President warns ‘extremists thrive in chaos’ as he resists US lawmakers’ calls to involve US any deeper in Syrian uprising. Barack Obama delivered a grave warning on Friday about the danger of post-Assad Syria becoming a haven for Islamist extremists. He portrayed a nightmare scenario in which Syrian institutions were destroyed beyond recognition and the country divided by sectarianism,... 

France’s intervention in northern Mali against Islamist extremists has disrupted the supply of cocaine to Europe, reported Middle East Online. In January, France sent in troops to combat al-Qaeda linked extremists who controlled the northern swathe of the country for nine months and were threatening to extend their reach southwards towards the capital Bamako. Extremist groups have long engaged in...