WASHINGTON (NYTIMES) – After a rocket attack on the United States Embassy in Baghdad late last year, the Trump administration renewed its threats of withdrawing diplomats from Iraq. A military retaliation against Iran was discussed, and the White House warned of a drastic response “if one American is killed”. None was. Nor were any Americans […]

JERUSALEM (REUTERS) – Israel reopened swathes of its economy on Sunday (Feb 21) in what it called the start of a return to routine enabled by a Covid-19 vaccination drive that has reached almost half the population. While shops were open to all, access to leisure sites like gyms and theatres was limited to vaccinees […]

BAGHDAD — Down the road from the railway yard where plastic trash piles up against rusting freight cars, the angels arrive every evening to stand watch over the tomb of Joshua. A servant of the shrine, Um Junayd, said she sees them. “When I open the prophet’s door at night, I find many birds on […]

JERUSALEM — When the United States last tried to negotiate a nuclear deal with Iran, the reaction from the Israeli government was blunt and fierce. In the years preceding Iran’s 2015 agreement with Washington and several other leading powers, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel repeatedly called their negotiations a “historic mistake,” even making a […]

KUWAIT CITY (BLOOMBERG) – Kuwait’s vaccinating its citizens against Covid-19 at six times the rate of expatriates who make up two-thirds of the population, spurring claims of racism and concerns the discrepancy will delay a return to normal life. Around 119,000 Kuwaitis and 18,000 expats have been vaccinated, according to the latest data, despite more […]

TEHERAN (REUTERS) – Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei demanded “action, not words” from the United States if it wants to revive Teheran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, challenging new President Joe Biden to take the first step toward a thaw. Iran has set a deadline of next week for Mr Biden to begin […]

AFRIN, Syria — In a tented camp on a hilltop above the city of Afrin, 300 Syrian families struggle to keep warm in the rain and mud. Displaced three times since they fled their farms near Damascus seven years ago, they survive on slim handouts and send the children out to scavenge. “The situation is […]

ARBIL, IRAQ (AFP) – The United Nations warned Tuesday (Feb 16) Iraq could spin out of control after a rocket attack on the Kurdish regional capital Arbil killed a foreign contractor and wounded several Iraqis and foreigners. The attack late Monday was the first time in nearly two months that Western military or diplomatic installations […]

By Sangar Khaleel and Jane Arraf ERBIL, Iraq — A rocket attack on the airport in the northern Iraqi city of Erbil on Monday killed a civilian contractor with the American-led military coalition and wounded six others, including a U.S. service member, according to a coalition spokesman. Several other rockets landed in residential areas of […]

DUBAI (AFP) – The United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) “Hope” probe sent back its first image of Mars, the national space agency said on Sunday (Feb 14), days after the spacecraft successfully entered the Red Planet’s orbit. The picture “captured the largest volcano in the solar system, Olympus Mons, emerging into the early morning sunlight”, it […]