Julian Bechocha

Chaldean Catholic | Editor @thenewregion | Formerly @RudawEnglish | @statedept alumnus | Views = my own | RT/L ≠ endorsement

[Julian Bechocha @JBechocha]

“We are prepared to use the full range of tools to enact the President’s policy, and have committed this to Iraqi political leadership,” a US State Department spokesperson told me on Nouri al-Maliki's potential return to the Iraqi premiership.

https://t.co/oC3rLzB92P

[The New Region @thenewregion]

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday stressed that Washington will no longer help Baghdad if former premier Nouri al-Maliki becomes the next prime minister, criticizing his “insane policies and ideologies.”

https://t.co/EZuwiuFXZv

[Julian Bechocha @JBechocha]

Iraqis are heading to the polls to vote in the heavily contested parliamentary elections despite a low expected voter turnout.

Our team at The New Region is covering the election as it unfolds. Stay tuned for projections and results!

[The New Region @thenewregion]

As the countdown begins toward the closure of polling stations across Iraq, here is a recap of the key highlights of the parliamentary vote at the midday mark

[The New Region @thenewregion]

In an alley near Erbil’s citadel, a gunsmith has fixed weapons for Peshmerga and security forces for nearly four decades, a craft handed down to him from his father and one he has now passed down to his son

Read more:
https://t.co/6HaT9EZMjq

[Rudaw English @RudawEnglish]

“We just want the war to stop,” said Yara Saad, a young Druze woman from Suwayda now living in Erbil. She fears her father was killed in the recent clashes.

✍️:@donyaseifqazi

READ MORE: https://t.co/izZjl4Hy2x

[Rudaw English @RudawEnglish]

As the Israel-Iran conflict further escalates with global headlines centered on Tehran, the western Kurdish region has seen intense bombardment, forcing citizens to flee their homes with Israeli strikes pounding military sites, locals told @donyaseifqazi.

https://t.co/H1viq7xF5R

[Rudaw English @RudawEnglish]

#BREAKING: Close-up video shows a blast after a projectile crashes down in Erbil.

[Rudaw English @RudawEnglish]

The US Embassy in Baghdad and the Consulate General in Erbil remain “open and operating” despite tensions between arch-rivals Israel and Iran, with hundreds of ballistic missiles being exchanged, an embassy spokesperson told Rudaw English on Friday.

https://t.co/8gkkK6q68F

[Julian Bechocha @JBechocha]

“The ordered departure is for the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and the U.S. Consulate General in Erbil,” a US Embassy spokesperson told me, as Washington and Tehran continue to exchange blows amid faltering nuclear talks.

[Rudaw English @RudawEnglish]

The ordered departure of non-essential US personnel from Iraq also applies to staff at the US Consulate General in Erbil, the US Embassy in Baghdad confirmed to Rudaw English on Thursday, as regional tensions continue to boil over.

https://t.co/uKd45cfNfm

[Julian Bechocha @JBechocha]

Ankawa is fed up with the massive spread of prostitution, nightclubs, and brothels that have become a nightmare for its residents.

My latest for @RudawEnglish - on my hometown.

[Rudaw English @RudawEnglish]

Residents of Erbil’s Christian majority district of Ankawa are preparing to protest with renewed anger over “immoral behavior” that has gripped the town, stemming from the “unprecedented” number of brothels and nightclubs. https://t.co/CMLrqWaQBB

[Rudaw English @RudawEnglish]

Two Assyrian Christians were critically injured in an axe attack during celebrations of Akitu, the Assyrian-Babylonian New Year, in central Duhok, well-informed sources told Rudaw English, with the assailant shouting “Islamic State” while being tackled.
https://t.co/9zhk9bWOda

[Rudaw English @RudawEnglish]

Women in Iran are worried as a new law is about to come into force. Dubbed the “chastity and hijab” law, the legislation has been criticized for severely restricting women's liberties, and imposing heavy penalties for noncompliance.

✍🏻: @donyaseifqazi
https://t.co/vE0kUwvBUg

[Karwan Faidhi Dri @KarwanFaidhiDri]

All you need to know about jihadists' attack on Aleppo:

🟠Syrian army is losing
🟠Kurds say they are next, blame Turkey
🟠Iran reiterates support for Assad, blames Israel
🟠Russia calls on the regime to "restore order"
🟠Turkey hints anti-SDF op

https://t.co/3F1zZ8AQwB

[ASJ @alisarbazj]

Along with @JBechocha attending AIBs Gala Party. Rudaw today is competing with BBC, CNN, CNA and TRT for the best coverage of a breaking news.

[Aveen Karim @aveeenkarim]

After a 2 year delay, the Kurdistan Region’s elections are finally underway albeit at a time of deep divisions between the KDP and PUK and wider regional conflict. For the first time since 1992, smaller opposition parties are projected to make gains.

https://t.co/UqKHXyTaFq

[Rudaw English @RudawEnglish]

The Kurdistan Region is set to head to the polls on Sunday to vote in its repeatedly-delayed parliamentary election with 1,191 candidates vying for a spot in the 100-seat legislature.

Who’s who in Kurdistan’s parliamentary elections?

✍️: @JBechocha https://t.co/djqDsxKQcK

[Julian Bechocha @JBechocha]

The Kurdistan Region will tomorrow head to the polls to elect a new parliament, over 6 years since elections last took place.

This cycle’s roadmap has been riddled in disputes, mostly between KDP-PUK with an ever-assertive and strong Baghdad.

My latest:
https://t.co/2tCu3Jx5g2

[Joe Snell @joesnellreports]

Another round of Turkish bombings today in northern Iraq in the Nahla Valley’s Assyrian village of Rabatkeh. In recent weeks, homes and churches have been damaged and fields destroyed. Villagers fight the flames themselves with donated equipment. (📸 Ramsina Zaya)

[Karwan Faidhi Dri @KarwanFaidhiDri]

Turkish player sparks uproar after celebrating Euro goal with ultranationalist salute

✍️: @JBechocha

https://t.co/XCTjSmrx49

[Rudaw English @RudawEnglish]

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Wednesday set October 20 as the new date for the Kurdistan parliamentary elections, with obstacles for the vote seemingly cleared after multiple delays and prolonged political wrangling.
https://t.co/yNaq7hDUSb