Turkey makes peace bid with Chechen leader As Ankara finesses relations with Moscow, top Turkish officials have quietly met with Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov after years of chill marked by a string of murders of Chechen exiles in Turkey. Turkey
Iran negotiators return home, call for 'seriousness' on nuclear deal The Iranian press has been cautiously optimistic since negotiators returned home for consultation on an agreement to revive the 2015 nuclear deal. Iran
Iraqi rival parties can't agree on path to new elections Although Iraq's two rival Shiite groups, the Sadrists and the Coordination Framework, both agreed on early elections, they can't agree on the details. Iraq
Iran uses cryptocurrency for import order After originally cracking down on cryptocurrencies, which have the potential to help evade sanctions, Iranian authorities later decided to authorize them for imports. Iran
Israel hunts Islamic Jihad operatives in West Bank Despite the cease-fire in the Gaza Strip between Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Israeli army, the West Bank remains volatile. Palestine
Israel-Hamas understanding key to quick end to Gaza fighting Egypt-Qatar mediation brought about what Israel was seeking — a quick end to the violent conflict with Islamic Jihad. Israel
Lavrov sidesteps Nile dam dispute in meetings in Egypt, Ethiopia Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov seems to have avoided the GERD issue, instead focusing on his country’s relations with Egypt, Ethiopia and other African countries. Egypt
Risks of fire, heat stroke soar as heat wave cooks northwest Syria Displacement camps in northwest Syria are sweltering as a heat wave sweeps the area. Syria
