Month: June 2020

Pompeo to UN: Ending Iran arms ban would mean ‘sword of Damocles’ over region

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pushed the UN Security Council on Tuesday to indefinitely extend an arms embargo on Iran before it expires in October. Speaking at the virtual briefing, Pompeo warned that its expiration would risk the stability of the region. “Iran will hold a sword of Damocles over the economic stability of […]

Official: Syria donors conference pledges 6.9 billion euros

Almost 7 billion euros were pledged today to support war-torn Syria at a donor conference in Brussels. Around 60 countries and international agencies gathered to drum up financial aid for the Arab nation as the corona-virus and economic chaos wreak even more havoc in a country shattered by a conflict now in its 10th year. […]

France angry about Russia, Turkey in Libya

France’s president on Monday accused Turkey of massively importing jihadists into Libya, labeling Ankara’s intervention “criminal” and he lambasted Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ambivalence towards his country’s mercenaries operating in the North African state. Ties between NATO allies France and Turkey have soured in recent weeks over Libya, Northern Syria and drilling in the eastern […]

The Follow-Up of Follow-Ups: What does the lighter side of an alien invasion-abduction have in common with Hollywood’s crisis of manhood?

By Emad El-Din Aysha, PhD I have written an article a long time ago about a horror-SF movie I watched largely against my will, Dark Skies (2013), which fits into my longstanding research on sexual anxieties and alien abduction scenarios. I’d been thinking of writing a follow-up for some time now after watching that hilarious […]

Israelis want holy sites annexed in West Bank too

The Israeli government faces calls from campaigners to declare sovereignty over ancient Jewish ruins on land in the occupied West Bank that Israel does not plan to annex under U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace blueprint. The annexation plan, which the government is due to start discussing as of Wednesday, envisages Israel annexing Jewish settlements and […]

Iran issues 'assassination' arrest warrant for Trump's head

Iran has issued an arrest warrant for U.S. President Donald Trump and 35 others over the killing of top general Qassem Soleimani and has asked Interpol for help, Tehran prosecutor Ali Alqasimehr said on Monday, according to the Fars news agency. The United States killed Soleimani, leader of the Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force, with a […]

Saad Al-Hariri bomb plot being investigated

Lebanese security forces are investigating an explosion 11 days ago that took place near the convoy of former Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, Hariri’s office said on Sunday. Hariri’s office said the incident, in which nobody was hurt, took place during a tour of the eastern Beqaa valley and was not made public at the time […]

Beirut’s Lack of Infrastructure: A Hidden Enemy in Fighting COVID-19

By : Siba El-Samra The shortage of public spaces, as well as walking and biking infrastructure in Lebanon, is not a new problem. During a pandemic, this shortage becomes time-critical and even more life-threatening, especially in dense Beirut. As cities around the world look to find ways to live with the pandemic, providing space to […]

Egyptian belly dancer condemned for social media sex expose

A high-profile Egyptian belly-dancer, Sama el-Masry, was sentenced to three years in prison and fined 300,000 Egyptian pounds ($18,500) on Saturday for inciting debauchery and immorality as part of a crackdown on social media postings. El-Masry was arrested in April during an investigation into videos and photos on social media, including the popular video-sharing platform […]

Saudis forces Iranian boats out of territorial waters

Saudi Arabia forced three Iranian boats to retreat from its waters on Thursday after firing warning shots, a spokesman for Saudi boarder guards said on Saturday. The spokesman, quoted by Saudi news agency SPA, said the Iranian vessels refused to stop after they entered Saudi waters despite repeated warnings, which forced the Saudi authorities to […]

Definitely a plan (part I & II)

Again sitting high up in the crow’s nest of the good ship Moo-La, Angel recalls watching closely the first time President Trump visited Poland, shortly after he entered office. What a beautiful meeting. And now watching closely Poland visiting The White House, it is even more clear that of course President Trump has a plan. […]

New Quds Force leader in Syria

The commander of Iran’s elite Quds force visited Eastern Syria in the past few days, and accused the United States and Israel of conspiring to support the Islamic State group, the semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim reported. “Given that the existence of this group (Islamic State) is managed by the United States and the Zionist […]

Gulf states beware. Chinese policy towards Sri Lanka tells a cautionary tale

By James M. Dorsey China was quick to aid coronavirus-stricken Sri Lanka. Chinese magnanimity and speed in responding to the Indian Ocean island’s request contrasted starkly with Beijing’s more measured response to Africa’s needs, widely expected to be the pandemic’s next hotspot. Geography was but one reason why China favoured the strategic island that […]

EU must stand up to Israeli annexation, says UN investigator

A U.N. rights investigator urged the European Union on Friday to consider measures to prevent or punish any Israeli annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank, a few days after over 1,000 European lawmakers made a similar call. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres added his voice to the matter on Wednesday, calling on Israel […]

Ethiopia dam issue to be resolved within weeks

Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan will agree a deal to fill the giant Blue Nile dam in two to three weeks, following mediation by the African Union to broker a deal to end a decade-long dispute over water supplies. Tortuous negotiations over the years have left the two nations and their neighbour Sudan short of an […]

1 2 3 … 7 Next »

Stay up-to-date

Latest news

BREAKING NEWS - Ex-President Medvedev threatens nuclear war in face of ICC

Citigroup warns of imminent collapse of oil prices

Russia charges Ukraine with torturing POWs

US officials admit Israeli guilt but can't identify Israeli gun that killed Abu Akleh

Lapid threatens to 'rein in' Hezbollah if Lebanon doesn't