The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen announced Wednesday that its forces would begin a cease-fire starting Thursday, a step that could pave the way for the first direct peace talks between the two sides that have been at war for ...
In war-torn Syria, digital learning only happens between power cuts
Staring into a smartphone camera from an empty classroom in rebel-held northwest Syria, geography teacher Danielle Dbeis addresses students confined at home away from COVID-19. "Even if we are now doing distance learning ... you can still talk to me online," said the 42-year-old, standing ...
Mideast bereaved clash with authorities over burials amid virus fears
Mohammed al-Dulfi's 67-year-old father died on March 21 after a brief struggle against the new virus, but it would take nine days for his body to find a final resting place in the Shiite holy city of Najaf in southern Iraq. On two occasions the ...
How a gulf prince charmed Indonesia's Jokowi and poured money into the country
During a visit last summer where he strolled through the tropical gardens next to Indonesia’s summer Presidential Palace, Abu Dhabi’s crown prince offered to build a grand mosque for his host, Joko "Jokowi" Widodo. If that seemed like a generous gesture, the two men ...
Kurdish forces end riots by Islamic State prisoners in Syria
Kurdish-led forces have successfully put down riots by Islamic State militants in a prison in northeast Syria with none of the prisoners escaping the facility, the top commander of the U.S.-backed forces said. Mazloum Abdi of the Syrian Democratic Forces tweeted shortly before midnight on ...
The Trump administration on Monday renewed several waivers on U.S. sanctions against Iran, allowing Russian, European and Chinese companies to continue to work on Iran's civilian nuclear facilities without drawing American penalties. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo signed off on the waiver extensions but couched ...
The U.S.-led coalition in Iraq withdrew Sunday from a military base in the country’s north that nearly launched Washington into an open war with neighboring Iran. The K1 Air Base is the third site coalition forces have left this month, in line with U.S. plans ...
Mideast anti-virus measures spark worries of setback in liberties
Armored vehicles in the streets, hundreds arrested, smartphone surveillance — sweeping measures to fight the coronavirus have raised concerns in the Middle East over the erosion of already threatened human rights. As the world battles the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 3 billion people are now ...
Saudi Arabian forces destroy Houthi ballistic missile fired over Riyadh
Saudi Arabia's Air Defense Forces intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile over the capital around midnight, state media said early Sunday. Residents of Riyadh reported on social media hearing loud explosions in the middle of the night. Minutes later, state media carried a statement by ...
White House says ex-FBI agent may be dead; Iran says he left 'years ago'
The White House said Thursday that a missing former FBI agent may have died in Iran, acknowledging his family's conclusions, but Tehran said he had left the country years ago. The family of Bob Levinson, who disappeared in 2007 on a mysterious trip to Iran, ...
Netanyahu foe Gantz becomes Israel speaker, paving way for power-sharing
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's chief rival was chosen on Thursday as the new speaker of parliament, an unexpected step that could pave the way to a power-sharing deal between the two men as the country grapples with a worsening coronavirus crisis. The sudden turnabout ...
Coronavirus now in Gaza and Syria, raising fears in vulnerable areas
The arrival of the coronavirus in the Gaza Strip, an impoverished enclave where the health care system has been gutted by years of conflict, and Syria, which has been devastated by nine years of civil war and sanctions, raised fears Sunday that the pandemic ...
