Ukraine in arabic News
‘Urgent need’ for Syria regime to stop violating ceasefire, says Kerry
- Title
- ‘Urgent need’ for Syria regime to stop violating ceasefire, says Kerry
- Runtime
- 2:09
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- There is an “urgent need” for the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to stop violating the ceasefire in Syria, US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday, and called on Russia to help, the US State Department said.
It said Kerry, in a telephone call with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, said “The United States expected Russia to urge the regime to comply with the cessation and that we would work with the opposition to do the same.”
After Syrian peace talks resumed in Geneva, Assad al-Zoubi, head of the umbrella Syrian HNC representing the main rebel factions said: “The government is sending a strong message that it doesn’t want a political solution, but a military solution that will bring destruction to the whole country.”
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- Turkey urges unity to fight terrorism as Muslim leaders meet in Istanbul
- Runtime
- 1:59
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- Fighting terrorism was top of the agenda at the Islamic Summit as more than 30 leaders of the Muslim world gathered in Istanbul.
It was notable for the attendance of the Saudi King and Iranian President, who support opposing sides in conflicts in Yemen and Syria. Both countries have accused the other of funding terrorism and creating tensions in the Middle East. The Turkish President hoped the summit would work towards unifying forces, and proposed the creation of a body to combat terrorism, saying, “instead of waiting for other forces to intervene against terror attacks and other crises that occur in Muslim countries, we must produce the solution ourselves through the Islamic alliance.”
Security is tight at the summit venue following two terror attacks in the city earlier this year.
Aside from terrorism, the overriding theme was unity, something Prof Dr. Ragıp Kutay Karaca from Gelişim Üniversitesi says requires wide-ranging changes.
...
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- Jordan closes Muslim Brotherhood headquarters in Amman
- Runtime
- 1:05
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- Jordanian police have closed the headquarters of the main opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood in Amman.
The offices were sealed on the orders of the city’s governor, though no reason was given for the closure.
The Brotherhood has existed in Jordan for decades, having significant grassroots support in urban areas, with its political wing the Islamic Action Front representing the largest opposition party.
“There is no doubt that the Muslim Brotherhood are being exposed to government pressure, and these government steps are not in line with the law, and against what they are claiming in terms of applying democracy and political dialogue,” explained Badi al-Rafaiah, Muslim Brotherhood spokesman.
The Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan lost its official registration last year after failing to comply with new regulations.
Jordan has been clamping down on the Brotherhood over the past two years, banning rallies and arresting...
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- Syrian elections take place to backdrop of fighting in Aleppo and peace talks in Geneva
- Runtime
- 2:04
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- The Syrian elections – “theatre through which the regime is trying to give itself a little legitimacy”. That’s one view from the main oppostion body – the High Negotiations Council.
Russia, a staunch ally of President Bashar al-Assad said the ballot aims to avoid a legal vacuum before early elections are held under a new constitution.
But the poll is overshadowed on two counts. There is a new round of indirect talks by the United Nations aimed at ending the conflict due to start.
And then there is a strong threat to the fragile six-week truce due to fighting in Aleppo which comes after the government’s announcement of a major offensive south of the city.
It is being supported by Russian air strikes, Iranian Revolutionary Guards and fighters from Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claims government warplanes also carried out “unprecedented” air strikes on rebel -held eas...
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- Syrians go to the polls in contested elections
- Runtime
- 1:53
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- President Bashar al-Assad has cast his ballot in parliamentary elections boycotted by the Syrian opposition. He has gone ahead with the poll despite the war which means millions of people are not voting.
With peace talks set to resume in Geneva, the embattled leader appears keen to gain leverage at the negotiating table. Britain and France dismissed the vote as a ‘flimsy facade’ and a ‘sham’. Germany said it wouldn’t recognise the results while the opposition said it was illegitimate.
Speaking on Syrian State TV Assad slammed his opponents. Assad considers all those fighting him as terrorists.
“It is true that terrorism managed to destroy much of the infrastructure and it managed to shed lots of blood, but it failed to realise the main goal which is to strike at the main structure in Syria, the social fabric and the national identity.”
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- Syria conflict will be central to major Islamic summit
- Runtime
- 1:31
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- It calls itself the collective voice of the Muslim world.
And ahead of a leaders summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, foreign ministers from the 57 member states have been meeting in Istanbul. At the heart of their agenda is the civil war in Syria.
