Egypt keen on protecting Qatari investments Egypt recently severed ties with Qatar, but believes the countries' economic relationship should stay above the fray. By George Mikhail
Dahlan preps for return to Gaza Former Fatah senior official Mohammed Dahlan is venerated now in the Gaza Strip as the man who closed the deal with Egypt to renew electricity flow. By Shlomi Eldar
Anti-Semitism abroad serves Netanyahu's plan In the battle against anti-Semitism in Europe, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sides with the Hungarian government instead of siding with Hungarian Jews. By Akiva Eldar
Jordan sees big gains in south Syria cease-fire The cease-fire brokered by the United States, Russia and Jordan for southern Syria seems to be holding, for now. By Osama Al Sharif
Egypt, Dahlan foiling Abbas' plot against Hamas in Gaza Strip Senior Fatah leaders have lashed out at Egypt over deals reached with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ archrival Mohammed Dahlan to improve conditions in Gaza, even as Abbas is trying to pressure Hamas there. By Adnan Abu Amer
New Iranian jobs plan faces major obstacles The Rouhani administration has unveiled a comprehensive employment plan in a bid to realize the president’s campaign promises, but it is unclear whether the envisioned job creation will materialize given the obstacles that remain unaddressed. By Alireza Ramezani
Iran's parliament criticizes remaining US sanctions A report by Iran’s parliament says that the United States has made transactions between Iranian and large European banks challenging, impacting the effects of the nuclear deal. By Arash Karami
Egypt fails to make headway as it navigates Nile River talks In the wake of a failed attempt by the Nile Basin states to reach an agreement, Al-Monitor speaks with a former Egyptian Foreign Ministry official on what comes next. By Walaa Hussein
Lebanese entrepreneurs discover an appetite for snails Snails, which are part of Lebanon’s culinary tradition, are juicy business for the country’s entrepreneurs. By Chloe Domat
Liberated Mosul residents take moment to breathe As the Iraqi forces declare the total liberation of Mosul, its residents rediscover the pleasures of freedom, for a moment forgetting about the past and the challenges ahead. By Nicolas Lupo (Iraq Pulse)
Trump and Macron seek common ground on Syria, terrorism Despite tensions over the Paris climate change accord, the two leaders have common interests in the Middle East. By Laura Rozen
House rejects Trump’s Middle East aid cuts The House spending bill calls for far more assistance to North Africa. By Bryant Harris In Washington, reporting on Congress
Egyptian band hopes Islamic hits will resonate in translation The Egyptian band Art Compilers has been translating well-known Islamic songs into English, but the jury is still out on its success. By David Awad
'Game of Thrones' fever grips Iran Fans across Iran are waiting eagerly for the new season of "Game of Thrones," a show whose content and storytelling style resemble the epic tales Iranian children grow up with. By Holly Dagres
Turkish and Greek Cypriots remain optimistic, despite collapse of talks While Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots blamed each other for last week's collapse in negotiations, many see positive signals because of shifts that took place in the talks. By Jasper Mortimer
Gulen denies directing coup, calls Erdogan 'oppressor' In a rare interview, accused Turkey coup mastermind Fethullah Gulen dismissed the charges and said of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, "I want to spit in his face." By Amberin Zaman In London, reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture