White House withdraws Rayburn’s nomination for top Mideast policy role Decision raises questions about future role of the State Department’s Near Eastern Affairs Bureau as the Trump administration relies on special envoys to cut through bureaucracy with big promises for a region still reeling from interlinked wars. Syria
Lebanon army chief visits Qatar amid push to disarm Hezbollah Haykal has held meetings with the Qatari army chief, the country’s prime minister and its minister of state for defense affairs. Lebanon
As Syria finalizes candidates for parliament, women make up 14% of list Syria’s parliamentary elections are set for Sunday, when electoral committees will select 140 lawmakers before President Ahmed al-Sharaa appoints the remaining 70. Syria
Saudi Arabia and Qatar pledge $89M for Syrian public sector: What to know The new Syrian government has struggled to pay public workers sufficiently and is implementing a plan aimed at rooting out “ghost employees" who do not show up to work. Syria
Analysis Sudan’s new PM dissolves government but military control remains firm By Rosaleen Carroll In Washington, DC, US, reporting on the Middle East
Analysis Hussein Sheikh as PLO's first vice president: Palestinian reform or Abbas gesture? By Rosaleen Carroll In Washington, DC, US, reporting on the Middle East
Analysis Can Modi leverage Saudi-China ties to reshape India’s global standing? By Sabena Siddiqui In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran
Jordan, PA unite forces with Israel to fight natural disasters Israel, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority and other countries participated in a two-day firefighting exercise to build a regional disaster response system, yet some Palestinians criticized the drills as increasing normalization with Israel. Palestine
Palestine takes its first step as Interpol member state Palestinian officials say that joining interpol will allow them to fight crime more efficiently, and reject claims that they will use membership to target Israeli officials. Palestine
Will Hamas surrender Qassam Brigades to Abbas? According to a Palestinian security source, there will be no reconciliation with Hamas unless the movement agrees to give up the army it has created in Gaza. Palestine
Hamas takes another step on path to Gaza handover The Palestinian government will be heading to the Gaza Strip to take over its responsibilities and overcome the challenges represented by the Gaza employees and security issues. Palestine
Gazans now complaining online Gaza residents can submit their grievances and questions to governing authorities and departments via an electronic complaints system. Palestine
Is Hamas offering too little too late? Hamas is willing to display flexibility in order to ease the heavy isolation it faces, but what its leaders view as a significant compromise is likely far from what Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is willing to accept. Palestine
Naguib Mahfouz to finally get his Palace of Desire Despite repeated promises, the Egyptian government has postponed the opening of a museum honoring the Nobel laureate — until now. Egypt
Erdogan hastens executive presidency with new decree Turkey's latest decree under a continued state of emergency grants the intelligence sector unprecedented influence in the military and government, while giving Erdogan full control in these areas. Turkey
Education key battleground as Rouhani’s second term begins As President Hassan Rouhani begins his second term, education emerges as a key political battleground. Iran
Iraq's Hakim moves out of Iran's shadow Ammar al-Hakim has left Iraq's Supreme Islamic Council and formed a new political party against Iran's wishes, indicating he is adopting an independent stance. Iraq
Will EU take the lead on two-state solution? The European Union is developing a new Middle East policy, which will not depend on the Trump administration. Palestine
Russia offers outline for Syrian constitution Russia’s three-pronged plan for Syria’s constitution addresses secular and Kurdish concerns, as well as governmental structure, including limits on presidential power. Syria
