Senior Polish diplomat in Iran to mend ties amid Warsaw conference row Poland's deputy foreign minister visited Tehran to assure Iranians that an upcoming controversial conference in Warsaw will not turn into an anti-Iran event. United States
Iraqi politicians see 'fake news' in controversial Israeli tweet A Twitter account run by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed that several Iraqi delegations had visited Israel in 2018, prompting controversy among Iraqi politicians, who branded the tweet as fake news. Iraq
Turkey names 'water czar' to ease disputes with Iraq In an ambitious bid to tackle water-sharing tensions with Iraq, a special envoy appointed by the Turkish president plans to travel soon to Baghdad to present a road map of cooperation. Iraq
Mercedes-Benz to breathe new life into Egypt's automotive market Mercedes-Benz has announced plans to establish a new assembly plant in Egypt after a four-year absence in the country. Egypt
Egypt’s activists fear new law on mounting cameras in public spaces Egypt’s parliament approved a bill forcing shop and restaurant owners to install surveillance cameras under the pretext of preventing terrorist activities. Egypt
Palestinian shopkeepers sign with Rami Levy despite boycott calls The Israeli owner of a newly opened mall near Jerusalem is promoting the shopping center as an example of peaceful coexistence, but many Palestinians are calling for a boycott. Palestine
Is new energy league an alliance against Ankara? A Cairo-based partnership among Egypt, Israel, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority is ready to explore energy sources in the eastern Mediterranean — whether Turkey likes it or not. Palestine
Netanyahu out to shatter Israeli democracy, free press The public opinion battle of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against a possible indictment continues, with his associates publishing photos of four journalists on a billboard, accusing them of persecuting the prime minister. Israel
Netanyahu forsakes multilateralism in favor of bilateral alliances Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has adopted President Donald Trump’s negative approach against UN agencies and international groups. Palestine
Should Netanyahu be indicted in court or at the ballot box? Even the world’s top pro-Israel advocate attorney, Alan Dershowitz — the greatest fan of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — is warning against Israel’s status quo policy. Israel
Jordan moves to restore strategic ties with Iraq While Jordan pins high hopes on restoring strong economic ties with Iraq, some observers believe that the future of such relations will depend on Iran, which continues to wield deep influence over Iraqi politics. Iraq
Tunisian president under fire for alleged abuse of power Ethics watchdogs are taking the Tunisian president to court, accusing him of corruption for ordering the release of a political ally who has served less than three months of a two-year sentence. Tunisia
What lies in store for Tunisian government in wake of protests? Tunisia’s powerful labor union held a nationwide strike, threatening to escalate the situation and hold another strike in February. Tunisia
Egypt’s oldest Arabic calligraphy school struggles to survive Many institutes of calligraphy simply closed their doors when the Egyptian government stopped subsidizing them, but one school persists. Egypt
Drivers and barriers to Iran-US compromise in Syria The best option for Iran in post-war Syria would be to bargain over a regional compromise aimed at establishing limited policy cooperation with all influential actors; however, to realize such a scenario it is necessary for the barriers to a compromise to be removed. Lebanon
Erdogan seeks lifeline from Putin in Syria The Turkish president will discuss Syria with his Russian counterpart in Moscow this coming week, as Qatar's Sheikh Tamim takes spotlight in Beirut. Saudi Arabia
