As Syria finalizes candidates for parliament, women make up 14% of list Syria’s parliamentary elections are set for Sunday, when electoral committees will select 140 lawmakers before President Ahmed al-Sharaa appoints the remaining 70. Syria
Saudi Arabia and Qatar pledge $89M for Syrian public sector: What to know The new Syrian government has struggled to pay public workers sufficiently and is implementing a plan aimed at rooting out “ghost employees" who do not show up to work. Syria
Egypt holds second Senate vote as pro-Sisi parties dominate: What to know The Senate elections, dominated by pro-Sisi government parties, feature fewer party list and individual candidates compared to elections held in 2020. Egypt
Analysis Sudan’s new PM dissolves government but military control remains firm In his first public address, Prime Minister Kamil Idris set ambitious goals to restore security by eliminating “rebellious militias,” though analysts warn the goal may be beyond his reach. By Rosaleen Carroll In Washington, DC, US, reporting on the Middle East
Analysis Hussein Sheikh as PLO's first vice president: Palestinian reform or Abbas gesture? By Rosaleen Carroll In Washington, DC, US, reporting on the Middle East
Analysis Can Modi leverage Saudi-China ties to reshape India’s global standing? By Sabena Siddiqui In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran
UAE shows path for peaceful nuclear development Fuel assemblies have been loaded into the first of four UAE nuclear power plants following the country's yearslong effort to develop major national and international support for nuclear energy. United Arab Emirates
Iraq faces more chaos as PM-designate fails to form government Iraq's prime minister-designate failed to form a government, meaning the country will most certainly witness more chaos. Iraq
Iraq's PM designate mired in Cabinet dilemma Iraq's Prime Minister-designate Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi is unable to form a Cabinet accepted by Iraqi protesters and political parties. Iraq
PMU factions set conditions for next Iraqi prime minister Some pro-Iran factions of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Units are demanding that candidates for prime minister meet their standards. Iraq
Gaza men choose family councils but keep women out There have been no elections in Gaza since 2006, but family groupings in the enclave have started holding votes for a leader and board to administer family affairs. Palestine
Iraq’s sidelined Sunnis weigh options amid US-Iran conflict Iraq’s Sunni politicians, who are facing great challenges in managing areas still recovering from the damage caused by the Islamic State, worry that Iran-US tensions will have an added negative effect. Iraq
Erdogan's ties with Turkish army gets alarmingly personal The extraordinary personalization of Turkey’s civilian-military relations is deinstitutionalizing the Turkish military structure and causing internal power struggles within the army ranks. Turkey
Egyptian political party leaders react to Sisi’s merger proposal As Egypt prepares for parliamentary elections in November, political party representatives examine what's needed to implement the president's advice to consolidate the country's more than 100 parties. Egypt
Reshuffle of HTS-linked government fails to bring hope in Idlib It appears that the new cabinet of an Idlib-based opposition government connected to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham will not earn the trust of the public, which continues to suffer under tough economic and humanitarian conditions. Syria
Sex workers fall victim to Israeli government paralysis Due to the paralysis of successive transitional governments in Israel, millions of shekels allocated to the Welfare Ministry to help sex workers get out of the business have gone unused and might therefore be returned to the Finance Ministry. Israel
What is the fate of Baghdad-Erbil’s oil-for-budget agreement amid ongoing protests? Iraqi political sides vow to block a recent oil-for-budget agreement by Iraq’s caretaker government with the Kurdistan region. Iraq
Sisi favors security appointees for Egypt's governorships Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's decision to appoint security personnel as new governors is quietly controversial. Egypt
