Yemen: Saudi Blockade 'A Collective Extermination'

The International Committee of the Red Cross says the Yemeni cities of Sanaa, the country's capital, and al-Bayda now lack clean water. A shortage of fuel caused by the Saudi-led blockade has caused pumping stations to shut down.

Some Yemeni ports have re-opened to allow in desperately needed food and aid, but critics say it’s not enough, as Yemen suffers a humanitarian catastrophe and the worst outbreak of cholera recorded.

Al Jazeera's Mohammed Jamjoom reports.

Top US News & World Headlines — November 20, 2017

Saad Hariri, Saudi Power Play and the Media – The Listening Post (Full)

Why Is Washington Closing the PLO's Office? – Inside Story

Over the past 50 years since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, there have been countless talks, negotiations and UN resolutions. And the Palestinian Liberation Organization has been at the forefront of peace talks over the years. But now, Donald Trump's administration says it will shut down the PLO's office in Washington D.C. That's in response to Palestinian efforts to raise the issue of Israel's occupation at the International Criminal Court.

If the U.S. goes ahead with its plans, Palestinians say they will end all communication with Washington. But what will this move mean for Trump's Middle East peace plan?

Presenter: Laura Kyle | Guests: Qais Abdel Karim - Member of the Palestine Liberation Organization, PLO; Hillary Mann Leverett - Former White House National Security and State department Official; Ian Black - Visiting Senior Fellow at the Middle East Centre, London School of Economics.

Saudi Prince Defects: 'Brutality, Oppression as Government Scared of Arab Revolts' (2013)

In recent weeks Saudi Arabia has launched an offensive against anti-regime activists arresting many and sentencing some to years in jail. Total number of political prisoners has now surpassed 40 thousand according to some reports. The crackdown has even forced a member of the ruling family to defect. RT Arabic spoke exclusively to Saudi prince Khaled Bin Farhan Al-Saud - who accuses the monarchy of corruption and silencing all voices of dissent.

UK Hosts Conference on Saudi Crisis

Saudi Arabia's heir to the throne has recently been making bold political moves - detaining some of his relations and a number of the kingdom's wealthiest businessmen amid an ongoing war with Yemen.

Mohammed bin Salman's policies have been the focus of a conference in London attended by analysts, academics and senior political figures. The conference aims to highlight what's at stake, namely the stability of the Gulf region and that of other countries like Lebanon and Iran.

Al Jazeera's Jamal Elshayyal reports from London.

Saudi Arabia's Purge: A Quest for Media Control? - The Listening Post

Inside Story: What Is Mohammed Bin Salman's Next Move?

There are reports that Saudi Arabia is demanding money from the senior officials it recently arrested.

Saudi Arabia's 32-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman is stoking huge tension in an already volatile region. He has made a number of controversial decisions that many believe could forever change the Kingdom and the entire region.

The developments in Saudi Arabia and what they mean for the rest of the world, have been the focus of a conference in London on Saturday. That's where former diplomats and Middle East Analysts have been meeting to discuss the crisis and Saudi Arabia's future. So, how far will Saudi Arabia's young crown prince go to achieve his goals?

Presenter: Laura Kyle | Guests: Pierre Conesa - Lecturer at the Paris Institute for Political Studies; Sami Hamdi - Editor-in-chief of The International Interest; Afshin Shahi - Senior lecturer in International Relations & Middle East Politics at the University of Bradford

Is Saudi Arabia Becoming a Danger to the Region? -UpFront

In this UpFront special, we ask US Congressman Ro Khanna why he believes the US government should stop supporting the Saudi-led bombing of Yemen.

Also on the show, we debate with a panel of experts the rights and wrongs of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s domestic and regional policies.

CrossTalk: Saudi Turmoil

Recent events coming out of Saudi Arabia are truly stunning. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is said to be a reformer and on an anti-corruption drive. Others say differently. Saudi Arabia is experiencing a life threatening crisis that could ignite a region-wide conflict. And the Trump administration appears to be on board. CrossTalking with Martin Jay, Halim Shebaya, and Joe Macaron.

Qatar Foreign Minister Rejects Trump's Claim Nation Backs Terrorists | Andrea Mitchell | MSNBC

Qatari minister of foreign affairs Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani joins Andrea Mitchell to discuss the allegations by President Trump that Qatar government funds terror.

Top US News & World Headlines — November 17, 2017

Is Greek Democracy Dead?

