Archives for October, 2020

Sunni Muslim men pray over the bodies of eight out of 12 fellow Iraqis, who were reportedly kidnapped on October 17 and later some of them found shot dead, during their burial ceremony in the Farhatiya area of the Balad region, located 70 kilometres (around 45 miles) north of Baghdad in the Salaheddin province, on October 18, 2020. - Local sources said the four other kidnapped men have not been found and the identity of the assailants remains unknown in the mysterious crime. (Photo by - / AFP) (Photo by -/A

Iraqi Sunni politicians organize a new political front

Dozens of Iraqi Sunni lawmakers have met to discuss forming a new alliance after eight youths were killed with alleged involvement by Shiite-led factions in Salahuddin province.

Saudi students pass their final exams at a workshop in the Higher Institute for Plastics Fabrication on June 13, 2016 in Riyadh.
The students at the Higher Institute for Plastics Fabrication (HIPF) learn to manufacture plastic bags, pipes, bottles and other products, skills they immediately put to work in what the government says is a unique model. Reducing the kingdom's high unemployment rate is a foundation -- and major challenge -- of the government's wide-ranging Vision 2030 reform plan unveiled in Apr

Can Gulf states adopt universal basic income?

Existing social welfare systems have insulated Gulf nationals from changing economic realities and the likelihood of a major global energy transition in the coming decades.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a joint statement to the press with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (unseen) after meeting in Jerusalem, on August 24, 2020. - Pompeo arrived in Israel kicking off a five-day visit to the Middle East which will take him to Sudan, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, focusing on Israel's normalising of ties with the UAE and pushing other Arab states to follow suit. (Photo by DEBBIE HILL / various sources / AFP) (Photo by DEBBIE HILL/AFP via Getty Im

Israel preoccupied with domestic ills as ties warm with Khartoum

Israel and Sudan have agreed to establish diplomatic relations, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seems to be celebrating alone as the news media focus on the coronavirus crisis and wide demonstrations.

Russian fighter jets drop bombs over the Ashuluk military base in Southern Russia on September 22, 2020 during the "Caucasus-2020" military drills gathering China, Iran, Pakistan and Myanmar troops, along with ex-Soviet Armenia, Azerbaijan and Belarus. - Up to 250 tanks and around 450 infantry combat vehicles and armoured personnel carriers will take part in the September 21 to 26 land and naval exercises that will involve 80,000 people including support staff. (Photo by Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP) (Photo by DIM

Can Russia return to Iranian arms market following end of weapons embargo?

With the end of the UN arms embargo, Iran could be looking to purchase new additions to its defense system — could Russia become a main supplier again?

Would Mideast leaders prefer Trump or Biden to deal with Iran?

Whoever wins the election, a new Iran deal would require a regional consensus and some tough diplomacy with Putin.

UK to return 5,000 ancient artifacts to Iraq

Included in the repatriation is a 4,000-year-old Sumerian relic discovered in an online auction.

Democratic senators demand inquiry into alleged Turkish and Azerbaijani human rights abuses

Turkey has responded to some of the recent criticisms it has received from Democrats in Washington. The recent call from the Senate focuses Turkish support for Azerbaijan in the war with Armenia.

Israel will not oppose US sale of 'certain weapon systems' to United Arab Emirates

The announcement likely refers to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

United Arab Emirates

Sudan to recognize Israel after US rescinds Khartoum’s terror designation

The White House said Sudan would be the latest country to recognize Israel after it leveraged lifting Khartoum's terror sponsor designation

Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Political Affairs in Libya Stephanie Williams attends a press conference on talks between the rival factions in the Libya conflict on October 21, 2020 at the United Nations offices in Geneva. - The UN's Libya envoy said she was "quite optimistic" about the prospects of a ceasefire emerging from ongoing talks between the two warring factions. Two days into the talks at the United Nations in Geneva, scheduled to last until October 24, 2020, the two

Libya's rival parties sign 'permanent' nationwide cease-fire

The Government of National Accord and Libyan National Army agreed to the truce during UN-sponsored talks in Geneva.

TOPSHOT - Flames are seen following an Israeli air strike in the town of Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, early on October 23, 2020. - The Israeli army said two rockets were fired from Gaza towards Israel on the night of October 22, without causing any casualties or damage, and that one had been intercepted by air defences. (Photo by SAID KHATIB / AFP) (Photo by SAID KHATIB/AFP via Getty Images)

Israel bombs Gaza after sustaining rocket fire

Israel frequently clashes with Hamas and other groups in Gaza, and the two last agreed to a cease-fire in September.

Smoke billows from a reported Russian airstrike near the village of Hafsarjah, in the western countryside of Idlib province in northwestern Syria, on September 11, 2020. (Photo by Abdulaziz KETAZ / AFP) (Photo by ABDULAZIZ KETAZ/AFP via Getty Images)

Intel: US drone strike kills at least 10 at al-Qaeda meeting in Idlib

Some of the dead were reportedly rivals of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

A picture taken on August 20, 2018 shows a general view of the US Embassy, in Ankara. - Gunshots were fired early on Augsut 20, 2018 at the US embassy in Ankara but caused no casualties, Turkish and American officials said, amid escalating tensions between the two NATO allies. Six shots were fired at the US embassy, the Ankara governor's office said, adding that three bullets hit the iron gate and window wall. The incident come as Ankara and Washington are locked in a bitter dispute over Turkey's detention

US Embassy in Turkey warns of terror threat against Americans

The statement urged US citizens to avoid crowds and keep a low profile in areas frequented by foreigners.

Iran desperate to maintain Iraqi financial lifeline

Iran seeks to maintain the flow of hard currency from Iraq to help it overcome the US sanctions.

A picture taken at the port of Dilovasi, outside Istanbul, on June 20, 2019 shows the drilling ship 'Yavuz' scheduled to search for oil and gas off Cyprus. - Turkey is set to send a new ship on June 20 to search for oil and gas off Cyprus, in a move expected to escalate tensions after the EU called on Ankara to stop its "illegal drilling activities". The region near the divided island is believed have rich natural gas deposits, triggering a race between Turkey and the internationally recognised Cyprus, whic

What now for Turkey in Cyprus and eastern Mediterranean?

The election of Turkey’s favorite candidate in the Turkish Cypriot presidential elections may create more problems than opportunities for Ankara in the eastern Mediterranean.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrive to hold a joint press statement following their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 5, 2020. (Photo by Pavel Golovkin / POOL / AFP) (Photo by PAVEL GOLOVKIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Cracks in Turkish-Russian ties begin to show

Mistrust instead of the spirit of mutually beneficial political cooperation is guiding current relations between Ankara and Moscow.