The annual pilgrimage to Mecca known as the Hajj, which observant Muslims are supposed to make at least once during their lives, officially begins on August 19. Mecca is located in Saudi Arabia, which is currently embroiled in serious disputes with Muslim nations such as Qatar, Iran, and Yemen, as well as Western countries with Muslim citizens who wish to make the pilgrimage, most notably Canada.
ANKARA, Turkey — The Turkish lira continued to rebound from record losses on Thursday a day after Qatar pledged $15 billion in investments to help Turkey’s economy.
A senior Hamas member signaled the terror group was optimistic regarding efforts to broker a ceasefire with Israel Tuesday, saying talks on an agreement would likely wrap up by the end of August.
A group of “highly active” hackers based in Iran have been found to be trying to steal vital information from governments in the Middle East.
A meeting in Qatar last week between a senior U.S. diplomat and representatives of the Taliban reportedly went well last week, gaining an endorsement from the unity government of Afghanistan on Sunday.
This week the Amir of Qatar visited the City of London and Westminster. Screams of protest there were few, and those that there were, were weird.
Indian police announced on Monday they have conducted 30 arrests for the Friday murder of Mohammed Azam, who was murdered by a frenzied mob after a rumor accusing him of kidnapping children spread on the WhatsApp social media platform.
US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Jason Greenblatt and adviser Jared Kushner on Tuesday met with Jordan’s King Abdullah II in Amman to discuss the Palestinian-Israeli peace process.
Qatar’s public relations campaign in the United States is collapsing as the businessmen, community leaders, and media consultants it employed have began to abandon the effort.
“To each of you and to the Muslims around the world, Ramadan Mubarak,” Trump said, during remarks at the dinner, extending the Ramadan greeting shared by Muslims. “In gathering together this evening we honor a sacred tradition of one of the world’s great religions.”
A company “with close ties to the government of Qatar” is reportedly nearing a deal to bail out the flagship Manhattan property owned by the family of White House adviser Jared Kushner.
The Qatari government is reportedly seeking to buy a stake in the conservative media outlet Newsmax, according to a report published Tuesday.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called for unity among the Gulf states against the “common challenge” of Iran during his trip to Saudi Arabia on Sunday.
Saudi Arabia and its United Arab Emirates ally are reportedly planning to turn the region along the border they share with Qatar into a nuclear waste dump, further deepening the rift between the countries.
Former Qatari prime minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani stated on Twitter Wednesday that Israelis have the right to live in their own land, as do the Palestinians. These statements came days after similar remarks by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
A Saudi media outlet revealed this week that a lieutenant in Qatar’s military commando force reportedly expressed congratulations and pride for an Islamic State fighter from Saudi Arabia over social media.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s seemingly sudden dismissal by President Donald Trump comes after a year of constant stories about his impending departure. He had a number of significant policy and messaging disputes with the president, and every one of them was followed by a chorus of unnamed administration sources telling reporters that Tillerson’s ouster was imminent.
Qatar is helping Israel avoid another Gaza war by funneling relief money to impoverished Palestinians with Washington’s blessing, a Qatari diplomat said on Thursday, describing the cooperation as evidence of Doha’s distance from Islamist Hamas.
The emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, on Thursday phoned Hamas terror group leader Ismail Hanieyh and promised urgent aid to the Gaza Strip.
Contents: Maldives president arrests Supreme Court justices to get favorable court ruling; Maldives crisis pits India vs China in the Indian Ocean
TEL AVIV — Hamas, a murderous terrorist organization committed to Israel’s destruction, condemned on Wednesday the decision by the U.S. State Department to designate Hamas’s politburo leader, Ismail Haniyeh, as a specially designated global terrorist.
Contents: Egypt’s presidential election becomes a farce as opposition candidates are forced out; Tensions rise between Egypt and Ethiopia over Nile River dam
WASHINGTON — The United States has ordered more stringent inspections of air cargo from five Middle East countries, citing a June 2017 attempt in Australia to bring down a plane as evidence that terrorist groups continue to target civilian aviation.
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) administrator David Pekoske issued an emergency order Monday requiring stricter scrutiny of U.S.-bound cargo on flights from five majority Muslim countries.
NeverTrumpers are allegedly trying to convince President Donald Trump that he does not need to enforce Open Skies agreements that protect American air carriers, but the nation’s largest airlines and 300 Members of Congress are crying foul.
U.S. President Donald Trump “thanked” Qatar for allegedly turning over a new leaf by taking “action to counter terrorism and extremism in all forms,” the White House revealed this week in a readout of a recent call between the American commander-in-chief and the Muslim country’s emir.
Contents: Iran protesters kill a police officer in escalating violence; Trump and Netanyahu express solidarity with Iranian protesters
Israel’s Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz told an influential Knesset committee on Monday that Iran was working to upgrade the military capabilities of the Hamas terror group in the Gaza Strip.
A two-time world female chess champion from Ukraine has decided to skip an upcoming tournament in Saudi Arabia, even though doing so will cause her to lose her titles because she refuses to be treated like a “secondary creature” in the Saudi Kingdom.
Saudi Arabia kicked off a world chess tournament Tuesday amid controversy over the kingdom denying visas to players from Israel and barring from attending.
Tunisia on Sunday suspended Emirates Airlines flights after a public outcry over security measures in the United Arab Emirates targeting women from the North African country.
Place a temporary hold on U.S. funding for the United Nations except in the case of urgent humanitarian relief. Set up a committee to review all U.S. UN contributions.
Speaking from a meeting of Arab League foreign ministers in Cairo on Saturday, Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil called for “pre-emptive measures” against the U.S. decision to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. He said this should begin with “diplomatic measures” and then proceed to “political, then economic and financial sanctions” against the United States.
Contents: Protests fizzle 3 days after Trump’s Jerusalem announcement was universally condemned; Trump’s proclamation hardens splits among Arab countries
Contents: Yemen’s former president Ali Abdullah Saleh killed in Houthi ambush; US officials plan for military strike on North Korea and war; Brexit negotiations collapse over Ireland border issue
