International Business Times

Syrian Opposition Meets In Istanbul To Elect Leader Ahead Of Geneva Peace Talks Likely To Be Held In June

Gayathri — Fri, 24 May 2013 07:42:00 GMT

The Syrian opposition met in Istanbul on Thursday to elect a new leader and decide on a strategy ahead of an expected international peace conference in Geneva next month.

The coalition spokesman Khaled Saleh said the opposition supports “any conference that helps transition the situation into an elective government away from the dictatorship,” but would not go to Geneva without indications that President Bashar al-Assad will be shown the door, Reuters reported.

Mapping the NCoV Virus: 42 Cases, 22 Deaths (MAP)

Lisa Mahapatra — Thu, 23 May 2013 20:09:07 GMT

Now that the 42nd instance of the novel coronavirus (NCoV) since 2012 was confirmed by health authorities in Tunisia on Tuesday, it’s quite possible that that the virus is spreading person-to-person, according to the World Health Organization.

IAEA Report Says Iran Accelerating Nuclear Program Faster Than Anticipated

m.shwayder — Thu, 23 May 2013 19:57:44 GMT

Adding to Israel’s grim worldview and plethora of woes, with Syria falling apart to the north and the Palestinians falling together next door, the International Atomic Energy Agency released a report this week that revealed Iran was exponentially stepping up its nuclear development.

Turkish-Armenian Author Sentenced To 13 Months In Jail For Blasphemy

gooch7 — Thu, 23 May 2013 19:07:39 GMT

A Turkish author and human rights activist of Armenian descent has been sentenced to 13 months in prison for blasphemy by a court in Istanbul.

Kerry Goes Over Ambassador Oren's Head, Appeals Directly To Netanyahu To Stop West Bank Settlements

m.shwayder — Thu, 23 May 2013 16:31:13 GMT

In an unusual diplomatic move, U.S.

Iraq: The Fundamentalists’ War Against Vice Targets Alcohol And Prostitution

gooch7 — Wed, 22 May 2013 15:26:09 GMT

Islamic gunmen in Iraq are intensifying their campaign against forms of behavior they regard as contrary to the teachings of Islam.

A dozen people – seven women and five men -- were shot to death in a brothel in the affluent Zayouna neighborhood of Baghdad on Wednesday, the same area where gunmen targeted liquor stores last week.

It is unclear who staged the attack on the brothel, and no group has yet taken responsibility.

CNN reported that one of the gunmen scrawled the word "wanted" on the wall of the house of ill repute.

Saudis Arrest Ten More Members Of Iranian ‘Spy Ring’

gooch7 — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:13:35 GMT

Saudi Arabian officials have arrested 10 more members of an alleged Iranian-linked spy ring, according to the interior ministry, following the detention of 18 other such ”spies” in March.

In the new batch of arrestees, eight are Saudis, and the other two originated in Turkey and Lebanon.

Most of the 18 arrested in March were also Saudi nationals, plus one Iranian and one Lebanese. (The Lebanese suspect has since been released).

Iran has denied it has engaged in any intelligence operations in the Saudi kingdom.

Guantanamo Bay Shuts Off Wi-Fi After Anonymous Threatens #OpGTMO Attack On Prison Camp

j.heller — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:29:17 GMT

The United States military has turned off Wi-Fi service and blocked access to social networks at Guantanamo Bay detention camp following threats from the hacktivist collective Anonymous. Army Lt. Col.

Third Time Wasn’t The Charm: John Kerry Returns To The Middle East For A Fourth Go-Round

m.shwayder — Tue, 21 May 2013 13:01:58 GMT

So off he goes again, for the fourth time this year, to the deserts of Arabia, the torn cities of Jerusalem and Ramallah and then to Africa.

Our hero? U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, embarking on yet another trip to the Middle East, where he has already been three times since assuming office at the end of January.

5 Dead In Possible Bank Robbery In Israel; Gunman Shoots Up Bank Hapoalim In Beersheba Before Killing Himself

hkoplowitz — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:24:55 GMT

A potential bank robbery gone wrong has left five people dead in Israel after police stormed the bank in an effort to free hostages Monday afternoon.

