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Saudi leadership will modernise but uphold religion

Location:

SAUDI ARABIA

In Saudi Arabia, more than 2 million Muslims performed hajj (the annual pilgrimage required of all Muslims in their lifetimes to Islam's holiest sites, Mecca and Medina), reaching…

Iran’s women’s rights movement will be contested

Location:

IRAN

Although this remains against the law, he said police enforcement could lead to a "wide-scale negative reaction". An ongoing Iranian conversation about economic and political…

Norms can undermine Middle East and Africa transitions

Location:

MENA/ AFRICA

Transitions following a peace agreement are typically seen as major opportunities for democratisation and new constitution making, and sometimes for national dialogue…

Saudi women will struggle to dictate pace of reform

Location:

SAUDI ARABIA

The measures represent a milestone in the ongoing process of easing restrictive rules which make women legally dependent on husbands or male relatives. However, several leading…

Erdogan intervention may help reduce gender violence

Location:

TURKEY

Violence against women.

Israel’s 2019 budget assumptions have long-term risks

Location:

ISRAEL

The Knesset (parliament) approved the 2019 state budget on March 15, over nine months early. The 480-billion-shekel (138-billion-dollar) spending package is mildly expansionary at…

Iranian anger at US pandemic sanctions may be enduring

Location:

IRAN

Public health structures were developed and expanded over four decades of war and isolation, allowing them to mobilise effectively against COVID-19 despite the negative impacts of…

A Gulf human rights pushback worsens EU dilemmas

Location:

GULF STATES/EU

Riyadh reacted to Ottawa’s criticism of the arrests by breaking diplomatic ties and immediately withdrawing investments, trade, students and medical patients, demanding support…

Erdogan’s attempt to cow academia will meet resistance

Location:

TURKEY

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s appointment of a hand-picked outsider as Bogazici University’s rector has encountered student protests and the rector's total boycott by the…

Davutoglu departure may unravel Turkey-EU deal

Location:

TURKEY

Davutoglu had claimed credit for the EU abolishing its visa requirement for Turks travelling to Europe as a pay-off for Turkish cooperation in stemming the flow of migrants to…