Middle East

Michigan Democrats are holding their 2026 nominating convention amid divisions over Israel, antisemitism and party security. Attorney General Dana Nessel, who is Jewish, said she would not attend because she feared harassment following protests at an April convention where pro-Israel speakers, including Representative Haley Stevens, were shouted down. The dispute matters because it highlights internal…

Piracy off Somalia has risen sharply, adding to risks for international shipping already affected by the US-Iran war and Houthi disruption in nearby sea lanes. The resurgence matters because the Gulf of Aden and surrounding routes are vital to global trade, while stretched naval forces may leave commercial vessels more exposed. Two cargo ships were…

A former San Diego landlady has spoken publicly for the first time about Omar al-Bayoumi, a Saudi man accused of helping two future 9/11 hijackers settle in the United States. Her account is significant because it may challenge Bayoumi’s version of events and forms part of continuing efforts by victims’ families to establish whether Saudi…

Israeli police discovered an ancient burial cave beneath a building in Silwan, East Jerusalem, while searching for people linked to a violent family dispute. The find matters because it may provide further evidence of Jerusalem’s long and layered history, although officials have only made an initial assessment and further examination is planned. The police operation…