Special to WorldTribune.com AMMAN — Jordan has begun hosting a major military exercise with Arab and NATO allies but has made clear it has no implications for Syria. Jordan’s military has launched Eager Lion-2012, deemed the largest international exercise in the Hashemite Kingdom. Eager Lion, which began on May 9, was comprised of 10,000 troops [...]
Special to WorldTribune.com LONDON — Britain has warned against travel to Egypt, particularly the turbulent Sinai Peninsula. The Foreign Office has issued a travel warning against several Middle East states, including Egypt and Turkey. The government department cited the danger of attack and abduction by anti-government elements along major highways, particularly in Sinai. “Due to [...]
Special to WorldTribune.com WASHINGTON — A U.S. court has ruled against Iran and Syria in a lawsuit brought by the families of victims of a bombing in Israel in 2006. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth awarded $323 million to the families of 11 Americans and Israelis killed in a 2006 bombing in Tel Aviv. The [...]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Lee Jong-Heon, East-Asia-Intel.com North Korea’s youthful leader Kim Jong-Un is taking another risky step to win much-needed foreign currency by allowing certain capitalist practices in the world’s last Stalinist nation. Workers at state-run shops in the capital city of Pyongyang have begun wearing name cards instead of badges displaying Kim’s grandfather [...]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Willy Lam, East-Asia-Intel.com Judging by the rhetoric of the official Chinese media and military commentators, the Chinese Communist Party authorities seem to be readying a small-scale naval skirmish to “teach the Philippines a lesson.” Yet at the same time, Beijing is brandishing non-military solutions, such as joint development of oil and [...]
John J. Metzler UNITED NATIONS — Despite the persistent economic headwinds which are expected to slow economic expansion this year, “growth in the Asia and the Pacific area remains better than in any other region; continuing as an anchor of stability and a new growth pole for the world economy.” That’s the guardedly optimistic prognosis [...]
Special to WorldTribune.com LONDON — In an unprecedented move, the European Union has directed air strikes against Somalia. The EU said a range of fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft attacked the Somali coast in search of pirates. The EU said the May 15 operation, in which no casualties were reported, took place in the Somali region [...]
Special to WorldTribune.com GAZA CITY — The fishing industry in the Gaza Strip was said to have been suspended by a fuel shortage. Palestinian sources said the fishing industry could no longer deploy boats off the Gaza coast because of lack of fuel. They said virtually all Palestinian fishing boat owners were unable to afford [...]
Special to WorldTribune.com CAIRO — An airlines established by the Palestinian Authority has resumed operations after an absence of seven years. Palestinian Airlines has begun flights in the Middle East but has not been permitted to land in either the West Bank or the Gaza Strip. Its first flight took place on May 9, leaving [...]
Special to WorldTribune.com NICOSIA — Sunni rebels have been assassinating Syrians deemed supporters of the regime of President Bashar Assad. The opposition has acknowledged that rebels were searching and targeting civilians identified as key supporters of Assad. They said the assassinations began in late 2011 and accelerated in 2012. “These are people who support a [...]
