The momentum has tapered off in the remarkable weeklong protests across Iran. But if it seems that the regime has prevailed, despite its legitimacy eroding a bit, do the demonstrations have a deeper meaning and long-term foreign policy consequences? Will policies in Tehran and Washington change? Most outside observers, even those at opposite sides of the ideological spectrum on Iran, agree on the basic facts. These protests, which broke out in the northeastern city of Mashad on Dec. 28, were triggered by economic distress. But as they spread to dozens of locales across the country, they took on a direct [...]
After more than three years in the doldrums, the economy of the United Arab Emirates is headed for a recovery. Spurred on in part by the highest oil prices since December 2014, the UAE has also taken strides to implement important, if long overdue, structural reforms aimed at liberalizing and diversifying its economy. One expected boost to revenue in 2018 will come from a 5-percent value-added tax that was rolled out Jan. 1. While all six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council initially intended to adopt the VAT initiative together, only the UAE and Saudi Arabia moved forward at the [...]
Editor’s Note: This article is part of an ongoing series about press freedom and safety in various countries around the world. Under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli media has seen a disturbing trend of increased political interference. Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, faces a growing list of political scandals, including his attempts to manipulate the Israeli media and interfere with press coverage. In one case, Netanyahu is alleged to have offered the owner of the popular newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, Arnon Mozes, a deal for more positive coverage in exchange for curbing the circulation of one of its competitors. In [...]
