Category: Middle East

The Latest: Palestinians condemn Israeli settlement plans

The Latest on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, after Israel announced the construction of 2,500 new settler homes in the West Bank : A spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says the Israeli plans announced Tuesday deal a new blow to attempts to bring peace to the region and will promote extremism and terrorism. Nabil Abu Rdeneh says the decision “disregards” international opposition to the settlements and is calling on the international community to take a “real and serious position” against Israel.

With Trump in Power, Israel Gives Green Light to Second Huge Settlement Expansion

Israel’s Defence Ministry announced plans on Tuesday to build 2,500 more settlement homes in the West Bank, the second announcement of new construction in the occupied territory since President Donald Trump took office. A statement from the Defence Ministry said the plans, authorized by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman, were intended to fulfill a demand for new housing “to maintain regular daily life.”

A Middle East Peace Agenda for 2017

Ongoing conflicts in Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Yemen are affecting the rest of the world, by exporting terrorism and refugees. In the coming year, it will be incumbent upon those countries that have managed to avoid armed conflict to preserve their relative stability, so that they can help restore stability to the entire region.

The Latest: First day of Syria talks concludes

The latest on Syria talks that are being held in Kazakhstan and developments on the ground in the war-torn country : A Syrian opposition spokesman says the first day of talks has concluded, after rebel representatives met Russia’s presidential envoy to the talks to discuss ways to reinforce a shaky cease-fire. Yahya al-Aridi, the spokesman for the rebel delegation to the talks, says the opposition also met Monday with the Russian and Turkish delegations in the presence of the U.N. envoy to Syria to discuss a nationwide cease-fire.

Talks on Syria’s civil war off to a rocky start

Talks between the Syrian government and representatives of rebel factions got off to a rocky start Monday after their first face-to-face meeting in Kazakhstan that marked a major shift in the war’s dynamics and confirmed Russia’s role as regional heavyweight. The gathering in Astana, the Kazakh capital, is the latest in a long line of diplomatic initiatives aimed at ending the nearly 6-year-old civil war, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced half of Syria’s population.

Talks on Syria’s civil war off to a rocky start

Talks between the Syrian government and representatives of rebel factions got off to a rocky start Monday after their first face-to-face meeting in Kazakhstan that marked a major shift in the war’s dynamics and confirmed Russia’s role as regional heavyweight. The gathering in Astana, the Kazakh capital, is the latest in a long line of diplomatic initiatives aimed at ending the nearly 6-year-old civil war, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced half of Syria’s population.

Iraq PM orders investigation into abuses reported in Mosul battle

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Monday ordered an investigation into allegations that members of Iraq’s security forces and a Shi’ite paramilitary group had kidnapped and abused civilians in the campaign to take back Mosul from Islamic State. Abadi also called on field commanders to make sure no human rights violations were committed under the cover of the war operations, according to an official statement.

Rivals at Astana talks agree on call for a ceasefire in Syria but differ on their political agendas

Syrian government and rebel delegates at the opening session of talks in the Kazakh capital Astana both called for a shaky ceasefire to be bolstered , but differed starkly on what purpose the truce would serve. The talks, sponsored by government allies Russia and Iran and opposition backer Turkey, should consolidate the ceasefire for a limited period, the head of the government delegation said in an opening statement reported by Syrian state news agency SANA.

Syria talks may signal shift in conflict dynamics

During the presidential inauguration Friday, which should be a day of celebration, three things happened – two that should have and one that shouldn’t have. On Jan. 7, the FBI released another 300 emails and the Hillary Clinton unauthorized server “saga” continued.

Trump, amid combative start, pledges to rise to moment

After a combative start to his presidency, Donald Trump delivered a more unifying message Sunday and sought to reassure Americans he was ready to begin governing a divided nation. Trump began rolling out his plans for diplomatic outreach, speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and announcing plans for early meetings with Netanyahu and other world leaders.

Lebanon’s unsung heroes

Lebanese security forces secure the street near the cafe in Hamra street in Beirut where a suicide bomber was arrested minutes before exploding himself on January 22, 2017. / AFP / ANWAR AMRO A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Daily Star on January 23, 2017, on page 7.

Trump’s Vainglorious Affront to the C.I.A.

The death of Robert Ames, who was America’s top intelligence officer for the Middle East, is commemorated among the hundred and seventeen stars on the white marble Memorial Wall at C.I.A. headquarters, in Langley, Virginia. He served long years in the region’s hellholes-Beirut; Tehran; Sanaa, Yemen; Kuwait City; and Cairo-often in the midst of war or turmoil.

Suspected US drone strike kills 3 alleged al-Qaida in Yemen

Suspected U.S. drone strikes have killed three alleged al-Qaida operatives in Yemen’s southwestern Bayda province, security and tribal officials said, the first such killings reported in the country since Donald Trump assumed the U.S. presidency Friday. The two Saturday strikes killed Abu Anis al-Abi , an area field commander, and two others, they said, speaking on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to release the information to journalists.

The Latest: Israel delays vote on settlement annexation

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office says his Security Cabinet has unanimously agreed to postpone a vote on a proposal to annex a major West Bank settlement. The pro-settler Jewish Home Party has been pushing the government to annex the Maaleh Adumim settlement, near Jerusalem.

