Why did Saudi Arabia intervene in Yemen?

By Mohammed Khalid Alyahya While Iran’s destructive influence in Yemen is as alarming to Saudi Arabia as its meddling in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon, Saudi Arabia’s decision to intervene militarily in Yemen... Read more »
Iraqi Prime Minister Haydar al-Abadi, center, and members of the anti-Islamic State coalition meet in Paris, France, to discuss strategy in fighting the jihadists who have made key battlefield advances in recent weeks in Iraq and Syria, Tuesday, June 2, 2015.

Anti-ISIS coalition makes little progress at Paris meeting

Iraqi PM terms rise of ISIS global ‘failure’, calls for more support against ISIS The Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has described the rapid advance of Isis as a “failure of the... Read more »
Julie Bishop

FM Julie Bishop calls on US-led coalition to include Iran in strategic Paris talks

Australia’s Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has called for Iran to be included in the strategic talks between the US and its allies on how to confront Islamic State. The international conference is... Read more »
A policeman carries out an inspection after the explosion at the al-Anoud mosque. Photograph: Faisal al-Nasser /Reuters

At least 4 killed in bomb attack outside mosque in Saudi Arabia

Second Saudi Arabia suicide bombing fuels ISIS campaign fears Attacker detonates bomb in car park of Shia mosque in Dammam, killing four people a week after suicide blast kills 21 at another... Read more »

Israeli military launch airstrikes in Gaza after rocket attack

The Israeli military has launched airstrikes on what it called the “terror infrastructure” in Gaza, following an earlier rocket attack on Israeli territory which the IDF blames on Hamas. Four targets identified... Read more »
Saudi men inspected damage after a suicide bombing inside a mosque in Qatif, Saudi Arabia, on Friday. Photo: AFP — Getty Images

Suicide blast kills at least 21 at Shia mosque in Saudi Arabia

At least 21 people were reportedly killed after attacker detonates explosives during Friday prayers in Saudi Arabia’s Qatif province RIYADH, (Saudi Arabia) — A suicide bomber killed at least 21 people during... Read more »
The Karama-Gaza Human Rights Film Festival had a red carpet that ran through the city’s ruins.

Blood on the carpet: Gaza holds first Film festival amid the ruins

Cannes wasn’t the only event that rolled out the Red Carpet this week, a very different film festival is held amid the rubble of GAZA GAZA CITY, (Gaza Strip) — As Hollywood... Read more »
President Mamnoon Hussain inspects a guard of honour alongside long-range ballistic missiles the Shaheen II during the Pakistan Day military parade in Islamabad on March 23, 2015. PHOTO: AFP

Saudi Arabia in talks to buy Pakistani nuclear weapons: Report

Saudi Arabia has made a “strategic decision” to purchase “off-the-shelf” nuclear weapons from Pakistan, a US official says. At the prospect of the international community’s nuclear deal with Iran, Saudi Arabia has... Read more »

US special forces kill senior ISIS commander, Abu Sayyaf, in Syria

US special operations forces have conducted a military operation in eastern Syria, targeting a senior ISIS commander and his wife, the US defense secretary has announced. The terrorist leader was killed in... Read more »

The axes of Yemen’s war

By Abdulrahman al-Rashed The Yemeni crisis involves several parties, but the major axes are the forces of isolated former President Ali Abdullah Saleh and the Houthis on one hand, and the Yemeni... Read more »

China evacuates foreign nationals from war-torn Yemen

A Chinese naval frigate has evacuated 225 foreign citizens from war-torn Yemen, its foreign ministry said, marking the first time that China’s military has helped other countries evacuate their people during an... Read more »

More than 500 people killed in two weeks of chaos in Yemen

Two weeks of chaos in Yemen has killed at least 519 people, many civilians and children among them, the UN announced, as Houthi rebels continue their advance against exiled President Hadi’s loyalists... Read more »

Strong sandstorm hits Gulf region, blocks Visibility and Travel

DUBAI, (United Arab Emirates) — A major sandstorm whipped through the Mideast’s commercial hub of Dubai and other Gulf cities on Thursday, reducing visibility, diverting flights and making breathing outside a challenge. The... Read more »

The girl in the ‘heart-breaking’ photo is one of 2 million Syrian child refugees

A photo of a little Syrian girl who ‘surrendered’ when a photographer pointed a camera at her, thinking it was a gun, has taken the social media by storm. In the photo,... Read more »

Let’s drop first ‘I’ in ISIS. There’s nothing Islamic about them, says Queen Rania

LONDON (United Kingdom) – Queen Rania of Jordan said Thursday evening that there is nothing Islamic about the self-proclaimed Islamic State, or ISIS. She was speaking with Huffington Post Editor-In-Chief Arianna Huffington... Read more »

Alarming rise in Child suicides in Tunisia – the country that sparked Arab Spring

Around 203 children attempted suicide in 2014 “A society with no vision is a society without a future. It is the lack of a vision and ambitions that prompt the youth to illegally... Read more »

Palestine opens its first embassy in Europe in Sweden

Sweden raises Palestine diplomatic representation from mission to embassy Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom inaugurated a new Palestinian embassy in Stockholm on Tuesday, he Swedish prime minister’s press... Read more »

Jordan continues air strikes against ISIS on third straight day

Kingdom pledges to go after Islamic State militants ‘wherever they are’; U.A.E sends fighter jets to aid Jordan Jordan is going after Islamic State group militants wherever they are and plans to... Read more »

Will Saudi Arabia adopt a new Foreign policy?

By Abdulrahman al-Rashed So far, there has been no indication that Saudi Arabia intends to follow a different foreign policy, either partially or completely. Saudi policy is usually set in stone, however the... Read more »

New Saudi King but same old Oil Policy

By Nick Cunningham The death of Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah made international headlines on January 22, raising questions about the future of the Middle East. News of his death briefly rattled the... Read more »

The interest of ‘only democracy in Middle East’ to block democracy in the region

by Nasim Ahmed The so-called ‘Arab Spring’ has certainly reinforced the perception that the Middle East is a hotbed of intractable conflicts. Israel has never ceased to use this stereotype to its... Read more »

Why did the Arab dream turn into an Arab nightmare?

by Nasim Ahmed Middle East Monitor Almost four years into the so-called Arab Spring one could be forgiven for thinking that it hasn’t been worth it, judging by the death and destruction... Read more »

Frightening reality that haunts the Middle East

According to the Global Terrorism Index of the Institute for Economics and Peace, 13 years after the 9/11 attacks and the US spending of $4.4 trillion on the forever war and all-consuming... Read more »

Former Australian PM lauds ties with the UAE

ABU DHABI-  Former Australian Prime Minister John Howard has lauded the growing relationship between Australia and the United Arab Emirates and noted that around 16,000 Australian citizens live in the UAE now.... Read more »