Panagiotis Lafazanis, former leader of Syriza’s Left Platform and current leader of Popular Unity, says Greece has become a protectorate of the Troika

Gay Rights in France: After Marriage Equality, What’s Next?

Saudi Arabia: French, Saudi FM Hold Press Conference

Will Cold War between Saudi Arabia & Iran Become a Full-scale Military Conflict?

Thousands of people in Yemen have lined the capital's streets in protest against the Saudi-led blockade of the country. The civil war in Yemen is seen by Middle East experts as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Lebanon: President Aoun Accuses Saudi Arabia of Detaining Former PM Saad Hariri

What Is Happening In Saudi Arabia? - Marwa Osman on The Corbett Report

The Lebanese Prime Minister has "resigned" on Saudi tv. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman has rounded up a dozen other princes in the House of Saud in a startling move that threatens to upset the kingdom. Reports saying that King Salman will step aside for the crown prince abound. What the hell is happening? Joining us to help sort through the rubble of this incredible week is Marwa Osman, a political analyst and commentator in Beirut.

Top US News & World Headlines — November 15, 2017

World's Top Drug Trafficking Drug Lord | Saudi Prince Documentary | Amazing TV

Nayef bin Sultan bin Fawwaz Al Shaalan (born 1956) is a Saudi Arabian prince. He was convicted of drug trafficking in a French court.

Divided Kingdom: UK Parliament, Cabinet at Odds over Brexit

Australia PM Malcolm Turnbull on Support to Same-sex Marriage: "Australians Voted Yes for Love"

Is Italy Seeing a Resurgence of Fascism?

Saudi Arabia and Iran: Will They Go to War? - BBC News

The BBC's Paul Adams examines the fragile relationship between the two regional rivals.

I Knew Khomeini - Featured Documentary

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the architect and the face of the Iranian Revolution, is seen by many as the embodiment of the principles of the Islamic Republic. Rarely in history has a man who did not seek power come to wield so much of it. He wanted to serve the people of Iran and throughout his life fought the régime's oppression, corruption and the Shah's opulent lifestyle.

Forced exile empowered Khomeini even further, providing him with the freedom to speak out against Iran's ruling élite. "He became the main speaker of the opposition inside Iran... he was continuously attacking the Shah's brutality and because of that he gained the popular support of the people," says Ebrahim Yazdi, who was Iran's deputy prime minister in 1979.

The charismatic religious scholar managed to overthrow one of the strongest and most oppressive régimes in the world - and set Iran on a collision course with the West. But who was Ayatollah Khomeini and what is his legacy? Al Jazeera spoke to those who knew the man behind a revolution that shook the world. This documentary was originally broadcast on Al Jazeera English in January 2009

Frontline: The Saudi Time Bomb

This Episode was made two months after the 9/11 attacks and talks about the challenges facing the Saudi American alliance

House of Saud - PBS Frontline 2005

History of Al Saud and the Third Saudi State

Qatar Emir Says Country Will Thrive Despite Blockade

Qatar's Emir says the country’s neighbours have no desire to end the Gulf Crisis. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani made his speech at the opening session of the parliamentary advisory body, the Shura Council. Sheikh Tamim gave a message of steadfastness, saying Qatari society will persist regardless of the length of the blockade.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt severed ties with Qatar in June and imposed a land, sea and air blockade.

Al Jazeera's Hashem Ahelbarra reports from Doha.

PBS Frontline - Saudi Arabia Uncovered

With undercover footage and on-the-ground reporting, FRONTLINE reveals a side of Saudi Arabia that’s rarely seen, and traces the efforts of men and women who are working to bring about change.

Top US News & World Headlines — November 13, 2017

Saudi Prince Cracks Down At Home and Abroad; Trump in Asia

Should Muslims Be So Critical of Ex-Muslims?

EXMNA »

Stopping Brexit: James O'Brien Interviews Lord Kerr the Author of Article 50

Saudi's 'War on Lebanon' Backfires

After being accused of forcing him to resign, Saudi Arabia's apparent detention of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri has boosted support for Hezbollah, says author and professor Amal Saad

New Details On Robert Mueller's Investigation Of Michael Flynn | The 11th Hour | MSNBC

Sources: Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating the allegation that Michael Flynn was offered up to $15 Million to complete a deal with Turkey while working on the presidential transition team.

