MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — More than 300 people are dead after the truck bombing in Somalia’s capital and scores of others remain missing, authorities said Monday, as the fragile Horn of Africa nation reeled from one of the world’s worst attacks in years. As funerals continued, the government said the death toll is expected to … Continue reading
BEIRUT (AP) — Turkish armored vehicles have rolled into northwestern Syria to impose a “de-escalation zone” in a province dominated by al-Qaida-linked militants, an incursion that the Turkish leader said was meant to secure his country’s border. The Turkish military said it began an operation late Thursday to set up “observation points” in Idlib, without … Continue reading
ISTANBUL (AP) — An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.2 shook western Turkey and the Greek island of Lesbos Monday, scaring residents and damaging buildings. Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management said that the earthquake’s epicenter was in the Aegean Sea at the very shallow depth of seven kilometers (some four miles) and hit at … Continue reading
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hamas has named a shadowy militant commander as its new leader in the Gaza Strip, an official media outlet confirmed on Monday, placing one of the Islamic militant group’s most hard-line figures in charge of its core power base. The appointment of Yehiya Sinwar, who was freed by Israel … Continue reading
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — U.N. Security Council member states must take part in a future summit aiming to remove a key stumbling block to a deal reunifying ethnically divided Cyprus, the island’s government spokesman said Monday. Nicos Christodoulides told The Associated Press that Security Council members have expressed their readiness to “actively and effectively take … Continue reading
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Two earthquakes with preliminary magnitudes of 5.3 jolted Turkey’s northern Aegean Sea coast on Monday Feb. 6, 2017, damaging dozens of homes in 11 villages and injuring at least five people, officials said. The first quake, which was centered beneath the Aegean off the coast of the town of Ayvacik in … Continue reading
ASTANA, Kazakhstan (AP) — Their seats remained empty for a few tense minutes after the Russia-Turkey-sponsored talks were officially inaugurated. Then, the Syrian rebel delegation finally walked into the room, marking what was supposed to be an ice-breaking first encounter. But cold glances and sharp exchanges marred the first face-to-face meeting between the Syrian government … Continue reading
BEIRUT (AP) — The Latest on the fighting in Syria (all times local): 5:30 p.m. The Russian military says it has sent a team of sappers to clear the eastern part of Aleppo from mines. Lt. Gen. Sergei Rudskoi of the military’s General Staff said Wednesday the unit has 200 soldiers and 47 vehicles. He … Continue reading
MOSCOW (AP) — The Russian military said Friday its officers have found evidence of chemical weapons use by Syrian militants in the northern area of Aleppo where government forces are trying to regain control of areas they recently lost to insurgents. Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said that ministry experts have found … Continue reading
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) â Turkish authorities on Friday, Oct. 4th, detained 12 pro-Kurdish members of Parliament for questioning in terror-related probes, drawing expressions of concern from Europe and the U.S., while a car bomb attack in the largest Kurdish city, reportedly claimed by Kurdish militants, killed nine people. Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag, the co-chairs … Continue reading
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The Latest on an explosion and detentions in Kurdish areas of Turkey (all times local): 6:25 p.m. All three Scandinavian foreign ministers have summoned the Turkish ambassadors in Norway, Sweden and Denmark to explain the arrests of pro-Kurdish politicians. Borge Brende, foreign minister of Norway, which is outside the European Union, … Continue reading
BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian government forces and their allies on Monday captured strategic high ground in embattled Aleppo as Russia — a key ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad — said it was not planning more “humanitarian pauses” in the fighting in the city’s eastern, rebel-held districts. The fighting in Aleppo came as airstrikes hit … Continue reading
BEIRUT (AP) â The Latest on Syria (all times local): 5:58 p.m. The Russian military says Russian and Syrian warplanes are staying away from Aleppo, a day before a temporary pause in the military push declared by Moscow. Lt. Gen. Sergei Rudskoi said the “humanitarian pause” in Aleppo will last from 8 a.m. to 7 … Continue reading
BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian residents in opposition-held eastern part of the city of Aleppo woke up to a fresh wave of airstrikes on Friday amid intense clashes between government forces and rebels — part of a devastating military campaign by Syria and Russia that the opposition says has killed dozens of people in the past … Continue reading
BEIRUT (AP) — The Latest on the developments in the Syrian civil war (all times local): 6:05 p.m. Russia says that Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will meet U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in Switzerland on Saturday to discuss efforts to find a peace deal in Syria. The encounter will be the first face-to-face contact … Continue reading
Spartan Echo 