Abbas says OK to demilitarized Palestinian state Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said to Israeli peace activists that he would approve the establishment of a demilitarized Palestinian state, which his close associates saw as a message to Israel that Palestinians want peace. By Ahmad Melhem In Ramallah, reporting on politics
Who is this 20-year-old that Gaza sports fans love to hear? Award-winning sports commentator Hesham Muammar has been considered a “boy wonder” ever since he won the Watar talent competition at the age of 14. Now he has taken over management of a radio station. By Huda Baroud
Selling government land in Gaza raises eyebrows Hamas says its Ministry of Finance in the Gaza Strip plans to sell a plot of government land, which some experts say is illegal. By Huda Baroud
Tunisian parliament to consider criminalizing racial discrimination Though Tunisia was one of the first countries to abolish slavery, violence and discrimination against its black minority continues to plague the country, and proponents say an anti-discrimination law is long overdue. By Mohamed Ali Ltifi
What to do about 10,000 al-Qaeda-linked terrorists in Idlib? Hayat Tahrir al-Sham stymies Turkey’s bid for cease-fire, welcomes Syrian assault. By Week in Review
US friends in the Middle East lose a champion in John McCain The late senator from Arizona leaves behind a legacy as one of the Senate’s last prominent proponents of US interventionism. By Bryant Harris In Washington, reporting on Congress
Why did Putin disregard his Turkish partner? Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appeared lonely and ignored at the Tehran summit. By Cengiz Candar
Three things the Tehran summit exposed about Russia, Turkey, Iran 'alliance' The summit in Tehran exposed important underlying dynamics within the Astana trio and made it clear the three actors see the US presence as a problem, albeit each for their own reason. By Maxim A. Suchkov
Pentagon revamps Egypt war games in trust-building exercise US-Egypt war games kick off Saturday, a sign that the Pentagon is serious about reviving the flagging relationship. By Jack Detsch
Expediency and betrayal: Iran’s relationship with al-Qaeda Contrary to Trump administration assertions of Iranian support for al-Qaeda, relations between the two have historically been poor, a new report argues. By Barbara Slavin
New museum dedicated to legendary Istanbul photographer Celebrated Turkish photographer Ara Guler, known as the "eye of Istanbul," has gotten a museum of his own in the city he captured over decades of change. By Paul Benjamin Osterlund
Turkey's Erdogan gets no love from Russia on Idlib Disagreements between the presidents of Russia, Iran and Turkey were evident at a televised meeting today as they struggled to negotiate a solution on Syria. By Amberin Zaman In London, reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Saudi Arabia's ambitious Vision 2030 plan in trouble The future of Saudi Arabia's plan to reduce its dependency on oil income is in question after the king scrapped the kingdom's plans to take the national oil company public. By Bruce Riedel
Political differences ignite conflict between PMU factions As the escalation rises between Shiite parties over the formation of the new government, the pro-Iranian factions in Popular Mobilization Units show strong objection against Abadi second term. By Hamdi Malik
Behind Paraguay's decision to return its embassy to Tel Aviv Analysts say that Palestinian and Paraguayan officials have worked behind closed doors to reverse the decision of the former administration to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. By Daoud Kuttab In Amman, reporting on Palestinian politics
Mortars hit Iraq's Green Zone as violent protests continue As Iraq's political parties have failed to form a new government, unrest continues in Basra, where hundreds of people are being hospitalized each day due to a lack of basic services, especially clean water. By Ali Mamouri