Italy Rescues 910 Boat Migrants, Nearly 600 Saved Off Libya

MILAN/TRIPOLI, March 20 – Italy’s coast guard said more than 900 migrants were rescued in four separate operations in the Strait of Sicily on Saturday, while Libyan authorities said they had rescued nearly 600 migrants from four boats, one of which sank. A spokesman for Libyan naval forces, Ayoub Qassem, said the bodies of four… Continue reading Italy Rescues 910 Boat Migrants, Nearly 600 Saved Off Libya

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U.N. Chief Furious With Morocco Over Western Sahara Demonstration

UNITED NATIONS, March 15 – U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told Morocco’s foreign minister on Monday he was angered and disappointed by a demonstration in Rabat he said was a personal attack on him over remarks he made about the disputed territory of Western Sahara. Tens of thousands of Moroccans marched though the capital on Sunday… Continue reading U.N. Chief Furious With Morocco Over Western Sahara Demonstration

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War, Disasters Disrupt Education of 80 Million Children

LONDON, March 17 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – At least 80 million children living in areas affected by war or natural disaster had their education disrupted last year, leaving them prey to child labour, trafficking and extremism, experts said on Thursday. Many humanitarian aid appeals for 2015 ignored education, and aid appeals for education were only… Continue reading War, Disasters Disrupt Education of 80 Million Children

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Software, Printer Problems Delayed Discovery of Bangladesh Heist

DHAKA, March 17 – The cyber thieves who stole $81 million from Bangladesh Bank hid their tracks by installing malware that manipulated a central bank printer to hide evidence of the heist, according to a person familiar with the investigation. Earlier, two central bank officials filed a police report that said that a computer and… Continue reading Software, Printer Problems Delayed Discovery of Bangladesh Heist

On World Water Day, 650 Million People Can’t Get a Safe Drink

LONDON, March 16 – Some 650 million people, or one in 10 of the world’s population, do not have access to safe water, putting them at risk of infectious diseases and premature death. Dirty water and poor sanitation can cause severe diarrhoeal diseases in children, killing 900 under-fives a day across the world, according to… Continue reading On World Water Day, 650 Million People Can’t Get a Safe Drink

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Anti-Trump Protesters: A Patchwork of People and Facebook Pages

KANSAS CITY, Mo./BLOOMINGTON, Ill., March 13 – Donald Trump has called them thugs, professional organizers and supporters of Democratic presidential contender Bernie Sanders. But the protesters who have stepped up their actions against the Republican presidential front-runner are a disparate group from different walks of life, with no national organization to speak of. They assemble… Continue reading Anti-Trump Protesters: A Patchwork of People and Facebook Pages

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Palestinian Kills U.S. Tourist in Stabbing Spree on Tel Aviv Boardwalk

TEL AVIV, March 9 – An American tourist was stabbed to death and at least nine other people were wounded by a Palestinian armed with a knife on a popular boardwalk in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, authorities said, while U.S. Vice President Joe Biden was in a meeting a few kilometres (miles) away. The attack… Continue reading Palestinian Kills U.S. Tourist in Stabbing Spree on Tel Aviv Boardwalk

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Daesh Using Birth Control To Maintain Sex Slaves

WASHINGTON, March 13 – DaeshĀ is using several forms of contraception to maintain its supply of sex slaves, theĀ New York TimesĀ reported on Saturday, citing interviews with more than three dozen Yazidi women who escaped from the militant group. TheĀ New York TimesĀ reported that DaeshĀ used ā€œoral and injectable contraception, and sometimes bothā€ to ensure that the women did not… Continue reading Daesh Using Birth Control To Maintain Sex Slaves

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Daesh Using Birth Control To Maintain Sex Slaves

WASHINGTON, March 13 – DaeshĀ is using several forms of contraception to maintain its supply of sex slaves, theĀ New York TimesĀ reported on Saturday, citing interviews with more than three dozen Yazidi women who escaped from the militant group. TheĀ New York TimesĀ reported that DaeshĀ used ā€œoral and injectable contraception, and sometimes bothā€ to ensure that the women did not… Continue reading Daesh Using Birth Control To Maintain Sex Slaves

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As Hard Times Hit, Egyptians At Last Find Fault With Sisi

CAIRO, March 11 – ā€œYour exellency: you are not working,ā€ television presenter Azza al-Hemawy said, looking into the camera but addressing the Egyptian president. ā€œNot one single issue has been solved since you took over.ā€ After years of hearing little but enthusiastic applause for Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and vilification of his enemies, the tens of… Continue reading As Hard Times Hit, Egyptians At Last Find Fault With Sisi

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Tobacco Off Saudi Shelves Amid Price Rise Speculation

RIYADH, March 13 – Cigarettes had disappeared from the shelves in some Saudi cities on Sunday amid speculation on social media that the government was about to raise prices on tobacco and other products that are harmful to health. Three Riyadh shops visited by Reuters said they had no cigarettes for sale and social media… Continue reading Tobacco Off Saudi Shelves Amid Price Rise Speculation

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Yemen War Generates Widespread Suffering, But Few Refugees

