Amid a boycott by influential Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, leaders of Iraqi political parties launched a national dialogue on Wednesday in an attempt to resolve the country’s political crisis. The Sadr movement said in a statement that it will not participate in the dialogue called by Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi. UN envoy to Iraq Jeanine Plasschaert also attended Wednesday’s session of dialogue. Following the nomination of Mohammed Shia al-Sudani as
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s office stated on Wednesday that, more than a year before the completion of his second term, Sisi accepted the resignation of central bank governor Tarek Amer and appointed him as a presidential advisor. Amer had stepped down “to allow others to complete the successful development process under the leadership of the president,” state television said without providing any further details. The change comes prior to
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Since Muqtada al-Sadr announced his withdrawal from Iraq’s political process and resorted to people’s choices and will to achieve change in the deteriorating conditions of the country, he has been practicing a policy of popular pressure and gradual escalation against his adversaries. These adversaries
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Out of nowhere, Israeli warplanes launched a fierce attack against the blockaded
Six months have passed since the Russia-Ukraine war began, a war that
Within 72 hours, loyalists of firebrand Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr pulled down
Abdennour Toumi: The media played a key role in mobilizing the first wave of Arab uprisings between 2010 and 2011 but played a far more negative role in the transitions which followed. What went wrong? David Powell: The mainstream Arab media, particularly the pan-Arab regional media, certainly played a role in promoting the astonishing spread of uprisings and revolutions that started in Tunisia in later 2010 and spread to several Arab countries the following year. In Tunisia, the protests against
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Abdennour Toumi: Energy policies in the MENA region are witnessing historic and important transformations. What are the repercussions of these developments on the geopolitical situation in the MENA region and on the economic relations with the major global and regional powers, such as the US, China, Russia, and the EU? Dr. Carole Nakhle: Any oil and gas producer ought to feel the pressure from the intensifying global fight against climate change, since to achieve the scientifically recommended reduction in carbon
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Abdennour Toumi: With the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, could you tell us how the relations between Moscow and Beijing would go from China’s perspective? Prof. Hanns Maull: China seems to have been surprised by the war and its dimensions, and it will find this conflict uncomfortable. China has a strategic partnership with Ukraine, which also takes part in its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Therefore, China would like to see this war end with a stable peace settlement, but it has
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Abdennour Toumi: Twenty days have passed since the war between Russia and Ukraine broke out. What is your take on the geopolitical and geoeconomic impacts of this conflict on the neighboring countries and the rest of the world? Prof. Don McLain Gill: The unfolding situation in Ukraine has numerous political and economic impacts on the strategic calculations of states in the international system. The crisis has shown how many states in Asia, Africa, and Latin America continue to demonstrate their
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Abdennour Toumi: The problem of women in the Arab world is recognized as one of the most complex social problems. Are you satisfied with the success of Arab and Eastern women today, especially in society? Maha Saleh: First of all, I would like to state that this issue is sensitive and complex. As you said, I cannot say that I fully agree with the activities on political, economic, and social factors and the initiatives taken within the health, education, and
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Amid a boycott by influential Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, leaders of Iraqi political parties launched a national dialogue on Wednesday in an attempt to resolve the country’s political crisis. The Sadr movement
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Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s office stated on Wednesday that, more than a year before the completion of his second term, Sisi accepted the resignation of central bank governor Tarek Amer and
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A German government spokesperson said on Tuesday that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz discussed bilateral and regional issues with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in a phone call. In a statement, Steffen
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Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced on Wednesday that Türkiye and Israel will mutually reappoint ambassadors. In a news conference with his Kyrgyz counterpart Jeenbek Kulubaev, Cavusoglu told, “The steps we would
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Iraq’s state news agency reported that Iraqi Finance Minister Ali Allawi resigned during a Cabinet session on Tuesday. Poor governance in Iraq has been cited as the reason for the minister’s resignation.
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A planned mass protest in Iraq on Saturday has been postponed by influential Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr until further notice. Al-Sadr said in a statement, “I announce that the Saturday protest has
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On Monday, a Turkish military group left for the United States to discuss the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Türkiye. “In order to expedite F-16 procurement and modernization, a technical delegation
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The United States had held direct conversations with the Syrian regime to obtain the release of jailed American journalist Austin Tice, the State Department said on Monday. According to US State Department
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Security sources said on Tuesday that Turkish forces “neutralized” a so-called senior member of the YPG/PKK terror group in northeastern Syria. Sources who requested anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the
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Iran announced on Monday that the United States administration “verbally agreed” to two Iranian demands for restoring the 2015 nuclear accord. At a press conference in Tehran, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian stated,
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Iran stated on Monday, in its first response since the attempted assassination of Salman Rushdie, that the writer and his fans were responsible for the attack. In a weekly press briefing in
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On Sunday, Jordanian security personnel conducted operations in an area near the Syrian border to stem the supply of illicit drugs, according to the country’s official news agency. The region to the
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Calling on the United States to show flexibility to resolve three remaining issues, Iran’s foreign minister said Tehran will respond to the European Union’s “final” draft text to save a 2015 nuclear
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Talks in Vienna earlier this month to restore its 2015 nuclear deal yielded results but did not fully address Tehran’s expectations, Iran’s foreign ministry stated. “Considerable progress” had been made during several
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