A summit hosted by U.S. President Barack Obama garnered pledges from dozens of countries to resettle or allow the lawful admission of some 360,000 refugees, doubling the number of slots that were available last year, the U.S. envoy to the United Nations said. But Ambassador Samantha Power said that was ... Read More »
Iran leader meets with Fidel Castro during stop in Havana
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani met with former Cuban leader Fidel Castro and his brother President Raul Castro during a one-day state visit in Havana on Monday. His sit-down with Fidel Castro was an unusual encounter since Cuba’s 90-year-old retired president receives only a few people. Officials did not say where ... Read More »
World leaders at UN must tackle Syria, extremism, refugees
World leaders gather at the United Nations for their annual meeting Tuesday with an array of global crises that desperately need solutions, topped by the Syrian conflict, escalating attacks around the world by I extremists, and millions of people fleeing fighting and poverty. Whether the 135 heads of state and ... Read More »
Fire at Greek migrant camp, thousands flee
Thousands of migrants on Monday fled one of Greece’s main camps on the island of Lesbos after apparently setting fire to the facility, police said. “Between 3,000 and 4,000 migrants have fled the camp of Moria” because of the fire, a police source told AFP, adding that strong winds were ... Read More »
A global response to refugees and migrants: 244 million migrants in the world
Perhaps no issue on the global agenda is more susceptible to manipulation by grandstanding demagogues than refugees and migrants. “Us” versus “them” is a timeless if irresponsible unifier, used throughout history to obscure our common humanity by those with dangerously self-serving interests. The difference now is that more people are ... Read More »
Lebanese PM heads to New York for UN meeting
Prime Minister Tammam Salam headed to New York Saturday morning to attend the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly. The state-run National News Agency said that Salam departed Beirut along with a senior delegation. Salam, who will be attending the high-level session next week, is expected to discuss ... Read More »
Syria war: US and Russia argue over truce
There are signs of growing tensions between the US and Russia over Syria – four days after a ceasefire came into effect in the country. Moscow warned it could resume air strikes on “moderate” rebel groups unless Washington did more to distance them from extremists. In turn, the US voiced ... Read More »
Hungarian Camerawoman Who Kicked Syrian Refugees Is Charged
The camerawoman who was filmed kicking and trying to trip migrants near the border with Serbia in September 2015 has been indicted for breaching the peace, Hungarian prosecutors said Wednesday. Petra Laszlo, who later apologized for her actions while also trying to justify them, was fired by the right-wing N1TV ... Read More »
Nigeria facing ‘a famine unlike any we have ever seen’
The whimpers from skeletally thin babies too weak to cry are a harbinger of worse things to come: A quarter of the children lucky enough to make it to this emergency feeding center are dying. They are the latest victims of Boko Haram’s Islamic insurgency. No one knows how many ... Read More »
Obama meets Philippine leader who called him a ‘son of a whore’
Barack Obama met briefly with Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday, their two governments said, days after the firebrand politician branded the US president a “son of a whore”. The encounter took place just before a dinner during a summit of regional leaders in Laos, officials indicated. “They met at ... Read More »