Oman to issue tourist visas after 8-month suspension Travelers whose trips are organized through hotels or tourism companies can apply for visas. Oman
In New York Jewish communities, similarities to Israel's virus struggle Israeli media are covering the conflict over coronavirus measures in New York's Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods, and the issue bears resemblance to Israel's virus situation. Israel
Israel-Emirates peace: An inside look Crisscrossing Dubai, journalist Ben Caspit says that his four-day visit to the emirate this week reveals the intense potential that lies in the recent outing of Israel’s covert relations with the United Arab Emirates. United Arab Emirates
Syrian opposition fears being left behind again after US election Many leaders of the Syrian opposition prefer Donald Trump, who used military force twice against the Syrian government, over Joe Biden, who served in an administration they believe turned a blind eye to the Iranian presence in Syria and allowed the regime to use chemical weapons. Syria
Trump presses UAE on alleged human rights abuses in Yemen The Defense Department says in a new strategy that it has pressed the United Arab Emirates to investigate allegations of torture in Yemeni detention centers. Saudi Arabia
Iranian public outrage forces 'correction' of kindergarten directive Amid widespread public outrage, Iranian authorities had to revise an official order that sought to ban religious minorities from teaching at government-run kindergartens. Iran
Why Turkey is closing down Syrian refugee camps The Turkish government has been systematically closing down Syrian refugee camps, citing high costs and integration problems, but are those the real reasons? Syria
Is US pressure really uniting Iran's rival political camps? Washington's mounting pressure on Tehran might have been expected to forge unity among Iran's rival political camps. But Iranian hard-liners seem to be seizing the moment by attacking an already weakened Rouhani administration ahead of key polls next year. United States
US denies willingness to talk over S-400 concerns with Turkey A Pentagon spokesman told Al-Monitor that its concerns with Ankara’s purchase of the Russian missile defense system “cannot be mitigated.” Turkey
Netanyahu needs a miracle Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is confronted with an almost impossible mission: winning the new elections with at least 40 Knesset seats, composing a majority without Avigdor Liberman and convincing coalition partners to legislate quickly the immunity law. Israel
New Israeli elections throw wrench in US peace plan With a new Israeli government unlikely to be formed until late October, as the US 2020 presidential campaign heats up, the Trump administration is increasingly unlikely to present the political component of its peace vision before a second term, analysts and diplomats said. Israel
Who is really behind torching of Iraqi grain fields? The setting afire of grain fields in disputed areas between Baghdad and Erbil flames ethnic tensions between Arabs and Kurds. Iraq
Ankara backs some Turkmens in Iraqi politics, shuns others By ostracizing Turkmen politicians who supported the 2017 independence referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan, Turkey could be shooting itself in the foot. Iraq
Oil dispute reignites Baghdad-Erbil tensions Baghdad and Erbil's relations have largely normalized following the Kurdistan Regional Government's failed independence referendum in 2017. However, the Kurdish failure to commit to the federal budget law risks tarnishing those relations. Iraq
PMU economic offices undermine fragile stability in Mosul The Popular Mobilization Units are spreading their economic influence in Mosul after playing a main part in the city's liberation. Iraq
Aleppo beekeepers no longer feel sting of war Honey production, a long tradition in the Aleppo countryside, is showing signs of recovery. Syria
