Ankara / AFP Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim warned the EU on Saturday not to forget that Turkey has alternatives to the bloc, whose ties with Ankara have become increasingly strained.He did not say what the alternatives were could be but closer relations between Russia and Ankara has caused concern in the West. “Turkey always has alternatives. Europe should …

  Dubai / AFP Bahrain will auction the confiscated assets of the main Shiite opposition in the Sunni-ruled Gulf kingdom after it was dissolved over terrorism-related charges, a judicial source said on Saturday. An administrative court on Thursday ordered the auctioning of Al-Wefaq’s assets to be held on October 26, the source said. The group’s dissolution in July drew strong …

  Kirkuk /AFP Security forces battled for a second day on Saturday with IS gunmen who infiltrated Kirkuk in a brazen raid that rattled Iraq as it ramped up an offensive to retake Mosul. A day after the shock attack on the Kurdish-controlled city, extremist snipers and suspected suicide bombers were still at large, prompting Baghdad to send reinforcements. Special …