Jerusalem / AP Israeli and Turkish officials refused to comment on Tuesday on a report by Britain’s Sky TV that the IS group planned to attack Jewish school children in Turkey. The report came after Israel advised its citizens on Monday to leave Turkey “as soon as possible,” citing the potential for extremist attacks. “Terrorists from the so-called IS have …

Yangon / AFP Myanmar’s outgoing government on Tuesday lifted a state of emergency in conflict-hit Rakhine, a parting gesture that coincides with turbulent relations between Aung San Suu Kyi’s new administration and the western state’s powerful Buddhist political party. Rahkine is deeply scarred by communal violence between Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims that began in 2012, presenting one of the most …

Tehran / AFP Austrian President Heinz Fischer has said it is unclear how long it will take for the West to lift sanctions on Iran, in an interview with Iran’s state television news agency IRIB. Iran’s historic agreement with world powers went into force on January 16, ending a 13-year standoff over Tehran’s disputed nuclear programme and lifting punishing sanctions …