Topic: Saudi Arabia

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10 voices for change in Saudi Arabia

From a conservative sheikh to a pioneering female pediatrician, these are just a few of Saudis who are vocally advocating for change in their country.
Israel's coalition government: Israeli and Arab media react

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu surprised Israel (and its Arab neighbors) when he announced the creation of a unity government on May 8: Israeli and Arab media react.
Blast-off: 6 recent missile advances

Missiles have been prominent in the news with India’s successful test, North Korea’s failed one, and much talk of missile defense systems in Europe and the Persian Gulf. Here are six recent noteworthy missile-technology advances.
15 spring 2012 novels we think you'll like

A preview of new novels coming this spring.
Six reasons to keep America as No. 1 superpower

Many around the world say American decline would preserve global stability through a better balance of power. They’re wrong, says Steve Yetiv, a political science professor at Old Dominion University. It’s not that other countries or international institutions can’t play vital roles. They do. But they can't yet do what Washington does around the world, Yetiv says. Here he gives six examples.

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Progress Watch
In Saudi Arabia, a quiet tide of reform

Declining the revolutionary model that Egypt established in overthrowing Mubarak, Saudi reformers are working for a shift in mind-sets as well as policies – and making headway.
Progress Watch
Saudi girls find freedom in cleats

A high-energy evening soccer game between two girls' teams is part of a growing female sports movement in conservative Saudi Arabia.
10 voices for change in Saudi Arabia

From a conservative sheikh to a pioneering female pediatrician, these are just a few of Saudis who are vocally advocating for change in their country.
Global News Blog
Russian security firm spots cyber supervirus that tops Stuxnet

Russian Internet security firm Kaspersky Labs says the complexity and targets of the virus – which is infecting computers in Iran and elsewhere in the Middle East – imply its creator is a government.
After Houla massacre, Syrian diplomats expelled around the world

France, Britain, Canada, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Australia are expelling Syrian diplomatic envoys. The response to the Houla civilian massacre is increasing Syria's isolation.
By not lifting sanctions, West and Obama are helping Iran enrich uranium

The West just blew its latest chance to rein in Iran's nuclear enrichment program. Though Iran expressed willingness to compromise on key demands, by refusing to ease sanctions, the P5+1 nations offered no meaningful reciprocity, derailing the possibility of a deal with Tehran.
Focus
Are terrorists beyond redemption?

The record shows that some radicals can be persuaded to give up the gun when inducements and local conditions are right. The Pentagon recently spent $4.5 million to find out more.
Progress Watch
For Saudi ex-jihadis: a stipend, a wife, and a new life

A Saudi 'rehabilitation' program originally established to help ex-Guantánamo detainees is being expanded to include five centers around the country.
Stefan Karlsson
Europe can strengthen Greece without weakening Germany

Some experts warn that Greece can't reduce its current deficit unless Germany and other better-off nations reduce their surpluses. Here's why they're wrong.
Egypt votes with hope and fear

Egyptians took the the polls today in the first competitive presidential election in a lifetime, brought on by last year's populist uprising.
Memorial Day: good news on gasoline prices, and it may get better

Memorial Day weekend, the start of the summer driving season, will see gasoline prices at their lowest in two years. Concerns about Europe and optimism about Iran have helped cut the cost of crude.
Egypt elections: Sharia can support democracy

In Egypt elections for president today, the role of Islam in government is a big question. But a freedom-based interpretation of sharia can support democracy in the Arab world. Such a form of sharia in the early stages of the Iran Revolution set a precedent – before it was snuffed out.
Terrorism & Security
Suicide bomber kills scores in Yemen as government pursues Al Qaeda group (+video)

Yemen's military has been carrying out an offensive in the south for the past 10 days against Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Today's bombing could be payback.
Latin America Monitor
Should Argentina remain a member of the G20?

Argentina's history is a continuous series of economic and political crises and they'll probably face another before the decade is out, but they still deserve a seat at the G20, writes a guest blogger.
US sends troops to Yemen as Al Qaeda gains ground

Civil unrest in Yemen has enabled Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which perpetrated the foiled underwear bomb plot, to expand its reach. US troops are arriving to train Yemeni soldiers.
Oil prices fall below $96 a barrel

Oil prices in Asia fall on concerns about slowing economic growth. Oil prices have fallen about 10 percent since last week.
Israel's coalition government: Israeli and Arab media react

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu surprised Israel (and its Arab neighbors) when he announced the creation of a unity government on May 8: Israeli and Arab media react.
After underwear plot, Saudi officials cite headway against AQAP

Saudi officials refused to discuss their involvement in disrupting the latest underwear bomb plot from Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), but say they are making gains against the group.
Backchannels
Saudi's Al Qaeda intelligence coup and the perils of too much disclosure

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula's second underwear bomb plot went nowhere thanks to great intelligence work. But this is a case where too much disclosure is a problem.
Keep Calm
Clinton in India: a gentle reminder about all that Iranian oil (+video)

The US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wants India to stop buying oil from Iran, given concerns over Iran's nuclear program. But can Delhi stop?
Refugees use Facebook to keep scattered families connected

Refugees use Facebook to keep scattered families connected, despite long distances and hostile borders. Among the Palestinian refugees living in camps along the Lebanon border, social media connects far-flung relatives and friends.
Syria holds an election despite months of fighting

The election is the first multiparty poll since Syria's new constitution was adopted in February. But early voting appeared thin as the opposition refused to participate.
Hillary Clinton to drill India on Iranian oil

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is on a three-day visit to India. At the top of the agenda is the country's imports of Iranian oil despite US sanctions.
World watches as 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and others go on trial

The military trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other 9/11 defendants could become the most important US war crimes tribunal since Nuremberg. But at their arraignment Saturday, the five men staged a protest.
Oil prices fall to six-month low. Gas to follow.

Oil prices fall below $99 a barrel on weak jobs report. At $3.80 a gallon, gasoline prices should follow oil prices down.