Ankara keeps jailed Kurdish leader from seeing lawyers, family Jailed Kurdistan Workers Party leader Abdullah Ocalan was banned from all outside contact reportedly for “chatting with his fellow inmates.” Turkey
Camels disqualified from Saudi beauty pageant over Botox injections More than 40 "enhanced" camels were barred from competing in the monthlong festival near Riyadh. Saudi Arabia
Senate fails to block missile sale to Saudi Arabia The Biden administration has said the AIM-120C missiles are to help Saudi Arabia defend itself against hostile drone attacks from Yemen. Saudi Arabia
In apparent mix-up, France releases man suspected of Khashoggi murder links A Saudi national held over suspected ties to the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi was released Wednesday after Paris officials determined the arrest was a case of mistaken identity. Turkey
Iraq blames militias for Basra explosion that killed four The Basra explosion caused by a booby-trapped motorcycle was aimed to assassinate an Iraqi investigative officer in charge of the militia's illegal activities in the province. Iraq
Iraqi prime minister visits site of Islamic State attack Mustafa al-Kadhimi met with Kurdistan Region security forces in disputed Makhmour. News Brief
Israel scrambles to deal with spike in violence in Jerusalem An Israeli woman was stabbed yesterday in Jerusalem, in another violent incident perpetrated by a Palestinian. Israel
Iran's chief negotiator says burden is on West, not Iran, for next move in nuclear talks Ali Bagheri Kani may wait for the other side to bring "something to the table" now. Iran
Iran says window for talks not 'open forever' as Vienna dialogue resumes Iran insists that it wants the original terms of the nuclear deal fully implemented. Iran
Turkey's good relations with Qatar may not be enough for Erdogan Erdogan’s Qatar visit failed to produce agreements that could help the ailing Turkish economy, but he wants to maintain Turkey’s partnership with Qatar, including military ties, while making efforts to reconcile with Gulf rivals. Turkey
Israel updates regulations on intelligence software exports Human rights groups are critical of an updated agreement for exports of Israeli-developed spyware. Israel
Israel maintains eligibility for major EU science funding program The Israeli government has signed on to the European Union’s 2021-2027 Horizon program, which offers funding and cooperation on research and development in various domains. Israel
Ancient Gaza monastery restored by unemployed young Palestinians For the third year in a row, a Palestinian team under French supervision works on the restoration of St. Hilarion Monastery in Gaza's Nuseirat refugee camp. Culture
Iran security head claims US seeks to resurrect Islamic State A top Iranian official attributed the ouster of the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq to Tehran-backed militias while claiming that Washington seeks to revive the extremist group. Iran
Yemen measure stripped from US defense bill as Saudis up bombing Rep. Ro Khanna's amendment would have barred US maintenance support and weapons sales that contribute to Saudi-led offensive strikes in Yemen. Gulf
