Middle East

Jordan

Jordan: Bad weather forces closure of iconic Petra ruins

The ancient ruins of Petra in Jordan have been closed to visitors, amid fears of flash floods and rock slides. Braving bad weather, tourists visited

23/02/2016

Syria

Hopes and fears for the Syria ceasefire

The US and Russia announce ceasefire in Syria Truce takes effect at midnight, 27 February Excludes action against ISIL, the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra

23/02/2016

Syria

Assad calls parliamentary elections in Syria

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has called parliamentary elections to be held on April the 13th. The announcement came shortly after news of the

22/02/2016

Syria

US and Russia broker ceasefire for Syria

The United States and Russia say a ceasefire will come into force in Syria this coming weekend. Hostilities will end just after midnight on Saturday

22/02/2016

Israel

Samuel Willenberg the last survivor of Treblinka laid to rest in Israel

The funeral has taken place in Israel of Samuel Willenberg. He was one of only 67 people known to have survived the notorious Nazi death camp

22/02/2016

Sport

Powerlifting: Rahman breaks world record

Some 200 athletes from 40 nations gathered in Dubai for the latest IPC Powerlifting World Cup event – an event that many used to improve their

22/02/2016

Syria

Ceasefire agreed in Syria - Washington and Moscow

Washington and Moscow have agreed terms for a ceasefire in Syria. Hostilities will halt at midnight on February the 27th. A joint statement says the

22/02/2016

Sport

Cycling: Nibali celebrates overall Tour of Oman victory

Vincenzo Nibali sounded the warning bells to his principle rivals on Sunday after the Italian champion secured overall victory at the Tour of Oman

22/02/2016

Saudi Arabia

Who is the global leader for importing major weapons?

The global supply of major weapons has increased 14 percent in the last four years, say the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute

22/02/2016

Syria

A deadly day in Syria as dozens die in Damascus and Homs

It is feared dozens of people have been killed in a series of explosions in the Syrian city of Homs and the capital, Damascus.

21/02/2016

Jordan

Syria: "We are near another ceasefire" - Kerry

Obama and Putin are likely to discuss the terms of the deal in the coming days.

21/02/2016

Turkey

Turkey: PKK releases three kidnapped journalists

The team from Turkey's state-run news agency were seized by members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party or PKK in the south-east of the country

21/02/2016

Syria

Twin explosions in Homs, Syria kill 46, says monitor

A monitoring group says 46 people have been killed in twin explosions in the Syrian town of Homs. The Syria Observatory for Human Rights says at

21/02/2016

Egypt

Egyptian president promises to crack down on police abuses

The president of Egypt has promised to crack down on police brutality Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has decided to act as public anger mounts over alleged

20/02/2016

Syria

Turkey rules out unilateral ground intervention in Syria

Turkey is shelling Kurdish militia in Syria, but it has ruled out any unilateral ground intervention there. It comes as Russia asked the UN Security

20/02/2016

Syria

Syria: ISIL stronghold of al-Shadadi 'captured by Kurdish-led forces'

A Syrian monitor is claiming that a strategically important ISIL stronghold in northeastern Syria has fallen to a Kurdish-led force backed by US-led

19/02/2016

Sport

Nibali takes overall lead in Tour of Oman

Italy’s Vincenzo Nibali produced a superb solo effort to claim the fourth stage of the Tour of Oman on Green Mountain on Friday. After a relatively

19/02/2016

Turkey

Turkey says militants are using US-supplied weapons against civilians

Erdogan turns up the heat on Obama after this week's deadly suicide bombing in the centre of Ankara.

19/02/2016

Syria

Can the wrecked Syrian city of Homs rise again?

The old city of Homs in Syria is devastated after years of war. Few buildings remain intact and even fewer of the inhabitants are still living there

19/02/2016

Israel

Stabbings and shootings across Jerusalem and the West Bank

At least two people have been killed and several others injured in attacks at a supermarket and outside Jerusalem's Old City.

19/02/2016

Turkey

Syrian Kurdish party denies Ankara attack

As the funerals for the 28 soldiers who died in Wednesday’s suicide bomb attack in Ankara take place, Turkey is on the offensive. The Turkish

18/02/2016

Sport

Tour of Oman: On-form Kristoff sprints to stage three victory

Alexander Kristoff of the Katusha team continued his fine start to the 2016 campaign after the Norwegian ace won sprint finish to claim stage three

18/02/2016

Turkey

Turkey grows tense after bomb attacks

Istanbul is a tense city now after Wednesday’s car bomb attack in the Turkish capital Ankara. The city’s famous Taksim square would normally be

18/02/2016

Turkey

Turkey 'will boost military response' after Ankara bombing

Wednesday’s car bomb attack only a few hundred metres from the parliament in the capital Ankara was a strike at the heart of the Turkish government

18/02/2016

Turkey

Turkish army says six officers killed by bomb near Diyarbakir

A handmade bomb detonated by remote control is believed to have been used in an attack on a Turkish military convoy in the mainly Kurdish southeast

18/02/2016

Turkey

Turkish press says 'foreign powers' behind Ankara blast

There is widespread agreement across the Turkish press that the Ankara bombing was a direct attack on the country and that so-called "foreign powers" are to blame.

18/02/2016