Blinken Meets Jordan's King to Discuss Syria

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken disembarks his aircraft upon arrival in the Red Sea city of Aqaba, Jordan on December 12, 2024.  ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/Pool via REUTERS
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken disembarks his aircraft upon arrival in the Red Sea city of Aqaba, Jordan on December 12, 2024. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/Pool via REUTERS
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Blinken Meets Jordan's King to Discuss Syria

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken disembarks his aircraft upon arrival in the Red Sea city of Aqaba, Jordan on December 12, 2024.  ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/Pool via REUTERS
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken disembarks his aircraft upon arrival in the Red Sea city of Aqaba, Jordan on December 12, 2024. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/Pool via REUTERS

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Jordan's King Abdullah in the Red Sea town of Aqaba on Thursday as he arrived in the region for talks on Syria following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad.
Blinken, who will head to Türkiye later on Thursday, this week set out Washington's hopes for Syria's political transition, saying it would recognize a future Syrian government that amounts to a credible, inclusive and non-sectarian governing body.
Blinken will discuss US priorities of ensuring Syria's chemical weapons stockpiles are secured and destroyed, facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid and that the country is not used as a "base of terrorism," the State Department said.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) is playing a key role in Damascus after it led the ouster of Assad, ending a 50-year family dynasty in a swift takeover after 13 years of civil war.
Blinken, the top diplomat in the outgoing administration of President Joe Biden, will also meet Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Thursday and will discuss Israel's conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon during his trip, the State Department said.



EU Condemns Israel's West Bank Control Measures

The Israeli settlement of Har Homa, seen from the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (AP)
The Israeli settlement of Har Homa, seen from the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (AP)
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EU Condemns Israel's West Bank Control Measures

The Israeli settlement of Har Homa, seen from the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (AP)
The Israeli settlement of Har Homa, seen from the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (AP)

The European Union on Monday condemned new Israeli measures to tighten control of the West Bank and pave the way for more settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, AFP reported.

"The European Union condemns recent decisions by Israel's security cabinet to expand Israeli control in the West Bank. This move is another step in the wrong direction," EU spokesman Anouar El Anouni told journalists.


Atrocities in Sudan's El-Fasher Were 'Preventable Human Rights Catastrophe'

Sudanese displaced people who left El Fasher after its fall, sit in the shade in Tawila at the Rwanda camp reception point on December 17, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
Sudanese displaced people who left El Fasher after its fall, sit in the shade in Tawila at the Rwanda camp reception point on December 17, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
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Atrocities in Sudan's El-Fasher Were 'Preventable Human Rights Catastrophe'

Sudanese displaced people who left El Fasher after its fall, sit in the shade in Tawila at the Rwanda camp reception point on December 17, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
Sudanese displaced people who left El Fasher after its fall, sit in the shade in Tawila at the Rwanda camp reception point on December 17, 2025. (Photo by AFP)

The atrocities unleashed on El-Fasher in Sudan's Darfur region last October were a "preventable human rights catastrophe", the United Nations said Monday, warning they now risked being repeated in the neighbouring Kordofan region.

 

"My office sounded the alarm about the risk of mass atrocities in the besieged city of El-Fasher for more than a year ... but our warnings were ignored," UN rights chief Volker Turk told the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

 

He added that he was now "extremely concerned that these violations and abuses may be repeated in the Kordofan region".

 

 

 

 


Arab League Condemns Israel's Decisions to Alter Legal, Administrative Status of West Bank

A general view shows the opening session of the meeting of Arab foreign ministers at the Arab League Headquarters (Reuters)
A general view shows the opening session of the meeting of Arab foreign ministers at the Arab League Headquarters (Reuters)
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Arab League Condemns Israel's Decisions to Alter Legal, Administrative Status of West Bank

A general view shows the opening session of the meeting of Arab foreign ministers at the Arab League Headquarters (Reuters)
A general view shows the opening session of the meeting of Arab foreign ministers at the Arab League Headquarters (Reuters)

The General Secretariat of the Arab League strongly condemned decisions by Israeli occupation authorities to impose fundamental changes on the legal and administrative status of the occupied Palestinian territories, particularly in the West Bank, describing them as a dangerous escalation and a flagrant violation of international law, international legitimacy resolutions, and signed agreements, SPA reported.

In a statement, the Arab League said the measures include facilitating the confiscation of private Palestinian property and transferring planning and licensing authorities in the city of Hebron and the area surrounding the Ibrahimi Mosque to occupation authorities.

It warned of the serious repercussions of these actions on the rights of the Palestinian people and on Islamic and Christian holy sites.

The statement reaffirmed the Arab League’s firm support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, foremost among them the establishment of their independent state on the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.