Territorial spats reheat ahead of Turkey-Greece talks Citing disputed territorial claims, the Turkish navy twice blocked research missions by a Greek Cypriot-contracted vessel as Turkey and Greece prepare for bilateral talks in Ankara on Oct. 6. Turkey
Istanbul street dog becomes social media influencer Boji the street dog has amassed thousands of followers, including a politician or two. Turkey
Azerbaijan weighs buying Israeli Arrow-3 missile amid Iran tensions Iran's posturing could further cement Baku's defense ties with Israel. Israel
UAE announces mission to explore asteroids The Emirates is the first Arab state to have a Mars mission and already has a probe circling the planet. News Brief
Fragile Israeli government braces for chill as Knesset winter term begins The Knesset’s winter session, which opened yesterday, is expected to test the precarious coalition of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. Israel
Are Brotherhood members forming terror cells in Sudan? Sudanese security services have arrested members of an Islamic State-affiliated terrorist cell led by an Egyptian national, while Cairo wants to extradite them as part of a broader effort to extradite members of the Muslim Brotherhood who fled to Khartoum in 2013. Egypt
Scientists reconstruct facial features of 2,000-year-old mummies Scientists in a company working on DNA technology reconstructed the faces of three men who lived in ancient Egypt 2,000 years ago, but Egyptian Egyptologists raise cautions about the significance of the feat. Egypt
Three Israeli ministers visit Emirates on sidelines of Dubai expo Three Israeli ministers are using the opportunity of the 2020 Dubai Expo to visit the country and meet with their Emirati counterparts. Israel
Abbas says PLO will not recognize pre-1967 borders unless Israel withdraws Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, amid declining popularity, gave Israel one year to withdraw from the occupied territories along the 1967 border, but appears to intensify meetings with Israelis in a bid to move the peace process forward. Palestine
Cyprus assassination attempt paints picture of emboldened Iran Israel suspects that a plot to kill Israeli businesspeople in Cyrus reflects an alarming change in Iranian strategy. Israel
US-Tunisian military cooperation tested by Saied's actions The Tunisian president's assertion of executive authority has been met with both opposition and support, and some are questioning US military assistance. North Africa
Libya’s parliament passes key elections legislation The breakthrough follows concerns last month that the House of Representatives' vote of no confidence could be further thwart progress towards national reunification. Libya
Race against time to save Europe’s largest timber building A first step forward in the effort to save Europe’s largest timber building in Istanbul has been completed, but experts warn the restoration is progressing slowly. Turkey
Iranian and Armenian FMs meet in Tehran The meeting followed recent tensions between Armenia's rival, Azerbaijan, and Iran. News Brief
UN probe finds Libya's warring parties likely committed war crimes A team of investigators appointed by the Human Rights Council said the rival factions, foreign fighters and third countries involved in Libya's war have likely committed war crimes and crimes against humanity since 2016. Libya
After Jordan, will Turkey take the plunge with Assad? After the Jordanian king spoke by phone with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for the first time since the Syrian conflict began over 10 years ago, Turks are now asking if Ankara will be next to reconcile. Turkey