The so-called Islamic State (IS) was behind a series of explosions and gun attacks in the capital Jakarta, an IS-linked news agency and police say, the BBC reports.
At least two civilians and five attackers died in the assaults, described as an attempt to mimic the deadly Paris attacks.
Security forces battled militants for hours, with the attacks centring on a major business and shopping district.
It follows warnings late last year that Islamists were planning a major attack.
The Syrian Army and the country’s popular forces, backed by Russian airstrikes, have continued their advance, inflicting heavy losses on the terrorist groups in the country’s key provinces, Iranian media wrote on Wednesday, Sputnik News reports.
Over the past 24 hours the Syrian Air Force has attacked and destroyed the terrorists’ positions in Lattakia, Homs, Damascus, Deir Ezzur, Aleppo, Dara’a and Hama provinces, Fars news agency .
On Tuesday the government forces stormed a terrorist concentration center in Dara’a al-Balad leaving many militants dead and causing serious damage to their weapons and military equipment.
In Hama province, Syrian Army troops stormed a number of enemy strongholds, the agency reported, citing military sources in the area.
“Concentration centers of Ahrar al-Sham terrorist group near Atshan village in the northern part of Hama were massively attacked by the Syrian forces, leaving at least eight terrorists dead and wounding ten others,” the sources said.
n Aleppo province, Syrian fighter jets pounded a number of terrorist gathering centers in the town of Manbaj in the eastern part of the region.
In the meantime, the Syrian Army’s artillery hit the military positions of the terrorists in the village of Mansoura in the eastern part of the city of Aleppo, the agency reported.
Syrian government forces have recently been making rapid advances against the terrorists in several parts of the country.
On January 14, Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian received Charles Kupchan, Special Assistant to the U.S. President and National Security Council Senior Director for Europe.
Welcoming the guest, Minister Nalbandian mentioned that Armenia attaches great importance to the development of relations with the United States, and commended Armenian-American friendly partnership and the joint steps undertaken to their further development.
In his turn, Kupchan mentioned, “I am glad for this opportunity to discuss how we can strengthen our existing strong and multifaceted relationship, and achieve our shared aim of a free, prosperous, and secure Armenia at peace with its neighbors.”
The sides reflected on numerous issues on the Armenian-US agenda, exchanged thoughts on pressing international problems.
It was noted with satisfaction that the year 2015 was quite dynamic from the perspective of the development of bilateral relations; agreement on visa-free regime between Armenia and the USA entered into force, Armenia-US Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) was signed in May, the first meeting of Armenia-U.S. Council on Trade and Investment created under the agreement was held in November, in Yerevan. Session of Armenian-US Intergovernmental Committee on Economic Cooperation was convened.
International and regional issues, fight against terrorism, ways to conflict resolution, and range of issues on Armenia’s participation in peacekeeping operations were touched upon.
Edward Nalbandian and Charles Kupchan touched upon the ongoing negotiation process on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. Minister Nalbandian stressed that together with the Minsk Group Co-Chairs Armenia will continue exerting joint efforts to exceptionally peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue.
Photo: AP
A series of bomb blasts have rocked the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, with continuing gunfire and reports of further explosions.
At least six people have been killed by the blasts, say police, which hit locations including a shopping centre close to UN offices, the BBC reports.
Police say at least four suspected attackers are dead. It remains unclear who was behind the assault.
President Joko Widodo has called for calm but condemned the “act of terror”.
“We all are grieving for the fallen victims of this incident, but we also condemn the act that has disturbed the security and peace and spread terror among our people,” he said.
Hollywood actor Alan Rickman has died at the age of 69 after waging a secret battle with cancer, his family said today, the Daily Mail reports.
The star, known for his roles in films such as Harry Potter and Robin Hood, kept his fight with illness private before his death.
Photo: Kadir Konuksever/Al Jazeera Turk
A car bomb blast has hit a police headquarters in south-eastern Turkey, killing five people and injuring at least 39, officials say, the BBC reports.
