Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

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American puppeteer Julia Miller rehearses the day before the Manual Cinema group’s performance at the Tehran Mobarak Puppet Festival on September 18, 2014. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

American performers get standing ovation in Iran

by Asharq Al-Awsat | Sep 20, 2014 | Lifestyle & Culture

Tehran, AP—Hundreds of Iranian art lovers gave a troupe of Chicago-based puppeteers flowers and a lengthy standing ovation at the Tehran City Theater at the end of their historic performance this week during a rare visit by American performers to the Islamic Republic....

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Turkey’s Prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu kisses the daughter of a hostage as he welcomes on September 20, 2014 in Ankara dozens of freed Turkish nationals hostages held by Islamist militants in northern Iraq for more than three months. (AFP/Adem Altan)

Turkey secures release of hostages held by ISIS

by Asharq Al-Awsat | Sep 20, 2014 | World

Ankara, Reuters—Turkish intelligence agents brought 46 hostages seized by Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants in northern Iraq back to Turkey on Saturday after more than three months in captivity, in what President Tayyip Erdoğan described as a covert...

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In this Aug. 4, 2014, file photo, Lebanese army soldiers stand guard at an entrance to Arsal, a town near the Syrian border. (AP Photo)

Nusra Front execute Lebanese soldier, call on Hezbollah to withdraw

by Caroline Akoum | Sep 20, 2014 | Middle East

Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat—The Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Nusra Front on Friday killed one of the 22 Lebanese soldiers it captured last month, threatening to kill another unless Beirut ends Hezbollah’s involvement in the Syrian conflict. A Twitter account affiliated to...

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Smokes rises from near the Yemeni Government TV building during clashes between Sunni militiamen and Shi’ite Houthi rebels in Sana’a, Yemen, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2014. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)

Yemen: Sana’a clashes escalate as Houthis advance

by Arafat Madabish | Sep 20, 2014 | Middle East

Sana’a, Asharq Al-Awsat—Sana’a remained on high alert on Saturday after tensions between Shi’ite Houthi rebels and government forces intensified, with Houthis shelling a state-run TV building and the government carrying out airstrikes against Houthi positions north of...

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Ukrainian servicemen ride on an armored vehicle in the eastern Ukrainian town of Kramatorsk on September 20, 2014. (Reuters/David Mdzinarishvili)

Buffer zone agreed on in Ukrainian peace talks

by Asharq Al-Awsat | Sep 20, 2014 | World

Minsk, AP—Negotiators in Ukrainian peace talks agreed early Saturday to create a buffer zone to separate government troops and pro-Russian militants and withdraw heavy weapons and foreign fighters in order to ensure a stable truce in eastern Ukraine. The deal reached...