Monthly Archives: January 2015

At least 15 dead during Egypt revolt anniversary clashes

Clashes between protesters and security forces left at least 15 people dead on Sunday, the anniversary of Egypt’s 2011 revolt that toppled strongman Hosni Mubarak. Security had been tightened in Cairo and other cities after Islamists called for protests against the government of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the former army …

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NATO condemns violence escalation in Ukraine, calls on Russia to stop supporting separatists

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg Monday condemned the sharp escalation of violence along the ceasefire line in eastern Ukraine by the Russia-backed separatists and called on Russia to stop supporting them. In his statement after an extraordinary meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission this afternoon, he said thirty civilians were killed …

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New round of talks on Libya peace to be held in Geneva

A new round of peace talks between Libya’s warring factions resumed in Geneva on Monday as the country continued to sink into chaos. During a first round of UN-mediated discussions in the Swiss city earlier this month, warring factions from the strife-torn country agreed on a roadmap to form a …

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Turkey deploys Spanish Patriot missiles in south province of Adana

Spainish Patriot air defense missiles have been deployed in the southern Turkish province of Adana, as part of Turkey’s request for NATO assistance on the country’s border with Syria, the head of the Spanish unit in Turkey said on Jan. 26. The battery commander of the Spanish Patriot air defense …

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Pakistan authorities arrests at least nine thousand suspected militants

Pakistani authorities have arrested at least 9,000 suspected militants, including over 3,000 clerics, as part of a massive crackdown launched by security forces on militants and their sympathisers. The arrests were part of the National Action Plan (NAP) to eliminate militancy after Taliban last month attacked a school and killed …

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Kurdish fighters backed by US-led airstrikes manage to push out IS of Kobane

 Kurdish fighters backed by intense U.S.-led airstrikes pushed the Islamic State group entirely out of a key Syrian town on Monday, marking a major defeat for the extremists whose hopes for an easy victory when they pushed into Kobane last year dissolved into a bloody, costly and months-long siege. As …

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Obama, Modi discuss crucial issues

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama today held talks on a range of crucial issues, including removing hurdles in operationalising the long-stalled civil nuclear agreement and enhancing ties in defence, trade and commerce and climate change. Officials said “progress has been made” on the nuclear issue and India was looking forward to …

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Kerry to visit Nigeria in the next days to counter extremist groups

US Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday told an audience in Davos that he would visit Nigeria “in a couple of days” as part of a Washington push to counter extremist groups, including Boko Haram. In an emotional speech on the horrors inflicted by extremist groups, Kerry said that in …

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Obama to start visit to India on Sunday

US President Barack Obama will travel to India on Sunday for three days with First Lady Michelle Obama. “U.S. cooperation with India can significantly advance our interests in terms of promoting economic ties and increased exports to a growing market,” said Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes in a conference …

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