AL-Monitor

12/26/2024

The quiet resumption of operations at a desalination plant in the Gaza Strip last month marked a small but significant step toward restoring public services in the Palestinian territory ravaged by more than 14 months of war.

The quiet resumption of operations at a desalination plant in the Gaza Strip last month marked a small but significant step toward restoring public services in the Palestinian territory ravaged by more than 14 months of war.The process of restarting the plant in Deir el-Balah, in central Gaza, invol...

12/25/2024

As Sudan enters the final weeks of 2024, the country remains trapped in a cycle of conflict, humanitarian crisis and political uncertainty, with the civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces continuing to devastate the country.

Despite international mediation efforts, Sudan's civil war has continued throughout 2024, deepening the humanitarian crisis.

12/25/2024

As Christmas lights illuminate homes around the world, the Christian community in Gaza faces a starkly different reality.

This Christmas season, the Christian community in Gaza is spending the holiday mourning incalculable losses amid the ongoing war with Israel.

12/24/2024

Hundreds of people gathered at the Church of the Nativity in the holy city of Bethlehem on Tuesday to mark another solemn Christmas overshadowed by the war in Gaza.

Hundreds of people gathered at the Church of the Nativity in the holy city of Bethlehem on Tuesday to mark another solemn Christmas overshadowed by the war in Gaza.Missing for a second consecutive year were the festive decorations, and the crowd paled in comparison to the throngs of tourists and pil...

12/24/2024

Syrian medics say were coerced into false chemical attack testimony:
"I was told... that they knew where my family is in Damascus," said orthopaedic surgeon Mohammed al-Hanash, giving public testimony which would have been impossible before the fall of Assad's government on December 8.

Two Syrian doctors and a nurse told AFP in a series of interviews over the weekend that Bashar al-Assad's government coerced them into providing false testimony to international investigators after a deadly 2018 chlorine attack.The three, who treated the wounded at a field hospital in the rebel-held...

12/23/2024

Israel sells $582M air defense system to Slovakia: What to know

The air defense system, developed by Aviv Israel Aerospace Industries, is designed to counter various aerial threats such as ballistic missiles and drones.

12/23/2024

Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa held talks Monday with senior Arab diplomats expressing support for the Syrian people and discussing future cooperation, in the latest high-profile visits since Bashar al-Assad's overthrow.

Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa held talks Monday with senior Arab diplomats expressing support for the Syrian people and discussing future cooperation, in the latest high-profile visits since Bashar al-Assad's overthrow.Sharaa, whose Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) spearheaded the offe...

12/23/2024

Syria, under the Assad family’s rule, served as the linchpin in this plan — a vital link connecting Tehran to its most potent regional ally, Hezbollah, and securing Iran’s foothold in the Levant. Yet today, that once-formidable axis, carefully woven over 40 years, is unraveling.

What began as a bold strategy to challenge Israel and reshape the Middle East’s balance of power now appears increasingly fragile, with Iran’s influence faltering and its allies under siege.

12/23/2024

The smell of dampness rises through the dust at a private club in central Baghdad, one of many shut in a crackdown on alcohol sales in Iraq.

"We appealed to all authorities in the country, but no one listened to us," said the owner, a Christian who asked not to be named.

Although a law banning the sale and import of alcohol was passed in 2016 and came into force at the start of last year, its enforcement had been patchy.

But conservative lawmakers have a majority in parliament, and have pushed for stronger action.

The smell of dampness rises through the dust at a private club in central Baghdad, one of many shut in a crackdown on alcohol sales in Iraq."We appealed to all authorities in the country, but no one listened to us," said the owner, a Christian who asked not to be named.Although a law banning the sal...

12/22/2024

On a hillside in Tunisia's northwestern highlands, women scour a sun-scorched field for the wild herbs they rely on for their livelihoods, but droughts and rising temperatures are making it ever harder to find the precious plants.

Yet the harvesters say they have little choice but to struggle on, as there are few opportunities in a country hit hard by unemployment, inflation and high living costs.

