MUST-READS

• Saudi-Iran
  Slow progress in Saudi-Iranian ties

  The Middle East is going through many developments, most notably the fluctuations of Saudi-Iranian ties, which affect the future of the countries in the region including that of Lebanon.

• MERS
  Saudi Arabia finds six new MERS cases as outbreak grows

  Saudi Arabia said late on Wednesday it had detected six new cases of the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in 24 hours, the biggest daily jump for months with officials blaming lax hospital procedures.

• U.S.-Israel Relations
  The Crisis in U.S.-Israel Relations Is Officially Here

  The relationship between these two administrations— dual guarantors of the putatively “unbreakable” bond between the U.S. and Israel—is now the worst it's ever been, and it stands to get significantly worse after the November midterm elections. By next year, the Obama administration may actually withdraw diplomatic cover for Israel at the United Nations, but even before that, both sides are expecting a showdown over Iran, should an agreement be reached about the future of its nuclear program.

• Terrorism Warning
  US warns of terrorist attacks on American schools across Middle East

  The US issued a security warning against terrorist attacks on western schools in the Middle East, including one in Cairo's south district of Maadi. The warning from the US State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security cited an "anonymous" post on a jihadist website, which it said "encouraged attacks against American and other international schools in the Middle East, including western teachers employed at these schools."

  • McClatchy - Obama administration ramps up security amid threats
• Saudi Statistics
  Shoura slams Statistics Agency

  The Shoura members said that the Statistics Agency was not providing accurate figures on the number of unemployed women, creating confusion in chalking out a plan to increase their numbers in the work force.

• U.S.-Afghanistan
  Why the end of Camp Leatherneck in Afghanistan matters

  On Sunday, the United States and Britain turned over control of Leatherneck and Bastion to the Afghan military they have been training for years. A few other major coalition installations in the country will remain, but the transition is one of the most dramatic milestones to date in the winding down of the Afghanistan War.

  • AP - As Marines depart Afghanistan, legacy lingers
• Egypt
  Sisi gives Egypt military new powers after Sinai attack

  A spokesman said the new law gives the army the right to secure sites like power plants, main roads and bridges. But critics say it allows the army to return to the streets and bring back military trials for civilians. President Sisi declared a three-month state of emergency after the bomb attack in Sinai on Friday. The new decree allows state infrastructure to be defined as "military facilities" for two years, permitting the army to work with police to secure such sites.

• Press Freedom
  Government will regulate video-sharing sites

  The Ministry of Culture and Information will soon regulate all video and image-sharing websites on the Internet to ensure they comply with the country's laws, an expert said here Sunday. Hamza Al-Ghubaishi, organizer of the Digital Visual Forum that concluded in Riyadh on Sunday, said the ministry's General Authority for Audio and Visual Media has been entrusted with this task.

• Tunisian Elections
  Tunisia holds first election under new constitution

  Tunisia has voted in elections to its first parliament under a new constitution, part of political changes under way since the "Arab Spring". There are no opinion polls, but the moderate Islamist Ennahda party is predicted to do well. Turnout reached 65% an hour before the close of voting, state TV reported. A series of democratic changes have taken place since the authoritarian leader Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali was ousted in 2011.

• Saudi Economy
  Saudi Economy: Quarterly GDP Update 2014Q2 – Jadwa

  At annual growth rate of 4.7 percent, the non-oil private sector remained the main contributor to overall economic growth. The growth rate was marginally higher than the 4.6 percent recorded in Q1 2014, but lower than the 6.1 percent recorded in the same period last year. We calculate that the sector contributed to 73 percent of overall growth in the second quarter of this year. We expect the private sector to maintain a robust level of growth supported by strong domestic demand, rising bank lending and public sector investment.

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