Senators resoundingly back text saying pullouts could allow ISIL and al-Qaeda to re-group, destabilise both countries. Senators from across party lines in the United States have backed an amendment opposing Donald Trump’s plan to pull troops out of Syria and Afghanistan, in a strong rebuke of the Republican president’s decision. The text, which was passed […]

Netherlands will allow those born after May 15, 1948 to use occupied Palestinian territories as official place of birth. The Dutch government has announced it will begin recognising the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as official birthplaces for Palestinians who were born in the country after the establishment of Israel. […]

The Israeli military has said it launched “wide-scale” airstrikes on militant targets in the Gaza Strip shortly after Palestinian militants fired three rockets into Israel, two of which were intercepted. There were no reports of casualties or major damage from the exchange of fire overnight, which came amid heightened tensions after President Donald Trump released […]

President Rouhani leads the rain-soaked commemoration in Tehran and vows to continue the country’s missile programme. Tehran, Iran – Iranians have taken to the streets across the country to mark the 40th anniversary of the 1979 revolution, renewing their allegiance to the country’s Islamic principles at a time of rising economic and political pressure amid […]

Tunisian court hands down convictions, including life sentences, to dozens involved in 2015 deadly attacks. A Tunisian court has sentenced seven people to life in prison over attacks at a museum and on a beach in 2015 that killed 60 people, many of them foreign tourists. Dozens of defendants faced two separate trials over the […]

‘Pay or become famous’, online activists warn employers accused of mistreating domestic workers in Lebanon. Beirut, Lebanon – “Write to us if you are a domestic worker, or know a domestic worker, who is being abused in Lebanon. We will try to help.” The words are translated into seven languages – the main ones spoken […]

Turkish leader says US has not presented acceptable plans for a ‘safe zone’ inside Syria, warns of move on Manbij. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he has not yet seen an acceptable plan for the creation of a “safe zone” in northeastern Syria, three weeks after US President Donald Trump suggested the move. “There […]

International Olympic Committee says refusal of visas for competitors went against principles of the Olympic charter. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has suspended all Indian applications to host future events and has urged international sports federations not to stage competitions in the country after two Pakistanis were denied visas to compete in New Delhi. The […]

Mike Pompeo speaks separately with top diplomats of India and Pakistan, urges neighbours to ‘exercise restraint’. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has urged India and Pakistan to avoid “further military activity” following a dramatic escalation in tensions between the two South Asian neighbours. His comments on Tuesday came a day after Pakistan said it reserved […]

Defence Minister Hatami calls the Hoveizeh missile the ‘long arm of the Islamic Republic of Iran’ in defending itself. Iran announced the “successful test” of a new cruise missile with a range of over 1,350 kilometres during celebrations marking the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, state television reported. “The test of the Hoveizeh cruise […]