76,000 killed in Syria's deadliest year yet
Beirut (AFP) Jan 01, 2015 -
More than 76,000 people were killed in Syria's brutal conflict in 2014, making it the bloodiest year since the country's war erupted in March 2011, a monitoring group said Thursday.
The almost four-year-old conflict shows no sign of abating, with President Bashar al-Assad making a rare public appearance on a front line for New Year's Eve to bolster the morale of soldiers and pro-government f ...
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Iraq violence killed 15,000 in 2014, worst in 7 years: govt
Baghdad (AFP) Jan 01, 2015 -
Violence in Iraq killed more than 15,000 civilians and security personnel in 2014, government figures showed Thursday, making it one of the deadliest years since the 2003 US-led invasion.
Figures compiled by the health, interior and defence ministries put the death toll at 15,538, compared with 17,956 killed in 2007 during the height of Sunni-Shiite sectarian killings.
Last year's toll w ...
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France wants firm signs of Ukraine peace before warship delivery
Paris (AFP) Jan 01, 2015 -
France would only deliver two warships ordered by Russia if there were concrete signs of lasting peace in Ukraine, the French defence minister said Thursday.
Russia has been accused by the West of arming and bankrolling a rebellion in eastern Ukraine, a charge Moscow denies.
But sanctions imposed by the European Union and the United States on Russia have complicated France's commitment t ...
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Pakistan, India swap lists of nuclear facilities, prisoners
Islamabad (AFP) Jan 01, 2015 -
Pakistan and India on Thursday exchanged lists of their nuclear sites under an agreement barring them from attacking each other's atomic facilities in the event of war, officials said.
The annual New Year's Day exchange was established under a 1988 agreement. The neighbours, who have fought three wars, have also set up a telephone hotline to prevent accidential nuclear conflict.
The list ...
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Estonia accuses Russia of alleged airspace violation
Tallinn, Estonia (SPX) Jan 02, 2015 -
The Estonian Ministry of Defense has accused a Russian military jet of entering Estonian airspace without permission on Christmas Day, local media reported on Tuesday.
A Russian An-72 military airplane entered Estonian airspace without permission at 5:25 p.m. local time on December 25, the Estonian Public Broadcasting (ERR) reported.
Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced it ...
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IS Releases 'Interview' With Captured Jordanian Pilot
Moscow (Sputnik) Jan 02, 2015 -
An IS-related media outlet has published an alleged interview with the Jordanian pilot who they claim was captured last week, AP reports.
The pilot allegedly describes how his aircraft was brought down by a heat-seeking missile as he was providing cover for planes conducting an airstrike against IS targets.
The interviewee also provides details on how the airstrikes against IS are be ...
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Iran's Air Force Shoots Down 3 Drones in Massive Military Drills
Tehran (Sputnik) Jan 02, 2015 -
The Iranian Air Force has shot down three drones Saturday in the third day of an ongoing massive military exercise in southern parts of the country, Press TV reported.
The unmanned aerial vehicles were brought down by three domestically designed and manufactured missiles fired from an ambush missile system known as Mersad, the news agency reported.
According to Press TV, the Islamic ...
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