Category: Middle East

Iraqi interpreter says he’s ‘blessed’ to be in U.S. after ban

Hassan Alaskry, the son of Munther Alaskry, surveys the arrival area as his sister Dima, and mother Hiba Alaskry arrive at New York’s JFK International Airport. NEW YORK – Munther Alaskry and his family were just hours away from their dream as they boarded the final leg of a flight to the United States after waiting seven years for visas.

Your Body: What Is Salt Therapy?

Mason comes to the RDC f… – Students protesting a talk given by the conservative co-founder of Vice Media at New York University on Thursday led to the arrest of 11 people, according t… – The U.S. Department of the Treasury Friday announced new sanctions on Iran, one day after President Donald Trump tweeted that the country has been put “on… The group HumaneWatch.org, a project of the Center for Consumer Freedom, is taking an anti-Humane Society of the United States commercial mainstream Sunday during the Super B… Thirty-three high school seniors signed National Letters of Intent to play football at Chadron State College on National Signing Day, February 1, according to CSC head footbal… — Tiger Woods has pulled out of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.

Man Sends Flowers to His Sick Dog, His Wife Is Not Impressed

Mason comes to the RDC f… – Students protesting a talk given by the conservative co-founder of Vice Media at New York University on Thursday led to the arrest of 11 people, according t… – The U.S. Department of the Treasury Friday announced new sanctions on Iran, one day after President Donald Trump tweeted that the country has been put “on… The group HumaneWatch.org, a project of the Center for Consumer Freedom, is taking an anti-Humane Society of the United States commercial mainstream Sunday during the Super B… Thirty-three high school seniors signed National Letters of Intent to play football at Chadron State College on National Signing Day, February 1, according to CSC head footbal… — Tiger Woods has pulled out of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.

UN refugee chief opposes ‘safe zones’ in Syria

The U.N.’s top official on refugees pushed back against a proposed initiative that has gained recent traction to create “safe zones” in Syria for refugees, saying the country was “not the right place” for the initiative. “Let’s not waste time planning safe zones that will not be set up because they will not be safe for people to go back,” said Filippo Grandi, the U.N. High Commissioner on Refugees.

U.S. tells Israel that West Bank settlements ‘may not be helpful’ to achieving peace

The White House on Thursday gently warned Israel that new or expanded settlements in the West Bank “may not be helpful” in achieving a Middle East peace, while insisting it has no “official position on settlement activity.” A statement issued by press secretary Sean Spicer said that although the administration does not believe settlements are “an impediment to peace, the construction of new settlements or the expansion of existing settlements beyond their current borders may not be helpful in achieving that goal.”

Trump embraces pillars of Obama’s foreign policy

President Donald Trump, after promising a radical break with the foreign policy of Barack Obama, is embracing key pillars of the former administration’s strategy, including warning Israel to curb construction of settlements, demanding that Russia withdraw from Crimea, and threatening Iran with sanctions for ballistic missile tests. In the most startling shift, the Trump White House issued an unexpected statement appealing to the Israeli government not to expand the construction of Jewish settlements beyond their current borders in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Yemen Aftermath: Trump’s First Military Raid Continues To Raise Questions

The tribal delegation visiting Sheikh Abdelraouf al-Dhahab was still talking in the very early hours of the morning last Sunday when his nephew, Abdullah, noticed strangers approaching on foot across the rocky, inhospitable terrain of central Yemen. According to accounts by locals, this was the way the battle began with U.S. special operations forces and some of their allies, which would unfold over several hours on the ground – and end with an aerial bombardment.

Iran rejects Trump missile warning as relations sour

Iran on Thursday rejected a warning from President Donald Trump over its latest missile test as unfounded and “provocative”, reflecting growing tensions between Tehran and the new US administration. Trump is a strident critic of the Islamic republic and a vocal opponent of an international deal that saw Iran curb its nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief.

Theresa May Pastes Jeremy Corbyn

UK Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn went on the offensive against Prime Minister Theresa May during Prime Minister’s Questions, over Donald Trump’s immigration ban and protecting refugees. An Aussie immigrant to Israel, Aussie Dave is founder and managing editor of Israellycool, one of the world’s most popular pro-Israel blogs He is a happy family man, and a lover of steak, Australian sports and girlie drinks “Well done and special thanks.

Benjamin Netanyahu pictured on a previous visit to Downing Street

Downing Street said Mrs May was expected to take the opportunity to restate Britain’s concern that settlement building in the West Bank is undermining trust in the Middle East peace process. But Mrs May’s spokeswoman stressed this was expected to form only a small part of discussions, which will focus on the bilateral relationship between the UK and Israel, including the potential for increased trade following Brexit.

Hurling guilt on top of rocks, Amona protesters target police’s hearts and minds

The night before police began clearing out the Amona outpost, protest organizers told the hundreds of religious teenage boys and girls who had made their way to the hilltop outpost to make the evacuation “as difficult as possible, as long as possible.” The protesters obliged, and the pushback against the evacuation operation – codenamed “Gan Na’ul,” or “Locked Garden” – was as much emotional as it was physical.

Jewish settlers set tires ablaze at the Amona outpost, northeast of Ramallah, on Wednesday.

