Constantinople

A drum kit that Ringo Starr used to record some of the Beatles' early hits has sold for $2.2 million at an auction to Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay.

Turkish authorities have refused to give a Russian ship permission to depart from Samsun Port due to a "lack of required documents" following similar action by Russia against Turkish ships at Novorossiysk Port. 

Four Russian ships were initially denied permission to depart but three of them were subsequently granted permission after they met requirements.

A collision between a commuter train and a minibus on a level crossing in the Indonesian capital Jakarta on Dec. 6 killed at least 16 people and injured several others, an official said.

"There were 24 people inside the minibus, 16 people died including the driver, the rest are still being treated at hospitals," Jakarta police spokesman Muhammad Iqbal told AFP.

A Russian warship passed through Istanbul's Bosphorus en route to the Mediterranean on the morning of Dec. 6, with one soldier seen in footage holding a ground-to-air missile, private broadcaster NTV has reported.

The soldier held the missile on his shoulder in the shooting position during the passing of Russia's Caesar Kunikov warship.

Istanbul police detained an Israeli organ trafficker who was sought by Interpol's red notice at Istanbul's Atatürk Airport on early Dec. 4.

Boris Wolkman was detained over alleged "organ trafficking" and "fraud" at 2:40 a.m. immediately after he arrived in Istanbul on a flight from Bangkok.

Wolkman was later referred to the courthouse in Istanbul's Bak?rköy for trial.

Police from the Istanbul Smuggling Department seized an Israeli organ smuggler who was sought by Interpol's red notice at Istanbul's Atatürk Airport on early Dec. 4.

Boris Wolkman was detained over alleged "organ smuggling" and "fraud" at 2:40 a.m. immediately after he arrived in Istanbul on a flight from Bangkok.

A petrol bomb attack on a Cairo disco killed at least 12 people and wounded five in the early hours of Dec. 4, police said.
 
Police launched a manhunt after the perpetrators fled the scene of the firebombing in the Agouza neighbourhood of the Egyptian capital.
 

A mysterious blast has occurred near Istanbul's central Bayrampa?a metro station with the Istanbul governor stating one citizen injured as the cause of the explosion remains unknown.

Istanbul Governor Vasip ?ahin said that one citizen slightly injured in the unknown explosion.

Meanwhile, a hand-made bomb was the cause of the explosion in Istanbul, Do?an news ageny reported.

A mysterious blast has occurred near Istanbul's central Bayrampa?a metro station with the Istanbul governor stating that the cause of the explosion remains unknown.  

At least six people were wounded, according to Anadolu Agency, which said the blast occurred at an overpass by the metro station.

A fire at a private religious school building in the southeastern province of Diyarbak?r early on Dec. 1 left six children dead and three wounded.           

The blaze at the boarding shcool in the Karaa?aç village is thought to have broken out after an electrical malfunction. 

An investigation has been opened into the incident.