Middle East

Japan’s Abe warns of armed conflict amid soaring U.S.-Iran tension

Editorial Bureau June 13, 2019

DUBAI (Reuters) – Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe warned of unintended clashes in the crisis-hit Middle East after meeting the Iranian president in Tehran on Wednesday, amid a brewing confrontation between Iran and the United States. As a U.S. ally that also has good diplomatic

Middle East

Algeria’s ex-PM, former minister detained over alleged corruption – state TV

Editorial Bureau June 13, 2019

(Reuters) – Algeria’s Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered former Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia be held in custody after he faced a judge over a corruption investigation, state TV reported, sending some Algerians onto the streets in celebration. The court later also detained former transport and public works minister Abdelghani Zaalane after a hearing over alleged

Middle East

Second Ebola patient dies in Uganda, two others in intensive care

Editorial Bureau June 13, 2019

KAMPALA (Reuters) – A Congolese woman has become the second patient in Uganda to die of Ebola since the virus crossed the border from the Democratic Republic of Congo and two other people remain in intensive care, a health ministry official said on Thursday. The 50-year-old woman was the grandmother of a five-year-old boy who […]

Middle East

U.S. joins diplomatic push to salvage agreement in Sudan

Editorial Bureau June 13, 2019

(Reuters) – The top U.S. diplomat for Africa on Wednesday joined an international effort to press Sudan’s military rulers and the opposition towards a deal on a transition to democracy two months after the overthrow of former President Omar al-Bashir. An Ethiopian envoy has said that the military and opposition groups have agreed to resume […]

Middle East

Yemen’s Houthis strike Saudi airport, coalition vows to retaliate

Editorial Bureau June 13, 2019

DUBAI (Reuters) – The Saudi-led military coalition vowed to respond firmly to a missile attack by Yemeni Houthi forces on a civilian airport in southern Saudi Arabia on Wednesday that wounded 26 people. The Western-backed, Sunni Muslim alliance that has been battling the Iran-aligned Houthi movement in Yemen said the early morning strike was proof […]

Middle East

Lebanese IT specialist Zakka released by Iran

Editorial Bureau June 12, 2019

BEIRUT (Reuters) – A Lebanese businessman detained in Tehran for more than four years on charges of collaborating against Iran arrived in Beirut on Tuesday after his government secured his release. Nizar Zakka, 52, an information technology specialist with U.S. permanent residency, was sentenced to 10 years in jail and fined $4.2 million in 2016. […]

Middle East

Egypt, Jordan, Morocco to attend U.S.-led Palestinian conference – officials

Editorial Bureau June 12, 2019

(Reuters) – Egypt, Jordan and Morocco have informed the Trump administration they will attend a U.S.-led conference in Bahrain this month on proposals for boosting the Palestinian economy as part of a coming U.S. peace plan, U.S. officials said on Tuesday. Egypt and Jordan’s participation is considered especially important since historically they have been key

Middle East

Envoy says Sudan talks to resume as strike suspended

Editorial Bureau June 12, 2019

KHARTOUM (Reuters) – Sudan’s military and opposition groups have agreed to resume talks on the formation of a transitional council, an Ethiopian envoy said on Tuesday, as an opposition alliance said it was suspending its campaign of civil disobedience and strikes. Sudan’s Transitional Military Council also agreed to release political prisoners as a

Middle East

As Gabon’s new forests minister, UK conservationist aims to lead by example

Editorial Bureau June 12, 2019

DAKAR (Reuters) – Gabon hopes to lead by example in stamping out illegal logging of the world’s tropical hardwoods, a prominent British conservationist said on Tuesday after being named the central African country’s new forests minister. Lee White, who ran the U.S.-based Wildlife Conservation Society’s Gabon programme for nearly two decades, was

Middle East

Yemen foreign minister resigns amid differences over UN efforts -sources

Editorial Bureau June 11, 2019

ADEN (Reuters) – Yemen’s foreign minister has submitted his resignation as differences emerge within the Saudi-backed government over the handling of a U.N.-led peace initiative in the main port city of Hodeidah, two ministry sources said on Monday. Khaled al-Yamani, who took over the post in May 2018, said he would step down after some […]