Two possible bank robbers tried to hold up the Bank Hapoalim in Beersheba on Monday around lunchtime when they were encountered by police, Reuters reported. Eyewitnesses said they heard gunfire, and the incident resulted in the lockdown of an adjacent school.

Syrian Troops Take Rebel Town; Hezbollah Reported In Fight

ericlinton — Sun, 19 May 2013 15:16:48 GMT

Syrian government troops entered the center of the rebel stronghold of Qusayr Sunday, seizing the town’s main square and city hall, the military said.

“The Syrian army controls Qusayr’s main square in the center of the city, and the surrounding buildings, including the municipality building,” an army source told AFP.

State TV said 70 "terrorists" were killed while opposition activists said 30 people died, including many rebels, the BBC reported.

Drones: Which Countries Have Them For Surveillance And Military Operations? (MAP)

Lisa Mahapatra — Sat, 18 May 2013 14:20:37 GMT

How long have drones been on your radar? Though it may seem to most people that the controversial "unmanned aerial vehicles" are a relatively recent development in military operations, drones were actually first imagined as far back as World War I, when they were known as “automatic airplanes.” Drones as we know them today -- the buzzing overhead killers with heads like aliens' -- didn’t properly exist until the tail end of the Vietnam era in the early 1970s.

The West Bank Wall: What Life Is Like For Palestinians And Israelis Divided By The Barrier

Albertoriva — Sat, 18 May 2013 14:17:58 GMT

JERUSALEM -- From Al-Walajah, a Palestinian village in the southern West Bank, Jerusalem’s Teddy Stadium, one of the venues for the European Under-21 Football Cup in June, is only a few hundred meters away. But this village on a hill couldn’t be further from the city and the international audiences watching games broadcast from so close. Soon, it will be enclosed by the separation barrier Israel is building to isolate itself from Palestinians. The combination of concrete walls, wire fences and checkpoints, begun in 2002, is being constructed in stages.

Wave Of Violence Strikes Across Iraq: Twin Bomb Blasts At Sunni Mosque Deadliest, At Least 43 Killed

Gayathri — Sat, 18 May 2013 12:32:34 GMT

Twin bomb blasts hit a Sunni Muslim mosque in the Iraqi city of Baquba, some 50 kilometers (31 miles) to the northeast of Baghdad, on Friday, killing at least 43 people, the deadliest incident in a spate of sectarian violence across the country.

Another bomb exploded on Friday in a commercial area in western Baghdad, killing at least 19 people, Reuters news agency reported citing Iraqi officials.

Anonymous Announces #OpPetrol Attack On Local Oil And Gas Companies [VIDEO]

j.heller — Fri, 17 May 2013 19:21:34 GMT

Members of the hacktivist collective Anonymous have announced plans to launch a cyberattack targeting the international oil and gas industry this week. The group has said that the attacks, dubbed Operation Petrol, are slated for June 20 and will involve the United States, Canada, England, Israel, Russia, China and Saudi Arabia.

In a video announcing plans for the attack, Anonymous said that their motivation is political. They also took Saudi Arabia to task for allegedly “betraying” Muslims by basing oil prices on United States currency.

Yemenis See Vital Economic Lifeline Being Cut As Saudi Arabia Cracks Down On Illegal Immigrant Labor

Angelo.Young — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:50:25 GMT

In one important way, Saudi Arabia is to Yemen what the United States is to Mexico: an important source of financial remittances for impoverished families south of the border from family members working in the north.

But as the oil-rich Arab kingdom cracks down on foreign labor as part of a larger policy — by expelling laborers who do not work for the companies that originally sponsored their work permits — to boost domestic employment, more and more Yemenis are finding a traditional and vital source of income dry up.

