Showing 1 - 10 of 1,059
Syria's tragic saga a long way from being over
Oped, Published on 12/12/2025
» Just one year ago Syria's brutal and seemingly eternal Assad family dictatorship was toppled.
Straddling two worlds
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 11/12/2025
» When I visited Istanbul for the first time, I learned a joke from Gocke, my local guide, who goes to work by undersea train every day. "But you can't see anything," she laughed. For her, it takes only four minutes to cross from Asia to Europe, under the Bosphorus Strait that divides the ancient city.
Australia hits Afghan Taliban officials with sanctions, travel bans
Reuters, Published on 06/12/2025
» SYDNEY — Australia on Saturday imposed financial sanctions and travel bans on four officials in Afghanistan's Taliban government over what it said was a deteriorating human rights situation in the country, especially for women and girls.
Abortion in Afghanistan: 'My mother crushed my stomach with a stone'
AFP, Published on 05/12/2025
» KABUL - When Bahara was four months pregnant, she went to a Kabul hospital to beg for an abortion. "We're not allowed," a doctor told her. "If someone finds out, we will all end up in prison."
Malaysia reviews sodomy law enforcement amid Islamist pressure
Bloomberg News, Published on 03/12/2025
» KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia is reviewing how it enforces laws banning same-sex activity after authorities failed to charge about 200 men arrested in a recent raid, a sign of pressure by Islamic parties on Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government to enforce religious conservatism.
Pope visits Istanbul's Blue Mosque
AFP, Published on 29/11/2025
» ISTANBUL — Pope Leo XIV visited Istanbul's famed Blue Mosque early on Saturday on the third day of his trip to Turkey.
Turkey not 'hostile' to Christians, Constantinople patriarch says
AFP, Published on 28/11/2025
» ISTANBUL - Muslim-majority Turkey, which is hosting Pope Leo XIV on his first overseas trip as pontiff, is not "a hostile environment" for Christians, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople told AFP in an interview.
Pope to meet Erdogan in Turkey in first overseas trip
AFP, Published on 27/11/2025
» VATICAN CITY - Pope Leo XIV flies to Turkey on Thursday for the first trip abroad of his papacy, which includes a meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and comes amid acute tensions in the region.
Iran: Drought, incompetence, revolution?
News, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 22/11/2025
» Twenty years of strict sanctions on Iran by both the United States and the United Nations did not bring down the regime of the ayatollahs. Half a dozen major waves of non-violent protest involving several thousand deaths have not brought it down either. Even last June's massive bombing campaign by Israel and the US did not bring it to heel.
Nuts and beer: booze-free bar offers Saudis a pub vibe
AFP, Published on 19/11/2025
» RIYADH — Draft beer, peanuts and big-screen sports... the scene is reminiscent of pubs worldwide, but in Saudi Arabia's capital, customers in white robes or black veils sip alcohol-free pints with no expectation of a hangover.