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PressTv  Turkey is getting more deeply involved in the Syria war. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is on a tour of Persian Gulf states, said in Bahrain on Monday that the ultimate goal of Turkey’s incursion into Syria is to create a safe zone and cleanse the border region from terrorist groups. The Syrian government, though, has on several occasions opposed Turkey’s intervention, which it views as a violation of its sovereignty. Press TV has conducted an interview with Richard Becker, with ANSWER Coalition, and Michael Lane, the founder of American Institute for Foreign Policy, to discuss the reasons why Ankara insists on creating a military safe zone inside Syria. Michael Lane expressed support for the idea of establishing safe zones in countries that are grappling with “civil war,” saying the only setback would be the need for a massive military support for the civilian population that would be left indefensible as a result. “Very curious move that President Erdogan wo...

Rob Price   Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan.AP Mark Zuckerberg's wildly ambitious plan to treat and cure all diseases has made a step forward with the announcement that it is funding dozens of scientists over the next five years. The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) is an organisation run by the Facebook cofounder and pediatrician Priscilla Chan, his wife.  Launched with a $3 billion (£2.4 billion) cheque book in September 2016 , its aim is to help "cure all disease" by the end of the twenty-first century, with a focus on investing in long-term scientific research that wouldn't necessarily pay off straight away. Part of the CZI is the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, a medical research organisation — and on Wednesday,  the Biohub announced it is providing $50 million (£40 million) in funding to researchers, TechCrunch reports . The cash is going to 47 different people, to fund their research for the next five years with up to $1.5 million (£1.2 million...

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on board an aircraft Israel’s hawkish prime minister has started out a string of significant overseas visits with the clearly-stated aim of magnetizing enmity towards Iran.  “We are at the start of a significant diplomatic period” for Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday before going on the tour,  The Guardian   reported. The visits will take him to the UK, the US and Australia. “In the diplomatic sphere, I intend to emphasize the need for a common front against Iran’s defiant aggression, which has raised its head in recent days. This must be done on an ongoing basis, but especially in light of Iran’s defiance against the international order,” he added. The premier has never ceased to stigmatize Iran throughout his career atop the Israeli political hierarchy, but he has been more signally leading the hostile policy since 2015, when the Islamic Republic and world powers, including the UK and the US, clinched a landmark ...

Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar, who tried to cross the Naf River into Bangladesh to escape sectarian violence, are kept under watch by Bangladeshi security officials in Teknaf, December 25, 2016. (Photo by AFP) Bangladesh is pressing ahead with a controversial plan to relocate refugees from the persecuted Muslim Rohingya community in neighboring Myanmar to a secluded island despite international concern. Bangladeshi officials have for some time been intending to relocate tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees to a remote island in the Bay of Bengal in eastern Bangladesh. According to a government statement late on Sunday, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali has sought help from foreign countries and organizations with the relocation plan. Ali briefed representatives from diplomatic missions and several United Nations agencies to take “meaningful measures” to resettle the refugees. Sixty ambassadors, high commissioners, heads of various diplomatic missions, and officials from UN agencie...