Syria opens trial of Wassim al-Assad, cousin of ousted president: What we know The trial follows another session in the case against Atef Najib, also a cousin of former President Bashar al-Assad, as Syrian authorities continue prosecuting figures linked to the former regime and its remnants. Syria
Turkey detains 233 ahead of NATO summit, including LGBTQ+ activist Yildiz Tar The operation included alleged militant suspects as well as LGBTQ+ and leftist activists, raising concerns over the scope of the crackdown. Turkey
Culture In Syria, detention of Hassan Akkad raises alarm about free expression under Sharaa Akkad, a British-Syrian filmmaker, was detained Wednesday night after his campaign questioning the whereabouts of funds allegedly pledged for relief, reconstruction and community initiatives across Syria. Syria
Amnesty International accuses Israel of state-led ethnic cleansing in West Bank In a new report, Amnesty International said that the escalating forced displacement and settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank is part of a state-led campaign to control the Palestinian territory. Palestine
Interview As Sudan war drags on, US-Iran conflict compounds humanitarian crisis in Darfur Janti Soeripto President and CEO of Save the Children US
Health professionals urge Blinken to press Egypt on prison conditions More than 200 health professionals have signed on to a letter asking Secretary of State Antony Blinken to urge Egypt to address dire conditions inside its prisons. Egypt
UN rights expert says Israeli settlements a 'war crime' Israel blasted the report as “the latest one-sided and biased report against Israel." News Brief
Palestinian plainclothes security agents further popular dissent The method in which the protests against the killing of the critic of the Palestinian leadership Nizar Bayat were violently put down, with the use of security officials dressed in civilian clothes, has exposed a deep rift in Palestinian society. Palestine
Islamic State exploits economic downturn in Iraq, Syria, US envoy says John Godfrey said the thousands of suspected Islamic State fighters held in northeast Syria constitute a security threat to the region. Syria
US adds Turkey to list of countries using child soldiers A US State Department report called out Turkey for providing support to armed groups in Syria that use children in combat. Turkey
No end in sight for Egyptian Nubians jailed in Saudi Arabia Despite growing calls to release 10 Nubians who have been detained in Saudi Arabia for nearly a year, it seems the Egyptian government is not making any effort to resolve the case. Egypt
New Israeli government to renew controversial law banning Palestinians from uniting with families in Israel The Israeli government is expected to renew the law on citizenship and family reunification, which prohibits Israelis from passing on citizenship or residency to their Palestinian spouses residing in the West Bank or Gaza Strip for family reunification purposes. Palestine
UN's Iran investigator calls for inquiry on Raisi's role in 1988 executions The UN’s special rapporteur on human rights in Iran told Reuters that his office had collected evidence of the mass executions to share with the UN Human Rights Council. Iran
Family reunification law aims to lower number of Palestinian citizens in Israel The family reunification law could endanger the new Israeli government coalition. Palestine
Death of political critic sparks outcry from Palestinian activists Although the Palestinian government has ordered an investigation, some have questioned whether it will be serious and if anyone will be held responsible. Palestine
John Bolton joins newly launched Turkish Democracy Project The group describes its mission as “encouraging Turkey to adopt more democratic policies and responding to the steady erosion of Turkey’s democratic institutions.” News Brief
Egypt arrests TikTok influencer over 'human trafficking' A Cairo court sentenced university student Haneen Hossam to 10 years in prison and fined her 200,000 Egyptian pounds. Egypt
