Middle East
Jordan and Syria reopen main border crossing
The border crossing between Jordan and Syria officially reopened on Monday after being closed for three years, though it will not be open to normal traffic immediately.
Jihadists 'still in Syria's Idlib' as withdrawal deadline passes
A deadline passed Monday without jihadists leaving a planned buffer zone around Syria's last major rebel bastion of Idlib as set out under a Russian-Turkish deal.
S. Arabia vows retaliation against any Khashoggi sanctions
Saudi Arabia on Sunday warned against threats to punish it over last week's disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, as European and U.S. allies piled on pressure.
Syria passes strict laws governing religious affairs
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has signed into law a new bill expanding the powers of a government ministry overseeing religious affairs and limiting the term of the country’s…
Israel stops fuel deliveries to Gaza after deadly violence
Israel suspended fuel deliveries to Gaza on Friday in response to border violence which the Hamas-run health ministry said left seven Palestinians dead in the coastal enclave.
American student challenges Israeli entry ban in court
A US student banned from entering Israel for allegedly having supported a pro-Palestinian boycott of the country appeared in court on Thursday to challenge the decision.
Trump 'demanding' answers from Saudis about Khashoggi
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday demanded Saudi Arabia provide answers over the disappearance of journalist and US resident Jamal Khashoggi, whom Turkish officials suspect…
The Debate
Where is Jamal Khashoggi? Saudi Arabia denies abduction of missing journalist
Where is Jamal Khashoggi? Since exactly one week ago, his fiancée and friends have been rallying outside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul where the journalist and prominent critic…
Khashoggi disappearance sparks a Turkish-Saudi war of words, if not deeds
Turkey and Saudi Arabia have conflicting accounts of the disappearance last week of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi. But can Turkey take on the oil-rich Gulf kingdom…
Saudi Arabia allows Turkey to search consulate over missing journalist
Saudi Arabia agreed to let Turkish authorities search the kingdom's Istanbul consulate after prominent journalist Jamal Khashoggi went missing last week, the Turkish foreign…
Syrian rebels 'complete' Idlib heavy weapons pullout
Syrian rebels have completed the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the frontline of the last opposition-held province of Idlib, Turkish state media reported Monday.
Focus
Helping Iraq's Yazidi children overcome trauma of IS group rule
Hundreds of Iraqi children from the Yazidi ethnic minority were forcefully recruited or enslaved by the Islamic State group. One French NGO is now trying to help these children…
Turkey believes journalist 'killed at Saudi consulate', official says
Turkish police believe that prominent Saudi journalist and critic Jamal Khashoggi was murdered inside the Saudi mission in Istanbul after going missing Tuesday, according to an…
Revisited
Baghdad Revisited: The resilience of the Iraqi people
"The abode of peace and capital of Islam" – this is how 14th century explorer Ibn Battuta described Baghdad in his writings. The city’s recent history, however, has been anything…
