Off the wire
• Lula da Silva accepts to be presidential candidate despite prison sentence  • Colombian gov't, rebels to seek new ceasefire accord  • Hollywood actor criticizes U.S. gov't for pulling out of Paris climate agreement  • Lula da Silva accepts to be presidential candidate despite prison sentence  • Colombian gov't, rebels to seek new ceasefire accord  • Hollywood actor criticizes U.S. gov't for pulling out of Paris climate agreement  • Lula da Silva accepts to be presidential candidate despite prison sentence  • Colombian gov't, rebels to seek new ceasefire accord  • Hollywood actor criticizes U.S. gov't for pulling out of Paris climate agreement  • Lula da Silva accepts to be presidential candidate despite prison sentence  
You are here: 　

Xinhua Middle East news summary at 2200 GMT, Feb. 18

Xinhua,February 19, 2018 Adjust font size:

TEHRAN -- An Iranian passenger plane crashed into the Dena mountain on Sunday morning and all the 66 people on board were killed, Abed Zadeh, Chief of the Civil Aviation Organisation of Iran confirmed.

The ATR-72 aircraft belonging to Iran Aseman Airlines had taken off from the capital at 08:00 a.m. local time (0330 GMT) but crashed near Bideh village of the central city of Semirom. (Iran-Plane Crash)

- - - -

RAMALLAH -- The Palestinian government on Sunday blamed Israel for the latest military "escalation" in the Gaza Strip that killed two Palestinians.

"The Israeli aggression on Gaza Strip is a dangerous escalation," Palestinian government spokesperson Yousef Al-Mahmoud said in a press statement. (Palestine-Israel-Gaza Escalation)

- - - -

JERUSALEM -- Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Sunday accused the Popular Resistance Committees, an armed group in Gaza, for perpetrating an explosion that wounded four soldiers near Gaza.

No organization had claimed responsibility for the incident, in which an explosive device attached to the fence between Israel and the besieged Palestinian enclaved detonated on Saturday afternoon. (Israel-Gaza-Blast)

- - - -

JERUSALEM -- Israeli police arrested Sunday morning senior managers from Bezeq, Israel's largest telecom company, after the Israel Securities Authority discovered new information during its corruption probe into the company.

A joint statement released by the police and the Israel Securities Authority confirmed that senior executives with Bezeq were arrested, including two close associates of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Israel-Arrest) Enditem

 

Related News & Photos