Middle East crises loom in background as NATO leaders gather in Washington While this year's summit is expected to focus largely on the ongoing war in Ukraine, Iran's military support for Russia and Turkey's strategic balancing act with Moscow are expected to weigh on NATO leaders gathered in Washington. Washington Pulse
US, Israel hold second virtual meeting on Rafah Biden administration officials have denied offering to green-light an Israeli invasion of Rafah if Israel holds off on retaliating against Iran. Washington Pulse
One year on Sudan’s war: 14,700 killed, 8.6M displaced, 4.9M face starvation As the war in Sudan enters its second year, the humanitarian situation is worsening by the day with no prospects of an imminent end of the hostilities. North Africa Pulse
State Department staffer resigns over Biden's handling of Gaza Annelle Sheline is the second State Department official to publicly resign since Oct. 7, citing the erosion of US credibility on human rights in the Middle East as a result of the war. Washington Pulse
Turkey's cyclists bike for a cause In Turkey, bicycling is not only a means of transport and leisure but also, for one group, of social activism. Turkey
Trump says al-Qaeda received US weapons intended for Syrian rebels In a July 25 interview made public Tuesday, the president said he canceled a CIA program to train and equip moderate Syrian rebels after weapons ended up in the hands of Al-Qaeda. Syria
Iran outflanking Saudi Arabia in Yemen Saudi Arabia's war on Yemen has allowed Iran more influence than ever in the region. Saudi Arabia
Trump’s options on the nuclear deal with Iran Before settling on an Iran policy, President Trump must take a holistic view of the US footprint in the region and move forward based on pragmatism. Russia
Maliki’s visit to Moscow reflects many facets Iraq’s vice president may have had upcoming elections and Iranian influence in mind when he visited Moscow recently. Iraq
Pentagon says US-backed forces have almost surrounded Raqqa Pentagon officials say the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces have liberated about half of the Islamic State stronghold of Raqqa. Syria
Trump’s plan for Mideast peace fades Israelis and Palestinians both feel that President Donald Trump and his administration have abandoned his ambitious peace initiative with his focus more on internal affairs. Palestine
Gaza set to become scene of Egypt-Qatar tug of war The Gaza Strip and Hamas are attracting attention from both sides as the Gulf crisis grows, but they might have to choose between longtime supporter Qatar on one side and the UAE, Egypt and Mohammed Dahlan on the other. United Arab Emirates
Egypt wheels out country's first bike-share program Cairo launches its first bike-share scheme called "Bicicletta" in collaboration with UN-Habitat Egypt to encourage Egyptians to cycle in order to reduce air pollution and save money. Egypt
Israel’s recent bike craze met with resistance The growing trend of biking in Israel has also considerably increased the number of accidents with pedestrians on sidewalks. Israel
Istanbul residents chase the Aegean dream Many Istanbulians dream of leaving the hustle and bustle of the city behind for a quiet life on the Aegean coast, and some are doing just that. Turkey
