Trump says Israel-Lebanon ceasefire extended by three weeks President Trump said the second meeting between the Israeli and Lebanese envoys went "very well." Lebanon
Analysis 'Is it worth it?' Syria's Sharaa faces backlash over Missy Elliott performance Backlash erupts after dancers perform to Missy Elliott’s “Work It,” exposing the tightrope between Sharaa’s outreach to the West and pressure from his Islamist base. By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Analysis Is Syria’s Sharaa poised to outdo Turkey in formalizing gains for Kurds? Damascus is making limited but tangible progress in its engagement with Syrian Kurds, even as Ankara seeks to shape the terms of any settlement. By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
US troops depart Syria, ending decade of presence in fight against ISIS The last major American bases in Syria have been turned over to the government in Damascus, US military officials confirmed to Al-Monitor. Syria
Mosul women fight Islamic State legacy with sports, arts events Mosul women seek to erase their painful memories of IS by holding various activities for women. Iraq
Egyptian architects win UNESCO award for reconstruction of Mosul mosque destroyed by IS The UNESCO announcement that Egyptian architects won the international competition for the reconstruction of the historic Al-Nouri Mosque complex in Mosul sparks debate as to whether their design fits Iraq’s Islamic heritage. Egypt
Islamic State-linked group executes Egyptian Copts, Sinai tribesmen in video In the gruesome video, the Sinai Province militants warned other Christians against cooperating with the Egyptian military. Egypt
Car bomb kills four in Baghdad No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which police say also destroyed five cars and wounded 17 people. Iraq
Iraq to shutter displacement camps Iraq is working on closing all displacement camps this year and to return the displaced people to their homelands. Iraq
Kurdish forces in northeast Syria conduct security raid in al-Hol camp The United Nations said the operation in al-Hol interfered with humanitarian services, but the US military, which supported the operation, said the disruption was minimal. Violence has increased greatly in the camp this year. News Brief
Russia launches air campaign against Islamic State in Syrian desert Russian forces intensified their airstrikes against IS sites in Syria’s Badia with the aim of supporting the ground forces that failed to eliminate the organization or curb its spread. Syria
Online ‘auctions’ of Yazidi captives speak of ongoing Islamic State activity in Turkey The rescue of a 7-year-old Yazidi captive in Ankara raises questions about how hard Turkey is trying to tackle Islamic State militants in the country. Iraq
Belgian children and some women to be repatriated from IS camp in Syria. The Belgian prime minister said the children in the notorious al-Hol camp could become “the terrorists of tomorrow.” Women will be repatriated on a case-by-case basis. Syria
Prominent Islamic State leaders killed in Iraq Iraqi security forces announced the killings of Islamic State leaders who had long evaded capture. Iraq
Islamic State recruit Shamima Begum can’t return to UK, court rules Begum, whose British citizenship was revoked on national security grounds in 2019, is challenging the revocation from a displacement camp in Syria. Syria
German imam sentenced to prison for helping Islamic State Abu Walaa, born in Iraq, convinced Germans to fight for the Islamic State, according to the court. Originals
