Analysis From political Islam to illiberal nationalism: the MENA states' war for hearts and minds Islamist parties are falling out of favor across the region, as leaders hope to offer economic benefits combined with authoritarianism. By Gilles Kepel
Turkey’s opposition warns against deepfakes ahead of fateful elections As the presidential race heats up in the lead-up to Turkey's consequential elections, the country’s main opposition party accuses the government of plotting a cyberwar against Erdogan’s top rival. Turkey
Israel, EU reconcile, agree to hold summit after Cohen-Borrell meeting In a surprising move, Israel's Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and EU's foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell agreed in Brussels to hold an association council meeting by the end of 2023. Israel is also advocating for more EU sanctions on Iran. Israel
US, Turkey blacklist Syrian militants' financial facilitators The new sanctions target members of US-designated terrorist groups Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and Katibat al-Tawhid wal-Jihad. Turkey
UAE reprimands cryptocurrency firm OPNX The company, which is planning a transparent crypto platform, allegedly did not receive the necessary regulatory authority from the UAE. Gulf
Iran-India meeting in Tehran focuses on de-dollarization, averting sanctions Iran urged India to launch a rial-rupee mechanism in bilateral trade, as the Islamic Republic pursues the "look to the East" policy as a strategy to mitigate the onerous impacts of US sanctions on its oil-dependent economy. Iran
Qatari royal to invest $1bn more in Manchester United bid: report Despite the sweetened offer from the Qatari banker, British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe is understood to be the favorite to buy the English soccer club, according to reports. Gulf
Israel, Turkey, Saudi Arabia top MidEast recipients of US visas in 2022 Citizens from the MENA region received about 480,000 non-immigrant visas, or about 7% of the total 6.8 million visas issued globally. Israel
US urges to elect a president in Lebanon 'free of corruption' The State Department appeal comes as Lebanese politicians fail to address the country's economic crisis. Lebanon
UAE airports record 56.3% bump in traffic as Saudi Arabia tries to compete Saudi Arabia recently launched Riyadh Air in an effort to boost its air travel industry. Gulf
Israel woos senior Republicans as White House continues to snub Netanyahu Government insiders are alarmed by what appear to be efforts to undermine the overtures to the White House. Israel
