The World This Week: Raqqa, Kirkuk, Xi Jinping, Malta, #balancetonporc

Syria: Rare Testimony from a Jihadist's Wife in Raqqa

'We Are Increasing Terrorism by Bombarding IS' - BBC News

Jürgen Todenhöfer is a German journalist and former MP who spent 10 days with IS last year - the first Western journalist to do so. He spoke to Ros Atkins about what he believes would be the most effective way to deal with IS.

Secret Video Shows Life Inside Islamic State Stronghold of Raqqa

BBC: Syria's information minister has criticised the first British air strikes on so-called Islamic State (IS) targets in the country, describing them as "a noise of bombing and propaganda".

Omran Zoubi told the BBC that anyone wanting to fight terrorism was welcome, but that they should follow Russia's example and work with the Syrian government.

Lyse Doucet reports from the Syrian capital, Damascus, as footage emerges showing life under IS in their stronghold of Raqqa in Syria. (+ BBC video) » | Thursday, December 3, 2015

France Launches 'Massive' Airstrikes In Wake Of Paris Attacks

THE GUARDIAN: As planes took off for Syria to strike Isis, French police issued wanted notice for Brussels-born Salah Abdeslam, thought to be involved in attacks

France launched “massive” airstrikes against the Islamic State’s de facto capital in Syria on Sunday as French and Belgian police hunted a fugitive who was among the perpetrators of Friday’s bloody wave of suicide bombings and shootings in Paris.

As evidence mounted of a sophisticated, multinational terror operation with links to at least three European countries and the Middle East, 12 French aircraft including 10 fighter jets dropped a total of 20 bombs on a jihadi training camp and munitions dump in the city of Raqqa.

A French defence ministry statement said the strike, launched in coordination with US forces from airfields in Jordan and the Persian Gulf, was the biggest since France extended its bombing campaign against the extremist group to Syria in September.

Meanwhile in Paris, French police had released a wanted notice for Salah Abdeslam, a 26-year-old man born in Brussels, thought to be one of three French brothers living in Belgium who were involved in the attacks, which killed 129 people and left more than 350 injured, including nearly 100 critically. Belgian police also issued an international arrest warrant in Abdeslam’s name. » | Jon Henley in Paris and Ian Traynor in Molenbeek | Monday, November 16, 2015

Isis Shuts Down Women's Clinics in Raqqa to Prevent Male Gynaecologists Treating Female Patients

THE INDEPENDENT: Activist networks report doctors are being threatened with death, and most have fled

Isis is believed to have ordered the closure of all women’s clinics supervised by male doctors in its Syrian heartlands, in the latest assault on the health and rights of women in the territories controlled by the militant group.

A culture of rape, forced marriages for child brides, the persecution of doctors and the exclusive use of medicines for militants have resulted in a crisis for women’s health under Isis’s brutal regime.

According to activists, Isis has drastically restricted the work of male gynaecologists in accordance with its leaders’ belief that men and women should be kept apart at all costs. Read on and comment » | Adam Withnall | Thursday, October 29, 2015

Isil Bans Private Internet Access in Syria's Raqqa

THE TELEGRAPH: Islamic State group bans private Wi-Fi access in Raqqa in latest communications diktat

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) has banned private Internet use inside the Syrian city of Raqqa, forcing fighters to use public Internet cafés which can be monitored.

The extremist group distributed a leaflet in the city last week warning Internet providers that they had four days to cut off private Wi-Fi connections.

The document was published online on Sunday by a group of media activists known as Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently (RBSS). Its authenticity was later confirmed by a source with contacts inside the city.

"The following is obligatory on all Internet providers: the removal of Wi-Fi connections distributed outside of Internet cafés and private connections, including for Islamic State soldiers," the leaflet read. » | Louisa Loveluck | Monday, July 20, 2015

Syrian Woman Films Life under ISIS in City of Raqqa

Syria Crisis: ISIS Imposes Rules on Christians in Raqqa

BBC: A jihadist group in Syria has demanded that Christians in the northern city of Raqqa pay a levy in gold and accept curbs on their faith, or face death.

The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) said it would give Christian residents "protection" if they agreed to the list of conditions.

The announcement came in a statement posted online.

Correspondents say ISIS is trying to implement an extreme interpretation of Islamic law in areas it controls.

Raqqa, seized by ISIS last year, was the first provincial capital to be completely in the hands of rebels.

'Risking the sword'

The directive from ISIS, citing the Islamic concept of "dhimma", requires Christians in the city to pay tax of around half an ounce (14g) of pure gold in exchange for their safety.

It says Christians must not make renovations to churches, display crosses or other religious symbols outside churches, ring church bells or pray in public.

Christians must not carry arms, and must follow other rules imposed by ISIS (also known as ISIL) on their daily lives.

The statement said the group had met Christian representatives and offered them three choices - they could convert to Islam, accept ISIS' conditions, or reject their control and risk being killed. » | Thursday, February 27, 2014