All posts tagged: middle east and north africa

Syrian refugee elected mayor of German town, years after fleeing war

Syrian refugee elected mayor of German town, years after fleeing war

Published by Sam Flores

CNN  —  A Syrian who arrived in Germany as a refugee in 2015 has won a mayoral election in the southwestern German state of Baden-Württemberg. Ryyan Alshebl, who left his hometown of As Suwayda in Syria eight years ago, ran as an independent in the municipality of Ostelsheim. He won 55.41% of the votes on Sunday, beating two German candidates, Marco Strauss and Mathias Fey. Locals cheered the 29-year-old when he welcomed his win, a victory he described as “sensational,” German local broadcaster SWR reported Monday. “Today, Ostelsheim sent an example for broad-mindedness and cosmopolitanism for the whole of Germany,” he said, according to to German public broadcaster ZDF. “That’s not something that can be taken for granted in a conservative, rural area.” Alshebl’s first call after his victory was to his mother in Syria, who was thrilled with the news, SWR reported. The Association of Municipalities of Baden-Württemberg said Alshebl is the first man with Syrian roots to run for and win a mayor’s office. He will start his role in June. Ostelsheim residents …

Israeli military veterans, a backbone of protest movement, vow to keep demonstrating

Israeli military veterans, a backbone of protest movement, vow to keep demonstrating

Published by Sam Flores

Tel Aviv CNN  —  In a sea of Israeli flags, Yiftach Golov holds one that looks a little different. Among the hundreds of thousands of protesters who took to the streets for the 13th week in a row on Saturday, Golov hoists a brown flag that represents a group called “Brother and Sisters in Arms.” They are veterans – many, like Golov, from elite forces – who now feel they are fighting on a new battlefield: To save Israeli democracy. “We believe this is our responsibility to go once again called to the flag of the nation to stop this madness to defend Israel,” Golov said, as he weaved his way through the protesters on Tel Aviv’s Kaplan street, between the high-rises that house many of Israel’s high tech companies. During the second intifada, in the early 2000s, Golov served in a special forces reconnaissance unit. He was never before particularly political, focusing more on getting his PhD in biophysics from Tel Aviv University. But when the protest movement against the Israeli government’s judicial overhaul …

Erdogan’s political fate may be determined by Turkey’s Kurds

Erdogan’s political fate may be determined by Turkey’s Kurds

Published by Sam Flores

Editor’s Note: A version of this story first appeared in CNN’s Meanwhile in the Middle East newsletter, a three-times-a-week look inside the region’s biggest stories. Sign up here. Abu Dhabi, UAE CNN  —  Turkey’s persecuted pro-Kurdish party has emerged as a kingmaker in the country’s upcoming election, playing a decisive role that may just tip the balance enough to unseat two-decade ruler Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In a key setback to the Turkish president and leader of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party), the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) last month announced that it would not put forward its own presidential candidate, a move analysts say allows its supporters to vote for Erdogan’s main rival. “We are facing a turning point that will shape the future of Turkey and (its) society,” said the HDP in a statement on March 23. “To fulfill our historical responsibility against the one-man rule, we will not field a presidential candidate in (the) May 14 elections.” It is a twist of irony for the Turkish strongman, who spent the better …

‘Roborace’ car makes street track debut in Marrakech

‘Roborace’ car makes street track debut in Marrakech

Published by skeptic

Story highlights Driverless electric racer completes successful track test in Marrakech, Morocco Planned Roborace series will see autonomous cars compete at Formula E ePrix weekends CNN  —  It is a car kitted out with technology its developers boldly predict will transform our cities and change the way we live. The autonomous “DevBot #1” took a giant leap forward in Morocco recently, making its debut on a street track at the Formula E Marrakech ePrix. The battery-powered prototype is being tested for Roborace – a proposed race series where driverless cars will compete on temporary city circuits. “It’s the first time we’ve run the Devbot in driverless mode on a Formula E track in the middle of a city street,” Roborace’s Justin Cooke told CNN. “It’s so exciting for the team who put hours and hours of work in. These guys were up to 1-2 a.m. in the morning developing a technology that no one else in the world is able to do at this speed and in these complicated environments.” Read: Electric race car showcases …