Middle East
Israel trims defence spending in austerity budget - (4 days ago)
AFPIsrael's cabinet was meeting late into the night on Monday to thrash out details of an unpopular austerity budget, after unanimously agreeing to impose spending cuts on a reluctant defence establishment.At 3.0 billion shekels ($840.73 billion, 648 million euros) the defence cuts were one billion shekels less than those sought by Finance Minister Yair Lapid, and a small part of what is still
UN chief, Lavrov to discuss Syria on Friday: Moscow - (4 days ago)
AFPUN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday to discuss the Syria crisis, the Russian foreign ministry announced."Ban Ki-moon will travel to Russia from May 16 to 19" and will hold talks Friday on "questions of international importance, in particular the crisis in Syria," the ministry said in a statement
Settlers suspected of desecrating West Bank graves - (4 days ago)
AFPVandals believed to be Jewish extremists desecrated graves and damaged property in a Palestinian village in the West Bank on Monday, Palestinian and Israeli officials said.Ghassan Daghlas, a Palestinian Authority official responsible for the northern West Bank, told AFP that vandals entered the village of Al-Sawiya, south of Nablus in the early hours of the morning."Settlers came to Al-Sawiya
Syria opposition to consult backers on peace talks - (4 days ago)
AFPSyria's opposition will consult with backers Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey before it decides whether to take part in a peace conference proposed by the United States and Russia, its acting chief said Monday."It is too early to decide whether or not we will take part, because the circumstances of this conference are not yet clear. There is no agenda or calendar yet," said the opposition
Red Cross more than doubles Syria aid budget - (4 days ago)
AFPConfronted with what it describes as a "major humanitarian catastrophe" in Syria, the Red Cross on Monday urged donors to more than double its budget this year to address the conflict in and around the war-torn country.The International Committee of the Red Cross appealed to donors for an additional 62.3 million Swiss francs ($65.2 million, 50.5 million euros) to help it step up its response
Kuwait MPs plan to question ministers, raising pressure on government - (4 days ago)
ReutersKuwaiti lawmakers said on Monday they wanted to question the oil and interior ministers in parliament, a move that could rekindle political tensions in the Gulf Arab state after several months of relative stability.Kuwait's elected parliament has been caught in a long-running power struggle with the appointed government, in which ruling family members hold some top posts. The political row
Deadly car bombing hits Libya's volatile Benghazi - (4 days ago)
AFPA powerful car bomb exploded Monday near a hospital in the Libyan city of Benghazi, killing and wounding dozens in what officials said appeared to be the first such attack on civilians since Muammar Gaddafi ouster.Officials gave contradicting death tolls, however, as information trickled in about the devastating bombing which destroyed a restaurant and damaged cars and buildings near Al-Jala
Jihadist leader threatens war against Tunisia govt - (4 days ago)
AFPThe head of a radical Salafist group in Tunisia has threatened to wage war against the government, led by moderate Islamist party Ennahda, accusing it in a message posted online of un-Islamic policies."To the tyrants who think they are Islamists... know that the stupid things you are doing are dragging you to war," said Abu Iyadh, the fugitive leader of Ansar al-Sharia who is wanted by the
Yemen gunmen kidnap Swiss Red Cross worker: Local chief - (5 days ago)
AFPTribal gunmen kidnapped on Monday a Swiss man working for the International Committee of the Red Cross in southern Yemen, a local pro-government militia leader said.The gunmen who belong to Al-Marakisha tribe kidnapped the man in the city of Jaar, in Abyan province, said Hussein al-Wahayshi, a local commander of the Popular Resistance Committees.Gunmen from the same tribe briefly held two
Syrian troops take full control of strategic town - (5 days ago)
APSyrian troops have taken full control of a town near the highway linking the capital Damascus with Jordan, a new advance in the regime's campaign to drive rebels from the strategic south, an activist group said Monday.Rebels seeking to topple Syrian President Bashar Assad are trying to carve a pathway from the Jordanian border through the southern province of Daraa, in what is seen as their
Israeli PM, Putin to meet Tuesday for Syria talks - (5 days ago)
AFPIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is to hold talks on Tuesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the conflict in Syria, the Kremlin said, amid concerns Moscow plans to deliver advanced missiles to the Damascus regime."During the meeting an exchange of opinion is planned on key aspects of bilateral ties," the Kremlin said in a statement."It is expected that major attention will be
