National View: David Ignatius – On Syria, the U.S. and Turkey need each other

Here's a positive move by Turkey, a country that often seems to be heading in the wrong direction: Despite Ankara's severe misgivings, it is allowing the U.S. military to fly daily bombing missions from here against the Islamic State - in support of a Syrian Kurdish militia called the YPG that Turkey regards as a terrorist threat. Turkey offered the Incirlik base last year after a dozen years of tepid military relations with the United States, its superpower ally.

10 Things to Know for Today

In this file photo taken Nov. 11, 2015, Jack Ma, executive chairman of the Alibaba Group, speaks in front of a giant screen showing real-time sales figures of e-commerce giant Alibaba, during a press conference for the "Singles' Day" online shopping festival held at National Aquatic Center, also known as the "Water Cube" in Beijing, China. Alibaba's relationship with an anti-counterfeiting lobby coalition known as the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition is a tale of how one of China's corporate giants won _ and ultimately lost_ a friend in Washington, using legal methods long deployed by corporate America: money and friendship.

British academic rejects Israeli prize in “political choice”

A prominent British academic said Thursday she had turned down a prestigious Israeli award for political reasons, in what looked to be the latest attempt by Western activists to boycott the Jewish state. Catherine Hall, a history professor at University College London, said her rejection of $300,000 in prize money from The Dan David Foundation was "an independent political choice."

Time to end the ‘hasbara’: Palestinian media and the search for a common story

Merely being in the company of hundreds of Palestinian journalists and other media professionals from all over the world has been an uplifting experience. For many years, Palestinian media has been on the defensive, unable to articulate a coherent message, torn between factions and desperately trying to fend off the Israeli media campaign, along with its falsifications and unending propaganda or 'hasbara'.

Wild US election fascinates, worries Iran after nuclear deal

In this picture taken on Tuesday, May 10, 2016, a book seller arranges US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's book "Hard Choices" translated to Persian during Tehran's International Book Fair in Iran. After decades of officially-imposed detachment from the "Great Satan," Iranians are this time transfixed by the wild U.S. presidential campaign, mindful that the next White House occupant could have direct impact on their lives.

U.S. commander: Iraq on roll, mustn’t slow

The top U.S. general for the Middle East said Friday that he is confident that Iraq is on course to defeating the Islamic State extremist group. Gen. Joseph Votel, the new head of U.S. Central Command, spent the day consulting with U.S. and Iraqi military officials and visiting a base north of Baghdad that is training Iraqi army combat units.

US says Iraqi forces have retaken western town of Rutba

The top American general for the Middle East said Friday he is confident that Iraq is on course to defeating the Islamic State, but his words were spare and cautious, his tone notably muted. Gen. Joseph Votel, the new head of U.S. Central Command, spent the day consulting with U.S. and Iraqi military officials and visiting a base north of Baghdad that is training Iraqi army combat units.

United Methodist Church rejects 4 divestment resolutions

The United Methodist Church rejected four resolutions calling for the church to divest from companies that profit from Israel's control of the West Bank. The votes took place over the weekend at the quadrennial United Methodist Church General Conference that began May 10 in Portland, Oregon.

US establishes first permanent military base in Israel

For the first time in history, the United States on Monday established an official, permanent military base in Israel: an air defense base in the heart of the Negev desert. Dozens of US Air Force soldiers will call home the new base, located inside the Israeli Air Force's Mashabim Air Base, west of the towns of Dimona and Yerucham.

Liberal Jewish groups slam Bolton for ‘bellicose ideology, anti-Muslim bigotry’

Liberal Jewish groups condemned the appointment of US President Donald Trump's incoming national security adviser on Wednesday, casting him as an Islamophobic warmonger who would pose a danger to the security of the United States and Israel. The six organizations charged that former US Ambassador to the United Nations John Boltin is "an unrepentant defender of the Iraq war and his bellicose ideology could very well start us down the path to another unnecessary war of choice."

Erdogan to brief G-20 leaders on coup attempt, Gulenists fight

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will use the upcoming G-20 Summit in China as an opportunity to brief the world's most powerful leaders on the failed coup attempt on July 15 and the country's ongoing fight against the Fethullahist Terror Organization , his spokesman has said. "Our president will find the opportunity to inform his counterparts on the coup attempt and fight against FETO during the G-20 Summit and his bilateral talks," Presidential Spokesman Ibrahim Kal n told reporters at a press conference on Aug. 31. The G-20 Summit will be held in Guangzhou, China on Sept.