Chinese foreign minister in Qatar for talks with the Taliban Qatar has a history of mediation related to Afghanistan. News Brief
Erdogan backpedals on threat to expel 10 Western ambassadors After threatening to expel 10 foreign envoys, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Monday appeared to de-escalate a diplomatic row sparked by the ongoing imprisonment of Turkish philanthropist Osman Kavala. Turkey
Syrian government completes reconciliation deals in Daraa area Syrian government and rebel forces reached a Russian-brokered cease-fire agreement in Daraa in the south earlier this year, following intense fighting. News Brief
US envoy: 'Other tools' available if Iran nuclear diplomacy fails Robert Malley said the US and its allies feel a "shared impatience" with Iran's delay in returning to the bargaining table. Iran
Ex-Saudi official says MBS suggested killing former king with 'poison ring' The Saudi government responded by describing Saad al-Jabri as "a discredited former government official with a long history of fabricating.” Saudi Arabia
Iran responds to reports of Israel's $1.5 billion 'strike fund' News about an Israeli fund designated for attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities has irked Iranian officials. Iran
Turkey, Qatar express 'concern' over coup in Sudan The Sudanese military has arrested civilians in the transitional government and seized power. News Brief
Germany sentences Islamic State woman to jail over Yazidi child's death The Munich court found Jennifer Wenisch, a German national, guilty of “two crimes against humanity in the form of enslavement." Iraq
Israel takes security issues to France The series of visits by Israeli security officials to Paris in recent months can only mean France is open for dialogue with the new government. Israel
Turkey’s spy-bust bombshell unlikely to further worsen ties with Israel The Turkish media may be abuzz with reports about the foiling of a Mossad-run spy ring, but Israel appears unimpressed, and observers see no further deterioration in the already frosty bilateral relations. Turkey
Iraqi independents to form new parliamentary bloc Representatives of the demonstrations and independent candidates did well in the Iraqi elections, unsettling many existing political elites. Iraq
Turkish media erupts with news of Iran spy arrests — three weeks late The victorious headlines ran in all the pro-government print news media, which are in desperate need of good news amid the deepening economic crisis. Turkey
US questions Israel designation of Palestinian NGO's as terrorist groups The State Department expects Israel to substantiate its designation of six Palestinian civil society groups as terror organizations. Israel
A net-zero Saudi Arabia? Not so fast The kingdom is unlikely to achieve net zero emissions soon, but the ambition to do so, and the plan, is an impactful step in the right direction. Gulf
Israelis fed up with racist, anti-Muslim behavior of soccer fans Most Beitar Jerusalem soccer team supporters have had enough of the racist and anti-Muslim behavior of La Familia fan club. Israel
Netflix features fresh collection of Palestinian movies Palestinians are thrilled with a Netflix collection of Palestinian stories that sheds light on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict from a Palestinian perspective for the first time. Palestine