World / Middle East

Egypt exceptionally opens Gaza crossing for 3 days 07 May 2017 - 09:45 am

GAZA CITY, Palestine: Egyptian authorities on Saturday exceptionally opened the Rafah border crossing with the Israel-blockaded Gaza Strip for three days to allow...

Flooding forces Mosul residents to flee war in rickety boats 06 May 2017 - 07:06 pm

MOSUL, Iraq: The Iraqi man laid the body of his wife, wrapped in a black shroud, gently on the bow of a small...

Egypt Azhar university head replaced after 'apostasy' remarks 06 May 2017 - 05:39 pm

Cairo: The head of Egypt's Al-Azhar university, one of the world's leading Islamic seats of learning, has been replaced after labelling a controversial...

Ex-Gaza chief Haniya elected leader of Hamas 06 May 2017 - 03:23 pm

Gaza City, Palestinian Territories: Hamas's former chief in Gaza, Ismail Haniya, has been elected overall head of the Palestinian Islamist group, succeeding Khaled...

Hamas elects new leader on Saturday: Source 06 May 2017 - 02:05 pm

GAZA CITY, Palestine: Gaza-based resistance group Hamas will hold elections on Saturday to elect a new political bureau chief to replace Khaled Meshaal,...

Egypt reopens crossing with Gaza in humanitarian move 06 May 2017 - 01:17 pm

Rafah, Palestinian Territories: Egypt reopened the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip for three days starting on Saturday to allow hundreds of...

After ban, Turkish Airlines to offer laptops to VIP travellers 06 May 2017 - 01:11 pm

Istanbul: Turkish Airlines on Saturday said it would offer laptops to business-class travellers after Britain and the United States banned large electronic devices...

A new type of deal to reduce violence in Syria 06 May 2017 - 12:13 pm

BEIRUT: The Russian plan to create safe zones in Syria, which came into effect Saturday, is the latest in a string of efforts...

Tillerson discusses Syria with Russia's Lavrov 06 May 2017 - 08:38 am

Washington: US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson discussed the conflict in Syria with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov on Friday, the State Department said....

Turkey court rejects Wikipedia appeal over blocking 05 May 2017 - 02:22 pm

Istanbul: A Turkish court on Friday rejected an appeal by the Wikimedia Foundation against the nearly week-long blocking of access in Turkey to...

Turkey, Russia, Iran back Syria 'de-escalation zones' 04 May 2017 - 07:09 pm

ASTANA, Kazakhstan: Russia, Turkey and Iran signed a deal in the Kazakh capital, Astana, on Thursday to establish de-escalation zones in Syria. Kazakh...

Russia, Turkey, Iran sign pact on safe zones in Syria 04 May 2017 - 03:40 pm

Astana, Kazakhstan: Syrian regime allies Russia and Iran and rebel backer Turkey on Thursday signed a memorandum on a Moscow-backed plan to create...

Syria rebels return to peace talks 04 May 2017 - 03:06 pm

Astana, Kazakhstan: Syrian rebels on Thursday resumed participation in peace talks in the Kazakh capital Astana centred around a Russian-backed plan to create...

Egyptian woman leaves Indian hospital more than 300 kg lighter 04 May 2017 - 02:59 pm

MUMBAI: An Egyptian woman widely believed to have been the world's heaviest woman left an Indian hospital on Thursday more than 300 kg...

Iraqi army advances in Mosul 04 May 2017 - 02:05 pm

Baghdad: Iraq's armed forces on Thursday opened a new front against ISIS in Mosul in the northwest of the country, an Iraqi military...

Raqqah Council to rule city: Pentagon 04 May 2017 - 01:16 pm

WASHINGTON: A council of local members who live in and around Raqqah, Syria, will rule the city after it is cleared of IS,...

35 dead in Iran coal mine blast 04 May 2017 - 01:09 pm

TEHRAN: An explosion at a coal mine in northern Iran killed at least 35 people on Wednesday, according to the Iranian Labour News...

First day of Astana talks ends without result 04 May 2017 - 12:54 pm

ASTANA, Kazakhstan: The first day of Syria talks in the Kazakh capital ended Wednesday without a breakthrough between the Syrian regime and opposition...