Eurasia

US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Monday that Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad could take credit for quickly starting the process of destroying his government’s chemical weapons arsenal, and thanked Russia for its help. “The process has begun in record time and we are appreciative for the Russian cooperationand 

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius, in his capacity as the holder of the EU’s rotating presidency, and Romanian Foreign Minister, Titus Corlatean, as holder of the Presidency of the South East European Cooperation Process, affirmed their support to Albania’s EU integration on Tuesday during a working visit to Albania.

Turkish foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu Tuesday rejected Syrian claims that Ankara was supporting armed groups affiliated to Al-Qaeda, and allowing them to use Turkish territories to launch attacks on the Syrian regime. “Turkey has never provided any kind of support for these groups, and we do not allow our borders …

EU interior and justice ministers, during their meeting in Luxembourg Tuesday, had an in-depth discussion on Syria with particular reference to the protection of refugees, said the ministers in a statement tonight.

Islamic extremists have taken the offensive around Gao in north Mali, wounding two civilians Tuesday when they blew up a bridge, a day after shelling the town and injuring a soldier. “Early this Tuesday, Islamists dynamited one of two small bridges near … Bentia, about 50 kilometres (31 miles) from the border …

The death toll from weekend clashes between Islamists and police has reached 57, a senior Egyptian health ministry official announced on Tuesday. Khaled al-Khatib said that 48 people died in Cairo and nine in other parts of the country. Authorities had previously given a toll of 51.

Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan arrived, on Tuesday in Tunis, from Morocco for a short visit as part of a Maghreb tour. Ali Zeidan was seen in at Tunis-Carthage airport by his opposite number Ali larayedh.

The world’s chemical weapons watchdog has said it will send a second team of inspectors to boost its programme to destroy Syria’s stockpile. The new team of experts, expected to reach Damascus on Wednesday, will expand on the work undertaken

The Presidents of Bulgaria and Germany discussed the political crisis in Europe, the Eastern Partnership and the development of Eastern European and Black Sea region countries. The two heads of state met Tuesday in Krakow, Poland, according to the press office of the Bulgarian President.

The Algerian government said Tuesday it was taking dramatic steps to secure the release of diplomats kidnapped in northern Mali. Algerian diplomats were kidnapped by al-Qaida allies who seized territory in northern Mali following a coup in Bamako in 2012.