Syria authorities say armed groups have agreed to disband
Syria's new leaders announced Tuesday that they had reached an agreement with the country's rebel groups on their dissolution and...
UN envoy warns Syria conflict not over yet
United Nations' special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, referring to fighting between the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and...
Geostrategy
US envoy presses Israel-Hezbollah truce bid in Lebanon visit
Hochstein said an end to the war was "now within our grasp", while Hezbollah-allied parliament speaker Nabih Berri, said the...
- The United States and France have spearheaded efforts for a truce in the conflict
- Hochstein said an end to the war was "now within our grasp"
Geostrategy
Iraqis face tough homecoming a decade after IS rampage
Hassan Shami, Iraq - A decade after Islamic State group extremists rampaged through northern Iraq, Moaz Fadhil and his eight children...
- The jihadists seized a third of Iraq, ruling their self-declared "caliphate" with an iron fist, before an international coalition wrestled control from them in 2017
- Seven years on, many of the village's homes are still in ruins and lacking essential services, but Fadhil said he felt an "indescribable joy" upon moving back in August
Geostrategy
US envoy in Beirut says ‘real opportunity’ to end Israel-Hezbollah war
US special envoy said he was in Beirut because he saw "real opportunity" to end the Israel-Hezbollah war
- US special envoy said he was in Beirut because he saw "real opportunity" to end the Israel-Hezbollah war
- "I came back because we have a real opportunity to bring this conflict to an end," Hochstein said
Israel escalates bombing in Lebanon as Hezbollah fires projectiles; UN warns of Gaza famine
Israel escalated strikes on Hezbollah in Beirut and Tyre, targeting strongholds, while Hezbollah launched retaliatory attacks on Haifa, hitting a...
- Israel has escalated its bombing of Lebanon since September 23 and has since sent in ground troops, following almost a year of limited, cross-border exchanges of fire
- Israel's military chief Hezbollah had already "paid a big price" but Israel will keep fighting until thousands of its residents displaced from the north can return safely
Geostrategy
With Trump’s presidency, expect pro-Israel policies to replace Biden’s nuanced approach in Middle East relations
Trump’s return could shift US policy on Israel, with his Republican Party's pro-Israel stance and his preference for "America First"...
- Trump, unlike every other recent president, has never committed to a fully sovereign, independent Palestinian state
- He leads a Republican Party so pro-Israel that some local offices handed out Israeli flags alongside Trump yard-signs
HRW accuses Israel of ‘war crime’ with ‘forcible transfer’ in Gaza
Human Rights Watch said in a report released Thursday that Israel's repeated evacuation orders in Gaza amount to the "war...
- "Israel's actions appear to also meet the definition of ethnic cleansing"- HRW
- 1.9 million Palestinians were displaced in Gaza as of October 2024
Geostrategy
Nations far apart in COP29 climate finance talks
According to the latest draft of the long-sought climate finance pact, most developing countries favor an annual commitment from wealthy...
- A new agreement to boost money for climate action in developing countries is the top priority
- COP29 runs until November 22 but climate talks often run into overtime
Geostrategy
UN nuclear chief heads to Iran for crucial talks
International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi is set to visit Tehran on Wednesday for crucial talks on Iran's nuclear...
- Israel has warned Iran it was "more exposed than ever" to strikes on its nuclear facilities
- Tehran has deactivated surveillance devices needed to monitor the nuclear program
Lebanon says 11 killed in Israel strikes across the country
Lebanon said Israeli strikes killed 11 people across the country Tuesday
- "The Israeli enemy strike on Baalshmay killed five people," the health ministry said
- Israeli strikes outside Hezbollah strongholds have often targeted buildings where displaced civilians have sought refuge
Geostrategy
Donald Trump ramps up transition moves with key appointments
President-elect Donald Trump is tapping loyalists for several key posts after signaling his desire to have his cabinet confirmed without...
- Trump has promised to carry out the "biggest deportation operation in the history of our country"
- New York congresswoman Elise Stefanik got the nod for UN ambassador, while Stephen Miller might serve as deputy chief of staff
Syria authorities say armed groups have agreed to disband
Syria's new leaders announced Tuesday that they had reached an agreement with the country's rebel groups on their dissolution and...
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New Syrian rulers pledge stability, accountability, and reconstruction after Assad’s ouster
Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, the Islamist leader who headed the rebel offensive, had previously announced talks on a transfer of power...
Syria rebel leader vows to pursue former officials for torture, war crimes
Syria's Islamist rebel leader on Tuesday vowed to pursue former senior government officials responsible for torture and war crimes, a...
European countries suspend Syrian asylum decisions after Assad’s fall
While Berlin and other governments said they were watching the fast-moving developments in the war-ravaged nation, Vienna signaled it would...
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Syria: Assad faces stunning setbacks as rebels seize Daraa, Hama, and Aleppo in quick succession
While Aleppo and Hama, the two other main cities taken from government control in recent days, fell to an Islamist-led...
- Since a rebel alliance led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched its offensive on November 27, the government has lost Aleppo and subsequently Hama in central Syria
- Syria's civil war, which began with Assad's crackdown on democracy protests, has killed more than 500,000 people and forced more than half the population to flee their homes
Geostrategy
Turkey confirms Syria talks with Russia and Iran
A meeting was expected on the forum's sidelines between Turkey, and Damascus allies Iran and Russia.
- Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan "will meet with the Russian and Iranian ministers"
- The so-called Astana process involving the three countries was launched by Kazakhstan in 2017
Qatar resumes Gaza mediation: source with knowledge of talks
Doha, Qatar - Qatar has resumed its role as a mediator in efforts to secure a truce in the Israel-Hamas war...
- The Gulf emirate, along with the US and Egypt, had been involved in months of unsuccessful negotiations for a Gaza truce and hostage release after nearly 14 months of war
- In November, Doha announced it had put its mediation on hold, saying it would resume when Hamas and Israel showed "willingness and seriousness".