Middle East
Middle East News
'Hope for Peace': Ramzan begins for Muslims around the world
The first daily fast of the Islamic holy month of Ramzan began on Thursday. During the coming four weeks, hundreds of millions of Muslims will abstain from food and water from dawn to dusk, before gathering with family and friends for nighttime meals
Beyond The Lines | Why meddle in the muddle: Middle Kingdom in the Middle East?
By building influence in the Middle East, China aims to cultivate global constituencies and garner support in its favour — critical for Xi’s larger projects in due course
Iran-Saudi Arabia ties: How China's energy needs led to reconciliation between Tehran and Riyadh courtesy Beijing
China needs to balance its key energy suppliers and maintain its friendship with both Iran and Saudi Arabia
Why Xi Jinping's third term as president rings alarm bells for India
While the third term presidency of Xi Jinping could be taken as a normal exercise as per the provisions of the so-called law prevalent in China, it does worry India on what lies ahead
Who is the Japanese YouTuber-turned-politician expelled from Parliament for ‘not going to work’?
In a first ever such instance, Japanese MPs voted to fire Yoshikazu Higashitani, also known as GaaSyy online, for never once showing up for work. The YouTuber-turned-politician did not attend a single day of Parliament and now has been nicknamed 'No-Show MP'
China-brokered Saudi-Iran détente is much more than a diplomatic breakthrough; it challenges US-led international order
While tying foreign policy to the apron strings of ideology may have constrained America’s hand, it presented an opportunity for China in a region where the major players have either been put off by sermonizing or been at the receiving end of western economic sanctions
Iran, Saudi Arabia agree to restore relations in historic agreement
Iranian and Saudi media said a statement by the two countries emphasised respect for sovereignty and non-interference in each other's internal affairs
On Ukraine war and Russia, India’s nuanced position has received understanding and respect in Europe: Garima Mohan
If the war continues, it’s going to be hard (for India) to stay in a place where it can get away with not saying a lot publicly. In the G20, where India is playing a leadership role, the tension is already evident, says Berlin-based scholar Garima Mohan
What lessons can Taiwan and West Asia learn from the Russia-Ukraine war?
The Russia-Ukraine war, which will complete a year in a few days, has provided strategic insights into future possible conflicts from the West Asia to Taiwan. They range from the mundane — the need for more weapons — to the role artificial intelligence can play
Three killed, hundreds injured in Iran earthquake
The shallow quake hit the city of Khoy in West Azerbaijan province at 9:44 pm local time
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken heads to Middle East as violence erupts
Blinken, who will travel Monday and Tuesday to Jerusalem and Ramallah, had long planned the visit to see Israel's new right-wing government, but the trip takes on a new urgency after some of the worst violence in years
Baghdad conference: Iranian minister says held 'friendly' talks with Saudi counterpart
Jordan hosted the 'Baghdad II' conference on Tuesday, bringing together key Middle East and international players, including rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia, in a bid to defuse regional tensions
Iran prepares for satellite launch in coming months
In early November, Iranian state television announced the successful suborbital launch of the satellite launcher named Ghaem-100
Tunisians to vote on parliament with 'no political weight' in polls boycotted by opposition
Opposition political groups in the North African country have called for a boycott, saying the poll is part of a 'coup' against the only democracy to have emerged from the 2011 wave of uprisings across the region
India, UAE will shape changing world order: Jaishankar
Jaishankar pointed out that apart from burgeoning bilateral trade and an increasingly bigger share in the global economy, India and the UAE are also playing a big role in the geo-politics of the Middle East with their involvement in the I2U2 group, also known as the West Asian QUAD
China president Xi Jinping to meet royal family as Saudi Arabia rolls out red carpet
Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to meet Saudi Arabia's king and powerful crown prince on Thursday in a visit that has demonstrated China's muscular outreach to the Arab world and earned a rebuke from the United States (US)
Will support Israel in case of war with Iran, says US
With Benjamin Netanyahu - who is known as a hawk on affairs concerning Palestine - being elected as the new prime minister of Israel, there is widespread concern that a fresh round of hostilities between Iran and Israel may be in the offing
EXCLUSIVE | Taslima Nasrin writes: SC bans two-finger test, but testing women’s chastity remains a patriarchal reality
The two-finger test is nothing short of sexual harassment, a practice from barbaric times that has been passed down since antiquity
What is captagon? Why are Saudi men are hooked on this drug for work and play?
Captagon has been sweeping West Asia for years, with Saudi Arabia the biggest market by far. The kingdom's customs seized 119 million pills last year alone
Lebanon & Israel sign maritime deal to explore gas in Mediterranean Sea
Lebanon and Israel both claim around 860 square kilometres of the Mediterranean Sea that are home to offshore gas fields. Lebanon hopes that demarcating maritime borders will pave the way for gas exploration to help lift it out of its crippling economic crisis