Turkish-Saudi team begins Khashoggi investigation The joint Turkish-Saudi investigation into the disappearance of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi seems to have started, though details are elusive and doubts about its seriousness persist. Saudi Arabia
Will Nadia Murad’s Nobel Prize help Iraqi minorities? The awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Yazidi survivor Nadia Murad has raised expectations and hopes for Iraqi minorities, and Yazidis in particular, to prevent suppression against them and to win their rights. Iraq
Pentagon looks to thwart Russian tech attacks in Syria The Pentagon’s in-house tech incubator is developing protected radio communications to thwart potential Russian interception of US airstrike and artillery data. Originals
Iranian papers ask US outlets to condemn sanctions Four of Iran's biggest newspapers ran a joint editorial asking their Western counterparts to speak up about the impact of US sanctions on Iran. Iran
Iran hedges bets on EU, China with focus on trade with neighbors Beyond engaging with Europe and major global trading partners such as China, Iran is looking to its neighbors to blunt the impact of US sanctions. Iran
Opposition to US consulting firm reveals Erdogan’s weak spots Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appears as the savior of the Turkish economy after revoking the decision to work with McKinsey and thereby preventing American involvement — all at the expense of his son-in-law’s professional reputation. Turkey
Ongoing blockade will cause Gaza to explode in the face of Israel, Hamas warns Employees are being laid off and shops are closing down in the cash-strapped Gaza Strip, while the World Bank warns that the economy is collapsing after a decadelong blockade. Palestine
Has Iran's influence increased in Palestinian arena? Shortly after the Palestinian Islamic Jihad named Ziyad al-Nakhalah to be its new secretary-general and elected member of the political bureau, Nakhalah threatened Israel and launched an intra-Palestinian initiative in his first political discourse. Palestine
Tunisia’s bold move to end racial discrimination Activists hailed the Tunisian parliament’s recent approval of a law criminalizing racial discrimination, although they believe the road is still long to completely eliminate racism that is deeply rooted in Tunisian society. Tunisia
Why Palestinians put money in banks instead of investing The Palestinian Monetary Authority recently announced that customer deposits in local banks have reached $12.2 billion, a large amount that some economists question, given the deteriorating economy in the Palestinian territories. Palestine
Mixed marriages between Arab, Jewish celebrities cause uproar in Israel Even the politicians fighting against religious coercion in Israel had openly racist reactions to the wedding of Arab TV star Lucy Aharish and Jewish actor Tzahi HaLevi. Israel
Commentary: Netanyahu’s view on Golan Heights Most Israeli prime ministers in the past 25 years participated in negotiations over an Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights, and it is likely that such negotiations will be launched again in the future. Israel
Saudis skeptical about Russia's oil production prospects Saudi Arabia's projection that Russian oil production will dwindle significantly triggered a backlash in Moscow, which says it has options up its sleeve that will prove Riyadh wrong. Saudi Arabia
