Arab World

The Saudi and United Arab Emirates war on little Yemen, which was launched by Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman in March of 2015, has flown under the radar among the US public until recently. Then on August 9, the Saudi-led air coalition struck Saadeh, the stronghold of the Helpers of God (Houthi) movement in north […]

Syria

Trump Cancels $230 mn in Syrian Aid for former ISIL Areas, Urges Saudi Fund

Paul Handley

Washington (AFP) – The United States said Friday it is suspending $230 million budgeted for stabilization projects in Syria, citing the aid pledged by other partners in the coalition against the Islamic State group. But officials denied the United States was pulling out of Syria, saying Washington will support long-term reconstruction, but only under the […]

Qatar

Qatar Emir Supports Crisis-Hit Turkey with Visit, Pledges $15 bn in New Investment

AFP

Doha (AFP) – The emir of wealthy Qatar flew to Turkey Wednesday to meet close ally President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in an apparent show of support as Ankara grapples with a currency crisis. State media in Doha said Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani was travelling to Turkey for a “working visit”. The emir “will discuss […]

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Women can Finally Drive, But are their Voices Being Heard?

The Conversation

By Nermin Allam | – Earlier this summer, Saudi Arabia lifted the decades-long ban on women’s driving. The move is part of a series of reforms that the country has been implementing. In April the kingdom loosened male guardianship laws – under which women need the permission of a male guardian to work, travel or […]

Featured

Defying Trump, Iraq’s PM walks Back Pledge to Boycott Iran, says will avoid Dollar Trade

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Iraqi caretaker prime minister Haidar al-Abadi on Monday walked back his pledge last week that Iraq would participate in the US sanctions regime imposed on Iran. Al-Abadi now will only say that Iraq will not trade with Iran in dollars. I suppose that the two could instead use Euros or […]

Green Transportation

Elon Musk says in Talks with Saudis on Taking Tesla Private

AFP

By Rob Lever | – Washington (AFP) – Tesla chief executive Elon Musk disclosed Monday that he was in talks with Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund and other investors to take the electric automaker private. The revelation came after Musk claimed in an August 7 Twitter post that financing for a deal to take Tesla […]

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia’s Arrest of Women’s Rights Activists puts it on Wrong Side of History

Zainah Anwar

From Indonesia to Saudi Arabia, Muslim women’s movements for equality are increasingly interconnected – and unstoppable

UAE

Dubai Jails Swedish Woman, Daughter, for one Glass of Wine on Flight

Middle East Monitor

Update: Ms. Holman has been released and Dubai has apologized. -JC, 8/12/18 A mother and her four-year-old daughter were detained for three days in Dubai for drinking a glass of wine on a flight from London, according to rights group Detained in Dubai. Ellie Holman, 44, was arrested at Dubai International Airport after being asked […]

Iraq

Nationalist Cleric Sadr and Communist Allies wins Iraq Vote Recount

AFP

Baghdad (AFP) – Nationalist Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr’s alliance won Iraq’s May parliamentary election according to a manual recount, the electoral commission said Friday, paving the way for a government to be formed nearly three months after the vote. Allegations of fraud prompted the supreme court to order a partial manual recount, but Sadr’s joint […]