Civil society activists and journalists leave Baghdad in fear of being arrested In the wake of protests, civil society activists and journalists are leaving Baghdad after hearing the Iraqi government is preparing to arrest them. By Mustafa Saadoun
PA seeks warmer ties with Saudi Arabia Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas visited Saudi Arabia for the first time in months, reflecting warmer relations between the two countries. By Adnan Abu Amer
Palestinian prime minister vows to stop Israeli raids A promise by Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh to halt Israel's raids into Area A of the West Bank leaves Palestinians wondering what comes next. By Adnan Abu Amer
How much will it cost for Lebanon to reforest after wildfires? Lebanon’s Civil Defense fought, with limited resources, a series of wildfires that ravaged the country. By Hanan Hamdan
Palestinian government passes law protecting whistleblowers For the first time, the Palestinian government passed a law on the protection of whistleblowers, witnesses and experts in corruption cases, as part of efforts to raise awareness against corruption. By Ahmad Melhem In Ramallah, reporting on politics
Violence escalates in Sinai Terrorist groups in North Sinai continue to launch attacks against government forces while Egypt's wide-scale anti-terror operation drags on. By A correspondent in Sinai
Clay chairs, edible statues make Jordan's design week one to remember Experimental projects abounded at Amman Design Week. By Mohammad Ersan
Turkey lobbies Congress against lifting Cyprus arms embargo as tensions mount Ankara is scrambling to keep Congress from lifting a three-decade arms embargo on Cyprus as US-Turkey tensions mount. By Bryant Harris In Washington, reporting on Congress
Trump touts Syria deal as Congress advances sanctions A high-level US delegation has worked out a deal to temporarily halt Turkey’s violent weeklong offensive into northern Syria, but many in the Trump administration believe the price the Kurds are paying is too high. By Jack Detsch
Turkish foreign minister: US-Turkey deal 'not a cease-fire' Vice President Mike Pence announced that Turkish officials have agreed to suspend military operations in northeast Syria for five days to allow Kurdish forces to withdraw from the border area. By Diego Cupolo
Putin's visit draws UAE, Russia closer The UAE's welcoming ceremony for Putin outperformed that of the Saudis but this is not the only reason why the Russian president left Abu Dhabi happy. By Yury Barmin
Netanyahu discovers hospitality has its limits Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tried to ingratiate himself at both the White House and the Kremlin, but now finds himself home alone. By Akiva Eldar
Pompeo visit fails to reassure Israel on Syria, Iran The meeting of US secretary of State Mike Pompeo with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not reassure Jerusalem over developments in Syria and Iran. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Has Israel’s political left given up? Contrary to their enthusiasm ahead of the Sept. 17 election, former Prime Minister Ehud Barak and his colleagues in the leadership of the left-wing camp seem to have disappeared lately from the political arena. By Mazal Mualem In Tel Aviv, reporting on politics
Pentagon turns to irregular tactics to counter Iran The Pentagon is trying to put the finishing touches on a plan to use irregular warfare tactics to temper Iran’s military escalation in the Middle East, Al-Monitor has learned. By Jack Detsch
Netanyahu camp adds Arab 'extortion' to right-wing playbook With Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unable to form a government with his right-wing allies, he and his associates hope to prevent others from succeeding at the task by launching a new line of attack inciting against the Arab parties and branding those who cooperate with them as security threats. By Shlomi Eldar