JERUSALEM (AP) — The son of an American peace activist who advocated coexistence and who died this week following a Palestinian attack earlier this month says his father is the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit against Facebook for allowing gruesome Palestinian pages that incite violence. Micah Avni said Thursday the lawsuit was filed in the … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — This week’s international talks over Syria’s future will have a new player at the table: Iran, a key ally of Syria’s Bashar Assad. It’s the first time Iran has been invited to the discussions over Syria’s four-year civil war, and on Wednesday Iran’s state TV and semi-official news agency said Foreign Minister … Continue reading
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran said Wednesday it will attend the international talks on Syria’s future later this week in Vienna, following an invitation from the Russian envoy that would mark Tehran’s first appearance at such a gathering. The invitation to the talks came after the United States declared itself ready to engage long-time foe … Continue reading
JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military began deploying hundreds of troops in cities across the country on Wednesday to assist police forces in countering a wave of deadly Palestinian shooting and stabbing attacks that have created panic across the country. The military’s planned deployment of six companies marks the first implementation of measures by Israel’s … Continue reading
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — A senior council of Iranian clerics and lawyers on Wednesday approved implementing the landmark nuclear deal with world powers, sealing the final required step in the process despite hard-liners’ efforts to derail it. The Guardian Council’s vote, while apparently not unanimous, marks a major victory for the administration of moderate President … Continue reading
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish police have detained two people who sent tweets suggesting there could be a bomb in Ankara a day before twin suicide bombings killed 97 people gathering for a peace rally, officials said Wednesday. The two suspects were detained after Twitter provided information on users of the accounts, a government official … Continue reading
CAIRO (AP) — Next week’s parliamentary elections are supposed to move Egypt closer to democracy and end a situation in which Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, first as the country’s strongman then as an elected president, has governed for more than two years with few apparent checks and balances. But with almost no effective opposition expected to run … Continue reading
CAIRO (AP) — Egyptian voters head to the polls Sunday to elect a parliament, the first since the military-led ouster of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in 2013. The vote will mark the final step in what has been billed as a post-Morsi transition to democracy. But critics here and abroad describe it as part of … Continue reading
JERUSALEM (AP) — The latest developments in ongoing violence between Palestinians and Israelis (all times local): ___ 7:35 p.m. The Palestinian U.N. ambassador is accusing Israel of acting in “the most savage, shameful” way, pointing to Palestinian statistics showing 30 people killed, including seven children, in the latest violence and about 1,500 wounded, a great … Continue reading
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — Palestinian demonstrators clashed with Israeli troops across the West Bank on Tuesday, while three tourists were lightly wounded by Palestinian stone throwers as tensions remained high following days of violence at Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy site. The hilltop compound, revered by Jews as the Temple Mount and by Muslims as … Continue reading
LUXOR, Egypt (AP) — The search for ancient Egypt’s Queen Nefertiti in an alleged hidden chamber in King Tut’s tomb gained new momentum as Egypt’s Antiquities Minister said Tuesday he is now more convinced a queen’s tomb may lay hidden behind King Tutankhamun’s final resting place. While touring the burial sites of Tutankhamun and other … Continue reading
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Saudi Arabia has given foreign diplomats some 1,100 photographs of the dead from last week’s hajj crush and stampede, Indian and Pakistani authorities said, an indication of a significantly higher death toll than previously offered by the kingdom. Saudi officials could not be immediately reached for comment Monday night about the discrepancy … Continue reading
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has threatened to drop a “bombshell” in a speech to the United Nations this week — prompting speculation that he will sever ties with Israel over its settlement expansion and other hard-line policies. The warning reflects desperation, but may not signal action. Abbas’ hopes of setting … Continue reading
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Deadly barrel bombs dropped by Syrian army helicopters on opposition-held neighborhoods of Syria are the main driver behind the refugee crisis that has overwhelmed neighboring countries and now Europe, speakers at a panel held at the United Nations said Monday. Kenneth Roth, the executive director of Human Rights Watch, urged the … Continue reading
ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — The latest developments as European governments rush to cope with the huge number of people moving across Europe. All times local: ___ 2:55 p.m. Serbia’s foreign minister has denounced the European Union for failing to act on the continent’s refugee crisis and for allowing EU nations to put up border fences … Continue reading
Spartan Echo 