Intel: AOC incurs AIPAC’s wrath with anti-annexation letter Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and the powerful American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) are facing off over a letter the progressive firebrand sent Tuesday warning against Israeli efforts to annex parts of the West Bank. Palestine
Pompeo’s push to extend Iran arms embargo faces uphill battle at UN The UN Security Council is not keen on extending the Iran arms embargo despite US threats to instate snapback sanctions. U.S.
Horrific patterns of torture catalogued in Yemen’s unofficial prisons More than 1,000 people have been arbitrarily detained and hundreds tortured by Yemen's warring parties, finds a new report. Yemen
US troops 'secure' northeast Syria oil, as contamination from it imperils lives Dilapidated pipelines and oil waste coat polluted rivers and streams in Kurdish-run northeast Syria. Syria
Egyptian company strikes gold in Eastern Desert Egypt has sought to attract gold mining investment recently. Egypt
Turkey cries 'LGBT propaganda' after official faces backlash for pedophilia tweet Activists saw the tweet from the head of Turkish Red Crescent as targeting the LGBTI community and say such rhetoric puts it at greater risk. Turkey
IMF official: Gulf economies to contract by 7.6% in 2020 The International Monetary Fund official's predictions are worse than earlier ones as the Gulf deals with oil price drops and the COVID-19 pandemic. Gulf
On the Middle East with Amberin Zaman Israeli and Palestinian UN ambassadors discuss annexation, the Trump Peace Plan and the prospects for direct talks
Iran sentences dissident journalist to death Iran sees Rouhollah Zam as an enemy of the state in part as a result of his controversial coverage of anti-government protests in Iran; Iranian Supreme Court also upholds a five-year sentence for French-Iranian researcher Fariba Adelkhah. Iran
Lost treasures brewed fresh at Turkey's first coffee museum An enchanting array of the classic Turkish and regional beverage is there for the tasting in a unique coffee museum that features antique implements and forgotten recipes of Anatolia. Turkey
Intel: US pledges nearly $700M in humanitarian assistance for Syrians The US State Department announced it would be providing an additional $696 million in humanitarian assistance to Syrians. Syria
Bolton, Pentagon rallied to keep al-Tanf base in Syria After Donald Trump's surprising tweet in late 2018 that all US troops would return from Syria, John Bolton says he spoke out against the abandonment of the US garrison at al-Tanf. Syria
Netanyahu calls for 'snapback sanctions' against Iran Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met today with US Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook — the perfect opportunity for the premier to show his tight ties with Washington and control of the Iranian file. Israel
Can Arab League push Ethiopia to delay filling of Nile dam? Arab foreign ministers called on Ethiopia to refrain from filling the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam next month without prior agreement with Egypt and Sudan, but Arab experts and observers believe this position must be translated into action to support Egypt and Sudan in their dispute with Ethiopia. Egypt
Trapped by Netanyahu, Gantz loses popularity Supporters of Blue and White leader Benny Gantz have not forgiven him for joining Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and their disappointment could mean the end of his political career. Israel
Can Tunisia stay out of Libya war? During his visit to France, Tunisia’s President Kais Saied stressed his country’s unwavering neutral position on the conflict raging in Libya, to the dismay of the country’s Islamist Ennahda movement. Originals
