New photos released over the weekend show Islamic State forces fleeing the Syrian city of Manbij last week, as they surround themselves with human shields to prevent air strikes on the convoy. IS fighters had controlled the key city in northern Syria since early 2014, and the city had become a vital waypoint for the […]
Photos show IS forces fleeing while using human shields Read More »
Middle EastHonoring his vow to bypass the mainstream media and outwit the pollsters, GOP nominee Donald Trump has issued his third public poll on Friday, this one an online survey simply titled “Stop Hillary Survey.” Like the two polls issued earlier in the week, this one offers 30 questions for the respondents and was organized by
Trump issues his third public opinion poll: the ‘Stop Hillary Survey’ Read More »
USAThe Russian president said on Friday (August 19) he is not planning to reduce ties with Ukraine. Vladimir Putin was speaking at a Russian Security Council meeting after Moscow accused Kyiv of attempting to stage acts of sabotage in Crimea. Ukraine has denied Russia’s assertions. “It appears that our partner in Kyiv has decided to
Putin says he is not planning to downgrade relations with Ukraine Read More »
InternationalA staffer working for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign had their email account compromised last year after being targeted in a cyber attack, Reuters reported Thursday. The unidentified Trump staffer’s email account sent malicious emails to colleagues after becoming infected with malware in 2015, the newswire said, citing multiple sources. It was not immediately clear if
Trump campaign, GOP targeted by hackers: Report Read More »
USAHezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah denied on Friday that he has been hiding in an underground bunker for the past decade, since the 2006 Second Lebanon War. Speaking to Hezbollah”s television network, Al-Manar, Nasrallah also said that his group would defeat Israel if it were to start another war. “After the war I visited the Bekaa
Nasrallah: I’m not hiding in a bunker Read More »
Middle EastThe Turkish parliament has ratified a deal made earlier this year between Turkey and Israel ending their six-year long freeze in relations. Officially referred to as the Mavi Marmara Compensation Bill, it normalises ties that were broken when 10 Turks died after Israeli security forces stormed a ship carrying pro-Palestinian activists in 2010. “I don’t
Turkish parliament ratifies renewed Israeli relationship Read More »
Middle EastThe Foreign Ministry’s director general, Dore Gold, on Thursday banned all Israeli diplomats in Israel and abroad from holding contacts with Israeli journalists, in the wake of a Haaretz report that Arab states would not seek a vote regarding Israel’s nuclear arms at next month’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) meeting in Vienna. Speaking on
Foreign Ministry reportedly bans contact with journalists Read More »
Middle EastThis article was first published on the Wilson Center site. Today there are more than 2,000 fighters from Russia on the battlefields of Syria and Iraq fighting on behalf of the Islamic State. [i] A large number of these fighters are Muslims originating from the Northern Caucasus, a fact that feeds a narrative back in
Putin’s Savage War Against Russia’s ‘New Muslims’ Read More »
InternationalLos Angeles (dpa) – A raging wildfire in California’s rural high desert has destroyed more than 300 buildings, including 96 homes, authorities said Friday. The official estimates of damage by San Bernardino County Fire Chief Mark Hartwig are the first since the blaze erupted Tuesday and swiftly grew into a giant firestorm that has left
California fire levels nearly 100 homes Read More »
USAWorld-renowned Armenian artist Marie Balian spent months preparing an original mural as a gift for the people of Jerusalem. Six meters tall and four meters wide, her fabulous artwork contains close to 1,000 colored tiles. Balian’s unique method involved sketching in charcoal on the tiles, designing and painting them and then burning them in the
Murals, monuments, orchards and ancient villages: Exploring Jerusalem’s hidden corners Read More »
Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Travel and FoodThis story contains graphic images depicting violence and death. Viewer discretion is advised. It was a warm summer evening on July 18 when Ezra Acayan, a freelance photographer, saw his first shooting victim. The dead body was lying in a fetal position alongside railway tracks in the Philippine capital of Manila. The police officers responsible
Blood in the Streets of the Philippines Read More »
InternationalIstanbul (dpa) – Turkey’s prime minister said Saturday he wants the United States to place Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen, blamed for plotting a coup, under “temporary arrest,” ahead of a visit by Vice President Joe Biden next week. Gulen, a one-time ally turned rival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, denies the charges that he
Ahead of Biden visit, Turkey wants ‘temporary arrest’ of Gulen Read More »
Middle East, USARIO DE JANEIRO – This time, the Canadians came out on the right side of the disqualification. Or did they? Canada won a bronze medal in the 4×100-metre relay Friday night at the Olympic Games, four years after being disqualified in the same race for the same medal because of a lane violation. On that
Sheriff Joe Arpaio and several of his subordinates in Maricopa County, Arizona are facing criminal contempt charges as the result of a ruling filed Friday by U.S. District Court Judge Murray Snow in Phoenix. Judge Snow’s order formally calls on the U.S. Attorney’s Office to file charges against the 84-year-old lawman and three of his