Extremist forces sweeping through Iraq in a rampage across northern and western parts of the country have declared an “Islamic Caliphate” and ordered Muslims the world over to pledge allegiance to them, in an outrageous bid to stamp their authority. Meanwhile, federal Iraqi forces have pressed their counter-attack on Monday against militants in the city of Tikrit, one of several …

International Rights group Amnesty International has gathered evidence which suggests that extrajudicial executions of detainees have been conducted by Shi’ite militias and government forces in the cities of Mosul, Ba’quba and Tal ‘Afar. Relatives of those executed and surviving detainees had given graphic, detailed accounts of the executions, which suggest that Iraqi forces had carried out several vindictive attacks against …

In the wake of the reelection, so farcical it drove every self-respecting, democratic man to absolute disgust, what could the dictator’s next steps possibly be? The Assad regime and its officials, namely Bouthayna Chaaban and Faysal el Mokdad, among others, have insisted on insulting the intelligence of the people by claiming that France, as well as the entire democratic world, …

On Friday, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq’s top Shiite cleric, urged his nation’s political leaders to overcome their differences and form a government that could see off the advances of militants who have swept through large swathes of the country. Sistani,, who is a revered cleric within the Shi’ite majority community and whose stature dwarfs that of all politicians in …

The Syrian opposition late on Thursday sacked the military command of the rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA) over allegations of corruption, several hours after US President Barack Obama asked US lawmakers for $500 million in aid for moderate rebels. In his statement, opposition chief Ahmad Tohme said that the opposition had “decided to disband the Supreme Military Council and refer …

On Friday, the Israeli Air Force reportedly struck at a target in Gaza Strip, killing two Palestinians in the process. A spokesman for the Palestinian Health Ministry said that the target for the Israelis was a civilian vehicle driving along the Gaza coast, close to the al-Shati refugee camp and Ismail Haniyeh’s home, second in command of Hamas. Several others …

The Institute for Economics and Peace has released its Global Peace Index report for the year 2014, and several North African and Middle Eastern nations performed poorly owing to the violence in the region. Countries were graded peace scores based on 22 different indicators, with each of the different indicators weighted according to importance. According to the report, global peace …

NCCM Op-Ed about government’s failure to assist Canadians detained abroad By Amy Awad There’s something about a Canadian passport that offers its owner a degree of confidence. After all, in the hierarchy of citizenships, Canada ranks near the top. A Canadian passport can get you into 170 countries without a visa. But it can’t get you out of jail; even …

On Thursday, UN Under-secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos accused Syria of putting more effort into obstructing the UN than providing aid to millions of needy people. Amos, presenting the fourth UN report on humanitarian access in Syria, stressed that around 10.8 million are in critical need of humanitarian aid, and that workers could not reach …

US President Barack Obama has asked his nation’s Congress to approve $500 million in aid to equip and train “moderate” Syrian rebel forces. The funds would go a long way in helping Syrians defend themselves against President Bashar al-Assad’s forces, the White House said. It also said that the aid could also help counter militants like the Islamic State in …