Tag: 2020
As the coronavirus spreads in the gulf region, the UAE has cancelled or postponed all concerts and sports events. There have been around 1,650 cases in the Gulf region, mainly in Iran where there have already been over 200 deaths. A writer at The Atlantic argues that the surprising number of Iranian government officials succumbing […]
Consistent with de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s focus on social reforms, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has launched a national women’s soccer league. This announcement came weeks after the country launched its first female military unit. The league is the latest in a series of measures the kingdom says were taken to empower […]
On Wednesday, Libya’s UN-backed withdrew from peace talks after the capital was hit by rocket fire. As the conflict in Libya continues, peace talks were brought forward only to be halted by rocket fire into the capital. The Tripoli port was reportedly struck, which meant that oil tankers had to be evacuated and talks of […]
On Wednesday, President Trump urged the U.S. Senate to reject a bipartisan war powers resolution curbing his authority to engage in acts of war with Iran. He tweeted, “It is very important for our Country’s SECURITY that the United States Senate not vote for the Iran War Powers Resolution. We are doing very well with […]
On Monday, the Qatar campus of Northwestern University cancellend an event featuring a prominent Middle East band whose singer is openly gay, after an online backlash sparked safety concerns. Members of Lebanese indie rock band Mashrou’ Leila were scheduled to take part in a discussion about “media revolutions in the Middle East”, but after hostile […]
Prominent Tunisian human rights activist and blogger Lina Ben Mhenni, one of the heroes of the 2011 revolution, died in the early hours on Monday after a long battle with Lupus. A cyber-dissident, Ben Mhenni became well known for her “A Tunisian Girl” blog and using her real name at great personal risk, documenting human […]
With increasing instability and violence in neighboring Libya, Tunisian President Kais Saied in a national security meeting on January 7th noted the possibility of an influx in Libyan refugees. President Saied urged international organizations such as the European Union and the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees for humanitarian aid in responding to the influx […]
On Monday, revolutionary songs rang out on Tehran’s streets as hundreds of thousands of Iranians gathered to mourn the country’s top general, Qassem Suleimani, who was killed in a U.S. drone strike on January 3rd. Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khameni, wept as his voice cracked while he delivered prayers over the caskets of Suleimani […]