Israeli President Isaac Herzog termed the United States as a 'true ally'
world1 week ago
The death of a young YouTube star at the hands of her father has sparked outrage in Iraq, where so-called “honour killings” continue to take place in the conservative country.
Tiba Al Ali, 22, was killed by her father on January 31 in the southern province of Diwaniya, interior ministry spokesman Saad Maan said on Twitter on Friday.
Police had attempted to mediate between Ali -- who resided in Turkey and was visiting Iraq -- and her relatives to "resolve the family dispute in a definitive manner", Maan said.
Unverified recordings of conversations between Ali and her father appeared to indicate that he was unhappy about her decision to live alone in Turkey.
Maan said that after the police's initial encounter with the family "we were surprised the next day... with the news of her killing at the hands of her father, as he admitted in his initial confessions".
He did not give further details on the nature of the dispute.
Ali had gained a following on YouTube, where she posted videos of her daily life and in which her fiance often appeared.
A police source speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity meanwhile confirmed that the "family dispute" dated back to 2015.
She had travelled to Turkey with her family in 2017, but upon their return, she refused to join them, choosing instead to stay in Turkey where she resided since, the police source said.
Her death has sparked uproar among Iraqis on social media, who have called for protests in Baghdad on Sunday to demand justice in response to her death.
"Women in our societies are hostage to backward customs due to the absence of legal deterrents and government measures -- which currently are not commensurate with the size of domestic violence crimes," wrote veteran politician Ala Talabani on Twitter.
Amnesty International condemned the "horrific" killing, saying "the Iraqi penal code still treats leniently so called 'honour crimes' comprising violent acts such as assault and even murder".
"Until the Iraqi authorities adopt robust legislation to protect women and girls... we will inevitably continue to witness horrific murders," Amnesty's deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa, Aya Majzoub, said.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog termed the United States as a 'true ally'
world1 week ago
'All acts of escalation are condemnable and must stop', said the spokesman for the Secretary-General
world1 week ago
Indian agencies have uncovered a network that sold fake tickets or charged exorbitant prices for legitimate ones for both concerts
world1 week ago
Saturday's attack was one of the deadliest attacks in the area in recent months
world1 week ago
Satellite data from Brazil's space research agency Inpe showed that Bolivia had 70,628 fire hot-spots up until September 22
world1 week ago
According to airport authorities, flight operations will be halted starting 6:00 PM on Thursday
world1 week ago
Airport operations are currently impacted, and passengers should not come to the airport at this time, the spokesperson said
world1 week ago
A chemical leak as a result of the accident was contained, authorities said
world1 week ago