Middle East

Copts inaugurate renovated St. Mark’s Cathedral in Cairo

Editorial Bureau November 19, 2018

CAIRO (Reuters) – After more than three years of renovation, St. Mark’s in Cairo, the main cathedral of Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox Church, was inaugurated on Sunday. The facelift was ordered to mark the golden jubilee of the cathedral, the official headquarters of the Coptic

Middle East

Russia, Turkey, Iran to hold Syria talks Nov.28-29 – Kazakh foreign minister

Editorial Bureau November 19, 2018

ASTANA (Reuters) – Russia, Turkey, and Iran will hold the next round of talks on Syria on Nov. 28-29 in Kazakhstan, Kazakh foreign minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov said on Monday. Delegations of the Damascus government and the Syrian rebels are also set to attend, Abdrakhmanov told reporters. (Reporting by Tamara Vaal; Writing by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing […]

Middle East

CIA believes Saudi crown prince ordered journalist’s killing

Editorial Bureau November 18, 2018

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The CIA believes Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul, sources familiar with the matter said on Friday, complicating President Donald Trump’s efforts to preserve ties with a key U.S. ally. The sources said the CIA had briefed other parts of the U.S. government, […]

Middle East

Former Egypt forward Aboutrika handed jail sentence for tax evasion

Editorial Bureau November 17, 2018

CAIRO (Reuters) – Former Egypt forward Mohamed Aboutrika, one of the country’s most famous sportsmen, has been sentenced to a year in jail on charges of tax evasion, local media reported on Tuesday. A commercial and financial crimes court in Cairo passed the sentence against Aboutrika in absentia on Monday, the state-run al-Ahram newspaper reported. […]

Middle East

Saudi Arabia defies U.S. pressure to end Qatar row after Khashoggi killing

Editorial Bureau November 17, 2018

DUBAI (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia is defying U.S. calls to mend ties with Qatar despite signs that pressure to end another regional crisis, the Yemen war, has had an impact on Riyadh since the killing of a prominent journalist. Jamal Khashoggi’s murder at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2 caused a global outcry, […]

Middle East

Khashoggi family receives condolences after Riyadh proffers murder culprits

Editorial Bureau November 17, 2018

Saudi Arabia/ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Mourners paid their respects on Friday to the family of Jamal Khashoggi, the prominent Saudi writer murdered by agents of his own government, after the authorities said they had identified the culprits and cleared the crown prince of any involvement. Two of Khashoggi’s brothers and one of his sons received a […]

Middle East

U.S. opposes U.N. Golan resolution, wins Israeli praise

Editorial Bureau November 17, 2018

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – The United States opposed on Friday for the first time an annual draft resolution at the United Nations calling on Israel to rescind its authority in the occupied Golan Heights, drawing praise from Israeli officials. The Golan Heights form a buffer between Israel and Syria of about 1,200 square km (460 square […]

Middle East

CIA believes Saudi crown prince ordered journalist’s killing – sources

Editorial Bureau November 17, 2018

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The CIA believes Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul, sources familiar with the matter said on Friday, complicating President Donald Trump’s efforts to preserve ties with a key U.S. ally. The sources said the CIA had briefed other parts of the U.S. government, […]

Middle East

Saudi-led coalition halts Hodeidah assault as West presses for Yemen ceasefire -sources

Editorial Bureau November 16, 2018

ADEN/DUBAI (Reuters) – The Saudi-led coalition has ordered a halt in its offensive against Iranian-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen’s main port city Hodeidah, three sources said on Thursday, in an apparent concession to Western pressure to end the war. Key Western allies including the United States have been urgently calling for a ceasefire ahead of […]

Middle East

U.S. imposes sanctions for Khashoggi killing, Saudis seek death penalty

Editorial Bureau November 16, 2018

RIYADH (Reuters) – The United States imposed economic sanctions on 17 Saudi officials on Thursday for their role in the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, as Saudi Arabia’s public prosecutor sought the death penalty for five suspects in the murder. The U.S. Treasury Department sanctions were the first concrete response by the Trump administration […]