Israel

Israeli flags have recently been waved during independence rallies in the cities of northern Iraq's Kurdistan region. 

Trade ties between Turkey and Israel increased even during times of diplomatic tension, and a developing diamond business is contributing hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars to this trade, according to Shai Cohen, Israel's outgoing consul general to Istanbul.

Israel supports the creation of a Kurdish state. This was announced by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against the background of a referendum in Iraq about Kurdish independence, which the authorities in Baghdad oppose, Reuters reported.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has pledged to provide the military with a range of new weapons in the anti-terror fight, signaling the production of more indigenous guns and criticizing a main opposition deputy over recent remarks on the issue. 

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has criticized the reaction from Turkey's NATO allies over Ankara's recent decision to purchase S-400 missile systems from Russia, vowing to continue to take "all necessary measures" regarding national security. 

The Israeli authorities on Sept. 11 issued severe travel warnings urging Israeli travelers to avoid places where they would be prime targets for jihadist militants, including Turkey and much of the Middle East, The Times of Israel has reported.

Israeli and Bulgarian air forces are holding a joint exercise over Bulgaria, the Xinhua news agency reported.  

Bulgaria will commit MiG-29 fighter aircraft and land-based air defense systems - likely the S-300 system that Iran has just received from Russia, and that Russia has deployed in Syria. 42 Israeli aircraft, including F-15 and F-16 fighters, will also take part.

Tourism Minister Nikolina Angelova will participate in the work of the 22nd General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) - is a specialized agency of the United Nations, reported BGNES.

News reports emerged last week that Israel had struck Syrian positions in Hama; it is already well-known that Israel has been periodically hitting alleged Hezbollah arms shipments to Lebanon since the start of the Syrian war. "In the last five years, [Israel] has targeted arms convoys to Hezbollah at least 100 times," retired Air Force chief Maj. Gen. Amir Eshel said just last month.

Mexican director Guillermo del Toro's "The Shape of Water," a dark fairy tale in which a mute cleaning lady falls in love with an aquatic creature, won the Golden Lion award for best film at the Venice Film Festival on Sept. 9.