Middle East

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Middle East Cinemas Drop New Spider-Man Movie

One scene in 'Across the Spider-Verse' shows a 'Protect Trans Kids' poster

(Newser) - The new blockbuster movie Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse was abruptly removed from cinema listings in more than a dozen Muslim-majority countries without explanation, apparently over the inclusion of a blink-and-you-miss-it transgender poster in the background of one frame, the AP reports. No explicit bans of the film were announced, but...

There's a Whole Lot Riding on This Big Royal Wedding

Nuptials of Jordanian Crown Prince Hussein, Rajwa Alseif to deepen nation's ties to Saudi Arabia

(Newser) - The Middle Eastern country of Jordan is hosting its biggest royal wedding in years on Thursday as its young Crown Prince Hussein exchanges vows with Rajwa Alseif, daughter of one of Saudi Arabia's wealthiest and most influential families. With a VIP list that includes US first lady Jill Biden,...

China Pushes Past US to Broker Mideast Peace Deal
Mideast Deal Brokered
by China Leaves US Out
analysis
Mar 11, 2023 5:30 PM CST

Mideast Deal Brokered by China Leaves US Out

Saudi Arabia-Iran agreement indicates nations want to negotiate without American help

(Newser) - The agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran to resume relations, a deal mediated by China, appears to be a watershed moment in the Middle East, realigning alliances that have dominated diplomacy for decades while—at least for now—leaving the US out. The pact indicates that nations in the region...

The Saudis Appear to Be Betting on Trump
The Saudis Appear
to Be Betting on Trump
THE RUNDOWN
Oct 13, 2022 5:25 PM CDT

The Saudis Appear to Be Betting on Trump

Move to cut oil supply could be taken as a 'humiliation' for Biden ahead of midterms

(Newser) - Saudi Arabia claims the decision by the Saudi-led alliance of oil-exporting countries to slash oil production , which means driving up prices and boosting Russia's coffers amid its war in Ukraine, is a purely economic move. But onlookers say there's an ulterior motive—specifically, a plan to get former...

Biden Wraps Up Mideast Trip With a Promise

'We will not walk away and leave a vacuum,' he told Arab leaders summit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

(Newser) - President Biden, speaking at a summit of Arab leaders, said Saturday that the United States "will not walk away" from the Middle East as he tries to ensure stability in a volatile part of the world and boost the global flow of oil to reverse rising gas prices. His...

What You Should Know About Biden&#39;s Trip to the Middle East
Biden's Last Stop in the
Middle East Is His Big One
the rundown
Jul 13, 2022 10:20 AM CDT

Biden's Last Stop in the Middle East Is His Big One

That would be Saudi Arabia

(Newser) - President Biden landed in Israel on Wednesday for his first trip to the Middle East since taking office. It's a whirlwind four-day trip: Biden is spending two days in Jerusalem for talks with Israeli leaders before meeting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday in the West Bank. He then...

Biden's First Middle East Trip Raises Some Eyebrows

President will meet with Crown Prince Mohammed in Saudi Arabia, which he once called a 'pariah'

(Newser) - President Biden will make his first trip to the Middle East next month with visits to Israel, the West Bank, and Saudi Arabia, the White House announced Tuesday. The decision to pay a call on Saudi leaders during the July 13-16 trip comes after Biden as a Democratic presidential candidate...

With Cease-Fire, Biden to Stick With 'Quiet Diplomacy'

Aides say administration officials have been on the phone to other leaders 80 times

(Newser) - President Biden has said little to the nation about the Israeli-Palestinian fighting, and he's heard about that, from people who wanted him to do or say more. With the cease-fire announced Thursday, Biden stepped to the White House microphone to praise everyone involved and to offer assurances that he'...

Unusual Heat Wave Sets Off Chaotic Chain Reaction

Wildfires, mass evacuations, and detonating land mines in the Middle East

(Newser) - Wildfires around the Middle East triggered by a heat wave hitting the region have killed two people, forced thousands of people to leave their homes, and detonated land mines along the Lebanon-Israel border, state media and officials said Saturday. The areas hit by the heat wave are Syria, Lebanon, Israel,...