On Asia Trip, Trump Met by Protests Calling on U.S. to Open Diplomatic Relations with North Korea

President Donald Trump continued his five-nation tour of Asia, landing in Vietnam today for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. This comes as Trump said on Thursday that he wants Russia’s help in getting North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons. In Korea, he attempted to visit the Demilitarized Zone, but his fleet of helicopters was turned back due to bad weather. We speak with Professor Bruce Cumings, who just returned from Seoul, South Korea, where Trump was met with protests. He is professor of history at the University of Chicago and the author of several books on Korea, including “Korea’s Place in the Sun: A Modern History.”

Top US News & World Headlines — November 10, 2017

Trump in China: US President Hails 'Great Chemistry' with Xi Jinping

Top US News & World Headlines — November 9, 2017

Islam Unveiled - Real Stories

Can Islam ever truly become part of the modern world? Why is a religion that claims over a billion followers across the globe now seen as the world’s greatest bastion of sexism and misogyny? And is this true?

This major series takes the viewer on a dazzling ride across four continents and fourteen centuries, embarking both on a journey of the heart and a quest of the intellect. It is a quest that reveals surprising truths about women’s lives in the Muslim world today, and traces back to their cultural roots beliefs and practices that to many Westerners seem cruel and archaic.

Documentary | Death of Princess Mashael | True Story

Houston after Hurricane Harvey - Fault Lines

The US' hurricane season was one of the most active in history, destroying lives and leaving victims homeless.

In August 2017, one trillion gallons of water fell on the Houston area over a four-day period - by far the most rainfall in US history. More than 70 people died, and thousands of people lost their homes.

Hurricane Harvey hit everyone in the area. But now that the water has receded, will there be an equal recovery?

A month after Harvey hit - after the media moved on to new stories - Fault Lines travelled to Houston, Texas - which is one of the most diverse but segregated cities in the US - to see if the storm will deepen the city's social and economic divide.

How Saudi Arabia Financed Global Terror

Funding Jihad? (2003) - Did the Saudi Royal Family really finance 9/11? Although a key Middle Eastern ally of America and Britain, the Wahhabist Saudi regime is nevertheless suspected of financing terror groups around the world.

The Queen's Private Estate Invests £10 Million in Offshore Funds | Good Morning Britain

New Saudi Power Grab Follows Big Losses

Rami Khouri of the American University of Beirut and Harvard Kennedy School analyzes the Saudi kingdom's arrest of elite figures at home and its apparent role in the resignation of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri

Inside Story: Is the Saudi Crown Prince a Reformist or Power-hungry?

The arrests in Saudi Arabia have spurred days of speculation and analysis. There was the element of surprise, the detentions took place on Saturday night and without warning.

The element of power – most of those arrested are men of influence. And an element of uncertainty, is this about purging corruption or consolidating power?

The man behind it all: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been a figure of controversy for months now. He is regarded as a progressive leader, touting social and economic reforms. But critics say MBS, as he's known, is also power-hungry. Over the course of two years, he went from being third in line to the throne, to first.

But what risks is the Crown Prince running? And can he meet the many challenges he faces both at home and in the region?

Presenter: Jane Dutton; Guests: Joseph Kechichian, Senior Fellow at the King Faisal Center for Research & Islamic Studies; Andreas Krieg, Assistant Professor at the Defense Studies Department at King's College London; Nicholas Noe, Editor in Chief of MideastWire dot com


MideastWire.com »

Top US News & World Headlines — November 8, 2017

Jim Phillips Explains What's Happening in Saudi Arabia

What is happening in Saudi Arabia? Heritage expert, Jim Phillips joins us with the facts

Q&A: How the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia’s Views on Islam, Economy Could Change Country »

Iran 1979: Legacy of a Revolution - Featured Documentary

Thirty years after the founding of the Islamic republic, the ideals that inspired the uprising continue to inform every day life in modern Iran.

So how has the revolution managed to sustain itself through war, international isolation, economic sanctions, and regional turbulence? And how has Iranian society changed since the seismic upheaval of 1979?

Rageh Omaar went to Iran to find out. This film was first broadcast in August 2009.

View from Iran: The Debate - Saudi Power Struggle

It was one of the largest sweeps in the Saudi Arabia’s history: 11 princes, and dozens of ministers and former ministers were arrested in what was termed an anti-corruption sweep. But was this really about corruption? In this debate, we’ll look at why the young Crown Prince Salman may be behind this wave of arrests, in what is said to tighten his grip on power, and whether he is in trouble due to his failed war on Yemen. Why have the arrests come at this time: did he feel threatened or was it to eliminate opposition?

