Syria accuses Israel of bombing airport near Damascus, threatens to retaliate

Syria accuses Israel of bombing airport near Damascus, threatens to retaliate

by WorldTribune Staff, January 13, 2017 Syria on Jan. 13 accused Israel of bombing a major military airport southwest of Damascus and warned it would retaliate for what it said was a “flagrant” attack. Syrian state television quoted the army as saying several rockets were fired from an area near Lake Kinneret in northern Israel […]

Kerry, on leaked tape, says U.S. watched ISIL’s rise in Syria and hoped to ‘manage it’

Kerry, on leaked tape, says U.S. watched ISIL’s rise in Syria and hoped to ‘manage it’

by WorldTribune Staff, January 12, 2017 The United States’ plans to use the rise of Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) to push President Bashar Assad to negotiate went awry when Russia came to the defense of its ally in Syria, Secretary of State John Kerry said. “The reason Russia came in is because […]

Tillerson backs ‘full review’ of Iran nuclear deal

Tillerson backs ‘full review’ of Iran nuclear deal

Special to WorldTribune.com Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of state says he supports a “full review” of the nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, which the incoming president has previously pledged to renegotiate or scrap altogether. Former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson said during a January 11 […]

U.S. destroyer fires warning shots at 5 Iranian boats near Strait of Hormuz

U.S. destroyer fires warning shots at 5 Iranian boats near Strait of Hormuz

by WorldTribune Staff, January 10, 2017 A U.S. destroyer fired warning shots when five Iranian vessels approached it and two other American ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Jan. 8. The latest in a series of incidents between U.S. and Iranian ships saw the Iranian boats come “within 900 yards or so” of the […]

Libya’s entire western region faces harsh winter, total power blackout

Libya’s entire western region faces harsh winter, total power blackout

by WorldTribune Staff, January 10, 2017 The entire western region of Libya is on the verge of a total power blackout after an armed group closed off the gas pipeline that feeds the area’s main electric generation unit. Officials at Al-Zawiya Oil Refinery said on Jan. 9 that the group had not named any demands […]

Hamas praises ‘heroic’ truck attack in Jerusalem, calls for more

Hamas praises ‘heroic’ truck attack in Jerusalem, calls for more

by WorldTribune Staff, January 9, 2017 Hamas hailed the jihadist who carried out a deadly truck attack in Jerusalem on Jan. 8 as “heroic” and called for continued terror attacks in Israel. “These attacks will continue and any attempt to stop the intifada is doomed to failure,” an official Hamas statement said. Hamas also handed […]

Senate subcommittee: Obama used taxpayer dollars to influence outcome of Israel election

Senate subcommittee: Obama used taxpayer dollars to influence outcome of Israel election

by WorldTribune Staff, January 8, 2017 The Obama administration attempted to influence the results of Israel’s election by funneling U.S. taxpayer funds to a political group opposed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyhau, according to a congressional report. The U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI) said the State Department gave $349,276 in U.S. taxpayer-funded […]

Security forces kill jihadist suspects during fire fight in Riyadh

Security forces kill jihadist suspects during fire fight in Riyadh

by WorldTribune Staff, January 8, 2017 Two suspected jihadists, including one who was making explosive belts, were killed by Saudi security forces on Jan. 7. The suspects were shot and killed during a police operation in the north of the capital Riyadh, the Saudi Interior Ministry said, according to AFP. Tayeh al-Saihari and Talal al-Saidi, who […]

New UN secretary general starts new job ‘without Illusions’

New UN secretary general starts new job ‘without Illusions’

Special to WorldTribune.com By John J. Metzler UNITED NATIONS — The page has been turned. And the new UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres of Portugal has assumed office with a stoically realistic vision of both the crises and opportunities facing the international community. In his first remarks to staff Guterres stated, “I think we should […]

Terror takes toll on Egypt’s economy: Annual tourism drops to 6.3 million from 21 million

Terror takes toll on Egypt’s economy: Annual tourism drops to 6.3 million from 21 million

by WorldTribune Staff, January 5, 2017 A drastic drop in tourism revenue combined with an unstable economy is exacting a heavy toll on Egypt’s museums, monuments and antiquities. As tourists stay away following a series of terror attacks culminating in last year’s apparent explosion downing EgyptAir Flight 84 as it approached Cairo, budgets are shrinking […]