Gendarmerie operation sparks controversy in Petra, Jordan Petra’s tribal entrepreneurs react to a security operation carried out inside Jordan’s most-visited UNESCO World Heritage Site with criticism and concern for their livelihoods. Jordan
Culture Despite war, thousands of Israeli Hasidim make pilgrimage to Ukraine Much like the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine won’t stop thousands of Hasidim from reaching the city of Uman and the tomb of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov just before the Jewish New Year. Israel
Middle East airlines to suffer losses again in 2022 The International Air Transport Association said that airlines in the region will fare somewhat better financially due to the return of long-haul flights. Legacy: Gulf
Israel expects post-COVID tourism rebound this summer Israeli experts do not expect tourism to reach this summer the record level of 2019, but they certainly notice a trend of increase on both outbound and incoming tourism. Israel
Lebanon registers record COVID-19 cases in blast aftermath With social distancing relaxed and hospitals under strain, Lebanon reported a record 309 new cases and seven deaths from the virus Tuesday. Lebanon
Iraq's Kurdistan Region recording highest-ever daily COVID-19 cases The Kurdistan Region of Iraq has been hard hit by both the coronavirus and the economic impact of the lockdowns, as a top politician announces he has contracted the virus. Iraq
Israeli women excluded from decision-making on coronavirus Israeli women are excluded from the government’s decision-making process on the coronavirus, even though they are the first ones to suffer the social and economic consequences of the pandemic. Israel
Netanyahu challenged from the right, not from the left Israel’s political left is doing so badly that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s most serious challenger currently is right-wing politician Naftali Bennett. Israel
Iran suspends newspaper after critical coronavirus coverage The newspaper had just published an interview that accused the government of covering up the scale of Iran's coronavirus outbreak. Iran
Rouhani says Iranians must change lifestyles due to coronavirus President Hassan Rouhani urged Iranians to take the coronavirus pandemic seriously and think of it as a long-term issue. Iran
Egyptians bewitched by new gold investment trend Egyptians are buying gold coins and bars as global prices shoot up amid the coronavirus pandemic. Egypt
Health workers in Syrian camp for ISIS families test positive for COVID-19 Humanitarians warn that poor conditions in the camp put it at great risk for an outbreak of the virus. These are the first known cases there. Syria
Etihad Airways reports massive decrease in passenger flights The number of passengers served and passenger flight revenues went down for the Abu Dhabi-based airline in the second quarter of 2020. Originals
Despite COVID-19, Israel allows foreign yeshiva students to enter country After a weekslong battle, foreign yeshiva students will be allowed to enter Israel with lenient quarantine requirements. Israel
Rouhani: Iran’s economy handled pandemic better than US Iran’s president said his country’s economy is in a comparatively better shape than the US and European states' ones when it comes to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. United States
Turkish health officials watch for COVID-19 cases to rise after holiday Turkish health officials are calling for increased precautions to limit the spread of COVID-19 as citizens conclude festivities for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha. Turkey