On a hillside in Tunisia's northwestern highlands, women scour a sun-scorched field for the wild herbs they rely on for their livelihoods, but droughts and rising temperatures are making it ever harder to find the precious plants.Yet the harvesters say they have little choice but to struggle on, as....

12/22/2024

In the weeks following Donald Trump's election as US president in November 2024, numerous news reports emerged about Americans exploring second passports abroad. Among various global destinations, this trend could position the United Arab Emirates as a country to watch in 2025.

In the wake of the divisive US election, David Regueiro, founder of the Dubai-based residency and citizenship advisory firm RIF Trust, told AL-Monitor that it’s no surprise “polarization” was chosen as Merriam-Webster’s word of the year — a trend that could signal new business opportunities for his firm.

Flexible visa programs have emerged in the Middle East, fueled by wealthy Gulf states competing to attract foreign investors and skilled professionals as part of their economic diversification strategies.

12/22/2024

School lessons ended in Syria's biggest Palestinian refugee camp on October 18, 2012, judging by the date still chalked up on the board more than a decade later.

"I am playing football"; "She is eating an apple"; "The boys are flying a kite" are written in English.

Outside, the remaining children in the Damascus suburb of Yarmuk now play among the shattered ruins left by Syria's years of civil war.

And as the kids chase through clouds of concrete dust, a torture victim -- freed from jail this month when rebels toppled Bashar al-Assad's government -- hobbles through the rubble.

School lessons ended in Syria's biggest Palestinian refugee camp on October 18, 2012, judging by the date still chalked up on the board more than a decade later."I am playing football"; "She is eating an apple"; "The boys are flying a kite" are written in English.Outside, the remaining children in t...

12/22/2024

BEIRUT — For decades, Iran methodically built a regional network of alliances, pursuing a strategy to expand its influence from the Gulf to the Mediterranean. Syria, under the Assad family’s rule, served as the linchpin in this plan — a vital link connecting Tehran to its most potent regional ally, Hezbollah, and securing Iran’s foothold in the Levant. Yet today, that once-formidable axis, carefully woven over 40 years, is unraveling.

What began as a bold strategy to challenge Israel and reshape the Middle East’s balance of power now appears increasingly fragile, with Iran’s influence faltering and its allies under siege.

12/21/2024

Just one day after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government in Syria on Dec. 8, Beijing said that it was following developments in the country closely and called for a "political solution" to restore stability. Assad fled to Moscow as the capital fell to rebel forces, bringing the 50-year dynastic rule of his family to a sudden end.

Mao Ning, spokesperson at the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said in a Dec. 9 statement, "The future and destiny of Syria should be decided by the Syrian people, and we hope that all the relevant parties will find a political solution to restore stability and order as soon as possible."

With a new administration in Damascus, China is revaluating its relationship with Syria and increasingly focused on rise of Islamists' threats.

12/21/2024

Introducing the new AL-Monitor mobile app, a must-have for Middle East watchers. Download now to get a superior news reading experience with features like notifications, personalized updates and more.

Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/al-monitor/id6478243264
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.al_monitor.android

12/20/2024

The historic Baron Hotel in Syria's Aleppo is dilapidated and damaged by years of war but still standing and ready for a revival, much like the city itself.

The historic Baron Hotel in Syria's Aleppo is dilapidated and damaged by years of war but still standing and ready for a revival, much like the city itself.Aleppo's old city, designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, was ravaged by the conflict that erupted after a government crackdown on protests in...

12/20/2024

Get the pulse of the city with our new local newsletters for Istanbul, Dubai, Riyadh and Doha. Sign up for free: https://www.al-monitor.com/newsletter/subscribe -newsletters

12/19/2024

Introducing the AL-Monitor mobile app, a must-have for Middle East watchers. Download now to get a superior news reading experience with features like real-time notifications, personalized updates, and multimedia content.

Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/al-monitor/id6478243264
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.al_monitor.android