“As the Islamic world, it is time for us to stop the course of events in Syria,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said .
“We need to make every effort to bring peace to Syria. It is obvious that this change cannot be made with Assad, who oppresses his own people and triggers sectarian conflict.”
With Istanbul hit twice by suicide attacks this year, our correspondent, Bora Bayraktar, says the summit will be held amid tight security and that leaders will talk about the refugee crisis, international terrorism and civil wars.
“Many experts expect heated discussions,” he said.
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- Turkey shells ISIL targets in Syria after rockets hit Kilis
- Runtime
- 0:51
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- Turkey says it has retaliated against the so-called Islamic State after three days of rockets fired from across the border in Syria caused panic and strife in the Turkish town of Kilis.
Two people were reported killed, and around 20 injured.
The town is home to some 110,000 Syrian refugees and is frequently hit by shelling from across the border, a region controlled by ISIL.
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- Syria: Polls and peace talks as fighting escalates
- Runtime
- 0:58
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- State-controlled areas of Syria are voting on Wednesday in parliamentary elections boycotted by the opposition.
The polls are seen as a sham by the West and are taking place amid an upsurge in fighting, pushing the country’s fragile partial truce to breaking point.
Yet with the outcome a foregone conclusion in favour of the Assad regime, the vote is seen as a sign of the President’s growing confidence in the civil war, buoyed by Russian and Iranian military support.
The election is being held as UN-brokered indirect peace talks resume in Geneva.
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- Diplomatic tension escalates between Egypt and Italy
- Runtime
- 1:35
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- Diplomatic tension is escalating in the wake of the death of an Italian student in Egypt.
28-year-old Giulio Regeni disappeared in Cairo at the end of January.
His body was found on the roadside a few days later.
Investigators say it bore signs of torture.
Italy has recalled its ambassador to Egypt, after Cairo refused to hand over relevant phone records.
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- Fighting continues in Homs and Aleppo provinces on eve of Syria election
- Runtime
- 1:41
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- Fighting has continued in Syria, on the eve of the first parliamentary elections in four years.
Opposition activists reported airstrikes by government forces in Homs province.
Footage released by Talbiseh Media Centre showed residents evacuating an area in Talbiseh hit by an airstrike on Monday.
Activists say barrel bombs were used. People including children were seen receiving treatment in hospital. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported two dead and many injured.
The self-proclaimed Islamic State has retaken a strategically important town near the Turkish border. Al-Rai is on a supply route to its territory in Aleppo province.
An eruption of fighting in the region in the last fortnight marks the most serious challenge to a truce brokered by the US and Russia.
UN envoy Staffan de Mistura, visiting Damascus, has been told by the Syrian government that Turkey and Saudi Arabia have been order...
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- Besiktas unveil new stadium
- Runtime
- 0:36
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan inaugurated Besiktas’ brand new waterfront stadium on Sunday.
The formal opening did not take place inside the new 42,000-seat arena but beneath one of the stands in front of selected VIPs.
Besiktas, who are currently top of the Süper Lig, 3 points ahead of arch rivals Fenerbahçe, are due to play their first match at their new home ground against Bursaspor on April 11.
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- Cautious ceasefire begins in Yemen
- Runtime
- 1:03
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- A tentative truce between Yemen’s rival sides came into force at midnight on Sunday as a precursor to peace talks set to begin on April 18 in Kuwait.
In the capital Sanaa, residents said they desperately wanted the UN backed attempt to end the conflict to succeed after two rounds of talks failed last year.
“We hope that this truce will be a serious one and it will be reliable, I mean from all parties, and that peace will prevail across the country. This is has to be a real respite for the poor and the needy who are dying in this civil war,” said one resident in Sanaa.
“The situation is very difficult for people without work, without electricity, without water and with the fear that at any moment a bombardment could kill those dear to us,” said another.
The fighting between the Yemeni army backed by Saudi Arabia and its Houthi rebel enemies has killed more than 6,000 people and triggered a humanitarian crisis.
Al...
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- Italian architects reconstructing Palmyra’s Triumphal Arch
- Runtime
- 1:01
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- A group of Italian architects are resurrecting parts of the war-ravaged ancient Syrian city of Palmyra by recreating the 2,000-year-old Triumphal Arch from the Temple of Bel – much of which was destroyed by the Islamic State (ISIL) over the past year.
