UAE nominates Lana Nusseibeh for UN secretary-general: What to know Nusseibeh, who is of Palestinian descent, would become the second Middle Eastern person to serve as UN secretary-general after Boutros Boutros-Ghali and the first woman to hold the position. United Arab Emirates
Explainer As Guterres exits, here are contenders for UNSG and their Middle East outlook The next UN secretary-general will inherit a Middle East agenda dominated by crises. United States
Interview Ex-PM says Sudan risks partition amid US ceasefire push Former Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok also called for the United States to impose sanctions that would carry “personal consequences” for the warring sides.
Iran rallies thousands of volunteer fighters as talks with US stall: What to know Iran has been leading a volunteer recruitment drive and providing military training to civilians as talks with the US remain stalled. Iran
Egyptian architects win UNESCO award for reconstruction of Mosul mosque destroyed by IS The UNESCO announcement that Egyptian architects won the international competition for the reconstruction of the historic Al-Nouri Mosque complex in Mosul sparks debate as to whether their design fits Iraq’s Islamic heritage. Egypt
US slams Yemen’s Houthis for ignoring cease-fire Condemnation comes as Washington rallies European and Gulf support for implementing the cease-fire and 2019 Riyadh agreement. Yemen
Intel: US endorses watchdog report blaming Syria for chemical attack The report from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons found "reasonable grounds" to believe that the Syrian air force dropped chlorine on a rebel-held town in northwestern Syria in 2018. Syria
UN investigator in Khashoggi case says she was threatened by Saudi official Agnes Callamard told The Guardian that a UN colleague informed her a visiting Saudi official threatened to have her "taken care of" during a meeting in Geneva in January 2020. Saudi Arabia
Syria war crimes trials can 'reduce the accountability gap,' UN rights chief says UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said Germany's recent conviction of a former Syrian regime officer marked an important first step. Syria
Houthi security official in Yemen sanctioned by UN for crimes against women Sultan Saleh Aida Aida Zabin, who heads criminal investigations in Houthi rebel territory, has allegedly played a role in arbitrary detentions, torture and sexual crimes against women involved in politics. Yemen
Biden administration shouldn’t stop with Yemen The United States can also play a key role in diplomacy to end wars in Syria and Libya. Yemen
Killings on the rise in Syria's al-Hol camp There were far more deaths than usual in the camp for Islamic State families in January amid calls from the United Nations and Kurdish forces for countries to take back their citizens. Syria
Biden's UN pick passes through Senate Foreign Relations Committee The top Democrat on the committee said he trusts Linda Thomas-Greenfield on Iran and Israel, but his Republican counterparts were more critical. Originals
Timur Goksel, former Al-Monitor editor and UN diplomat, dies Timur Goksel, a former UN diplomat and editor of Al-Monitor’s Turkey Pulse, was best known for his unique contributions to the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon. Lebanon
Biden names Samantha Power as nominee for USAID chief The former journalist and UN ambassador has spent her career advocating for human rights around the globe. United States
UN agency for Palestinian refugees runs out of money to pay salaries The announcement comes as the UN body is strained with increased demands and still reeling from a total funding withdrawal imposed by the Trump administration. Israel
