Stories from MENA that defined democracy in 2022
The MENA region remains largely uneven, and the democracy and human rights situation looks bleak with little prospect of improvement in 2023, say experts at International IDEA.
Iran hits Kurdish groups in Iraq, second attack in week
Carrying out a second attack in a week, Iran has launched a fresh wave of strikes against Kurdish opposition groups based in Iraqi Kurdistan on Sunday. Tehran accuses the groups of instigating unrest in Iran, which has been rocked by two months of protests set off by the death of...WFP calls for action to avoid another year of record hunger
UAE Minister of Climate Change and the Environment Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri said that the crises facing the world today put the health and lives of millions of people at stake without distinguishing between developed and developing countries.Iraq MPs to meet for first time since August violence
Parliament said in a brief statement on Monday that votes on the resignation of the assembly's speaker, Mohammed al-Halbussi, and the appointment of a first deputy speaker would top the agenda.Israel no longer partner for peace, says Palestinian leader
Israel is impeding progress toward a two-state solution and can no longer be considered a reliable partner in the peace process, Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas told the United Nations. His remarks come a day after Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said he supported a two-state solution, but Abbas said the...Yemen president transfers power to leadership council
In a major shake-up in the coalition battling Houthi rebels, Yemen's president Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi has formed a new council to lead the war-wracked country.Libya armed groups step back after Tripoli escalation
Libya has had rival administrations since the eastern-based assembly swore in a prime minister earlier this month in a challenge to interim premier Abdulhamid Dbeibah.Arab world may suffer shortage of bread
Russia's invasion of Ukraine could mean less bread on the table in Egypt, Lebanon, Yemen and elsewhere in the Arab world where millions already struggle to survive.Amid troop buildup, Biden says Putin has decided to invade Ukraine
There were growing fears that only a spark — which Washington warns could be a deliberate "false flag" incident created by the Russians — might set off the largest military confrontation in Europe since World War II. More than 40 percent of the troops surrounding Ukraine were now said to...Oil prices jump as unrest continues in Kazakhstan
Over the week, crude prices gained about 5 percent and on Friday Brent exceeded $83 per barrel.Social unrest may spoil Mideast recovery: IMF
The fund also warned that the longer-term risk of the uneven recovery could permanently widen wealth, income, and social gaps.Omani Sultan offers jobs to pacify protests
Sultan Haitham ordered the creation of 32000 job opportunities, 12000 of them in the government sector