Saudi Arabia surrenders great mosque in Brussels
James M Dorsey | Saudi Arabia, in an indication that it is serious about shaving off the sharp edges of its Sunni Muslim ultra-conservatism, has...
Palestinian teen Ahed Tamimi undergoes trial behind closed doors
AFP | A Palestinian teenager charged after a viral video showed her hitting two Israeli soldiers in a case that has gained global attention went...
US evacuates ISIS militants from Syria and Iraq to Afghanistan
Sophie Mangal | On Sunday, February 4, 2018, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami stated that the US is transferring ISIS to Afghanistan to...
What was Israel’s PM up to in Moscow?
Andrew Korybko | Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s meeting with President Putin last week was very significant. The “Israeli” premier traveled to Moscow to meet with...
Asia’s dark underbelly: Conflicts threaten long-term stability and development
James M. Dorsey | A host of conflicts, stretching across the Asian landmass from the Middle East to Southeast Asia and northwest China, are likely...
Saudis ban botox lips for Camels at beauty pageant
AFP | Huddled together on a dusty racetrack, Saudi judges scrutinise pouty lips and shapely humps in a high-stakes camel beauty pageant mired in scandal after botox and cosmetic...
Saudi government to tighten fundraising laws to promote moderate Islam
James M Dorsey | A Saudi draft law could constitute a first indication that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s vow to return the kingdom to...
Gulf crisis continues to fuel the fire in Syria and Iran
James M Dorsey | Turkish allegations of Saudi, Emirati and Egyptian support for the outlawed Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) threaten to turn Turkey’s military offensive...
Is Saudi inspired ultra-conservatism leading to worsening Shiite conditions in Malaysia?
James M Dorsey | Allegedly kidnapped, forty-three-year old Malaysian activist Amri Che Mat, a foreign exchange trader and mountain climber, has not been heard of...
Is the Saudi Crown Prince still encouraging moderate Islam?
James M Dorsey | Recent Algerian media reports detailing Saudi propagation of a quietist, apolitical yet supremacist and anti-pluralistic form of Sunni Muslim ultra-conservatism raises...
Is Gulf crisis turning Qatar into the region’s Israel?
James M Dorsey | Prominent US constitutional lawyer and scholar Alan M. Dershowitz raised eyebrows when he described Qatar as “the Israel of the Gulf...
Palestinian President seeks EU support after US row
AFP | Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas will seek EU support in Brussels on Monday amid bitter acrimony with the United States, but he looks unlikely...