Middle East
Saudi Arabia's king issues order allowing women to drive
King Salman ordered the reform in a royal decree delivered on Tuesday night, requesting that drivers licences be issued to women who wanted them<p>Women in Saudi Arabia have been granted the right to drive overturning a cornerstone of Saudi conservatism that had been a cause celebre of activists …
Saudi ArabiaTrump misfired on tweet about Iranian missile launch
WASHINGTON (AP) — When President Donald Trump tweeted on Saturday that Iran had "just test-fired" a missile, he seemed to know something the rest of the government did not. Turns out, he did not.<p>There was no Iranian ballistic missile launch, three U.S. officials said Tuesday.<p>Iran's Revolutionary …
PoliticsSyria to consider granting Kurds greater autonomy
Discussions on extended powers for Syrian Kurds to begin once Assad government defeats ISIL, foreign minister says.<p>Syria is considering granting its minority Kurdish population further autonomy for the first time, a government official has said.<p>Walid Muallem, Syria's foreign minister, said his …
SyriaThe Real Reason So Many Jews Can’t Stand Jared Kushner
Few in Donald Trump’s administration have elicited as much attention as his son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Since Trump’s surprise November election, the …
Jared KushnerMapping out Syria’s remaining battles
Battles intensify as fighting in Syria now focused on three key areas.<p>As the conflict in Syria enters its seventh year, the civil war has left many parts of the country in ruins, killing more than 465,000 people, and displacing some 12 million Syrians from their homes.<p>Amid a wave of protests across …
SyriaSaudi Arabia to lift ban on women driving
On June 24, 2018, women in Saudi Arabia will be allowed to drive.<p>The announcement came via state TV in Saudi Arabia, but was also announced in …
Saudi ArabiaIran Has Stopped Hacking The US. Trump Could Change That.
The last damaging Iranian cyber attack on a US target took place in 2014.<p>For years, government hackers in Iran and the US went after one another with a vengeance. The US destroyed nuclear centrifuges, the Iranians threatened dams, and bled tens of millions of dollars from private institutions …
CybersecurityUS-led airstrikes near Raqqa killed at least 84 civilians, report says
Airstrikes on a market and a school near Raqqa, Syria, in March killed at least 84 civilians, including 30 children, raising concerns that U.S.-led …
Islamic State (ISIS)Top Iranian general says Kurdish referendum an Israeli ‘plot’
Senior Iranian officials claimed Tuesday the independence referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan a day earlier was a “plot” orchestrated by Israel and the …
IsraelSaudi Arabia Officially Decrees That Women Will Finally Be Allowed To Drive
From visiting soccer players being forced to cut their hair, to a viral video of a woman wearing a miniskirt leading to her arrest, the predominantly Muslim nation of Saudi Arabia is famous for its strict social practices. Nowhere is this better demonstrated than in the country’s longstanding …
Saudi Arabia4,000-Year-Old Jar of Headless Toads Discovered in Jerusalem Burial
Finding a tomb that's been sealed for thousands of years is always a treat for archaeologists —especially when that tomb contains a jar of headless …
ArchaeologySaudi Arabia finally lets women drive
Saudi Arabia will finally allow women to get drivers licenses, according to reports.<p>King Salman issued a historic royal decree Tuesday granting women …
Saudi ArabiaMemories of an Anti-Semitic State Department
The former C.I.A. officer Valerie Plame Wilson made news with her Twitter account last week when, on the first day of Rosh Hashana, she shared an article that said, “America’s Jews are driving America’s wars: Shouldn’t they recuse themselves when dealing with the Middle East?”<p>The article, which …
OpinionWoman drivers could provide a boost to the Saudi Arabia auto market
Saudi Arabia has lifted a ban on women driving, and the move could give a boost to an auto market in the country that's been declining.<p>After years of trending up and pushing toward 1 million in annual sales, 2016 saw the Saudi market swoon, plunging by almost 30%.<p>The key factor has been the lower …
BusinessSaudi education officials sacked over history textbook showing Yoda with King Faisal at the UN
