Middle East Experience

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also said that Turkey was increasing the risk of more bloodshed.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Pompeo hopes Armenia can 'defend' itself from Azerbaijan

The substantial donation comes as Trump has continued to lose support according to numerous public opinion polls.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Sheldon Adelson gives Trump campaign million in effort to beat Biden

Rumors surrounding the attack suggest that the teacher had presented caricatures of Muhammad, which the attacker took as incentive.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Paris attacker murdered teacher for using caricatures of Muhammad - report

A children's charity has found an increase in Lebanese attempting the dangerous crossing into Cyprus..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Surge in deadly crossings from crisis-hit Lebanon: Save the Children

While Iran and China are still working to finalize a 25-year strategic partnership plan, Chinese officials continue to expand bilateral ties with the Gulf, something that could have unexpected implications for Iran-GCC ties.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: As China-Iran talks continue, Beijing keeps up outreach to Gulf

The strike is believed to have killed a former member of Huras al-Din's Shura Council and a security official.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: US drone strike kills two suspected al-Qaeda officials in Idlib

Also: Israelis back Trump, Palestinians (kind of) tilt toward Biden.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Middle East’s chronic woes exacerbate COVID impact, IMF says

The foreign ministries of France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Spain called for an immediate halt to settlement construction in the West Bank.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: European countries slam Israel over planned settlement expansion

The UN arms embargo on Iran is set to expire Sunday despite US efforts to extend it, giving the regime the freedom to purchase military equipment. This will compound the danger its current missile program already poses in the Middle East.The embargo is due to expire on October 18, as agreed under the 2015 nuclear deal among Iran, Russia, China, Germany, Britain, France and the United States that seeks to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons in return for sanctions relief.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.After failing to pass a resolution to extend the embargo, the US triggered a “snapback” of all sanctions on Iran. However, 13 out of 15 council members expressed their opposition to a return of all UN sanctions on Tehran because there was no consensus in the body.The US administration has repeatedly argued that should the embargo fail to be extended, it would strengthen Iran’s capability to further arm its proxies in the region and eventually destabilize the Middle East.Washington also believes that Iran’s ballistic missile program is used by the regime to further its influence in the region and is not for “peaceful” purposes as Tehran claims.The Iranian regime has repeatedly over the years claimed that its missile program was for “peaceful purposes” and for defense only and refused to even negotiate curbing the program.A study by the Riyadh-based think tank International Institute for Iranian Studies (Rasanah) stated that nuclear deal alone was not enough to curb the dangers posed by Tehran to the region. It highlighted Iran’s capabilities when it comes to missile production.“Iran can produce hundreds of sophisticated, reverse-engineered improvised missiles. Through black-market or top-secret unannounced purchases, Tehran is suspected of building a missile force capable of evading the radars of its neighbors with speed and in-flight maneuverability. Considering the short flight duration between its adversaries, the threats from Iran’s government to the region cannot diminish with the existing nuclear deal as it does not cover Iran’s missile capability,” the study said.Iran also has a long history of arming and financially supporting its network of proxies – Shia militias across the Middle East – to further its influence in the region.“Iran’s reliance on its missile force makes it highly probable that it will face a high degree of escalation and pay severe retribution. It has [therefore] successfully managed threats by deploying its missiles via its proxies in Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen,” the study adds.“Iran found great potential in projecting its influence and power through the use of non-state armed actors, civil society groups, emerging media platforms, unmanned aerial vehicles and missile forces.”“Reverse-engineered or locally assembled missiles” have been smuggled to Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and Shia militias in both Syria and Iraq.“Drones have worked well for Iran, from Yemen to Iraq and Syria to Lebanon. A sanction-stricken country like Iran, without its many missiles and numerous drones, cannot project power and implement deterrence measures thousands of kilometers away.”After the embargo is lifted “Iran’s arms shopping list will include missile defense systems, fighter jets and submarines.”Read more:Iran acquiring Chinese weapons and financing will destabilize Middle East: PompeoIf arms embargo on Iran isn't extended, Tehran will arm its proxies: US envoy to UNIran says it built ‘missile cities’ along Gulf coast, warns enemies of ‘nightmare’- With Agencies
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Iran’s missiles need to be addressed to curb Tehran's ambitions in region: Study

