Easier movement in Assad’s Syria brings some economic reward
Mohammed Abu al-Khair sends 25 buses a day from the Syrian capital Damascus to Aleppo, an eight-hour trip that until recently took up to two days.
UK foreign minister says Russia may wonder if Skripal poisoning was smart
British foreign minister Jeremy Hunt said on Thursday that the world would not be a comfortable place for Russia if it used chemical weapons, adding that the Kremlin may be regretting ordering an attack on a former Russian spy in Salisbury.
We’re not ‘a banana republic’ Saudi says, demands Canada apologize
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister asked Canada to apologize for demanding the release of Saudi women’s rights activists and stop treating the kingdom as “a banana republic” if it wanted to resolve a diplomatic dispute between the two countries.
UK foreign minister says PM’s Chequers plan still basis for Brexit deal
British foreign minister Jeremy Hunt said he believes that Prime Minister Theresa May’s Chequers Brexit plan should remain the basis for Britain’s exit from the European Union, and that negotiations should take place around it.
U.N. sets up team to prepare Myanmar prosecution files
The United Nations Human Rights Council voted on Thursday in favor of establishing a body to consolidate evidence of human rights abuses in Myanmar, including possible genocide, and prepare files for any future prosecution.
Cameroon separatists free 100 prison inmates before election
Separatist militants raided a prison in northwestern Cameroon and freed about 100 inmates, the government and separatists said on Thursday, as the rebels vowed to block next month’s presidential election in English-speaking regions.
Biblical vistas, modern-day security along Israel-Egypt border road
A normally sealed-off road along the Israel-Egypt border was opened for a Jewish holiday, giving travelers on the Israeli side a glimpse into the Sinai desert backdrop to the biblical journey commemorated by the festival.
Macedonia village builds houses as it waits for change
The village of Gurgurnica sits on a slope overlooking the town of Brvenica in northwestern Macedonia, its streets dotted with modern houses and shiny new cars.
Turkey’s Erdogan calls on Germany to list Gulen group as terrorists
President Tayyip Erdogan, arriving in Germany for a three-day state visit, urged Berlin to designate as a terrorist organization the movement of Fethullah Gulen which Turkey blames for a 2016 coup attempt.
Swedish parties begin search for way out of political deadlock
Sweden’s anti-immigration party – shunned by the political mainstream – insisted on Thursday it would block the formation of a new government unless it gets a say in policy – leaving parliament deadlocked three weeks after a general election.
