January 2016

Turkey: Over 1,000 Daesh suspects held over 12 months

30 January 2016 0

Over 1,000 foreign Daesh suspects have been apprehended in Turkey over the last year, Turkey’s military said on Saturday. According to the Turkish General Staff, 643 Daesh suspects were detained as they attempted to cross into Turkey, while 496 were held while trying to enter Syria from Turkey from Jan. 1, 2015 until now. These numbers translate into a 90 percent increase in the amount of Daesh suspects held over the last five months of Read More

Uncertainty still surrounding Syrian peace talks

28 January 2016 0

As the parties involved in Syria’s five-year civil war prepare to meet in Geneva Friday, questions about the future of the Damascus regime and the role of opposition groups continue to divide the world. Delegates representing the government of President Bashar al-Assad and rebel groups are expected to gather in Switzerland following a four-day delay with a view to inching closer to achieving the two-year road map declared last month. It is still unclear which Read More

Syrian Kurdish group ‘not invited to peace talks’

27 January 2016 0

 The Syrian Kurdish group the Democratic Union Party (PYD) has not been invited to peace talks in Geneva at the end of the week, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Wednesday. Turkey opposes the PYD’s attendance at negotiations over the future of Syria due to start Friday. The group is linked to the PKK, which has waged a 32-year insurgency against the Turkish state that has seen more than 40,000 killed and is listed as Read More

Biden reiterates US support for Turkey’s war on terror

24 January 2016 0

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden reiterated Saturday U.S. support for Turkey’s fight against terror, according to Turkish presidential sources. Biden’s remarks came at a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul, the sources said, adding that during the closed-door meeting, the two discussed bilateral relations and regional issues including Syria and Iraq. Biden said the U.S. supported Turkey’s fight against terrorism including against the PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization by Read More

Currency fraud: A threat to Palestinians in Gaza

23 January 2016 0

Ahmed Salim, 32, a Palestinian living in the blockaded Gaza Strip, has to thoroughly check 100 shekel ($28) banknotes in fear of becoming a fraud victim again. Salim had suffered from fraud when he took his payment for a few days of construction work and could not use his cash as it was forged. For Salim, as a Palestinian in Gaza, 100 shekels is a substantial sum of money, especially with the poor financial situation Read More

US scientists find strong evidence for ninth planet

21 January 2016 0

Astronomers announced Wednesday that they have found compelling evidence for a ninth planet lurking beyond Pluto on the outside of the solar system. The new report published in the Astronomical Journal provides strong support that a planet-like object is slowly orbiting the sun and causing gravitational disturbances for dwarf planets on the outer edge of the solar system. Researchers point out, however, that they have not yet directly observed the object even though they believe Read More

1 2 3