Archives for August, 2020

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi (C-R) and his Emirati counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan (C-L) speak to journalists upon the latter's arrival in the capital Amman on March 13, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / Khalil MAZRAAWI (Photo credit should read KHALIL MAZRAAWI/AFP via Getty Images)

Jordan worries Israel-UAE deal will scuttle two-state solution

Jordan has always been a staunch supporter of the two-state solution and the Arab Peace Initiative, but that might not mean much anymore after Israel and the UAE agreed to normalize ties under a historic US-brokered deal.

United Arab Emirates

JERUSALEM, ISRAEL - MARCH 09: U.S Vice President Joe Biden gives a speech at the office meeting with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on March 9, 2016 in Jerusalem, Israel. U.S. Vice President Joe Biden is on a two day visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories. (Photo by Ilia Yefimovich/Getty Images)

Netanyahu fears that Biden as president would renew Iran deal

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu maintains a friendly relationship with US presidential candidate Joe Biden, but fears that if elected, President Biden would return to talks with Iran.

Nubian Egyptian women sell souvenirs in the village of Gharb Suhail near Aswan in Upper Egypt, some 920 kilometres south of the capital Cairo, on February 5, 2020. - The Nubian language, according to locals, is unpractised by many in the generation born decades after their mass eviction from their ancestral lands to make way for the construction of the Aswan High Dam on the Nile in the 1960s. Built under Egypt's late president Gamal Abdel Nasser, the colossal project aimed to harness the Nile's annual flood

Egypt shows interest in Nubian community after years of marginalization

The marginalized Nubian community is back at the forefront in Egypt with a boat race festival to preserve Nubian heritage, held for a second time in Aswan governorate.

US won't seek death penalty for Islamic State 'Beatles' if UK shares evidence, Barr says

The United States will move forward with plans to prosecute El Shafee Elsheikh and Alexanda Kotey if the United Kingdom, their home country, shares key evidence.

Turkish foreign minister visits Venezuela

Mevlut Cavusoglu's trip is notable given US sanctions on Venezuela. Turkey previously sent medical aid to the South American country.

US Vice President Joe Biden (L) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu give joint statements to press in the prime minister's office in Jerusalem on March 9, 2016.
Biden implicitly criticised Palestinian leaders for not condemning attacks against Israelis, as an upsurge in violence marred his visit.

/ AFP / POOL AND AFP / DEBBIE HILL (Photo credit should read DEBBIE HILL/AFP via Getty Images)

The Takeaway: Will US presidential election impact Israeli decision on annexation?

Five takes on the UAE Deal: Israel as ‘belle of the ball’; a ‘nonsense’ deal; a business windfall; Egypt’s missed opportunities.

Democratic National Convention discusses Iran, Israel on day two

Former Secretary of State John Kerry touted the Iran deal and pro-Palestine activist Linda Sarsour discussed party unity as Joe Biden officially became the party's presidential nominee.

Iraq's Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein (L) speaks during a press conference with US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo at the State Department in Washington, DC on August 19, 2020. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Intel: Iraq to ink oil deal with Chevron, foreign minister says

The Iraqi government will sign an agreement with American oil company Chevron, Iraq’s Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said during his visit to Washington on Wednesday.

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - AUGUST 05: Women chant slogans and wave signs during a demonstration for the prevention of violence against women on August 05, 2020 in Istanbul, Turkey. Women's rights groups staged simultaneous protests in various Turkish cities in support of the Istanbul Convention on domestic violence against women. The Istanbul Convention is an international agreement for the prevention of violence against women. Forty six countries signed the agreement started by the European Council in 2011. Turk

Outrage at violence unites women across Turkey's ideological divide

Turkish women across political and ideological divides are united in anger over news that an abduction and rape victim has died.

Iranian Shiite Muslims beat their chests as they take part in the 'Kharrah Mali' (Rubbing Mud) ritual during the Ashura religious ceremony in the city of Khorramabad, 470 kms southwest of Tehran, on October 01, 2017.
"Khrreh Mali" or "Mud Rubbing" is a ritual that is held in the city of Khorramabad every year to commemorate the seventh century slaying of Prophet Mohammed's grandson Imam Hussein, in which Iranian men roll over in mud and dry themselves by gathering around the bonfires before flagellating the

Iran’s coronavirus death toll hits 20,000 as nation braces for more

The mortality figure ticked up to the new milestone just as Iranians prepare for mass religious ceremonies that many fear could further exacerbate the crisis.

US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo listens to a reporter's question during a press conference with Iraq's Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein at the State Department in Washington, DC on August 19, 2020. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Intel: Pompeo says US to trigger snapback sanctions on Iran 'soon'

The Donald Trump administration will "soon" act on its threat to trigger a return of international sanctions on Iran, Secretary of State Pompeo said Wednesday after the United States lost its bid to indefinitely extend an arms embargo on Tehran.

What are Biden's Mideast positions?

As the former vice president officially becomes the Democratic Party's nominee for president, a look back on his positions shows he differs from Trump on Iran and Saudi Arabia, and he has been asked to answer for his vote on the 2002 Iraq War resolution.

Teachers, rabbis at odds over satirical Israeli TV show

Conservative activists are protesting the popular comedy show "The Jews are Coming," though supporters say its irreverence is crucial to Israeli society.

Israel calls out Hezbollah on tribunal decision

Israel’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying that the verdict in the Rafic Hariri case clearly shows Hezbollah’s responsibility for the murder.

Bedouin women react during a protest against home demolitions on January 18, 2017 in the Bedouin village of Umm al-Hiran, which is not recognized by the Israeli government, near the southern city of Beersheba, in the Negev desert.
An Israeli policeman was killed while taking part in an operation to demolish homes in the Bedouin village, with authorities claiming he was targeted in a car-ramming attack. The driver was earlier reported shot dead by police as residents disputed the police version of events, sa

Several Israeli-Bedouin see their citizenship revoked

Faced with a growing number of people whose Israeli citizenship has been revoked, the Bedouin find it hard to accept explanations in regard to bureaucratic mistakes.

Lebanese public health crisis includes trauma, mental health after explosion

The Lebanese people, already reeling under tough economic, social and political conditions, face another public health crisis after the explosion on Aug. 4 in Beirut.