Middle East

By Moritz Pieper | (The Conversation) | – – Standing on the Russian military airbase at Khmeimim on his December visit to Syria, Vladimir Putin announced that Russia will withdraw the bulk of its forces from Syria following the “successful intervention” in Syria’s armed conflict. This is Putin’s second withdrawal announcement within two years. And […]

Israel/ Palestine

Trump did This: Israeli Troops injure 150 Palestinian protesters in Palestine

contributors

Ma`an News Agency | – – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Thousands of Palestinians took to the streets on Friday in continued protest of US President Donald Trump’s announcement last week recognizing Jerusalem — the Eastern part of which is illegally occupied by Israel in contravention of international law — causing clashes with Israeli forces to erupt […]

Israel/ Palestine

Trump did this: Israeli Troops injure Palestinians

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Redirect: This article is found here {click)

Israel/ Palestine

Palestinians outraged but unsurprised by Trump on Jerusalem: ‘World already ignores our existence’

Juan Cole

By Joey Ayoub | ( GlobalVoices.org) | – – US President Donald Trump's declaration that the country would move its embassy in Israel to the city of Jerusalem was met with shock throughout the world. Among Palestinians, however, it was outrage mixed with a distinctive lack of surprise. Jerusalem is a controversial site of contention […]

Featured

Muslim Countries call for E. Jerusalem as Palestine Capital, reject US as Honest Broker

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The Organization of the Islamic Conference, a regular meeting of the foreign ministers of 57 Muslim-majority countries, held an extraordinary session in Istanbul on Wednesday, in which they rejected US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. In a communique they called […]

Epidemics

Now Diptheria besets Yemen, along with Saudi Bombs and Blockade

contributors

Middle East Monitor | – – Yemen, ravaged by war, hunger and disease, is seeing a spike in diphtheria cases that will inevitably erupt into a larger, deadly outbreak because so few people have been immunized, aid officials said on Wednesday. At highest risk are children, who account for many of the more than 280 […]

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia: The Coming Crisis in the Kingdom

contributors

By Pierce Gootee | (TeleSur) | – – The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has, in recent months, tightened their blockade on the war-ravaged country of Yemen. The justification for this tightening was the launch of a long-range ballistic missile by Houthi rebels towards the capital city of Riyadh in November. Despite these heavy-handed tactics in […]

art and photography

Saudi Prince who Bought da Vinci Painting could have given Sight to 9 Million Instead

contributors

By Peter Singer | (Project Syndicate) | – – A Saudi prince has been revealed to be the buyer of Leonardo da Vinci’s “Salvator Mundi,” for which he spent $450.3 million. Had he given the money to the poor, as the subject of the painting instructed another rich man, he could have restored eyesight to […]

Climate Change

Exodus of Climate Scientists to France only the Beginning if GOP Guts Grad Education

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – French President Emmanuel Macron has a program he calls MAPA – “Making the Planet Great Again.” His government is offering funding to climate scientists who are facing obstacles in their home countries, to come and work in France. He just managed to lure away 18 high-powered […]