AW

Saudi Arabia

Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud (R) attend the launching of four infrastructure projects, worth around $23 billion in Riyadh, March 19, 2019. (SPA)

Saudi King launches $23 billion entertainment projects

Syria

Iran's Chief of Staff Mohammad Hossein Bagheri (R) speaking during a press conference in Damascus, on March 18. (SANN via DPA)

New sources of tension seen in post-ISIS Syria

Palestine

Palestinian Atef Abu Seif, spokesman for Fatah, lies in a hospital bed in Gaza after reportedly being beaten by Hamas security forces in the enclave, on March 19. (AFP)

Rights group, UN slam Hamas crackdown on Gaza protests

East|West

A 2017 file picture shows police guard a street in the Finsbury Park area of north London after a vehichle hit pedestrians in 2017.

UK government promises additional funding for mosque security

UAE

Emirati astronauts Sultan al-Neyadi, left, and Hazza al-Mansoori, are interviewed by The Associated Press in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Monday, Feb. 25, 2019.

UAE announces pan-Arab body for space programme

Algeria

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, right, welcomes Algeria's Vice Prime Minister Ramtane Lamamra for the talks in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, March 19, 2019. (AP)

Russia backs Algerian government plan for talks with opposition

Latest Issue

Issue: 197 | Sun, March 17, 2019

Top Stories

Daraa protests show that city remains outside regime’s orbit

New corruption allegations arise over Qatar’s hosting of 2022 World Cup

Mohammed Alkhereiji

Repatriated jihadists provide intelligence bonanza for Morocco

Algerian president further isolated as mass protests call for him to quit

New Zealand bloody mosque attacks translate far-right’s anti-migration, anti-Muslim rhetoric

Mahmud el-Shafey

Rohani seeks ‘channel’ in Iraq to bypass US sanctions

Mamoon Alabbasi

Opinion

Gloomy observations from Iran

The questions raised by Algeria's youth uprising

The costly failure to cut smoking in the Arab world

Oussama Romdhani

The splintering of Iran-backed Badr is no game changer

After Baghouz, what do you do with ISIS families?

Rashmee Roshan Lall

Hezbollah on verge of bankruptcy as Iran sanctions bite

Editorial

Iran

Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, poses for a photograph in her office in Tehran, Iran. (AP)

Women resisting Tehran’s vigilantes

New Zealand

An armed policeman stands guard in front of the Masjid Al Noor Mosque in Christchurch on March 16, 2019. (AFP)

The New Zealand mosque attacks

Saudi Arabia

A Saudi investor checks stock exchange monitors at the Saudi Stock Exchange in Riyadh. (AFP)

Saudi Arabia is officially an emerging market

Syria

Heavy smoke rises above the Islamic State (IS) group's last remaining position in the village of Baghouz during battles with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in the countryside of the eastern Syrian province of Deir Ezzor on March 18, 2019. (AFP)

US-backed SDF says it captured 157 militants, mostly foreigners

Turkey

Armed policemen observe the area of Gezi Park in Istanbul's Taksim square June 12, 2013. (Reuters)

Turkey escalates crackdown on dissent six years after Gezi protests

Turkey

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during the commemoration ceremonies marking 104th anniversary of Turkey's Naval Victory during the Gallipoli Campaign, in Canakkale, Turkey, Monday, March 18, 2019. (AP)

Erdogan's use of Mosque shooter video draws NZ rebuke

East|West

A general view shows the Court of Palermo in Sicily on February 14, 2019. (AFP)

Salvini declares Italy's ports 'closed' for migrant rescue ships

East|West

Children place flowers at the site of a shooting in Utrecht, the Netherlands March 19, 2019. (Reuters)

Dutch police arrest Turkish suspect n tram shooting

Iran

A part of the Pardis petrochemical complex facilities in Assalouyeh, Iran. (AP)

US sanctions drying up Iran’s oil income, future prospects

Lebanon

A Lebanese man smokes shisha in Sidon. (Reuters)

Lebanon’s tobacco addiction comes with a medical bill

Egypt

Tested and untrusted. A member of the Muslim Brotherhood shouts slogans during his trial at a court on the outskirts of Cairo. (Reuters)

Calls for Muslim Brotherhood protests fall flat but fears of violence persist

Syria

A US soldier mans an armoured vehicle near the city of Tall Tamr in the north-western Syrian province of Hasakah, January 16. (AFP)

Many challenges remain for US in Syria

Turkey

Joerg Brase, from ZDF (R), and Thomas Seibert, from 'Der Tagesspiegel', give a press conference at the ZDF studio before their departure from Turkey, March 10. (AFP)

Turkey's crackdown on foreign journalists raises concerns

UAE

An employee walks at a solar plant in Masdar City outside Abu Dhabi. (AFP)

UAE becoming a leader in renewable energy

Omid Shokri Kalehsar

Environment

Flamingos are seen at the Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary. (Dubai Municipality)

UAE basks in limelight with nine wetlands on Ramsar list

N.P. Krishna Kumar

Books

President of Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities Shaikha Mai Bint Mohammed al-Khalifa (C) at the opening of the Riyadh International Book Fair. (SPA)

Riyadh International Book Fair showcases more than 900 publishers

Travel

A view inside the Moses Memorial Church. (Hassan Tamimi)

Jordan’s Mount Nebo: a religious site and major tourist attraction

Interview

Faisal Saeed al-Mutar, founder of Ideas Beyond Borders, a US-based translation initiative. (Courtesy of Faisal Saeed al-Mutar)

Why translation matters for the Arab world

Khadija Hamouchi

Culture

Kurdish singer and musician Aynur Dogan performs during the Arabofolies festival. (The Arab World Institute in Paris)

Arabofolies festival celebrates Arab art in Paris

Interview

Mohammed Jamal Amro, chairman of the Children’s Literature Committee of the Jordanian Writers Association. (Courtesy of Mohammed Jamal Amro)

Advocating for children’s book publishing