U.S. Special Forces embed with Kurdish forces, join fight for capital of ISIL’s caliphate

U.S. Special Forces embed with Kurdish forces, join fight for capital of ISIL’s caliphate

by WorldTribune Staff, May 27, 2016 U.S. special operations forces are “present at all positions along the front” and are assisting a Kurdish-Arab coalition “on the ground and in the air,” in the offensive against Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) in its de facto Syria capital of Raqqa. Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) field […]

Catwa, seriously: Saudi cleric bans selfies with cats

Catwa, seriously: Saudi cleric bans selfies with cats

by WorldTribune Staff, May 27, 2016 Sheikh Saleh Bin Fawzan Al-Fazwan is adamant about Saudis not behaving “like Westerners.” Thus, the senior cleric has banned the taking of selfies with kitties. Al-Fazwan issued the order after being told during a television broadcast of a new trend in the kingdom of people posing for pictures with […]

Socialist nightmare: On brink of collapse, Venezuela sells off gold reserves

Socialist nightmare: On brink of collapse, Venezuela sells off gold reserves

by WorldTribune Staff, May 27, 2016 “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.” – Margaret Thatcher As Venezuela sinks further into the economic abyss, the South American country has begun selling off its remaining gold reserves. The country’s gold reserves have dropped almost a third over the past […]

College students in Iran get 99 lashes for attending graduation party at which both sexes were present

College students in Iran get 99 lashes for attending graduation party at which both sexes were present

by WorldTribune Staff, May 27, 2016 A group of Iranian college students who were “dancing and jubilating” at a graduation party that included men and women were arrested and given 99 lashes. Iran’s judiciary said the punishments, believed to be part of a wider crackdown by Teheran’s hard-liners, were meted out in Qazvin, about 90 […]

Turkey not cool with U.S. forces wearing Kurdish insignia for Raqqa offensive

Turkey not cool with U.S. forces wearing Kurdish insignia for Raqqa offensive

by WorldTribune Staff, May 27, 2016 It is not acceptable for U.S. soldiers to wear the insignia of the People’s Protection Units (YPG) when embedded with the Kurdish fighters, a Turkish official said. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said photos showing U.S. special operations forces wearing the YPG insignia on their shoulders during operations against […]

Off the record in Beijing: China’s growth rate is non-negotiable

Special to WorldTribune.com By Willy Lam, EastAsiaIntel.com Who is in charge of China’s macro-level financial and economic policy? Most observers will say President Xi Jinping, who is head of the two highest-level decision-making bodies: the Central Leading Group on Finance and Economics (CLGFE) and the newly set up Central Leading Group on Comprehensively Deepening Reforms […]

Oil prices over $50 a barrel for first time in 2016

Oil prices over $50 a barrel for first time in 2016

by WorldTribune Staff, May 26, 2016 Ongoing unrest in Nigeria and Libya and the economic meltdown in Venezuela have knocked enough oil out of the market to enable crude to top $50 per barrel for the first time in 2016. Wildfires in Canada’s oil sands also contributed to the nearly 4 million barrels per day […]

UN calls on Hamas to stop planned public executions

UN calls on Hamas to stop planned public executions

by WorldTribune Staff, May 26, 2016 The UN’s Middle East envoy has publicly urged Hamas to halt the public executions of 13 men, most convicted of murder connected to robberies. UN envoy Nickolay Mladenov told the Security Council that public executions are prohibited under international human rights law. “I urge Hamas not to carry out […]

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