middle east
Saudi Arabia Jails Woman For 34 Years For Using Twitter
Salma al-Shehab, a PhD student who normally lives in Leeds, northern England, was handed what rights groups say is the longest sentence ever to be given to an activist in Saudi Arabia.
Iraqi Actress Calls Out Use of Her Photo in Story About ‘Fat’ Arab Women
Enas Taleb said the use of her photo in an Economist article was a “huge insult” to Arab women.
Photos From the Rise and Fall of the Islamic State
Lorenzo Meloni’s new photobook explores the Islamic State’s post-colonial origins, its terrifying ascendence and steep collapse.
Joe Biden Can’t Stop Touching People in the Middle East
The White House had said the US president would avoid physical contact during his tour, officially because of COVID but presumably to avoid awkward photo ops with the Saudi Crown Prince.
Senior ISIS Leader in Syria Killed by Drone Strike, US Says
US Central Command said Maher al Agal had been killed in an extensively planned strike. It comes right before Joe Biden is due to visit the Middle East.
Toxic Gas Explosion at Jordan Port Kills 13 and Injures Hundreds
Footage broadcast by state media showed clouds of yellow gas billowing into the air after a tank filled with 25 tonnes of chlorine gas was dropped onto the deck of a ship.
Messi Is Accused of Being the Face of a Blood-Soaked Regime
“Now when people think about Saudi... they'll forget about my sister being tortured by the exact man that Messi is representing.”
How an Archaeological Tour to Iraq Turned Into a Total Nightmare
The trip’s organiser died in hospital while another man was jailed for 15 years for smuggling in a shock verdict. Jim Fitton’s lawyer tells VICE World News he thinks the pottery fragments at the heart of the case may even have been thrown away.
New ISIS Leader Reportedly Captured in Turkey
Abu al-Hassan al-Qurayshi has been the terror group’s leader for 2 months. He was arrested in a police operation in Istanbul, Turkish news website OdaTV reported.
Photos of the Baghdad Neighbourhoods Where Time Stands Still
Even after the trauma of a bloody war, the streets of these old neighbourhoods in Baghdad, Iraq, are still full of life.
Huge Spike in Drug-Related Executions in Iran
126 people were hanged for drug offences in Iran in 2021, two rights groups said, in a year in which the rate of executions doubled overall following the election of President Ebrahim Raisi.
Two Palestinians Killed in Refugee Camp Shootout Following ISIS Attacks
The raid by Israeli forces upon a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank came after a series of deadly ISIS attacks in Israel.