Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi inaugurated on Saturday the largest military base of the Middle East in the coastal city of Alexandria. The president raised the Armed Forces flag on the new base in el Hammam city, west of Alexandria. The military base was named after late president Mohamed Naguib, who orchestrated 1952 revolution which […]

The United States warned on Thursday that a new regional plan to shore up South Sudan’s failing peace agreement was the last chance for Juba’s leaders to end the war, now in its fourth year. US Deputy Ambassador Michele Sison told the UN Security Council that Washington will reconsider its support for the deal signed […]

Egyptian forces have killed 30 extremists during several days of security operations in the Sinai Peninsula involving the army, air force and police, the military said on Saturday. The Egyptian authorities are battling an insurgency by the Islamic State (ISIS) group in North Sinai that has killed hundreds of members of the security forces.

Ram Nath Kovind, the son of a modest farmer, secured two-thirds of the votes from nearly 5,000 legislators. India’s legislators have elected Ram Nath Kovind, a member of Hinduism’s most oppressed caste, as the country’s 14th president—a triumph for the Bharatiya Janata Party, which nominated him. A total of 4,895 legislators—4,119 members of state assemblies […]

The US State Department on Wednesday released the Country Reports on Terrorism 2016, where it highlighted the UAE’s increased counterterrorism efforts. “The nation increased its counter-terrorism prosecutions in the last year, with the Federal Supreme Court’s State Security Court hearing more than three dozen separate terrorism-related cases,” it said.

Iraqi forces on Thursday regained control over Imam Gharbi, a village south of Mosul, from Daesh militants who had seized it as their defence of their stronghold in the city crumbled, Iraqi police said. The action formed part of the next phase of the US-backed government’s campaign to drive Daesh from Iraq and dismantle their […]

The Czech Republic’s foreign minister has suggested that the European Union consider a military engagement in Libya to reduce the flow of migrants arriving by boat from there to Europe. Lubomir Zaoralek says that “we must speak very openly what the real instruments are to stabilize Libya.” He told the Austrian Press Agency while in […]

Five UN peacekeepers’ bases in the Democratic Republic of Congo are to close at the end of July, the UN mission there announced on Wednesday, describing it as a change in operational style. But the closures come against the background of cuts to the overall peacekeeping budget pushed through under pressure from the United States. […]

EU High Representative Federica Mogherini met with the Lebanese foreign minister Affairs Gebran Bassil Tuesday and discussed the Syrian crisis and its consequences on Lebanon. “We discussed in particular the Syrian crisis, the impact in Lebanon; We continue to be on the same side here agreeing that only a political solution can bring an end […]

The European Union (EU) announced on Wednesday that it will provide 1.5 million euro (USD 1.7 mn) to support the International Independent Mechanism to Facilitate Investigations into the Most Serious Violations of International Law committed in Syria since March 2011. “Achieving justice for the victims is essential for a genuine and inclusive reconciliation process in […]

A total of 47 Islamic State (IS) militants were killed on Monday in Iraqi airstrikes in and near the IS-held town of Tal Afar in west of Mosul, the Iraqi military said. Iraqi jets conducted airstrikes on an IS post in the IS-held town of Mahalabiyah near the IS stronghold in Tal Afar, which itself […]

Egypt is ready to help Iraq restore its security and stability as well as reconstruct Iraqi cities after the country’s recent victories over the militant group Daesh, Egypt’s foreign minister Sameh Shoukry told Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi during Shoukry’s first visit to Mosul following its liberation from Daesh.

Representatives of gas companies Bulgartransgaz EAD (Bulgaria), ICBG AD (Bulgaria), DESFA S.A. (Greece), FGSZ Ltd. (Hungary) and SNTGN TRANSGAZ S.A. (Romania) signed a memorandum of understanding about a project for implementation of the Vertical Gas Corridor. The document was signed Wednesday at a joint meeting in Bucharest, the Energy Ministry told BTA.

Egyptian police have killed two leaders of the Hasam militia in a shootout after intercepting them as they relocated to a new hideout on Cairo’s outskirts, the government said Tuesday. The interior ministry said the two militants were “prominent leaders” of the Hasam group – an extremist movement the government accuses of having links to […]

The foreign ministers of China and Tunisia are calling for new efforts to reach a negotiated peace in Libya and prevent the unstable North African nation from dissolving into a humanitarian disaster on a level with Syria.

A high ranking Boko Haram leader and three other extremists reportedly handed themselves over to the Nigerian military early this week. According to Premium Times, Boko Haram leader Konto Fanami, and three other members willingly handed themselves over to the army on Monday. In a statement, military spokesperson Sani Usman said that Boko Haram had […]

European Union Foreign Ministers meeting here Monday adopted a crisis management concept for a new civilian CSDP (Common Security and Defence Policy ) mission in Iraq. The decision comes after a request by the Iraqi authorities and the adoption of a crisis management concept is the first step to launch a new CSDP mission, after […]

Turkey’s Parliament approved the Cabinet’s motion Monday to extend the ongoing state of emergency in the country for another three months starting from July 19, official media reported. The motion was backed by votes of ruling Justice and Development Party and opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).

