Cairo quiet as Ankara reaches out to eastern Libya Cairo and Ankara are at odds over Libya and the wider Mediterranean region, but Ankara’s recent contacts with Cairo’s allies in eastern Libya might encourage rapprochement between the two regional powers. Libya
Iran says conditions present for 'win-win' agreement with US Though direct talks with the United States remain a non-starter, Tehran's top nuclear negotiator has shared some hope with Iranian lawmakers. Iran
FBI admits to obtaining Israeli-made Pegasus spyware The FBI said it bought the controversial spyware tool for “product testing and evaluation only” and never deployed it. Israel
Egypt hands over solar power plant to Uganda amid Nile dam crisis The Egyptian government’s efforts to support its African neighbors have been ongoing as part of the promotion of relations with African countries, amid the ongoing crisis with Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Egypt
Battle opens for presidency in Iraq As the Kurdistan Democratic Party nominates Hoshyar Zebari for the presidency, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan is looking to renew the mandate of President Barham Salih. Iraq
Emirates advances 2021 plan to invest $10 billion in Israel With a new Israeli government that is stable and committed to the Abraham Accords, the Emiratis are moving forward on their 2021 pledge to invest $10 billion in the country. Israel
Saudi Arabia to invest billions in metaverse, blockchain technology The kingdom, which is seeking to reduce its dependence on oil, made the announcement at the futuristic LEAP technology forum in Riyadh. News Brief
Israel to use laser air defense system within year, PM says Naftali Bennett also said he hopes ongoing talks over Iran's nuclear program "end without agreement." News Brief
Turkey sinks on corruption index as activists point to public tender system Transparency International says there has been a “significant decline” in Turkey’s tackling of graft over the last decade. Turkey
Ankara reassures Moscow on eve of Erdogan’s Ukraine visit With its president set to visit Ukraine, Turkey has reassured Russia by reiterating its commitment for a key maritime treaty safeguarding Russia's rights in the Black Sea. Turkey
Emirati logistics firm builds deep sea port for Democratic Republic of Congo The Dubai-based DP World stated that the massive new port will boost trade to the central African country, which is one of the poorest in the world. By Al-Monitor Staff
Iranian supreme leader’s aide suggests pursuing 90% enrichment In a letter to Iran’s supreme leader, the hard-line former chief negotiator reportedly proposed ramping up enrichment to 90%. Iran
Gaza opens 1,700-year-old Byzantine church to public The Byzantine Church dating back to the fifth century in Jabaliya in northern Gaza was renovated and restored into a public museum by the Hamas-run Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, in a bid to revive domestic tourism. Palestine
Qatar agrees with Taliban on resuming Afghanistan evacuations Qatar was bestowed the status of major non-NATO US ally by President Joe Biden yesterday. Qatar
Longtime loyalist newspaper ditches Netanyahu Israel Hayom newspaper is dramatically changing tack and now supporting Prime Minister Naftali Bennett rather than former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel
Blizzard overwhelms displaced in northwest Syria A blizzard has destroyed hundreds of tents in the camps of northwest Syria, where thousands of displaced residents live without heat or medical services. Syria
