CNN – Europe/Mideast/Africa

By Ivana Kottasová, CNN The bruises on Maria Árnadóttir’s body were numerous, ranging in color from pale yellow to deep purple. According to court documents, the injuries were caused by Árnadóttir’s boyfriend throwing her around the room while trying to wrestle her phone away from her after she threatened to call the police. For days

By Sheena McKenzie, CNN The Netherlands entered a strict new lockdown Sunday due to fears over the Omicron coronavirus variant, and the UK’s health minister wouldn’t rule out further restrictions, as Europe braces for a surge in Covid-19 infections over the usually busy festive period. Indoor gatherings in the Netherlands will now be limited to

CNN Editorial Research Here’s a look at the life of Ibrahim al-Jaafari, former prime minister of Iraq. Personal Birth date: 1947 Birth place: Karbala, Iraq Marriage: Married, name unavailable publicly Children: Five Education: Mosul University, M.D., 1974 Religion: Shiite Muslim Timeline 1968 – Joins the Islamic Dawa Party. Al Dawa (formally the Hizb al-Dawa al-Islamiyya

CNN Editorial Research Here’s a look at the life of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Personal Birth date: 1935 Birth place: Safed, Palestine Marriage: Amina Abbas Children: Three sons Mazen (died in 2002), Yasser and Tareq Education: Damascus University, B.A.; Oriental College (in Moscow), Ph.D. Other Facts His family left the British Mandate area Safed, Palestine,

Story by Reuters Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala’s new center-right government took office on Friday facing soaring inflation and energy costs, record budget deficits and the dragging Covid-19 pandemic. The 57-year-old former university professor leads a coalition of five parties spanning his fiscally conservative Civic Democrats to the more liberal Pirates party which is entering

By Andrew Carey, CNN An Israeli man has died in a shooting in the West Bank, according to the Israeli army and emergency responders. An unknown assailant, or assailants, opened fire on a car near the settler outpost of Homesh, about 20 kilometers (approximately 12 miles) to the northwest of Nablus, an army spokesman said.

By Amy Cassidy and Jack Guy, CNN The Dutch royal family threw an outdoor party for Princess Amalia’s 18th birthday at the weekend that fell outside the government’s Covid-19 guidelines, with King Willem-Alexander admitting it was “not right.” According to a letter sent by Prime Minister Mark Rutte to the Dutch parliament, dated Thursday, the

CNN Editorial Research Here is a look at the life of Pakistan‘s former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Personal Birth date: December 25, 1949 Birth place: Lahore, Pakistan Birth name: Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Father: Muhammad Sharif Mother: Shamim Akhtar Marriage: Kulsoom Sharif (until September 11, 2018, her death) Children: two sons and two daughters Education:

CNN Editorial Research Here is a look at the life of Khaled Meshaal, former political leader of Hamas. Personal Birth date: 1956 Birth place: Silwad, West Bank Birth name: Khaled Meshaal Father: Imam, name unknown publicly Mother: Name unknown publicly Marriage: Name unknown publicly, (1981-present) Children: Seven Education: Kuwait University, Bachelor of Science in Physics,

CNN Editorial Research Here’s a look at the life of Sudan’s former leader, Omar al-Bashir. Personal Birth date: January 1, 1944 Birth place: Hosh Bannaga, Sudan Birth name: Omar Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir Father: Name unavailable publicly Mother: Name unavailable publicly Marriages: Fatima Khalid; Widad Babiker Omer Education: Sudan Military Academy, 1966 Military service: Sudanese Armed

CNN Editorial Research Here is a look at the life of Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, who succeeded his half brother King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz on January 22, 2015. Personal Birth date: December 31, 1935 Birth place: Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Father: King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman al Saud Mother: Hassa bint Ahmed al-Sudairi

CNN Editorial Research Here’s a look at the life of Ayad Allawi, the former interim Prime Minister of Iraq. Personal Birth date: 1945 Birth place: Iraq Marriage: Thana Allawi (1987-present) Children: Three Education: Studied medicine/neurology in Baghdad and London. Religion: Shia Muslim Timeline 1960s – Joins the Baath Party while in medical school in Baghdad.

By Arnaud Siad, CNN Germany hasn’t ordered enough vaccines nor stocked enough to keep its vaccination campaign going through the first quarter of the year, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said on Tuesday, amid fears that the country’s fourth wave of the pandemic might continue to spiral out of control. “I have been working for days

By Arnaud Siad and Jack Guy, CNN Malta is set to become the first European Union country to legalize cannabis for recreational use. The bill is expected to be signed into effect later this week by Malta’s President George Vella after legislators approved a bill by a majority vote in Parliament on Tuesday. “And the

By Allegra Goodwin and Joshua Berlinger, CNN Sergey Tikhanovsky, the husband of Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison at a high-security penal colony, Belarusian state media BelTA reported on Tuesday. After a trial that took place largely behind closed doors, Tikhanovsky was convicted on charges including “organizing mass