A political scientist with ties to gulf countries and Syrian tribes: Who is Salem al-Meslet, the new head of the Syrian Opposition Coalition? The Syrian opposition coalition elected Salem al-Meslet as its new head, who sparked both optimistic and pessimistic reactions. Born in Hassakeh in 1958, al-Meslet is a sheikh …

Hassan Nasrallah called the U.S. claims of fighting ISIS in Syria a lie, accusing the ‘occupation forces’ of looting the country, the Syria Times writes. The Secretary-General of the Lebanese Hezbollah Resistance Movement Hassan Nasrallah has affirmed that the U.S claims about fighting ISIS in Syria are false and flimsy, …

The President of the opposition held a virtual meeting with the Central Committee and revolutionary forces in southern Syria to discuss the situation in Daraa, according to the SOC. The President of the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC), Salem al-Meslet, held a virtual meeting with representatives of the Central Committee and …

The global coalition to defeat ISIS, which is led by the U.S., is intensifying its presence in the al-Tanf area and training an allied militia, according to al-Soruai Net. The Tanf military base in Syria is witnessing intensive training by the U.S.-backed international coalition for the Syrian factions present there, …

The scene was a familiar one as warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum jetted into northern Afghanistan this week — a promise of bloodshed and vengeance, and no apology for his vicious past. Despite a series of war crimes linked to his forces, the Afghan government is hoping Dostum’s military acumen and …

Massoud’s father may be a household name, but that’s no guarantee Macron will arm guerrillas in the Panjshir Valley. America may have abandoned Afghanistan, but the most prominent anti-Taliban rebel in the country is pinning his hopes on support from France. For Ahmad Massoud, France is the most natural place …

The Panjshir Valley north of Afghanistan’s capital Kabul is the final major centre of resistance to the Taliban, but analysts say the fighters gathered there will struggle if the Islamist hardliners launch a full-scale attack. Surrounded by the high peaks of the Hindu Kush north of Kabul, the Panjshir has …

Adiplomatic quarrel broke out between Slovakia and Hungary after the speaker of the Hungarian parliament, Laszlo Kover, spoke about past Slovak “sins” unforgiven by Hungarians during a ceremony in southwest Slovakia held in memory of Hungarians expelled at the end of World War II. The Slovak Foreign Ministry took umbrage …

The decision by Poland and the Baltic nations to legalise the pushback of migrants at the Belarusian border is leading to a dangerous game of ping pong with vulnerable people, as BIRN has witnessed. When BIRN came across Safaa Alnaseri near the village of Minkowce in northeast Poland, on the …

Local courts in several EU countries, including Austria, Italy, and Slovenia, have ruled in favour of refugees and migrants who were pushed back over the bloc’s external borders, but can they stop the practice altogether? It was raining. Ayoub and his six companions were soaked through and shivering in the …