The Taliban said it will release its first group of 20 prisoners in a bid to start intra-Afghan peace talks between the militant group and the government in Kabul. ( read original story ...)
Afghanistan in a ‘very dire situation’ as violence sweeps the country
Middle East expert Amin Saikal says the agreement between the United States and the Taliban “comes at a time when Afghanistan is sinking into major political turmoil” and US attempts to mediate ... ( read original story ...)
Iraq suspends Reuters for three months over report on coronavirus cases
Iraq has suspended the licence of the Reuters news agency after it published a story saying the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country was higher than officially reported. Iraq’s media ... ( read original story ...)
US installs new missile defense systems in Iraq following Iranian strikes
New air defense systems are now protecting American and allied forces at military bases in Iraq where troops have been attacked by Iranian-backed insurgents in recent months, according to U.S. ( read original story ...)
23 IS militants killed in clashes in northern Iraq
Iraqi security forces killed up to 23 Islamic State (IS) militants in clashes in a rural area in the northern province of Kirkuk, the Iraqi military said. ( read original story ...)
U.S. welcomes apparent consensus on forming a government in Iraq: Pompeo
U.S. said on Monday that his country welcomes an apparent agreement among Iraq’s Shia, Sunni and Kurdish groups to form a new government, adding it would need to be capable of confronting the ... ( read original story ...)
Phillip Noyce To Direct Secret Iraq Mission Thriller ‘Alive Day’; Mike Medavoy Producing
We've learned that Salt filmmaker Phillip Noyce is set to direct Alive Day, a feature adaptation of Samuel Hill's military taskforce novel Six Days to Zeus: Alive Day. Mike Medavoy’s Phoenix Pictures ... ( read original story ...)
South Korea sending COVID-19 test kits to U.S.
South Korea will ship test kits for the COVID-19 coronavirus to the United States this week, a foreign ministry official said. ( read original story ...)
North Korea Conducts First Cruise Missile Launch since 2017, South Korea Reveals
South Korea said its northern neighbor launched cruise missiles and conducted training exercises with fighter jets on Tuesday — North Korea’s first use of cruise missiles since June 2017 and a ... ( read original story ...)
South Korea implements tough school zone traffic law
A revised law is making drivers sweat in South Korea, as school zone traffic offenses can result in a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. ( read original story ...)