Palestinian property transfers to settlers anger Jerusalemites The recent transfer of a Palestinian-owned property in the Old City of Jerusalem to settlers caused anger in the Palestinian territories, as the seller and buyer exchange accusations. Palestine
Iran sets sights on Syrian reconstruction projects Iran is ready to help rebuild Syria, and seems especially interested in getting the power back up and running, but restructuring projects will remain stalled until a political solution is reached. Syria
India, Iran or Turkey: Iraqi students look abroad for post-grad studies Stiff competition for a very limited number of seats at public universities and high fees at private institutions are pushing Iraqi students to pursue post-graduate studies abroad. Iraq
Egyptians outraged by wedding photos as ancient sites tapped for revenue Egypt's cash-strapped Ministry of Antiques is making money from renting out historical venues, but the public is less than pleased with archaeological venues being used for private events. Egypt
Rouhani touts meeting with top economists on containing crisis Iran's president held a meeting with the country's top economists to discuss the ongoing crisis, but some hard-liners have lambasted the secrecy surrounding the talks. Iran
Pompeo heads to Turkey as Saudis change Khashoggi tune US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is headed for Ankara, where he will likely brief Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his talks with Saudi leaders on the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Saudi Arabia
IRGC masses troops on Iraq border amid rising tensions with Kurdish groups The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is beefing up its control of Iran’s border with Iraqi Kurdistan a month after its missile strike on the headquarters of the main armed Iranian Kurdish opposition group. Iraqi-Kurdistan
Is Erdogan aiming to end Turkey’s dream of EU membership? Calling for a referendum on whether Ankara should end its bid for EU membership could shore up domestic political support for Erdogan ahead of crucial local elections in March 2019. Turkey
Egypt promotes government bonds on international tour Egypt is marketing its treasury bonds in Europe and Asia, though some analysts worry that expanding foreign debt will negatively affect the local economy. Egypt
Can Libya’s tribes help solve crisis? In an interview with Al-Monitor, the head of the Supreme Council of the Tuareg Tribes, Mawlay Qudeidi, speaks about the clashes between rival militias in Tripoli, the security situation and illegal immigration in the south, as well as the elections pushed for by the United Nations. Libya
Palestinians eager to welcome UN Security Council mission Palestinians hope that a UN Security Council visiting mission will make the trip to Gaza and the West Bank to experience their reality firsthand, but the United States might veto any such plans. Palestine
Gaza’s first maritime emergency service attends to protesters The Palestinian government in the Gaza Strip launched the first maritime emergency service in Gaza in order to provide medical assistance to demonstrators injured by Israeli fire while protesting at sea. Palestine
Young Egyptian engineers race ahead in electric vehicles Nine teams of Egyptian engineering students qualified for a mentorship program and funding to build their own designs and compete in Egypt's first electric vehicle competition. Egypt
Liberman pushes for Hebron construction as party numbers flag Yisrael Beitenu's grim polling is prodding Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman further into dangerous militancy and allegiance to far-right nationalist interests. Palestine
