Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Thursday chose not to join a potential initiative discussed among some European countries to send peacekeepers to Ukraine. With Donald Trump’s January inauguration looming, Ukraine’s European allies look to map out its long-term support for Kyiv, anticipating that Russia will opt to extend its war into one of attrition. … Read more
As Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebels continue to uncover the full scope of former President Bashar al-Assad’s criminal and human rights transgressions throughout his regime, the new de facto leaders discovered large-scale factories in Damascus producing million of Captagon pills daily , helping make Syria the largest drug supplier in the Middle East. Source link
Pro-EU demonstrations which have rocked Georgia for over two weeks are feared to escalate as the ruling far-right Georgian Dream party prepares to appoint its loyalist candidate on Saturday, further endangering the country’s chances of joining the European Union. Source link
During a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Erdogan to protect Syrian civilians after Turkish-backed rebels toppled the Bashar al-Assad regime. Follow our liveblog for the latest developments. Source link
In a traditional custom for lame-duck presidents, Joe Biden announced he would grant a record-breaking 1,500 commutations and 39 pardons on Thursday, weeks after he controversially pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, after promising not to grant him clemency. Source link
Niger cut ties with another Western actor on Thursday, as it suspended BBC radio for three months after it reported that jihadists had killed 90 Nigerien soldiers on Wednesday, adding the British media outlet to a list of Western media deemed guilty of spreading “erroneous information” . Source link
Sales of the synthetic drug Captagon were used as a source of funding for the brutal regime, making Syria its largest producer. Among the secrets uncovered by rebel fighters since Assad fled the country, large-scale illegal drug factories housed in villas on the outskirts of Damascus. FRANCE 24’s Emily Boyle reports. Source link
On Thursday a US citizen was found in Syria, with social media posts reporting it to be American journalist Austin Tice, who has been missing since 2012 whilst reporting on the Syrian war. However this man was later named as pilgrim Travis Timmerman, who wandered into Syria on foot for spiritual reasons and has spent … Read more
In tonight’s edition, Ethiopia and Somalia agree to end their bitter dispute over Addis Ababa’s plans to build a port in Somaliland. Also, For a connected future, Congo bets on the 5G technology. And a publisher bringing a book bug to DR Congo. Source link
Donald Trump ranks the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange, a first for the US president-elect, after he was named “person of the year” by Time magazine. Plus, the European Central Bank cut interest rates again as the focus shifts from fighting inflation to supporting the Eurozone economy amid sluggish growth and political … Read more