Author: M Barbu

Syrian government shells in rebel area kill 7 of same family

Syrian government artillery shells struck a village in the last rebel enclave in the country on Thursday, killing seven members of the same family, including four children, rescue workers and a war monitor said.

The shelling is part of an ongoing military escalation in the area in northwestern Syria, which had been under a cease-fire sponsored by Russia and Turkey since last year. So far it is unclear what caused the escalation, which prior to the attack had already killed at least 17 children this month, according to figures confirmed by the U.N. children’s agency, UNICEF.

17 dead off Tunisian coast as boat wrecks en route to Italy

The number of people returned to shore following irregular crossings of the Mediterranean Sea has greatly increased this year.

At least 17 people seeking to cross the Mediterranean Sea have died off the coast of Tunisia and possibly hundreds more rescued.

Afghan refugee influx stokes tensions in Turkey

Fresh refugee influx from Afghanistan to Turkey has stoked political and social tensions in the country where the refugee crisis is becoming more politicized.

A surge in irregular migration from Afghanistan amid withdrawal of the NATO forces from the country has reignited already high-running anti-refugee sentiment across Turkey, catching Ankara off guard as it still lacks a comprehensive and integrated border security mechanism.

Russian International Affairs Expert Mirzayan: China Will Not Repeat Soviet And American Mistakes By Intervening In Afghanistan

China, which shares a border with Afghanistan, is making preparations for a Taliban takeover of the country. China’s first preference will be to work with the new rulers and is signaling its population that despite the country’s outspoken policy against Islamists, it, unlike others, adhered to a non-intervention policy. It also prepared its public for a Taliban-friendly policy by citing Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen, who called China a “friend” to Afghanistan and hopes to talk to Beijing about investing in reconstruction work. Most importantly, China cited Shaheen’s assurances that Afghanistan would not serve as a launching pad for attacks on other countries: “People from other countries who want to use Afghanistan as a site [to launch attacks] against other countries, we have made a commitment that we will not allow them, whether it’s an individual or entity against any country including China.”

Ghani claims Taliban has ‘deep ties’ with various terrorist organizations

President Ashraf Ghani said on Wednesday the Taliban still has “deep ties to al-Qaeda, Jaish-e-Muhammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba” and wants Afghanistan to become a safe haven for terrorists.

Addressing commandos at the Special Operations Corps base on Wednesday, during his Eid al-Adha visit, Ghani said while the Taliban still had strong ties to the terrorist groups, the Afghan government and people would never allow their country to become a safe haven for terrorists.

Progress or War: On Islamophobia and Europe’s Demographic Shifts

Europe’s identity crisis is not confined to the ceaseless squabbles by Europeans over the EU, Brexit or football. It goes much deeper, reaching sensitive and dangerous territory, including that of culture and religion. Once more, Muslims stand at the heart of the continent’s identity debate.

Of course, anti-Muslim sentiments are rarely framed to appear anti-Muslim. While Europe’s right-wing parties remain committed to the ridiculous notion that Muslims, immigrants and refugees pose a threat to Europe’s overall security and unique secular identities, the left is not entirely immune from such chauvinistic notions.

Taliban Control Half of Afghanistan, US General Acknowledges

“Strategic momentum appears to be sort of with the Taliban,” said the the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff.

On Wednesday, Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, acknowledged that Afghan Taliban militants now control about half of the war-torn country’s 419 district centers.

The Convention on Refugees at 70: A Conversation with Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield

On July 28th, the world will mark the 70th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations’ 1951 Refugee Convention, a historic multilateral agreement that clarified the rights of refugees under international law and the obligation of host countries to provide for their protection. The principles enshrined in the Refugee Convention set precedents for the rights, repatriation, and resettlement of refugees that still resonate to this day.

Cum arată Afganistanul după retragerea aliată. Talibanii preiau controlul țării, al-Qaida se întărește, iar viitorul este sumbru

România și-a încheiat misiunea în Afganistan, moment marcat de o ceremonie militară care a avut loc miercuri la București, iar SUA se pregătesc să își încheie la rândul lor retragerea până la finalul lunii august, asemenea tuturor aliaților. În urmă rămâne o țară cu instituții slabe și corupție generalizată, în care talibanii sunt la un pas de a prelua din nou controlul, iar organizațiile teroriste par să aibă iarăși un spațiu de refugiu, pentru a-și planifica atacurile, scriu CBC News și The Guardian.