On October 6th, President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of the United States troops from Syria on Twitter. Trump made it one of his campaign promises to remove all U.S. troops from Syria. As a result of the removal of U.S. troops, Turkey has launched military offensives with air strikes and ground offensives into Syria, causing thousands of Syrians to… Read more »
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Driven from his hometown in northeast Syria as bombs rained down in a Turkish assault, a Kurdish father worried for his toddler son, who was ill, and accused America of betraying the Kurds in the region. Agid Meshmesh escaped from the mainly Kurdish border town of Kobani on Monday after he couldn’t get food or diapers for… Read more »
Lebanon has asked for international help battling hundreds of forest fires that broke out on Monday and have spread abroad. The blazes – the worst in decades – started in Lebanon’s western mountains, amid a heatwave and strong winds. Heavy smoke was seen over Beirut and the city of Sidon, and one volunteer firefighter reportedly died. Two forestry workers have… Read more »
Damascus has much to gain from deal with Kurds, but its ability to halt Turkey’s push depends on Russia, say analysts. In a major shift in alliances, the Kurdish-led administration in northern Syria announced on Sunday a deal with President Bashar al-Assad‘s government to allow Syrian troops to deploy along the border with Turkey to stave off a military offensive by Ankara. The pact, brokered by… Read more »
President Tayyip Erdogan told U.S. President Donald Trump that Turkey will never declare a ceasefire in northeastern Syria and that it will not negotiate with Kurdish forces it is fighting in its offensive into the region. Turkey pressed ahead with its offensive against the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia in northern Syria on Tuesday despite U.S. sanctions and calls for it to stop,… Read more »
Since Tuesday, mass protests have occurred against the Iraqi government in Baghdad, Iraq. Iraqi youth are mainly behind the protests, pushing the government for improved employment, services for the poor, and ending government corruption. The unemployment rate for the youth is almost double the general unemployment rate for Iraq. As Iraq is still attempting to economically recover from its war… Read more »
Security forces in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, have fired live rounds at protesters defying a curfew. The prime minister says the open-ended curfew – which has been in place since dawn – is needed to maintain order and protect protesters from “infiltrators”. At least 20 people have been killed since Tuesday in clashes with security forces in Baghdad and other… Read more »
Adel Abdul Mahdi’s office says he is prepared to meet representatives of protesters as unrest continues for third day. Iraq‘s Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi has called for dialogue after a third consecutive day of deadly anti-government protests in the capital, Baghdad, and several southern cities. In a statement quoted by local media on Thursday, Abdul Mahdi’s office said the prime minister… Read more »
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing a series of final hearings before a decision is made on whether to charge him with corruption. His lawyers will try to persuade the attorney-general not to proceed with indictments for bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three cases. Mr Netanyahu is alleged to have accepted gifts from wealthy businessmen and dispensed… Read more »
Egypt’s parliamentary speaker has sparked outrage online after praising Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler’s infrastructure projects. Ali Abdel Aal made the comments while defending Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi development plans. “Hitler had his mistakes, but what allowed him to expand eastward and westward was that he created a strong infrastructure,” the speaker said. Mr Abdel Aal has since said his… Read more »