Jordan to imprison, fine people who hold large gatherings The Hashemite Kingdom is in the midst of a COVID-19 outbreak after earlier success fighting the virus. By Al-Monitor Staff
Qatar Airways resumes Amman flights Jordan reopened its airport to international flights this month after delays related to COVID-19. By Al-Monitor Staff
Tel Aviv battles against strip clubs New regulations adopted by the Tel Aviv municipality would enable it to ban new striptease clubs in the city and render such openings a criminal offense. By Rina Bassist In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs
'Cuties' spurs calls by Egyptian authorities to censor Netflix There have been increasing calls in Egypt to censor certain Netflix content, while art critics believe it would be difficult to censor the work of the global network. By Ahmed Gomaa
Turkish border guards reportedly abusing Syrians at border crossings Hundreds of Syrians try to cross every day to Turkey, whose borders are now closed, making them take illegal smuggling routes; dozens have been subjected to inhuman treatment by the Turkish border guards. By Sultan al-Kanj
Cairo’s ancient Bassatine Jewish cemetery completes first-of-its-kind restoration project The restoration project of Cairo’s Bassatine Jewish Cemetery, believed to be the second-oldest in the world, mainly aims at attracting tourism while at the same time shedding light on Egypt’s dwindling Jewish community. By A correspondent in Egypt
Family of Palestinian boy disfigured in 2015 firebomb attack still seeking justice An Israeli court sentenced to life imprisonment the Jewish settler behind the 2015 arson attack in the village of Duma in the northern West Bank, which killed three members of the Dawabsha family, but the family says the court’s decision is not enough. By Ahmad Melhem In Ramallah, reporting on politics
Muslim Brotherhood appoints acting guide after arrest of leader The recent arrest of acting Muslim Brotherhood leader Mahmoud Ezzat raises many questions, especially among younger members, about his potential successor and the fate of the organization in Egypt. By George Mikhail
Many Egyptians unmoved by heroic 'train lady' story A woman who offered to pay a conscript's train fare has been celebrated as a national hero in Egypt, but skeptics suggest the incident was staged to deflect attention from bigger challenges faced by the country. By A correspondent in Egypt
Russia pushes COVID-19 vaccine in Egypt Moscow is busily promoting its COVID-19 vaccine in Egypt, which it hopes to recruit for testing and production purposes. By Azza Guergues
Palestinian leadership, for now, immune to normalization deals Financial incentives might be provided to the Palestinian Authority following the normalization deals between the UAE-Bahrain and Israel, however no change is in sight without a full Palestinian consensus. By Daoud Kuttab In Amman, reporting on Palestinian politics
Netanyahu, peacemaker or troublemaker? Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is both a peacemaker and trouble maker, depending on his political needs. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Will Netanyahu now make peace with Israel's Arab citizens? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is eager to expand normalization beyond Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, but many Israeli Arabs would prefer that normalization begin at home. By Afif Abu Much In Baqa al-Gharbiyye, reporting on business and tech
Intel: Pompeo questioned over State's declaring Egypt’s ex-PM immune from torture suit Rep. Gerry Connolly said he was "shocked to learn" the State Department had issued a certificate of immunity for Egypt's former prime minister. By Elizabeth Hagedorn In Washington, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights
OPEC+ pressures Iraq, UAE to further cut oil production Saudi Arabia and other OPEC members held a virtual meeting with Russia and other allied oil producers today to discuss the continuing low price of oil amid the COVID-19 pandemic. By Al-Monitor Staff