Russia and Turkey are backing opposing warring parties in three active conflicts. However, this adversarial positioning has not hindered cooperation between Moscow and Ankara. They reign in opposing sides and, in effect, stage-manage their respective theatres of wars. Through multilateral arrangements, Europe is an enabler of Turkey’s position and could …
Read More »ISIS in Sinai leader killed in clash with Egyptian forces – report
Al-Hamadin, referred to as the “most dangerous and oldest of the takfiri elements in the Sinai,” was responsible for the murder of hundreds of civilians and Egyptian soldiers. Leader of the ISIS terrorist organization in the Sinai Peninsula, Salim Salma Said Mahmoud al-Hamadin, was killed during clashes with Bedouin and …
Read More »Traffic suspended, as ship blocking Suez Canal may take weeks to move
A container ship blocking the Suez Canal like a “beached whale” sent new shockwaves through global trade today as officials stopped all ships entering the channel and the salvage company said it may take weeks to free, Reuters reported. The 400 metre Ever Given, almost as long as the Empire …
Read More »Egypt’s Suez Canal Authority Chief Says ‘No Timetable’ To Dislodge Container Ship
Egypt’s Suez Canal Authority chief said on Saturday that officials could not lay out a set timetable for when Panamanian container ship, The Ever Given, will be dislodged. Lt. Gen. Osama Rabei said that the ship broke the canal’s bank and can only be moved using excavators.
Read More »Libyan commander loyal to Hifter assassinated in Benghazi
Mahmoud al-Werfalli had been indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and was under US and EU sanctions. Unknown gunmen in Benghazi have assassinated a notorious eastern-based commander in Libya who was wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC), media news outlets reported on Wednesday. Mahmoud al-Werfalli commanded …
Read More »US, Western countries jointly condemn Egypt’s rights abuses
Thirty-one member countries at the UN Human Rights Council issued a rare rebuke of Cairo’s crackdown on peaceful dissent. The United States joined 30 other countries on Friday to express concern over “the trajectory of human rights in Egypt” and the Egyptian government’s use of counterterrorism laws to crush peaceful …
Read More »Libya swears in new prime minister of unity government
Abdul Hamid Dbeibah has vowed to unify the war-torn country and lambasted the presence of foreign mercenaries. Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, Libya’s new prime minister, was sworn in on Monday ahead of United Nations-sponsored elections set for December that aim to reunite the war-wracked country a decade after the overthrow of …
Read More »Algeria’s Islamist parties failing to inspire
Moderate Islamist parties in Algeria, which have been weakened by factionalism and internal disagreements over the years, are unlikely to increase their base in the upcoming general and local elections. Algeria’s moderate Islamist parties are unlikely to be able to capitalize on the snap general and local elections that President …
Read More »Eastern Libyan forces say senior local IS militant captured
Forces of Libya’s eastern military strongman said they arrested a suspected senior local Islamic State fighter on Sunday in a southwestern town known to be a militant hideout. Mohammed Miloud was once an IS leader in the coastal city of Sirte, held by the group before they were driven out …
Read More »Egypt says Turkey must lay ground for normalising ties with actions
Turkey’s actions must show alignment with Egypt’s principles and goals for relations between the two countries to return to normal, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said on Sunday. Shoukry confirmed contacts between Cairo and Ankara after years of tensions but indicated that dialogue was limited.
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