Category: Middle East

Iraq: Car bombings in Mosul kill 15 civilians, 8 policemen

Three car bombs ripped through an outdoor market in Mosul on Thursday, killing at least 15 civilians and eight policemen, the Iraqi Defense Ministry said in a statement. The attack occurred in the eastern district of Gogjali, which Iraqi forces retook from Islamic State militants weeks ago as part of a massive operation to drive them from Mosul, the brief statement said.

Juventus vs. AC Milan: 2016 Italian Super Cup Live Stream, TV Info and Preview

The game will take place in Doha, Qatar, an arrangement that’s already caused problems for the of Reuters: “It would be better if both teams arrived at the same time but I don’t want to get involved in a controversy.” Milan’s travel arrangements may not have run smoothly, but there’s still enough talent in the squad to upset the will need the ball to supply the Colombia international with chances.

Murder of Russian ambassador underscore…

An off-duty Turkish police officer gunned down Russia’s ambassador to Turkey, Andrey Karlov, Monday at a photo exhibit on Ankara’s John F. Kennedy Street, just across from the US Embassy. The assailant, a member of the riot police, positioned himself right behind the ambassador, fired several shots at close range, and then ranted about Russia’s involvement in the anti-jihadist operation in Syria.

Trump taps Conway as counselor, Spicer and Hicks to top communications jobs

Trump taps Conway as counselor, Spicer and Hicks to top communications jobs President-elect rounds out his communications team with Spicer, Hicks and Scavino Check out this story on USATODAY.com: http://usat.ly/2ij3n2D Donald Trump appointed campaign manager Kellyanne Conway as his White House counselor on Thursday, and tapped long-time Republican Party spokesman Sean Spicer as the next White House press secretary . Conway “has been a trusted adviser and strategist who played a crucial role in my victory,” Trump said in a statement.

Christmas in Bethlehem means souvenirs

Christmas is approaching and pilgrims and tourists have begun to arrive, crowding the souvenir shops that line the narrow streets and alleys of Bethlehem, the biblical town revered as Jesus’ birthplace. But when visitors choose to take a piece of the Holy Land back home with them, they better check the labels.

First road tunnel under Bosphorus Strait opens

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan opened the first ever road tunnel underneath the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul on Tuesday, the latest project in his plan of transforming Turkey’s infrastructure. The opening ceremony — which brought together Turkey’s entire ruling elite — went ahead as planned despite the shock assassination of the Russian ambassador to Ankara by a Turkish policeman a day earlier.

Proposed UN resolution demands end to Israeli settlements

Egypt has circulated a draft U.N. resolution that demands a halt to Israeli settlement activities in Palestinian territory and declares that all existing settlements “have no legal validity” and are “a flagrant violation” of international law. The proposed resolution sent to Security Council members Wednesday evening also stresses that “the cessation of all Israeli settlement activities is essential for salvaging the two-state solution” which would see Israelis and Palestinians living side-by-side in peace.

Moscow doubts killer of ambassador was a lone wolf

The spokesman for President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday indicated that Moscow doesn’t believe the gunman who killed Russia’s ambassador to Turkey acted on his own, but refused to explain the reasons for the suspicion. “We shouldn’t rush with any theories before the investigators establish who were behind the assassination of our ambassador,” said spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who offered no suggestions about who those people might be.

Moscow doubts killer of ambassador was a lone wolf

The spokesman for President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday indicated that Moscow doesn’t believe the gunman who killed Russia’s ambassador to Turkey acted on his own, but refused to explain the reasons for the suspicion. “We shouldn’t rush with any theories before the investigators establish who were behind the assassination of our ambassador,” said spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who offered no suggestions about who those people might be.

Iran’s national security and the Development Fund

Iran’s National Development Fund seems to be growing into a useful tool to secure the country against rampant terrorism that is knocking at its doors. Iranian officials have realized that economic underdevelopment has provided justification for the youth in neighboring countries to join terrorist groups.

