Arab World

Mali Slides into Chaos Following French Withdrawal
SpotlightMali Slides into Chaos Following French Withdrawal

At the end of October, the United States issued an unequivocal warning to its citizens in Mali. In a statement released on October 28, the U.S. Embassy in Bamako urged American nationals to leave the country “immediately,” as the capital struggles with a severe fuel shortage imposed by armed groups linked to al-Qaeda. Since September, ...

Pakistani Taliban Claim Deadly Suicide Attack in Islamabad
Pakistani Taliban Claim Deadly Suicide Attack in Islamabad

The Pakistani Taliban claimed a suicide bombing that killed at least 12 people in Islamabad on Tuesday, a rare attack by the militant group on the country's capital. The first such attack to hit the city in years sent people fleeing in panic, leaving shattered glass and charred vehicles on the road outside district court ...

Prosecutor Files 142 Charges Against Istanbul Mayor, a Top Erdogan Critic
Prosecutor Files 142 Charges Against Istanbul Mayor, a Top Erdogan Critic

  Turkish prosecutors on Tuesday charged Istanbul's jailed mayor Ekrem Imamoglu with 142 offences that could carry a penalty of hundreds of year in prison, court documents showed. The nearly 4,000-page indictment charges the popular opposition mayor, who was arrested on March 19, with offences including running a criminal organisation, ...

Thieves Steal Ancient Treasures From Syria’s National Museum
Thieves Steal Ancient Treasures From Syria’s National Museum

Thieves made off with several ancient gold ingots from Syria's national museum in Damascus, a security source and another close to the institution's management said Tuesday. The museum was spared during Syria's destructive civil war that ran from 2011 to late last year and houses priceless artifacts dating back to antiquity. The robbery took ...

Iraqis Vote in General Election at a Crucial Regional Moment
Iraqis Vote in General Election at a Crucial Regional Moment

Iraqis began voting for a new parliament on Tuesday at a pivotal time for the country and the wider region, in an election that both Iran and the United States will be closely watching. Iraq, which has long been a fertile land for proxy wars, has only recently regained a sense of stability, as it tries to move past decades of war since the US-led ...

Washington is Reportedly Planning a Military Base Near Gaza
Washington is Reportedly Planning a Military Base Near Gaza

According to an Israeli media outlet citing government sources, the United States is reportedly considering the construction of a major military base near the Gaza border, with an estimated cost of $500 million. This move would reflect Washington’s intention to increase its direct involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian issue. According to a ...

'Western Tech Dominance Fading' at Lisbon's Web Summit
'Western Tech Dominance Fading' at Lisbon's Web Summit

Global tech leaders will pack Lisbon's annual Web Summit from Tuesday to talk Artificial Intelligence, robots, and startups -- all under the shadow of tensions over cutting-edge tech and the natural resources needed to build it. Over four days, the "Davos for geeks" is set to welcome over 70,000 visitors including 2,500 startups and ...

What Next After Iraq's General Election?
Q&AWhat Next After Iraq's General Election?

Iraqis head to the polls on Tuesday to elect a new parliament for a four-year term in a vote that will be closely watched in Washington and Tehran. Here is a look at what could come next and what the regional impact could be.  What happens after the vote?  Iraq's Supreme Court must first ratify the election results. Two weeks later, the ...

End to US Government Shutdown in Sight as Stopgap Bill Advances to House
End to US Government Shutdown in Sight as Stopgap Bill Advances to House

The longest-ever US government shutdown moved forward Monday toward an eventual resolution, after several Democratic senators broke ranks to join Republicans in a 60-40 vote passing a compromise deal -- sparking intra-party backlash. Since October 1, the first day of the shutdown, more than a million federal workers have been unpaid, while ...

Syria Joins Alliance Against Islamic State After White House Talks
Syria Joins Alliance Against Islamic State After White House Talks

Syria is joining the global coalition against the Islamic State group, a US official said Monday, hours after President Donald Trump welcomed his Syrian counterpart Ahmed al-Sharaa for historic White House talks. Sharaa, whose rebel forces ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad late last year, was the first Syrian leader to visit the White House ...

Trump’s New Doctrine: Transforming the War on Drugs into a Front Against Iran
SpotlightTrump’s New Doctrine: Transforming the War on Drugs into a Front Against Iran

The string of U.S. strikes against alleged narco-trafficking boats in the Caribbean is not just a fresh phase in the war on drugs; it is a new operational theater in the proxy war against Iran. The attacks—nearly a dozen over the last month—are the sharp tip of the Trump administration’s doctrine that treats Latin ...

Israel Army Chief Urges 'Systemic' Probe Into October 7 Attack
Israel Army Chief Urges 'Systemic' Probe Into October 7 Attack

Israel's military chief called on Monday for a "systemic investigation" into the failures that led to Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack, as the government dragged its feet on establishing a state commission of inquiry on the matter. Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir made the call following the publication of a report by an expert committee he himself ...