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Twenty-five new coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Arab countries since Wednesday's update – 17 in Kuwait, seven in Bahrain and one in Iraq.
The latest tally of cases in the Middle East region is below, and this may be updated in the light of developments during the course of the day. Iran,… Read more
Twenty-three new coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Arab countries since yesterday's report, and Algeria is a newcomer to the list. Excluding Iran (where details are very confused), the latest tally of cases in the rest of the Middle East region is as follows:
Algeria 1 (+1)
Bahrain 26 (+3)… Read more
Coronavirus cases have now been reported in nine countries in the Middle East. The outbreak in Iran is clearly the most serious in the region, and it may be more extensive than the official figures suggest.
Elsewhere in the region the number of cases is small and no deaths have been reported so far… Read more
A 27-year-old Egyptian rights activist was detained on arrival at Cairo airport on Friday and now faces multiple charges:
Publishing rumours and false news intended to disturb social peace and sow chaos.
Incitement to protest without permission from the relevant authorities with the aim of… Read more
The war in Yemen is complicated and it can be difficult to keep track of what's happening on the ground, not to mention the related peace efforts. A new report from the Sana'a Center for Strategic Studies is a useful starting point for anyone wanting a quick catch-up – well, relatively… Read more
Rebels in Syria used a gas chamber to murder dozens of civilian captives, a university professor has claimed.
The claim – which is not supported by any evidence – formed part of a Powerpoint presentation that Edinburgh University professor Paul McKeigue showed to a meeting in London last month.
The… Read more
Last October a mysterious whistleblower surfaced in Brussels complaining of irregularities in the OPCW's investigation of a suspected chemical attack in Douma, Syria.
"Alex" – as the whistleblower asked to be called – claimed that in an effort to shape the investigation towards a "pre-ordained"… Read more
Among the leaked documents in the OPCW whistleblower affair is an account of a meeting between four of the organisation's staff and a group of toxicologists. The toxicologists were shown photos and videos of alleged victims from what was suspected to be a chlorine gas attack in Douma, Syria.
During… Read more
A former Director of Special Forces in the British army appeared on Russia's RT channel on Sunday, talking about the OPCW's investigation of a suspected chemical attack in Douma, Syria.
Retired Major General John Holmes is a board member of the British Syrian Society along with President Assad's… Read more
On Monday, Russia stepped up its campaign against identifying the perpetrators of chemical attacks in Syria with a specially-convened meeting at the UN. Though held under the auspices of the Security Council, it was what is known as an "Arria" meeting – a discussion that's not treated as formal… Read more
