Middle East

Fresh violence marks first day of Syria enclave ‘truce’

by Hasan Mohamed © Agence France-Presse DOUMA, Syria (AFP) — A “humanitarian pause” announced by Russia in Syria’s deadly bombardment of Eastern Ghouta failed to end violence Tuesday, with fresh bloodshed and no sign of aid deliveries or residents leaving the besieged enclave. Nine days after Russian-backed regime forces intensified their campaign against the rebel-held enclave, the deal offered some respite to civilians who had been hiding in their basements. But the first day of a five-hour […]

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Strikes pound Syria’s Eastern Ghouta as world fumbles for response

by with Carole Landry at the United Nations / Hasan Mohamed © Agence France-Presse DOUMA, Syria (AFP) — Syrian regime air strikes and artillery fire hit the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta for a sixth straight day Friday killing 38 civilians, as world powers struggled to reach a UN deal to stop the carnage. More than 460 civilians, including over 100 children, have been killed in nearly a week of bombardment that has been one of the […]

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Netanyahu confidant agrees to testify against him

by Jean-Luc Renaudie © Agence France-Presse JERUSALEM, Undefined (AFP) — One of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s closest confidants has agreed to testify against him in a graft probe, Israeli police said Wednesday, in a fresh threat to his long tenure. Two new corruption investigations announced this week, hot on the heels of a police recommendation that Netanyahu face charges in two other cases, have fuelled growing speculation he could be forced to step down or call […]

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Qatar and Chad restore diplomatic relations

DOHA, Qatar (AFP) — Qatar and Chad are to restore diplomatic relations, severed in August soon after the start of a Saudi-led boycott of the emirate, Doha’s foreign ministry said Tuesday. Lolwah Al-Khater, Qatar’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, said on social media that both countries would return their ambassadors with immediate effect. “Moments ago MOU (memorandum of understanding) was signed between Qatar and Chad; Diplomatic relations to be resumed with immediate exchange of ambassadors,” she tweeted. Al-Khater added […]

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Israel announces ‘historic’ gas contract with Egypt

JERUSALEM, Undefined (AFP) — Israel has struck an “historic” contract for sales of billions of dollars’ worth of natural gas to Egypt, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Monday. “This will bring billions of dollars to state coffers,” he said in a statement announcing the deal with Egypt, which in 1979 became the first Arab state to sign a peace treaty with Israel. The Israeli energy group Delek said the value of the contract was $15 billion. It […]

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77 dead as Syria enclave pounded ahead of expected ground assault

by Abdulmonam Eassa Agence France-Presse HAMMURIYEH, Syria – Heavy Syrian bombardment killed at least 77 civilians in rebel-held Eastern Ghouta on Monday, a war monitor said, as regime forces appeared to prepare for an imminent ground assault. The escalation came as pro-government forces were also expected to enter the northern Kurdish-controlled enclave of Afrin, to take a stand against a month-old Turkish assault there. Held by rebels since 2012, Eastern Ghouta is the last opposition pocket around […]

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Canada voices concern to Israel over mass expulsion

OTTAWA, Canada (AFP) — Canada, which takes in more African refugees from Israel than any other nation, has voiced concerns to the Jewish state over its planned mass deportation of African migrants, an official said Monday. A spokesman for Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said Ottawa is “concerned” that Israel is working to expel thousands of Eritreans and Sudanese who entered illegally over the years, giving them an ultimatum: leave by April 1 or risk being imprisoned […]

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Iran resumes hunt for missing plane

TEHRAN, Iran (AFP) — Iranian rescue teams resumed their search on Monday for a passenger plane that disappeared high in the Zagros mountains the previous day with 66 people onboard, local media reported. State television said the weather had improved after blizzard conditions hampered search efforts Sunday, and that helicopters were now able to take part in the hunt for Aseman Airlines flight EP3704. The authorities had called off the rescue effort overnight as heavy […]

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New UN draft on Syria ceasefire seeks to win Russian backing

by Carole Landry © Agence France-Presse UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) — Sweden and Kuwait on Thursday presented a revised draft UN Security Council resolution calling for a 30-day ceasefire in Syria that diplomats said could win backing from Russia. The new text, obtained by AFP, specifies that the 30-day humanitarian truce would not apply to the Islamic State group or Al-Qaeda. That would allow the Syrian government offensive to continue against Al-Qaeda-linked rebel groups in Idlib, […]

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Israel police recommend corruption charges for Netanyahu

  by Jean-Luc Renaudie and Mike Smith Agence France Presse JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israeli police recommended Tuesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu be indicted for alleged corruption, shaking the country’s politics and raising questions over whether his long tenure in office could be nearing an end. Netanyahu, prime minister for a total of nearly 12 years, addressed the nation as news of the recommendations broke, proclaiming his innocence and making clear he had no intention […]

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11 Turkish troops killed in deadliest day of Kurdish offensive

ANKARA, Turkey (AFP) — Eleven Turkish soldiers were killed on Saturday, including two military personnel when a helicopter was downed, in the bloodiest day in Ankara’s offensive against a Kurdish militia in northern Syria. On January 20, Turkey launched a military operation against the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) militia in the Afrin region, backing Syrian rebels with air strikes and ground troops. “At this stage, we can say that one out of two helicopters was downed. […]

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Israel targets ‘Iranian’ positions in Syria after F16 downed

by Jonah Mandel © Agence France-Presse JERUSALEM, Undefined (AFP) — Israel attacked what it said were Iranian positions inside Syria on Saturday in “large-scale” raids after one of its warplanes was targeted by Syrian air defences and crashed. Following the most serious confrontation between arch foes Israel and Iran since Syria’s civil war began in 2011, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to prevent Tehran from establishing a threatening military presence in the Arab state. Israel’s raids came […]

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