Every Friday, we will bring to you the top five international stories of the week, with a particular emphasis on religious liberty, justice issues, and geopolitical issues that impact liberty and justice. Because last week was Christmas, we bring to you the top 10 stories of the last two weeks.
1. Turkey and Belgium each foil New Year’s Eve attack plots. The Turkish government arrests two people with alleged ties to the so-called Islamic State on suspicion that they were planning an attack on New Year’s Eve. Meanwhile, Belgian police also foil New Year’s Eve attack plot in Brussels. Police found clothing and propaganda linked to the Islamic State, but no weapons or explosives.
2. Iraqi forces nearing victory in Ramadi, Islamic State stronghold. The so-called Islamic State had held Ramadi, the most populous city in Western Iraq, for seven months. Small pockets of resistance and booby traps remain in Ramadi, which has slowed the progress of the Iraqi advance. Retaking Ramadi from the Islamic State has been an important strategic priority for the Iraqi military and sets the stage for the battles for Falluja and Mosul.
3. Documents recovered during U.S. raid reveal Islamic State has sanctioned organ harvesting. The group’s Islamic scholars had sanctioned the harvesting of organs from living captives, raising concern that the group has been trafficking in human organs to support its operations. The ruling states, “The apostate's life and organs don't have to be respected and may be taken with impunity.” A U.S. government translation of the document is available online.
4. The family of Aylan Kurdi is reunited in Canada. Relatives of Aylan Kurdi, the boy who tragically drowned off the coast of Turkey this year, have been reunited in Canada. A photograph of the boy swept around the world in September of this year, marking a turning point in public opinion on the welcoming of Syrian refugees.
5. The U.S. reports a “troubling rise” in the number of civilian casualties in Syria from Russian airstrikes. Russia began airstrikes in Syria in September of this year. Since that time, there have been hundreds of civilian casualties from Russian strikes on emergency medical workers, hospitals, schools and markets. Russia, for its part, has denied that its airstrikes have killed any civilians.
6. Violence from Boko Haram has forced 1 million children out of school. The terrorist group’s operations in Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, and Niger has forced more than 2,000 schools to close. The group, which opposes secular education, has set some on fire and looted others. According to UNICEF, this development puts these children at greater risk of being abused, abducted or recruited by Boko Haram or other armed groups.
7. Albania is becoming the country of last resort for Syrian refugees. Albania, the country on the Balkan Peninsula bordered by Greece, Macedonia, Kosovo, and Montenegro, has formed a part of the so-called refugee highway from the Middle East to Western Europe. Because of the changing political climate toward refugees across Europe, many refugees are now forced to stay in Albania.
8. Turkey and Israel restore diplomatic ties. Turkey broke off diplomatic relations with Israel in 2010 after a deadly encounter between Israeli commandos and Turkish activists seeking to break the Israeli naval blockade of Gaza. Last week, Turkey and Israel reach a preliminary agreement to restore a full diplomatic relationship.
9. Poison smeared on lock at Paris synagogue, mildly poisoning fourteen. Emergency services were called to the Bonneuil-sur-Marne community in Paris after a number of the synagogue-goers reported burning in their eyes and skin rashes. No arrests have yet been made regarding the incident, which is the latest in a troubling trend of rising anti-semitism in Europe.
10. The most unconventional weapon in Syria is … wheat. This fascinating Washington Post story digs into the way the Assad regime and various rebel groups use bread distributions to placate and control the civilian population.
Have suggestions for a top 5 article this week or think there’s an issue we should be covering? Email me at [email protected]
