Category: Middle East

Israel Tightens Requirements for COVID-19 ‘Green Pass’ by Adding Booster

Israel is moving towards tightening the rights of vaccinated citizens by adding booster shots to its COVID-19 “green pass” that is required to enter restaurants, clubs, gyms, hotels, among many other indoor settings. The new vaccine passport was announced by officials on Oct. 3 and will become available to people who have received the third…


Oil Extends Losses as US Mulls Strategic Reserve Sales

LONDON—Oil prices fell sharply on Thursday, extending losses from the previous session, as the United States said it was considering selling oil from its strategic reserves and as Russia said it was ready to stabilise the natural gas market. Brent crude prices fell $1.24, or 1.5 percent, to $79.84 a barrel by 0918 GMT, after…


US Watchdog Will Look Into Allegations Afghan’s Ghani Took Money From Country

WASHINGTON—John Sopko, the U.S. special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction, said on Wednesday his office would look into allegations that former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani took millions of dollars with him when he left the country. Ghani has said he left Kabul to prevent bloodshed and denied reports he took large sums of money with…


Dubai Expo Offers Close-Up of Michelangelo’s David, but Only From Neck Up

DUBAI—Expo Dubai visitors hoping to see the 3-D twin of Michelangelo’s David in all its glory at Italy’s pavilion may be disappointed as only the statue’s head is visible to the public in a display slammed by some Italian media as self-censorship. The head and neck of the six-meter-tall (20-foot-tall) reproduction of the Renaissance statue…


At Least 20 Dead After 5.9M Earthquake Hits Pakistan

At least 20 people have died and more than 200 injured after a 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck southwestern Pakistan in the early hours of Thursday. The quake in the province of Balochistan had a relatively shallow depth of about 9 km (6 miles), according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Shallower quakes tend to cause more damage….


Afghanistan Is ‘A Massive Safe-Haven for Al Qaeda, ISIS’—Feat. Marine Corps Veteran Elliot Ackerman

Best-selling author and veteran U.S. Marine Captain Elliot Ackerman describes Afghanistan, under Taliban rule, as descending into a black hole. This is a circumstance we’ve seen before in other parts of the world, he says: “What eventually crawls out of that black hole is some type of terrorist group that is going to lash out…


Senators Concerned About US Ability to Conduct ‘Over the Horizon’ Defense After Afghanistan Exit

Republican senators are concerned that the United States is less safe since the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan and abandoning a strategic location from which to strike terrorist groups like al-Qaeda and ISIS. Sen. Debra Fischer (R-Neb.) said unlike what President Joe Biden said, the United States does not have the capability to conduct successful drone…


ISIS Terrorist Responsible for Kabul Airport Bombing Was Prisoner Released by Taliban: Congressman

The ISIS-K terrorist who carried out a suicide bomb attack in August outside of Kabul’s airport in Afghanistan had reportedly been released from prison just days before the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul, according to a top U.S. official. “U.S. national security officials have now confirmed to me the reports that the Aug. 26 Kabul bomber…


ISIS-K Terrorist Responsible for Kabul Airport Bombing Was Prisoner Freed by Taliban: Congressman

The ISIS-K terrorist who carried out a suicide bomb attack in August outside of the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, had reportedly been released from prison just days before the Taliban’s overthrow of the government, according to a U.S. lawmaker. “U.S. national security officials have now confirmed to me the reports that the Aug. 26 Kabul…


Oil Retreats From Multi-Year Highs After US Stock Build

NEW YORK—Oil prices dropped nearly 2 percent on Wednesday after hitting a multi-year highs, taking a breather from its torrid gains of late after U.S. crude inventories rose unexpectedly. The latest surge in the price of crude had been underpinned by the refusal of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies to boost…