Iran's Ahmadinejad could be lashed over violating election rules - (5 days ago)
APIran's constitutional watchdog said Sunday it will seek possible charges against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for allegedly violating rules by accompanying his chief adviser to the election registry office the previous day.The dispute appears to stem from an ongoing confrontation between Ahmadinejad and the ruling clerics in Iran following years of tensions over power struggles.It could also
Report: Egypt says 'doors' to Gaza open to Turkish PM - (5 days ago)
Jerusalem PostEgypt welcomed Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to proceed through its border to enter the Gaza Strip, Egyptian Prime Minister Hesham Kandil told Turkish daily Hurriyet in light of Erdogans's intended visit to the Gaza Strip in mid-May.The Turkish premier has stated his interest in visiting the enclave after his meeting with US President Barack Obama on May 16.“Our
Yemen army jet crashes in Sanaa, pilot killed: Military - (5 days ago)
AFPA Russian-made Yemeni military jet crashed into a residential district of the capital Sanaa on Monday killing the pilot, an army official told AFP.The Sukhoi crashed into "Al-Aslahi residential district in southern Sanaa," the official said. The accident is the second of its kind in the capital this year after 12 people died in February when another military aircraft ploughed into a building
Egypt: Erdoğan welcome in Gaza - (5 days ago)
The Times of IsraelEgypt’s doors are ‘wide open’ for Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to visit the Gaza Strip via Sinai, according to Egyptian Prime Minister Hesham Kandil.Although he declined to state a definite date, Kandil, in a wide-ranging interview published Monday by Hurriyet Daily News, said that Erdoğan “wants to come to Egypt and to go to Gaza. Of
Egypt's Morsi, Abbas to discuss inter-Palestinian reconciliation - (5 days ago)
President Mohamed Morsi is scheduled to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday morning to discuss Egypt's role in finalising a proposed reconciliation deal between Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas.The meeting will coincide with another meeting intended to resume the reconciliation committee's work with the Egyptian intelligence apparatus. This meeting will
Arab League holds meeting to denounce Al-Aqsa attacks - (5 days ago)
The Arab League held a special meeting Sunday to denounce attacks of Jewish settlers on Al-Asqa Mosque a few days ago, and to decide on a definitive stance to take in that regard.The attacks also included the arrest of the Mufti of Jerusalem, Mohamed Hussein, for questioning over allegedly inciting "disturbances" at the mosque.Palestinian representative to the Arab League Barakat El-Farra
Syrian opposition to discuss US-Russia plan on 23 May - (5 days ago)
AFPSyria's key National Coalition opposition group will meet May 23 to discuss a US-Russian proposal for an international conference on a political solution to the Syrian conflict."The meeting will take place in Istanbul and last three days... to take a decision on the Kerry-Lavrov proposal and our participation," Coalition spokesman Sonir Ahmed told AFP, referring to US Secretary of State John
Saudi-Yemen talks focus on security: Agency - (5 days ago)
AFPSaudi Arabia's interior minister on Sunday discussed security cooperation with Yemen, home to Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), Yemen's official Saba news agency reported from the neighbouring kingdom.Prince Mohammed bin Nayef discussed with Yemeni Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi in Saudi Arabia "strengthening bilateral security cooperation for preserving security in both
Party's withdrawal threatens Moroccan govt - (5 days ago)
APMorocco's second largest political party has announced it is withdrawing from the ruling coalition, and that could lead to the fall of the Islamist-led government brought in by the Arab Spring.Adil Benhamza, spokesman for the center-right Istiqlal (independence) party, said Sunday that its decision has been presented to the king, who will decide the future of the government and whether new
Syrian opposition to decide whether to join peace talks - (5 days ago)
ReutersSyria's opposition coalition will meet in Istanbul on 23 May to decide whether to participate in a U.S. and Russian-sponsored conference to try to end the Syrian civil war, coalition officials said on Sunday.The conference will also elect a new head of the Western and Gulf-backed coalition, and discuss the fate of provisional prime minister Ghassan Hitto, who has come under heavy
Gunmen kill seven people in Iraq - (5 days ago)
AFPGunmen shot dead four women in Baghdad and killed three men north of the capital on Sunday, security and medical officials said.The women were killed in a house in the Karrada area of central Baghdad, while the men were shot dead while walking on the main road in the Mishahada area, they said.It was not immediately clear why the victims were attacked. Shootings in Iraq often target security
