Trisha Chowdhury, Editor-in-Chief A police spokesperson confirmed that, at approximately 7 AM local time, 2 rockets from Lebanon landed in the northern Galilee town of Kiryat Shemona in Israel. The rockets fell in a forest along the Israel-Lebanon border. Heavy shelling from Israel followed in retaliation, hitting Southern Lebanon. Neither side has reported any injuries or damage. The Katyusha rockets have been known to be favored by Hezbollah. However, the Israeli military refrained from commenting and are […]
Joanne Faulkner, Editor (Middle East) TEHRAN — This week, Iran safely brought a monkey back from space in its latest show to the world of the country’s technological capabilities. This is the second monkey that Iran has sent into space and follows a ‘successful mission’ by a monkey named Pishgam into suborbital space in January, much to the unsettlement of surrounding countries. Following the monkey’s safe return, President Hassan Rouhani tweeted: For the 1st time, using liquid […]
Joanne Faulkner, Editor ( Middle East) ABU DHABI – 8 people have been jailed by the UAE’s state security court for creating the following spoof video, entitled ‘Ultimate Combat System: The Deadly Satwa G’s, posted on Youtube in October 2012: 2 UAE citizens and 6 foreigners will face up to a year in jail for their video which mocks Dubai youth culture. The foreigners also face a fine of 10,000 UAE dirham and will be deported […]
Mithu Yoganathan, Correspondent (Middle East) TEHRAN — On December 14, 2013, President Rouhani proudly announced on twitter how Iran successfully returned a monkey from space for the second time. The experiment was part of a grander scheme aimed at manned space flight and was the first of its kind to use a new technology in Iran. The monkey called Fargam (meaning ‘auspicious’ in Persian) was propelled into space using liquid fuel. State media reports the […]
Ekaterina Kretova, Correspondent (Middle East) DAMASCUS — Illegal immigration in Syria has become as an epidemic, partly because the Arab countries are not eager to welcome Syrians and the European countries have not opened their doors to Syrian refugees. European coasts have become another part of the world where Syrians are struggling for existence. Dozens of illegal immigrants have been reportedly killed near the European costs in the last few months. In the neighbouring country, Turkey, […]
Joanne Faulkner, Editor (Middle East) BAGHDAD — A wave of attacks yesterday has left 92 people dead and more than 150 injured as Iraq continues to experience its worst violence since 2006–2007. Two car bomb attacks targeting shiites pilgrims killed 23 and left more than 50 wounded in Karbala, as they made there way to the holy city to celebrate the end of their religious festival. In the town of Beiji, a suicide bomber targeted […]
Joanne Faulkner, Editor (Middle East) DAMASCUS — The UN has launched a record plea for aid, as it seeks $6.5bn to help the million of refugees currently in dire need of humanitarian aid. The funding will help the 16 million Syrians, both inside the country as well as those who have fled and sought refuge in its neighbouring regions, including Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan. Nearly half of the population has been displaced since the […]
Joanne Faulkner (Editor: Middle East) ROSH HANIKR - An Israeli soldier, named as Master Sergeant Shlomi Cohen, has been killed in the first death along the Israeli-Lebanese boundary in three years. Lebanese troops are accused of killing the man as he drove close to the border. It is not clear whether he was hit by a sniper. Israeli troops have returned fire in retaliation. Israeli Army spokesman, Major Arye Shalicar, said : ”We shot at them, and saw […]
Joanne Faulkner, Editor (Middle East) GAZA CITY — More than 5,000 people have been forced to flee their homes after four days of torrential rain sent water levels rising in North Gaza, destroying homes and killing at least two people. UN Relief Works Agency spokesman, Chris Gunness, described an area next to a refugee camp in northern Gaza as a “massive lake with two-metre-high waters engulfing homes and stranding thousands.” The flooding has led to […]
Tahmeena Alam, Correspondent (Asia – Middle East and Central) TEHRAN — A nation bitten by recession, an ailing economy and 76 million people left feeling the impact. Iran and its people see hope as restriction imposed on the country are partially lifted following historic talks in Geneva last month – but is it premature? The Geneva deal reached on November 24 was agreed on the premise of partial relief from sanctions. Iran has struck […]
