Michael Kaplan

421-450 (out of 690)

Michael Kaplan covers breaking news for the International Business Times, with a special focus on the Middle East. He previously worked as a freelance journalist covering religion, politics and human rights in Turkey, and has also spent time in Morocco, the Palestinian West Bank, Israel, Lebanon and Jordan. His work has been published in Al Jazeera English, IRIN News, Religion News Service, the Forward and more.

Iraqi Kurdistan's First Jewish Leader Wants To Revitalize Judaism And Boost Israel-Ties, But Challenges Lie Ahead

Sherzad Omer Mamsani wants a synagogue in every town, but there are practically no Jews left in Iraqi Kurdistan.

ISIS Targeting US Law Enforcement On Facebook? Colorado Police Warned After Impostor Friends Officers, Islamic State Supporters

The Facebook account used a state trooper and has stirred concern that the Islamic State group may be trying to gather intelligence on US law enforcement.

Who Was Joshua Wheeler? US Soldier Killed In Anti-ISIS Iraqi Hostage Rescue Mission

Master Sgt. Joshua Wheeler was assigned to the U.S. Army Special Operations Command in 2004 and deployed 11 times to support Mideast combat operations, the Army said.

Amid Anti-ISIS Coalition In Syria And Iraq, Oil Sales Earn $50M A Month For Islamic State

Oil sales account for the extremist group’s largest source of funding and were believed to help the group hold territory, rebuild infrastructure, pay fighters in exchange for loyalty and continue funding military endeavors.

Najib Razak Corruption Scandal: Malaysia Opposition Leader Files No-Confidence Motion Against Prime Minister

Opposition leader Wan Azizah Wan Ismail says Prime Minister Najib Razak has lost the country's confidence in a scandal.

Islamic State Graves Uncovered: 365 ISIS Corpses Found By Iraqi Forces In Reconquered Town Of Baiji

Iraqi Shiite fighters reportedly uncovered 19 mass graves just days after recapturing much of the Iraqi town of Baiji from Islamic State group militants.

Islamic State In Iraq Update: US Soldier Killed As 70 Kurdish Hostages Rescued In Hawija

At least one U.S. soldier was killed and some 70 Kurdish hostages rescued Thursday, after American and Kurdish commandos raided an Islamic State group outpost near the Iraqi town of Hawija.

Russia Airstrikes In Syria Targeting Hospitals As Doctors Grow Disgruntled By World's Silence

Russia's military involvement in Syria has exacerbated an already dire situation for Syria’s healthcare, as at least five hospitals have been forced closed by airstrikes.

South Sudan Conflict Update: 30,000 Starving To Death, Tens Of Thousands On 'Brink Of Famine,' United Nations Warns

"Since fighting broke out nearly two years ago, children have been plagued by conflict, disease, fear and hunger."

Amid Palestine-Israel Violence, Netanyahu Under Fire For Placing Holocaust Blame On Former Palestinian Leader

“Hitler didn't want to exterminate the Jews at the time, he wanted to expel the Jews ... And Haj Amin al-Husseini went to Hitler and said, 'If you expel them, they'll all come here.'

ISIS To Impose Military Conscription? Islamic State Orders Males To Register, Prompting Fear Of Forced Service In Raqqa

"There is a fear men of the city will be dragged into this grinding war they have no hand in."

Afghan Taliban Internal Rift Widens As Dissidents Plan To Choose Leader Mullah Mansoor's Replacement

A widening internal rift could create space for militants affiliated with the Islamic State group to make further gains in Afghanistan.

Russia Anti-Islamist Crackdown? 20 Supporters Of Outlawed Hizb Ut-Tahrir Group Detained, Dozens Others Under Investigation

Hizb ut-Tahrir is a controversial movement that has called for the establishment of a state based on the Islamic model of a caliphate but has rejected violence.

ISIS Urges Palestinian Jerusalem Attacks: Islamic State Group Calls For Violence Against Jews As Israel-Palestine Violence Surges

The militant group urged Palestinians to attack Jews using any means at their disposal, including knives, vehicles, poison and explosives.

Saudi Arabia To Buy US Combat Ships For $11B In Advance Of Iran Sanction Relief Despite Massive Budget Deficit

The deal comes as Saudi Arabia’s navy has sought to modernize its military defenses as it prepares for a lifting of international sanctions on Iran, its long-time regional competitor.

Turkey ISIS Child Training Camps? Dozens Of Children Arrested In Mass Raid On Islamic State Apartments

Counterterrorism police raided some 18 apartments they believed were being used as Islamic State group training camps.

Will Russia's Role In Syria Help Or Hurt ISIS? Islamic State, Al Qaeda Likely To Spread, Analysts Say

A cautious U.S. approach to the conflict in Syria suggests America’s heart isn’t fully in the fight, some critics say, fearing that Russia's involvement could make matters worse.

Syrian War Update: Aleppo Hospitals Close Following Airstrikes As Medical Organizations Blame Russian Campaign For Targeting Civilians

“Right now there is no hospital that covers the southern Aleppo region,” Zaher Sahoul of the Syrian American Medical Society said. The hospitals reportedly served some 350,000 people.

Syrian Refugee Crisis And Jordan Budget Deficit: Amid Economic Slowdown, Asylum Seekers Cost Country $6.6B

Jordan has taken in about 650,000 Syrian refugees since the civil war began, according to United Nations statistics.

Afghanistan US Troop Levels: Obama War Plan Will Continue To Back Afghan Forces As ISIS And Taliban Make Gains

President Obama's announcement Thursday was what many military strategists and political analysts expected: U.S. troops in Afghanistan beyond the planned withdrawal date.

ISIS Ankara Turkey Bombing Update: Suicide Bomber Owner Of Islamic State Cafe Well-Known To Turkish Police And Media

New reports indicate one of the two men responsible for carrying out Turkey’s deadly terrorist attack Saturday owned a well-known ISIS hang-out spot.

EU Syria Refugee Crisis Similar To Holocaust? Europe's Reluctance Echoes Continent's Response To Jewish Persecution, UN Human Rights Official Says

The U.N.'s top human rights official said the Syrian refugee debate echoed prewar rhetoric that led the world to turn its back on Jews fleeing Nazi persecution.

Turkey Bombing-ISIS Links Confirmed? Brother Of Islamic State July Suicide Bomber Carried Out Deadly Ankara Attack

Police identified the men using DNA from the bomb blast. One was the brother of an ISIS militant.

Gulf States Negotiating To Buy Israeli-Made Iron Dome Anti-Missile Technology Amid Fear Of Growing Iranian Arsenal

The Iron Dome anti-missile system has protected Israel from about 90 percent of rocket fire from Gaza, according to officials.

Who Is Lincoln Chafee? Why Former Republican Is Running For President As A Democrat

Lincoln Chafee has said he will address corporate tax evasion, end U.S. drone strikes and tackle climate change. He supports raising the minimum wage and a guest-worker program with a path toward citizenship for immigrants illegally in the country.

Bounty For Bashar Assad? Al Qaeda Nusra Front Offers $3.4M For Syrian President, $2.3M For Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah, Leader Says

The al Qaeda Syrian affiliate said the Syrian regime was close to collapse, and called on supporters to step up attacks on territory held by the government.