Latest in Region Highlight
Latest in Region
Insight: As powers push for talks, Syria balance tilts towards Assad
The National Coalition says it fears the US – Russia deal to dismantle Syria’s chemical arsenal has restored the Assad administration’s legitimacy
Iran sharply slows down nuclear capacity expansion: IAEA report
Reuters – Iran has virtually halted the expansion of its uranium enrichment capacity in the past three months, the U.N. nuclear agency said in a report roughly covering the period since Hassan Rouhani became president. The quarterly report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also showed that Iran’s stockpile of higher-grade enriched uranium – …
Hezbollah will stay in Syria as long as needed: Nasrallah
“As long as the reasons (to fight in Syria) remain, our presence there will remain,” Nasrallah said
Palestinian peace negotiators resign over settlements
Shtayyeh held Israel “completely responsible for the failure of negotiations, because of the continuation and escalation of settlement building.”
Saudi officially rejects UN Security Council seat
Saudi envoy to the United Nations Abdullah al-Mouallimi wrote to UN leader Ban Ki-moon to inform him of the move and reaffirm a Saudi protest over the way the council has acted over the Syria conflict.
Israel must avoid spats with US, Lieberman says on return
Israel and the United States have been locked in a war of words over negotiations between world powers and Iran that could see sanctions relaxed in exchange for Tehran curbing or freezing parts of the disputed atomic programme.
Yemen jails crew over arms shipment ‘from Iran’
Another man was given a three-year jail term while a ninth, who remains at large, was handed a 10-year term.
Gunman killed, police wounded in Tunisia clashes
The interior ministry said other gunmen had fled, and that two policemen were wounded by shots to their legs.
No Mideast peace deal better than bad deal: Palestinians
Shtayyeh, who has been deeply involved in the talks since they began at the end of July, described a bad deal as “an agreement based upon Israeli colonial ambitions rather than upon internationally accepted principles of international law”.
Syria opposition says would attend peace talks with conditions
Speaking shortly afterwards, US Secretary of State John Kerry said any decision by the opposition to take part in talks would be a “big step.”
Syrian opposition seek to heal deep divisions in Istanbul
They were due to continue through Sunday evening, the coalition said.
Qaeda chief says Nusra Front alone runs Syria ops
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said troops, backed fighters from Lebanon’s Shiite militant group Hezbollah, recaptured parts of Base 80 in the north.
Israel rejects mooted Iran nuclear deal, Kerry heads to talks
Netanyahu: Israel is not obliged by this agreement and Israel will do everything it needs to do to defend itself and the security of its people
Calls for Arafat ‘killing’ probe after poison report
With the scientific analysis purportedly showing how the Palestinian leader had died mysteriously, Palestinian officials called for an international inquiry to determine who was behind it
Erdogan denies support for Al Qaeda in Syria
Erdogan: Turkey is not providing shelter or support to Al Qaeda-linked groups in Syria
Kerry in Jordan as settlement spat imperils Mideast peace push
As the US top diplomat doubles down on efforts to bridge the gaps in the peace negotiations he will return to Jerusalem on Friday for a previously unscheduled breakfast meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Syria army retakes key rebel town near Damascus
Rebels in southern Damascus have now had practically all their supply routes cut off
Just one Syria chemical site uninspected: watchdog
The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said that Syrian personnel had visited one of two remaining sites that they could not visit for security reasons
Iran says nuclear deal possible this week in Geneva talks
Reuters – An agreement that would open the door to ending a decade-long nuclear standoff between Iran and six world powers is possible this week if negotiators exert maximum effort, Iran’s foreign minister said on Thursday. “If everyone tries their best, we may have one,” Mohammad Javad Zarif told reporters after a breakfast meeting with European …
Findings of Arafat death probe handed to Palestinians
Some 60 samples were taken from the remains of the late Palestinian leader in November last year for a probe into whether he was poisoned by polonium.
Israel ‘bombs’ Syria as envoy presses peace talks bid
Israel did not comment on the reports, but it has struck Syria in the past and warned it will continue to take action to prevent weapons from falling into the hands of Hezbollah
Israeli troops kill Palestinian in north West Bank raid
Ahmad Tazazaa was shot dead in Qabatya after Israeli soldiers entered the town to carry out an arrest operation
Six killed in Iraq violence
The attacks come as Iraq witnesses its worst violence since 2008, a surge in bloodshed that has killed more than 5,400 people this year
Syria chemical arms production equipment destroyed: watchdog
“Syria has completed rendering inoperable its chemical weapons production and assembly installations,” said the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
Car bomb found at site of deadly Tunisia clash
A quantity of TNT and ammonium nitrate substances frequently used in homemade explosives were also found
EU’s Ashton urges Palestinian reconciliation in talks with Abbas
During talks with EU leaders, Abbas urged European and other foreign companies not to deal with businesses based in Jewish settlements
Saudi warns women against defying driving ban
Activists have called on social networks for Saudi women to go behind the wheel on Saturday, in a campaign in the world’s only country that bans women from driving
Tunisia protesters torch ruling Islamist party’s office
AFP – Protesters on Thursday torched the office of Tunisia’s ruling Islamists in the town of Kef, where a policeman killed in fighting with suspected jihadists is to be buried, an AFP photographer reported. The walls of the building were burned and equipment inside it destroyed, with witnesses saying that protesters had ransacked the office …
Israel minister: ‘small differences’ with US over Iran
Israel has repeatedly warned against the so-called charm offensive of Iran’s new President Hassan Rouhani, which led to direct talks between Tehran and the P5+1 countries
Libya finds little to celebrate two years after ‘liberation’
The post-Kadhafi authorities are still struggling to assert their writ over large swathes of the country.