MIDDLE EAST

Vice President Mike Pence meets with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan; seeking Syria border cease-fire

Pence meets with Erdogan, seeking Syria border cease-fire

9:34 pm October 17, 2019

ANKARA, Turkey: A senior U.S. delegation led by Vice President Mike Pence pursued an uphill mission Thursday to persuade Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to call for a cease-fire in his fight with Kurdish forces in northern Syria. Pence and Erdogan wore dour expressions as they shook hands before a nearly 90-minute one-on-one meeting, and […]

Israeli carrier Arkia launches flight to Goa from Tel Aviv

2:10 pm October 17, 2019

Panaji: Israeli carrier Arkia Airlines expanded its network in India on Thursday with the launch of a flight service to Goa from Tel Aviv. Goa is the second Indian destination for the West Asian airline, which forayed in the domestic market last month by launching twice weekly operations to Kochi from Tel Aviv. “We announce […]

35 foreigners dead in Saudi bus crash

1:47 pm October 17, 2019

RIYADH: Thirty-five foreigners were killed and four others injured when a bus collided with another heavy vehicle near the Muslim holy city of Medina, Saudi state media said on Thursday. The accident on Wednesday evening involved a collision between “a private chartered bus… with a heavy vehicle” near the western city, a spokesman for Medina […]

Biden to meet Putin in Geneva on June 16: White House

Russia offers to mediate in Syria, asserting its role

9:07 pm October 16, 2019

CEYLANPINAR, Turkey: Russia offered Wednesday to mediate a resolution in northern Syria, further asserting Moscow’s role as a regional force, ahead of a mission by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence to press Turkey for a cease-fire in its attack on Syrian Kurdish fighters. Ahead of talks with Pence, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan defied U.S. […]

Turkey vows to expand anti-PKK operations in northern Iraq

Syria offensive to continue until ‘objectives achieved’: Erdogan

6:58 pm October 15, 2019

Istanbul: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday that Turkey’s operation against Kurdish militants in northern Syria would not stop until “our objectives have been achieved”. Turkey is in the seventh day of its assault against the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), which it sees as a “terrorist” off-shoot of Kurdish insurgents in its own […]