ANKARA -- Turkey on Thursday criticized a report voted at the European Parliament (EP) Foreign Affairs Committee which called for suspension of the country's accession negotiations with European Union (EU).

"It is absolutely unacceptable that the non-binding, advisory draft report is calling for a total suspension of our accession talks to the EU," Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said in a statement. (Turkey-European Parliament)

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JERUSALEM -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone on Thursday, a day after a meeting between the two leaders in Moscow was canceled.

"They agreed to hold a working meeting in Russia in the near future," the Israeli office said in a statement, adding the two sides also "discussed regional developments." (Israel-Russia)

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DAMASCUS -- A car bomb went off Thursday in a town controlled by the Kurdish fighters in eastern Syria, killing and wounding tens of people, Kurdish activists said.

The car bomb exploded in the town of Shehel in the eastern countryside of Deir al-Zour province, according to the War Media of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). (Syria-Explosion)

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JERUSALEM -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's main challengers announced on Thursday that an alliance has been formed for the upcoming elections, the first plausible alternative to Netanyahu's long-time rule.

Benny Gantz, 59, Israel's former Chief of the General Staff, and Yair Lapid, chair of centrist party Yesh Atid, announced they would present a joint list for the April 9 elections. (Israel-Elections-Rival Alliance)

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JERUSALEM -- Israel's first spacecraft was set to be launched from the Kennedy Space Center in the United States later on Thursday, Israeli officials said.

If succeeded, Beresheet, or Genesis in Hebrew, would be the first privately-funded spacecraft to land on the moon. (Israel-Moon Lander) Enditem

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