BEIRUT / AP Syrian government forces battling the IS group re-entered Palmyra on Thursday in their quest to again take the historic town they had lost to the militants in December, state media reported. The SANA news agency reported by early afternoon that government troops entered the town’s archaeological site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, around mid-day, then the ...

  GENEVA/ AP Diplomats and negotiators have set their sights on modest achievements in the latest round of Syria talks in Geneva, after a week of discussions centering on setting an agenda for future talks. Meanwhile, fighting continued Thursday near Palmyra in central Syria. UN Special Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura is due for another round of meetings on ...

  WASHINGTON / AP White House lawyers have instructed the president’s aides to preserve materials that could be connected to Russian interference in the 2016 election and other related investigations, three administration officials said on Wednesday. The instructions, which were sent to White House staff on Tuesday, come after Senate Democrats last week asked the White House and law enforcement ...

  PESHAWAR / AP A suspected US drone strike in Pakistan’s northwestern tribal region on Thursday killed two militants, three intelligence officials said. The latest strike took place in the Kurram tribal region bordering Afghanistan and the identity and nationality of the slain men were not immediately known, said the officials. They spoke on condition of anonymity as they were ...

  MOSCOW / AP The Ukrainian emergencies service says an explosion at a coal mine in western Ukraine has left at least eight people dead. The blast took place about midday Thursday in the Stepovaya mine in the Lviv region, 460 kilometers (285 miles) west of the capital Kiev, about 550 meters (1,800 feet) underground, news reports cited the service ...

  Dubai / WAM Al Futtaim Carillion, a Dubai-based company, will be the main contractor for the key development of the three Theme Districts at Expo 2020 Dubai. The AED2.2 billion contract announced on Thursday is the first of AED 11 billion worth of construction contracts that Expo 2020 Dubai plans to award in 2017. Expo’s three Theme Districts will be ...

  Sharjah / WAM His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, inaugurated on Thursday, the Art For All Centre- Falaj of Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services (SCHS), located at Sharjah Heritage Square in The Heart of Sharjah area. Upon his arrival, His Highness signed the memorial board plaques, which is distinguished by ...

  Dubai / WAM Ireland voiced its interest in making Dubai the re-export hub of Irish food and dairy products. Michael Creed, Ireland’s Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine discussed this proposal in a meeting with Eng. Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director-General of the Dubai Municipality, on Thursday at the municipality’s headquarters. Praising the relations between the UAE and the Republic ...

  Sharjah / WAM The theme of ‘seven’ takes centre stage at this year’s annual Pink Caravan Ride, the seventh since its inception in 2011. Running from March 7-17, the latest edition of the event is being hosted under the tagline ‘Seven Years… for Seven Emirates’ and features seven ‘pink’ events dedicated to enhancing awareness about breast cancer and the importance ...

  DUBAI / Emirates Business Address Hotels + Resorts, the premium luxury hotel brand of Emaar Hospitality Group, on Thursday unveiled its new city lifestyle resort, Address Boulevard. It adds to Emaar Hospitality Group’s impressive and growing portfolio of luxury hospitality venues that have redefined the hotel industry and set new benchmarks in service standards. Address Boulevard has 196 spacious ...