Middle East

Turkey says Ankara bombers came from Syria, threaten more cross-border air raids

Turkey has announced all Kurdish facilities in Syria and Iraq are valid military targets after finding the two attackers who detonated a bomb in front of government buildings in Ankara at the weekend had come from Syria.

Israelis spitting in direction of Christians: Report

Israelis were spotted spitting in the direction of Christians in occupied East Jerusalem again on Wednesday. It came days after similar moves, defended by the national security minister as "not criminal", led to widespread condemnation.

Israel prevents UK foreign secretary from visiting Palestinian village terrorised by settlers

Israeli authorities have blocked British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly from visiting a Palestinian village that was recently emptied of its residents after years of Israeli settler violence, Middle East Eye has reported.

Turkey conducts new airstrikes on PKK targets in northern Iraq

Turkish forces have launched new air raids in northern Iraq and destroyed 16 targets of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), the Turkish Ministry of National Defence has confirmed.

Turkey captures dozens over suspected PKK links after Ankara bomb attack

Turkish police have launched a wide security crackdown following a suicide bomb attack in Ankara. Thousands of police officers took part in the operations in dozens of provinces after blast in the Turkey’s capital, with scores nabbed as suspects.

Egypt Elections: Sisi to run for third term, opposition decry pressure

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi confirmed that he will stand for a third term in office at an election scheduled for December.

Israeli air raids near Syria’s Deir Ezzor leaves two soldiers wounded

Two Syrian soldiers were injured following an Israeli strike on and area close to Deir Ezzor late Monday night, Syrian state media reported on Tuesday.

Iran’s Leader: Normalization with Israel is ‘betting on wrong horse’

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei lashed out at the countries seeking to normalize ties with the Israeli regime, warning they are betting on the losing side.

Hezbollah chief cautions normalization with Israel amounts to abandoning Palestine

The leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, has called on Muslims across the world to strongly condemn any step taken by any country toward normalization of relations with Israel.

Iraq raps sovereignty violation after Turkish raids in Kurdistan region

Turkey has carried out an "air operation" in northern Iraq following a blast in the Turkish capital. Iraqi President Abdul-Latif Rashid says Baghdad rejects repeated airstrikes or the presence of Turkish bases in Iraq’s Kurdistan region.

Syria-Turkey normalization impossible until Ankara pulls out troops: Top diplomat

Turkey has to withdraw its military forces from the Syrian Arab Republic or else it will decimate all efforts towards any kind of relations, Syrian Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Bassam Sabbagh has stressed.

Fire engulfs police facility in Egypt, dozens injured

A huge fire erupted at a police facility in the Egyptian Suez Canal city of Ismailia early on Monday, injuring at least 38 people before firefighters contained the blaze after several hours, according to emergency services and media.

Probe finds Iraq wedding fire caused by ‘gross negligence’, ‘lack of safety measures’

A recent fire at a wedding in northern Iraq, which killed more than 100 people, was caused by "gross negligence" and a lack of safety measures, the results of a government investigation show.

20 PKK targets in Iraq destroyed after Ankara attack: Turkey

Turkey says its fighter jets have carried out raids on Kurdish targets in northern Iraq following a suicide attack on a government building in capital Ankara, hitting positions of the terror Kurdish group, PKK.

Erdogan: Turkey expects nothing from EU

Ankara no longer expects anything from Brussels, having waited for decades to become an EU member, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stated.

Ministry: Saudi Arabia heading toward budget deficit despite predictions of surplus

Saudi Arabia is expecting to fall into a budget deficit this year, despite earlier predictions of a surplus, the finance ministry has announced, as the oil-rich country continues to invest in its non-oil economy.

Terrorists will never succeed: Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stated that “terrorists” will never achieve their aims in Turkey in his address at the country’s parliament. The speech comes hours after a Sunday attack on the interior ministry, located very close to the parliament building.

Suicide attack injures 2 police officers in Turkey’s capital Ankara

A suicide bomber has detonated an explosive device outside the Interior Ministry headquarters in the Turkish capital Ankara, local authorities have confirmed, adding two police officers have been injured in the attack.

New US Senate Foreign Relations chair to block Egypt military aid over rights record

The United States Foreign Relations Committee chairman has said he will block some US military aid to Egypt until it takes "concrete, meaningful and sustainable steps" to improve human rights.

Israeli protesters rally against PM’s policies for 39th straight week

Tens of thousands of demonstrators have held massive rallies across the occupied territories for the 39th straight week against the hardline Israeli cabinet's policies, including its so-called judicial overhaul scheme.

Israel: Female soldiers no longer to guard security prisons amid suspected sex scandal

The Israeli military will no longer allow women to work as prison guards at high-security facilities, top officials have announced, ordering an “immediate” end to the practice after several female soldiers were accused of having sexual relations with an inmate.

Qatar calls for Israeli nuclear sites to be subjected to IAEA safeguards

Qatar has called for the Israeli regime's nuclear facilities to be subjected to the International Atomic Energy Agency's safeguards amid Tel Aviv's ongoing snub of international nuclear regulations.

US-Saudi defence pact tied to normalization with Israel, Palestinian demands put aside: Report

Saudi Arabia is determined to secure a military pact requiring Washington to defend the kingdom in return for opening ties with Israel and will not hold up a deal even if Tel Aviv does not offer major concessions to Palestinians in their bid for statehood, three regional sources familiar with the talks say.

Egyptian woman murdered on campus in third “femicide case” in a week

An employee of Cairo University was killed on campus, in the “third incident of femicide in Egypt in two days.” Almost eight million Egyptian women were victims of violence committed by their partners or relatives or by strangers in public spaces, according to reports.

Iraq arrests 14 suspects, including wedding hall owner, after fatal fire

The security forces of Iraq's Kurdistan region, upon an order of the Iraqi government, have detained the owner of a wedding hall in Al-Hamdaniya District in Nineveh Province where about 100 people died in a fire, Iraqi media reported.

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