MIDDLE EAST

Turkey deports 11 French suspected IS members

11:03 pm December 9, 2019

Ankara (Turkey): Turkey has deported 11 French nationals who are suspected of being members of the Islamic State group, the Interior Ministry said Monday. A brief ministry statement said 11 “foreign terrorist fighters” were returned to their home country. It did not provide details or identify the suspects. Last month, Turkey stepped up the return […]

Iran agrees de-escalation 'only solution' to solve crisis with US

Iran says new budget bucks US oil embargo, uses Russian loan

11:51 pm December 8, 2019

Tehran: Iran’s president said on Sunday his country will depend less on oil revenue next year, in a new budget that is designed to resist crippling US trade embargoes. Iran is in the grip of an economic crisis. The US re-imposed sanctions that block Iran from selling its crude oil abroad, following President Donald Trump’s […]

Iraq cleric calls for new premier without foreign influence

7:22 pm December 6, 2019

Baghdad: Iraq’s highest Shiite religious authority called Friday for the formation of a new government within the allotted deadline, and without foreign interference, as the clock ticks down on lawmakers to select a new premier following the resignation of Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi last week. Thousands of anti-government protesters from across southern Iraq joined demonstrators […]

UN chief warns against criminal exploitation of COVID-19 recovery resources

Israeli occupation costs Palestinian economy USD 2.5 bn a year: UN

8:17 pm December 2, 2019

Ramallah (Palestinian Territories): Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories has cost the economy of the Palestinians more than USD 2.5 billion a year for the past two decades, a UN report said Monday. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development report estimated the total fiscal loss to the Palestinian government between 2000 and 2017 […]

Iraq PM demands protesters leave US embassy 'immediately'

Iraq parliament approves PM resignation, protesters mourn dead

7:39 pm December 1, 2019

Baghdad: Iraq’s parliament approved the resignation of the embattled cabinet on Sunday, after two months of violent unrest that have left more than 420 people dead and thousands mourning them in nationwide marches. Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi said Friday he would submit his resignation to parliament following a spike in the death toll among […]