Grenade attack on IRGC kills 2 in Iran’s Kurdistan province: What to know The deadly assault comes amid recurring tensions and clashes in Iran’s Kurdish-majority western region. Iran
Culture Turkey's women, LGBTQ artists top targets of Erdogan's drive for cultural hegemony From pop stars to performers, Turkey’s secular arts scene faces increasing pressure under Erdogan’s conservative push. Turkey
UK’s top spy uses farewell from Turkey to lure Russian recruits, sparks fury The outgoing MI6 chief called on Russians with "truths to share" to contact the agency, sparking diplomatic unease just days before Erdogan’s White House meeting. Turkey
Turkey’s spy chief in Damascus as Israel, Syria weigh new security map Ibrahim Kalin’s visit comes as Israel presses Syria on a buffer zone plan and Turkey frets over Kurdish autonomy. Turkey
Exclusive UK-based oil firm victim of standoff between Damascus, Syria’s Kurds By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Analysis Iraqi Kurdish factional feuds erupt anew with violent arrest of Lahur Talabani By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
US backs Iraqi progress on budget deal with Kurdistan Region The Trump administration says it supports Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi's progress so far in working out a budget agreement with the Kurdistan Region. Iraq
Intel: Unpaid salaries fuel protests in Iraqi Kurdistan Ongoing budget disputes with Baghdad have fueled salary delays and a lack of business bailouts in the Kurdistan Region as KRG debt swells to $27 billion. Iraq
What's next for Turkish-Iraqi ties after deadly drone strike? The killing of Iraqi border guards in a Turkish drone strike undermines Baghdad’s traditional flexibility toward Ankara at a time when Turkey’s Arab adversaries are seeking to draw Iraq to their side. Iraq
Turkish drone strike kills two senior Iraqi officers, army says Officials say the Tuesday strike targeted a meeting between Iraqi border officials and Kurdish militants. Iraq
The Takeaway: Will catastrophe reshape Lebanon’s social contract? The scoop on the Syrian Kurdish oil deal; Sisi to challenge Erdogan in Iraq and Syria; Lapid leads list of contenders to challenge Bibi; don’t shortchange Iraq’s resilience. Lebanon
Can Syria's Kurds reel in Turkey with profits from American oil deal? The recent deal signed between the SDF and a US oil company is as much about political brinkmanship as oil. Syria
Iran strikes Kurdish Iranian group in Iraqi territory Iran sometimes targets the positions of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan and other Kurdish Iranian groups based across the border in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Iraq
Hagia Sophia is open for prayers, but not to Kurds The Turkish government has deliberately excluded the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party from political and symbolic events ever since July 2015. This has not destroyed Turkey’s third-largest party, but it has contributed to the rise of Kurdophobia. Turkey
The latest reason Australia won’t take back citizens detained in Syria’s prisons for IS? Coronavirus Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne says COVID-19 has further complicated the possibilities of repatriating Australians captured during the war against the Islamic State in Syria. Syria
Famed Kurdish Iranian journalist receives asylum in New Zealand Behrouz Boochani is known for exposing conditions at Australia's offshore immigrant detention center on Manus Island. Iran
Iraqi Kurds fear Turkey’s military campaign aims beyond PKK Iraqi Kurds worry that Turkey’s pursuit of PKK militants inside Iraqi Kurdistan could result in a permanent Turkish military presence and moves to undermine their autonomous region. Turkey
Turkey sentences Germany-based journalist to prison in absentia Deniz Yucel was convicted of "incitement to hatred" and spreading "terror propaganda." Turkey
