Rania of Jordan visited Al-Quwayrah District in Aqaba on Tuesday, where she met with female entrepreneurs and community leaders benefiting from income-generating projects supported by the Jordan River Foundation.

During a meeting at Al-Quwayrah Youth Center, the queen engaged with beneficiaries of civil society organizations that receive grants from the Royal Hashemite Court, Jordan News Agency reported.

These projects, implemented in partnership with the Aqaba Governorate Council and JRF, have created sustainable incomes for over 100 families in the region by supporting small-scale ventures in agriculture, services, and handicrafts.

Commending the initiative, Queen Rania praised the entrepreneurs for their dedication to building businesses that provide new income streams and contribute to community development. She highlighted the crucial role of youth and women-led enterprises in fostering economic growth at the grassroots level.

The queen was welcomed at Al-Quwayrah Youth Center by its director, Ali Njadat, along with Ahmad Ghnaimat, director of the Queen Rania Al-Abdullah Community Empowerment Center in Aqaba; Fadia Al-Amamreh, president of the Golden Triangle Charitable Society; and Hadwa Njadat, president of the Nashmyiat Al-Quwayrah Society for the Welfare of Orphans.

As part of her visit, the queen toured two small businesses supported by community empowerment programs. She visited the home of Harba Al-Rkeibat, also known as Um Enad, who operates a home-based breadmaking business alongside a carpet cleaning venture. The queen also stopped by a print shop owned by Ali Manaj’aa, which has provided employment opportunities for local youth.

Queen Rania also visited the Children’s Mobile Museum, currently stationed at the youth center. Launched in 2012, the initiative brings interactive learning experiences to children across Jordan who may not have access to the main Children’s Museum in Amman.

In 2024 alone, the mobile museum welcomed nearly 45,000 visitors, including school groups, families, and charitable organizations.