Former Israeli PM Olmert's jail term cut, cleared of main charge
2015-12-30 09:35:50
Israel's top court slashed former prime minister Ehud Olmert's prison sentence to 18 months from six years on Tuesday after overturning the main count in his 2014 bribery conviction.
Former Israeli PM to serve 18 months in prison amid bribe conviction
2015-12-29 16:32:29
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will serve 18 months in prison after the Supreme Court partially accepted his appeal against a district court decision on a six-year imprisonment over bribery charges.
Iraq's PM hails key victory in Ramadi, vows to free Mosul from IS
2015-12-29 09:14:58
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Monday hailed the liberation of the city of Ramadi, the capital of Iraq's western province of Anbar, from the Islamic State (IS) militant group and pledged to liberate the northern city of Mosul.
UAE, China agree to set up RMB clearing hub
2015-12-27 21:26:29
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has signed an agreement with China to set up a clearing hub for the Chinese currency Yuan or Renminbi (People's money), local UAE media reported on Sunday.
UN envoy sets Syria peace talks target date for Jan 25
2015-12-27 08:58:19
The UN special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, on Saturday voiced his hope that he can bring representatives of the Syrian government and opposition together to launch the intra-Syria peace talks in Geneva on Jan. 25.
Evacuation of Syrian rebels from Damascus delayed
2015-12-26 20:42:33
A plan to evacuate Syrian rebels from southern Damascus' districts, which was scheduled to take place Saturday, has been frozen due to disagreements among the insurgents about their coming destination.
Syria agrees to enter fresh peace talks, amid new rebel evacuation deals
2015-12-25 09:25:19
Syria's Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said Thursday that his government was ready to partake in next month's peace talks in Geneva, amid fresh deals concluded in rebel-held areas near the capital Damascus for the evacuation of militants toward northern Syria, reports say.
More aid from China set for Syria
2015-12-25 08:03:53
Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the announcement at a joint media briefing with visiting Syrian counterpart Walid al-Moallem.
Suspected bomb kills one at Istanbul airport, investigation launched
2015-12-24 14:49:18
One person was killed when an explosion hit an Istanbul airport overnight and damaged five planes, a Turkish minister said, adding that it was still too early to confirm whether the blast had been caused by a bomb.
Bangladesh approves construction of $12.65 nuclear power plant
2015-12-24 10:00:10
Bangladesh's cabinet committee on purchase has approved a proposal to establish a 2,400-megawatt nuclear power project at a cost of $12.65 billion.
Iraqi forces continue offensive against IS in Ramadi
2015-12-24 09:08:39
Iraqi security forces on Wednesday continued major offensive for the second day to complete the capture of the city of Ramadi from Islamic State (IS) militants.
Painters bring new life to hard-hit areas in Gaza
2015-12-23 21:55:05
The Shati refugee camp in Gaza City has always been a symbol of poverty, a grey concrete jungle with 87,000 people packed into half a square kilometer, or about one fifth of a square mile.