US charges New York father, teenage son who joined Islamic State Emraan Ali allegedly told prosecutors he snuck his family into Syria after in-laws told him they had a good life under IS. By Al-Monitor Staff
Twitter says it closed Iranian government accounts focused on US election The social media company said it received the information on Tehran's purported activity during the first US presidential debate from the FBI. By Al-Monitor Staff
Trump administration again slashes refugee admissions to new low The announcement followed Trump's attack on refugees during a campaign rally in Minnesota. By Elizabeth Hagedorn In Washington, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights
Iraqi protests hit one year mark On the anniversary of the start of Iraq's massive protests, Iraqis are preparing for a new wave of demonstrations in Baghdad and other cities. By Lujain Elbaldawi
Israel, Lebanon agree to maritime border talks Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi and Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz confirmed today that Israel and Lebanon will open direct talks on demarking their maritime border with US mediation. By Rina Bassist In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs
How much damage can Arab states do to Turkish economy? As Turkey’s Arab adversaries step up efforts to counter Ankara’s actions in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia has reportedly started a covert boycott of Turkish goods. By Mustafa Sonmez In Istanbul, reporting on economics
Iran to issue fines for those not wearing masks Struggling to slow a third wave of the coronavirus, Iran is hoping issuing fines will help. By Al-Monitor Staff
Why Hamas can’t control arms proliferation in Gaza Amid the uncontrollable proliferation of weapons in the Gaza Strip, human rights centers and institutions sounded the alarm, while Hamas seems unable to prevent citizens from obtaining arms. By Rasha Abou Jalal In Gaza City, reporting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Egypt renews demands to retrieve Nefertiti bust from Germany Egypt has repeatedly tried to retrieve Nefertiti’s bust from Germany, which Cairo claims was illegally smuggled out of the country when it was discovered more than 100 years ago. By Ibrahim Ayyad
Egypt turns to Russia to save decaying railway authority Russia is cooperating with Egypt on developing the Egyptian Railway Authority, which has suffered heavy financial losses. By George Mikhail
Grand Egyptian Museum to display thousands of artifacts Egypt gears up for the big opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum in 2021, where 50,000 artifacts will be displayed. By Alaa Omran