Arab World

Iraqi Kurdish Police Arrest Opposition Leader
Iraqi Kurdish Police Arrest Opposition Leader

Police in the Kurdish autonomous region in northern Iraq said they had arrested the leader of the main opposition party who would appear in court for a hearing on Wednesday. Businessman turned politician Shaswar Abdulwahid leads the New Generation party, which holds 15 of the 100 seats in the region's parliament and provides the main opposition ...

European Powers Tell UN They Are Ready to Reimpose Iran Sanctions
European Powers Tell UN They Are Ready to Reimpose Iran Sanctions

Britain, France and Germany have told the United Nations they are ready to reimpose UN-mandated sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program if no diplomatic solution is found by the end of August, according to a joint letter obtained by AFP. The letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the UN Security Council says the three European ...

Passwords Under Threat as Tech Giants Seek Tougher Security
SpotlightPasswords Under Threat as Tech Giants Seek Tougher Security

Fingerprints, access keys and facial recognition are putting a new squeeze on passwords as the traditional computer security method -- but also running into public hesitancy. "The password era is ending," two senior figures at Microsoft wrote in a July blog post. The tech giant has been building "more secure" alternatives to log in for years -- ...

Rebuilding in Devastated Mariupol Under Russia's Thumb
ReportRebuilding in Devastated Mariupol Under Russia's Thumb

Sun-seekers crowded onto the beach in Mariupol in Russian-controlled eastern Ukraine -- a devastated city which Moscow wants to turn into an improbable seaside resort. "Take a dip in the Sea of Azov!" said 52-year-old local Ivan, who like other beach goers lapped up the good weather and mild waters of a coastline that is now entirely ...

Trump and Putin: A Strained Relationship
SpotlightTrump and Putin: A Strained Relationship

Donald Trump styles himself as a strongman. And that's exactly what he sees in Vladimir Putin. Their complicated relationship will be put to the test at a summit in Alaska on Friday, where the two leaders who claim to admire each other will seek to outmaneuver one another over how to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine. While the two were close to ...

US Summit in Alaska a 'Personal Victory' for Putin and Zelensky
US Summit in Alaska a 'Personal Victory' for Putin and Zelensky

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday that his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, had scored a "personal victory" by getting invited to talks with Donald Trump on US soil and that the meeting further delayed sanctions on Moscow. Zelensky also ruled out withdrawing troops from Ukraine's eastern Donbas region as part ...

Israel PM Netanyahu Says 'We Will Allow' Gazans to Leave
Israel PM Netanyahu Says 'We Will Allow' Gazans to Leave

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday said Israel would let Palestinians leave the Gaza Strip as the military prepares a broader offensive in the territory. "Give them the opportunity to leave, first of all, to leave combat zones and generally to leave the territory, if they want," Netanyahu said in a televised interview. "We will allow ...

‘Axis of Resistance’ Calculations Come Up Short
Op-ed‘Axis of Resistance’ Calculations Come Up Short

The entire “Axis of Resistance” has a recurring problem with numbers and calculations – a game it has often played and lost, sometimes with almost absurd results. If Hezbollah’s closest ally before its recent distancing to gain favor ahead of the elections – the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) – cannot get the numbers right, what hope ...

Tehran’s Unease About the Zanguezur Corridor
Tehran’s Unease About the Zanguezur Corridor

The peace agreement signed on August 8 between Armenia and Azerbaijan could mark a turning point for the South Caucasus. However, for Tehran, one of its most significant elements – the creation of the Zanguezur Corridor, linking Azerbaijan directly to its Nakhchivan exclave through southern Armenia – poses a serious strategic ...

Sheila Jordan, the Voice of Jazz, Dies at 96
PortraitSheila Jordan, the Voice of Jazz, Dies at 96

The jazz world has lost one of its most singular voices. Sheila Jordan, singer, composer and educator known for her unique timbre and unmatched improvisational skill, died on August 11, 2025, in New York at the age of 96. The news was confirmed by her longtime bassist, Harvie S., on US public radio NPR, prompting a wave of tributes ...