In Syria’s Deir ez-Zor, SDF conscription ‘severs livelihoods’ The Syrian Democratic Forces' recent campaign to conscript youth for military service is compounding economic hardship in Deir ez-Zor province, one of the poorest areas of Syria. In villages where the campaign is most active, young men are staying home for fear of arrest, forgoing daily wages and delaying grocery purchases to avoid passing by checkpoints. Syria
Gaza court revises women’s travel restrictions after backlash Outrage erupted in the Gaza Strip after a judge issued a ruling banning unmarried women from traveling without the consent of a male guardian, yet a revised ruling doesn't go far enough, activists say. Palestine
Will Nasser al-Qudwa be the dark horse of Palestinian presidential race? Nasser al-Qudwa seems to be emerging as the dark horse in the Palestinian election gambit. A look at his strategy for the Palestinian elections. Palestine
Egypt forges ahead with campaign to make the Nile 100% plastic free The VeryNile initiative has been working since 2018 to remove plastic waste from the Nile River and has launched a project to support the fishermen of Cairo by providing them with additional income and access to health services. Egypt
Israel cheers for exiled Iranian judo master Israelis have embraced exiled Iranian judoka Saeid Mollaei, who defected for his sport and recently competed in Tel Aviv. Israel
Israeli-Arabs suffer selective enforcement over coronavirus rules violations The numbers are clear: Arab towns and villages now have fewer coronavirus cases than ultra-Orthodox localities, yet enforcement of coronavirus restrictions is much much higher there. Originals
GCC states race for foreign investment Despite the Saudi-led effort to bury the hatchet with Qatar, unified economic policies are coming up against by GCC countries’ needs to win foreign investment post-COVID. Saudi Arabia
Report: Israel to purchase vaccines for Syria in prisoner exchange deal According to foreign publications, Israel has agreed to purchase Russian Sputnik V coronavirus vaccines for Syria, as part of a Russia-mediated deal to release an Israeli woman who crossed the border into Syria. Palestine
Can Turkey fit into the Biden administration’s Syria policy? The gnarliest problem: Pentagon report says Syrian, Iranian proxies are "most significant" threats to US mission, but the Islamic State isn’t dead yet, and Turkey and the United States still disagree on the Kurds. Syria
Biden to review Trump's freeze on aid to Ethiopia over Nile dam The Trump administration froze some aid to Addis Ababa in August over its stance on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Egypt
Equatorial Guinea to move embassy in Israel to Jerusalem The West African state is the second on the continent to announce plans to open an embassy in the holy city, and the first country anywhere to do so since US President Joe Biden took office. Israel
Iraq's 'Falcon Cell' leader removed amid accusations of suspicious links The replacing of a top intelligence official whose unit had been responsible for many key arrests signals further efforts to centralize control of Iraq's intelligence services. Iraq
UAE says Princess Latifa 'cared for at home' amid hostage claims After Sheikha Latifa claimed she was being held hostage, the UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights asked the Emirati government to provide evidence that she is alive. United Arab Emirates
Turkey hires Washington lobbyists in bid for return to F-35 program The Biden administration is giving Turkey the cold shoulder on the S-400 dispute. Turkey
'Hostage-like arrests' in Egypt target families of US-based activists, rights groups say A coalition of human rights groups accused the Egyptian government of intimidating and harassing the family members of prominent activists living abroad. Egypt
Israel develops new regulations for Google, Facebook Israel is working on regulations similar to European efforts to protect small businesses that advertise on Facebook and Google. Israel