The 3D robotic printers are being used to print the arch in Italy’s Carrara mountains so as to bring the historic ruins back to life. Later this month, it will go on display in London’s Trafalgar Square and New York’s Times Square before being taken to Palmyra.
Thousands of images of the ruins have been used to create 3D mapping – and alongside the latest technology, master craftsmen make the finishing touches.
“We sometimes think about if we were in the position of the Syrian people. We would like to have this. Our monuments, as Italians, also are very important for us these kind of monuments and the relation that we have with our place,” said Giacomo Massari, founder of TorArt, a cont...
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- Syrian towns retaken from ISIL
- Runtime
- 1:11
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- A pro-rebel Syrian news agency (SMART) reported the southern town of Tasil has been retaken by rebel groups linked to the Free Syrian Army.
The town had been seized by the ISIL-linked Yarmouk Martyrs’ Brigade.
Videos posted on line purported to show armed rebel groups driving through the town being welcomed by residents.
- Title
- Red Sea bridge to be built linking Egypt and Saudi Arabia
- Runtime
- 0:54
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- Saudi Arabia and Egypt have announced a bridge is to be built across the Red Sea linking the two countries – as well as the continents of Africa and Asia.
King Salman of Saudi hailed it as a “historic move” that would boost trade between the two allies after meeting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo.
No estimate was given for the cost of the bridge, which is to be named after the Saudi king.
Riyadh has helped bankroll Cairo since the Muslim Brotherhood was ousted from power in 2013.
Several other agreements were signed too, in areas such as education, trade and shipping.
It’s hoped the bridge will boost tourism, improving access for pilgrims visiting Saudi’s holy sites.
It may also help bridge differences between the two countries. Strains have appeared over foreign policy – with Egypt adopting a less hardline stance than Saudi towards Syria’s government – and Riyadh seeking mor...
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- Flydubai crash could have been pilot error – investigators
- Runtime
- 0:21
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- Russian investigators have said pilot error could be to blame for the crash of a Flydubai passenger flight in March, but added the conditions and their actions were still being evaluated.
They said the flight entered a steep dive due to crew action before it came down in Rostov-on-Don killing all 62 people on board.
The Moscow-based Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC), said the plane had been flown in a “contradictory manner” in the minutes leading up the crash.
The crew had decided to abort landing and circle round again. They had begun to gain altitude when the controls of the plane were abruptly pushed away, pushing its nose lower.
That, combined with the angle of the tail fin, sent the plane into a steep dive which the pilots were unable to pull out of, the IAC said.
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- Fighting rages along Syria’s northern front
- Runtime
- 1:04
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- At least 200 people remain missing after ISIL militants attacked a factory in Syria.
The workers were reportedly taken from a dormitory at the site in Dumeir, 40 kilometres east of Damascus.
Around 140 managed to escape.
There has been fierce fighting in the area in recent days between government forces and ISIL fighters.
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- Saudi King Salman arrives in Egypt for five day visit
- Runtime
- 2:32
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- Title
- Weapons seized as Denmark arrests four suspected ISIL recruits
- Runtime
- 1:02
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- Police in Denmark say four suspected ISIL recruits were arrested on Thursday at different addresses near Copenhagen and a haul of ammunition and weapons found.
The raids come as neighbouring Sweden charged a 20-year-old man with terrorism for allegedly building a suicide bomb with the intent of staging an attack there.
- Title
- Turkey and Israel move a step closer to reconciliation deal
- Runtime
- 0:47
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- Teams from Turkey and Israel have made progress towards a reconciliation deal.
The two sides met in London on Thursday (April 7). A statement released by Turkey’s ministry of foreign affairs after the meeting said that progress had been made.
The statement did not specify what form the deal might take but it did say that the sides agreed that “the deal would be finalised in the next meeting which will be convened very soon.”
Relations between the former regional allies collapsed in 2010 over the killing by Israeli marines of ten Turkish pro-Palestinian activists who tried to breach the Gaza blockade.
Ankara has always insisted ties with Israel can not be repaired unless its conditions for ending the blockade are met.
Israel allows commercial goods into Gaza but limits other items such as construction materials to prevent militants building fortifications.
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- Syria: ISIL alleged to have kidnapped 250 factory employees
- Runtime
- 0:26
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- Approximately 250 Syrians are feared kidnapped following an alleged ISIL attack east of Damascus.
The cement factory employees have been unreachable since Monday, an executive at the plant said.
