First Independent Mena Newspaper
German Chancellor Angela Merkel openly announced Wednesday that she is still opposed to Turkey’s EU membership despite the EU calling on Ankara for help to ease the refugee crisis putting the European bloc into difficult situation. Merkel has so far been cautious about opposing overtly Ankara but she spat her disdain about the Turkish regime […]
Israel’s calls for the resumption of talks with Palestinians is becoming increasingly serious as Netanyahu Sunday welcomed the Egyptian president’s appeal for talks between Palestine and Israel to end an open-ended conflict which has affected both parties. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who praised the Egyptian call for peace between Arabs and Israelis urged President […]
Iran has allowed French Accor Hotels Group to start business in the Islamic country with the opening of two hotels near Tehran’s international airport. CEO of the group who made the announcement Monday said Accor would be the first Western hotel group to establish in Tehran following the historic Vienna Pact. The CEO of the […]
The Turkish ruling Justice and development Party (AKP) held its 5th congress on Saturday and reelected Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu as the chairman of the party. Analysts say the election was heavily influenced by President Erdogan because his loyalists dominate the elected 50-member council of the party. The party’s congress was held ahead of the […]
Visiting Israeli Prime Minister said in London Thursday he is ready to talk peace with the Palestinians at any moment and without pre-conditions. On a three-day visit in the UK, Benjamin Netanyahu who met with his British counterpart David Cameron re-iterated his previous willingness to negotiate peace with Palestinians in order to ease the flaring […]
Palestinian diplomacy won a landmark victory Thursday as a large number of the UN General Assembly members voted for hoisting the Palestinian flag alongside other nations at the UN Headquarters and offices. The UN General Assembly on Thursday decided that “the flags of non-member observer States shall be raised at the world body’s headquarters and […]
The dialogue initiated by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, after last week’s 28th effort to elect a president failed, is to kick-off on Wednesday and press reports have quoted him as saying “I will exert all efforts to reach a result.” If he fails to do so, he said he will move on to other items […]
The United Nations Security Council will hold September 30 a debate on the conflicts threatening peace and stability in the Middle East and North Africa. The debate is organized by Russia which took over Tuesday the monthly UN Security Council rotating presidency. According to Russian envoy to the UN Vitaly Churkin, the debate, to be […]
Barely a week before the Palestinian National Council (PNC) holds its first meeting in almost 20 years, doubts started to emerge regarding its holding as scheduled, some officials having claimed that it has been postponed while others have denied the claims. Hamas Chief Khaled Meshaal said the meeting should be postponed until there is “a […]
Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is expected this Monday in Tunis, first leg of a North African tour that will also lead him to Algiers to discuss ways of enhancing further cooperation ties with Maghreban countries. This is the third international tour of Mr Zarif after the conclusion of the nuclear deal in the […]