United Nations, United States | AFP | The latest round of Ethiopia-led peace talks on South Sudan will wrap up on Friday with a possible agreement that could pave the way to further negotiations on ending the war, the UN envoy said. The talks that opened on February 5 in …
Read More »France will ‘strike’ if proven Syria used chemical arms: Macron
Paris, France | AFP | France will launch attacks if proof emerges that the Syrian regime has used banned chemical weapons against its civilians, President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday. “We will strike the place where these launches are made or where they are organised,” Macron told the presidential press corps. …
Read More »Captured foreign jihadists must be dealt with: Mattis
Rome, Italy | AFP | US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Tuesday that doing nothing with foreign fighters captured in Syria “was not an option” after a meeting of the US-led anti-Islamic State group coalition in Rome. During the fierce offensive to oust the IS group from its former stronghold Raqa, …
Read More »Netanyahu says discussed annexing settlements with US; White House denies
Jerusalem, Undefined | AFP | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday he has discussed legislation with the United States that would annex settlements in the occupied West Bank, but the White House denied it in a rare show of disunity. Netanyahu later issued a clarification somewhat backing away from the …
Read More »Iraq seeks $88.2 bln for reconstruction: minister
Kuwait City, Kuwait | AFP | Iraq needs $88.2 billion to rebuild after years of war against the Islamic State group, Planning Minister Salman al-Jumaili said Monday, as an international conference on the country’s reconstruction opened in Kuwait. Iraq hopes to raise billions of dollars in pledges at the three-day …
Read More »Israeli strikes were ‘heavy blow’ to Iranian, Syrian forces: Netanyahu
Jerusalem, Undefined | AFP | Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israeli air strikes in Syria the previous day were a “heavy blow” to Iranian and Syrian forces in the war-torn country. “We inflicted on Saturday a heavy blow to Iranian and Syrian forces,” Netanyahu said at the start …
Read More »Israel will not allow Iran ‘entrenchment’ in Syria: PM
Jerusalem, Undefined | AFP | Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Saturday not to allow Iran to establish a military presence in Syria, after Israel launched air raids on what it said were Iranian targets in its Arab neighbour. “Israel wants peace but we will continue to defend ourselves with determination …
Read More »Modi becomes first Indian PM to visit West Bank
Ramallah, Palestinian Territories | AFP | Narendra Modi on Saturday became the first Indian prime minister to visit the occupied West Bank where he held talks with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas as part of a Middle East tour. The visit, which came weeks after Modi hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin …
Read More »Thousands flee militia violence in C.Africa
Bangui, Central African Republic | AFP | About 7,400 people have been forced to flee their homes as fighting raged between rival militias in northwest Central African Republic, the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Thursday. The internally displaced people in the area of Markounda since late …
Read More »UN hopes for Libya elections ‘by end of 2018’
Tripoli, Libya | AFP | UN envoy Ghassan Salame said Wednesday he hoped for elections in Libya by the end of 2018 but that conditions in the strife-torn country were not yet ready for polling. “There are several conditions. For the time being, we have only achieved one: the start of …
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