A spokesperson for the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights added “dozens” of staff were believed to have been seized by the militant group and taken to an unknown location. The families of those missing have also expressed concern about a potential abduction by ISIL.
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- Turkey probes leak of 50 million people’s data
- Runtime
- 1:10
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- Turkey is investigating how hackers managed to post online the personal data of nearly 50 million people, or two-thirds of the population.
It is believed to be the biggest data breach in the country’s history.
The website says included is the ID information of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, former President Abdullah Gül, and the Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu.
The file contains national identity numbers, dates of birth and addresses, exposing millions potentially to identity theft and privacy violations.
A Turkish government minister said it was believed the breach dated back several years, and the leak came from electoral records the state shares with political parties before elections – although that theory has been questioned by a computer forensics expert.
“Cyber crime and this kind of activity create a big threat for the whole world. Protecting personal data, which people expect the state to take care of, h...
- Title
- Inside the city of Palmyra and what is left after the defeat of ISIL there
- Runtime
- 3:20
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- The battle for Palmyra is over but the reminders of the dangers are ever present as a team from France 2 discovered. They spent time there with the Syrian army.
The ancient city was booby trapped by the so-called Islamic State with hidden mines planted all around.
“This is a homemade bomb which we have disarmed it was under the road right here. There were ones close by which we could not make safe and so we had to detonate them,” as Syrian soldier explained as he showed the crew the bomb.
The Syrian troops comb the buildings and uncover a room full of all the ingredients needed to make an arsenal of deadly weapons, explosives and home-made bombs.
“It’s a chemical laboratory with all you need to make detonators,” remarked one of the soldiers.
All the ingredients you need to make an explosive called triacetone triperoxide – TATP were on show. It is highly unstable and is what was used by ISIL in the Paris and Br...
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- Islamists down Syrian government aircraft capturing pilot
- Runtime
- 1:04
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- Islamist rebels have shot down a Syrian government aircraft over Aleppo.
Reports suggest that militants from the Nusra Front have captured the pilot alive.
- Title
- Cyprus starts working week out of bailout
- Runtime
- 1:36
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- Cyprus has kicked off the working week standing on its own two feet.
Its EU bailout has officially finished, as it bounces back from financial turmoil that tore through the heart of its banking sector.
It did not require the last quarter of a 10 billion euro loan package.
But will austerity stay?
“Austerity measures become necessary based on the situation of public finances, whether a country is in a programme or not,” Finance Minister Charis Georgiadis told euronews.
“That is why, from the very beginning, we were very careful and made sure that Cyprus’ public finances were set on a sustainable path.”
Cyprus’ bailout was partly funded by the IMF, which is facing Wikileaks claims that senior Fund officials have been discussing a possible debt haircut for Greece.
The IMF has denied that Athens would be pushed closer to a default as a negotiating tactic on a new bailout deal.
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- Turkey: Dikili residents express anger over EU migrant deal
- Runtime
- 1:52
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- The European Commission says Ankara has met the legal requirements for the return of migrants from Greece.
A spokesperson made the statement as the Turkish coastal town of Dikili received the first group among more than 200 migrants on Monday (April 4); concretely bringing into effect a controversial deal between the country and the European Union.
The EU says the plan is to shut down a human smuggling route across the Aegean Sea. However rights groups and local residents are unhappy with the situation.
“I don’t want refugees here. It’s a tiny, beautiful coastal town,” said one woman in Dikili.
“Where will they keep them? Where? What will happen next? All the people here are concerned. There was a festival yesterday. Women were selling stuff. But everybody was talking about this issue.”
An admissions centre has been set up in the town to receive the arriving boats. Officials say the first group included Pakist...
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- Unstoppable Riner wins 18th straight tournament as French judokas shine at Samsun Grand Prix
- Runtime
- 3:26
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- The French contingent maintained its stunning showing all the way to the third and final day of the Samsun Grand Prix on Sunday.
The highlight of the day for judo fans was the appearance in the +100kg final of the sport’s global superstar Teddy Riner.
The eight-time world, four-time European and current Olympic champion won his 18th straight tournament by beating Levani Matiashvili from Georgia.
The 26-year old Frenchman won with his trademark uchi-mata for a waza-ari with one second remaining.
Riner has not lost a fight in the heaviest of weight categories since 2010.
