Egypt Today’s evening international news

CAIRO – 25 October 2017: World news varied Wednesday between political and social issues.

About 30,000 Kurds displaced from city near Kirkuk

About 30,000 Kurds have been displaced from south of Kirkuk where sectarian tension flared after Iraqi forces took control of it, humanitarian organizations said on Wednesday.


A man rides a bicycle with Iraqi flag in north of Kirkuk, Iraq October 19, 2017. Picture taken October 19, 2017. REUTERS/Ako Rasheed

Kurdish Peshmarga forces are seen near Altun Kupri, between Kirkuk and Erbil, Iraq October 20, 2017. REUTERS/Azad Lashkari
Most of those displaced from Tuz Khurmato are in need of urgent aid and are staying in open shelters, officials from two international humanitarian organizations told Reuters.

Kurdistan Regional Government offers to freeze referendum results

The Kurdistan Regional Government offered to freeze the results of the earlier referendum on independence as part of an offer to defuse the crisis with the Iraqi central government in Baghdad, in a Wednesday statement seen by Reuters.


Kurdish forces on an armoured vehicle drive in the street of Kirkuk, Iraq, October 16, 2017, in this still image taken from a video. KURDISTAN 24 TV via REUTERS TV IRAQ OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN IRAQ
The statement also called for an immediate ceasefire and a halt to all military operations in the northern region. The Kurdistan Regional Government called for an open dialogue between Erbil and Baghdad based on the country's constitution.

Iran re-opens border crossing between it and Iraqi Kurdistan region

Iran opened a border crossing between it and the Kurdistan region of Iraq Wednesday after having closed it following last month's vote in favour of independence in the Kurdish area, Iranian state media reported.


Iran has three main crossings with the Kurdish region; Haji Omaran (in Erbil Province), Parwezkhan, and Bashmaq (AFP/File)
The decision comes on the same day as the Kurdish Regional Government offered to put their independence on hold; stepping up efforts to resolve a crisis with Baghdad via dialogue rather than military means.

Under Trump’s plan, refugees from 11 countries face additional U.S. barriers

Donald Trump signed an interim ban on the entry of refugees into the United States, while calling for an 11-day review of 11 countries that his administration considered "high-risk," Reuters reported.


A woman who is seeking asylum has her fingerprints taken by a U.S. Customs and Border patrol officer at a pedestrian port of entry from Mexico to the United States, in McAllen, Texas, U.S., May 10, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo
Most of the affected countries are in the Middle East and Africa, according to documents witnessed by Reuters.
Citizens of the 11 countries comprised 44 percent of the nearly 54,000 refugees admitted into the United States in the 2017 fiscal year, according to State Department data.

Thailand kicks off sumptuous funeral of King Bhumibol Adulyadej

Big crowds are gathering for a five-day funeral ceremony for Thailand's revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died last October aged 88.


A mourner clutching a picture of Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej after the hearse carrying the body of the late monarch passed the Grand Palace in Bangkok last year - AFP

Mourners wait for tomorrow's Royal Cremation ceremony of Thailand's late King Bhumibol Adulyadej near the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand, October 25, 2017. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha
Authorities set up a specially designed platform to burn the king's body made up of gold-painted towers near the Grand Palace, where foreign tourists flocked to watch.
A sum of $90 million has been set aside for the funeral, which has never been seen before in Thailand, officials involved in the funeral preparations said.

The cremation day has been declared a national holiday, when banks will be closed and major shopping centers will be shut from 3 p.m.