Russia offers to mediate in Syria-Lebanon maritime border dispute With its bid to mediate a Lebanon-Syria maritime dispute, Moscow is opening a new venue for engagement in the Levant. Lebanon
Iran: We gave 'multiple warnings' before downing drone Iranian officials have made statements to reduce tensions following the downing of an American drone off Iran's southern coast. United States
Turkey mulls permanent military presence in northern Iraq Turkey is considering setting up additional military infrastructure in Iraqi Kurdistan as its operations against militants there continue. Iraq
Will Syrian voters be kingmakers in Istanbul's mayoral election? Though small in number, the votes of naturalized Syrians in Turkey could be decisive in the rerun election to select the new mayor of Istanbul, the city with the largest Syrian population outside Syria. Syria
Greek Orthodox Church loses appeal on leases to settler group Israel's Supreme Court validated a controversial deal by the Greek Orthodox Church to lease real estate in Jerusalem's Old City to the pro-settlement group Ateret Cohanim. Palestine
Battle for Tripoli appears destined to grind on in Libya Since Libya’s eastern military commander Khalifa Hifter launched his April offensive against the capital Tripoli in the west, little progress has been made, while continuing attempts at peace have failed. Libya
As Idlib fighting intensifies, Syrians abroad suffer mentally As the Russian-backed Syrian regime steps up the offensive against the country’s last rebel stronghold, displaced Syrians with relatives in Idlib are suffering mentally — not to mention the monumental health issues faced by the Idlib residents themselves. Syria
Iraqi parliamentary groupings join hands in bid to oust Abdel Mahdi A bloc of Iraqi political parties comes together to form a strong opposition against Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi in an apparent bid to remove him from office. Iraq
Kirkuk court issues arrest warrant for acting governor An integrity court in Kirkuk has issued an arrest warrant for Rakan Saeed al-Jabouri, the acting governor of Kirkuk, on financial corruption charges. Iraq
Hydroponic agriculture could help preserve scarce water in Jordan Hydroponic agriculture, which does not require nearly as much water as traditionally grown crops, is being introduced to Jordan, a country with high water insecurity. Jordan
Egypt considers pros, cons of foreign citizenship changes Some in Egypt welcome proposed changes to citizenship laws for foreigners, saying they will increase investment in the country. Others harbor suspicions of ulterior motives. Egypt
Egypt debates customary marriage, polygamy The Egyptian Catholic Church recently announced that it needs to further study the unified personal status law proposals, at a time when customary marriage and polygamy remain under debate for Muslims. Egypt
Was Morsi’s brief presidency an opportunity lost for Israel? The late Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi hated Israel, but his relationship with Hamas held the promise of negotiating a long-term truce between the organization and Israel and potentially altering the landscape in Gaza. Palestine
Cappadocia victim of Turkish ruling party's love of concrete A new law claiming to protect the natural beauty of Cappadocia strips municipal governments of decision-making powers and oversight, handing authority over the future of the region to a panel whose leader is appointed by the president. Turkey
Will a secular woman lead Israel’s religious right? If polls show that secular Ayelet Shaked is likely to get the most votes, she might succeed in getting the leadership of the religious right political camp. Israel
Trump may chicken out on Iran, frets Israel Israeli security officials are getting worried that escalating tensions between the United States and Iran could spill over into Israel through an attack by Hezbollah on the northern border. Israel
