BAB BERRED, Morocco (AP)—Mohamed Makhlouf began growing cannabis at 14, living for decades in fear of arrest or losing his crop. Now, as Morocco expands legal cultivation, veteran growers like him are stepping out of the shadows & into the formal economy. https://t.co/R5txWgJrKF

An @AFP must read for Saudi observers 👇 The kingdom is scaling back plans to build 81 luxury resorts on the Red Sea by 2030, the latest blow to ambitious diversification plans that relied, in part, on turning its coast into a luxury tourism destination. https://t.co/KuDUQgYJoY

Eating Kosher in the Heart of Syria: Lamb-Stuffed Zucchini but Hold the Yogurt In the post-Assad era, more Jews are visiting a country that some fled decades ago. One restaurant offers a corner where religious dietary requirements meld with local cuisine. https://t.co/Gz869ZPuHe

In a wasteland of ruined buildings and the rubble of Gaza City, soccer returns to the Gaza Strip, with the first organized tournament in more than two years https://t.co/4NDAfWr8SE

My short take on the Madrid talks on Western Sahara https://t.co/cWD8MexlN2

Palestinians in the West Bank are struggling after losing permits to work in Israel after Oct. 7. Many are sinking into debt, paying steep fees for black-market permits or trying to sneak into Israel, risking arrest or worse, @sammednick reports. https://t.co/pczdw6Cgke

New from me & @epells in Italy The early days of the Milan Cortina Games have been roiled by the tumultuous political debate in the U.S. When conflict meets competition: Trump's immigration agenda roils opening days of Winter Olympics

Moroccan media say Algeria may be open to their autonomy plan for Western Sahara, echoing the government’s push to frame the dispute as Morocco vs. Algeria with Polisario as a proxy. Meanwhile, Algerian media cite Polisario: only UN leads talks & self-determination is essential.

#Tunisia is not at the centre of the #Epstein_files. Yet scattered references to travel logistics, a 2009 modeling contest in Tunis, and correspondence with Daniel Amar Siad, later identified in court records as a recruiter for #Epstein reveal the opacity of his operational

Senior delegations from the United States and the United Nations facilitated discussions in Madrid, Spain with Morocco, Polisario Front, Algeria and Mauritania regarding the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2797 (2025) on Western Sahara.

📌 La tempête Harry a fait chavirer des centaines de vies en #Méditerranée centrale. Des associations avancent le chiffre d’environ 1 000 #migrants portés disparus. #Tunisie #droits #droitdelhomme https://t.co/n26fclbdxB

A reminder for anyone who was laid off from the Post this week: @newlinesmag is here, and hungry for great stories from the Middle East & beyond. I commission for work in North & West Africa, and share editing duties in Sudan/horn of Africa, but can relay pitches from anywhere.

When foreign bureaus close, it's not just the reporters and editors losing their jobs but also local staffs — researchers, translators, office managers, drivers and more — who are laid off and don't have the same union protections. If you can support them:

Firing has slowed but is far from stopped in Gaza, even as all sides cling to the word “ceasefire.” Palestinians on the ground say the term has lost any descriptive value as casualties mount. https://t.co/yIRES4D2GM

Saif al-Islam, from power’s pinnacle to Zintan’s mountains and the shadows of myth. Mada Masr profiles the life of the Qadhafi heir who was killed on Tuesday.

Son of late dictator Gadhafi is killed in Libya https://t.co/L3VqJhhfiG

For NPR, I reported on a local Islamic school that was thriving, and well-loved in the community... until it started looking to rezone a bigger space to accommodate its growing student body in a nearby suburb. You can listen to the piece here: https://t.co/IK2XsEnD9Q

Three women who re-entered #Gaza through #Rafah on Day 1 told @AP Israeli troops blindfolded & handcuffed them, then interrogated & threatened them, holding them for hours & inflicting what they said was humiliating treatment until they were released. https://t.co/XGby3t0lz0

Somaliland expects to reach a trade agreement soon with Israel, the first country to recognize its independence, and is willing to offer rights to valuable mineral deposits as part of a deal, President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi told Reuters https://t.co/4oxgSfjcPp

Saudi Arabia will invest in a new private Syrian airline as part of a multi-billion-dollar investment package expected to be announced on Saturday, the head of the Syrian Investment Authority said, reflecting Riyadh's deepening ties to Damascus.

🇵🇸 Swimming team in war-torn Gaza uses the sea as a pool Just metres from tents for displaced people, men of all ages take to the beach in Gaza City for swimming practice.