Lebanon authorities release Salafist cleric Khaled Hablas: What to know Hablas was imprisoned for his role in the deadly 2014 clashes with the military and Hezbollah and his release follows Syria lobbying for the return of militants detained in Lebanon. Lebanon
Syria restores Raqqa oil field in former ISIS stronghold: What to know Before Syria's civil war erupted in 2011, national oil production stood at between 400,000 and 500,00 barrels per day before falling to under 100,000 bpd during the conflict. Syria
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran’s Ghalibaf: US must accept Tehran proposal By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Turkey's border reopening unlocks new sphere of influence in Syria Turkey reopened the Akcakale-Tell Abyad crossing on Monday, ending an 11-year closure along the Syria border. Turkey
Analysis MENA wheat importers face food security risks as Hormuz crisis festers By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Analysis 'Is it worth it?' Syria's Sharaa faces backlash over Missy Elliott performance By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
How will Nasrallah retaliate for death of Hezbollah leader in Syria? Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah vowed to respond to Samir Kuntar’s assassination in Syria. Israel
Iraqis dive deeper into sectarianism Regional conflicts and shifting alliances since 2003 have led many Iraqis to view every development through a sectarian lens. Iraq
How American weapons are ending up in the hands of IS A recent report by Amnesty International revealed that the Islamic State’s weaponry includes weapons from dozens of countries. Iraq
Will Hezbollah, Iran avenge the killing of Kuntar? The killing of veteran terrorist Samir Kuntar, adopted by Hezbollah, is perceived as a blow to Iran, which supported and nurtured Kuntar over the past year. Israel
Zarif: Iran sees 'mostly negative signals' from US Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, in an interview with Al-Monitor, confirmed brief bilateral exchanges with Saudi counterparts and said numerous disagreements remain inside the international Syria support group on a political transition. Saudi Arabia
Will Turkey end up stuck between Kurds, Russia? Observers wonder how long Turkey can juggle a cold war with Russia and a heated conflict with the PKK before the latter two join forces. Syria
How sports programs let Syrian kids be kids Several sports training centers have opened in Aleppo and Idlib to engage children in sports in an attempt to somewhat normalize their lives. Syria
Tunisia wins, Iran loses in US spending bill Key US allies get a funding boost while Congress holds the line on visa waivers and Palestinian penalties. Palestine
Turkey's blurred red line on Russia With recent scuffles between Moscow and Ankara, further instability threatens the Middle East conflict; but will either country really push things that far? Syria
Lebanon's controversial candidate for president Saad Hariri’s nomination of Suleiman Franjieh as president has sparked wide controversy in Lebanon and brought opposing parties together. Lebanon
How to stop Islamic State recruitment Efforts to identify susceptible young people early can protect them from the approaches of the Islamic State. Syria
Turkey goes from zero problems to nothing but problems in the region Ankara’s recent political and strategic mistakes have resulted in an anti-Turkish alliance in the Middle East that looks to Moscow for support. Iraq
