Following the appointment of a new president, Lebanon has struggled to come to terms with the deep-rooted challenges of its financial collapse

The two countries at last have a maritime border, letting energy firms search for new gas fields in the Eastern Mediterranean, but the agreement has geopolitical repercussions too.

A $35bn gas supply deal between these two neighbours is being held up by political disagreements, some of which relate to their 1979 peace treaty. What next for the Israel-Egypt relationship?

An Islamic State operative infiltrated Syria's security set-up and waited until he was with American soldiers. The assault requires an urgent reassessment of personnel and recruitment in Damascus.

Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will go off what his opposite number in Damascus does, not what he says. In the meantime, Israeli actions make a genuine peace more difficult.

To the surprise of many, Syria's interim president has neither removed Assad-era staff nor sought revenge on his key lieutenants. It has helped stop Syria from fragmenting.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeks presidential clemency in the face of incarceration and political oblivion

Sudan's army needs a Russian lifeline to avoid collapse in the ongoing civil war. The price is a naval facility in Port Sudan, giving Moscow access to the Red Sea.

Vast and reliable datasets held by the state are increasingly being made publicly available around the region. Those using this data to design new products and services are driving growth.