Middle East Archives - Page 5 of 24

September 30, 2021 Chimdi Chukwukere

FOCUS on Afghanistan: The Taliban

On Tuesday, September 21, the Taliban requested to address world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly in New York and nominated Suhail Shaheen as Afghanistan’s UN ambassador, according to Reuters. This was one of many strategic efforts by the Taliban as it continues to woo world leaders in a bid for recognition as the official political authority in Afghanistan. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates were the only countries that recognized the Taliban when it ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001.

September 2021 Focus Middle East Afghanistan

September 30, 2021 bunceeric

FOCUS on Afghanistan: Refugees

The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan is deepening the country’s long-standing refugee crisis. According to the United Nations, there were around six million Afghan refugees and internally displaced people at the end of 2020. Another half a million could leave by the end of the year.

September 2021 Focus Middle East Afghanistan

September 30, 2021 Joshua Powanda

FOCUS on Afghanistan: The Return of Terrorism

The United States intervened in Afghanistan to hunt down the perpetrators of the September 11 terror attacks and deter another incident of such magnitude. Although this mission was successful at first, the Taliban’s return to power raises serious questions and concerns about the likelihood of a renewal of terrorism in Afghanistan and its implications for the American homeland.

International News Middle East

September 13, 2021 Joshua Powanda

Afghanistan Faces Uncertain Future Amid Taliban Takeover

The United States has concluded its troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, marking the end of America’s longest war and a complete Taliban takeover of the country. CNN reports that the last U.S. military planes left Hamid Karzai International Airport on August 30, officially ending American intervention in the conflict.

2021 May 2021 International News Middle East

May 3, 2021 Shweta Parthasarathy

Hospital Fire Kills 82 People in Baghdad

A massive fire at a hospital in Baghdad injured 110 people and killed more than 80 as officials are still searching for missing people. An exploding oxygen cylinder started the fire at the Ibn al-Khatib Hospital, an institution dedicated to serving COVID-19 patients with severe symptoms, reports The Associated Press.

2021 April 2021 International News Europe Middle East

April 27, 2021 Jasmine Ortega

Denmark Revokes Residency of Syrian Refugees

Denmark has recently come under international criticism for its decision to revoke Syrian refugees’ residency permits. It is the first European country to do so. This is especially surprising given that Denmark was the first country to sign the United Nations Refugee Convention in 1952, according to VICE.

2021 April 2021 International News Europe Middle East

April 27, 2021 Zachary Schullian

Head of States from Ukraine and Turkey Meet Amid Tensions With Russia

According to The Associated Press, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Istanbul in early April to discuss matters of national security and the de-escalation of tensions surrounding the Black Sea region. The meeting between the two heads of state occurred as reports of a build-up of tens of thousands of Russian troops along the eastern Ukrainian border flooded international news headlines.

2021 April 2021 International News Middle East

April 27, 2021 Joshua Powanda

Iranian Nuclear Facility Attacked, Tehran Vows Revenge

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has vowed to “take revenge” against those responsible following an attack on an Iranian nuclear production facility in Natanz. BBC News explains that an explosion inside the facility cut off electricity to both the central and backup power systems. Not only did the attack damage many critical centrifuges, but the lack of power has forced work to cease at the facility.

2021 April 2021 International News U.S.Americas Middle East

April 27, 2021 Drew Starbuck

The U.S. Announces Decision to Withdraw Troops from Afghanistan

United States President Joe Biden recently announced that he will withdraw all American troops from Afghanistan by September 11, ending the United States’ 20-year war in Afghanistan, according to Al Jazeera. President Biden’s announcement means that the United States will not abide by the earlier May 1 deadline set and negotiated under the Trump administration.

2021 April 2021 International News U.S.Americas Middle East

April 27, 2021 Timothy Georgetti

Iran and United States to Resume Nuclear Negotiations

The United States announced that it has resumed indirect negotiations with Iran over its nuclear weapons program. While Reuters reports that the first week of talks in Vienna, Austria closed on a positive note, there is still much work to be done to establish a peaceful consensus.