Category: 3. Middle East
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In ruined homes, Palestinians recall Assad’s torture
School lessons ended in Syria’s biggest Palestinian refugee camp on October 18, 2012, judging by the date still chalked up on the board more than a decade later. “I am playing football”; “She is eating an apple”; “The boys are flying a kite” are… Continue Reading
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Tunisia women herb harvesters struggle with drought and heat
On a hillside in Tunisia’s northwestern highlands, women scour a sun-scorched field for the wild herbs they rely on for their livelihoods, but droughts and rising temperatures are making it ever harder to find the precious plants. Yet the… Continue Reading
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Former Syrian soldiers seek amnesty, return to civilian life
DAMASCUS, SYRIA — Hundreds of former Syrian soldiers on Saturday reported to the country’s new rulers for the first time since Bashar al-Assad was ousted to answer questions about whether they may have been involved in crimes against… Continue Reading
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Syria’s new rulers appoint defense, foreign ministers
DAMASCUS, SYRIA — Syria’s new rulers have appointed Murhaf Abu Qasra, a leading figure in the insurgency that toppled Bashar al-Assad, as defense minister in the interim government, an official source said on Saturday. Abu Qasra, who is… Continue Reading
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What will happen to Syria’s £4.5bn drug empire now?
BBC When Syrian rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa arrived in Damascus and gave a victory speech on the heels of a lightning military campaign that swept through the country and toppled Bashar al-Assad’s regime, one remark went widely unnoticed. That… Continue Reading
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Pope describes Israeli airstrikes of Gaza as ‘cruelty’
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis on Saturday again condemned Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, a day after an Israeli government minister publicly denounced the pontiff for suggesting the global community should study whether the military offensive… Continue Reading
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US military strikes Houthi targets in Yemen’s capital
CAIRO — The U.S. military said it conducted precision airstrikes on Saturday against a missile storage facility and a command-and-control facility operated by Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa. In a statement, the U.S…. Continue Reading
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Pope slams ‘cruelty’ of strike killing Gaza children
Pope Francis on Saturday condemned the bombing of children in Gaza as “cruelty”, sparking a sharp response from Israel which accused him of double standards. The pontiff made his remarks a day after the rescue agency in Gaza said an Israeli air… Continue Reading
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Israel pushes for 34 hostages in deal with Hamas – report
Israel reportedly presented Hamas with a list of 34 hostages that it insists must be released as part of the first phase of a deal, including 11 names that do not meet Hamas’s criteria for a deal, Egyptian news channel Al-Ghad reported,… Continue Reading
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Syrian soldiers distance themselves from Assad in return for promised amnesty
What Israel’s capture of Syrian territory as Assad fell signifies for the Middle East LONDON: In the early hours of Sunday, Dec. 8, shortly after a coalition of opposition… Continue Reading
