Pro-government fighters want a no-fly zone imposed to support government forces in the war. Heavy clashes have been reported between the army of the internationally recognised government of Libya and rebel commander Khalifa Haftar’s forces on the outskirts of the capital Tripoli. Nearly seven months after veteran commander Haftar launched an offensive on Tripoli, the […]

BAGHDAD (REUTERS) – Thousands of Iraqis thronged central Baghdad on Friday (Nov 1) demanding the root-and-branch downfall of the political elite, in what was expected to become the biggest day of mass anti-government demonstrations since the fall of Saddam Hussein. Protests in which 250 people have died over the past month have accelerated dramatically in […]

BEIRUT (DPA) – Life returned to normal in the Lebanese capital Beirut as banks opened their doors to customers on Friday (Nov 1) for the first time since they were forced to closed as anti-government protesters paralysed the country. Dozens of people were seen gathering outside different banks. Shops and businesses were also opened and […]

Suspected rocket attack damages Iranian vessel causing an oil leak off Saudi Arabia’s port city of Jeddah. An Iranian oil tanker in the Red Sea was hit by two suspected rockets on Friday off the coast of Saudi Arabia, raising fears of further escalation in the already-volatile Gulf region.  The National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) said […]

Turkey’s military push into Syria meets growing backlash amid battle with Kurdish-led forces for control of Ras al-Ain. Turkey’s military says it has taken control of a key Syrian border town as Ankara presses ahead with its offensive against Kurdish fighters despite facing mounting international criticism over the operation. The Turkish defence ministry said its troops […]

Power-sharing agreement between generals and pro-democracy movement sets 6-month timeline to end conflicts. Peace talks between a delegation from Sudan’s newly-created sovereign council and a number of rebel leaders are under way in South Sudan’s capital, Juba. The discussions, which started on Monday, are aimed at ending the country’s years-long conflicts and come a month after […]

WASHINGTON (BLOOMBERG) – The Pentagon released video footage of the weekend raid that led to the death of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, including attacks on fighters from the area surrounding the compound where the terrorist leader was hiding. General Kenneth McKenzie, the head of US Central Command, showed images of the American attack […]

One-hundred-and-fifty delegates representing Syria’s government, opposition and various sectors of civil society are meeting in Geneva to try to draft a new constitution. The UN says the talks will be “Syrian-owned and Syrian-led”, and could pave the way for reforms and elections. It suggests they might, eventually, lead to peace negotiations. Syria’s eight-year civil war […]

Reporters Without Borders says regulatory body’s ‘draconian’ orders for TV anchors violate journalistic independence. A media watchdog has condemned a decision by Pakistani authorities ordering news anchors not to express their opinions on air, the latest in a series of assaults on press freedom in the South Asian country. The statement by Reporters Without Borders, […]

Citizens and political parties rally behind President Erdogan’s Syria move, in defiance of international condemnation. Ankara, Turkey – The Turkish public and political elite have largely thrown their support behind the country’s forces fighting in northern Syria, standing in defiance against voices in the international community condemning Ankara’s operation in the region. The attack on the Kurdish-led […]