Lebanon authorities release Salafist cleric Khaled Hablas: What to know Hablas was imprisoned for his role in the deadly 2014 clashes with the military and Hezbollah and his release follows Syria lobbying for the return of militants detained in Lebanon. Lebanon
Syria restores Raqqa oil field in former ISIS stronghold: What to know Before Syria's civil war erupted in 2011, national oil production stood at between 400,000 and 500,00 barrels per day before falling to under 100,000 bpd during the conflict. Syria
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran’s Ghalibaf: US must accept Tehran proposal By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Turkey's border reopening unlocks new sphere of influence in Syria Turkey reopened the Akcakale-Tell Abyad crossing on Monday, ending an 11-year closure along the Syria border. Turkey
Analysis MENA wheat importers face food security risks as Hormuz crisis festers By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Analysis 'Is it worth it?' Syria's Sharaa faces backlash over Missy Elliott performance By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Why Sisi, Erdogan won't be making up anytime soon Relations between Egypt and Turkey may remain cold as long as Cairo continues to repress the Muslim Brotherhood. Egypt
What's really behind Turkey's controversial plan for refugees? Many people detect political schemes behind Erdogan’s proposed offer of citizenship to Syrian refugees. Syria
Erdogan’s citizenship offer fans flames of anti-Syrian sentiment in Turkey Turkey's polarized public appears to have found a common cause against a proposed offer of citizenship and preferential treatment for Syrian refugees. Syria
Jabhat al-Nusra 'al-Qaeda's largest formal affiliate in history' Testimony by US official comes as Amnesty International report documents “abduction, torture and summary killings” committed by Jabhat al-Nusra and allied Syrian armed groups. Egypt
Lebanon reels under weight of Syrian refugee crisis Lebanon's foreign and labor ministers are extremely worried about the consquences of Lebanon's hosting of Syrian refugees, particularly in light of the June 27 suicide bombings in the Bekaa Valley. Lebanon
Will US, Russia start coordinating against Jabhat al-Nusra in Syria? The United States, increasingly concerned about the threat posed by al-Qaeda’s Syria affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra, is continuing to discuss with Russia a proposal to target Jabhat al-Nusra and IS. Syria
Will IS attacks bring about change in Saudi foreign policy? The three attacks across Saudi Arabia on July 4 revived dark memories of al-Qaeda's campaign of terror in the mid-2000s. Saudi Arabia
Ankara’s IS militants return home In one of the Islamic State’s main recruitment grounds in Turkey, about half of the recruits have returned home, but experts warn that the organization’s appeal is far from over. Syria
What's behind Syrian regime's latest claims on Aleppo strikes? While the Syrian regime claims that its airstrikes are carried out against Jabhat al-Nusra’s military positions, the reality on the ground shows that it is targeting residential neighborhoods. Syria
Syrian refugees in Egypt showcase their art On World Refugee Day, young Syrian refugee artists in Egypt were given the chance to showcase their artwork at an exhibit at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Alexandria. Egypt
Why Jordan’s plan to integrate Syrian refugees into workforce has faltered The Jordanian government’s plan to issue free work permits to Syrian refugees has not produced the desired results. Jordan
Erdogan’s latest wake-up call on Islamic State The Obama administration weighs deeper coordination with Moscow against Jabhat al-Nusra; Erdogan’s slow turnaround on Syria policy; Hamas seeks to resume ties with Iran. Palestine