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- Mass grave discovered near recaptured Syrian town of Palmyra
- Runtime
- 1:11
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- The Syrian army says it has found a mass grave containing about 40 bodies near the city of Palmyra, recently recaptured from ISIL fighters.
The grave is said to contain many women and children and some had been beheaded.
This on the day it was reported that al-Qaida’s Syrian branch and other insurgents captured a strategic village from government forces south of Aleppo.
Meanwhile, the US has confirmed that it is training a number of rebels to fight ISIL in Syria.
“Dozens of people are now being trained. These are individuals as opposed to units,” said Colonel Steve Warren, Operation Inherent Resolve Spokesman. “And so, what this is, is pull some individuals out of units, vet them, give them some training, give them some capability, and then reinsert them back into the battle field.”
There’s also further pressure on ISIL in Iraq, with the US-led coalition releasing images of the ISIL headquarters in the city of...
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- Judo: Turkish judokas shine on day one of home Samsun Grand Prix
- Runtime
- 4:11
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- Turkey dominated proceedings on home tatami on day one of the Samsun Grand Prix – the fourth Grand Prix of the season.
There was an assured gold medal for the home nation in the men’s -60 kilo category as Bekir Ozlu and Ahmet Sahin Kaba battled it out for top honours – the fifth time Turkey enjoyed two fighters in an international final.
Kaba was penalised no less than four times during the fight but it didn’t really matter as Ozlu struck gold with an ippon as he did with all his other four fights leading up to the showdown.
- Title
- Turkey is sending Syrian refugees back to war zone, claims Amnesty
- Runtime
- 1:15
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- Is Turkey a safe country for Syrian refugees?
Amnesty International doesn’t think so.
And with Europe’s deal on returning migrants there taking effect from Monday, the rights group claims that Ankara has been forcing thousands of Syrians to go back to their war-torn homeland.
“The Turkish government needs to stop this blatantly illegal and inhumane practice,” said Amnesty International’s Director for Europe and Central Asia John Dalhuisen.
“There is no room for any practice to be returning any individuals to a conflict zone. In turn, the EU must be encouraging Turkey to stop this and certainly cannot even contemplate returning Syrians when any real risk of sending them back to Syria from Turkey exists.”
The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) called on Friday for legal safeguards to be in place before refugees are returned to Turkey under the agreement with the EU, while warning that conditions in Greece are deteriora...
- Title
- Egypt archaeology scans ‘could solve’ Nefertiti mystery
- Runtime
- 1:04
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- Egypt has invited archaeologists from all over the world to examine new analysis of King Tutankhamun’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings.
Scientists have completed more scanning of two recently discovered chambers behind the tomb, part of the quest for the remains of Queen Nefertiti.
British Egyptologist Nicholas Reeves says that although more research is needed, he believes she lies buried in the complex at Luxor, in the rooms hidden for millennia beyond the north wall of Tutankhamun’s tomb.
But locating her burial chamber will be painstaking work.
“We have to reach our goal, but we have to be sure, 100 percent, step-by-step, what we have to go, and we have to know exactly our road, for this reason we took several steps with radar scan,” said Mamdouh el-Damaty, former Egyptian Minister of Antiquities.
More scans are planned in April – and the world’s archaeologists have been invited to Cairo in early May to exa...
- Title
- Turkey: PKK claims responsibility for Diyarbakir car bomb
- Runtime
- 1:13
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- The outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party or PKK has said it carried out Thursday’s car bombing in the Turkish city of Diyarbakir that killed seven police officers and wounded 27 people.
The claim was made in a statement on a PKK website.
Security sources said on Friday nine people had been detained in connection with the attack. A parked car containing explosives was detonated as a minibus carrying police officers turned a corner.
The attack came a day before the prime minister’s scheduled visit to the city in the largely Kurdish southeast.
After taking part in Friday prayers at the Great Mosque, Ahmet Davutoğlu then gave a defiant speech before the assembled crowd.
“We have never been scared, we are not and we will never be. We have always been here , we are here and we will be here. God will claim my life one day. Here I am praying for him to claim it here in Diyarbakir with my Kurdish brothers,” he cried.
- Title
- Man held in Turkey over Russian pilot death
- Runtime
- 0:21
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- Turkish authorities have reportedly detained a man suspected of killing a Russian pilot after his plane was shot down by a Turkish jet near the Syrian-Turkish border in November.