Tariq Ramadan Takes Leave from Oxford after Rape Allegations

Oxford University's announced that renowned Islam scholar Tariq Ramadan has taken a leave of absence. This as he defends himself against the mounting rape allegations that have surfaced in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal.

The Link Between Saudi Prince's Power Grab and DC Corruption

The power moves by the Saudi kingdom at home and in Lebanon were made easier by buying influence in powerful circles of Washington, DC, says The Intercept's Ryan Grim

Top US News & World Headlines — November 7, 2017

House of Saud: The Meteoric Rise of Mohammed bin Salman

Integration, Glaubenswandel - Anforderungen an die Kirchen | Passauer Neue Presse

Gesprächsrunde mit Gerhard Ludwig Kardinal Müller, Landesbischof Prof. Dr. Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, Prof. Dr. Michael Wolffsohn, Historiker und Publizist und Hamed Abdel-Samad, ägyptisch-deutscher Politikwissenschaftler und Publizist. Moderation: Thomas Baumann, ARD-Hauptstadtstudio

Hamed Abdel-Samad: Der politische Islam lebt von der Kluft

"Die Ziele des politischen Islams in Deutschland sind niemals die Integration von Muslime in der deutschen Gesellschaft." "Der politische Islam lebt von der Kluft zwischen Muslimen und der deutschen Gesellschaft und in genau in dieser Kluft platziert der politische Islam seine Angebote." Gesprächsrunde mit Gerhard Ludwig Kardinal Müller, Landesbischof Prof. Dr. Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, Prof. Dr. Michael Wolffsohn, Historiker und Publizist und Hamed Abdel-Samad, ägyptisch-deutscher Politikwissenschaftler und Publizist. Moderation: Thomas Baumann, ARD-Hauptstadtstudio

Saudi Arabia Arrests 4 Ministers and 11 Princes

Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman ordered the arrest of four government ministers and 11 royal princes hours after he was named the head of a new anti-corruption committee. Billionaire prince Alwaleed bin Talal, who has stakes in major U.S. companies like Apple and Twitter, was among those arrested. Gary Sick, a senior research scholar at Columbia University, joins Hari Sreenivasan.

Top US News & World Headlines — November 6, 2017

Dozens Princes and Businessmen Arrested in Anti-corruption Bid

There's been a major cabinet overhaul in Saudi Arabia. It came hours after the establishment of an anti-corruption committee. More than a dozen princes and ministers have been detained and others have been removed from office. Among the detained was billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, one of the wealthiest men in the world. Given his widespread investments, his detainment could have an impact on global business. Al Jazeera's Natasha Ghoneim reports on the implications.

Moscow's Empire - Rise and Fall | DW Documentary

The Soviet Union began to crumble post 1970 - and fell apart completely after 1991. The former Soviet countries were left bankrupt and traumatized and facing what would be an anarchic decade.

After the fall of the Iron Curtain, former Soviet nations had to deal with a chaotic period marked by military conflicts and the search for new national identities and a new self-awareness. The four-part documentary ‘Moscow’s Empire’ looks for answers to these developments, and provides a variety of perspectives on life in the former Soviet block countries - from the people who have experienced events first hand and, in some cases, shaped them.

President Donald Trump Is Obstructing Justice In Plain Sight | All In | MSNBC

Trump has been calling on the Justice Department to prosecute his political opponents – over a couple Fox News scandals involving a uranium deal and the financing of the DNC.

Ex-Watergate Lawyer: Russia Probe Heading 'Right Toward' Donald Trump | The Last Word | MSNBC

Fmr. Watergate prosecutor Nick Akerman says the steps that Robert Mueller is taking in his investigation indicate the probe is ramping up and will likely lead straight to the questioning of Trump himself. E.J. Dionne & Daniel Dale also join Lawrence O'Donnell.

Yanis Varoufakis on Global Capitalism & How Trump’s Tax Plan Is Class War against the Poor

President Trump and House Republicans have unveiled their long-promised proposal to reform America’s tax code, with Trump calling it a “big, beautiful Christmas present” for the American people. Critics say the gift is a tax cut for the richest Americans. We discuss the proposal with economist and former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis, who argues, “It’s an out-and-out class war waged against the poorest, the weakest, the disenfranchised—the very same people that Donald Trump appealed to in order to get elected.”

