Iraq
An extraordinary development in Iraq. Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi has survived an assassination attempt in which two explosives-laden drones attacked his official residence, causing significant damage and wounding six of his bodyguards. The incident is a worrying escalation of a stand-off with Iran-backed militias that have refused to accept the results of a general election last month. No group immediately claimed responsibility but Al-Kadhimi said, “We know them well.”
More from Middle East Eye here
Ethiopia
The Ethiopian government has held a huge rally in the capital Addis Ababa, urging residents to protect the city from rebel groups who have said they are prepared to march on it if necessary. Demonstrators held placards, many of them in English, criticising Western nations that have threatened sanctions, as well as Western media organizations. After some significant battlefield success, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front and its allies have said they are prepared to take the capital if a government-imposed blockade on the northern Tigray region is not lifted.
More from Al Jazeera here.
Nicaragua
Nicaraguans went to the polls today in a presidential election widely dismissed as a sham after every significant opposition figure was jailed. Daniel Ortega, the 76-year-old president who has been in power since 2007 in his second stint as the country’s leader, is assured of victory, with his wife Rosario Murillo remaining vice president.
More from the Guardian here.