Duran leads Al Nassr past Yokohama Marinos into AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Al Ahli cruise past Buriram into AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Saudi Arabia offers condolences to Iran following deadly Bandar Abbas port explosion    Saudi Arabia welcomes Palestinian leadership reforms, appointment of Hussein Al-Sheikh    Ministry of Hajj issued over 150,000 Nusuk cards for the Hajj of 2025    Saudi Arabia deports 12,866 illegal residents in a week    Pope Francis laid to rest at historic funeral in Rome    Massive explosion at Iran's Shahid Rajaee Port injures over 500 people    SFDA clears first 44-ton medical shipment for Hajj pilgrims    Over 13 million worshipers pray at Rawdah Sharif in a year    Saudi orchestra to perform at Sydney Opera House in May    Al Hilal thrash Gwangju to reach AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Nammos Amala Resort to open soon with Saudi-Greek designs    Saudi Arabia completes 674 Vision 2030 initiatives, achieves 93% of KPIs as ninth-year milestone marked    GACA chief chairs 16th meeting of the Steering Committee on aviation's strategy    Alkhorayef praises advancements in Al-Kharj food industries sector    Saudi Theater Commission launches its Work and Learn Project in UK    The season has begun — and one comment shook us all    Average life expectancy in Saudi Arabia rises to78.8 years    Famed Philippine film star Nora Aunor dies at 71    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Protesters block truck traffic at Iraq's Umm Qasr port
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 23 - 08 - 2015

Iraqi security forces close a bridge leading to the heavily guarded Green Zone during a demonstration in Tahrir Square in Baghdad. Thousands rallied in Iraq's capital and a string of other cities to press demands for reforms, better services and an end to corruption. — AP
BASRA, Iraq — Protesters demanding government reforms have cut off road access to Iraq's southern Umm Qasr commodities port, officials said on Saturday, hampering activity at the harbor which receives grain shipments and heavy equipment used in the oil industry.
Dozens of demonstrators, who have closed the port's two main gates since Friday morning, set up tents overnight and refused to let trucks pass or employees enter the facility, said Ammar Al-Safi, a spokesman for the state-run General Company for Ports of Iraq.
Security forces were on hand to keep the protesters out of the port but had not moved to disperse them, said Safi and a security source.
Thousands of Iraqis protested on Friday in Baghdad and southern Iraqi cities, calling for reform of the judiciary, parliament and local governing bodies.
The demonstrations, which began last month in response to power cuts amid a sweltering heat wave, helped prompt a sweeping reform campaign by Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi.
The initiative is the biggest move yet by Abadi to strengthen his hand, even as nearly a third of Iraq's territory has fallen to the Daesh militants and the central government faces a financial crisis from the collapsing price of its oil exports.
Abadi sacked a third of his cabinet last week, reducing the number of ministers to 22 by eliminating positions or combining some ministries with others.
He earlier eliminated Iraq's three vice president positions, cut politicians' security details and other perks, encouraged corruption investigations and gave himself the power to fire provincial governors and regional officials.
The moves, aimed at reducing corruption and incompetence which critics say have made Iraq nearly ungovernable, followed a call by the country's leading Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani to “strike with an iron fist” against corruption.
On Friday Sistani again backed Abadi's reforms and said they should focus on the judiciary. — Reuters


Clic here to read the story from its source.