Arab world

    The Duke of Cambridge arrived in Jordan for the start of his five day tour of the region. He was greeted by the Crown Prince of Jordan as he arrived in the country for the start of a historic trip to the Middle East. William was warmly welcomed by Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, heir to the Kingdom's throne, when his jet landed in the Jordanian capital Amman. Also waiting at the bottom of the plane's steps was Britain's ambassador to Jordan Edward Oakden who will host the duke when he attends a Queen's birthday party at the ambassador's residence later. Prince William has revealed that his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, is very upset not to be with him on his five-day tour of the Middle East - particularly as she used to live in Jordan as a child and loved the time s...

    Vogue Arabia’s June cover featuring Saudi Arabia Princess Hayfa in the driver’s seat of a red convertible has prompted a passionate debate following the arrest of women’s rights activists. The image is a nod to the legal reform happening from 24 June in Saudi Arabia, which will allow women to drive without having a guardian in the car with them. In our country, there are some conservatives who fear change. For many, it’s all they have known, Princess Hayfa, daughter of the late King Abdullah, told Vogue Arabia. Personally, I support these changes with great enthusiasm. The cover caused much conversation on Twitter, with some appreciating the prominence given to progress. However others said they were disappointed that Vogue’s celebration of trailblazing women focu...

    First it was a finger. Now archaeologists working in Saudi Arabia are finding remnants of other human appendages that point to an earlier migration out of Africa than has been previously assumed. Human footprints have been found in the northwestern region of Saudi Arabia near a city called Tabuk. According to a press release sent by the kingdom's Ministry of Culture and Information, the footprints were found dispersing in different directions on what was once an ancient lakebed. The find was announced by the president of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, Prince Sultan bin Salman, during his visit to the National Museum of Tokyo. The Japanese museum is hosting an exhibit showcasing ancient Saudi artifacts. In his announcement, the prince sugges...

    Israeli forces killed 58 Palestinians on the boundary fence with Gaza on Monday, local health officials said, a level of bloodshed not seen since the most violent days of Israel’s 2014 war in the territory. The death toll more than doubled the number of Palestinians killed during six weeks of demonstrations, dubbed the March of Return, and came on the same day that a new U.S. Embassy opened in Jerusalem. Tens of thousands of Palestinians had gathered on the edges of the fenced off blockaded territory from mid-morning. Many came to peacefully demonstrate, bringing their children, carrying flags. Food stalls sold snacks and music blared. Israeli snipers were determined not to allow a breach, and ambulances soon began screaming back and forth from the fence, as gunsho...

    At least 37 Palestinians have been shot dead by Israeli troops and dozens of others have been wounded as thousands of demonstrators gathered at the Gaza border ahead of the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem. The bloodiest day in Gaza since the end of the 2014 war came as Donald Trump praised the embassy move as a great day for Israel. Mr Trump's daughter, Ivanka Trump, will be among US officials attending the opening ceremony later today. Palestinian health officials said a 14-year-old boy was among those killed in the first fatalities of what is expected to be a bloody day on the Gaza border. Hundreds more were reportedly injured. The Palestinian Authority accused Israel of carrying out a terrible massacre and called for an immediate international interventio...

    There have been coups and revolutions, external invasions and proxy conflicts, but the Middle East hasn’t seen a head-to-head war between major regional powers since the 1980s. There’s a growing risk that one is about to break out in Syria, pitting Israel against Iran. The Islamic Republic’s forces are entrenching there, after joining the fight to prop up President Bashar al-Assad. The Jewish state, perceiving a direct threat on its border, is subjecting them to an escalating barrage of airstrikes. Nobody expects those strikes to go unanswered. The path to escalation is clear, and the rhetoric is apocalyptic. We will demolish every site where we see an Iranian attempt to position itself, Israel’s Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman told the London-based Saudi newspap...

    Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on Saturday laid the foundation stone for the kingdom's a new recreational, sports and cultural hub, Saudi Press Agency reported. The project will be built in Qiddiya area, some 40 km west of Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh. It is expected to be the largest and most important tourist destination in the region, making Riyadh a tourist hotspot, reports said. About two-thirds of the kingdom's population are under the age of 35. There is a great need for the project to provide them with entertainment. The project will save about $30 billion which will be used to develop the domestic economy and create new job opportunities for the Saudi youths, said Dr Fahd bin Abdullah Tounsi, Secretary General of the Foundation Council o...

    A former bodyguard of mass killer Osama bin Laden is being supported to live free in Germany at a cost to taxpayers of over £1,000 per month. Although classified as dangerous and forced to report to police every day, authorities claim Sami A. cannot be sent back to his Tunisian homeland because the risk of torture would be too high. He has already had his asylum application rejected by Germany and handed a deportation order. But the 42-year-old, who traveled to Afghanistan in the late 1990s to become a bodyguard for the architect of the 9/11 attacks, continues to stay in Germany after a court ruled he could face torture if deported. The admission in the regional parliament came after a question was posed by the the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) part...

    The Syrian government and its allies have absorbed a U.S. led attack on Saturday and the targeted sites were evacuated days ago thanks to a warning from Russia, a senior official in a regional alliance that backs Damascus said. We have absorbed the strike, the official told Reuters. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been backed in the seven-year-long Syrian war by Russia, Iran, and Iran-backed Shi'ite groups from across the region, including Lebanon's Hezbollah.

    Weeks before the world saw the bodies of men, women, and children dead from an apparent Syrian military chemical attack in Douma, Syria, the Russian military was already spreading bizarre conspiracy theories about an impending “false flag” chemical attack carried out by rebels. Russian conspiracy propaganda and truther chum have been a staple of official discourse whenever Moscow wants to cover up bad behavior by its allies in Damascus. When the Assad regime used sarin nerve agents on the town of Khan Sheikhoun in 2017, Russian officials accused Syrian first responders a group known as the White Helmets—of fabricating the attacks—saying it was impossible to explain otherwise how the group “managed to work for such a long period of time and remain alive without gas ma...