by Hui Min NEO Agence France Presse BERLIN, Germany (AFP) – The fall of Aleppo has unleashed a mixture of outrage and impotence in the West, in which fury at the relentless carnage has mingled with guilt over the failure to stop it. Even the European public — who marched in the millions over the siege of Sarajevo or against the Iraq War — stayed at home as the Russian-backed Syrian regime smashed the country’s […]
Tag: civil war
First evacuations from rebel-held Aleppo
by Rim Haddad with Maya Gebeily in Beirut Agence France Presse ALEPPO, Syria (AFP) – A convoy of ambulances and buses left rebel territory in Aleppo on Thursday in the first evacuations under a deal for opposition fighters to leave the city after years of fighting. The rebel withdrawal will pave the way for President Bashar al-Assad’s forces to reclaim complete control of Syria’s second city, handing the regime its biggest victory in more than five […]
Aleppo’s famed Old City left ‘unrecognisable’ by war
by Rim Haddad Agence France Presse ALEPPO, Syria (AFP) – Once renowned for its bustling souks, grand citadel and historic gates, Aleppo’s Old City has been rendered virtually unrecognisable by some of the worst violence of Syria’s war. For centuries, Aleppo was Syria’s economic and cultural powerhouse, attracting tourists from around the world to its celebrated heritage sites. But now, only gaunt stray cats roam the rubble-strewn alleyways of its Old City, a UNESCO World […]
Bombs rain down as Syria declares truce over
ALEPPO, Syria (AFP) – by Karam al-Masri Shells and bombs rained down on rebel-held eastern Aleppo on Monday less than two hours after Syria’s army declared an end to a week-long ceasefire agreed between Russia and the US. Damascus and its ally Moscow blamed rebels for the failure of the truce, but Washington said the terms had not been met for a key aspect of the deal — US-Russia cooperation against jihadists. The US, Russia […]
Russia launches first Syria raids from Iran base
MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) – by Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber Russia said Tuesday its warplanes flew out of an Iranian airbase for the first time to bomb jihadist groups in Syria, as fighting raged for control of the ravaged city of Aleppo. The deployment marks a major switch in the bombing campaign the Kremlin launched in September to support Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, as until now Moscow had only flown raids out of its bases in Syria and Russia. Russia’s defence […]
Both sides brace for crucial battle for Syria’s Aleppo
BEIRUT, Lebanon (AFP) – by Layal Abou Rahal with Karam al-Masri in Aleppo Syrian regime forces and rebel factions sent hundreds of reinforcements to Aleppo on Monday as both sides braced for a crucial battle to control the country’s second city. Fighting for Syria’s former economic powerhouse is intensifying after an opposition advance at the weekend broke through a three-week government siege of the city’s rebel-held east, dealing a major setback to regime troops. Rebel […]
My long overdue review of “Captain America: Civil War”
QUEZON City, Philippines (May 27) – “Captain America: Civil War” is one of the most-awaited films of 2016. That said, take away the cool special effects and spectacular action scenes and you have a mildly-entertaining film that can be summarized like this: “He is my best friend and I will take his side no matter what!” Did I mention that this review will be full of spoilers? Our favorite superhero team is thrown into a dilemma […]
Actor Martin Freeman joins Marvel’s ‘Captain America: Civil War’
MAY 6 (Reuters) — From solving murders in central London with “Sherlock” and traipsing through Middle Earth in “The Hobbit,” actor Martin Freeman is heading into the Marvel universe, the Walt Disney Co-owned studio said on Tuesday (May 05). Freeman, 43, who played Bilbo Baggins in “The Hobbit” trilogy and won an Emmy for his role as Dr. John Watson alongside Benedict Cumberbatch’s crime-solving detective in BBC’s popular “Sherlock” series, is joining the cast of […]
Marine Widow on Iraq: “I Feel Like a High Price Has Been Paid Already”
As Iraq inches closer to civil war and recent violence threatens to undo years of U.S. peacekeeping efforts, one Marine widow says it’s too much to bear.
Conflict in Iraq drives oil prices higher
The sudden eruption of an al Qaeda-linked militant insurgency in northern Iraq last week triggered the biggest oil price spike in almost a year, as traders feared a civil war that might also draw in oil-rich neighbors.
DFA points out four exit routes in Libya
Because of the worsening civil war in Libya, the Department of Foreign Affairs indicated four exit routes that Filipinos can use to leave the country.





