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On Monday, the UAE tried 15 extremists charged with joining and financing the Syrian wing of al-Qaeda and a rebel group, the official WAM news agency reported. Eleven of the fifteen defendants, whose nationalities have not been disclosed, appeared at the preliminary hearing in the Federal Supreme Court in Abu Dhabi, WAM reported. It is not clear why the other …

The Iraqi parliament met under pressure to approve of an inclusive government that has broad support against extremists on Monday. The outgoing government has come under fire from the Sunni Arab community, having helped create conditions which have revitalized Sunni militants, including the Islamic State (IS). Lawmakers approved Abadi’s cabinet after the vote, making him the new Prime Minister, with …

>On Monday, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko visited the flashpoint city of Mariupol, where sporadic conflict has rattled the three-day-old ceasefire between rebel forces and the government. The highly-symbolic visit to the port city came just before EU officials called for a new meeting to decide on sanctions against Russia if the truce fails. Poroshenko wore military attire for the visit …

Land Seizure, Settlement Construction, Forcible Displacement of Palestinians (Jerusalem) – Israel should immediately reverse its illegal appropriation of a large swath of land in the occupied West Bank south of Jerusalem, Human Rights Watch said today. The appropriation, announced on September 1, 2014, paves the way for substantial settlement construction near the West Bank town of Bethlehem. Transferring civilian settlers …

This year an Index released showing the most “miserable countries in the world in 2013  ” . The “Misery Index” is adding together a country’s unemployment and inflation rates, The higher the number, the more “miserable” the country is. Its method was created by Arthur Okun, the American economist who was a chairman of the President’s Council of Economic Advisers …

Cleric Imam Mohamad Jebara will cycle for more than 500 km from Ottawa to Quebec City to raise awareness on heart health and raise funds for The Heart and Stroke Foundation. Jebara, also known as the “Cycling Cleric”, is the Chief Imam and Resident Scholar at the Cordova Spiritual Education Centre. He will start on his journey after offering a …

On Wednesday, US Secretary of State John Kerry met for two hours with Palestinian negotiators for “constructive” talks on the future relationship between the Palestinians and the Israelis. The talks come only days after Israel announced its largest expropriation of Palestinian territory since the 80s, as a new showdown hovers at the UN, with the frustrated Palestinians looking to push …

On Thursday, Yemeni tribesmen marched outside capital city Sana’a and protested against Shi’ite rebels, whose anti-government campaign is threatening to intensify the country’s political crisis. Carrying shoulder-held rocket launchers and assault rifles on them, member of the Harith tribe had taken to the streets just outside Sana’a, voicing their support for President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi. Increasingly facing pressure from Zaidi …

Hopes of a ceasefire between Ukraine and pro-Russia separatists increased on Thursday after Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko discussed the issue with key western leaders at a NATO summit in Newport, UK. Poroshenko said that he expected a ceasefire deal to be signed on Friday “for the gradual introduction of the Ukrainian peace plan”. Pro-Moscow rebels have also agreed to issue …

On Thursday, the Israeli army said that it had struck a Syrian military position after presumed “errant fire” had struck the Israeli-occupied part of Golan Heights. In a statement, the Israeli army said that “at least one projectile hit the northern Golan Heights”. A spokeswoman for the Israeli military said that it hit an open field, and did not cause …