Chaldean Patriarch returns to Baghdad after nine months of self-imposed exile amid political dispute
Baghdad AP A prominent Iraqi Christian religious leader who left Baghdad amid a political dispute last year returned to the capital this week at the invitation of the country’s prime minister after nine months of self-imposed exile in northern Iraq’s Kurdish region. Cardinal Louis Sako was welcomed warmly by a church packed with members of the country’s […]
Junta-led Sahel states to form joint force to fight insurgents
Niamey, Niger Reuters Junta-led Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali have agreed to set up a joint force to tackle security threats across their territories, Niger’s armed forces chief Moussa Salaou Barmou said on Wednesday after a meeting with his counterparts. Flags of Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali are seen during a demonstration that was called […]
Militants kill at least 40 in north Burkina Faso attack on Sunday – UN
Dakar, SenegalReuters Islamist jihadist militants killed at least 40 civilians during an attack in northern Burkina Faso over the weekend, the United Nations’ Human Rights Office said. The latest reported assault in an area rife with jihadist activity took place on Sunday in the town of Djibo, where many displaced people have sought refuge. Fighters […]
An abducted German priest is freed in Mali, a year after being seized in the country’s capital
Bamako, Mali AP A German priest who was abducted by al-Qaeda-linked rebels in Mali’s capital in November, 2022, has been released by his captors, a former colleague told The Associated Press on Monday. Church members in the capital of Bamako learned of the release of Rev Hans-Joachim Lohre late on Sunday, according to Dia Monique Pare, a […]
Suicide bomber kills at least seven in Somali tea shop; al-Shabaab claims responsibility
Mogadishu, SomaliaReuters A suicide bomber set off an explosion at a shop selling tea in Somalia’s capital on Friday, killing at least seven people, a witness and medical personnel. Police put the number of dead at five. Al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab group claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement on its Arabic media unit Shahada News […]
Militants kill more than 60 in Mali on boat and at army camp
Bamako, Mali Reuters Islamist militants killed at least 49 civilians and 15 soldiers in attacks on a military camp and a boat in north-eastern Mali on Thursday, the interim government said. The assailants attacked the boat on a waterway that connects the northern regions of Gao and Mopti during the rainy season, and raided the […]
Essay: Two years after Taliban takeover – why Afghanistan still poses a threat to the region and beyond
In an article first published on The Conversation, STEFAN WOLFF, professor of international security at the University of Birmingham, says two years of Taliban rule have seen the regime in Kabul do little to assuage concerns over security…
UN security staff released in Yemen after 18 months in captivity
United NationsReuters Five United Nations security staff who were kidnapped in Yemen by al-Qaeda militants 18 months ago have been released, the United Nations said on Friday. United Nations security staff (1st-3rd left) and (8th left), who have been released from the hands of al-Qaeda militants, stand with David Gressly, the United Nations Resident and […]
Iraq’s ancient sites, fragile stability spur new trickle of tourists
Baghdad, IraqReuters When Jacob Nemec’s family heard he was planning to go on holiday in Iraq, they pleaded with the 28-year-old American to reconsider. “I got a text from my grandma for the first time in five years saying – being your grandmother and to respect me – I would appreciate if you don’t go. […]
Breaking: Australian doctor freed by al-Qaeda after seven years in captivity
Sydney, AustraliaReuters An Australian doctor held captive by al-Qaeda-linked extremists for more than seven years in West Africa has been released, the Australian Government said on Friday. Dr Kenneth Elliott, 88, is safe and well, and had been reunited with his wife, Jocelyn, and their children, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said. The couple were […]