WHO regional director says COVID-19 threat far from over, despite vaccine progress In a lengthy interview with Al-Monitor, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Ahmed al-Mandhari warns the coronavirus "remains a cause for concern," as he discussed his organization’s efforts to help the countries of the region cope with the pandemic. Gulf
The long road to post-COVID economic recovery in the Middle East Indicators show that economic recovery across the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf following the coronavirus pandemic may take longer and more effort than initially thought. Gulf
Intel: Why Russia is getting involved in Mideast COVID-19 fight Syria has requested assisted from Moscow to fight the coronavirus outbreak, as Russia implements a campaign to cultivate its image as a "caring power," approaching Middle East leaders to work together against the spread of the virus. Near East
Why is Netanyahu reviving Palestinians' ‘willing relocation’? Past attempts to encourage Palestinians to voluntarily emigrate have always failed, so time and effort would be better invested in reaching an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement than pursuing a new push by the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for Gaza residents to voluntarily move elsewhere. Near East
Europe blind to Islamic State's true threat With the Islamic State drawing recruits from across Europe, the continent must act against the movement in Syria and Iraq before it's too late. Near East
Hamas readies for Israeli ground offensive with tunnels, traps Hamas has developed a sophisticated network of tunnels in the Gaza Strip in the event of an Israeli ground invasion. Near East
Syrian official: 'West will deal with us as a fait accompli' With presidential elections in Syria scheduled for June 3, a Syrian official says, "Turkey will suffer greatly from its involvement against us." Near East
Russia considers natural gas expansion in North Africa, Near East Russia sees potential for LNG expansion in the Middle East. United Arab Emirates
Egypt seeks extradition of Brotherhood members Egypt is expanding security cooperation with Arab states to hand over Muslim Brotherhood officials, including those exiled in Doha. Gulf
US-Russia Mideast cooperation in balance over Ukraine? In the absence of a diplomatic settlement between the West and Russia over Ukraine, Moscow may seek to capitalize on recent gains in the Middle East at US expense. Near East
Israel's silent partner? There may be common interests shared by Jerusalem and Riyadh, but there is no "alliance" on the horizon. Saudi Arabia
Maliki's housing initiative may be part of election strategy Is Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's "National Initiative for Housing" a means to win votes? Near East
Will Syria War Mean End of Sykes-Picot? There is speculation that the Syria war could signal a change in long-standing borders. Near East
Middle Eastern Girls Advance Science and Technology A group of 27 teenagers from across the region recently visited the United States with a vision for the future of green energy, robotics and music. Near East