Moscow said at the time that the pilot had managed to eject from the plane only to be killed by ground fire from militants.
The incident sparked a diplomatic row between Russia and NATO member Turkey, with Moscow imposing a raft of economic sanctions on Ankara in retaliation.
- Title
- Graffiti art comes to life at night in Jerusalem market
- Runtime
- 3:41
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- Near-daily unrest is keeping clientele away from Jerusalem’s normally bustling main market, Mahana Yehuda, causing a steep decline in sales at its bars, shops and restaurants.
But as the market shuts down at night, new faces appear.
A graffiti artist and his partner are painting dazzling portraits, turning the market, or “shuk” in Hebrew, and its drab alleyways, into a portrait gallery.
The project began a year ago as a way to tell the stories of these faces, but it’s also managed to improve the mood of the shuk.
Berel Hahn, project co-founder: “In the beginning when we just started, we didn’t really, it was just colour and we saw it was having a very strong effect on people, it was putting smiles, people were in shock and loving it. Then there were requests for portraits and it led to a handful of characters and then people would stop and look and ask, ‘Who is this?’, and we’d tell them the story and they’re touch...
- Title
- Qatar under fire again over treatment of World Cup workers
- Runtime
- 1:04
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- Qatar has come under fire again over the treatment of World Cup workers, alleging systematic abuses including forced labour.
Amnesty International’s published a report claims that dozens of people from Nepal and India have been housed in squalid accommodation.
It also says that workers have been barred from leaving the country by employers who have confiscated their passports.
All of this comes two years after the organisers of the 2022 tournament apparently drafted welfare standards in the wake of criticism.
Amnesty is calling on FIFA to act.
“FIFA can do a lot and FIFA has a responsibility. This is its major business – awarding the World Cup,” said Audrey Gaughran, Director of Global Issues and Research at Amnesty International.
“As part of its major business, it has awarded the World Cup to a country where migrant workers are subjected to systemic abuse of their labour rights. As such, it has to ...
- Title
- Palestinians and Arab Israelis mark 40th anniversary of ‘Land Day’
- Runtime
- 1:06
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- Thousands of Palestinians and Israeli Arabs held rallies on Wednesday to mark the 40th anniversary of “Land Day” – when protests against the Israeli confiscation of land in the Galilee region ended in violence and death.
Six Arab Israelis were killed by Israeli security forces during the demonstrations in 1976.
The commemorations, which were marked by a minute’s silence, featured slogans such as “the earth is the homeland”.
“Land day was the first Palestinian uprising, and it started here in the Galilee and the Negev. It started as a defence of the land, that they (the Israelis) were planning to confiscate – but it became a defence of their existence: a National Day, a Palestinian, Arab and International Day,” said Mohammad Barakeh, chairman of the High Follow-up Committee, the main representative body for Arabs in Israel.
There were also protests in Gaza featuring a poster more than 2,000 metres long, described as t...
- Title
- EU wades into Erdogan satirical song spat
- Runtime
- 1:14
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- Turkey faced new accusations from Brussels of trying to muzzle the media on Wednesday after the government called for a satirical song about President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to be deleted.
The tune, which lambasts Erdogan’s crackdown on civil liberties and lavish spending, was created by the German TV channel NDR for its satire show titled “Extra 3”.
- Title
- EgyptAir hijack suspect remanded in custody
- Runtime
- 0:41
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- The Egyptian suspect of the EgyptAir plane hijack has been remanded in custody for a further eight days at least.
A court in Larnaca, Cyprus, ordered the extended detention of Seif Eldin Mustafa while an investigation is carried out into the takeover of the plane.
Possible charges include kidnapping, air piracy and threatening behaviour.
Fifty-six passengers, six crew members and a security official were on board the aircraft when it was diverted to Larnaca during a short Alexandria to Cairo flight.
Cypriot authorities say it is too early to talk about extraditing Mustafa.
- Title
- Passengers and crew on hijacked jet arrive back in Egypt
- Runtime
- 1:08
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- Passengers and crew have arrived safely in Egypt after their plane was hijacked.
Authorities say a man using a fake suicide belt forced the EgyptAir jet, en-route from Alexandria to Cairo, to land in Larnaca in Cyprus.
He was later arrested after giving himself up.
“Thank God we are fine and all the passengers are fine. The man was arrested and it’s all over, thank God,” said Captain Omar Algamal in Cairo.
