The Muslim World
Saudi Arabia Moves Toward Eventual Ties With Israel - WSJ
The kingdom is stepping up efforts to establish its first official diplomatic relations with Israel, a move supported by the U.S. that would reshape Middle East politics and end decades of enmity between two of the region’s most influential nations.
U.S. Proposes Helping Israel, Arab States Harden Air Defenses Against Iran - WSJ
Proposed bipartisan legislation requires the Pentagon to help integrate Middle East air defenses to spur security cooperation against threats from Tehran.
Syrians returning from Al Hol camp stigmatised over Daesh ties | Jordan Times
Raqqa, Syria — Noura Al Khalif married a Daesh group supporter and then wound up without her husband in a Syrian camp viewed by many as the last surviving pocket of the “caliphate”. The 31-year-old woman has been back in her hometown outside the northern city of Raqqa for three years but she Daesh struggling to shake off the stigma of having lived in Al Hol camp.“Most of my neighbours call me an Daesh supporter,” she told AFP from her father’s house near Raqqa, where she now lives with her two children.
War-scarred Iraq sinks deeper into political crisis | Jordan Times
BAGHDAD — Iraq, an oil-rich but poverty-stricken country battered by decades of war and insurgency, has been mired in a long political crisis that just took a turn for the worse.Shiite Muslim firebrand cleric and former anti-US militia leader Moqtada Sadr on Sunday sparked fresh turmoil when his followers, the biggest bloc in parliament, resigned en masse.The move deepened uncertainty in a country where democratic institutions built since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein remain fragile and Iran wields major influence.
U.S. pressures Iran by targeting Chinese, UAE companies | Reuters
The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on Chinese and Emirati companies and a network of Iranian firms that help export Iran's petrochemicals, a step that may aim to raise pressure on Tehran to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
UN agency: Third of Sudan's population faces hunger crisis | AP News
CAIRO (AP) — A third of Sudan' population is currently facing a food crisis due to the compounded impact of climate shocks, political turmoil and rising global food prices, the U.N. food agency said Thursday.
General News
Disney's 'Lightyear' banned in Muslim world for lesbian kiss | AP News
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Authorities across much of the Muslim world have barred Disney's latest animated film “Lightyear” from being played at cinemas after the inclusion of a brief kiss between a lesbian couple, the company said Thursday as the movie premiered.
Finance and Economy
Russia Slashes Gas Flows, Aiming Economic Weapon at Europe - WSJ
Moscow’s move to slash natural-gas exports to Europe has pitched the continent’s energy crisis into a dangerous new phase.
EU Signs Gas Deal With Israel, Egypt in Bid to Wean Itself off Russian Supplies - WSJ
The European Union’s agreement with Israel and Egypt to boost shipments taps into the natural-gas riches of the eastern Mediterranean as it races to secure alternatives to Russian energy.
ECB Prepares New Tool to Tackle Rising Borrowing Costs in Weaker Economies - WSJ
The European Central Bank said it would create a new tool aimed at shielding weaker eurozone economies from higher borrowing costs as it raises interest rates, signaling to investors that the bank would stand behind the region’s embattled governments.