Is time running out for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas? Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has stayed relatively quiet amid the war in Gaza, but this approach is only further eroding his popularity with the Palestinian population. By Daoud Kuttab In Amman, reporting on Palestinian politics
What’s on Putin’s agenda on rare trip to Saudi Arabia, UAE? The Russian president's trip comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, where the Hamas-Israel war has threatened to spill into a wider regional conflict. Gulf
Iran-backed militias test new front with Washington’s Syrian Kurdish allies A US base in northeast Syria has been attacked twice so far by rockets launched in the last month from within the country, and officials with the Syrian Defense Forces point to Iran-backed Shiite militias. Syria
After Yahya Sinwar sanctions, France looks to deepen EU's anti-Hamas push France announced Tuesday it was freezing the assets of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar for six months, a move it says is a prerequisite for enforcement of European Union sanctions on Hamas leaders. Palestine
Kuwait, Qatar, UAE telecoms merge assets into $2.2B tower company Three Gulf companies will create a new entity, which has not yet been publicly named, combining around 30,000 tower assets in Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar and Tunisia. Gulf
UAE’s Masdar signs $16 billion deal for wind, hydrogen projects in US, Germany The UAE is hosting the UN climate change conference amid global calls to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Gulf
‘Nowhere is safe’ in Gaza as Israel presses ground offensive Concerns are emerging about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in south Gaza, where Israel is widening its campaign. Palestine