Thousands of faithful celebrate Christmas in Bethlehem

Thousands of pilgrims and tourists from around the world together with locals began Christmas Eve celebrations in Jesus’ traditional birthplace of Bethlehem on Saturday, raising spirits after a tense year that saw a spike in violence between Palestinians and Israelis. The faithful braved the chilly weather outside Manger Square as traditional Christmas songs like “Jingle Bells” played in Arabic over loudspeakers and scout groups paraded with bagpipes and sang carols.

The visa length has also been reduced to a maximum of ten days, non-extendable. Photo – supplied.

Muscat: Female nationals from some countries will not be allowed in Oman under tourism visa if they do not have a return flight ticket or have not booked at least a 4-star hotel, Royal Oman Police said. ROP has enforced more restrictions for some nationalities to grant tourist visa following arrests of Asian tourists for allegedly being involved in human trafficking, prostitution and drug abuse crimes.

Kuwait moves annual Washington party to Trump’s hotel

One of the Middle East’s richest nations said Tuesday it would host its annual Washington party at Donald Trump’s new hotel, underscoring the president-elect’s unusual status as the owner of a major venue for events in the U.S. capital. Salem Al Sabah, Kuwait’s ambassador to the U.S., said the party would take place Feb. 25, adding that he hopes guests like the “new hotel in town.”

Israeli ambassador backs Trump pledge to move U.S. embassy to Jerusalem

By Matt Spetalnick Reuters WASHINGTON – Israel’s ambassador to the United States issued an impassioned endorsement on Tuesday of President-elect Donald Trump’s… By Matt Spetalnick Reuters WASHINGTON – Israel’s ambassador to the United States issued an impassioned endorsement on Tuesday of President-elect Donald Trump’s promise to relocate the … (more)

Arab, EU FMs Urge Intra-Syria Talks, Condemn Aleppo Attacks

Arab and European foreign ministers urged on Tuesday intra-Syria talks as basis for political settlement and strongly condemned Syrian regime’s recent attacks on Aleppo, the Arab League and the European Union stated following their fourth ministerial meeting in Cairo, China’s Xinhua news agency reported. “The ministers stressed that intra-Syria talks are the only way for a credible and genuine political transition based on power sharing as well as lasting peace,” the two bodies said in a declaration issued after the meeting held at the AL headquarters in the Egyptian capital city.

Israeli envoy urges Trump to move US embassy to Jerusalem

The Israeli ambassador to the United States has urged the incoming Trump administration to move the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, telling guests at a Hanukkah reception at the Israeli embassy in Washington on Tuesday that the controversial move would be a “great step forward” for peace. Trump and his nominee for US ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, have pledged to move the embassy.

The Latest: John Kerry concerned by rhetoric out of Turkey

The Latest on the development in the Syrian civil war and the aftermath of the assassination of Russia’s ambassador to Turkey : John Kerry’s spokesman says the U.S. Secretary of State has raised concerns about “some of the rhetoric coming out of Turkey with respect to American involvement or support, tacit or otherwise, for this unspeakable assassination yesterday because of the presence of Mr. Gulen here in the United States.” “We need to let the investigators do their job and we need to let the facts and the evidence take them where it is before we jump to conclusions,” Kirby added.

PKK offshoot claims Kayseri bus bombing that killed 13 soldiers: Hurriyet

An offshoot of the militant Kurdistan Workers Party has claimed responsibility for a weekend car bomb attack on a bus in central Turkey that killed at least 13 soldiers and wounded more than 50, the Hurriyet newspaper reported on Tuesday. The militant group previously claimed responsibility for an attack earlier this month outside a soccer stadium in Istanbul that killed more than 40 people.

It’s astounding how close Turkishassassin got to Russian ambassador’

The assassination of the Russian ambassador in Turkey looks like a jihadist retribution for losses in Syria, but it might have a deeper motivation, such as damaging Russia-Turkey relations or taking terrorism to a whole new level, political analysts and experts told RT. Russian ambassador Andrey Karlov, 62, was fatally shot in the Turkish capital of Ankara while delivering a speech at an art gallery on Monday.

