MIDDLE EAST

Prominent Saudi Shiite cleric and anti-government protester Nimr al-Nimr was condemned to death by a Saudi court on Wednesday on charges of sedition. He has been on trial since March 2013. According to his family, Nimr, who was one of the leaders in the protests against Sunni authorities in 2011 and Shiite protests in neighbor Bahrain, was convicted of seeking …

On Monday, British parliamentarians voted in favor of recognizing Palestinian statehood in a non-binding motion. The vote is unlikely to change UK government policy but is considered a symbol of the growing voice for recognizing Palestinian statehood. The motion was passed after 274 lawmakers voted in favor and 12 voted against, to “recognize the state of Palestine alongside the state …

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal on Monday said that Iran should withdraw its “occupying” forces in Syria in order to resolve the conflict in the war-torn country. “Our reservations are about Iran’s policy in the region, not about Iran as a country or people”, Prince Saud said at a joint conference in Jeddah after meeting with German Foreign Minister …

The Palestinian unity government on Thursday held its first meeting in the Gaza Strip as its rival factions presented a common goal ahead of an important donors’ conference. The meeting happened four months after the government was sworn in ensuing a landmark deal between Hamas and Fatah.The composition of the new unity government was decided by Fatah and Hamas in …

The international community has responded cautiously to a Turkish proposal to set a buffer zone inside war-ravaged Syria, despite it being an important condition set by Turkey to step up its efforts in the fight against the Islamic State (IS). Over the past few days, Turkish President RecepTayyip Erdogan has repeatedly asked for the creation of a buffer zone in …

Israel must play a crucial role in the reconstruction of Gaza, a top US official said, ahead of a donor conference in Cairo. The US also pressed for all sides involved to agree on permanent peace. US Secretary of State John Kerry will be among those attending the reconstruction conference being co-hosted by Norway and Egypt on Sunday, billed by …

A powerful suicide blast in the Yemeni capital Sana’a on Thursday killed at least 47 people, plunging the violence-plagued nation into additional turmoil after weeks of political gridlock. Over dozens were wounded in the bombing at Al-Tahrir square, targeting a gathering of Shi’ite insurgent supporters. In a separate suicide attack in the country’s southeast, 20 Yemeni soldiers were killed by …

Militants from the Islamic State (IS) launched a new offensive in the eastern part of Syrian Kurdish border town of Kobane after withdrawing from parts of the town following US-led air strikes. “There are fierce clashes underway in the east of Ain al-Arab (Kobane) after the Islamic State launched an offensive to retake the areas it lost control of”, Rami …

Several pro-Kurdish demonstrations took place across Turkey on Wednesday as people were enraged over their government’s lack of action regarding the Syrian Kurdish border town Kobane. According to government officials, at least 14 people were killed in the protests. The violence was mostly in the pre-dominantly Kurdish southeast but also flared up in Ankara, Istanbul and other cities, where protestors …

On Wednesday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel of complicity in letting Jewish “extremists” into the al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem as dozens of Palestinian youth protested against Jewish people entering the holy site before a religious feast. “Aggression against the blessed al-Aqsa mosque is increasing, led by settlers and extremists, sponsored by the Israeli government”, Abbas said. Palestinian youth …