- Title
- Egypt defends airport security after hijack drama
- Runtime
- 0:49
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- The hijack of EgyptAir Flight MS181 on Tuesday after its take-off from Alexandria may have ended safely.
But security questions raised are likely to deal another blow to the Egyptian tourism industry.
Speaking to reporters as the hostage drama at Larnaca, Cyprus, came to an end, Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail said that the hijacker at one point demanded a meeting with a representative of the EU and at another point demanded that the plane leave for another airport.
“In general there was no specific demand,” Ismail said.
“He is an Egyptian and obviously there will be a thorough investigation to find out the reasons behind such an act.”
Egypt is eager to demonstrate that security at its airports is good.
TV channels have been showing video footage posted by Egypt’s Interior Ministry on its Facebook page in which a man presented as the suspected hijacker is seen passing through a scanner before ...
- Title
- Palmyra is the latest gain for Assad regime in fight against ISIL
- Runtime
- 2:21
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- The noose is tightening round the so called Islamic State fighters. That’s how some analysts interpret the fact the Syrian army has retaken the city of Palmyra.
For the jihadists it is the biggest loss since defeat at Kobani in January 2015 and shows they have lost some momentum. For the Assad regime it is a psychological and strategic victory. It allows him to regain control of the Syrian desert and move towards the border with Iraq.
Now Palmyra will become a central base to broaden operations against ISIL strongholds in Raqqa to the north and Deir Ezzor in the east, the army said in statement.
The support of the Russians and in particular the airstrikes on the jihadists positions since last September and the Hezbollah fighters and Iranian army have been key in putting ISIL on the defensive.
The regime grabbed Slama the stronghold of al-Nusra in Latakia on January 12 this year before taking Rabia which was the last rebel held basti...
- Title
- Russia pursues Syria pullout but ‘will continue fighting terrorist groups’
- Runtime
- 1:04
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- Three Russian heavy attack helicopters headed home from Syria on Monday, in line with President Vladimir Putin’s declared withdrawal this month of the bulk of his country’s military contingent from the war-torn country.
Russian state TV channel Rossiya-24 reported that two Mi-24 and one Mi-35 helicopters had left the Hmeymim base onboard the heavy Antonov-124 transport airplane, along with some engineers and technical staff.
Russia has confirmed its air force was involved in driving ISIL out of the Syrian city of Palmyra.
“We are talking about air support by our planes. Our armed forces are not conducting any land operations there,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a teleconference with reporters.
“After the withdrawal of part of our (military) contingent from Syria, air force units remaining at two bases – in Hmeymim and Tartous – will continue fighting terrorist groups … and will continue supporting the Syrian’...
- Title
- ‘Nightmare over,’ Palmyra to be mostly restored by end of 2016
- Runtime
- 0:59
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- “The nightmare is over for Palmyra,” says Syria’s Head of Antiquities.
Mamoun Abdulkarim said the city of ancient temples will be mostly restored by the end of 2016,
“We expected the worst because of the liberation fighting but I think the nightmare is over. The panoramic picture of Palmyra is fine,” said Abdulkarim.
The government will take “precautionary measures in order not to let Palmyra fall again,” he added.
- Title
- ISIL militants driven out of ancient Syrian city of Palmyra
- Runtime
- 1:29
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- Syrian government forces – backed by heavy Russian air support – are said to have driven ISIL militants out of Palmyra.
The army is describing it as a mortal blow.
The so-called Islamic State seized the city last year and set about destroying its ancient temples.
Syrian president Bashar al-Assad says Palmyra’s recapture shows the “success” of the army’s strategy, according to reports.
It opens up a huge expanse of desert leading to the militant strongholds of Raqqa and Deir al-Zor.
During a visit to Jordan, UN chief Ban Ki-moon expressed his relief that Palmyra is out of ISIL hands.
- Title
- Kitesurfers thrill the crowds in Egypt
- Runtime
- 0:49
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- In a corner of Egyptian paradise Brazil’s Carlo Mario and Poland’s Karolina Winkowska took the top honours at the IKA World championships.
The kitesurfing elite landed in El Gouna for the last week in March, and with wind speeds of up to 27 knots some spectacular freestyling was on the cards, and the athletes lived up to their reputations.
2015’s teenage revelation Mario was flawless through to the final, where he outclassed the 2013 world champion Alex Pastor.