March 9 – Amid Yemen’s misery, two young women living in the war-damaged cities of Aden and Sanaa know they are among the relatively fortunate. They are not starving, their homes have not been destroyed and they have survived bombs and bullets unscathed. But both long to escape the conflict plunging their country ever deeper… Continue reading Yemen War Generates Widespread Suffering, But Few Refugees

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Militants, Tunisian Forces Clash in Border Town, 45 Killed

TUNIS, March 7 – Islamist fighters attacked army and police barracks in the Tunisian town of Ben Guerdan near the Libyan border on Monday and at least 45 people, including civilians, were killed in the clashes, residents and the Interior Ministry said. Authorities sealed off the nearby beach resort town of Djerba, a popular destination… Continue reading Militants, Tunisian Forces Clash in Border Town, 45 Killed

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Egypt Parliament Expels MP for Dining With Israeli Ambassador

CAIRO, March 3- Egypt’s parliament voted on Wednesday to expel an independent lawmaker who invited the Israeli ambassador in Cairo for dinner, drawing widespread criticism and prompting a fellow deputy to attack him with his shoe. Speaker Ali Abdelaal announced that 465 lawmakers, out of 490 who attended the session voted to expel Tawfik Okasha… Continue reading Egypt Parliament Expels MP for Dining With Israeli Ambassador

Bahrain Opposition Leader Jailed for Insulting Ruling System

DUBAI, Feb 24 – A prominent Bahraini opposition figure was sentenced to a year in jail on Wednesday on charges of insulting the kingdom’s ruling system in a speech last year, his defence lawyer said. But the court cleared Ibrahim Sharif, former head of the secular National Democratic Action Society, or Waad, of the more… Continue reading Bahrain Opposition Leader Jailed for Insulting Ruling System

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Yemen: Sweet Spot

The scent of the food that wafts from Mat’am Souriya (Syria’s Restaurant) attracts passersby in Hada Street in the middle of the Yemeni capital of Sanaa, where Sobhi Al Marei and his colleagues are hard at work, crafting delicious meals. When the Syrian war became unbearable in Aleppo, Marei decided to shut shop and head… Continue reading Yemen: Sweet Spot

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Saudi Arabia: The End of Oil

ā€œThe wake-up call has arrived. The politics of waste must end,ā€ Khaled Al Maeena says in his 27th floor office in the Saudi city of Jeddah. He was referring to a transformation plan that has shaken Saudi Arabia—the biggest in decades. At the turn of the year, a newly-consolidated Ministry of Economy and Planning announced… Continue reading Saudi Arabia: The End of Oil

Pakistan: The Shame Of It All

The medieval practice of honor killing is defined as ā€œthe murder of a family member, usually a female, who is perceived to have brought dishonor and shame on their family.ā€ In the majority of cases, an honor killing is not only justified as such by the perpetrators, but also by their families and communities. As… Continue reading Pakistan: The Shame Of It All

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Iran Committed to OPEC’s Oil Output Freeze: Iranian Ambassador to Oman

Muscat (Newsweek Middle East)– A day after Iran’s Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh ridiculed a decision by the Organization of the Oil Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to freeze oil output, the Islamic Republic’s Ambassador to Oman said his country ā€œis committed to OPEC’s oil output freeze decision.ā€ Speaking on the sidelines of Iran’s Capital Market Roadshow… Continue reading Iran Committed to OPEC’s Oil Output Freeze: Iranian Ambassador to Oman

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Book Review: Extremist Eclipse

The war in Syria is becoming less and less about Syria. At the diplomatic level, it has turned into a sordid spectacle where foreign powers with conflicting and probably irreconcilable objectives—most notably Russia, the United States, Iran, Turkey and Saudi Arabia—squabble amongst themselves. In Europe, it has turned into a debate about immigration and the… Continue reading Book Review: Extremist Eclipse

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Captain Emirates: Flying High

Sitting behind his desk checking his computer, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum has little time to spare. The dynamic sheikh is, after all, the head of numerous high-profile government conglomerates in Dubai, prompting him to stay up to date with the latest news in order to be on top of his game. The chairman… Continue reading Captain Emirates: Flying High

Trump Takes South Carolina, Clinton Wins Nevada

LAS VEGAS/COLUMBIA, S.C., Feb 21 – Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump rolled to victory on Saturday in South Carolina in a contest that saw former Florida Governor Jeb Bush drop out, while Democratic hopeful Hillary Clinton beat back a strong challenge from Bernie Sanders in Nevada. The victories by Trump and Clinton solidified their positions… Continue reading Trump Takes South Carolina, Clinton Wins Nevada

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Wife of Missing Hong Kong Bookseller Says Reunited With Husband in China

HONG KONG, Jan 24 – The wife of one of five missing Hong Kong booksellers said she met with her husband in China, according to a statement released by the Hong Kong police on Sunday amid growing diplomatic pressure on Chinese authorities to clarify the fate of the men. Lee Bo, 65, an owner of… Continue reading Wife of Missing Hong Kong Bookseller Says Reunited With Husband in China

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Is Zika on our Doorstep?

Three months ago, most people had never heard of the Zika virus. Today, it makes global headlines on a daily basis. Earlier this month, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a ā€˜public health emergency of international concern,’ marking only the fourth time an outbreak has been given such a designation in WHO’s history. The label… Continue reading Is Zika on our Doorstep?

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