A woman and a baby are among the dead. Rescuers are continuing to search through rubble at the scene in Cinar district, Diyarbakir province.
Officials blamed the blast on Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) militants, who are active in the mainly Kurdish province.
No group has so far said it carried out the attack.
“Anahit” animation film based on the homonymous fairy tale by Gazaros Aghayan is now available on the web.
It has been viewed by more than 80,000 thousand people in the cinemas, a record-breaking number for animation films in Armenia.
It took “Robert Sahakyants” Production five years to create the first Armenian full-length animation film. The project was supported by the Armenian Ministry of Culture and the Sharm Holding.
Directed by David Sahakyants, Lyulya Sahakyants
Produced by Sharm Holding
Producers: Karen Ghazaryan, Hayk Sahakyants, David Sahakyants
Story by Naira Sahakyants, Lyulya Sahakyants, David Sahakyants
Dialogs by Vahram Sahakyan and Levon Galstyan
Production designer: Ernest Muradyan
Composers: Armen Martirosyan, Vardan Zadoyan
Voiced by Nazeni Hovhannisyan, Khoren Levonyan, Raphael Kotanjyan, Sushan Petrosyan, Hrant Tokhatyan, David Babayan, Mkrtich Arzumanyan, Vardan Zadoyan.
The songs are performed by Shushan Petrosyan, Inga Arshakyan, Tigran Petrosyan, Gor Sujyan, Nik Egibyan, Hasmik Karapetyan, as well as “Akunk” folk ensemble.
Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian will arrive on an official visit to Bulgaria on Friday, January 15 at the invitation of Bulgarian Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov, Focus News Agency reports, quoting the press office of the ministry announced.
The two Foreign Ministers will discuss the bilateral relations and the opportunities for their strengthening, the regional cooperation, the Armenia-EU dialogue and the development of the transport infrastructure.
Minister Mitov and Minister Nalbandian will hold a joint briefing.
In the frames of the visit to Bulgaria Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian will also meet with President Rosen Plevneliev and National Assembly Chairperson Tsetska Tsacheva.
On January 14, in accordance with the arrangement reached with the authorities of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, the OSCE Mission conducted a planned monitoring of the Line of Contact between the armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan in the eastern direction of the Talish village of the NKR Martakert region.
From the positions of the NKR Defense Army, the monitoring was conducted by Field Assistants of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Khristo Khristov (Bulgaria) and Jiri Aberle (Czech Republic).
From the opposite side of the Line of Contact, the monitoring was conducted by Field Assistant of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Yevgeny Sharov (Ukraine) and Personal Assistant to the Personal Representative of the CiO Simon Tiller (Great Britain).
The monitoring passed in accordance with the agreed schedule. No violation of the cease-fire regime was registered.
From the Karabakh side, the monitoring mission was accompanied by representatives of the NKR Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Defense.
“The only fact of Aliyev saying that the meeting with Armenian President was formal is enough to show Azerbaijan’s position on the negotiations,” Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan told reporters after the government sitting today.
“This is enough to understand the stance of the Azerbaijani leadership on the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and the principles of conflict settlement. Definitely, this is the reason why there has been no progress in the settlement,” Kocharyan said.
According to him, progress in the approaches of the parties is important for achieving progress in the negotiations. “Of course, the Co-Chairs try to organize meetings as frequently as possible, but there can be no progress, if Azerbaijan continues to describe them as formal,” he added.
The Deputy FM said discussions in Bern were focused on the need to implement a mechanism of investigation of borer incidents, as installation of corresponding equipment.
“Although Azerbaijan rejects the proposal, this shows that the mediators are worried and are seeking new ways of settlement,” Shavarsh Kocharyan noted.
The Deputy Foreign Minister made it clear that should these attempts fail, there will be two options left –either imposing peace on Azerbaijan or recognizing the Nagorno Karabakh Republic.