Convoys of buses arrived on Monday to transfer thousands of Syrian militants and refugees from Lebanon’s border region into rebel territory in Syria in exchange for Hezbollah prisoners. Under a local ceasefire between the Sunni Muslim militants and the Shi’ite Hezbollah, about 9,000 fighters and their relatives were to leave. With no sign of any […]
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George and Amal Clooney said on Monday they would help 3,000 Syrian refugee children go to school this year in Lebanon, where the United Nations says 200,000 children are not receiving an education after fleeing the war in neighboring Syria. The Clooney Foundation for Justice said it has teamed up with Google and HP Inc […]
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Lorens Listo’s name may not headline the world’s sports pages, but on the streets of his native Mostar he is hailed as a champion among champions in a sport that is central to the Bosnian city’s identity: high diving. Mostar is home to the Stari Most, a 16th-century Ottoman peaked bridge that spans the river […]
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A German Islamist preacher was sentenced on Wednesday to 5-1/2 years in prison on four counts of supporting a foreign terrorist organisation. Prosecutors said Sven Lau served as an “extended arm” of the Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar, an insurgent group made up of around 1,500 Chechen, Uzbek and Tajik fighters, which in 2015 pledged allegiance to […]
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The Ganges River is worshiped by a billion Hindus and a water source for 400 million, but the stress and pollution have turned it into an environmental disaster. Known as “Mother Ganga,” Hindus believe that a dip in the river absolves a lifetime of sin. Here in the northern town of Devprayag where […]
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As the first year anniversary of the horrific attack on Nice approaches, the French city is still grappling with the 86 victims who lost their lives – as a truck driver rammed people celebrating Bastille day. Ali Charrihi was one of those enjoying the festivities with his family. But their night out came to a […]
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The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told Reuters on Tuesday it had “confirmed information” that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi had been killed. The report came just days after the Iraqi army recaptured the last sectors of the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, which Baghdadi’s forces overran almost exactly three years ago. Russia’s Defence […]
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India’s holy Ganges begins as a crystal clear river high in the icy Himalayas but pollution and excessive usage transforms it into toxic sludge on its journey through burgeoning cities, industrial hubs and past millions of devotees. Worshipped by a billion Hindus and a water source for 400 million, “Mother Ganga” is dying, despite decades […]
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Turkish police deployed in central Istanbul on Sunday to enforce a ban on the city’s annual gay and transgender pride march, blocking off a main street and dispersing groups of demonstrators who gathered nearby. Police with riot shields and helmets sealed off entrances to Istiklal Street, where organisers had planned to hold the march before […]
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Moscow said on Friday its forces may have killed Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in an air strike in Syria last month, but Washington said it could not corroborate the death and Western and Iraqi officials were sceptical. The secretive Islamic State leader has frequently been reported killed or wounded since he declared a […]
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