Syria, UN in Homs aid deal as Aleppo fighting hots up
Aid operations were due to start in besieged areas of Homs Friday, a US official said, as Syria and the UN agreed to hold a "humanitarian pause" on fighting in the devastated city.
Egypt army chief says he will run for president: Kuwait paper
Egypt's top military commander Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said in comments published in Kuwait Thursday that he has decided to run in the presidential election scheduled for April.
Syria opposition chief to press Russia on Assad
Syria's opposition leader met Russia's top diplomat on Tuesday in a bid to persuade Moscow to pressure Damascus to agree to a transitional government for the war-scarred nation.
Israel offers $20 mn to Turkey flotilla victims: report
Israel has offered Turkey $20 million in compensation to the families of those killed and wounded in its botched 2010 raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla.
36 dead in air strikes on Syria's Aleppo: monitor
At least 36 people were killed Sunday in regime air strikes and aerial attacks with explosive-packed barrels on the northern Syrian city of Aleppo.
Next Iran nuclear talks set for February 18 in Vienna
World powers will hold their next talks on Tehran's contested nuclear programme February 18, top Iranian and European Union diplomats agreed during Friday talks.
Murder trial of Egypt's Morsi set to resume
The murder trial of deposed Egyptian leader Mohamed Morsi is due to resume in Cairo Saturday, after he insisted at a separate hearing that he was still the legitimate president.
Hundreds of reptiles, amphibians found dead at S.Africa airport
Several hundred reptiles and amphibians were found dead at Johannesburg airport when a routine inspection uncovered some 1,600 of the creatures crammed into two crates destined for the United States.
Syria foes set to end talks with no concrete progress
Syria's warring sides are expected to wrap up their first peace talks on Friday without concrete progress on ending the violence, a political transition or ensuring humanitarian aid for millions in need.
Kazakhstan presents resorts at Travel Exhibition in Turkey
Kazakhstan is presenting its resorts at the 18th East Mediterranean International Tourism and Travel Exhibition 2014 (Emitt) in Turkey.
Israel strikes in Gaza after rocket attack
Israeli fighter jets attacked in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip on Friday morning, sources on both sides said, hours after a rocket fired from the Palestinian enclave hit the Jewish state.
Obama repels new Iran sanctions push... for now
President Barack Obama appears to have prevailed, for now, in a campaign to stop Congress from imposing new sanctions on Iran he fears could derail nuclear diplomacy.
C.Africa, S.Sudan dominate continental summit
Conflict in Central African Republic and South Sudan dominated the agenda as Africa's leaders gathered Thursday for a two-day summit of the continental bloc in Ethiopia.
South Sudan to try rebel leaders, risking ceasefire
South Sudan released seven rebel detainees Thursday but vowed to put on trial key leaders accused of launching weeks of fighting, a move likely to threaten a fragile ceasefire.
Syria, spying, Iran in focus at global security meet
Global leaders from politics, defence and diplomacy meet in Germany from Friday to discuss conflict hotspots and looming threats, from Syria and Afghanistan to East Asia and Africa.
Azerbaijan 'capture' Armenian spy after failed raid
Azerbaijani forces say they have captured an Armenian spy following the latest in a series of tit-for-tat raids along the volatile frontier between the two arch-foes.
Tunisia parliament approves new cabinet line-up
Tunisia's parliament on Wednesday approved a technocratic caretaker government tasked with leading the country out of a bruising political crisis and to fresh elections.
Give diplomacy a chance, says Obama
President Barack Obama declared Tuesday that America must move away from a permanent war footing to give diplomacy a chance to resolve some of the world's toughest problems, such as the nuclear standoff with Iran.
IMF says no panic in emerging markets
The International Monetary Fund said Tuesday that there was no panic in emerging markets even as countries like India, Turkey and Argentina were facing sharp capital outflows and currency pressures.
Karzai suspects US behind Afghan bombings: report
Afghan President Hamid Karzai suspects the United States may have backed insurgent-style attacks to undermine his government but has no evidence to support his theory.
