Asia Features International

Palestine: UN imputes alarming infant mortality rise in Gaza to blockade

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees in Gaza (UNRWA) rang the alarm over the weekend as its new study on the 2013 infant mortality rate in Gaza showed a surge in the number of death of babies under the age of one for the first time in more than half a century. The UN agency’s […]

Asia Egypt Headlines

Cairo to Doha: “Don’t sneak into our internal affairs”

Egypt warned Qatar not to poke its nose into its internal affairs after Doha offered to mediate between the Egyptian government and outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. After the Qatari foreign Minister proposed to heal relations between the Egyptian government and embattled Muslim Brotherhood, the Egyptian foreign ministry issued a statement on Saturday condemning what it called […]

Headlines Libya

Libya: Libya protagonists meet for a new round of dialogue

UN Special mission for the Libyan crisis said Thursday it will be convening Libyan political protagonists for another round of dialogue on Monday. Nearly two months after the UN-brokered draft accord was initialed, Libyan political factions will meet on Monday to decide on who will lead them as Prime Minister and on the two personalities […]

Asia International

Turkey slams Arab League criticism of airstrikes in Iraq, wins Obama’s nod

Turkish Foreign Ministry rejected Thursday Arab League condemnation of Turkish forces’ bombardment of PKK positions across the Iraqi borders. The Ministry urged the Arab League “to back Turkish authorities’ war on terror rather than terrorism itself.” Arab League Secretary-General Nabil al-Araby condemned Ankara after it launched air raids against PKK fighters’ positions in northern Iraq […]

Headlines Mauritania

Mauritania frees Ansar Dine spokesman, concerns raised

Mauritania has released the former spokesman of Ansar Dine, Sidi Mohamed Ould Mohamed Ould Bouamama, aka Sanda Ould Bouamama, from prison raising fears that he would engage again within the extremist group and resume participation in terror activities. Mali had issued an international arrest warrant against him for alleged crimes he had committed during the […]

Energy Headlines Libya

Libya to ease situation with Tunisian, Egyptian electricity, Tripoli Government

Electricity has been a major challenge in Libya in the past few years because fighting in the country destroyed some of the infrastructures while foreign companies have been reluctant to supply spare parts needed to repair damaged grids. The Tripoli-based government has announced that electricity will be imported from neighboring Egypt and Tunisia to reduce […]

Egypt Headlines

Egypt: “Suez Canal expansion, more of a political benefit than economic good,” pundits

Economic experts and businessmen familiar with the Suez Canal say the expansion of the canal may not yield the results claimed by authorities. The new canal, to be inaugurated in great fanfare this Thursday, is already raising criticism and doubt. Ahmed Kamaly, an economist with the American University in Cairo indicated that the mega project […]

Headlines Libya

Libya: number of missing people exceeds 600, Amnesty report

More than 600 people have gone missing in Libya between February 2014 and April 2015 and the fate and whereabouts of at least 378 remain unknown, though the real numbers are likely to be much higher. The figures were disclosed Wednesday by Amnesty International in its latest report on Libya which imputed the alarming situation […]