Photo Source: Al Jazeera By Naveed Qazi | Editor, Globe Up Front Lebanon held its first election in nine years in 2018.  Apart from native voters, Lebanese expats living in six Arab states cast their votes in this important election, which has eventually paved a way for a democracy. The West-backed Saad Hariri is all set to become the prime minister yet again, although he has been weakened in numbers. Many commentators blame this on the waning support from Saudi Arabia and his decreasing wealth. His Future Movement (FM), has largely a Sunni voter base. It was the biggest bloc during the 2005 and 2009 election. But there have been accusations of voter fraud. The electoral commission recorded around 7,000 violations on the voting day. Although, there had been a wider participation of women in this election and a broad civil society consensus, who challenged the traditional elites. Having said that, the political space in Lebanon is diverse and vibrant. Aounists, ...

Photo Source: Kurdistan 24 By Naveed Qazi | Editor, Globe Up Front The May 12, 2018 parliamentary election in Iraq was described by Western media as a ‘landmark victory of democracy’ after years of instability and sectarian violence. It was the first national vote since the defeat of the Islamic State in Mosul in 2017, and the government sealed airports and land borders during polling for security reasons, according to Associated Press and Reuters. The election was contested across Iraq’s fragmented political landscape, with Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish blocs vying for influence. The Sunni vote, traditionally concentrated among parties such as The Arab Project, Mutahidoon (United Project) and the Wataniya alliance, had diminished compared to earlier elections. Analysts noted that Sunni parties no longer commanded the numbers they once did, reflecting demographic shifts and political disillusionment, as Al Jazeera and Middle East Eye reported. Meanwhile, the Nasr alliance led by H...

Photo source: USA Today By Naveed Qazi | Editor, Globe Up Front It was a day to symbolise the sufferings of Palestinian Muslims, who were expelled from their homeland.  But something tragic happened.  The day of sympathy, for 700,000 Palestinians expelled during the 1948 war, turned into a mass killing of people. The 70 th anniversary turned into a macabre, a bloodbath. A 31-year-old Nasser was shot in the chest, about 800 meters away from the fence. At the hospital, his heart stopped beating. One of the teenagers, an 18-year-old, Bilal al-Ashram, son of Nisma Abdelqader, was shot straight in the head. His brother, at the local morgue, had been shocked about his death. On Facebook, Bilal had written a post the previous day, where he insisted to go to Bir Se’ba, a city in the south, from where his family had been expelled during the Nakba . Factually, the journey was their birthright, but they were killed for their intentions.  Killing ...

Photo Source: The Guardian By Naveed Qazi | Editor, Globe Up Front In the 2018 Malaysian national election, something historic happened. It seemed, that Malaysians wanted a change, and they wanted it badly. The new Prime Minister Muhammad Mahathir will  become the world’s oldest leader, as a 92-year-old nonagenarian, leading the Pakatan Harapan, ‘Alliance of Hope’.  Mahathir, once, had been leaving prime minister Najib Razak’s mentor. After the election result, the world of Prime Minister Najib Razak fell apart, in the decisive number game. After the result, he simply went into tears, as he was unable to form the government. The government of his political party was perhaps the only government Malaysians had ever known. People were seen numbered in hundreds, on the streets, where they watched live televised election results. Since 2008, the opposition managed to win state elections and controlled two wealthiest states, but they never won a nat...

Photo Source: Express.co.uk By Naveed Qazi | Editor, Globe Up Front President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the Iran nuclear agreement was one of the most significant reversals in recent foreign policy. The agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was signed in 2015 between Iran and six major powers — the US, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China — under President Barack Obama. Its purpose was straightforward but strategic: to limit Iran’s nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief, allowing the country to reconnect with the global economy. Under the deal, Iran agreed to strict limits on uranium enrichment, dismantled thousands of centrifuges and restricted heavy-water production. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was given broad powers to inspect facilities and verify compliance. The restrictions were designed to extend Iran’s ‘breakout time’ — the period needed to produce enough materi...

Photo Source: The National By Naveed Qazi | Editor, Globe Up Front One of the largest civil unrest has happened in Nicaragua, in April 2018, ever since the civil war of the 1990’s. The demonstrators are calling for President Ortega’s resignation. Lately, the crowds that assembled in front of Managua’s cathedral have been massive. To curb the ongoing violence, several TV channels were shut down, as protesters threw rocks at the police. There has been looting both at public offices and private shops. As police retaliated with tear gas shells and rubber bullets, around 58 people have died in the ongoing violence. Many students have died including one police officer and a regional journalist, who tried to broadcast his footages live on Facebook. It appeared that the journalist ran a small media outlet called ‘ El Meridiano’ . In an interview with Univision, journalist’s sister said: “I never imagined that he would film his own death." In response to the...