Syria Update: Assad Using Torture Chambers, Russia Sends Anti-Plane Missiles To Syria, UN Pushes Peace Talks

m.shwayder — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:33:53 GMT

Evidence of prisoner torture in facilities in Syria is detailed in a statement by Human Rights Watch released Friday. HRW’s deputy Middle East Director, Nadim Houry, said there was evidence of prisoner torture going on at several military intelligence facilities in the northern town of Raqqa in an area now under Syrian rebel control, based on the presence of interrogation rooms, torture devices, and statements given in documents.

Israel Update: U.S. CIA Chief Makes Unannounced Visit, Fatah Endorses One-State Solution, UN Agency Denies It Supports Wiping Israel Off The Map

m.shwayder — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:21:43 GMT

John Brennan, head of the CIA, arrived in Israel on Friday to meet with Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon, AP reported. The visit was “unannounced.”

Iran Election: Cleric Says Women Cannot Be Presidential Candidates, Quashing Moves By Women To Contest In June 14 Polls

Gayathri — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:51:46 GMT

A member of Iran’s constitutional watchdog group said on Thursday that women cannot be presidential candidates, quashing a largely symbolic move by a group of women to run in the June 14 election.

Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi of Iran’s Guardian Council, which vets all candidates, said the “law does not approve” of a woman in Iran's highest elected office, and that this is “not allowed,” according to the Associated Press.

Erdogan To Visit Gaza, Reaffirms With Obama Commitment to Ousting Assad

m.shwayder — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:50:46 GMT

Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan is in the U.S. on Thursday for talks with President Barack Obama on the situation in Syria. Erdogan also took a few questions on his planned trip to visit the Gaza Strip, a visit he said might take place in June.

As Erdogan Meets With Obama, Africans In Turkey Face Racism, Discrimination

gooch7 — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:15:45 GMT

As Turkey’s prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, meets with Barack Obama, the first African-American president of the United States, in Washington, D.C., a racial controversy has erupted in Erdogan’s native land.

Didier Drogba and Emmanuel Eboué, two soccer players for the Galatasaray club (both of whom originate from the Ivory Coast in West Africa), were subjected to vile racist chants from fans in the terraces during a match in Istanbul earlier this week.

Iranian Terror Goes Global: Bold New Tactics For Tehran's Shadowy Quds Forces

JaceyFortin — Tue, 07 May 2013 12:57:35 GMT

A terrorism case in the East African country of Kenya came to a close on Monday with two suspects convicted of participating in a scheme to set off explosions in several cities.

At first glance, the case doesn't appear to be an exceptional one. Kenya has suffered numerous attacks from the extremist group al Shabab, which is linked to al-Qaeda and has with roots in Somalia. Kenyan forces have been heavily involved in efforts to dismantle the terrorist network, and retaliatory attacks on Kenyan soil have increased over the past two years.

Booze And Bikinis 'Welcome' In Egypt: Tourism Minister Hisham Zaazou

hkoplowitz — Mon, 06 May 2013 21:45:05 GMT

Acknowledging the importance of tourism to Egypt’s economy, the tourism minister has declared that bikinis and booze are “welcome” in the nation ruled by a party linked to the Muslim Brotherhood.

While some segments of the Egyptian population, including conservative Salafist Muslims, are seeking bans on alcohol and revealing swimsuits, Tourism Minister Hisham Zaazou said the government won’t acquiesce to those wishes.

Turkey Unprepared To Deal With Huge Influx Of Syrian Refugees: NGO

m.shwayder — Mon, 06 May 2013 20:43:12 GMT

Official numbers from the U.N. Refugee Agency put Turkey’s slice of the Syrian refugees pie at more than 324,000. The International Crisis Group thinks it’s more around 450,000, and is taking the government in Ankara to task for not being properly prepared for the years-long financial slog that taking care of all these women, children and men will likely turn out to be.

What Was Israel Bombing? Iranian Fateh-110 Missiles That Can Hit Tel Aviv

m.shwayder — Mon, 06 May 2013 16:45:36 GMT

Israel’s consecutive strikes in Syria over the weekend were aimed first at several Fateh-110 tactical missiles, which, according to a “Western intelligence source,” were on their way from Iran to Hezbollah in Lebanon, and second at the Jamraya military research center, north of Damascus, the Syrian government said.