Articles by Jeryes S. Khalil

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis canonized Argentina’s “gaucho priest” Sunday, bestowing sainthood on the poncho-wearing pastor with whom the first Argentine pope shares many similarities, from a taste for mate tea to a dedication to bringing the ministry to even the most isolated people. Francis […]

PRISTINA/WASHINGTON — The number of fighters joining extremist groups in the Middle East from Kosovo, once the highest per capita in Europe, has come to a virtual halt, according to government officials, analysts, and ex-fighters. The turnabout comes after a government crackdown in Kosovo on […]

Secretary of State John Kerry says all options remain open for the U.S. and its allies in Syria, but he admits the United States and Europe have no ‘big appetite’ for military action, even as Russia refuses to back down. Kerry held talks in London […]

US security officials are bewildered that GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump has dared to doubt their allegations against the big bad russkies. Who would have thought? Republican U.S. presidential nominee Donald Trump and Democratic U.S. presidential nominee Hillary Clinton pause during their presidential town hall […]

Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah issued a decree Sunday dissolving the national assembly, the state-run KUNA news agency reported after an emergency government meeting. The reason cited for such move, which also brings down the government, was a “lack of cooperation”, setting the stage […]

Turkish-backed Syrian rebels have captured the symbolically important northern Syrian village of Dabiq from Islamic State militants. The seizure of the village, 10 kilometers from the Turkish border, was announced by Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu as he met with U.S. Secretary of State John […]

The United States, Britain and the U.N. peace envoy to Yemen called Sunday for the warring parties in the country to immediately and unconditionally declare a cease fire. “This is the time to implement a cease fire unconditionally and then move to the negotiating table,” […]

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced on Iraqi television early Monday that the long-awaited offensive to retake the Daesh stronghold in Iraq has begun. Members of the Shi’ite Badr Organisation undergo training before the upcoming battle to recapture Mosul in Diyala province, Iraq September 27, […]

The UN Deputy Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, Stephen O’Brien stated that the recent military operation in Iraq’s Mosul endangers the security of more than 1.5 million local residents. Earlier, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced that the long-awaited operation to retake the Daesh stronghold […]