Last remaining rebels and civilians await Aleppo evacuation

When the province announced last week that it had found a buyer for Thunder Bay’s casino, it was reassuring to learn that the more than 300 pe BEIRUT – Hundreds more Syrians left the rebels’ last foothold in eastern Aleppo in convoys of buses escorted by the Syrian Red Crescent and the international Red Cross on Tuesday under a cease-fire deal brokered by Ankara and Russia. The evacuations came as Moscow was hosting the foreign ministers of Iran and Turkey in three-way talks on Aleppo’s future and prospects for peace in Syria.

12:15 President Mirziyoyev condoles Erdogan over terrorist attack

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev sent a letter of condolences to President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the deadly explosion in the city of Kayseri, reported the press service of the Uzbek Foreign Ministry. In the telegram, Mirziyoyev expressed his deep condolences and support to the leadership and relatives of those died in the terrorist attack.

President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that the killing of Russia’s ambassador to Turkey.

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin , Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov , Director of Russian Federal Security Service Alexander Bortnikov , and Director of Foreign Intelligence Service Sergei Naryshkin attend a meeting dedicated to the murder of Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov, at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia December 19, 2016. – Reuters Russia’s President Vladimir Putin , Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov , Director of Russian Federal Security Service Alexander Bortnikov , and Director of Foreign Intelligence Service Sergei Naryshkin attend a meeting dedicated to the murder of Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov, at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia December 19, 2016.

Oman condemns assassination of Russian ambassador in Turkey

Flowers lie next to a picture of Russia’s ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov outside the Russian foreign ministry in Moscow following his assassination in Ankara on December 19, 2016. A Turkish policeman crying “Aleppo” shot dead Russia’s ambassador to Turkey at an art exhibition in Ankara, in what Moscow branded a “terrorist act” that would be punished.

Mac on… Social care for the elderly

Crushed and covered in blood: Scenes of devastation amid the crumpled stalls of the Berlin Christmas market immediately after ‘terror attack’ Trump says terrorists ‘must be eradicated from the face of the earth’ after 12 die and 48 are hurt when lorry ploughs into Berlin market ‘People were tearing off wooden panels to get out’: Witness describes the moment a truck plowed into a Berlin Christmas market How Zsa Zsa seduced the world with sex, one-liners and VERY tall tales to become the world’s first celebrity to be famous just for being famous Obama pardons 78 felons and commutes 153 more as White House boasts of ‘greatest number of individual clemencies in a single day’ Ohio’s next three executions are postponed as the state struggles to get hold of the controversial drug Midazolam to carry out the killings Horror as Russian ambassador to Turkey is shot dead in art exhibition in Ankara … (more)

Barra McGrory ‘should be sacked’ over his links to Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness

Crushed and covered in blood: Scenes of devastation amid the crumpled stalls of the Berlin Christmas market immediately after ‘terror attack’ Trump says terrorists ‘must be eradicated from the face of the earth’ after 12 die and 48 are hurt when lorry ploughs into Berlin market ‘People were tearing off wooden panels to get out’: Witness describes the moment a truck plowed into a Berlin Christmas market How Zsa Zsa seduced the world with sex, one-liners and VERY tall tales to become the world’s first celebrity to be famous just for being famous Obama pardons 78 felons and commutes 153 more as White House boasts of ‘greatest number of individual clemencies in a single day’ Ohio’s next three executions are postponed as the state struggles to get hold of the controversial drug Midazolam to carry out the killings Horror as Russian ambassador to Turkey is shot dead in art exhibition in Ankara … (more)

A gunman tries to enter the US Embassy in Ankara

News selected on topics and regions – oil and gas, business, politics, IT, the South Caucasus, the Caspian Sea region, Central Asia Ranking of the Azerbaijani banking sector A gunman tried to enter the US Embassy in Ankara, police neutralised the attacker and took him into custody, Daily Sabah reported. Russian ambassador to Turkey Andrey Karlov died after he was badly wounded in an armed assault in Ankara Dec. 19, Turkish newspaper Milliyet reported.