Australia is under an “unprecedented” threat of foreign espionage and interference, one of the country’s most senior spy chiefs said in a rare speech, citing the case of a “sleeper agent” who spent years building business links. Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) Director-General Mike Burgess said several nations were working ... Read More »
North African countries mull ‘curtailing Turkey’s influence in region’
Egyptian intelligence chief, Abbas Kamel, yesterday kicked off a tour around the Arab North African countries, including the eastern region in Libya, led by the rebel general Khalifa Haftar, to discuss “limiting the Turkish role in the region.” Local sources told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that Kamel’s tour was aiming at discussing ... Read More »
UN: Libyan parties reached draft agreement of permanent ceasefire
Today, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) revealed that the two parties to the Joint 5+5 Military Committee will present a draft permanent ceasefire agreement to Fayez Al-Sarraj, head of the internationally recognized Government of National Accord, and retired Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, noting that a new meeting ... Read More »
Iran elections: Hardliners win every seat in Tehran as they sweep to crushing victory
Hardliners have won a crushing victory in Iran’s parliamentary elections, taking every single seat in the political powerbase of Tehran and leading in regions across the country. One unofficial tally forecasts that the nationalists and religious conservatives have won 178 of the 290 seats in the chamber with the liberals’ ... Read More »
Russia says ‘no’ to Syria ceasefire, top UN diplomats say
Russia opposed the UN Security Council’s declaration for a ceasefire in north-west Syria, top UN diplomats said, after a tense closed-door meeting in New York, AFP reported. “Basically, Russia said no, which is very painful,” Marc Pecsteen de Buytswerve, president of the United Nations Council for February, told reporters. “There ... Read More »
US intelligence warned House members Russia is working to get Trump re-elected
Briefing to members of Congress is said to have led to abrupt removal of acting director of national intelligence US intelligence officials are reported to have warned members of Congress last week that Russia was trying to interfere in the 2020 election campaign in favour of Donald Trump, in ... Read More »
Turkey to arrest 228 for links to cleric in probe of military, ministry: Anadolu
Turkish prosecutors investigating the military and justice ministry on Tuesday ordered the arrest of 228 people over suspected links to the network that Ankara says was behind a 2016 coup attempt, state-owned Anadolu news agency reported. There has been a sustained crackdown on alleged followers of U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah ... Read More »
Oman sees biggest Gulf clash risk in Strait of Hormuz
The risk of a military confrontation is higher in the Strait of Hormuz than anywhere else in the Gulf region, Oman’s foreign minister said, due in part to the growing number of military vessels from different countries that are guarding it. The waterway between Iran and Oman – 33 km ... Read More »
UN: Libya arms embargo is a ‘joke’
An arms embargo aimed at curbing fighting in Libya has become meaingless because of violations and it is imperative that those who breach it are held to account, Reuters reported a senior UN official as saying on Sunday. “The arms embargo has become a joke, we all really need to ... Read More »
Rouhani says Iran will never yield to U.S. pressure for talks
Iran will never hold talks with the United States under pressure, President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday, adding that Tehran’s help was essential in establishing security in the Middle East. Relations between Tehran and Washington reached crisis point in 2018 after U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned a 2015 pact between ... Read More »
Lebanese Ministry of Information