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Blinken seeks to avert Syria turmoil with Europeans on final trip

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Rome Thursday for talks with European counterparts on bringing stability to Syria in the face of Turkish threats against Kurdish forces there.It is the final stage in what is likely his last tour in the role before US President Joe Biden makes way for President-elect Donald Trump later this month.Blinken, on a trip that has taken him to South Korea, Japan and France, will dine in Rome with counterparts from Britain, France, Germany and Italy.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Blinken seeks to avert Syria turmoil with Europeans on final trip

37 killed in north Syria clashes between pro-Turkey, Kurdish forces: monitor

Battles between Turkish-backed groups, supported by air strikes, and Kurdish-led forces killed 37 people on Thursday in Syria's northern Manbij region, a war monitor said.The latest reported fighting comes despite the United States saying Wednesday that it was working to address Turkey's concerns in Syria to dissuade the NATO ally from escalating an offensive against Kurdish fighters.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: 37 killed in north Syria clashes between pro-Turkey, Kurdish forces: monitor

Polish president says don't arrest Netanyahu at Auschwitz ceremony

Poland's president has urged the government not to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should he attend the Auschwitz liberation anniversary event later this month, his office said Thursday.The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in November over the Gaza war, prompting outrage from Israel and its allies.Poland, as a party to the ICC, would be required to arrest Netanyahu if he attended the ceremony marking 80 years since the Red Army liberated the Nazi German death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Polish president says don't arrest Netanyahu at Auschwitz ceremony

French mayor pulls recycling campaign Iran deemed "offensive"

A French city on Thursday removed posters depicting Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after Tehran called the images "insulting", in the latest incident in a period of strained relations between the two countries.The southern city of Beziers ran a campaign on buses calling for selective sorting of waste using portraits of Iran's Khamenei, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: French mayor pulls recycling campaign Iran deemed "offensive"

Macron welcomes 'crucial election' of new Lebanon president

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday welcomed the "crucial election" by Lebanese lawmakers of army chief Joseph Aoun as president after a two-year vacuum at the top, calling his victory an opportunity for reform in the country.Aoun faces the daunting tasks of overseeing a ceasefire in south Lebanon and naming a prime minister able to lead reforms demanded by international creditors to save the country from its worst economic crisis in history.He is widely seen as the preferred pick of army backer the United States, as well as regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Macron welcomes 'crucial election' of new Lebanon president