Families of slain US soldiers sue Jordan in legal first The families of three Green Berets slain at King Faisal Air Base in 2016 have sued Jordan, alleging that the government tried to cover up the incident. Jordan
Iran factory workers demand wages as strike enters 16th day Demands by striking workers at a troubled sugar plant in Iran's southwest remain unfulfilled, with several protest leaders being kept in police custody. Iran
Turkish paper reveals new details on Khashoggi killing The online journal Haberturk provides more details on recordings inside the Saudi Consulate when Jamal Khashoggi was killed, including quotes from one the man who put on the journalist's clothes in hopes of creating a diversion. Saudi Arabia
Trump gives MBS a pass on journalist's killing President Trump's bizarre statement on the murder of Jamal Khashoggi made clear that he would not be holding Crown Prince Mohammed responsible for the journalist's death. Saudi Arabia
Have relations between Turkey and Europe reached a turning point? The decision by the European Court of Human Rights on a jailed Kurdish leader might be marking a turning point in ties between Turkey and the European Union. Turkey
Putin, Erdogan boost Russia-Turkey ties with TurkStream Putin, Erdogan are all smiles in Istanbul marking the end of construction of the offshore section of the TurkStream. The megaproject seeks to boost the relations and change Eurasia's energy market. Turkey
Will northern Sinai’s new cultural centers promote moderate Islam? Egypt’s Ministry of Religious Endowments has opened an Islamic cultural center in each governorate to teach moderate Islam and fight radicalism; the volatile northern Sinai Peninsula, where the army fights religious fundamentalists, has three. Egypt
Many Turks outraged by state religious authority's bloated budget Turkey's 2019 budget includes a sharp increase for its Religious Affairs Directorate, drawing criticism of what some see as a vast overreach in influence. Turkey
Netanyahu’s political victory is only temporary Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu won a political battle, but he remains with a narrow coalition and an eroded public image. Israel
Israeli right storms Jerusalem mayoral race Jerusalem's new mayor ran a radical and deceptive campaign that bodes ill for the upcoming general elections. Israel
With rising US pressure, Iran worries about losing ground in Iraq Iran is worried about losing influence in Iraq after the reimposition of US sanctions on Iran and because of US pressure on Iraq to distance itself from Iran. Iraq
Iran turns to pragmatism as Israel woos Oman While Iran is unlikely to have been happy about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Oman, it has tried to remain pragmatic in order to prevent tensions with a longstanding Arab friend. Saudi Arabia
Egypt’s pottery village explores with art in yearly festival Egypt’s celebrated pottery center, the village of Tunis, holds an annual art festival that now features crafts from calligraphy to wood carving. Egypt