A new comedy movie about young men in Saudi Arabia is bringing laughs to the region and beyond since it premiered earlier this month on Netflix.“Shams Alma’arif” – or The Book of Sun – is set in Saudi Arabia in 2010, a time when young Saudi Arabians first embraced YouTube and other online platforms as the Kingdom began to undergo transformative reforms.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The film tells the story of high school senior Hussam’s journey in pursuit of his passion for filmmaking.Saudi Arabian actor and film buff Baraa Alem, in his first debut on a feature film, plays the main character Hussam.Hussam sets out to produce a zero-budget horror movie with the help of his best friend Ma’an, their “frenemy” Ibrahim, and their teacher Orabi. The group faces challenges pursuing their passion while appealing to online viewers and adhering to societal norms.Written and directed by Faris Godus and produced by his brother Sohayb, the film draws on their own experiences as young Saudi Arabian filmmakers.Named after the 13th century book by Algerian scholar Ahmed al-Buni, Shams Alma’arif was originally set to premiere at Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Festival in March, but the coronavirus pandemic put its release on pause.It later premiered in movie theaters across the Kingdom on July 30, before making its global debut on Netflix on October 1.Also read: Saudi Arabia reopens cinemas with coronavirus protocols: The Dos and Don’tsBringing ‘real’ characters to life Though the film is a fictional comedy, Alem told Al Arabiya English that the characters are accurate representations of real citizens in the Kingdom.“I always tell my friends here in Jeddah or anywhere in Saudi Arabia that you can find Hussam in your school, and you can find Hima and Ma’an, those characters, existing in our real life,” the actor said in an interview.People from around the world will also be able to relate to the characters – even if the story is one about young Saudi Arabian men - because it was structured similarly to other Hollywood coming-of-age films, according to Alem.“Some of my friends from Egypt, and Iraq, and Kuwait, they could relate [to Shams Alma’arif]. After all, Faris Godus wrote a Saudi story but he wrote it in a very ‘Hollywoodian’ structure in the movie. So whoever watched the movie and could relate, they could see the American structure of the film,” he said.An opportunity to build a local film industry Saudi Arabian movies that came before Shams Alma’arif helped set the stage for a rising industry in the country, the 26-year-old actor told Al Arabiya English.While some Saudi-made movies such as “Wadjda” and “Barakah Meets Barakah” have been released in recent years, Alem said that the Kingdom is in need of more commercial films that can reach a wider audience.Read more:Netflix will stream six award-winning Saudi Arabian filmsNetflix signs deal with Saudi Arabia animator Myrkott, creator of Masameer cartoonsThe enthusiastic reception of Shams Alma’arif could also help develop the growing film industry in the Kingdom, according to the actor.“If Shams Alma’arif did something good to the industry it proved that we can sell tickets after all. We can be in theaters and prove to investors that you could put your money into this form of storytelling, and entertain people and get paid back for it. And I hope that will be the case. I hope that after Shams Alma’arif we see a lot of commercial films.”YouTube fanbase Before Shams Alma’arif, the 26-year-old actor was quickly garnering social media popularity on his YouTube page “Filmmer.”With more than 280,000 subscribers, Alem uses his background in media and his experience as a film buff to review movies, give recommendations, and provide insights on cinematography and filmmaking in Arabic.While dressing up as the characters of the film he’s reviewing and mimicking their accents, Alem has been able to share his passion of cinema with Saudi Arabians across the country in a lighthearted way.It was his channel, the actor said, that initially caught the eye of Shams Alma’arif’s director Godus and brought him the role of lead actor in the film.The film is currently available worldwide on Netflix.
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Meet the Saudi actor leading the Kingdom’s first coming-of-age film ‘The Book of Sun’