World news

22 January 2010 [15:38]

Turkey lifts foreign students test for university access

Turkey's higher education authority has lifted a compulsory test for foreign students to receive higher education in universities in Turkey.
22 January 2010 [14:59]

Georgian national injured in Haiti is safe

The citizen of Georgia, Simon Shamanauri, who was injured in the Haiti earthquake, has his leg amputated.
22 January 2010 [14:39]

Turkish Parliament passes full time working bill for health workers

Turkish Parliament on Thursday passed a bill requiring a full workday for university and health personnel.
22 January 2010 [14:20]

EU, OSCE, UN envoyes to trip to South Ossetia

EU, OSCE and the UN envoys will arrive in the occupied Tskhinvali region on Jan. 22.
22 January 2010 [14:17]

Turkish Parliament passes full time working bill for health workers

Turkish Parliament on Thursday passed a bill requiring a full workday for university and health personnel.
22 January 2010 [13:57]

Iran invites Muslim states to join film project

Iran has invited Islamic and Arab countries to collaborate on producing a film on the illegitimate occupation of Palestine.
22 January 2010 [13:27]

Armenia to receive 100 million euros from Germany

The Government of Armenia approved an agreement between Germany and Armenia on financial cooperation during the meeting held on Jan. 21.
22 January 2010 [13:14]

Ukrainian company purchases Georgian ski resort

Ukrainian group Privat became the proprietor of Georgian ski resort of Gudauri.
22 January 2010 [12:35]

Iran plans to lop three zeros off currency

Iran will remove three zeros from its national currency, the rial, so it can recover value lost in recent years, Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said.
22 January 2010 [12:23]

Armenia's deputy culture minister dismissed

On Jan. 21, Armenian Deputy Culture Minister David Muradyan was removed from his position.
22 January 2010 [12:17]

Georgia not to increase military expenditures

This year the government of Georgia doesn't plan to increase expenditures on military purposes.
22 January 2010 [12:15]

Armenian president, EU official discuss Armenia-Turkey process

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan received EU representative for the South Caucasus Peter Semneby on Jan. 21.
22 January 2010 [12:07]

Iran limits cash withdrawals to fight money-laundering

Iran has restricted individuals from taking out more than $15,000 in cash from banks per day as part of efforts to battle money-laundering.
22 January 2010 [11:44]

Hague Tribunal prosecutors to visit Georgia for August war probe

Prosecutors and investigators of the Hague international Tribunal will arrive in Georgia in early February to investigate circumstances of the beginning of war in South Ossetia in August 2008.
22 January 2010 [11:39]

Turkey's president ratifies law on free trade zones

Turkey's president ratified a law on free trade zones on Thursday.
22 January 2010 [11:16]

Georgia's Labour Party sends address to U.N. Security Council

Labour Party of Georgia calls upon the UN Security Council to hand over president Saakashvili to the Hague Tribunal for the scandal of Georgian observers in Ukraine.
22 January 2010 [11:08]

Turkish Minister in Azerbaijan for universities equivalence issue

Cubukcu met with her Azerbaijani counterpart Misir Mardanov within the scope of her two-day visit to Azerbaijan.
22 January 2010 [10:44]

Mauritanian President visits Turkey

22 January 2010 [10:25]

Armenian FM meets with EU special representative S. Caucasus

On Jan. 21, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian received EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus Peter Semneby.
22 January 2010 [09:53]

Iranian president: Global developments benefit independent nations

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says current regional and global developments are in "the interest of independent and justice-seeking countries."
22 January 2010 [09:48]

Turkish Red Crescent starts aid campaign for Haiti

The statement said people also assist through internet or by making donations to banks.
21 January 2010 [21:11]

Turkish President expected to visit India in Feb

Sahin said Turkey and India could participate in joint energy projects.
21 January 2010 [20:37]

Fajr Theater Festival to stage 20 Iranian, intl. plays

The 28th Fajr International Theater Festival will kick off in Tehran tomorrow, hosting renowned stage directors from around the globe.
21 January 2010 [19:53]

