Eurasia

Hamas chief in Egypt for talks ahead of meeting of Palestinian factions

Egypt has tried in the past to foster cooperation between Palestinian factions that is seen as crucial to any wider efforts to promote peace in the region. Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh arrived in Cairo on Tuesday for the first in a series of talks this week between Egyptian authorities and …

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Bulgarian official admitted Hezbollah involvement in bus bombing

A Bulgarian prosecutor provided evidence to the court handling Hezbollah’s involvement in the Burgas bus bombing. A Bulgarian prosecutor provided detailed evidence to the Bulgarian court handling Hezbollah’s involvement in the 2012 Burgas bus bombing which killed five Israelis and their Bulgarian-Muslim bus driver, but the court refused to accept …

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Taliban Pledge No Retaliation Against Afghans Who Worked for Foreign Troops

The Taliban have urged Afghans who worked for departing U.S. and NATO militaries in Afghanistan over the years not to “desert” their war-ravaged nation for fear of retribution by the insurgent group. Monday’s Taliban pledge comes as thousands of Afghans employed, mostly as interpreters, by the United States and allied …

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Russia Officially Pulls Out Of Open Skies Treaty

President Vladimir Putin has signed a law that formalizes Russia’s withdrawal from an international treaty allowing nations to collect information on one another’s military forces in order to increase transparency, following the departure from the accord by the United States late last year. The document was published on the official …

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SDF digs tunnels in northeast Syria in case of Turkish offensive

The Syrian Democratic Forces continue to dig tunnels on the demarcation lines with the Turkey-backed opposition factions in northeast Syria, fearing a military operation. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have continued to dig trenches and tunnels in the areas under its control in northeastern Syria for more than three …

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Official: US Pledges $3.3 Billion in Funding for Afghan Forces

The U.S. peace envoy to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, along with a high-level delegation, met Sunday with leaders in Kabul to discuss bilateral cooperation after U.S. and coalition troops leave the country by a Sept. 11 deadline. The discussions come as Taliban insurgents have intensified battlefield attacks against government forces, capturing …

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What role will Hezbollah play in Lebanon’s future government?

Lebanon’s endless political crisis continues. It has lacked a government since prime minister Hassan Diab resigned last year after the Beirut Port explosion. Since then, the country has lurched from crisis to crisis, with Hezbollah being the main benefactor of these crises. Lebanese President Michel Aoun has held discussions with …

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Talking or bickering? Will Putin and Biden discuss the “dirty war” in the Middle East?

The whole world is looking forward to the meeting of the new US President Joe Biden with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. Although the Kremlin and the White House urge people not to expect too much from the June 16 summit, one still wants to believe that a personal meeting …

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Iraq keeps focus on terror funding

Iraqi operations against Islamic State cells continue to rely on intelligence and airstrikes more than group battles. Operations resulting in dozens of arrests and the destruction of weapons caches of alleged Islamic State (IS) cells across Iraq in recent weeks continue to rely to some extent on US-led international coalition …

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Turkish lira remains volatile after surprise dip in inflation data

Turkey’s annual inflation unexpectedly dropped to 16.59% in May, according to data published Thursday. The news did not steady the nation’s currency, which slid on market concerns over an early interest rate cut. Bucking a seven-month trend of steady increases, Turkey’s annual inflation rate fell slightly in May, catching forecasters …

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