Congress calls on Trump to recognize Israeli sovereignty over Golan After President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, congressional Republicans are rallying around the Netanyahu government’s next big ask. By Bryant Harris In Washington, reporting on Congress
Hopes soar for US pastor's release as Trump fist-bumps Erdogan The odds look better than ever that American pastor Andrew Brunson will finally be freed from a Turkish prison after President Donald Trump made friendly gestures toward President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Brussels, but there are no guarantees that Brunson will walk free. By Amberin Zaman In London, reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Drought, inefficiency lead to major power shortage in Iran Blackouts return to Iran’s electricity grid in the face of prolonged drought and record power consumption. By Maysam Bizaer
Hamas leaders opt for gradual cease-fire Hamas leaders refuse to stop the campaign against Israel of incendiary kites and balloons all at once, lest it be perceived as admitting to failure. By Shlomi Eldar
Is Iran’s youngest minister biting off more than he can chew? Iran's minister of communications and information technology is advancing the agenda of his transparency initiative, but Iranian officials are pushing back. By Al-Monitor Staff
Homemade beauty remedies mean ugly business in Gaza Desperate for income, many Gaza women are selling homemade beauty products without letting obstacles like testing or permits get in their way. By Entsar Abu Jahal
Turkey wary of US-Russia deal on Syria Ankara is increasingly concerned that Washington is working with Moscow to secure an accord for northern Syria between the Bashar al-Assad regime and the Kurds. By Semih Idiz
Erdogan makes major security changes as he starts new term Turkey is redesigning its security structure to be compatible with the newly established executive presidency, but some questions have yet to be answered. By Metin Gurcan
Palestinians pin hopes on Irish efforts against Israeli imports Palestinians are hoping an Irish bill that would ban imports of products from occupied territories will help launch a unified European stance against Israeli settlements. By Ahmad Melhem In Ramallah, reporting on politics
Why Irish sanctions on settlement products don't scare Israel An Irish parliament decision to advance sanctions legislation against imported settlement products has minimal economic consequences, but one would not know that based on the response of the Israeli government. By Akiva Eldar
Iraq struggles to provide war orphans with identities The living victims of the war in Iraq against the Islamic State include children whose parents were killed or can't be identified. By Adnan Abu Zeed
Play challenges deadly Egyptian wedding night tradition A daring new play called "Wedding Night" casts a critical eye on Egypt's archaic traditions that make some young couples' wedding nights a nightmare. By Amr Mostafa
Trade unions unify in Syria's rebel-held north A group of opposition-affiliated trade unions in Aleppo’s countryside announce the formation of the Federation of Free Syndicates to enhance the role of syndicates in supporting local councils. By Khaled al-Khateb
What’s next for Syria after Helsinki summit? The meeting between the Russian and US presidents did as little for the Middle East as it possibly could, though the two leaders seemed to identify Syria as a good place to rebuild US-Russian cooperation. By Maxim A. Suchkov
Iraqi protests escalate with no new government in sight Cities throughout southern Iraq are witnessing violent demonstrations, and the government has failed thus far to address citizens' demands and stop the protests. By Ali Mamouri
Israel frees Turkish woman accused of terror-related smuggling The release of a Turkish woman charged with smuggling in Israel marks an upturn in Turkey’s volatile relations with Israel, but analysts warn that the two countries' motivations for friendship — cynical business interests — can only do so much to keep the tension at bay. By Amberin Zaman In London, reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture