At a press conference held after he submitted his report to the UN Security Council on Syria, UN-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi said that a bid by Syrian President Bashar Assad to run for another term in office would be a hindrance to any peace talks. Brahimi made clear that

As the standoff between the West and Russia continues over Crimea, the Moscow-backed referendum on the “annexation” of the Black Sea peninsula looms on the horizon.  The referendum, scheduled to take place on March 16, could seal not only the relations between t

The recent release of a group of nuns from the Syrian Christian town of Maalula who were held captive for nearly three months came after agonising negotiations sponsored by Qatar between Syrian authorities and the Nusra Front that kept them as hostages.  The trade-off resul

Irrespective of how Israel spins this one, irrespective of what the Israeli investigation into the killing of Jordanian judge Raed Zuaiter by Israeli guards at the King Hussein Bridge border crossing reveals, there are some incontrovertible facts that all have come to know. For

The convening of the Higher Steering Committee on the Syrian Refugees under the auspices of Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour suggests that the plight of the Syrian refugees may be a prolonged situation that will last for years. This clearly necessitates long-term planning, a strat

The upcoming visit to Jordan of the UN special rapporteur on the right to drinking water and sanitation, Catarina de Albuquerque, is quite timely. To start with, the extended period of drought we have witnessed is a source of great worry for Jordanians, for the obvious reason: n

Despite extensive diplomatic efforts to defuse the Ukrainian conflict, including hours-long telephone calls between US President Barack Obama and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, as well as talks held by US Secretary of State John Kerry and his counterpart, Russian Foreign Minister

His Majesty King Abdullah’s tour of Al Hassan Industrial Estate should raise awareness about the role of entrepreneurs and pilot industrial projects in promoting the national economy and creating job opportunities for Jordanians. Small businesses, including innovative indu

US President Barack Obama, in an interview with Bloomberg TV station on the eve of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the US, wondered why Israel is reluctant to arrive at peace with the Palestinians. “If not now, when? And if not you, Mr.