Middle East

One year on, Baghdad falls silent to mark defeat of Islamic State

Editorial Bureau December 11, 2018

BAGHDAD (Reuters) – A hush descended on central Baghdad on Monday as Iraqis observed a minute’s silence for those killed in the battle against Islamic State a year after the group was defeated. Fireworks were scheduled to be set off later in the evening. The government has made the

Middle East

Israeli troops raid Palestinian news agency for footage

Editorial Bureau December 11, 2018

AMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) – Israeli soldiers raided the official Palestinian news agency on Monday in the occupied West Bank, a day after suspected Palestinian gunmen opened fire on Israelis outside a nearby Jewish settlement. Wafa, the Palestinian Authority news service, said on its website that troops entered the server room and went through recordings […]

Middle East

U.N. envoy says Yemen’s warring parties ‘not there yet’ on main issues

Editorial Bureau December 11, 2018

Sweden (Reuters) – U.N. special envoy Martin Griffiths said on Monday Yemen’s warring parties had yet to agree on main sticking points in peace talks, including a ceasefire in Hodeidah and reopening Sanaa airport, but that consultations would continue. The talks in Sweden are set to last until Dec. 13. Grifffiths said another round would […]

Middle East

Acting Armenian PM’s bloc wins parliamentary vote – commission

Editorial Bureau December 11, 2018

YEREVAN (Reuters) – Armenia’s acting prime minister Nikol Pashinyan bolstered his authority in the former Soviet republic as his political bloc won early parliamentary elections which were assessed as democratic. My Step Alliance, including Pashinyan’s Civil Contract Party, won 70.4 percent of Sunday’s vote based on results from all polling

Middle East

Iran arrests 10 suspects in suicide bombing that killed two

Editorial Bureau December 10, 2018

DUBAI (Reuters) – Iranian security forces have detained 10 people suspected of links to a suicide car bomb attack this week that killed at least two policemen, police chief Hossein Ashtari said on Sunday. “Good clues have been obtained and hopefully with the public’s cooperation … we will get to the main leads,” Ashtari was […]

Middle East

Yemen warring parties hold first direct meeting of Sweden peace talks

Editorial Bureau December 10, 2018

Sweden (Reuters) – Yemen’s warring parties held the first direct talks in U.N.-led peace efforts in Sweden on Sunday to iron out a prisoner swap, one of several confidence-building measures intended to help launch a political process to end nearly four years of conflict. Since talks began on Thursday, U.N. officials have been shuttling between […]

Middle East

De-miners sound all-clear at marooned Jordan River baptism shrines

Editorial Bureau December 10, 2018

West Bank (Reuters) – Israeli and foreign engineers sounded the all-clear on Sunday around three churches on the western bank of the Jordan River, near where Jesus is believed to have been baptised, after mines that had marooned the shrines for decades were cleared. The river banks were once a war zone between Israel and […]

Middle East

Qatar rift overshadows Gulf Arab summit as emir stays away

Editorial Bureau December 10, 2018

RIYADH (Reuters) – A Gulf Arab summit called for regional unity as Bahrain and Qatar traded barbs over the Qatari emir’s decision not to attend the gathering in Saudi Arabia on Sunday in a sign that a row between Doha and its neighbours is still festering. Qatar sent its state minister for foreign affairs to […]

Middle East

Saudi foreign minister rules out extraditing suspects in Khashoggi case

Editorial Bureau December 10, 2018

RIYADH (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister on Sunday ruled out the extradition of suspects in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, after Istanbul’s chief prosecutor filed warrants for the arrest of two former senior Saudi officials. Turkish officials said last week that the prosecutor’s office had concluded there was “strong

Middle East

U.S. wants to continue support for Saudi-led coalition in Yemen

Editorial Bureau December 9, 2018

ABU DHABI (Reuters) – The United States wants to continue support to the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen’s war and will remain engaged in efforts to combat Iranian influence and Islamist militancy in the Arab state, a State Department official said on Sunday. Since the Oct 2. murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi at the […]