MUST-READS

• Clashes in Syria’s coastal region between government forces and Assad loyalists kill more than 70

  Clashes between Syrian security forces under the country’s new, Islamist authorities and gunmen loyal to ousted President Bashar Assad in Syria’s western coastal region have killed more than 70 people and left an area outside government control, a war monitor said Friday. The clashes, which erupted on Thursday and appear coordinated across the coastal region, were a major escalation and a challenge to the new government in Damascus, where the former insurgents now in power have pledged to unite Syria after 14 years of brutal civil war.

• Russian offer to mediate talks with Trump spurs expressions of mistrust in Iran

  In Iran, sentiments in the press and social media towards potential Russian mediation of talks with the US reflect deep mistrust of both Moscow and Washington. The skepticism is apparent across the political spectrum, with the general consensus being that Iran must be careful not to become a bargaining chip in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s dealings with his US counterpart Donald Trump.

• US officials planning to meet with Ukrainian counterparts in Saudi Arabia

  Senior Trump administration officials are planning a meeting with their Ukrainian counterparts in Saudi Arabia next week, to begin discussions about a cease-fire to end the country’s war with Russia. Special envoy Steve Witkoff, who confirmed Thursday that planning was underway, will be part of the U.S. delegation alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio and national security adviser Mike Waltz.  “The idea is to get down a framework for a peace agreement and initial cease-fire,” Witkoff told reporters outside the White House.  Another administration official, granted anonymity to discuss plans that are not yet public, confirmed that the meeting has been under discussion and is “possible.” One aspect of the meeting that remains unsettled, Witkoff said, was the city in Saudi Arabia where the meeting could take place.

• Women’s pro tennis introduces paid maternity leave funded by Saudi sovereign wealth fund

  The Women’s Tennis Association and Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund have launched a new program to provide players with maternity and child family planning benefits, the organizations said Thursday. Women’s tennis is one of the last professional sports to provide these benefits, and players have been asking. As part of the program, eligible players will receive up to 12 months of paid maternity leave. Players will also have access to grants to cover fertility conception and egg freezing treatments. The WTA said the new policy will benefit 320 eligible players. The PIF WTA maternity fund program is the first and only maternity program in women’s sports to be fully funded and supported by an external partner, the WTA said. PIF declined to comment on how much it is contributing to this program, but the organizations said players will be compensated equally.

• ‘A stupid game of chicken’: Inside the PGA Tour/Saudi PIF negotiation breakdown and the state of a potential deal
  For a time just last month, professional golf seemed to be on the brink of a historic reconciliation. PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and Tiger Woods conveyed unmistakable optimism at Torrey Pines in mid-February, generating conviction throughout the golf world that an upcoming White House summit—bringing together Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and President Donald Trump—would deliver the long-awaited formal announcement. Yet two weeks after that high-stakes meeting, with the sport poised to converge on PGA Tour headquarters for the tour’s flagship event, any semblance of an agreement appears to have evaporated.

• Less Than Half in U.S. Now Sympathetic Toward Israelis

  Although Americans remain more likely to say their sympathies in the Middle East situation are with the Israelis rather than the Palestinians, the 46% expressing support for Israel is the lowest in 25 years of Gallup’s annual tracking of this measure on its World Affairs survey. The previous 51% low point in this trend of Americans’ sympathy for Israelis was recorded both last year and in 2001. At the same time, the 33% of U.S. adults who now say they sympathize with the Palestinians is up six percentage points from last year and the highest reading by two points.

• Zelensky hopes US-Ukraine talks next week will be ‘meaningful’

  Zelensky announced the US-Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia in a series of posts on social media, after attending Thursday's crisis summit in Brussels where European Union leaders endorsed plans for a boost in defence spending. "Ukrainian and American teams have resumed work, and we hope that next week we will have a meaningful meeting," he wrote on X. "Ukraine has been seeking peace since the very first moment of the war, and we have always stated that the war continues solely because of Russia." Zelensky urged the global community to put more pressure on Moscow so it "accepts the need to end" the war. He also made an apparent reference to a truce plan outlined earlier this week by French President Emmanuel Macron, which proposed a ceasefire in the air and at sea, and an end to attacks on energy and other civilian infrastructure.

• Zelensky says US and Ukraine will hold talks next week in Saudi Arabia on ending the war

  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says talks between Ukraine and the US on ending the war will take place in Saudi Arabia next week. In his nightly address on Thursday, March 6, Zelensky said he would travel to Saudi Arabia on Monday and his team would stay on to hold talks with US officials. "I am scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia to meet with the Crown Prince. After that, my team will stay in Saudi Arabia to work with American partners. Ukraine is most interested in peace," Zelensky said. The EU's 27 leaders on Thursday greenlit a plan drawn up by the European Commission that aims to mobilize €800 billion to "rearm Europe" against the perceived threat from Russia. At the summit, Zelensky told EU leaders that Ukrainian and American negotiators had "resumed work," and that "we hope that next week we will have a meaningful meeting." He thanked EU leaders for standing by Kyiv, with America's outreach to Russia raising fears Ukraine could be forced into an unfavorable deal. "We are very thankful that we are not alone," said the Ukrainian leader.

• Analysis: PwC’s Saudi ban is a warning sign

  The Gulf is one of the few remaining growth markets for global consultancy firms, and Saudi Arabia has been a particularly lucrative destination. The kingdom’s Vision 2030 transformation has relied heavily on firms like McKinsey & Co., Boston Consulting Group, PwC, and others to design and execute economic and regulatory overhauls. Entry-level compensation is higher than London “even without adjusting for taxes,” according to The Financial Times, and the region has become a bright spot in a declining industry. PwC’s temporary ban — reportedly affecting its advisory business but without clarification on the specific type of work impacted — has not been confirmed or explained by either the firm or the sovereign wealth fund. The lack of transparency has added to the mystery surrounding the situation. The suspension has reignited debates about the dominance of foreign consultancies, with many Saudis expressing frustration over what they see as a monopoly by these firms, arguing that such dominance stifles the development of local expertise and opportunities. This sentiment underscores a broader call for economic sovereignty and the cultivation of homegrown talent.

• Trump warns Hamas as US holds unprecedented talks for Gaza hostages
  The United States broke a longstanding diplomatic taboo by holding secret talks with Hamas on securing the release of U.S. hostages held in Gaza, sources told Reuters on Wednesday, while President Donald Trump warned of "hell to pay" should the Palestinian militant group not comply. U.S. hostage affairs envoy Adam Boehler has the authority to talk directly with Hamas, the White House said when asked about the discussions, which broke with a decades-old policy against negotiating with groups that the U.S. brands as terrorist organizations. Boehler and Hamas officials met in Doha in recent weeks, two sources briefed on the negotiations said. It was not clear who represented Hamas.

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