To Be or Not to Be...? Someone’s grief, and someone’s drinking party

Traditions of the Kyrgyz people were being formed with the help of economic, trade, domestic and other relations with kindred and other tribes that were closely related to the geography of their ha...

Iran of the 60s: unsuccessful attempt to reform

After the coup of 19 March 1953 in the socio-political history of Iran there were fundamental changes: the powers of parliament were limited and the absolute power of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi was...

Topic: Regional rivalry in the Middle East.

In the Middle East, Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran are two countries that claim to leadership in the region. With a powerful resources and political potential these countries are the...

War & Terrorism, Israel

Israeli troops detain Palestinian at flying checkpoint
17.05.2013
War & Terrorism|Middle East|Israel

Israeli forces detained a 25-year-old Palestinian at a flying checkpoint in Tubas on Thursday, the Palestinian Prisoners Society said Maan reported.

Saji Daragmeh was detained at a flying checkpoint on the road between Tubas and Nablus in the northern West Bank, the PPS said in a statement.

Israel army detains 12 in overnight raids
04.03.2013
War & Terrorism|Middle East|Israel

Israeli forces arrested 12 people in the West Bank overnight Sunday, locals and Israel's army said.

An Israeli army spokeswoman said five people were detained in Beit Khalil, two in Beit Awwa, two in Azzun, one in Nablus, one in el-Kharab, one in el-Arrub.

Locals said Mutaz Asafra, 20, Muhannad Asafra, 20, and Hamza Zuhur, 20, were arrested in Beit Khalil.

In Beit Awwa village, Israeli troops detained brothers Samir Abdul Qader, 32, and Tamer, 22.

Israeli forces routinely arrest Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, usually on the pretext of security questioning.

Israeli troops attack Palestinian demonstrators in West Bank
02.03.2013
War & Terrorism|Middle East|Israel

Palestinian protesters have clashed with Israeli troops across the occupied territories in demonstrations held to mark the eighth anniversary of the protests against Israel's apartheid wall, Press TV reported.

On Friday, Israeli troops fired tear gas, stun grenades, and rubber bullets at Palestinians participating in demonstrations in the cities of al-Khalil (Hebron) and Nablus and the village of Bilin in the West Bank.

At least one protester was injured and taken away by Israeli forces in al-Khalil.

The young protester was reportedly shot in the head with a rubber bullet.

Israeli forces on high alert ahead of Palestinian detainee funeral
25.02.2013
War & Terrorism|Middle East|Israel

Israel placed its forces in the West Bank on high alert Monday, amid fears that the funeral of a Palestinian who died in an Israeli jail could spark another bout of violence, dpa reported.

Arafat Jaradat was being buried in his home village of Kfar Sa'ir, near Hebron. He collapsed and died Saturday, in a northern Israeli prison.

News of his death brought Palestinian activists to the streets in several West Bank locations, where they burned tyres and threw stones at Israeli soldiers, who responded with teargas and rubber bullets.

UN chief: Resolve Palestinian prisoners' hunger strike in Israel
20.02.2013
War & Terrorism|Middle East|Israel

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called Tuesday for a prompt resolution to the hunger strike by Palestinians under Israeli custody, saying that the detainees' rights should be "fully respected" by Israel, DPA reported.
"Those detained should be charged and face trial with judicial guarantee in accordance with international standards or be promptly released," Ban said.

He said he had received letters from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Arab League Secretary General Nabil al-Araby, warning of the fast-deteriorating conditions of the prisoners on hunger strike.

Israeli forces 'detain 4' in West Bank
09.01.2013
War & Terrorism|Middle East|Israel

Israel's army said it detained four Palestinians across the West Bank overnight Tuesday.

A pistol was confiscated in Nablus and a Palestinian held, an army spokesman said. Two others were detained in al-Arrub camp, and another in Beit Ummar, both between Bethlehem and Hebron.

Locals said four Palestinians, all aged 18 and 19, had been detained overnight in the Ein Beit Al-Mai refugee camp in Nablus.

Raed Al-Azibi, Muhammad Fahmawi, Raed Fahmawi and Mahmoud Sulaiman Khalid were seized in the dawn raid, they told Ma'an.

Israel shells again over Gaza Strip
20.11.2012
War & Terrorism|Middle East|Israel

Israeli aircrafts have resumed bombardment of Gaza City this morning, Itar-Tass news agency reported.

According to the witnesses, the sky of black smoke appeared over the place where the missile landed.

This bombardment followed new shelling of Israeli territory this night. The rockets landed near Ofakim settlement, according to the victims and destructions.

The latest airstrike increased the death toll of Palestinians since Israel began its military offensive in Gaza on Wednesday to 107, according to medical sources.

Lebanese army dismantles rockets aimed at Israel
20.11.2012
War & Terrorism|Middle East|Israel

Lebanese military experts on Monday dismantled two Katyusha rockets that were equipped with timers and ready to fire at Israel, a senior Lebanese security official said Today`s Zaman reported.

The official said the rockets found near the south Lebanon village of Halta were set up about four kilometers (2.5 miles) away from the Lebanon-Israel border. The weapons were rigged with timers and likely would have been launched had the army not intervened, he said. He did not say when the rockets were meant to be fired.

Israeli forces demolish East Jerusalem home
13.11.2012
War & Terrorism|Middle East|Israel

Israeli forces demolished a home in East Jerusalem on Tuesday on the pretext that it was built without a permit, Wafa news agency reported.

Ahmed al-robi, adviser of the Presidential Office for Jerusalem Affairs, told Wafa that the home in Khillet al-Ain, near al-Tur, belonged to Tareq al-Arameen.

In May, a home under construction in the Mount of Olives was demolished by Israeli bulldozers without any prior warning. The owner, Samih Idris, was also fined by the Jerusalem municipality.

Israel claims direct hit against Syrian artillery
12.11.2012
War & Terrorism|Middle East|Israel

Israeli tanks fired across the border into Syria on Monday, with the Israeli military saying a Syrian mobile artillery battery had suffered a direct hit, reported dpa.

The shelling was in response to a Syrian mortar shell that had landed in the occupied Golan Heights on Sunday. A statement from the Israeli military said Israel had filed a complaint with the UN forces operating in the area, stating that "fire emanating from Syria into Israel will not be tolerated and shall be responded to with severity."