Turkish army accepts plan, journalists on alleged coup plot named

Turkish military accepted the existence of a plan, but denied it was a coup plot that included arrests of dozens of Journalists whose names emerged.
21 January 2010 [19:36]

Iran rejects 'modification' of Algiers Accord

Iran's Ambassador to Baghdad Hassan Kazemi-Qomi has stressed that Tehran will not accept any "change or modification" to the 1975 Algiers Accord.
21 January 2010 [19:00]

Turkish confederation hopes tourism recovery in 2010

2010 would be the year of recovery for tourism sector, chairman of a leading tourism confederation said on Thursday.
21 January 2010 [18:57]

Iran, Azerbaijan to finalize long-term gas deal

Within 90 days Tehran expects to finalize a long-term deal with Baku to import gas, the head of National Iranian Gas Export Company (NIGEC) says.
21 January 2010 [18:46]

Georgia, Egypt sign four documents of cooperation

On Jan. 19-21, Georgian Prime Minister Nika Gilauri paid a visit to Arab Republic of Egypt.
21 January 2010 [18:42]

Human Rights Watch: Armenian authorities must ensure investigations into March 1 events

International Human Rights Watch organization issued an annual world report on human rights in 90 countries.
21 January 2010 [18:33]

Iran sets condition for attending Afghan confab

Iran said Thursday it would take part in a conference on Afghanistan in London providing its viewpoints are fully taken into consideration.
21 January 2010 [18:28]

Aziz first Mauritanian president to visit Turkey

Mauritania's President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz will arrive in Turkey on Friday, a formal statement said Thursday.
21 January 2010 [18:17]

Speaker names source of Iran democracy

Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said Wednesday the cornerstone of the democracy in Iran is Velayat-e-Faqih, the rule of the most senior religious authority in Shia Islam.
21 January 2010 [18:00]

Azerbaijani minister of education meets with his Turkish counterpart

Azerbaijani Minister of Education Misir Mardanov met with his Turkish counterpart Mrs. Nimet Chubukchu.
21 January 2010 [17:52]

Armenia's foreign debt to reach 36 percent of GDP

Armenia’s foreign debt will reach 36 per cent of GDP in 2009 compared to 13.2 per cent in 2008.
21 January 2010 [17:35]

Iran eyes fuel export markets

Iran aims to export fuel reserves to its neighbors, riding on the success of the 400,000 tons of diesel sent to Iraq in the past nine months, officials said.
21 January 2010 [17:23]

Spanish city awards Turkey's PM for global peace role

Alfredo Sanchez Monteseirin, Mayor of Sevilla, the capital city of Andalucia conferred "Nodo entre Culturas" award to Turkish PM Erdogan for his "important role" in activating Alliance of Civilizations project.
21 January 2010 [17:16]

Georgia reports one more swine flu death case

Another lethal case has been reported from Kutaisi, Georgia.
21 January 2010 [16:43]

Armenia to donate $100,000 to Haiti earthquake relief

Armenia will donate $100,000 for Haiti earthquake relief, Armenian Prime Minister said.
21 January 2010 [16:25]

Iran increases non-oil exports to neighboring states

The Islamic Republic of Iran's non-oil exports to neighboring countries increased 27 percent in the first 9 months of the current Iranian fiscal year (started Mach 20, 2009), a Trade Promotion Organization said.
21 January 2010 [16:13]

Turkish official says Armenia court ruling harms protocols

The Constitutional Court's decision has hurt the process, Mercan said.
21 January 2010 [16:07]

OSCE hails Georgia's Public TV GDP-based funding

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Miklos Haraszti, welcomed Georgia’s decision to reintroduce public broadcaster’s funding system linked to the country’s GDP.
21 January 2010 [15:45]

Turkey says "not to allow" GMO import below EU standards

Turkey stated that it would "not allow" import of any genetically modified organisms which were not appropriate to EU standards.
21 January 2010 [15:31]

Russian investments in Armenia to reach $5 billion

Russian trade representative in Armenia Alexander Zaytsev presented 2009 bilateral economic relations’ outcomes and prospects for 2010 on Jan. 21.
21 January 2010 [15:22]

