West has been playing dumb over the refugee issues of Iraq, Syria and Yemen, as well as Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory, as if people in those places were inherently inferior and unworthy of respect Beijing, China | Xinhua | The sharp difference in Western media coverage of the Ukraine …
Read More »UN chief says 11 years of “brutal fighting” in Syria must end
United Nations | Xinhua | UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday called for a ceasefire in Syria in a statement marking 11 years of “brutal fighting” in the conflict-torn nation. “We cannot fail the Syrian people. The conflict must cease. International humanitarian law must be respected,” said the UN chief. “I …
Read More »Biden says IS leader killed in U.S. raid in Syria
Washington, U.S. | Xinhua | U.S. President Joe Biden confirmed Thursday that the leader of the extremist group Islamic State (IS) has been killed by a U.S. counterterrorism raid in Syria. In a statement released by the White House, Biden said U.S. military forces carried out a successful operation in northwest …
Read More »Putin, Biden discuss cyber-security, Syria over phone
Moscow, Russia | Xinhua | Russian President Vladimir Putin held a telephone conversation with U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday, during which the leaders discussed cybersecurity issues and the situation in Syria. Putin and Biden agreed to continue their constructive cooperation in the field of cybersecurity, the Kremlin said in …
Read More »UN envoy calls for more int’l diplomacy to unlock progress in Syria
United Nations, USA | XINHUA | UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen on Wednesday called for more international diplomacy to unlock progress in Syria. “If this highly internationalized conflict is to move toward resolution, we need a more constructive and comprehensive international diplomacy on Syria to try to unlock …
Read More »Life triumphs over death as Christians rebuild in Iraq, says Pope Francis says
Qaraqosh, Irag | Cindy Wooden-CSN | Amid the rubble and bombed out remains of four churches destroyed by Islamic State militants, Pope Francis paid tribute to Iraqi Christians who endured persecution and even death. While visiting Mosul and Qaraqosh in northern Iraq March 7, he also urged the Christians …
Read More »ANALYSIS: 10 years on, Arab world still reeling from aftermath of ‘Arab Spring’
Beijing, China | XINHUA | Tensions swelled in the Arab world 10 years ago in the name of “Arab Spring,” and the region has since undergone major changes, though many countries were still reeling from a heavy blow from the movement. After the wave of anti-government protests and violence, some …
Read More »‘Really tired’: French IS women languish in Syria camp
Al-Hol Camp, Syria | AFP | In an overcrowded desert camp for families linked to the Islamic State group in northeastern Syria, a French woman begged for another chance so she and her children could go home. In the same settlement, two other French women were more tepid about the prospect …
Read More »Children of foreign IS jihadists must be repatriated: UN
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | UN investigators on Thursday called for thousands of children of jihadists who fought for the Islamic State group to be repatriated from Syria. The UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria said in a report that the children were in a “particularly precarious” situation since they often …
Read More »Trump confirms death of Islamic State group chief Baghdadi in US raid
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump said Sunday that the Islamic State group’s elusive leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi had been killed, dying “like a dog” in a daring nighttime raid by US special forces in northwest Syria. Trump told the nation in a televised White House address that …
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