Top Brazilian judo fighter comes home to Lebanon for Rio Olympics Lebanese-Brazilian judoka Nacif Elias switched to Lebanon for the 2016 Olympics after reconnecting with the homeland he left as a child. Lebanon
The West must reach out to Turkey Turkey needs sensible friends at this critical juncture who will both understand the severity of the threat the nation has faced and also urge it to respect the rule of law. Turkey
Despite war, Syrian athletes ready for Olympics All athletes struggle and sacrifice to reach the Olympics, but Syrian athletes have faced more than the usual trials. Syria
Security trench around Fallujah leaves residents feeling trapped The Iraqi government is digging a trench to protect Fallujah, but the idea is raising concerns that civilians will end up isolated from the rest of the country. Iraq
Iranian 'cuckold' actors lash out in defense of their wives Iranian hard-line weekly Ya Lesarat al-Hussein is once again in hot water — this time for insulting Iranian actors over the way their wives dress. Iran
Has Hamas lost its monopoly on tunnel business in Gaza? Islamic Jihad announced July 10 the death of one of its members after a tunnel collapsed, which signals that Hamas is no longer the only movement that makes use of tunnels in the Gaza Strip. Palestine
Kadhimiya and Adhamiya, symbols of Iraqi sectarianism Baghdad's Kadhimiya and Adhamiya suburbs face each other on opposite sides of the Tigris and also reflect the sectarian division from which Iraq suffers. Iraq
Why one Israeli Knesset member is calling out colleagues on racism In an Al-Monitor interview, former Welfare Minister Meir Cohen, of Mizrahi origin, challenged the acceptance of racist practices among his Knesset colleagues. Israel
Will Obama set Mideast guidelines for next president? US sources claim that President Barack Obama is considering a presidential speech to set guiding principles on a two-state solution for the next administration. Palestine
Why did Netanyahu appoint a settler as top NY diplomat? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed his commitment to the two-state solution in May, but has nevertheless appointed settler leader Dani Dayan as consul general in the United States. Palestine
Iranian wrestlers go for the gold in Rio Iranian official says Iranian wrestlers’ “biggest challenge” at the Olympics will come from Russians and Americans. Russia
What will $12 billion IMF loan cost Egypt? Egypt, facing a huge budget gap, is seeking to borrow from international agencies, but doing so is likely to bring harsh financial restrictions. Egypt
How to kick-start Iran-US regional cooperation Opponents of the nuclear deal in the West should understand that efforts to undermine the JCPOA only serve to reinforce in the minds of Iranians the notion that the United States cannot be trusted or engaged with on regional or other issues. United States
Turkish legislators press case for Gulen extradition A group of parliamentarians from Turkey visited Washington to try to ease tensions with the United States following a failed July 15 coup attempt. Turkey
Rouhani echoes Khamenei's mistrust of US as nuke deal grumbles persist President Hassan Rouhani and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have publicly agreed that had the nuclear deal been satisfactorily implemented, Iran would now be open to negotiation with the United States on other issues. Iran