Turkey blames world's 'silence' on Syria for attacks - (5 days ago)
AFPTurkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Sunday blamed the world's inaction on the Syrian conflict for the "barbarian act of terrorism" that claimed dozens of lives near the border."The latest attack shows how a spark transforms into a fire when the international community remains silent and the UN Security Council fails to act," he said during a Berlin visit."It's unacceptable for the
EU warns Syria crisis at 'breaking point,' increases aid - (5 days ago)
AFPThe European Commission announced on Sunday an additional 65 million euros ($84 million) in aid for Syrian refugees and internally displaced, warning the crisis is "already at breaking point".The announcement was made in a statement released to coincide with a visit to Syrian refugees in Jordan by humanitarian aid commissioner Kristalina Georgieva."The more atrocities and fighting go on in
More than 80,000 killed in Syria conflict: NGO - (6 days ago)
AFPMore than 80,000 people have been killed in Syria's conflict since it erupted more than two years ago, a monitoring group said on Sunday.Nearly half of those who died were civilians, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.The conflict started out in March 2013 as a peaceful uprising against President Bashar al-Assad but spiralled into a civil war after the army unleashed a brutal
Iran's FM spokesman resigns amid presidential bid - (6 days ago)
APIran's foreign ministry spokesman has stepped down after joining the race for next month's presidential election.A report by the semiofficial Mehr news agency says Ramin Mehmanparast resigned from the post. It gave no reason, but the report late Saturday came just hours after the deadline to register for the June 14 election to succeed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.Mehr says Mehmanparast will
Saudi Arabia beheads citizen murderer - (6 days ago)
AFPSaudi Arabia beheaded one of its citizens on Sunday after he was convicted of killing a relative in the kingdom's north, the interior ministry said.Awad Rawili stabbed to death Jazaa Rawili, a relative, during an argument , said the statement carried by the official SPA news agency.He was executed in the northern city of Araar.His beheading brings to 39 the number of people executed in Saudi
Libya's Benghazi police bombed again after Friday's attack - (6 days ago)
ReutersTwo more police stations were attacked in Libya's eastern city of Benghazi in the early hours of Sunday morning, the local council said, after two others were bombed on Friday.The attacks are the latest signs of insecurity in Libya's second city, birthplace of the uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The recent violence against diplomats, military and police includes an attack in
Rabin told Mubarak peace with Syria was 'at hand' - (6 days ago)
The Times of IsraelYitzhak Rabin was about to agree a peace treaty with Syria when he was assassinated, former Mossad chief Efraim Halevy said.Writing in the magazine Foreign Affairs, Halevy, who played a central role on Rabin’s behalf in forging the 1994 Israel-Jordan peace treaty, said that Rabin telephoned Egypt’s president Hosni Mubarak two weeks before he was assassinated to tell
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Ministers in Prime Minister Hisham Qandil's cabinet following the recent reshuffle (new appointees are in italics): 1. Minister of Agriculture Ahmed Mahmoud Ali El-Gizawi2. Minister of Antiquities Ahmed Eissa3. Minister of Aviation Wael Maadawi4. Minister of Communication Atef Helmy5. Minister of Culture
AP— April 15, 2013: Two bombs explode in the packed streets near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three people and injuring more than 140.— January 17, 2011: A backpack bomb is placed along a Martin Luther King Day parade route in Spokane, Washington, meant to kill and injure participants in a civil rights march, but is found and disabled before it can explode. White
The convenient marriage between Iran and the Arab left would have been unthinkable only a few years ago, given the traditional ideological paradoxes between patriarchal Persian Shiism, on the one hand, and leftist orthodoxy on the other.Indeed, a casual viewer of Hizbullah's Al-Manar television, or the Iranian-funded Al-Mayadin TV, these days would probably think that the two Shia propaganda
"Abdullah's appointment was done via constitutional decree; it was a sovereign act by the head of the executive and therefore cannot be reversed by court ruling," said one leading FJP/Brotherhood figure. His comments echoed earlier assertions by Brotherhood lawyer Abdel-Moneim Abdel-Maksoud.The return of former prosecutor-general Mahmoud is "not going to happen," according to several government
