US sanctions Hezbollah's alleged financial facilitators in Lebanon The US Treasury Department designated Adel Diab, Ali Mohamad Daoun and Jihad Salem Alame as well as their travel company. Lebanon
Defying European call, Turkish court rules to keep Kavala detained Following a Turkish court’s decision to keep philanthropist Osman Kavala behind bars, the ball is now in the court of the Council of Europe, whose committee of ministers will decide next month whether to start a disciplinary process against Turkey. By Nazlan Ertan In Izmir, reporting on culture
Women-led tourism initiatives are changing the way Egypt is seen, experienced More women are gradually breaking into Egypt’s tourism sector and launching their own projects, often promoting along the way a new type of experience to visitors. Egypt
Israel police accused of using Pegasus spyware to hack phones of civilians An investigative report by Calcalist newspaper claims Israel police has used the NSO-developed spyware Pegasus to hack cell phones of suspected criminals, of witnesses to criminal cases and of activists. Israel
Oil prices reach highest point in seven years High oil prices are a victory for Saudi Arabia, but a blow to the United States and China. News Brief
Turkish women decry high price of sanitary pads Women activists call on the Turkish government for a tax reduction and other measures to lower the prices of menstrual products, which have grown forbiddingly expensive amid the country’s economic turmoil. Turkey
Crimean, Syrian ports sign cooperation agreements A Syrian government delegation visited the Russian-backed breakaway republic this week. News Brief
Possible Netanyahu plea bargain rocks Israeli coalition The coalition of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is at risk if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opts for a plea bargain in his corruption trials. Israel
Martin Indyk répond aux questions de Gilles Kepel à propos de son livre, Master of the Game, et livre ses analyses sur l’héritage de la diplomatie kissingerienne au Moyen Orient
With clock ticking, Netanyahu still undecided on plea bargain If former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agrees to a plea bargain that would include a moral turpitude conviction, he would be banned from Israeli politics for seven years. Israel
BBC Turkish staff strike over pay Workers at the BBC's Istanbul bureau are taking action after the corporation denied a salary increase in line with inflation. Turkey
Child labor assumes fatal proportions in Egypt The latest drowning of eight working children in the Nile Delta is opening deep wounds in Egypt and renewing debate about child labor. Egypt
Syrian jihadist leader in Western wear, opens road in Idlib In a new attempt to improve the image of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the group’s leader appeared in public in modern clothing to inaugurate a new road linking Aleppo to Bab al-Hawa. Syria
'Valley of Peace,' largest world cemetery in holy city of Najaf Wadi al-Salam is an ancient cemetery, the largest graveyard in the world, in Iraq's Shiite city of Najaf, where most Shiite Iraqis want to be buried. Iraq
Turkey aims to keep tensions high in northeast Syria through targeted killings In retaliation for a mysterious explosion along the Turkish-Syrian border, Turkey hit several Kurdish positions in the predominantly Kurdish town of Kobani in an attack that the Kurds call a “war rehearsal” aiming to test the water. Turkey