Israel pushes ahead with settlements as Trump takes office

The municipality of Jerusalem granted final approval Sunday for the construction of hundreds of new homes in east Jerusalem, while a hard-line Cabinet minister pushed the government to annex a major West Bank settlement as emboldened Israeli nationalists welcomed the presidency of Donald Trump. After eight years of testy ties with President Barack Obama, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he is looking forward to a new era of close relations with the U.S. under Trump.

eProseed to Support 11th MENA Regulatory Summit

The summit will cover the main topical challenges faced by the regulatory authorities and the GRC community, a debate in which eProseed has a pivotal role to play as the publisher of FSIP, a comprehensive financial supervision solution dedicated to Central Banks, Financial Regulators and Supervisory Authorities. Capellen, Luxembourg, January 22, 2017 — — The 11th MENA Regulatory Summit will take place in Dubai, UAE, in association with the Dubai Financial Services Authority and under the patronage of H.E. Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, the UAE Minister of Economy.

Search continues for missing firefighters in high-rise collapse

Emergency workers have dug tunnels into the wreckage of a collapsed high-rise in downtown Tehran in their search for survivors and bodies, Iranian state TV reported. They have not yet found any of the firefighters believed to be buried under the rubble, Iran’s fire chief told the official Islamic Republic of Iran News Network.

In Israel, marchers criticize talk of moving U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem

Standing in a chilly sea breeze, hundreds of American expatriate demonstrators gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv to protest what they described as President Trump’s slights against women and minorities. Demonstrators were careful to keep the focus local, though, singing Hebrew prayers for peace, protesting Trump’s promise to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, and holding up signs critical of the new president’s emerging bromance with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Arab world reacts to Trump inauguration

The Arab world is still trying to acclimate to the fact that Donald Trump has taken the oath of office to become the 45th President of the United States, especially after President Trump promised to “wipe out Islamic terror” in his inaugural address. Although there have been many letters of support and congratulations sent to the new president, not everyone in the Arab world is so pleased.

Two Palestinian bird smugglers detained at border

Israel Airport Authority officials discovered two Palestinians smuggling dozens of European goldfinches at the Allenby crossing on the Israel-Jordan border. The birds are considered to be extremely expensive in the territories and were found under the clothes of two Palestinians from Hebron and Ramallah.

Turkish president starts powers of office campaigning

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has started campaigning for constitutional reforms that would greatly expand the powers of his office. Speaking in Istanbul on Saturday, he hailed the assembly’s early-morning decision and said “God willing the people will give the true decision, the final decision” that he says would catapult Turkey to a stronger position.

Turkey: Erdogan advocates powerful presidency after key vote

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has started campaigning for constitutional reforms that would greatly expand the powers of his office, hours after a vote in parliament cleared the way for a national referendum on the issue. Speaking in Istanbul on Saturday, he hailed the assembly’s early-morning decision and said “God willing the people will give the true decision, the final decision” that he says would catapult Turkey to a stronger position.

Cypriot activists march against Trump’s policies

Local activist groups staged a protest on Friday outside the American Embassy in Nicosia, against policies that threaten human rights and diversity in the wake of Donald Trump’s presidency. The demonstration was carried out in solidarity with other women’s marches in the US and around the world, protesting policies that Trump said he would follow as President, such as building a wall to keep migrants from Mexico away.

Is the IS the new normal for the Middle East?

Jaipur, Jan 20 – The Islamic State may be on the backfoot but is still entrenched in some of its strongholds like Mosul, leading to the worrying prospect if the terror outfit is be the new normal for the Middle East since the grievances that led to its rise have not been dealt with, warn area experts. While most of the regions of the world were improving, the Middle East, which has seen a number of major disruptions in the last few years, was not one of them, said British expert on the Middle East, Emma Sky in a session A World of Disruptions on the second day of the Jaipur Literature Festival-2017 on Friday.

In time of troubles, Davos organizers send in the clown

With an ear-piercing whistle, a professional clown in the crowd startles to order a conference room full of some of the world’s elite thinkers, writers and religious minds. The Lebanese-born, curly-haired artist in baggy green trousers and with a frequent raspy laugh made her debut this week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, a special invitee more accustomed to entertaining refugees than livening up serious thought-fests.

Desperate search for trapped Iran firefighters

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AG on PM probes: No one above the law, I am doing my duty

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with then-cabinet secretary and current Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, May 26, 2015. Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit on Friday defended his role in the corruption investigations into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, telling attendees at a Bar Association conference in Eilat that everyone in Israel is answerable to the law, regardless of status.

PA forces rescue 4 settlers who entered Palestinian village

Israeli Border Police officers stand guard as Palestinian farmers use tractors to work the land in the village of Qusra in the West Bank, with the Esh Kodesh outpost in the background, on November 19, 2013. A group of Israeli settlers, including three off-duty soldiers, were rescued from a Palestinian village in the northern West Bank on Friday after they entered the area for as-yet-unknown reasons and were quickly set upon by local residents, the army said.

Syria: IS destroys part of Roman theater in Palmyra

By SARAH EL DEEB Associated Press BEIRUT – Islamic State group militants destroyed the landmark ancient Tetrapylon and parts of the 2nd century Roman theater in Syria’s historic town of Palmyra, the government and opposition monitoring groups said Friday. Maamoun Abdulkarim, the head of Syria’s antiquities department, said the militants destroyed the facade of the second-century theater along with the Tetrapylon, a cubic-shaped ancient Roman monument that sits in the middle of the colonnade road that leads to the theater.

UPDATE 1-Abu Dhabi creates $125 billion fund by merging Mubadala, IPIC

ABU DHABI, Jan 21 Abu Dhabi’s government merged two of its top investment funds on Saturday to strengthen their financial clout in an era of low oil prices, creating a company with assets totalling about $125 billion. The new fund, Mubadala Investment Co, was formed by merging Mubadala Development Co and International Petroleum Investment Co, which own corporate stakes in the energy industry and other sectors across the world.