A Mideast Ruler Is Dead at 91
A Mideast Ruler
Is Dead at 91
Sep 29, 2020 11:37 AM CDT

A Mideast Ruler Is Dead at 91

Kuwait's Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah may be succeeded by half-brother

(Newser) - Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, the ruler of Kuwait who drew on his decades as the oil-rich nation's top diplomat to push for closer ties to Iraq after the 1990 Gulf War and solutions to other regional crises, died Tuesday at the age of 91, per the AP...

Iran Shows No Mercy to Accused Wrestler

Navid Afkari said he gave a false confession under torture

(Newser) - Iranian state TV on Saturday reported that the country's authorities executed a wrestler for allegedly murdering a man, after President Trump asked for the 27-year-old condemned man's life to be spared, the AP reports. State TV quoted the chief justice of Fars province, Kazem Mousavi, as saying: "...

Baghdad Sets New Blistering Heat Record

It was 125.2 degrees on Tuesday

(Newser) - Baghdad hit 125.2 degrees Tuesday, the highest temperature ever recorded for the city in Iraq. The Middle East is in the midst of a heat wave, and on Wednesday, Baghdad hit its second-highest temperature ever: 124 degrees. The previous record, set in July 2015, was 123.8, the Washington ...

Iran Admits the Truth About Burned Nuclear Site

Iranian officials had tried to downplay the blaze at Natanz

(Newser) - Iran on Sunday confirmed that a damaged building at the underground Natanz nuclear site was a new centrifuge assembly center, the official IRNA news agency reported, per the AP . Iranian officials had previously sought to downplay the fire , which erupted early on Thursday, calling it only an "incident" that...

Here&#39;s What the &#39;Ring of Fire&#39; Looked Like
The 'Ring of Fire'
Eclipse Looked
Like This
photos
Jun 21, 2020 3:00 PM CDT

The 'Ring of Fire' Eclipse Looked Like This

People in the eastern hemisphere saw the sun 85% covered by the moon

(Newser) - Stargazers in Africa, Asia, and parts of the Middle East looked to the skies this weekend to witness a partial solar eclipse, the AP reports. It was known as a "ring of fire" because the moon covered most, but not all, of the sun. It started at at 11:...

Country in Crisis Mode Finally Picks a Leader

In Iraq, a former spy chief is now prime minister

(Newser) - Iraq's former spy chief was sworn in as prime minister by lawmakers early Thursday after weeks of tense political negotiations as the country faces a severe economic crisis spurred by plummeting oil prices and the coronavirus pandemic, the AP reports. The majority of 255 legislators attending the session approved...

Notes Pulled From Western Wall, With a Twist

Hazmat suits were required this time around due to coronavirus

(Newser) - He stood at one of the world’s holiest sites and prayed for those who've contracted COVID-19. Then Shmuel Rabinowitz, rabbi of Jerusalem's Western Wall, watched as thousands of written prayers crammed into the crevices of stone were removed. This happens twice a year before Passover and Rosh...

Disney Gives the World Good Coronavirus News
Disney Gives the World
Good Coronavirus News
the rundown
Mar 14, 2020 11:20 AM CDT

Disney Gives the World Good Coronavirus News

But sadly the world has its youngest coronavirus case: a newborn

(Newser) - Amid all the negative COVID-19 stories, a good one from Disney: Frozen 2 will be available for streaming three months earlier than expected, CNN reports. New Disney CEO Bob Chapek says the movie's "powerful themes of perseverance and the importance of family" are "incredibly relevant during this...

US Official: American Casualties in Afghanistan

Several US personnel were either injured or killed

(Newser) - American and Afghan military personnel were fired on while conducting an operation in Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province, the US military said Saturday. Several US personnel were either injured or killed, but the exact number and other details were not provided, said a US official who agreed to discuss the...

Bloomberg 'Just Went There' With Trump

And there's other political chatter on Sunday

(Newser) - In Politico 's words, "Mike Bloomberg's campaign just went there." Facing a wave of attacks from President Trump, the Democratic candidate fired back Sunday with "pathological liar"—not an unusual retort for Dems—then dared to engage in a game of personal insults. "...

Politically Charged Nativity Scene Appears in Bethlehem

A Banksy piece is displayed at the Walled Off Hotel

(Newser) - The mysterious street artist known as Banksy has displayed a politically charged Nativity scene in Bethlehem, the town revered as Jesus' birthplace, just in time for the busy Christmas season, the AP reports. The artwork, named "Scar of Bethlehem," depicts the birth of Jesus under Israel's West...

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