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
Clinton and Trump: How will it end? The presidential election is finally coming to an end — with 82% of voters saying the election has left them disgusted. United States
Jordan seeks US government's help in fight against terror finance lawsuit The Jordanian Embassy has hired Hogan Lovells to lobby the US government over a billion-dollar lawsuit against Jordan’s biggest bank. Jordan
Saudis turn to US states in bid to repeal 9/11 bill Riyadh’s latest lobbying push aims to enroll state governors. Saudi Arabia
Arabs seek new partnership with next US president A new poll shows widespread distrust but reliance on the United States. Saudi Arabia
Don’t expect IS fighters to flee en masse to Syria The logistics of the battle for Mosul and beyond don’t point conclusively to the Islamic State taking the fight into Syria next. Iraq
Is Yemen headed for partition? An open-ended cease-fire is needed for Yemen, but a de facto partition of the country is more likely. Saudi Arabia
Clinton and Trump going all in as Election Day nears With less than 10 days until Election Day, both major party nominees are campaigning hard in battleground states. United States
Is US reconsidering its support for Saudi Arabia in Yemen war? The recent missile attacks on US vessels off Yemen’s coast as well as the limited US response suggest that Washington may be disengaging from the war in Yemen and putting pressure on Saudi Arabia to follow suit. Saudi Arabia
Has JASTA pushed Saudi Arabia and Israel closer? Riyadh has become convinced more than ever that the closer it gets to Tel Aviv, which it believes has influence in US decision-making circles, the stronger and safer it will become in the face of JASTA. Saudi Arabia
Trump, Clinton turn their attention to early voting Early voting is a key weapon in battleground states, particularly for Democrats. United States
US elections 2016: Is Trump really a threat to US democracy? Here's what happened on the campaign trail the week of Oct. 17. United States
Will tension at sea lead to endless war in Yemen? The Yemeni war reached the sea after being confined to the mainland for 19 months, with international and regional players heading to the most important maritime route in the world. Yemen
