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Turkey and Israel Vie for Middle East Influence as Tensions Spike

29 August 2026 at 12:03
Israel’s strike on a Syrian base to pre-empt the feared deployment of Turkish forces was part of a growing competition in the Middle East and beyond.

© Ugur Yildirim/Dia Photo, via Associated Press

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, Turkey, this year. Analysts and officials fear the growing rivalry between Turkey and Israel could exacerbate volatility in the Middle East.

How Key Oil Stockpiles Dwindled During the War in Iran

Our energy reporter Rebecca F. Elliott explains how oil reserves helped prevent an oil shock caused by the war in Iran from getting even worse — and how low those reserves are now.

Lake Ontario Didn’t Ask for Trump to Rename It

28 August 2026 at 03:06
There is a U.S.-led war in the Middle East and the midterm elections on the horizon, but President Trump’s latest priority seems to be “Making The Great Lakes Even Greater.”

© Cole Burston/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Boats were anchored along the waterfront of Lake Ontario in Toronto on Thursday.

Qatari Prime Minister Travels to Tehran as Iran War Nears Six-Month Mark

27 August 2026 at 17:25
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has been a key mediator in the conflict, even as his country has blamed Tehran for hundreds of missile and drone attacks.

© Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters

Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, at a news conference in Egypt in August. His trip to Tehran comes at a moment of heightened tension between Iran and Qatar.
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