French-led troops Saturday recaptured the Islamist stronghold of Gao in a spectacular boost to a 16-day-old offensive against Al Qaeda-linked rebels holding Mali’s vast desert north. The seizure of Gao, the most populated town in Mali’s northern region which is roughly the size of Texas, was announced by the French defense ministry and confirmed
Iran would consider any attack on Syria an attack on itself, a senior government official was quoted as saying on Saturday, in one of Tehran’s most assertive defenses of its ally yet. Iran is a key supporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad who is fighting a near two-year-long revolt. Tehran has already repeatedly warned
At least 27 people were killed, including two footballers and two policemen, in the Egyptian city of Port Said on Saturday following a court ruling that sent 21 people to the gallows for their role in one of the world's deadliest incident in football violence. The Feb. 1 soccer melee killed 74 fans of
The Shin Bet’s 2012 report on terror had a highly positive finding: no Israelis were murdered in terrorist attacks in Judea and Samaria for the first time since 1993. However, the report found that terrorists have not stopped murdering Israelis, but rather, have switched their focus to less heavily-guarded Israelis abroad. It noted three
Egypt’s National Defense Council, headed by President Mohamed Mursi, appealed for calm and called for a national dialogue as deadly clashes raged, the information minister said after the council met. Information Minister Salah Abdel Maqsoud, who attended the meeting with Mursi and other ministers including the defense minister who is a general in charge
Egypt’s opposition on Saturday threatened to boycott upcoming parliamentary polls if President Mohammed Mursi does not find a “comprehensive solution” to the crisis gripping the country. The National Salvation Front, the main coalition of parties and movements opposing the ruling Islamists, called for among other things the creation of a “national salvation” government, otherwise
Egypt’s opposition National Salvation Front said on Saturday it would boycott the upcoming legislative election unless President Mohammed Mursi finds a “comprehensive solution” to the crisis. The main coalition of parties and movements opposing the ruling Islamists called for the creation of a “national salvation” government, saying that otherwise it will “not participate in
Some use music to bridge cultures together, while others tune in the melodies for celebrating their festivities. However, in Egypt this season music festival kicks off to preserve the River Nile. The Nile Project features two music concerts in Aswan and Cairo at the end of January to exhibit the fusion work performances of
A Liberal Democrat MP in Britain faces expulsion from the party for saying Jews had not learned from the murder of six million in the Holocaust in their treatment of Palestinian Authority Arabs, the Daily Mail reports. David Ward, MP for Bradford East, wrote on his own website that he was “saddened” that Jews
The door is closing on the chances of a two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Authority and will be firmly shut by the end of U.S. President Barack Obama's second term, Jordan's King Abdullah II warned on Friday. “If we’re not too late, the two-state solution will only survive as
