Thursday, 28 Mar 2024

Middle East

Find breaking news, top stories and features from Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Iran, Kuwait, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

At Egypt’s Tourism Gems, Animal Abuse Is an Ugly Flaw

CAIRO — A trip to the storied pyramids of Giza was supposed to be a highlight of Noémi Haszon’s Egyptian vacation. But minutes later, the Hungarian tourist had retreated into her tour bus, shaken and revolted by what she had witnessed. Inside the pyramids complex, emaciated horses panted and strained as they pulled buggies loaded […]

The women and children no-one wants

The al-Hol camp in north eastern Syria is an overflowing vessel of anger and unanswered questions. Inside are the lost women and children of the jihadist group Islamic State (IS), abandoned by their men, their nightmare caliphate and their governments. Some cling to their hate-fuelled ideology: “We are undefeated!” they scream in your face. Others […]

The enduring appeal of violent jihad

The Islamic State group (IS) has lost its short-lived caliphate in the Middle East, with hundreds – possibly thousands – of would-be international jihadists stuck in limbo, and tempted to return home despite fears of arrest and imprisonment. Yet the scourge of violent jihad – where extremists attack those they perceive to be enemies of […]

Pompeo Is Warned Against Sidestepping Congress for Conflict With Iran

WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Mike Pompeo left open the possibility on Wednesday of entering a conflict with Iran without first seeking explicit congressional approval, telling senators “there is no doubt there is a connection” between Al Qaeda and Iran. His comments came two days after the Trump administration designated Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps […]

Netanyahu’s Coalition May Help Stave Off Indictment

JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, who emerged from this week’s election poised to win a fourth consecutive term, may benefit from an effort by his right-wing coalition to protect him from prosecution on possible corruption charges. At least one right-wing party expected to join his new governing coalition has been open about […]

Family of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi denies settlement with Saudi government

DUBAI (AFP) – The family of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi denied on Wednesday (April 10) being in talks to reach a settlement out of court with Saudi authorities following reports that his sons had taken payouts. “Currently, the trial is taking place and no settlement discussion had been or is discussed,” read an English statement […]

It’s Netanyahu’s Israel Now

JERUSALEM — Benjamin Netanyahu’s apparent re-election as prime minister of Israel attests to a starkly conservative vision of the Jewish state and its people about where they are and where they are headed. They prize stability, as well as the military and economic security that Mr. Netanyahu has delivered. Though in many ways they have […]

Israel Elections Live Updates: Netanyahu Poised for Victory

• Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s polarizing, right-wing prime minister, was in position to win a fourth consecutive term as leader on Wednesday, with 94 percent of the votes counted. But the race was extremely tight, and his main rival, Benny Gantz, had also claimed victory, though he later tempered expectations. • When the ballots are fully […]

Airbnb Reverses Policy Banning Listings in Israeli Settlements in West Bank

Airbnb said Tuesday that it had reversed its decision to remove listings of properties located in Israeli settlements in the West Bank. In November, the company provoked an uproar in Israel and a flood of litigation when it said that it would eliminate about 200 listings in West Bank settlements that are “at the core […]

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards: The Supreme Leader’s Military-Industrial Complex

President Trump’s declaration that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is a foreign terrorist organization is the first time the United States government has designated a part of another country’s military as that type of threat. In doing so, Mr. Trump took broad aim at a pillar of the Iranian state, which exerts enormous influence in […]