Iraqi forces preparing advance on south Mosul

(Reuters) – Iraqi security forces are preparing to advance toward Mosul airport on the city’s southern edge to increase pressure on Islamic State militants fighting troops who breached their eastern defenses, officers said on Thursday. The rapid response forces, part of a coalition seeking to crush the jihadists in the largest city under their control in Iraq or Syria, took the town of Hammam al-Alil, just over 15 km (10 miles) south of Mosul, on Monday. Officers say they plan to resume their advance north, up the western bank of…

Trump and Obama meet to discuss transition

(Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama and President-elect Donald Trump met on Thursday for the first time, setting aside the deep rancor that dominated the long campaign season as they discussed the transition to the Republican’s inauguration on Jan. 20. Their 90-minute meeting in the White House Oval Office, with no aides present, took place just two days after Trump’s stunning election defeat of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Obama, who vigorously campaigned for his fellow Democrat to succeed him, had repeatedly called Trump unfit for the president’s office,…

More Mediterranean flights and new Tunisia hotels

A boost for Tunisia, more Mediterranean flights, a tour operator comeback and a delayed brand launch are in the news on the German market this week. TUI (the world’s number one tourism business) has boosted Tunisia’s hopes of making a recovery next year. German visitor numbers to the North African destination are expected to decline to about 120,000 this year from 218,000 in 2015. The German market leader will offer twice-weekly full-charter flights with Tunisair from Frankfurt and Düsseldorf to Djerba in summer 2017. TUI did not operate any full-charter…

Hollande lays emphasis on conversion of Tunisian debts into investments

“France is always supportive of Tunisia’s development and democracy efforts,” Francois Hollande told media after his meeting with Prime Minister Youssef Chahed on Thursday at the Elysee, on the occasion of a first official visit to Europe. The French President reasserted the support of France to Tunisia which “became a reference for the world and “has considerable advantages and strong growth potentials.” Hollande pledged an exemplary cooperation, notably in security, and spoke about further intelligence exchange and a beefed up Tunisia-Libya border control. The French Development Agency will support development…

US Elections: the lesson we learn

Even the most optimistic of Trump supporters might not strongly believe that his candidate would make it and win the presidential elections in America. The Republican candidate was under attack from all sides, even ex-Republican president George Bush the son who voted for Hilary Clinton. Not only was he attacked from Americans but also from people from all over the world except the Russian President Putin. Donald trump was harshly criticized by media from the very beginning of the primaries. The man was shown in a very degrading positions and…

Thousands of anti-Trump protesters take to streets of U.S. cities

(Reuters) – Demonstrators marched in cities across the United States on Wednesday to protest against Republican Donald Trump’s surprise presidential election win, blasting his campaign rhetoric about immigrants, Muslims and other groups. In New York, thousands filled streets in midtown Manhattan as they made their way to Trump Tower, Trump’s gilded home on Fifth Avenue. Hundreds of others gathered at a Manhattan park and shouted “Not my president.” In Los Angeles, protesters sat on the 110 and 101 highway interchange, blocking traffic on one of the city’s main arteries as…