Hours after Israel approved 3,000 new settlement homes in the West Bank, Israeli security forces moved to evacuate settlers from an illegal outpost there, sparking scuffles. There’s been a clear uptick in the rate of settlement approval since Donald Trump was sworn in as U.S. president less than two weeks ago – and Trump is expected to be supportive of settlement expansion.

In A First, Emirati Foreign Minister Defends Trump Visa Ban

The United Arab Emirates’ top diplomat on Wednesday came out in defense of President Donald Trump’s order temporarily barring citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States. The comments by Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Gulf federation’s foreign minister, could help bolster the administration’s assertion that the directive was not intended as a ban against Muslims.

Rare Red Heifer Eligible for Third Temple Offering Found, And You Won’t Believe Where

A rabbi in a remote region of Mexico he went to a dairy farm to purchase milk, and was shocked when he saw a vital element of the Third Temple right in front of his eyes: a red heifer calmly chewing its cud under the Baja sun. “I’ve grown up with the stories, so I know how rare and valuable the red heifer is,” Rabbi Benny “Bentsion” Hershcovich told Breaking Israel News.

In Israel, It’s Build, Build, Build

Israel approved 3,000 more housing units in the occupied West Bank late Tuesday, the largest number in a wave of new construction plans that defy the international community and that open a forceful phase in the country’s expansion into land the Palestinians claim for a future state. Emboldened by the new Trump administration and internal battles at home, Israel announced plans for the new units in about a dozen settlements a week after approving 2,500 homes in the West Bank and 566 in East Jerusalem.

UAE developer Nakheel announces record $1.35B net profit

The 2016 results – which take Nakheel’s cumulative results since 2010 to Dh19.9 billion – follow improved year-on-year performances by the company’s retail, hospitality and residential leasing businesses. UAE-based Nakheel , one of the world’s leading developers, has announced a record net profit of Dh4.96 billion for 2016 – the highest in the company’s history – up 13 per cent over Dh4.38 billion the previous year, thus indicating a stable and mature real estate sector in Dubai.

Palestinian President Abbas arrives in Dhaka

A red carpet was rolled out as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Dhaka today on a three-day official visit at the invitation of his Bangladesh counterpart Abdul Hamid. President Hamid received the Palestinian President near the VVIP Tarmac of Hazarat Shahjalal International Airport amid a 21-gun salute, while President Hamid’s two grandson and granddaughter – Namira and Jim – presented him a bouquet.

How Trump’s first counter-terror operation in Yemen turned into chaos

Greek special forces and US Navy Seals clear a stairwell during Sarisa 16, an annual Greek exercise, near Thessaloniki, Greece, last year. Photo / US Army Their aim was to detain Yemeni tribal leaders collaborating with al-Qaeda and gather intelligence that could plug a critical gap in US understanding of one of the world’s most dangerous militant groups.

The Latest: Dutch populist lawmaker praises Trumpa s bans

The Latest on President Donald Trump, his travel ban on seven Muslim-majority countries and other immigration actions : The Netherlands’ firebrand anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders has clashed in Parliament with the Dutch foreign minister over U.S. President Donald Trump’s travel ban for people from seven Muslim nations. In a debate Tuesday, Wilders – seen by many as a Dutch equivalent of Trump – paid tribute to the new U.S. leader, saying, “Finally America has a president, finally a country in the West has a president, who not only lives up to his promises but who says ‘the freedom of my citizens is more important than anything.’

The Latest: Dutch populist lawmaker praises Trumpa s bans

The Latest on President Donald Trump, his travel ban on seven Muslim-majority countries and other immigration actions : The Netherlands’ firebrand anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders has clashed in Parliament with the Dutch foreign minister over U.S. President Donald Trump’s travel ban for people from seven Muslim nations. In a debate Tuesday, Wilders – seen by many as a Dutch equivalent of Trump – paid tribute to the new U.S. leader, saying, “Finally America has a president, finally a country in the West has a president, who not only lives up to his promises but who says ‘the freedom of my citizens is more important than anything.’

Syrian Couple Separated by Trump’s Executive Order Face Uncertain Future

When Dr. Muhamad Moustafa got wind of a possible executive order on immigration, he said he called his wife and told her to change her flight and come back to Virginia as soon as possible. The two of them are Syrian nationals, living in the U.S. on J-1 and J-2 visas as he finishes a medical residency program in Washington, D.C. His wife, Nabila Moustafa, traveled to Qatar a few weeks ago to visit her mother, who the couple says recently finished breast cancer treatment.

The Latest: Somali refugee won’t be reunited with girl, 4

Vahideh Rasekhi, an Iranian doctoral student at Stony Brook University, greets friends and family as she is released from detention at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2017. . Demonstrators crowd the international terminal as people protest against President Donald Trump’s executive order banning travel to the U.S. by citizens of several countries at San Francisco International Airport, Sunday, Jan… .

Settlers: ‘Don’t destroy our homes’

The High Court of Justice has ordered that both the Amona and Ofra homes must be demolished by February 8. HUNDREDS OF SETTLERS rally yesterday opposite the Knesset in support of the bill to legalize some 4,000 illegally built settlement homes. The government must save our homes, hundreds of settlers demanded on Monday as they rallied in front of the Knesset.

Trump Will Meet With Benjamin Netanyahu In February

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting at his Jerusalem office December 25, 2016. REUTERS/Dan Balilty/Pool White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said President Donald Trump will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Feb. 15, in a Monday briefing with reporters.