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Cyclone Mekunu which wreaked havoc in the Yemeni island of Socotra strengthened in intensity Friday as it bore down on southern Oman, lashing the coast with high winds and rain. “Latest observations show that tropical Cyclone Mekunu has intensified to category 2,” with high wind speeds, Oman’s directorate general of meteorology said on Twitter. The centre said the eye of the storm was expected to make landfall on the southern coast of the sultanate […]
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AFP) — Iran’s foreign minister on Tuesday hailed talks with the EU to try to find a way to rescue the Iran nuclear deal after the US pulled out as a “good start”. “I believe it’s a good start. We’re not there, we’re beginning the process,” Mohammad Javad Zarif told reporters after meeting his French, British and German counterparts in Brussels. The three European signatories to the landmark 2015 deal are leading international efforts to […]
by Jonah Mandel with Joe Dyke in Gaza City Agence France-Presse JERUSALEM, Undefined (AFP) — Israeli forces killed 55 Palestinians on the Gaza border in the conflict’s bloodiest day in years on Monday as clashes and protests coincided with the deeply controversial opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem. The clashes, which left more than 2,400 Palestinians wounded, erupted before a White House delegation and Israeli officials opened the embassy at an inauguration ceremony in Jerusalem […]
by Gina Doggett Agence France-Presse PARIS, France – Both friends and foes of the United States voiced criticism Monday as Washington opened its embassy in the disputed city of Jerusalem, saying the move would fan Middle East tensions. Chief US ally Britain reiterated its stated objection to the move, while the Iranian speaker of parliament said it showed that US President Donald Trump is “feebleminded” and “incapable of evaluating the long-term consequences of his actions”. […]
by Sarah Benhaida © Agence France-Presse BAGHDAD, Iraq (AFP) — Iraqi Prime Minister’s political grouping appeared in the lead Sunday following the country’s first election since defeating the Islamic State group, after a vote hit by record abstentions. Preliminary results given to AFP by several senior political figures showed Abadi’s Victory Alliance scooping some 60 of the 329 parliament seats up for grabs. The result from Saturday’s nationwide poll would make Abadi frontrunner in the horse-trading […]
by Ian Geoffrey Timberlake © Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Top US officials insisted Sunday that they could still push forward the troubled Israeli-Palestinian peace process despite outrage across the Arab world over the opening of the new American embassy in Jerusalem. Speaking on the eve of the embassy opening, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he was hopeful of success in efforts to end the decades-old conflict while National Security Advisor John […]
by Salam Faraj with Mohammad Salim in Mosul © Agence France-Presse BAGHDAD, Iraq (AFP) — Iraq headed to the polls Saturday for its first parliamentary election since declaring victory over the Islamic State group, with the country hoping to shore up a fragile peace and rebuild. Some 24.5 million voters began casting their ballots under tight security, as the jihadists still pose a major security threat despite a sharp fall in violence. The poll comes […]
by Andrew Beatty Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The White House wants intrusive inspections of Iran’s nuclear sites to continue despite President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from a landmark accord on Tehran’s atomic program, US officials have told AFP. Days after the US president walked away from a three-year-old deal that mandated rigorous scrutiny of Iranian facilities, senior administration officials said monitoring should continue regardless. Known officially as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the […]
TEL AVIV, Israel (AFP) — The state of Israel has become a major power in the Middle East since it declared its birth as a nation 70 years ago. It has fought multiple wars and occupied the West Bank and east Jerusalem, while the Israel-Palestinian peace process has been dead since 2014. Here are some facts about the country. Military powerhouse Israel is considered the leading military power in the Middle East and believed to be […]
by Anna Malpas © Agence France-Presse MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for talks, after expressing his “deep concern” over US President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal. Netanyahu, who has backed Trump’s decision on Iran, Israel’s arch-foe, said after the meeting that he shared his “views on issues that include Iran’s secret nuclear archive” and the “current tension” with the Russian leader. “I […]
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — Saudi Arabia was finalizing regulation for the use of recreational drones, state media said Sunday, after a toy aircraft sparked security alarm as it hovered close to royal palaces in Riyadh. “The regulation for the use of remote controlled drones is in its final stages,” the Saudi Press Agency said, citing the interior ministry. Until the new guidelines are adopted drone enthusiasts must obtain police permission to fly their devices in […]
by Mushtaq Mojaddidi © Agence France-Presse KABUL, Afghanistan (AFP) — A suicide bomber killed at least 31 people and wounded dozens outside a voter registration centre in the Afghan capital Kabul on Sunday, the health ministry said, in the latest attack on election preparations. The assaults underscore growing concerns about security in the lead-up to legislative elections scheduled for October 20, which are seen as a test-run for next year’s presidential poll. “It […]