Pakistan and China have agreed to continue to work closely with the Afghan government to bring peace and stability in Afghanistan. The agreement over the issue was reached after a meeting between Prime Minister’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing, according to a statement issued by Pakistan […]

The European Union agreed Monday to send a security assistance delegation to Iraq as part of its Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP). “The mission will focus on assisting the Iraqi authorities in the implementation of the civilian aspects of the Iraqi security strategy,” said the council in a statement. “EU experts will provide advice […]

US-backed forces said Monday they had seized a new neighbourhood from the Daesh terror group in the extremist stronghold of Raqqa in northern Syria. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters, have been pressing an operation to capture the extremist stronghold since last year, and they penetrated the city in […]

The European Union imposed sanctions on 16 Syrian scientists and military officials on Monday for their suspected involvement in a chemical attack in northern Syria in April which killed scores of civilians. Western intelligence agencies accuse the government of Bashar Assad of carrying out the attack, arguing that rebels in the area would not have […]

Egypt’s military says its jet-fighters have destroyed 15 all-terrain vehicles carrying weapons and explosives along with “criminal elements” after they were detected getting ready to cross the Libyan border into Egypt.

The bodies of eight missing Malian soldiers have been found following a presumed jihadist attack on July 9, official sources said on Monday. The soldiers were ambushed in Mali’s northeast and two escaped with their lives, but until now there had been no trace of the missing.

The US Department of State has “made a determination” approving a possible Foreign Military Sale estimated at USD 3.9 billion to Romania for Patriot air defense systems, related support and equipment, it was announced Tuesday.

The Small Group of the Global Coalition to Defeat the so-called Islamic State (IS) meet Thursday to synthesize this week’s Coalition meetings and discuss priorities to build on the progress in Mosul and Raqqa, and to set (IS) on an irreversible and lasting path to defeat across the globe. In his opening remarks, Special Presidential […]

Iraqi forces hit further pockets of resistance from Islamic State militants in Mosul’s Old City on Friday, four days after the prime minister declared victory. Army helicopters flew overhead and explosions could be heard, residents said. “Three mortars landed on our district,” a resident of Faysaliya, just across the Tigris river in east Mosul, said […]

UN chief Antonio Guterres has reiterated the need for India and Pakistan to find a peaceful solution to the Kashmir issue through engagement and dialogue, his spokesperson said. Guterres’ spokesman Stephane Dujarric’s remarks came when he was asked if the secretary-general is paying attention to the situation in the region or “we are just waiting […]

Competition between the Swedish Gripen E and American F-16 is likely to heat up soon with the Indian Ministry of Defence planning to expedite the acquisition of warplanes for the Indian Air Force under a $25-billion deal to buy 200 aircraft. The decision to expedite the procurement process has been taken after India’s security situation […]

The United Nations on Thursday said it is considering putting a peacekeeping base in South Sudan’s troubled Yei region, saying the city has “gone through a nightmare” in recent months. It would be the first such expansion since civil war began in 2013. “I can see the prosperity that was once here,” the peacekeeping mission’s […]

United States and Somali military forces raided a rebel-held village in southern Somalia and killed several al-Shabaab fighters early on Thursday, a senior Somali intelligence official said, as both countries step up efforts against Africa’s deadliest Islamic extremist group. Somali commandos accompanied by US forces in two helicopters raided two locations, the official said. They […]

Some 5,000 NATO soldiers and partner countries conducted training operations in Romania, followed by Romanian president. The exercise runs until July 20th. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis and head of the NATO Military Committee, General Petr Pavel, who is a two-day visit to Romania, they were received with military honors prior to exercises on

Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force Gen. David L. Goldfein held talks in Ankara with his Turkish counterparts. Goldfein met with Commander of the Turkish Air Force Abidin Ünal and other senior military officials in order to discuss ongoing military cooperation in Syria as part of international efforts to defeat the Islamic […]

American military advisors are operating inside the city of Raqqa,ISIL’s last major stronghold in Syria, a US official said on Wednesday. The troops, many of them special operations forces, are working in an “advise, assist and accompany” role to support local fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces as they battle ISIL, said Colonel Ryan Dillon, […]

The European Commission announced Wednesday that it is scaling up its response to the humanitarian crisis in Iraq, which will enable the EU to continue supporting emergency relief in newly retaken areas and for newly displaced families. It will also allow to continue emergency medical services, attending injured civilians from the frontlines, to the final […]