The West should seek the further weakening of Islamic State, but not its destruction. A weak but functioning IS can undermine the appeal of the caliphate among radical Muslims; keep bad actors focused on one another rather than on Western targets; and hamper Iran’s quest for regional hegemony. Source Besa
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov ruled out for Russia the publication of offensive caricatures on Islam following French magazine, Charlie Hebdo’s provocation. Source Daily Sabah
Take mayor Frank Kracht for example. He would never have anticipated being treated like a terrorist or dictator. Certainly not for holding political office in the German seaside town of Sassnitz, or for being responsible for the city’s port on the Baltic Sea.
He now faces sanctions from a bipartisan coalition in the US Congress, opposed to the deepening economic ties with Russia and European dependence that the project allegedly represents. Source EuroObserver
French President Emmanuel Macron has announced a new nationwide lockdown from Friday to stem a surge in coronavirus patients in French hospitals, warning that the second wave of the virus is “likely to be deadlier than the first”. Source France24
