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Islamic State Fighters Recapture Palmyra

12 December 2016

A Syrian monitor says Islamic State jihadists have recaptured the Syrian city of Palmrya, during what has become a back-and-forth battle for control of the famed desert city. Rami Abdel Rahman of the British-based monitor group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Sunday, “Despite the […]

Donald Trump rejects CIA Russia hacking report

12 December 2016

President-elect Donald Trump has rejected as “ridiculous” a CIA assessment that Russian hackers tried to sway the election in his favour. He told Fox News the Democrats were putting out the reports because they were embarrassed at the scale of the election defeat. On Friday, […]

Bombs Target Turkish Police, Kill 38 in Istanbul; Day of Mourning Declared

11 December 2016

Turkey has declared a national day of mourning, one day after two explosions in Istanbul killed at least 38 people and wounded many others. The blasts rocked a huge football stadium late Saturday. Witnesses and authorities said the attacks — a car bombing and a […]

Explosion Near Cairo’s Coptic Cathedral – Source in Egyptian Security

11 December 2016

An explosion took place near Cairo’s Coptic Cathedral on Sunday leaving dozens killed and injured. At least 25 people died and 35 more were injured in an explosion outside St. Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Cairo, Egyptian Health Minister Ahmed Rady said Sunday. Speaking on […]

Lebanese newspaper As-Safir to stop publishing after 40 years

11 December 2016

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s daily newspaper, As-Safir, will stop publication at the end of 2016 after 40 years of operations, in the latest sign of the growing crisis facing publishers worldwide amid a drop in circulation and lower advertising revenues. The newspaper’s publisher, Talal Salman, informed Friday […]

Live from Lebanon: The Journalist Scarlett Haddad checking Odiaspora website

11 December 2016

Scarlett Haddad, she alone symbolizes our reason to exist, us as the team of Odiaspora. The only French journalist who has been able to carry the voice of General Aoun during all the years of resistance among a horde of corrupt and well-thinking journalists. Lots […]

Trump expected to tap Exxon’s Tillerson to lead State Dept.

11 December 2016

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump moved closer to nominating Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson as his secretary of State on Saturday, a decision that would bring a business leader with close ties to Russia into the Cabinet. Trump has privately signaled that he plans […]

Adding 200 more troops to Syria, U.S. deepens involvement

11 December 2016

MANAMA, Bahrain — Drawing the U.S. deeper into the Syria conflict, Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced Saturday he is sending 200 more troops to accelerate the push on the Islamic State’s self-declared capital of Raqqa. RELATED LINKS What’s next for U.S. involvement in Syria? The […]

US, European, Middle East Top Diplomats Meet in Paris Over Syria

11 December 2016

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and other top diplomats are in Paris in a fresh attempt to find solutions for Syria’s nearly six-year-old war that has claimed the lives of more than 300,000 people. French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault hosted the meeting in the […]

At A Makeshift Iraqi Court, Harsh Justice For Those Accused Of Aiding ISIS

11 December 2016

In the battle for Mosul, Islamic State fighters who aren’t killed are usually taken away for questioning by Iraqi or Kurdish intelligence. But there are also local Iraqis accused of helping ISIS — and they’re put through a judicial process of sorts. One such case […]

REPORT: Lebanese writer wins Arabic dictation competition’s first prize

11 December 2016

120 competitors, including students, authors, religious men, politicians, and journalists, participated in the fourth edition of an Arabic dictation competition held at the Library hall at the Parliament, in cooperation with the Antonine University. The dictation, aired by LBCI and hosted by Bassam Barrack, aims […]

REPORT: Fourth edition of Beirut & Beyond music festival kicks off

11 December 2016

Beirut & Beyond International Music Festival kicked off in its fourth edition promoting the region’s best independent music alongside international acts. The festival is held under the sponsorship of the Ministry of Culture and includes an intensive program of concerts for different artists. The opening […]