In the womens event it was good to see 2009 champion and one of the sports’ biggest names Bruna Kajiya back to something close to her best from after a serious knee injury two and a half years ago, but Winkowska fought back from a slow start to beat her.
- Title
- Palmyra recaptured from ISIL, military source
- Runtime
- 0:51
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- Syrian government forces have retaken Palmyra from ISIL militants, according to a military source.
“After heavy fighting during the night, the army is in full control of Palmyra — both the ancient site and the residential neighbourhoods,” the source said.
It comes on the back of a major offensive in the ancient city.
Syrian forces backed by Russian airstrikes have been edging into the area held by ISIL since May 2015, capturing the ancient citadel on Friday.
The recapture marks a pivotal moment in the campaign to defeat the militant group in Syria.
In Iraq, residents in southern Mosul have begun to leave their homes as government forces went on the offensive to recapture the town from ISIL.
Makhmour is set to be a launchpad for the offensive to liberate the whole of the Nineveh province.
Kurdish peshmerga forces have already cut it off on three sides and are closing in to within 15km at some point...
- Title
- ISIL suffers series of blows in Iraq and Syria
- Runtime
- 1:10
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- Fighters from the so-called Islamic State are reportedly on the retreat in the Syrian city of Palmyra which they captured in May last year. After an assault by government troops backed by Russian airstrikes, the desert city’s old citadel is said to have been retaken.
Earlier, in another blow to the extremist group, the US said its forces had killed several senior ISIL leaders including its second-in-command Abd al-Rahman Mustafa al-Qaduli, also known as Haji Imam. The operation has been described as marking a shift in US strategy as it focuses on targeting the extremist group’s top leadership.
Many of Palmyra’s ancient monuments have been blown up by ISIL in what the United Nations described as a war crime, although TV footage on Friday showed at least some structures still standing.
As well as being a UNESCO World Heritage site, the city is strategically important, controlling routes east into ISIL’s heartland – and its recapture would ...
- Title
- Turkey slams Belgian and Dutch officials over release of Brussels suicice bomber
- Runtime
- 1:36
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- Belgian MPs have been grilling federal ministers over the failure of government and intelligence services to prevent the deadly attacks in the capital.
Interior Minister Jan Jambon and Foreign Minister Didier Reynders were among those who spelled out what their offices did in the lead-up to the bombings.
Reynders said on July 14, 2015, Turkish authorities had informed them that one of the Brussels airport suicide bombers Ibrahim El Bakraoui had been deported to Amsterdam but they didn’t give any reason why.
In response, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Belgian authorities of being soft on militant groups and described them as being “incapable” after the Netherlands released Bakraoui. Dutch authorities say Turkey failed to follow normal procedures when expelling him.
But speaking to supporters in the central Turkish town of Sorghum, Erdogan said: “We detained this guy, we deported him, sent him back but they di...
- Title
- Turkey: journalists’ espionage trial to be held behind closed doors
- Runtime
- 1:15
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- A Turkish court has accepted president Recep Tayyip Erdogan as a complainant in the trial of two prominent Turkish journalists, facing life prison terms on espionage charges.
Furthermore, the court ruled that Can Dundar and Erdem Gul’s trial will be conducted behind closed doors. It also postponed their trial until 1 April.
The charges against Dundar and Gul relate to a video, published by Cumhuriyet newspaper, purporting to show Turkish intelligence officials transporting weapons to Syria in 2014.
The prosecutor argued for a confidential trial because certain evidence involved state secrets. Lawyers for Dundar and Gul argued that evidence could be read in closed session while the rest of the trial should remain open.
Dundar, editor-in-chief of Cumhuriyet ,said on Friday that the government had been caught “red-handed” and was trying to “cover up.”
“Today at the trial we said, ‘we came here to judge, not to ...
- Title
- Netanyahu offers Belgium Israel’s help in fight against terror
- Runtime
- 5:15
- Date posted
- 11 years ago
- Description
- Following comments by several of his ministers after the Brussels attacks Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has assured Belgium of his country’s support, and called for a more co-ordinated approach in fighting terror.
Intelligence and Transport minister “Yisrael Katz”:
“In Paris or Brussels or San Bernardino or Tel Aviv or Jerusalem. Terror must be condemned equally and it must be fought equally. Israel stands ready to cooperate with all the nations in this great struggle. These terrorists seek our destruction; they will fail. But if we work together, they will fail a lot sooner,” said Netanyahu.
