Eurasia Press & News

Kurdish Iraqi forces launched a major operation today to retake the militant-held town of Sinjar in northern Iraq, part of a push to secure the road that leads directly to the Syrian border. Peshmerga forces, backed by US-led coalition airstrikes, moved into the town, which has been under the control …

At least 4,700 people have died in Ukraine in the nine and a half months since the start of an armed conflict between the Ukrainian military and pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country, a United Nations team announced Monday. That’s an average of around 16 deaths per day.

Top US diplomat John Kerry was to meet his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov Sunday, amid anger in Moscow over the prospect of new US sanctions and possible lethal military aid for Ukraine. The meeting in Rome comes as tensions soar after US lawmakers passed a bill — dubbed the Ukraine …

The French army has “neutralised” 200 jihadist fighters in the Sahel over the last year, Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian says in an interview to be published tomorrow. Peace talks between Mali’s government and rebels should conclude next month, he said. The French military has either killed or captured 200 …

Algeria is preparing for worst-case scenarios, due to the deterioration of conditions in the Sahel. Mounting concerns over border security led Algeria to toughen its stance towards illegal immigrants. But more than just refugees try to cross borders in times of conflict.

The United States will keep about 1,000 more troops in Afghanistan than planned early next year to fill a temporary Nato troop gap in the new mission to train and advice Afghan security forces, US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel said Saturday on his final visit to this war-weary country as …

Islamist fighters launched a three-pronged attack on Saturday on a key oil region in eastern Libya but were pushed back by pro-government forces, military officials said. Fighters from Fajr Libya, an anti-government Islamist coalition, staged an assault on the region of Al-Hilal from three sides but the air force repelled …

The EU backed UN efforts to arrange a ceasefire in Syria’s second city Aleppo on Monday as one of the few good options left in a conflict which has claimed more than 200,000 lives. EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini said special UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura had briefed …

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met Sunday morning with British parliamentary delegation , called the Friends of Egypt, to discuss the final phase of Egypt’s roadmap, and other regional topics. Shoukry also met Sunday with US Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan Donald Booth to discuss recent political developments there. …

Two Egyptian nationals have been killed in Libya on Monday, during clashes between rival factions present in the country. Clashes erupted between military forces aligned with the internationally recognised government in Tobruk and militias of Libya Dawn, the Islamist coalition holding sway in Tripoli. The clashes took place in the …