December, 2014

• 19 December

  EU imposes additional sanctions on Crimea

  The EU Thursday imposed substantial additional sanctions on investment, services and trade with Crimea and Sevastopol. “This is to reinforce the EU’s policy of not recognising their illegal annexation by Russia,” said an EU statement which came hours before EU leaders are to begin a summit in Brussels to discuss …

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• 19 December

  Iraqi Kurdish PM will visit Turkey

  The prime minister of Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), Nechirvan Barzani, is set to arrive in Turkey on the night of Dec. 18, ahead of talks with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tanju Bilgiç has announced.

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• 19 December

  Kurdish forces recapture ground in Iraq

  Kurdish forces backed up by US-led warplanes have recaptured a large area in Iraq near the Syrian border in an offensive against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) jihadists, a top US commander said Dec. 18. More than 50 air strikes in recent days by coalition aircraft “have …

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• 19 December

  France, Algeria to increase security cooperation

  Algerian Minister of Interior and Local Governments Tayeb Belaiz met his French counterpart Bernard Cazeneuve here on Thursday to discuss security cooperation. The discussions covered “all issues relating to security and training as well as the movement of people,” Algeria Press Service (APS) quoted Belaiz as saying after the meeting. …

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• 19 December

  Pakistan army launch operation after Peshawar attack

  Pakistan army retaliated to the the deadly Taliban attack at Peshawar school by killing 57 militants in massive airstrikes in the Khyber tribal region where the suicide bombers were reportedly trained. The army launched 20 airstrikes yesterday on several Taliban hideouts in Tirah valley area of Khyber tribal region which …

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• 19 December

  Sharif toughens stand after Peshawar massacre

  With the death toll in the Peshawar army school massacre rising to 148 overnight, Pakistan yesterday turned over a new leaf in its approach to terrorism. Mr. Sharif swore that politicians would bury their differences and unite to defeat terrorism. Their meeting came as a photograph of the men who …

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• 17 December

  Kerry says sanctions depend on Putin’s right choices in Ukraine

  US and European sanctions against Russia could be lifted within days if President Vladimir Putin makes the right choices in Ukraine, top US diplomat John Kerry said Tuesday. While he praised what he called “constructive moves in the last days” by Russia, he warned the future of the country’s economy …

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• 17 December

  Merkel, Putin, Hollande discuss Ukraine over telephone

  Russian President Vladimir Putin held a telephone conference Wednesday with the leaders of Germany, France and Ukraine to discuss creating a lasting peace in Ukraine, Russia’s neighbor to the west, according to the Kremlin’s official website. Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko shared …

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• 17 December

  Egypt urges Iraq to restore relations with neighbors

  Egypt has valued “positive” steps taken by Iraq on internal and external arenas to successfully restoring security and peace in some parts of the country, calling the Iraqi government to continue these steps for full restoration of ties with neighboring countries. Egypt condemns all forms of terrorism committed by the …

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• 17 December

  Malian FM says parties are closer to an agreement

  Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulay Diop said the different Malian parties “are not far from an agreement,” calling those parties to do a “maximum” effort to bring peace process in Mali to a successful conclusion. “It is the last 100 meters and each of us should make a maximum effort to …

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