Economist Yanis Varoufakis on Nazi Resurgence in Europe & Why ”ISIS Loves Donald Trump”

We speak with former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis about the rise of the far-right Golden Dawn party in his country and how their policies “have infiltrated the mainstream” in European politics, including anti-immigrant measures similar to those proposed by Trump. Varoufakis says Trump’s vow to crack down on immigration after the attack in New York City will only inspire more attacks, noting that ”ISIS loves Donald Trump.”

Top U.S. & World Headlines — November 3, 2017

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Salman Vows to Do More to Stop Extremism

Eurasia Group president Ian Bremmer discusses foreign policy on 'Sunday Morning Futures.'

NYC Terror: CIA Insider Slams Diversity Visa Program

John Cardillo of TheRebel.media and former CIA Station Chief Scott Uehlinger discuss the progressive policies putting Americans at risk of Muslim terrorist attacks.

Discussion with Dr. Bill Warner on NYC Jihad Attack

Putin in Tehran Speaks of Cooperation on Syria and Nuclear Deal

Vladimir Putin met Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a one-day visit to Tehran.

Iran's supreme leader has told Russia's president they must step up cooperation to isolate the US and help stabilise the Middle East.

Moscow has stood by Tehran after US President Donald Trump threatened to abandon the Iran nuclear deal.

Al Jazeera's Zein Basravi reports from Tehran.

Trump Scapegoats Immigrants, Calls to End Diversity Visa Lottery That Brought Saipov to US in 2010

Sayfullo Saipov, the suspect in the New York City attack that left eight people dead, is an immigrant from Uzbekistan who entered the United States in 2010 through the diversity visa lottery program. Now President Trump has called for a crackdown on immigration, telling Congress to cancel the program. We speak with Yolanda Rondon, staff attorney with the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, who argues that blaming the visa program “scapegoats the vulnerable, which always happens to be immigrants under this administration.”

"We're Surrounded by the Craziest People" | Conflict Zone | DW English (November 2015)

Tim Sebastian interviews Naftali Bennett, Israeli Minister of Education and leader of the right-wing Jewish Home Party.

German IS Fighters - Despairing Parents | DW English

More than 900 Germans went to Syria to fight for IS. Many of them are young and left behind desperate parents, some of whom have gone to Syria to bring them back.

Lithuania's Dark Past | DW English

Under Stalin's dictatorship, more than 200,000 Lithuanians were deported to Siberia. Many never returned. Survivors are still waiting for compensation, but Russia doesn't want to remember its prison camps and mass deportations.

Mika Brzezinski: Listen to What President Trump Said about the Legal System | Morning Joe | MSNBC

Mika Brzezinski discusses the president's remarks about the U.S. legal system following the terror attack in lower Manhattan and if it is time to discuss the 25th Amendment.

Manhattan Attack: Suspect Requests ISIS Flag in Hospital, Trump Asks for Death Penalty

The suspect in Tuesday's deadly attack in New York has been charged with terrorism. Sayfullo Saipov is said to have been inspired by Islamic State, and even requested the group's flag be hung in his hospital room. It seems Donald Trump wants to take matters out of the court's hands, tweeting that rather than a flag, he should be handed the death penalty. The US leader is also open to sending the attacker to Guantanamo Bay

'I May Have Fallen below High Standards We Require,' Says Michael Fallon as He Resigns

Michael Fallon has resigned as defence secretary, admitting his behaviour towards women in the past has 'fallen short', as the Conservatives struggle to contain the growing scandal about sexual harassment at Westminster. In her reply to Fallon’s letter, the prime minister said, 'I appreciate the characteristically serious manner in which you have considered your position, and the particular example you wish to set to servicemen and women and others.' Fallon apologised earlier this week over an incident 15 years ago in which he made unwanted advances to the journalist Julia Hartley-Brewer, placing his hand on her knee Michael Fallon quits as defence secretary, saying his behaviour has 'fallen short'

Top US News & World Headlines — November 1, 2017

What Next for Catalonia? | DW English

As the stakes get higher for Catalonia and its leaders contemplate exile in Brussels, where does its independence movement go from here? Tim Sebastian meets Alfred Bosch from the pro-independence Republican Left of Catalonia party. Conflict Zone is Deutsche Welle's top political interview. Every week, our hosts Tim Sebastian and Michel Friedman are face-to-face with global decision-makers, seeking straight answers to straight questions, putting the spotlight on controversial issues and calling the powerful to account.

