After Jordan, Emirates also furious with Netanyahu Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not only managed to get into a diplomatic row with Jordan, he also succeeded in angering the Emiratis. Israel
Iran operating new advanced centrifuges, nuclear watchdog finds According to an International Atomic Energy Agency report, Iran is now using IR-4 centrifuges to enrich uranium in violation of the nuclear accord. Iran
Lawsuit filed to close pro-Kurdish party after lawmaker stripped of parliamentary seat Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu, a pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party deputy known to focus on human rights abuses, was stripped of his parliament seat and a lawsuit was filed to close the party March 17. Turkey
Netanyahu courts Arab voters as 'Abu Yair' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has adopted a new strategy for the Arab public: cynically rebranding himself as "Abu Yair." Israel
Turkey announces major natural gas discovery in Black Sea President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the discovery of 320 billion cubic meters of natural gas will help Turkey reduce its reliance on foreign energy supplies. Turkey
Family silver next in line in Turkey’s debt crunch The hefty external debt of Turkey’s public and private sectors is increasingly imposing the option to offer asset swaps to creditors, including company shares and valuable real estate. Turkey
Oman kicks off ambitious reform project A significant revamp promises to slim down the Omani government, bring in new faces and mark the start of a new era. Oman
Trump, Kadhimi discuss new phase in US-Iraq strategic relationship Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi's visit to Washington led to new energy deals and continued security cooperation. Iraq
Israeli-Ethiopian community divided on bringing 8,000 Falash Mura Minister of Immigration and Absorption Pnina Tamano-Shata presented last week a plan to bring to Israel 8,000 Falash Mura from Ethiopia by the end of 2022. Israel
How megaprojects mitigated COVID-19 impact on Egypt’s labor market The coronavirus pandemic has increased the unemployment rate, but the impact could have been worse without the infrastructure overhaul. Egypt
Israel carries out multiple airstrikes after 12 rockets from Gaza Escalation on Israel-Gaza border: Israel Defense Forces jets struck Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip three times, after 12 rockets and projectiles were launched during the night from Gaza. Palestine
UAE official says F-35 request 'legitimate,' not connected to Israel deal UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said an arms deal should be easier now that his country inked a deal to normalize ties with Israel. United Arab Emirates
US official links long-term aid to reform in Lebanon Following his visit to Lebanon, Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale told reporters that further economic assistance will be linked to IMF reform package. United States
Opting for backdoor measures, Turkey’s Central Bank holds interest rate steady Turkey’s Central Bank left a key interest rate unchanged in favor of liquidity measures Thursday in what analysts described as a “missed opportunity” to send a positive signal to the markets. Turkey
Turkey's 'hedonist' singles become new target of AKP heavyweight Numan Kurtulmus, deputy chair of Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party who opened a Pandora’s box on the Istanbul Convention, has come under fire once more for remarks on “over hedonist singles.” Turkey
Egypt, Sudan kick off another round of Nile dam talks A new round of meetings between the Nile Basin countries has resumed as Sudan and Egypt try to unite on controlling damage from the Ethiopian dam. Egypt