A Saudi education official and his aides have been sacked after they published a history textbook that included a doctored photograph of the former king sitting next to the Star Wars character Yoda.<p>The Saudi government scrambled to pull the book, which showed the little green Jedi Master perched …
Darth VaderSaudi Arabia Will Finally Let Women Drive
The long-standing ban has been deeply unpopular abroad and is often pointed to as proof of Saudi Arabia’s repressive rule.<p>Saudi Arabia will soon allow women to drive, King Salman decreed Tuesday, in a move that ends the kingdom's reign as the only country in the world that forbids women from …
Saudi ArabiaTop U.S. general says leaving Iran nuclear pact would make future deals tough | Reuters
This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.<p>Published Date: Sep 27, 2017 12:17 am | Updated Date: Sep 27, 2017 …
IranTop general says Iran complying with nuclear deal
The top general in the U.S. military said Tuesday that Iran is complying with a landmark nuclear deal and that the agreement has achieved its result …
IranReport: Israel fires missile at Syrian aircraft over Golan
Arab media outlets have reported that a Syrian aircraft flying over the Syrian-controlled side of the Golan Heights near the border with Israel was …
IsraelAnother Palestinian West Bank village to be emptied, Israeli security official says
Sussia in South Hebron Hills now on chopping block, joining Bedouin village Khan al-Amar
West BankSaudi Arabia to Lift Ban on Women Driving, Ending Global Isolation
Saudi Arabia said it will remove a ban on women driving, ending its status as the only country in the world to impose such restrictions on half the …
Saudi ArabiaEgypt calls on UK to lift ban on flights to Sharm El Sheikh
Egypt has renewed calls for the government to lift its ban on British flights to the tourist resort of Sharm El Sheikh, claiming it is causing serious hardship for businesses and employees.<p>Downing Street imposed a blanket ban on all British flights to Sharm after a Russian charter jet crashed in …
EgyptIraqi Kurds claim victory in independence vote
IRBIL, Iraq (AP) — The president of Iraq's Kurdish region has claimed victory for the "yes" vote in the referendum on support for independence.<p>In a televised address Tuesday, Masoud Barzani called for "dialogue" with Baghdad, which has rejected the vote as unconstitutional and is staunchly opposed …
IraqIstanbul shopping district losing its charme
Gentrification imposed from above, a series of terrorist attacs and political turbulence have alienated European tourists and hurt business in …
TurkeyIAEA chief calls for clarity on disputed section of Iran nuclear deal
VIENNA (Reuters) - The U.N. nuclear watchdog's chief urged major powers on Tuesday to clarify a part of their nuclear deal with Iran dealing with technology that could be used to develop an atom bomb, an area Russia said the agency should leave alone.<p>The 2015 pact between six major powers and Iran …
IranTim Kaine: Backing Out of the Iran Agreement Would Destroy America’s Moral Authority
North Korea tested its sixth nuclear device earlier this month. Experts estimated that the blast from this test was significantly stronger than the …
IranSaudi ministry of education sacks undersecretary over viral King Faisal, Yoda photo
JEDDAH: Saudi’s education minister has sacked the undersecretary after the discovery of a photo in school text books showing King Faisal at the …
EducationMore people traveled to this city in 2016 than any other
But where they visit, and where they drop the most cash, are different destinations<p>These hot travel destinations will keep adventures spicy in the …
MoneyRussia Gears Up for Big Syria Offensive
Russia prepared for a major new offensive by government forces in Syria after building a bridge across the Euphrates river, amid growing tensions …
SyriaNew antisemitism row for Labour over fringe speaker's Holocaust remarks
Tom Watson says party will investigate comments by Miko Peled that people should be allowed to question whether the Holocaust took place<p>Labour’s deputy leader, Tom Watson, said the party will investigate how it gave a platform at a conference fringe event to a speaker who said people should be …
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