The Science of Aging - Waiting for Immortality | DW Documentary

Could immortality one day become a reality? Death anxiety or the aging process fills many people with dread, but what if it could be stopped?

This film investigates the prospects of eternal life. Some of the methods being investigated are rather unusual. In the US, scientists are experimenting with cryonics, a method where the human body is frozen in liquid nitrogen. And, at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne, researchers are working assiduously on the potential fusion of humans and robots - how human consciousness can be transferred to a virtual world and thus sustained forever.

Opinion is split. Controversial age researcher Aubrey de Gray thinks it should be possible to see life expectancy increase dramatically in the near future, perhaps even by as much as a thousand years. But philosopher Stephen Cave on the other hand confronts us with the question of whether we can ever really escape mortality.

Civil Rights in the Trump Era: Has the White House Abandoned American Values?

Did John Kelly Attend History Class?

In defending Gen. Kelly's praise for Robert E. Lee and his view that the Civil War arose from "the lack of an ability to compromise," the White House's white supremacist sympathies are again on display. We speak to historian Gerald Horne.

Fault Lines - Hate in Trump's America

In the first week after Donald Trump won the US presidential election, the United States saw a sharp rise in hate crimes and people being attacked because of their race, ethnicity or religion. Many analysts attribute it to the divisive rhetoric Trump himself used during the campaign that seized upon racial tensions in the country. These tensions were simmering under the surface but are now out in the open.

The most recent and high-profile manifestation of this was in August in Charlottesville, Virginia when a white supremacist drove his car through a crowd of anti-racist demonstrators, killing a young woman and injured dozens of others during a rally by various far-right groups. Fault Lines examines how hate is playing out across Trump’s America and the toll it is taking on communities across the country.

Robert Spencer on Ingraham Angle on the NYC Truck Jihad Massacre

Jihad Watch director Robert Spencer appeared on Fox's Ingraham Angle on October 31, 2017 to discuss the jihad massacre perpetrated by Islamic jihaist Sayfullo Saipov that day in New York City.

Martin Luther, the Reformation and the Nation | DW Documentary

Martin Luther - how a humble 15th-century monk was able to change the world. Luther was born into a world governed by the Roman Church and a distant emperor.

He managed to awaken a national spirit in Germans and become someone they identified with. ‘Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation’ was what the territories in central Europe were called in the 15th century. It was the era of the Habsburg ruler Charles V, who saw himself as ruler by God’s grace and defender of Christian unity. In 1521, he said that the sun never set in his empire, which stretched from Latin America in the west to central Europe and to the Philippines in the east. The German territories were just one of his realms, and powerful princes defended their own interests here. Secular and religious power was still based on the Christianity of the Roman church. But many saw the Reformation as an opportunity to distance themselves from Rome and the Emperor, and to improve their standing in the political power structure of the day. Unlike the Habsburg emperor Charles V, who didn’t even speak German, Luther grew to become someone the people identified with, and he became hugely popular. The reformer was one of the first major figures to explicitly play the German card and appeal to national sentiment: one of his missives said, "Why should the Germans put up with robbery and oppression imposed by foreigners?” Luther’s translation of the Bible into German was an important step in forming a German identity, but the Reformation left Germany divided along religious lines.

1917 Balfour Declaration: How 67 Words Changed the Course of Palestinian History

Palestinians around the world are marking 100 years since the Balfour Declaration was issued on November 2, 1917. It was contained in a letter written by the then British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour to Lord Walter Rothschild, who was a leader of Britain's Jewish community.

In the letter, Balfour expressed his support for "the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people".

The declaration, which is only 67 words long, is widely celebrated by Israelis. But Palestinians regard it as a betrayal which triggered the colonisation of their land.

Al Jazeera's Barnaby Phillips explains.

Angry, Uninformed Brexit Loonies Rage about Nick Clegg's Brussels Trip

US-Russia Probe: This Is a Big Cloud That Is Only Getting Darker and Is Not Going to Go Away’

Top US News & World Headlines — October 31, 2017

After Indictments, Where Is RussiaGate Headed?

Paul Manafort and former business partner Rick Gates, along with former Trump campaign advisor George Papadopoulos, have been the first people indicted in the Trump-Russia probe. Independent journalist Marcy Wheeler, economist James Henry, and TRNN's Aaron Maté discuss.

