Archives for November, 2020

Vehicles belonging to Libyan fighters loyal to the Government of National Accord (GNA) are pictured during clashes with forces loyal to strongman Khalifa Haftar in al-Hira region 70 km south of the capital Tripoli, on April 23, 2019. - At least 264 people have been killed and over 1,200 wounded in weeks of fighting on the outskirts of Libya's capital, the World Health Organization said Tuesday, as African leaders gathered in Cairo to discuss the crisis. (Photo by Mahmud TURKIA / AFP) (Photo credit sh

Cairo frets over workers in Libya as Tripoli struggles to establish security

As Libya inches toward a political resolution of its long war, Egypt is focusing on protecting its workers in the country.

People visit Cairo's Museum of Islamic Art after it reopened to the public on January 19, 2017, in the egyptian capital.
The Egyptian president reopened the museum on January 18, three years after a car bombing partially destroyed the building. / AFP / MOHAMED EL-SHAHED (Photo credit should read MOHAMED EL-SHAHED/AFP via Getty Images)

Egypt holds its first Islamic exhibition in Saudi Arabia

Egypt is trying to attract Saudi tourists by holding an exhibition of Egyptian Islamic antiquities in Saudi Arabia, which includes 84 artifacts from the collections of Islamic art in Cairo.

Trump administration unveils more sanctions tied to Iran

Six companies and four people were blacklisted by the Treasury Department on Tuesday.

Palestinians ask: Who will fill Saeb’s shoes?

The question of who will take the helm of negotiations with Israel is particularly important with the election of Joe Biden and renewed prospects for talks.

US envoy for Iran says Biden returning to Iran deal not a given

Elliott Abrams told reporters that the United States will continue to sanction Iran as long as Donald Trump is president.

An Italian medic walks around in the coronavirus ward at the Italian field hospital in the Lebanese University campus in the town of Hadath, north of the capital Beirut on September 8, 2020. (Photo by ANWAR AMRO / AFP) (Photo by ANWAR AMRO/AFP via Getty Images)

Lebanon returns to lockdown as virus cases surge

COVID-19 infections have risen steadily in Lebanon since the August explosion in Beirut.

Trump White House proposes sale of 50 F-35s to United Arab Emirates

The proposed sale includes 18 MQ-9B weapons-ready drones and air-to-air and air-to-ground munitions.

United Arab Emirates

Israel approves normalization with Bahrain, advances ties with Sudan

It was a rich diplomatic day in Israel, with the Knesset validating the normalization deal with Bahrain and an Israeli official delegation preparing to depart on Sunday to Sudan for rapprochement talks.

Newly appointed Treasury and Finance Minister Lutfi Elvan (L) speaks to media after attending a ceremony marking the 82th death anniversary of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk at the mausoleum in Ankara on November 10, 2020. - Turkey's lira surged to its biggest gain in two years on November 9, 2020, after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's powerful son-in-law quit as finance minister following the abrupt appointment of a new central bank chief. (Photo by Adem ALTAN / AFP) (Photo by ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Amid market tumult, Erdogan appoints new finance minister

Investors are watching for policy shifts as Turkey’s Former Deputy Prime Minister Lutfi Elvan takes the helm of the nation’s Finance Ministry following the surprise resignation of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s son-in-law Berat Albayrak.

Indiana woman gets 6 years in prison after smuggling cash for the Islamic State

Prosecutors say Samantha Elhassani also brought her two children to live in IS-controlled territory in Syria.

Zarif visits Pakistan as Iran celebrates post-Trump era

Iran’s foreign minister is in Islamabad to discuss a range of issues with Pakistani officials, as US President Donald Trump’s impending departure seems to have opened new windows of diplomacy for the Islamic Republic.

Turkey's Erdogan finally congratulates Biden

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan took more time than other regional leaders to congratulate Joe Biden on his projected victory in the US presidential elections. The two men have a complicated past.

Saeb Erekat (R), Secretary General of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and chief Palestinian negotiator, speaks during a press conference in the Palestinian West Bank city of Ramallah on November 19, 2019. - Israelis reacted joyfully on November 19 to the United States's announcement it no longer considers settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem illegal, but the Palestinians pledged fresh measures to oppose the declaration. Erekat said it was only the latest move by the US to try and forc

Veteran Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat dies at 65

Erekat, who contracted the coronavirus last month, died in a Jerusalem hospital on Tuesday.

A woman holds the national flag and a portrait of Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev as people celebrate in the streets of the capital Baku on November 10, 2020, after Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed a ceasefire following a string of Azeri victories in fighting over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. - Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed on a deal with Russia to end weeks of fierce clashes over Nagorno-Karabakh on November 10, 2020, after a string of Azerbaijani victories in its fight to retake the disputed re

Russia leaves little room for Turkey in Azeri-Armenian truce

The terms of the Russian-sponsored deal between Azerbaijan and Armenia speak of Moscow’s reluctance to let Turkey increase its influence in the region.

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 15: Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump participate in the signing ceremony of the Abraham Accords on the South Lawn of the White House on September 15, 2020 in Washington, DC. Witnessed by President Trump, Prime Minister Netanyahu signed a peace deal with the UAE and a declaration of intent to make peace with Bahrain. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Will Trump drag Netanyahu down with him?

Opponents of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are claiming the downfall of US President Donald Trump heralds the end of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as well.

Iraqi officials welcome Biden presidency

While Iraqi leaders and officials have welcomed a Biden presidency, there are worries about what direction US policy will take when it comes to Baghdad.