ISIL blocks, set to execute Christians fleeing Raqqa, Syria

ISIL blocks, set to execute Christians fleeing Raqqa, Syria

Special to WorldTribune.com Human rights activists fear Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) is preparing to execute the remaining Christians in the terror group’s Syrian stronghold at Raqqa. Syrian activists say ISIL has “issued a new decision” to block any Christians or Armenians from leaving its self-declared capital. The activists said about 25 Christian […]

Terror attack takes toll on Egypt’s tourism, economy

Terror attack takes toll on Egypt’s tourism, economy

Special to WorldTribune.com The huge drop in tourism following the terrorist attack that brought down a Russian airliner last October has weighed heavily on Egypt’s economy. Egypt’s deficit rose 240 percent in the first half of the current fiscal year due to falling tourism receipts, Suez Canal revenues, and transfers, the Central Bank of Egypt […]

Germany, EU dismiss complaints by Turkey’s Erdogan about satire that mocked him

Germany, EU dismiss complaints by Turkey’s Erdogan about satire that mocked him

Special to WorldTribune.com Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan does not like to be ridiculed and has gone to great lengths, including pursuing criminal charges, to ensure no Turkish citizen publicly criticizes him. Now, the Turkish leader is steamed at a German TV satire that mocked him and the president responded by filing a protest with […]

Khamenei: Missiles, not negotiations, are key to Iran’s future

Khamenei: Missiles, not negotiations, are key to Iran’s future

Special to WorldTribune.com Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says that missiles, not negotiations, are the key to his country’s future. Khamenei’s remark, posted on his official website on March 30, came as Western powers called for the UN Security Council to consider possible action in response to Iran’s […]

Brussels attacks spark self-criticism in Arab media

Brussels attacks spark self-criticism in Arab media

Special to WorldTribune.com While the usual blame-Israel responses cropped up in some Mideast media circles following the Brussels terrorist attacks, a new and noteworthy trend was seen in Arab media. Several media outlets put the blame squarely on Muslim and Arab culture for the attacks which killed 35 and wounded more than 300. A columnist […]

Egypt says ‘free hug day’ is effort to incite debauchery

Egypt says ‘free hug day’ is effort to incite debauchery

Special to WorldTribune.com “Free hug day” is not being embraced by Egyptian officials. In a country where public displays of affection are frowned upon, officials see “free hug day” as an effort to incite debauchery. In fact, Egyptian authorities have vowed to arrest any participant in the hug festival planned by online activists for March […]

U.S. orders dependents out of southern Turkey

U.S. orders dependents out of southern Turkey

Special to WorldTribune.com The United States has ordered dependents of U.S. personnel to leave southern Turkey due to what officials termed threats from Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) and other elements. The orders cover the Adana consulate, U.S. military dependents in Incirlik, Ismir and Mugla as well as families of U.S. government civilians […]

ISIL claims responsibility for attack in Caucasus that killed 10 Russian soldiers

ISIL claims responsibility for attack in Caucasus that killed 10 Russian soldiers

Special to WorldTribune.com Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) claimed its Russian affiliate set off two explosions in Dagestan on March 29 that killed 10 Russian soldiers. The ISIL affiliate, Caucasus Province, launched the attack on the city of Kaspiysk in the southern Russia republic of Dagestan. “The Caliphate’s soldiers managed to explode two […]

ISIL ‘predators’ trying to take Molenbeek’s youth ‘by storm’

ISIL ‘predators’ trying to take Molenbeek’s youth ‘by storm’

Special to WorldTribune.com Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL), having launched a major terror attack in Brussels last week, is going all out to recruit youth in the city’s jihadist hotbed of Molenbeek. ISIL recruiters have been sending massive numbers of text messages to young men in Molenbeek, asking them to “fight the Westerners” […]

Besieged Israel is flourishing, and its diplomacy? Except in the West, not shabby

Besieged Israel is flourishing, and its diplomacy? Except in the West, not shabby

Special to WorldTribune.com By Norman Bailey While Israel’s public diplomacy is a disaster, its official diplomacy in the Arab world, Asia, Africa and Russia has scored notable successes. The “Jerusalem Post’s” March 4th Magazine Section’s “Hot Off the Arab Press” feature contained an article which appeared in the Feb. 27 issue of Al-Bayan, an Emirati […]