July, 2017

• 4 July

  McCain calls on India, Pakistan to solve Kashmir dispute

  The visiting US Congressional delegation led by Senator John McCain in Islamabad has urged both India and Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir issue through dialogue and asserted that peace in Afghanistan is not possible without Pakistan’s help. The US delegation on Sunday met Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz and …

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• 4 July

  Modi, Xi could hold talks on border standoff this week

  A brief meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping is probably the only glimmer of hope as India and China stand on the brink of a major combat in the Sikkim sector of the China-India boundary. Both leaders are expected to meet on the sidelines …

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• 4 July

  US-backed forces breach Daesh defences in Raqa

  US-backed forces have penetrated the heavily fortified heart of extremist bastion Raqqa for the first time, in a key milestone in the war against the Daesh terror group in Syria. Air strikes by the US-led coalition battling Daesh punched two holes in the medieval wall surrounding Raqqa’s Old City, allowing …

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• 4 July

  Iraqi army advances towards last IS parts in Mosul

  Iraqi forces have pushed ISIS into a shrinking rectangle no more than 300 by 500 meters beside the Tigris river, but slowed their advance on Tuesday out of caution for an estimated 10,000 civilians trapped there alongside the militants, reported Reuters. Residents have been caught in the crossfire – and …

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• 4 July

  Iraq's PM says troops won't hesitate to bomb IS in Syria if necessary

  Iraq’s Prime Minister Haidar Al-Abadi on Tuesday said his country wouldn’t hesitate to bombard targets of the so-called Islamic State in Syria again if necessary. Speaking at a news conference, he added that Iraqi forces don’t want to interfere in domestic affairs of neighboring countries, but they had to shell …

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• 4 July

  US carries out airstrike against al-Shabaab in Somalia

  The US military says it has carried out an airstrike against al-Shabaab in Somalia as the Trump administration quietly steps up efforts against the deadliest Islamic extremist group in Africa. Pentagon spokesperson Major Audricia M Harris said the strike occurred on Sunday afternoon Somalia time and the US was assessing …

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• 4 July

  Egypt extends state of emergency

  Egypt’s parliament has approved a presidential decision to extend the state of emergency nationwide for another three months. President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi initially imposed the state of emergency after suicide bombings struck two Coptic Christian churches on Palm Sunday in an attack that was claimed by the Egyptian

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• 4 July

  Morocco expects UN to resolve Western Sahara dispute

  Morocco’s top diplomat said on Tuesday that the United Nations is to lead efforts to end a dispute over a partially recognised state in Western Sahara that Rabat considers its territory. Speaking in Addis Ababa at his first African Union summit since Morocco returned to the bloc in January, Foreign …

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• 3 July

  NATO forces in Eastern Europe are fully operational

  NATO’s new missions in Eastern Europe, aimed at discouraging Russia from striking American allies are now “fully operational” before Russian mass drill in the region. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced on Thursday that the Alliance’s “forward presence is fully operational in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. This sends a …

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• 3 July

  Macron in Mali for diplomatic push on Sahel anti-jihad force

  French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Mali on Sunday to boost Western backing for a regional anti-jihadist force, with France urging greater support for the Sahel region amid mounting insecurity. The so-called “G5 Sahel” countries south of the Sahara – Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger – have pledged …

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