Arabian Peninsula

War-weary Yemenis fell trees for fuel, cash

Yemen, the poorest nation in the Arabian Peninsula, has been destroyed by an eight-year conflict between Saudi-backed government troops and pro-Iran Huthi rebels

Cyclone Shaheen toll in Oman rises to 14; two bodies of fishermen found in Iran

Shaheen made landfall Sunday with winds reaching up to 150 kph (93 mph). The storm quickly lost power and was downgraded, but it caused flooding and damage across Oman

Pope Francis and Al-Azhar imam Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb sign historic Abu Dhabhi declaration, call for freedom of belief

Pope Francis and a top Muslim cleric Monday issued a joint call for freedom of belief during the first visit by the head of the Catholic church to the birthplace of Islam — the Arabian Peninsula

Pope Francis in UAE: Pontiff calls for end to wars in West Asia, equality of citizen's rights

Pope Francis said all religious leaders had a "duty to reject every nuance of approval from the word war".

Qatar to pull out of OPEC from January 2019 amid tensions with Saudi Arabia; Doha to focus on gas production

The tiny, energy-rich Arab nation of Qatar announced on Monday it would withdraw from OPEC, mixing its aspirations to increase production outside of the cartel’s constraints with the politics of slighting the Saudi-dominated group amid the kingdom’s boycott of Doha.

A desert in Oman resembles Mars enough to convince scientists to conduct simulation tests there for a manned mission

On the eastern edge of a seemingly endless dune is the Oman Mars Base: a giant 2.4-ton inflated habitat surrounded by shipping containers.

US drone strike kills seven suspected Al-Qaeda militants in Yemen, say security officials

A drone strike has killed seven suspected members of Al-Qaeda in southern Yemen, a security official said on Sunday.

Six killed in twin suicide bombings at Yemeni government bastion in Aden, Al-Qaeda hand suspected

Al-Qaeda suspects carried out twin suicide bombings and took hostages on Sunday, officials said, as they struck at the heart of the Yemeni government after suffering a string of setbacks.

Islamic State still capable of motivating attacks in Europe, Al-Qaeda remains resilient, says UN report

Islamic State extremist group is still capable of sending funds to supporters and motivating attacks in Europe and elsewhere despite military pressure

US drone strike kills five Al-Qaeda suspects in Sanaa, Yemen

Aden: Five suspected members of Yemen's Al-Qaeda branch were killed Sunday in what local authorities said was a US drone strike east of the capital Sanaa.