Jordan
Jordan's foreign minister visits Syria in first trip since war | Reuters
Jordan's foreign minister Ayman Safadi arrived in Damascus on Wednesday in the first such visit since the Syrian conflict between the two neighbours who have long been at odds over regional issues, officials said.
The Muslim World
Israeli FM promises cooperation with Ukraine against Iran | AP News
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Israel and Ukraine on Thursday agreed to step up cooperation in a shared struggle against Iran, Israel's foreign minister announced, as he wrapped up the first visit to Kyiv by a senior Israeli official since Russia's invasion last year.
Key developments in the aftermath of Turkey, Syria quakes | AP News
ANTAKYA, Turkey (AP) — The number of people killed in the Feb. 6 earthquakes that devastated parts of southern Turkey and northern Syria continues to rise. As chances of finding more survivors dwindled, some foreign search teams that rushed in to help have started leaving.
Iraq PM risks new crisis as tensions with Kurds resurface | Reuters
After more than a year of political deadlock, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani could face a debilitating new crisis with Kurdish leaders that risks undermining his efforts to set policy and compile a badly needed state budget.
China, Iran call for Iran sanctions to be lifted; Xi to visit | Reuters
China's President Xi Jinping and his Iranian counterpart, Ebrahim Raisi, called on Thursday for the lifting of sanctions on Iran as an integral part of a stalled international agreement on its nuclear programme.
Protesters in Beirut smash banks as Lebanese pound spirals | AP News
BEIRUT (AP) — Angry protesters in Lebanon Thursday smashed windows and set tires on fire outside two of the country's biggest banks in the capital city, as the value of the local currency hit a new low and poverty deepens.
Egypt Arrests Social-Media Influencers in Deepening Crackdown - WSJ
Egyptians who post viral content, even if it appears apolitical, are increasingly being charged with terrorism.
Ruling Taliban display rare division in public over bans | AP News
ISLAMABAD (AP) — A rare public show of division within the ranks of Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban emerged in recent days when Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, a powerful government figure, gave a speech seen as implicit criticism of the movement’s reclusive supreme leader.
U.S. concerned about debt Pakistan owes China, official says | Reuters
The United States is concerned about debt owed to China by Pakistan and other countries, U.S. State Department Counselor Derek Chollet said on Thursday during a visit to Islamabad as the country dealt with an economic crisis.
Finance and Economy
Inflation will be harder to bring down than markets think | The Economist
Investors are betting on good times. The likelier prospect is turbulence
Quds Matters
Israeli Cabinet ministers reject US criticism on settlements | AP News
JERUSALEM (AP) — Two ultranationalist Israeli Cabinet ministers on Tuesday defiantly dismissed a growing chorus of global condemnation of new Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank, instead promising to double down and legalize dozens of wildcat outposts in the occupied territory.
Tech Watch
AI-wielding tech firms are giving a new shape to modern warfare | The Economist
Ukraine is a testing ground for companies like Anduril and Palantir