Newsletter: FutureVerse LEAP’s comeback The fifth edition of the gathering offers a temperature check for the Gulf’s AI ambitions amid fallout from the US-Israel-Iran war. By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Fresh fighting in Syria's Suwayda leaves one dead: What to know Renewed clashes in Suwayda highlight the fragile security situation in the Druze-majority province. Syria
UAE investment fuels Syria's postwar economic recovery with $7B property deal The deal would see UAE-based Arada develop a major real estate project in Damascus. Syria
Analysis UAE gauges new Lebanon deals amid Levant economic stabilization push Beirut welcomed a high-level business delegation from the UAE in late August as Abu Dhabi pursues new regional economic engagement amid Iran's waning influence. By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Analysis Why Turkey welcomes Israel-Syria talks despite mounting red lines By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran sets conditions for reopening Strait of Hormuz By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Qatari PM heads for Tehran amid flurry of regional diplomacy By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Turkish-backed opposition seeks unified security forces in north Syria The Turkish-backed opposition is trying to benefit from the experience of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in establishing a new security apparatus to pursue terrorist cells in the areas under its control in north Syria. Syria
Russia presses soft power in Syria by restoring Palmyra, Apamea Russia is promoting its archaeological and historical restoration projects in Syria, as it tries to expand its influence in Syria by dominating the Syrian antiquities sector. Syria
NGOs make case for keeping UN border crossing into Syria open The situation in northwest Syria is so nightmarish that some families are abandoning newborns in the streets, according to a humanitarian organization working there. Syria
Turkey promotes tribal role in Syrian opposition institutions The Syrian opposition is divided over activating the role of tribes in the coalition, as some believe this would be in favor of figures close to Turkey and would help it dominate the opposition institutions. Syria
Syria's Idlib University bans mixed-gender online groups Idlib University, managed by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s government in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib, issued a decision banning mixed-gender groups on social media, causing uproar and division among students. Syria
Russia gains foothold in Syria’s Palmyra through archaeological restoration Russia has begun a project to rehabilitate Syria’s ancient city of Palmyra in its latest efforts to gain a foothold in the country’s vital sectors. Syria
Biden administration not trading Syrian oil for aid corridors with Moscow The Biden administration said Syrian oil is for the people of Syria, not for the United States. Syria
Islamic State revives religious police in northeast Syria The Islamic State's religious police are back at work in the areas under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces in northeast Syria. Syria
Uzbek jihadis destroy antiquities in Idlib Museum Hayat Tahrir al-Sham tries to manage the even more radical groups under its rule. Syria
Archive Upfront from Jun 21, 2021 Does Kurdish jihadist group threaten Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in north Syria? Ansar al-Islam is a Kurdish Salafist and jihadist group operating in the Kurdistan mountains in northern Iraq all the way to Latakia in Syria, fighting against the Syrian government. Syria
Turkey wild card in US-Russia conflict over Syria aid The US administration might be open to a position shift on the Syrian file to secure the flow of cross-border international aid to Syria, a prospect that may spoil Turkey's calculations in Syria and particularly in Idlib. Turkey
Is Islamic State rebuilding in Syrian desert? Hardly a day passes without the Islamic State carrying out an attack against government forces and their allied militias in the Syrian desert. Syria