The Media Line

Microsoft Store returns to Syria as US restrictions on country ease

Syrians report renewed access to the Microsoft Store without a VPN, though availability remains inconsistent, and Microsoft has not commented on the change.

A view shows the Microsoft logo on the day of the Hannover Messe, one of the world's largest industrial trade fairs with this year's partner country being Canada, as both Canada and the European Union face new US tariffs, in Hanover, Germany, March 31, 2025.
Israeli Tech

From Weizmann computers to start-up nation: How Israel grew to become a high-tech powerhouse

3D-printed oil pump jacks and a Saudi Arabian flag appear in this illustration taken March 2, 2026.

Saudi energy group signs landmark oil, gas agreements with Afghanistan

TURKISH PRESIDENT Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, pose after signing a joint defense agreement in Mecca last Friday.

India confronts a new regional security equation as Mecca pact takes shape - analysis


Saudi Arabia prepares military operations as Houthis resume strikes on territory, shipping

The speculation follows the collapse of the relative calm that had prevailed along the Saudi-Yemeni border.

A Yemeni protester carries a mock missile during a protest staged against the continued Saudi-led blockade on Yemen on July 31, 2026 in Sana'a, Yemen.

Texas climber among four dead after Broad Peak avalanche in Pakistan, more people still missing

US climber Sarah Mallory Geis was among four people found dead as rescuers searched Broad Peak for missing members of an international expedition.

This picture taken on July 14, 2023, shows a view of Broad Peak, world's twelfth tallest mountain in the Karakoram range of GilgitBaltistan, Pakistan.

Voices from the Arab press: The Red Sea, redrawing the war map

A weekly selection of opinions and analyses from the Arab media around the world.

SATELLITE VIEW shows vehicles at an entrance to Pickaxe Mountain tunnels, near Natanz nuclear facility, in Iran, June 21.

Deadly Tell clash between settlers, Palestinians may mark West Bank turning point - analysis

Competing accounts of the deadly Tell confrontation highlight growing tensions over settler violence, Palestinian attacks, and the risk of a wider uprising.

Israeli soldiers operate in the village of Tell, near the West Bank city of Nablus, July 25, 2026.

Israeli technology could halt Colombia's drug traffickers as relations improve between the nations

Abelardo de la Espriella aims to restore diplomatic ties, pursue an embassy in Jerusalem, and reverse Colombia’s position at the International Court of Justice.

Abelardo de la Espriella in Bogotá, on June 25, 2026.

How war with Iran brought Israel closer to its Middle East neighbors - analysis

Israel-Lebanon negotiations, a possible Syrian security arrangement, and renewed Bahrain-Israel engagement point to diplomatic movement - but analysts disagree over the durability of potential deals.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets US President Donald Trump in the White House, July 28, 2026.

At least 34 miners killed in methane explosion at coal mine near Quetta, Pakistan

Officials said methane gas triggered the Balochistan mine blast, damaging a ventilation passage and complicating efforts to reach trapped miners.

Coal miners and relatives carry the body of a miner after a coal mine collapsed in the Surange area, about 50 kilometres east of Quetta, on July 30, 2026.

Pakistan aims to double US trade to $20 billion in five years

Islamabad is seeking to shift its traditional relationship with Washington from a primarily security-focused one to a durable, trade-driven partnership.  

Detail view of US Vice President JD Vance motorcade is seen at the Serena Hotel shortly after his arrival on April 11, 2026 at Islamabad, Pakistan; Illustrative.

Damietta port drone strike proves Egypt can't hide from regional war - analysis

The attack on two gas vessels at the Mediterranean port highlights Egypt’s growing exposure to a conflict it has largely sought to avoid

Smoke rises from a gas tanker after a drone strike, maritime security firm Ambrey said, at Damietta port, Egypt, July 29, 2026, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video.

Pickaxe Mountain exposes Trump-Netanyahu divide on Iran, experts say

Netanyahu brought new intelligence on activity at Iran’s fortified underground site to Washington, but the White House offered no public commitment on how it would respond.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets US President Donald Trump in the White House, July 28, 2026.