Thursday, March 28

Middle East

Blinken Visits the Middle East to Perpetuate the File
Middle East, News, US

Blinken Visits the Middle East to Perpetuate the File

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit the Israeli government and Palestinian leaders on Tuesday.   The aim is to consolidate the ceasefire that came about last week after 11 days of deadly bombardments between Israel and Hamas. "Minister Blinken will speak to Israeli leaders about our unwavering commitment to the security of Israel. He will continue our government's efforts to restore ties with and support for the Palestinian people and leaders after years of neglect," said US President Joe Biden in an explanation of the visit. Biden, who has been criticized by many within his own Democratic party for not putting more open pressure on ally Israel to declare a ceasefire, praised his government's "quiet, relentless diplomacy" to end the campaign. Israel's response to Hama...
Jordan Prohibits Reporting on Investigations into Ex-Crown Prince
Jordan, Middle East, News

Jordan Prohibits Reporting on Investigations into Ex-Crown Prince

Jordanian media are no longer allowed to publish on the case of the former Crown Prince Hamza bin Hussein. That has been determined by the attorney general in the Jordanian capital Amman.   King Abdullah's half-brother is accused by the government of conspiring to destabilize the security of the country. The prosecutor reports that the publication of "anything related to this investigation" is prohibited at this stage of the ongoing investigation. The ban also applies to social media and images related to the case. At least sixteen arrests have been made so far in the investigation. The 41-year-old prince is said to have worked with them and foreign parties to undermine security in Jordan. Hamza denies being involved in any conspiracy against the king and is supported by the form...
Saudi Women and Men can Now Go through the Same Door
International, Middle East, News

Saudi Women and Men can Now Go through the Same Door

In Saudi Arabia, men and women can now enter the restaurant through the same entrance. The government will lift the obligation for the hotel and catering industry to implement a two-door policy, the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs reports on Twitter.   Saudi Arabia has many conservative restrictions that are primarily imposed on women, but they are now being dealt with more flexibly. This is also the case with the rule that will soon be abolished that families and men who are alone must go through a separate entrance to a restaurant. Since Mohammed bin Salman was crowned crown prince in 2017, the government has been trying to modernise the country and make it more open to tourists to become less dependent on oil sales. The state wants to attract 100 million tourists a yea...