'Iran's Bushehr plant to come on stream by late September'

Director of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization Ali Akbar Salehi says the Bushehr nuclear power plant will be operational within the next few months.
21 January 2010 [14:53]

New CEC chairperson and members introduced in Georgia

Georgia's Vice speaker Rusudan Kervalishvili introduced new chairperson and members of CEC on behalf of parliament on Jan. 20.
21 January 2010 [14:15]

N-swap deal still on the table, IAEA says

The UN atomic watchdog says that a UN-brokered deal for nuclear swap between Iran and the West is "still on the table."
21 January 2010 [14:06]

Armenia's budget deficit comprises 7.4 percent of GDP

In 2009, Armenia's budget deficit comprised 7.4 percent of GDP, 2009 report by the Armenian Ministry of Finance said.
21 January 2010 [13:33]

Euronews TV to start broadcasting in Turkish

Turkish state-run TRT is the fourth biggest partner of the Euronews under an agreement signed in 2008.
21 January 2010 [13:05]

Iran enters gas talks with Iraq

Iran has entered into talks with Iraq for supplying its neighbor with natural gas, a senior Iranian gas official says.
21 January 2010 [12:44]

Armenia's Economy Ministry presents economic growth programs

In its 2009 report the Armenian Ministry of Economy indicated programs providing for tendencies to economic growth.
21 January 2010 [12:06]

Opposition Alliance for Georgia accuses government of interference into Ukraine's domestic affairs

Pro-opposition Alliance for Georgia demands to bring to responsibility Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili and chairman of parliamentary Committee for Defense and SecurityGivi Targamadze.
21 January 2010 [11:56]

Kazakhstan desires joint maneuvers with Turkey

Kazakhstan expressed its wish to carry out joint maneuvers with Turkey.
21 January 2010 [11:49]

Iran, Pakistan to sign gas pipeline deal 'next week'

Pakistani Federal Minister for Petroleum Naveed Qamar has declared that Iran and Pakistan have finalized an agreement to build a natural gas pipeline.
21 January 2010 [11:07]

Armenian parliamentary speaker delists opposition party member from PACE delegation

On Jan. 15, Armenian Parliament Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan signed a decree approving Armenian delegation members to PACE.
21 January 2010 [10:55]

Delegation of Egyptian businessmen to travel to Georgia

Delegation of Egyptian businessmen intends to visit Georgia in March to get acquainted with the country's business potential and investment climate.
21 January 2010 [10:42]

Iranian FM: Post-WWII economic theories obsolete

Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki says adopting regional approaches can ensure sustainable security and stability in the Caucasus region.
21 January 2010 [10:38]

Turkey's IHH to take care of 700 Haitian orphans

A Turkish aid organisation will be looking after 700 orphans in destroyed Haiti by a strong earthquake.
21 January 2010 [09:54]

Georgia deplores extraditing Iranian citizen to U.S.

Tbilisi apologized to Tehran for extraditing Iranian citizen to the U.S, Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze said.
21 January 2010 [09:45]

Turkey says not to backtrack on smoking ban

Turkey's health minister said Wednesday government had no plans to soften country's smoking ban.
21 January 2010 [09:36]

Iran's 5th fleet to head for Gulf of Aden

The Iranian military has announced plans to dispatch a fifth fleet of warships to the Gulf of Aden to fight piracy off the coast of Somalia.
20 January 2010 [18:00]

Turkey willing to lift visa requirement with Saudi Arabia

Asked if mutual visa requirement between Turkey and Saudi Arabia would be ended, Erdogan said that a development would take place involving diplomats and businesspeople.
20 January 2010 [17:49]

UEFA to open exhibition in Turkey's Istanbul

The Union of European Football Federations will inaugurate an exhibition in Istanbul on Thursday.
20 January 2010 [17:15]

Turkey sets new date for Presidential Cycling Tour

The 46th Presidential Cycling Tour in Turkey is set to run between April 11 and 18, 2010, Turkish Cycling Federation said Wednesday.