Israel won’t apologize for killing daughters of Gaza doctor Ten years after the tragedy, an Israeli court has dismissed a lawsuit by a Palestinian doctor whose three daughters and niece were killed during Operation Cast Lead. Palestine
Iraqi Kurdish party pushes PKK aside The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan has placed restrictions on the activities of the Kurdistan Workers Party in the areas it controls. Iraqi-Kurdistan
Senate puzzles out how to punish Saudi Arabia ahead of unprecedented vote An overwhelming majority of senators want to punish Riyadh for murdering Jamal Khashoggi and because of the Yemen war. The question is how. Saudi Arabia
US ices Iran out of Yemen talks Iranian efforts to send a high-level official to Sweden talks with the Houthis have been rebuffed. Saudi Arabia
Iran says special channel for trade with Europe almost set up Iranian officials have said that the European Union is in the final stages of implementing a special channel of trade with Iran. United States
US sanctions accelerate Iran’s blockchain drive Iran is accelerating work on its blockchain-enabled projects, which could potentially include a multilateral replacement for SWIFT, in light of the reimposed US sanctions. Iran
US Syria envoy heads to Turkey after criticizing peace initiative Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu dismissed a call by President Donald Trump’s representative to “pull the plug” on negotiations with Russia and Iran, arguing it’s Syria’s best shot at a political resolution. Syria
Israel rejects international immigration pact In rejecting the United Nations new convention on migration, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made common cause with right-wing governments in the West but appears to remain at a loss about how to handle illegal immigrants in Israel. Israel
Voters elect first woman to local council in Aleppo, Syria Local elections were held recently in the Free Syrian Army-held town of Ain Jara, where more women voted than men and a female candidate was elected to the local council. Syria
Price changes for cooking gas puts heat on Gaza distributors The Ministry of Finance in the Gaza Strip unilaterally decided to float the price of cooking gas, setting a new economic precedent. Palestine
UAE, Yemen’s Islah Party try to tolerate each other The Islah Party in Yemen and the United Arab Emirates recognize they have a common enemy, but that doesn't make them friends. Saudi Arabia
Israelis raging over violence against women For the first time ever, tens of thousands of Israelis protested against violence against women, forcing the government to react. Israel
Netanyahu raises doubts with operation against Hezbollah tunnels The timing of Operation Northern Shield, to destroy Hezbollah tunnels leading from Lebanon into Israel, suggests that considerations other than security were behind the decision to launch it. Palestine
Netanyahu’s Israel is state in crisis If there is any substance to the Israeli police's recommendations to indict Prime Minister Netanyahu for bribery, the State of Israel is more a model of government corruption than a "light unto nations." Israel
Will Egyptian move to curb imports stoke inflation? Egyptian authorities floated the customs foreign exchange rate for non-basic commodities in a move aimed at curbing imports and demand for the US dollar while hopefully boosting local production of substitutes. Egypt
More military expulsions appear imminent in Turkey The Turkish government is investigating some 15,000 more military members suspected of being connected with the Gulenist movement, and 4,000 may be ousted soon. Turkey