Activists Acquitted in Effort to Prevent British Fighter Jet Delivery to Saudi Arabia

Quaker activist Sam Walton and Reverend Daniel Woodhouse were both acquitted by a UK Court following their arrest for their attempt to disarm Typhoon fighter jets at BAE Systems that were to be delivered to Saudi Arabia for its war in Yemen

The Prelude to the Russian Revolution of 1917

The contradiction of feudalism, military capitalism, and imperial ambitions, along with an unambitious bourgeoisie, were the prelude to the Russian Revolution of 2017, explains Prof. Aleksandr Buzgalin of Moscow State University

Madrid Stuck in the Past with Idea of Unity above All Else – Catalan MEP

Hundreds of thousands took to the streets of Barcelona, protesting the apparent desire of the Catalan government to create an independent state. Days before, hundreds of thousands had marched in support of the push for secession. An unrelenting Madrid, unwilling to let any of this happen, is ready to prevent Catalonia from becoming independent. Will it come to the use of military force? Is the drive for independence strong enough to overcome all the obstacles? We ask Josep-Maria Terricabras, member of the European Parliament for the Republican Left party of Catalonia.

Top US News & World Headlines — October 30, 2017

The Ottoman Empire - Demise of a Major Power (1/2) | DW Documentary

For 600 years, the Ottoman Empire was a superpower. This two-part documentary tells the story of how this vast empire vanished in less than a century.

The Ottoman Empire extended across three continents and the seven seas. Over the hundred years from Greek independence in 1830 to the Balkan Wars of 1912 and 1913, the Ottoman Empire withdrew from Europe for good after a presence in the Balkans lasting almost 500 years. The shared past is often downplayed by national historians, but the Balkan states are strongly influenced by the complexities of Christian, Muslim and Jewish peoples living together, says Mark Mazower from Columbia University. It was more of a ‘side by side’ existence based on the Ottoman Empire’s "millet” system, where non-Muslims enjoyed the protection of the sultan but had to pay special taxes in return. Over the course of the 19th century, the region’s religious identities slowly became clear national ones; people now saw themselves as Serbs, Greeks, Armenians and Bulgarians. This rising nationalism, along with attempts by the major European powers to get their hands on the region’s resources and the inability of the Ottoman Empire to implement reforms, brought about the end of Ottoman rule in Europe. Using rare picture and film footage and with contributions by international historians, this two-part documentary analyses the last century of the Ottoman Empire and tries to understand its demise.

Heroin Addiction in the USA | DW Documentary

In the U.S. state of Ohio, drug addiction is rampant. The country is inundated with cheap drugs. Police in the small town of East Liverpool are waging a desperate battle against dealers and illegal drug abuse.

Jacob Talbott is on the front lines of the U.S.'s war on drugs. He's a police officer in his home town, East Liverpool, Ohio. Overdoses are part of daily life here. On his patrols, Officer Talbott might encounter former schoolmates who have become addicts. He says drugs have destroyed the community. East Liverpool is no exception. Entire regions are being inundated with opioids: heroin and synthetic or designer drugs like fentanyl. Millions of Americans, especially from the rural white middle classes, are struggling with addiction. Drug abuse claimed over 64,000 lives in 2016 alone - more than twenty drug-related deaths per 100,000 people. DW-Reporter Alexandra von Nahmen rode along with police officers in East Liverpool as they waged war on drugs.

'Sky's the Limit' for Saudi Women, Kingdom's First Female Spokesperson Says

Donald Trump Is 'Unfit to Run the United States': Andrew Sullivan

Catalonian Independence Opens 40-Year-Old Wounds

Spain is in the midst of its most serious political crisis in 40 years. As the Spanish cabinet roundly reject Catalonia's decade-long drive for independence, what is next for the divided region?

Inside Putin's Russia

Correspondent Nick Schifrin and producer Zach Fannin take us inside Vladimir Putin's Russia, with an in-depth look at the resurgent national identity, the government's propaganda machine, the risk of being a Kremlin critic and much more.

Robert Spencer: Pope Francis, the Pope of Islam

Jihad Watch director Robert Spencer discusses the praise Pope Francis has received from Muslim leaders for his false claims that Islam is a religion of peace that has nothing to do with terrorism, and his ignoring of the plight of persecuted Middle Eastern Christians.