Newsletter: Daily Briefing Kremlin confirms S-400 talks with Turkey Lebanon’s PM to meet Erdogan in Turkey; Pakistan, Qatar seek to revive US-Iran talks after renewed strikes; and more. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
France ends Morocco’s World Cup run as last Arab and African team standing Following the loss, no Arab or African teams remain in the tournament. Morocco
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran hits Gulf, warns Hormuz will reopen on its terms Lebanese president meets US envoy; Russia eyes Tartous logistics hub in Syria; and more. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran mourns Khamenei as questions swirl over Mojtaba’s absence By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Qatar reports progress in US-Iran talks By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Qatar says no direct Iran-US talks in Doha By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Protests grow over police actions in Morocco The Moroccan government promotes the country as a model for stability in the region, but its failure to calm months of protests could have serious consequences. Morocco
Trump budget slashes Middle East aid The State Department is seeking deep cuts to military and economic assistance for Arab states. Bahrain
Morocco cracks down on fighters returning from IS The Moroccan authorities are deploying all efforts to curb the phenomenon of former Islamic State fighters returning to their home country by arresting them. Iraq
Russia keeping a close eye on Algeria Algeria’s new legislature, facing tough economic times domestically, needs to make gains in foreign policy to regain citizens’ trust — something Russia might be able to facilitate. Algeria
Morocco finally gets new government, but at what cost? The announcement of a new Cabinet in Morocco after months of difficulty revealed that the Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD) may have had to pay a heavy price for compromise. Morocco
How Polisario Front hopes to partner with Russia in Western Sahara Polisario Front officials in Western Sahara are working to enlist Russia as an ally at the United Nations Security Council in their fight for independence, as they believe both sides have many shared interests. Algeria
Could foreign partners help revive ailing Arab film industry? The Sharm el-Sheikh Arab and European Film Festival started a debate through a seminar on joint film projects between the Arab world and Europe, over the feasibility of international co-productions. Egypt
Why Egypt is moving forward on free trade Experts consider Egypt's recent actions supporting the Agadir Agreement significant, as Egypt has the largest market among the free-trade agreement's member countries, which will enjoy greater trade and investment opportunities with the help of Egyptian labor and investment opportunities. Saudi Arabia
EU deeply divided over Western Sahara policy A European Court of Justice decision excluding Western Saharan exports from receiving preferential tariffs granted to Morocco has highlighted the need for the European Union to address the issue of who represents the people of Western Sahara. Morocco
Runners in grueling marathon persevere, as do Sahrawis Each year, runners brave the harsh conditions of the Sahara Marathon to benefit and show solidarity with the Sahrawi people. Algeria
Polisario seeks to keep Sahara dispute in spotlight By withdrawing from a Western Sahara neutral area, Morocco is courting the new UN secretary-general while getting rid of the attention the tense situation has brought to the Western Sahara plight. Mauritania
What's on Morocco's agenda as it rejoins African Union? Morocco wants to take advantage of its strong economic presence to gain political support in the Western Sahara dispute while becoming a hub for Western investments in the African continent. Morocco