A new public opinion poll in the Persian Gulf Arab states reminds us again of a cardinal truth about political realities in the Arab region: make sure to listen to what ordinary people feel, more than you listen to what local or foreign governments say.I was reminded of this while reading the results of a […]

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Tuesday that new sanctions may be introduced by Ankara, Baghdad and Tehran against Iraqi Kurdistan in connection with the region’s recent referendum on independence.“An illegal referendum was held in northern Iraq. We are not opposing the Kurdish people, but we are against the irresponsible actions of the government of […]

More than a dozen fast-moving wildfires tearing through California have killed at least 11 people, destroying hundreds of homes, authorities said Monday.Fanned by winds of over 50 miles (80 kilometers) an hour, the blazes have forced more than 20,000 people to evacuate in the country’s heaviest populated state since they began Sunday night, AFP reported.California’s […]

Catalan police tightened their guard on the region’s parliament on Tuesday where secessionists have threatened to adopt a unilateral declaration of independence from Spain despite warnings from Madrid of swift counter-measures.Regional leader Carles Puigdemont held a meeting of his cabinet to decide how to press an independence drive that has stirred powerful emotions across Spain […]

Suicide bombers targeted police headquarters in the Syrian capital city, Damascus, SANA news agency reported, citing the interior ministry. One person was killed and six injured in the attack. The attack occurred in central Damascus on Wednesday, as the two suicide bombers reportedly tried to access the premises of the police headquarters. When confronted by […]

US President Donald Trump wanted to dramatically increase the country’s nuclear arsenal, he said in a meeting with his national security advisers in July, NBC News reported on Wednesday, citing three officials who were present in the room.Trump’s reported comments come as tensions remained high with North Korea and as Trump is expected to make […]

A UK-based rights group has accused Myanmar’s government of intentionally starving Rohingya Muslims in a bid to force the persecuted minority group out of the country. “Rohingya are now being starved out of Burma (Myanmar) and unless real pressure is put on the government and military to lift aid and movement restrictions, most… will be […]

The United States has announced that it will withdraw from the United Nations Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), accusing the UN’s cultural organization of “anti-Israel bias.” US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement on Thursday that Washington would establish an “observer mission” to replace its representation at the Paris-based agency. “This decision […]

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has denied an attack plan against the positions of Kurdish Peshmerga forces amid ongoing tensions between the central government in Baghdad and authorities of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region. “We are not going to use our army to fight our people or to make war on our Kurdish citizens or others,” […]

Russia has blasted the United States for denying entry to a Russian military delegation scheduled to attend a joint briefing with Chinese officials at the United Nations about America’s deployment of missile systems across the world. Alexander Emelianov, from the Russian Defense Ministry’s international cooperation committee, said Thursday that Moscow wanted to send a delegation to […]