24 November, 2014 19:58 2 bombs in Baghdad kill 10, wound 22 A car bomb has killed eight people and wounded 22 in a market in northern Baghdad on Monday, Reuters reports citing police and medics. Another bomb killed two people in the southeast part of the Iraqi capital. Other explosions which happened earlier this month were claimed by Islamic State fighters. The Islamic State controls large parts of north and west Iraq and areas close to Baghdad. 19:55 Putin, Rouhani speak of ‘significant progress’ at Iran nuclear talks Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani have discussed the talks on Tehran’s nuclear program in a phone conversation. The two leaders agreed that “significant progress has been made at the meeting of the ministers of foreign affairs of the P5+1 bloc and Iran in Vienna,” the Kremlin said. On Monday, the sides agreed negotiations will carry on till the end of June, after the initial deadline, November 24, wasn’t met. 19:15 Leading republicans call for harsher sanctions on Iran following deal delay Senators John McCain, Lindsey Graham and Kelly Ayotte – three of the party’s most influential foreign policy spokespeople - said that the world must keep up pressure on Iran, after international negotiators failed to close a deal with Tehran over its nuclear program. Iran and the negotiators, which include the US, the UK, Russia, China, France and Germany, have postponed the deadline for a new agreement until the end of June 2015. The three Republicans also said that any new deal should be subject to approval from Congress, which is currently dominated by the GOP. 16:04 Netanyahu vows to push ahead with “Jewish state bill” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would push ahead with the controversial Jewish state bill”, with or without the support of his ruling coalition. Earlier on Monday, the coalition government moved to delay the planned vote on the two draft laws that constitute the nation-state bill, the Israeli daily Haaretz reports. According to the draft law, Israel’s Basic Laws would no longer define it as Jewish and democratic country, but as the Nation-State of the Jewish People. Despite fears it will discriminate against Israel’s Arab population, the Israeli PM says the rights of all citizens will be upheld. 15:55 US Central Command reports 24 new strikes on ISIS in Iraq, Syria The US and its allies have conducted two-dozen strikes against Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) militants since Friday, according to US Central Command. Nine strikes were launched in Syria and 15 strikes in Iraq, Reuters reported. The strikes in Syria near the border town of Kobani and Raqqa took out three of the militant group’s fighting positions. They also hit one of its headquarter buildings. In Iraq, the strikes hit targets near Mosul, Asad, Baghdad, Ramadi, Tal Afar and Hit. Checkpoints, various IS fighter units, vehicles and several buildings were reportedly hit. 14:49 Tehran cuts uranium gas stockpile under interim agreement - IAEA Iran has reduced its stockpile of low-enriched uranium gas, a UN nuclear agency report showed on Monday. Tehran has also taken other action to comply with the terms of last year’s interim nuclear agreement with world powers, Reuters reported, citing the International Atomic Energy Agency’s monthly update. The IAEA report issued to member states showed the stockpile now amounted to just under 7,400 kilograms, below the limit agreed with the powers last year. It had been above the limit early this month. 13:40 Last British military forces withdrawn from S. Afghanistan Britain withdrew its last military forces from southern Afghanistan on Monday, after 13 years of fighting, AFP said. A ceremony at Kandahar airfield marked the departure of remaining Royal Air Force personnel as the final British base was handed over to Afghan forces in October. Since 2001, Britain has suffered 453 military deaths during operations in some of the most violent parts of Afghanistan. Much of the British fighting took place in neighboring Helmand province. It still remains a Taliban insurgent stronghold and a center of opium poppy cultivation. 12:53 Floods kill at least 32 people in southern Morocco Floods triggered by heavy rain have killed at least 32 people in southern Morocco, authorities said on Monday. Flooding swept away buildings, vehicles and roads and forced the evacuation of more than 200 people, Reuters said. The prolonged closure of many national roads prompted an angry protest, local media say. 11:49 British journalist Phillips wounded in Ukraine’s Donetsk Region British journalist Graham Phillips was wounded in the back on Monday on the outskirts of the village of Peski in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk Region. “A shrapnel from a mine hit Phillips’ lower back,” Zvezda TV channel said, adding that militias helped him to get to the hospital. Phillips, who currently works for Zvezda, was shooting a video on the ongoing battles near the village over the past several days. A group of journalists, including Phillips, “came under sniper fire shortly after they entered militia-held areas near a military plant in Peski,” one of the militiamen told TASS. 10:20 Swiss museum to accept Gurlitt’s trove of 1,000 Nazi era artworks A Swiss museum has said it will accept a trove of more than 1,000 artworks hoarded during the Nazi era, bequeathed by a German collector, AFP said. The decision by the Museum of Fine Arts in Bern determines the fate of priceless paintings and sketches by Picasso, Monet, Chagall and other masters. The artworks were discovered by chance in 2012 in the Munich flat of Cornelius Gurlitt who died last May, aged 81. He was the son of an art dealer tasked by Hitler to help plunder great works from museums and Jewish collectors. 08:01 Legendary Soviet hockey coach Viktor Tikhonov dies aged 84 Former Soviet hockey coach Viktor Tikhonov has died at the age of 84, TASS said. He led the Soviet Union team to gold medals at the 1984 and 1988 Olympics, and coached the team of the Commonwealth of Independent States, which won a gold medal in 1992. Tikhonov led the USSR team to eight World Championship titles, the 1979 Challenge Cup and the 1981 Canada Cup. He was also known as the coach of CSKA Moscow, where he stayed from 1977 until 1996. 07:39 3 young Israelis attack Palestinian youth in Jerusalem Three young Israelis attacked a Palestinian youth in Jerusalem on Monday, AP reported. The unidentified youth is in good condition in a Jerusalem hospital, police spokeswoman Luba Samri said, commenting on the latest sectarian incident in the city. Tensions are spiking, mostly over Palestinian claims that the Israeli government wants to change the status quo at the Temple Mount, known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary, by allowing Jews to pray there. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denied the claims. 07:16 Edward Snowden awarded Stuttgart Peace Prize 2014 Edward Snowden has been awarded Stuttgart Peace Prize 2014, established by citizens’ initiative Die AnStifter, RIA Novosti said. The former US intelligence contractor could not attend the ceremony. He sent a message via a video to the organizers. “If we are to live in a liberal society, we must stand and defend liberal values,” the whistleblower said. In August this year, Snowden’s asylum period in Russia was extended for three years.
Posted on: Tue, 25 Nov 2014 03:05:28 +0000
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