Middle East & North Africa

Israeli forces rounded up 16 Palestinians in overnight raids across the occupied West Bank, according to the Israeli military on Wednesday.

The individuals were arrested for “suspected involvement in popular terrorist activities”, the army said in a statement, without elaborating on the nature of these activities.

According to the statement, the arrested Palestinians were taken to custody for further questioning.

TEHRAN, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that the recent detention of an anchor of Iran's Press TV by the U.S. FBI is "illegal."

The announcement was made as the ministry delivered Iran's protest note over the detention of Marzieh Hashemi, a Press TV journalist and news presenter, to the summoned Swiss ambassador to Iran.

Hashemi, who has been living in Iran for years, was detained by the FBI at the international airport in St. Louis, Missouri, on Jan. 13 while making a family visit.

JERUSALEM, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Israel and the United States on Tuesday carried out a successful test of the advanced anti-ballistic missile system "Arrow-3," said the Israeli Ministry of Defense.

The test was carried out at the "Palmachim" military air base in central Israel by the Administration for the Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure (MAFAT) at Israel's Defense Ministry, and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency.

GAZA, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli army artillery struck on Tuesday a military lookout post that belongs to military groups in the Gaza Strip and no injuries reported, security officials in Gaza said.

The Israeli artillery shelling on the post close to the border between northern Gaza Strip and Israel was destroyed and no injuries were reported, said the officials.

22 Jan 2019; DW: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. Their alliance is in good shape, so what's left to talk about for two men who've engineered themselves all-powerful presidencies?

ANKARA, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Turkey will never allow that the implementation of a safe zone in Syria be turned into "swamp" like in northern Iraq, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday.

Speaking at an event in Ankara, Erodgan said the planning 32-km safe zone in northern Syria must not be another new ground against Turkey, adding that its aim should be keeping terrorist organizations away from Turkey's border.

BEIRUT (AP) — An Islamic State suicide bomber targeted a joint convoy of U.S. and allied Kurdish forces in northern Syria on Monday, marking the second attack against U.S. troops in less than a week and further highlighting the dangers surrounding U.S. plans to withdraw forces after a declaration that the extremist group had been defeated.

The attack happened on a checkpoint on the edge of the town of Shaddadeh in the Hassakeh province, on a road used by local Kurdish fighters and the U.S.-led coalition fighting IS militants near the Iraqi border.

Tehran, Jan 21, IRNA – After China, South Korea, India and Turkey, Japan has also resumed importing Iran oil, Governor of the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) said.

MOSCOW; 21 Jan 2019; AA: Four Syrian regime troops were killed and six others wounded when Israeli missiles hit targets in the Syrian capital Damascus, Russian Defense Ministry said Monday.

Israel carried out three airstrikes Sunday night on what the Israeli Defense Force said were positions of Iran's elite Quds force around the Damascus International Airport.

RIYADH; 21 Jan 2019; AA: A prominent Saudi cleric has reportedly died in prison, according to an activist group on Monday.

Sheikh Ahmed al-Amari, the former dean of the Quran College in the Islamic University of Madinah, died due to “medical negligence”, the so-called Prisoners of Conscience group said on Twitter.

The group accused Saudi prison authorities of “intentionally neglecting al-Amari, causing his death”.