ASIA A divide is emerging between how the Asia Pacific region has responded to the Omicron wave of COVID-19, and how North American and Western European countries have responded. East Asia Forum, Jeremy Youde: Asia’s cautious approach to Omicron AUSTRALIA One of the former Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade officials involved with a new […]
Tag: Syria
AFGHANISTAN The Taliban is creating a “grand army” for Afghanistan that will include officers and troops who served the old regime, says the official tasked with overseeing the military’s transformation. Latifullah Hakimi, head of the Taliban’s Ranks Clearance Commission, also told a news conference on Monday that they had repaired half the 81 helicopters and planes […]
News from: Al Jazeera, Brookings, East Asia Forum, Global Times, Key4Biz, Reuters, RFE RL, The Jamestown Foundation, ThinkChina, US Department of State AFRICA The criticality of climate finance for Africa. Amar Bhattacharya, Brookings: Climate finance will be critical for enabling Africa to adapt to the growing impacts of climate change and to ensure that its […]
AFRICA African Union: Focus on Rights, Justice at Summit. Human Rights Watch: President Macky Sall of Senegal should ensure that civilian protection, human rights, and justice and accountability are the focus of the African Union’s agenda as he takes over leadership of the 55-country body, Human Rights Watch said today. The African Union (AU) summit is […]
AFRICA Artificial intelligence creeps on to the African Battlefield. Nathaniel Allen, Marian “Ify” Okpali, Brookings: Even as the world’s leading militaries race to adopt artificial intelligence in anticipation of future great power war, security forces in one of the world’s most conflict-prone regions are opting for a more measured approach. In Africa, AI is gradually making its […]
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO At least 60 people killed in militia attack in eastern DR Congo. Erikas Mwisi Kambale, Reuters: At least 60 people were killed in a militia attack early on Wednesday at a displaced persons’ camp in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the head of a local humanitarian group and a […]
In March 2011, Syrians took to the streets demanding dignity and an end to endemic corruption. Bashar Assad’s regime responded brutally, quickly turning civil unrest into an all-out war that has been ongoing for nearly 11 years. For almost as long, international actors have claimed there can be no military solution to the conflict. Even […]
A brazen ISIL attack on a prison in northeast Syria and the ensuing five days of fighting with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is a stark reminder of the armed group’s growing strength, analysts say. The complex operation saw two car bombs detonate outside a prison holding more than 3,000 ISIL (ISIS) detainees in conjunction with […]
Russian and Syrian military pilots have conducted a joint air patrol mission along the Golan Heights and the Euphrates River, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement. “The mission’s route ran along the Golan Heights, the southern order, the Euphrates River and over northern Syria,” the statement reads. “Russian pilots took off from the […]
The final day of the world’s first criminal trial focused on war crimes in Syria started long before dawn. A small crowd began to gather at the doors of the courthouse in the southwestern German city of Koblenz at about 3am, eager to secure their seats inside. When Merlina Herbach and Hassan Kansour arrived at […]
This March, Syria’s conflict will enter its 11th year, with no end in sight. As this bleak anniversary approaches, Syria’s economy has collapsed; narcotics trafficking has become a leading source of regime revenue. More than 12 million Syrians are food insecure. Domestic security is precarious. Low-level insurgencies have flared up in areas previously retaken by regime forces. The Islamic State group’s […]
Syrian civilians have paid a heavy price for a decade of war in which their government and parties to the conflict, such as ISIL (ISIS), have violated nearly every core human right and committed almost every atrocity. We need better laws to prosecute atrocities in Syria | Opinions | Al Jazeera