Category: 3. Middle East
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Syrian Kurdish groups on the back foot as power balance shifts
QAMISHLI: With hostile Turkish-backed groups mobilizing against them in Syria’s north, and Damascus ruled by a group friendly to Ankara, Syria’s main Kurdish factions are on the back foot as they seek to preserve political gains carved out… Continue Reading
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Winter is hitting Gaza and many Palestinians have little protection from the cold
American pilots in ‘friendly fire’ incident as US military hits Houthi targets in Sanaa DUBAI: Two US Navy pilots were shot down over the Red Sea in an apparent… Continue Reading
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US says 2 Navy pilots shot down over Red Sea in apparent ‘friendly fire’ incident
DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES — Two U.S. Navy pilots were shot down Sunday over the Red Sea in an apparent “friendly fire” incident, the U.S military said, marking the most serious incident to threaten troops in over a year of America… Continue Reading
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Iraq’s prohibition zeal threatens Baghdad’s boozy subculture
The smell of dampness rises through the dust at a private club in central Baghdad, one of many shut in a crackdown on alcohol sales in Iraq. “We appealed to all authorities in the country, but no one listened to us,” said the owner, a Christian… Continue Reading
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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