CAIRO, Egypt (AFP) – by Maram Mazen Egypt’s latest air disaster is another crushing blow to a country whose tourism-dependent economy is struggling to recover from years of jihadist attacks and political turmoil, analysts said. The crash is the third airline incident in less than a year involving the Arab world’s most populous nation, undermining efforts to attract tourists and their much-needed revenues. Officials said it was too early to know whether technical failure or […]
Middle East
Israel set to form ‘most right-wing government in history’
JERUSALEM, Undefined (AFP) – by Laurent Lozano Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu looked set on Thursday to form the most right-wing government in Israeli history, with Avigdor Lieberman, a hardliner loathed by Palestinians, expected to become defence minister. Netanyahu aides were in talks with officials of Lieberman’s hawkish Yisrael Beitenu party on terms for its entry to the ruling coalition, which would boost its currently wafer-thin majority in parliament. Leaks to the Israeli media from both sides […]
Baghdad attacks kill at least 25 people
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AFP) – Attacks including an Islamic State group suicide bombing killed at least 25 people in Baghdad Tuesday, the latest in a series of deadly blasts to hit Iraq’s capital, officials said. The attacks also wounded at least 71 people, officials said. The deadliest attack hit the Shaab area in northern Baghdad, killing at least 15. Interior ministry spokesman Saad Maan said it was carried out by a female suicide bomber, while a police […]
Suicide raid on Iraq gas plant kills seven
Baghdad, Iraq (AFP)—Suicide attackers broke into a gas plant north of Baghdad on Sunday, killing at least seven people and setting fire to gas tanks, officials said. The attack on the Taji plant, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of the capital, took place around 6 a.m. (0300 GMT). Eight suicide bombers broke into the gas plant and blew up a car bomb at one of its entrances, interior ministry spokesperson Saad Maan said […]
Dubai-based falconer uses drones to train birds of prey
A South African falconer in Dubai’s desert is shaking up the ancient sport of falconry, marrying one of Arabia’s most cherished customs with the cutting edge world of drones and tiny cameras. Few foreigners are accepted into this traditional realm, which served as a means of survival in the barren wastes before the era of abundant oil and glassy skyscrapers. But tour operator and trainer Peter Bergh has honed his skills for more than a […]
Russian orchestra performs in Syria’s war-scarred Palmyra
https://youtu.be/zSd75s7KIf0 By Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber PALMYRA, Syria (AFP) — Leading Russian musicians on Thursday (May 5) staged a classical concert in the ancient theatre of Syria’s ravaged Palmyra in a show by the Kremlin to herald its successes in the war-torn country. Famed conductor Valery Gergiev led Saint Petersburg’s celebrated Mariinsky orchestra through pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach, Sergei Prokofiev and Rodion Shchedrin in front of a crowd of Russian soldiers, government ministers and journalists. Cellist […]
US positions troops in Yemen, steps up anti-Qaeda strikes
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) – US troops are helping United Arab Emirates forces push Al-Qaeda-affiliated forces from a Yemeni port, and the Pentagon has stepped up air strikes against the jihadists in the war-torn country. Defense Department spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis’s confirmation of the deployment marked the first time the Pentagon has publicly acknowledged that US troops are operating inside Yemen. Davis said a “very small number” of military personnel has been working with […]
Bahrain recycling industry hit by slump in oil prices
Turning trash into cash has been a big business in Bahrain for the Gulf state’s recycling companies. The country’s recycling industry has grown over the years, adding tens of millions of dollars to the economy. But a slump in oil prices has hit the business, as commodities have become cheaper, reducing the demand for recycled metal, plastic, paper and glass. It’s become cheaper for companies to buy new raw materials rather than invest in recyclable […]
4 dead in Saudi raid on ‘terror’ cell near Mecca: ministry
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — Saudi police shot dead two suspected militants and two others blew themselves up during a raid near the holy city of Mecca on Thursday, the interior ministry said. “The terrorists started shooting towards security forces, which they responded to”, leading to the deaths of a pair of suspects while the others “committed suicide by blowing themselves up with suicide belts”, the ministry’s spokesman said in a statement. Police had surrounded the […]
Ceasefire in Syria has reduced, but not ended, Aleppo violence
The U.N. said on Wednesday (May 4) it welcomed a statement released by the United States that it had agreed with Russia to extend a cessation of hostilities to include Aleppo, where intense day-long violence between Syrian rebels and government forces killed dozens of people. At a special Security Council session convened to discuss the situation in Aleppo, U.N. political chief Jeffrey Feltman urged “parties to abide by this immediately and comprehensively”. Feltman said reports […]
In U-turn, Britain to let in more Syrian child refugees
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) – by Katherine HADDON Britain will admit a limited number of child refugees who have travelled alone from Syria to Europe, Prime Minister David Cameron announced Wednesday, in a U-turn on the politically-charged issue of migration. The government’s change of heart is a victory for Alf Dubs, an 83-year-old member of Britain’s House of Lords who argued that the country should be more compassionate, citing his own story of fleeing […]
Paris to host Saudi, Qatar, UAE, Turkey FMs for Syria talks Monday
PARIS, France (AFP) — France will host talks next week with the Saudi, Qatari, Turkish and UAE foreign ministers on the breakdown in the Syrian peace process, government spokesman Stephane Le Foll said Wednesday. Other top diplomats from “countries that think negotiations should resume at all costs” may also attend the Monday meeting, Le Foll said, without naming them. He was speaking after a cabinet meeting in which French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said he was […]
