Lebanon’s PM struggles to form Cabinet amid economic crisis Lebanon’s political elite have yet to form a government despite the urgency as the country slides further into economic collapse. Lebanon
Sudan boycotts Nile dam talks, further complicating negotiations What are supposed to be three-way talks on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam between Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia took one more turn for the worse as Khartoum boycotted the last round of negotiations. Egypt
Palestinians in quandary about new visitors from Gulf Palestinians and Jordanians are working to ensure that Gulf visitors to Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Palestinian half of Jerusalem abide by the same rituals and traditions that all Muslims have practiced when visiting the holy sites. Palestine
Egypt's ancient monastery library preserves precious manuscripts The historic library of Saint Catherine’s Monastery is in the middle of a conservation project to protect the most precious volumes of its large collection of ancient manuscripts. Egypt
Will the Ethiopian conflict affect UAE-Egyptian relations? As the conflict escalates between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray region, the United Arab Emirates' support for the Ethiopian regime threatens to strain Emirati-Egyptian relations. United Arab Emirates
In a changing Middle East, Abraham Accords will usher in new era for technology Collaboration in the form of partnerships and joint ventures around technology between Israel and the United Arab Emirates could be indicative of the wider shift expected in a post-Abraham Accords Middle East. United Arab Emirates
The Netherlands to send new troops to Iraq as coalition shifts to advisory role The Dutch now take the helm of a training mission that focuses on "expert specialized capabilities." Iraq
Qatar says mother of abandoned child at airport fled to Asia The Qatari government also announced charges against security officers in relation to the October abandoned infant incident at Doha airport and the subsequent invasive searches of women there. Originals
The Takeaway: Qatari official sees encouraging signs in diplomacy to end GCC divisions Meshal Al-Thani, Qatar’s Ambassador to the United States, describes three steps for ‘quick win’ to help heal Gulf rift. Qatar
Progressives divided over Biden’s expected pick for Pentagon chief Michele Flournoy's stated openness to curtailing offensive weapons sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates may have reduced opposition from progressive Democrats Saudi Arabia
Rep. Tlaib accused of anti-Semitism for comments on Biden pick The Michigan congresswoman said she hopes Joe Biden's nominee for secretary of state will not go after boycotts of Israel. Israel
Women’s rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul to stand trial in Saudi Arabia Loujain al-Hathloul will appear in a Saudi court Wednesday more than two years after she was first detained in a crackdown on human rights defenders. Saudi Arabia
Family appeals conviction in Lockerbie bombing in Scottish court A lawyer for the family of the late Libyan intelligence officer Abdel Basset al-Megrahi, convicted in the 1988 plane bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland, argues there was insufficient evidence to convict him. Libya
Talks ‘got us nowhere’: Iran’s supreme leader casts doubt on future negotiations Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's comments come as the Trump administration ramps up its maximum pressure campaign on Iran. Iran
Iran taps into emergency fund to compensate Ukraine flight victims The Islamic Republic is to pay families of the victims of the Ukrainian flight it downed earlier this year. But the payment has been secured not from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps responsible for the missile attack but from an emergency fund meant for the public interest. Iran
COVID-19 breaks records in Turkey as health experts call for tighter controls New daily COVID-19 rates hit record highs four days in a row in Turkey, prompting local health officials to call for more stringent social distancing measures. Turkey
