Middle East

US will recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, says Trump

US President Donald Trump delivers a statement on Jerusalem from the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House in Washington (AFP) The US will recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and move its embassy to the disputed city, Donald Trump said on Wednesday in a much-anticipated

Middle East

ANALYSIS: The last GCC meeting? Probably not

A man walks past the flags of the countries attending the Gulf Cooperation Council summit at Bayan palace in Kuwait City on 5 December (AFP) It ended nearly as soon as it began. There was a grand entrance for the cameras followed by a 15-minute closed session, and then the Gulf Cooperative Council summit in Kuwait was officially over, and a second day of meetings

Middle East

Russian air attacks kill 21 in Syria, as government boycotts Geneva

Russian air strikes have killed 21 people in the east of Syria as the Syrian government boycotted a new round of peace talks in Geneva. In Moscow, Vladimir Putin declared the Islamic State has been defeated "on both banks of the Euphrates", while announcing he will be seeking a new six-year term as president in March. "Military operations, at this stage and on this

Middle East

Korean open diplomacy attracts Saudis to Pyeong-Chang Winter Olympics

Author: RAWAN RADWAN | Arab News StaffWed, 2017-12-06 21:06ID: 1512572910383730400 Korean Consulate in Jeddah held its annual “Korean Night” event on the 4th of Dec as part of its cultural activities. The event was aimed at promoting people-to-people contact and mutual understanding between the two nations. This year’s event focused on the upcoming 2018 Peyong-Chang

Middle East

15-year sentence for 2012 Qatif rioter who instigated violence and trained in Iraq

Author: MOHAMMED AL-SULAMIWed, 2017-12-06 04:19ID: 1512512470007630400 JEDDAH: The Specialized Criminal Court in Riyadh on Tuesday sentenced a Saudi to 15 years in prison after being found guilty of participating in riots in 2012 by attending demonstrations and rallies contrary to public order in the city of Al-Awamiya in Qatif province. The charges include repeating

Middle East

Protests erupt across the Middle East over Trump’s Jerusalem decision

'Murderer United States, get out of the Middle East,' protesters chanted in Istanbul (Reuters) Protests broke out in cities across the Middle East on Wednesday in response to US President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Late on Wednesday, all Palestinian factions called for a general strike and midday demonstrations for

Middle East

Florida man sentenced to 15 years for vandalising mosque

Law enforcement officials investigate a fire at the Islamic Center of Fort Pierce, Florida in 2016 (AFP) A man who vandalised a Florida mosque in January 2016 and left a raw slab of bacon on its doorstep was sentenced to 15 years in prison on a hate crime conviction, a state attorney's spokesman said on Wednesday. Michael Wolfe, 37, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to

Middle East

Axis of Arab autocrats standing behind Donald Trump

So Donald Trump revealed his hand on Jerusalem. In so doing, he tossed aside any lingering pretence of the US being able to broker a deal between Israel and Palestine. There can be no “neutrality “ now. Without Jerusalem as its capital, no Palestinian state can exist. Without that it is only a matter of time before another uprising starts. Only a symbol as powerful as

Middle East

SR11.6 million spent by Saudi women to obtain driving licenses in three countries

Author: ARAB NEWSWed, 2017-12-06 04:22ID: 1512512685777645800 JEDDAH: Saudi daily Al-Watan, according to its sources, said that the number of driving licenses obtained by Saudi women from the UAE, Bahrain and Jordan has reached 7,550 licenses with a total cost of SR11.627 million ($3.1 million) — or SR1,540 for each license. The women obtained their licenses after

Middle East

Saudi Ministry of Health celebrates International Volunteer Day

Author: NADA HAMEEDTue, 2017-12-05 05:02ID: 1512514972907762500 JEDDAH: On the occasion of World Volunteer Day, the Ministry of Health initiated a campaign titled “My Volunteering is Health,” to commemorate World Volunteer Day which falls on Dec. 5. International Volunteer Day is an international observance designated by the United Nations in 1985. It offers an