Yazidis react to killing of Islamic State leader The death of Islamic State leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, who committed war crimes against the Yazidi community in Sinjar and supervised the Sinjar genocide in which thousands of Yazidis were killed, sparked varied reactions among Yazidis. Syria
Ukraine crisis exposes Turkey’s limits The Ukraine crisis has exposed Ankara’s limits on foreign policy, yet Turkey’s President Erdogan can still score points from rapprochement with the UAE and Israel. Turkey
Border crossings and foreign fighters rise after Taliban takeover A recent UN report and other worrying signs point to a likely surge in both an al-Qaeda and Islamic State presence in Afghanistan in the six months since the Taliban has been in power. Iran
Egypt seeks mediation in Sudan Egypt kicked off a series of dialogues with political forces in Sudan to help overcome the Sudanese crisis that erupted due to the military coup that toppled the civilian-led government in October. Egypt
Lebanese wary of rise of customs duties amid economic crisis The cash-strapped Lebanese government has approved a draft budget law for 2022 that hikes the customs dollar and imposes new duties, as the country battles a severe economic crisis. Lebanon
Sudan moves ahead with Israel ties Tel Aviv continues to exchange visits with the contested authorities in Khartoum and deepen their security cooperation, in line with the coup generals’ allies in the Gulf and Egypt. Egypt
Egyptian band on mission to protect dying Zar ritual The Zar ritual has seen better days, but an Egyptian band has taken upon itself the mission of keeping this ritual alive. Egypt
