The New Arab

2 days ago | newarab.com | Giorgio Cafiero

Syria’s government has spent the past few months putting much diplomatic energy into strengthening its relationships with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members. The leadership in Damascus sees the oil- and gas-rich Gulf Arab states as extremely important to Syria’s future. The high-profile visits paid by President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Qatar since early January are evidence of this.

1 week ago | newarab.com | Jessica Buxbaum

Autopsy reports obtained by the New York Times reveal some of the Gaza medics killed by Israeli troops last month were shot in the head and chest. The Israeli military refused to comment on the report, instead saying it wouldn’t provide comment until its probe is complete. Israel’s military launched a preliminary investigation into the killings of 15 Palestinian Red Crescent workers on 23 March by soldiers belonging to the Golani Brigade, who then buried the bodies in a shallow grave.

1 week ago | newarab.com | Paul Iddon

Amid heightened tensions with the United States, Iran has sought to emphasise the effectiveness of its air defences, which Israel hit with deadly airstrikes in October. Whether this is an attempt to save face on Tehran’s part or an objective reality is unclear.

1 week ago | newarab.com | Nadda Osman

The vandalism of over 80 Muslim graves, mainly belonging to babies and infants, is now being treated as an Islamophobic hate crime, the leader of Brent Council revealed to The New Arab. The Muslim section of Carpenders Park Lawn Cemetery in Watford was targeted, with plaques removed from graves and scattered on the ground last week. Counsellor Muhammed Butt, the leader of Brent Council told The New Arab on Wednesday: "Yesterday I visited the cemetery to talk to the grieving families.

1 week ago | newarab.com | Rosa Rahimi

Book Club: In 'The Persians', the often forgotten stories of Iranian women are told through the eyes of five strong, complex characters over 70 years of change “What about the women? The women are forgotten,” says Bita, as she flips through a history book written about her family and lands on a page of black-and-white photos. She sees groups of men, individual, young, and old men. This is history’s great blind spot — to read and often wonder, as Bita does, where the women are.