Middle East

In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian Presidency, President Hassan Rouhani delivers a message for the Iranian New Year, or Nowruz, in Tehran, March 20, 2020.
Middle East
‘Low Risk” Business to Resume in Iran 
President Rouhani said that large gatherings will still be banned as the country battles a COVID-19 outbreak 
VOA logo
By VOA News
Sun, 04/05/2020 - 12:54
FILE - Protesters, some wearing face masks, march during an anti-government rally in Iraq's southern city of Nasiriyah, March 1, 2020.
Middle East
Iraq Protesters Confront Security Forces as PM-designate Presents Agenda to Parliament
More than a dozen casualties among Iraqi security forces reported in Nasiriya after protesters flout curfew, attack checkpoints
Edward Yeranian
By Edward Yeranian
Sat, 04/04/2020 - 13:39
FILE - Migrants sit on the floor at a detention center inTajoura, in the eastern suburbs of the Libyan capital Tripoli, Nov. 29, 2019.
Middle East
Coronavirus, Conflict Threaten Thousands of Refugees, Migrants Detained in Libya
The UNHCR is calling for the orderly release of thousands of asylum seekers and refugees held in Libya under conditions that threaten their health and well-being
Lisa Schlein
By Lisa Schlein
Sat, 04/04/2020 - 13:17
Prison guards say they worry about jailbreaks, as inmates grow more and more frustrated on Feb. 16, 2020 in Hasseka, Syria. (Heather Murdock/VOA)
Middle East
US Moves to Bolster Prisons Holding Captured Islamic State Fighters
Delivery of aid comes less than a week after a prison riot allowed some IS fighters to break free and as overcrowded conditions have many worried about a coronavirus outbreak
Jeff Seldin
By Jeff Seldin
Sat, 04/04/2020 - 06:12
An Iraqi public hospital specialised doctor takes samples from Iraqi citizens in Baghdad's suburb of Sadr City on April 2, 2020…
Press Freedom
Iraq Suspends Reuters License Over COVID-19 Report
International press watchdog warns that banning British news outlet would greatly diminish availability of reliable reporting in the country amid pandemic
Default Author Profile
By Pete Cobus
Fri, 04/03/2020 - 18:03
Unmasked worshippers offer Friday prayers at a mosque during a lockdown to to help stop the spread of the coronavirus in…
South & Central Asia
Mosques Stay Open in Pakistan Even as Virus Death Toll Rises
Mosques remain open in Pakistan, even as they have been shut down across much of the Middle East and elsewhere
AP logo
By Associated Press
Fri, 04/03/2020 - 09:25
(FILES) In this file photo taken on February 17, 2020, Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani gives a press conference at the…
Middle East
Iran Parliament Speaker, Israeli Health Minister Have Virus
Iran's parliament announced Ali Larijani's illness on its website, saying he was receiving treatment in quarantine
AP logo
By Associated Press
Fri, 04/03/2020 - 09:22
Iran's national flag waves as Milad telecommunications tower and buildings are seen in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, March 31, 2020…
Middle East
Latest Iranian Plotting Worrisome, Not Surprising, US Officials Say
New intelligence builds on warnings US efforts to deter Iran have not been able to influence the use of proxy forces
Jeff Seldin
By Jeff Seldin
Fri, 04/03/2020 - 00:12
Religious Adherence Complicates Israel’s Coronavirus Concerns
00:03:48
Coronavirus Outbreak
Religious Adherence Complicates Israel’s Coronavirus Concerns
Country’s ultra-Orthodox community has resisted government bans on large gatherings
Linda Gradstein
By Linda Gradstein
Thu, 04/02/2020 - 17:48
Men, some in protective gear, bury a coronavirus victim at a cemetery outside Tehran, Iran, March 30, 2020.
Coronavirus Outbreak
Iran Says Over 3,000 Dead From Coronavirus
Iranian opposition sources say actual death toll from coronavirus may be higher than 15,000
Edward Yeranian
By Edward Yeranian
Thu, 04/02/2020 - 14:50
FILE - The Twitter logo is displayed on a screen on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City.
Middle East
Twitter Deletes Egypt, Saudi Accounts Over 'Pro-Govt Direction'
Twitter said Thursday it has removed thousands of accounts in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Honduras, Indonesia and Serbia that allegedly took direction from governments or pushed pro-government content
AFP logo
By Agence France-Presse
Thu, 04/02/2020 - 12:56
Iraqi health ministry workers pray by a coffin of a person who died from coronavirus at a new cemetery for the people outside the town of Najaf.
Middle East
Medics: Iraq has Confirmed Thousands More COVID-19 Cases Than Reported
Iraq's health ministry, the only official outlet for information on the COVID-19 disease, could not immediately be reached for comment
Reuters logo
By Reuters
Thu, 04/02/2020 - 13:44
Trials of IS Fighters in Syria Suspended Indefinitely
00:02:03
Middle East
Trials of IS Fighters in Syria Suspended Indefinitely
Foreign prisoners have been held in Syria for more than a year with no charges, trials or solution in sight
Heather Murdock
By Heather Murdock
Thu, 04/02/2020 - 12:02
A security person wears a mask as he checks vehicles entering a compound for Saudi Aramco in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, Monday,…
Economy & Business
Saudi Arabia and Russia Signal Readiness to Cooperate on Oil 
Oil prices have halved to under $26 a barrel since Saudi Arabia and other producers led by Russia — collectively known as OPEC+ — failed to agree a joint supply response to the slump in fuel demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic   
Reuters logo
By Reuters
Thu, 04/02/2020 - 09:42
Prison guards say they worry about jailbreaks, as inmates grow more and more frustrated on Feb. 16, 2020 in Hasseka, Syria. (Heather Murdock/VOA)
Middle East
Trials of IS Fighters in Syria Suspended Indefinitely
Foreign prisoners have been held in Syria for more than a year with no charges, trials or solutions in sight
Heather Murdock
By Heather Murdock
Thu, 04/02/2020 - 11:12

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