Archives for January, 2016

Will missing text message disqualify Khomeini’s grandson?

Confusion over how Hassan Khomeini was informed about taking an exam may lead to his disqualification to run in the Assembly of Experts elections.

Tehran’s smog problem unlikely to clear up anytime soon

Both as public servants, a father and daughter have sought to address Tehran's air pollution for decades, but Iran's highly politicized environmental crisis is a tangled issue.

Armenia's President Serzh Sargsyan (L-R), Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko, Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev, Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Kyrgyzstan's President Almazbek Atambayev pose for a family photo during a meeting of the heads of state of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council at the Burabai resort near Astana, Kazakhstan, October 16, 2015. The meeting of ex-Soviet leaders, including Putin, have agreed to create a joint task force to defend external borders in crisis situat

First the Middle East, now Central Asia slipping away from Turkey

Having lost influence in the Middle East, Turkey finds itself increasingly isolated from Central Asia and the Caucasus after its dust-up with Russia in Syria.

Israeli police officers cordon off the scene of a shooting incident in Tel Aviv, Israel January 1, 2016. One person was killed and several were wounded in a shooting incident in central Tel Aviv on Friday, Israeli media said. A police spokesman confirmed there had been several casualties but would not say if anyone was killed in the incident on Dizengoff Street. REUTERS/Nir Elias - RTX20PRI

What happened to the mighty Shin Bet?

Neshat Melhem, who carried out a terror attack on Jan. 1 in Tel Aviv, has managed so far to fool the Israeli security apparatus and escape the scene.

People operate heavy machinery during the building of a new road between Diyala province and Samarra December 21, 2014. A Shi'ite paramilitary organization is constructing a road to strengthen its positions across the mixed areas of Diyala and neighbouring Salahuddin province. The Badr Organization, a leading political party and militia with ties to Iran, is supervising the new road, which leads to Samarra. It means Badr can resupply troops guarding Samarra, currently surrounded by Islamic State, and the 3

After liberation from IS, Iraqi cities await reconstruction

After the Islamic State was defeated in several areas in Iraq, it seems the reconstruction promises have yet to be fulfilled in the absence of funds.

A police cordon is seen near the scene of a shooting incident in Tel Aviv, Israel January 1, 2016. A gunman killed two people and wounded at least three others in central Tel Aviv on Friday before fleeing, Israeli police said, adding that the motive for the attack was unclear. REUTERS/Nir Elias - RTX20PWU

'Normal' life under fire in Tel Aviv

Despite its security bluster, the Israeli leadership is increasingly leaving it to Israelis to defend themselves as the wave of violence penetrates the Tel Aviv "bubble."

A memorial still remains outside as workers return to work for the first time at the Inland Regional Center (IRC) in San Bernardino, California, January 4, 2016. The office building in San Bernardino, California, where 14 people were massacred last month by a married couple inspired by Islamist militants, reopened on Monday. Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, stormed into a holiday party attended by his co-workers from a San Bernardino County social services agency and opened fire on Dec. 2, k

Congress seeks to punish countries that fail to hinder foreign fighters

The House Foreign Affairs panel will vote this week on a plan to combat international travel by terrorists.

A Sudanese farmer works on his corn farm on the banks of the river Nile in Khartoum November 11, 2009. For centuries, farmers like Berhanu Gudina have eked out a living in Ethiopia's central lowlands, tending tiny plots of maize, wheat or barley amid the vastness of the lush green plains. Now, they find themselves working cheek by jowl with high-tech commercial farms stretching over thousands of hectares tilled by state-of-the-art tractors -- and owned and operated by foreigners. Picture taken November 11,

Will Saudi agricultural investments in Sudan leave Egypt high and dry?

Experts say Egypt can’t afford to remain stoic about Sudan’s ever-rising water needs.

The Palestinian Authority's plan to dismantle itself

The Palestinian leadership has a tentative strategy in place for the dismantlement of the Palestinian Authority and the establishment of a state under Israeli occupation.

Relatives of journalist Abdul Kareem al-Khaiwani attend his funeral procession in Sanaa March 24, 2015. Assailants on a motorbike last week shot dead al-Khaiwani, one of Yemen's top journalists who is also an activist close to the country's dominant Houthi group, police sources said. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah - RTR4UO9O

Will Yemen’s journalists fare better in 2016?

In 2015, some journalists in Yemen suffered so much harassment and abuse that they quit their jobs and fled the country.

Head of Egypt's Wafd Party denounces electoral bribery

Wafd Party leader Sayyid al-Badawi maintains that bribery and fraud in the recent elections are viable threats that strike at the very heart of Egypt's unstable political life.

Muslim pilgrims pray around the holy Kaaba at the Grand Mosque ahead of the annual haj pilgrimage in Mecca September 21, 2015. REUTERS/Ahmad Masood - RTS24CV

Will Iran suspend hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia?

After Riyadh severed diplomatic relations with Tehran and suspended direct flights between the two countries, some are wondering if Iranian pilgrims will be banned.

Shi'ite protesters carry posters of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr during a demonstration in front of Saudi Arabia's Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, January 3, 2016. REUTERS/Osman Orsal - RTX20V2E

Saudi-Iranian crisis complicates Ankara’s regional plans

Islamists and secularists alike want Turkey to stay out of the Iranian-Saudi conflict.

Three faiths, three commanders

The Popular Mobilization Units, initially identified as a Shiite militia, is changing the course of the battles in Iraq with participation of Sunnis and Christians.

A Palestinian employee paid by Palestinian Authority stands next to a policeman as he waits to receive his salary outside a closed bank in Gaza City June 5, 2014. A Palestinian unity government formed by President Mahmoud Abbas and the Islamist Hamas group faced its first and serious challenge on Thursday when civil servants of Hamas, who were not on the payment list, scuffled with those cashing their salaries. Civil servants employed by Hamas since 2007 arrived and prevented employees paid by the Palestini

Does draft Palestinian social security law really protect workers?

The draft social security law has been widely criticized for failing to provide workers sufficient retirement pensions or protection in cases of work-related disability.

Why are Iranian investors shrugging at nuclear deal?

Despite the signing of the nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers, the Tehran Stock Exchange is still far below its levels before negotiations began under President Hassan Rouhani's rule.