Tillerson pushes for closer ties between Saudi Arabia, Iraq

A new women's football league is all set to launch on Monday (November 22) across Saudi Arabia. Sixteen teams will take part in the league.

Iraq is at a crossroads as the losers of the country's recent elections are using violence in an attempt to overturn the results of the vote. At the same time, a genuine opposition is emerging for the first time.

Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has emerged as the biggest winner in Iraq's election. But early results showed a voter turnout of just 41%, which is the lowest since the US-led invasion that removed Saddam Hussein from power.

The Taliban promised to bring peace – but now that they are the government of Afghanistan, the war against the 'Islamic State' group is just beginning. There has been a series of attacks by 'IS' and bloody reprisals by the Taliban.

Saudi Arabia steps up its green ambitions by planting thousands of trees in the world's largest saxaul botanical garden, winning itself a Guinness record.

With several million pieces of mines and explosives lying under the rubble and soil across Iraq, many internally displaced people prefer living in camps to returning home.

Decades of conflict has made Iraq a hotbed for trafficking. From weapons to drugs, Iraq has dominated headlines. However, less attention has been focused on the trafficking of wild animals. In fact, the Middle East is considered one of the hubs of animal trafficking. Our correspondent in Iraq, Lucile Wassermann, went to meet the players in the trading of wildlife to understand the drivers behind it.

The US said it is working with the Iraqi and the regional Kurdish governments to get missile defense capabilities after Iran attacked Erbil.

The coalition fighting in Yemen said Houthi hit several economic facilities in Saudi Arabia. This comes days after the rebels rejected a GCC invitation for talks on the conflict.

A recent high-profile strike on an oil depot in Jeddah by Houthi rebels has underlined Saudi Arabia's military defense vulnerability — and threatens its reputation as a global investment location.

The Saudi capital is changing, as demonstrated by the MDLBeast Soundstorm festival, an electronic dance music event held late last year on the outskirts of Riyadh. After trying to diversify its oil-dependent economy, Saudi authorities are now looking to develop the entertainment industry. Partying legally in Riyadh is rare, but is now possible. However, human rights groups are warning that this change, however welcome, should not overshadow the kingdom's crackdown on free speech. Our regional correspondent reports.

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