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Saturday, March 07 2015
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March Guest Writer
News from the Middle East
Iran: France needs a ‘more realistic’ attitude on Syria
The Iranian ambassador in France Ali Ahani told the Europe 1 radio station yesterday that Tehran expects France to adopt a "more realistic" attitude towards Syria in order not to "tear the country apart".
Haniyeh: Palestinian cause at turning point, but requires political will
EXCLUSIVE IMAGES
Ismail Haniyeh, deputy head of the political bureau of Hamas, said the national unity government train still has not reached its desired station, which requires the application of all reconciliation agreements.
Gaza's power plant shuts down
Gaza's only power plant closed yesterday as a result of financial disputes with the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority over fuel tax, according to the Hamas-run Electricity Authority.
Saudi woman to get 200 lashes after being raped
A woman who was violently gang raped in Saudi Arabia has been sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in jail after being found guilty of indecency and talk to the media.
Official data: most Palestinian workers have no contract, paid less than Israelis
The number of Palestinians from the West Bank working in the Israeli economy has doubled in the past four years. The new official Israeli data also confirms a significant wage disparity between Israeli and Palestinian employees.
Report: Arab women paid higher than men
Arab women receive higher wages than men, a report released by Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics to mark International Women's Day which falls on 8 March revealed.
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News from Africa
Arms dealer arrested in Tunisia
The Tunisian Ministry of Interior announced yesterday that its units have arrested an Italian arms dealer who entered into a huge arms deal with Libyan partners on Tunisian territory.
Egypt opens Rafah border crossing to allow entry of two dead women
The Egyptian authorities yesterday opened the Rafah crossing to allow the bodies of two women who died in an Egyptian hospital to enter Gaza, a senior Palestinian official said.
Amnesty condemns escalating violations in Egypt’s prisons
Amnesty International condemned repeated cases of death as a result of torture in Egyptian detention centres which resulted in the killing of three detainees in the past week in El-Matareya police station, Cairo.
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News from Europe and Russia
Turkey-Qatar agree to military cooperation
New agreement between Turkey and Qatar permits the deployment of joint troops in both countries
Spain ready to join Muslim countries to confront terrorism
Spain is ready for military, judiciary and intelligence cooperation with Muslim countries to confront terrorism, the Anadolu Agency reported the country's prime minister as saying.
Seminar: The politics of reconstruction in Gaza
The politics of Gaza's reconstruction was the topic of discussion at the UK House of Lords yesterday in a seminar jointly organised by Middle East Monitor and the Europal Forum.
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News from Asia, the Americas, & International Organisations
Kerry: ‘Military pressure’ may be needed to topple Assad
Military pressure may be needed to topple Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, US Secretary of State John Kerry said yesterday.
Haaretz: Israeli ambassador is persona non grata to US administration
Israel's Haaretz newspaper said that the US views the Israeli ambassador to American, Ron Dermer, as a persona non grata due to his role in coordinating a controversial speech delivered by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Congress two days ago.
Netanyahu's popularity rises after US speech
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has potentially achieved one more seat in Parliament following his speech in the United States according to a poll conducted by the Israeli television channel Channel 2.
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Latest In-Depth Articles
Arab Sci-Fi: The Future Is Here
Science fiction from the Arab world has been capturing the attention of western audiences as of late. This year, sci-fi across the fields of literature, film and art in the region is getting much of the critical attention it lacked in the past. Next month, the Middle East Film an...
The ISIS Conundrum
Ever since the militant group known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS), or simply "Islamic State", stormed onto our television screens and twitter feeds last summer, journalists and analysts around the world have spilled countless gallons of ink attempting to make se...
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MEMO Commentary & Analysis
A perfect gift for Egypt's failing regime
The callous murder of 21 Copts in Libya over the weekend was a welcome gift to the military-led regime in Egypt. Like the senseless killings in Paris, it offered an opportunity for the government in Cairo to present itself as a deserving and credible partner in the great "war on ...
DEBATE by Ben White
Israel is losing the debate - in more ways than one
Last night, I participated in a debate at the Cambridge Union on 'This House Believes Israel is a Rogue State.' Speaking alongside Ghada Karmi and Norman Finkelstein for the proposition, the motion was carried by 51 percent to 19 percent - with a 7 percent swing from the pre-debate vote.
INQUIRY by Asa Winstanley
Peter Oborne: HSBC closures of pro-Palestinian accounts part of US 'attack on democracy'
In December, Peter Oborne, then the chief political commentator at The Telegraph wrote a long, thorough and well-researched piece with Alex Delmar-Morgan about several prominent British Muslims whose bank accounts had been unceremoniously closed by HSBC.
