Iran to Bankroll Pro-Government Militia Fighters in Syria - Mehdi Jedinia and Ahed Al Hendi  (VOA News)

Iran's Growing Casualty Count in Yemen - Joshua Koontz (War on the Rocks)

Oren: Netanyahu Is Very Serious about a Peace Deal with the Palestinians - Raoul Wootliff (Times of Israel)
Israel's Finance Minister Briefs PA Prime Minister on Steps to Improve PA Economy - Herb Keinon  (Jerusalem Post) Israeli Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon met Wednesday in Ramallah with PA Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah to brief him on the steps Israel is taking to improve the economic situation in the PA. The meeting comes amid efforts by the U.S. to jump-start the diplomatic process. The steps include opening the Allenby Bridge crossing to Jordan 24-hours-a-day for the next two months, upgrading crossing points in the West Bank, establishing an industrial zone near Tarqumiya, and easing restrictions on Palestinian building in specific parts of Area C in the West Bank that adjoin Areas A or B.

A video by the Kuwaiti telecommunications giant Zain that depicts a would-be suicide bomber confronted by the Muslim faithful has gone viral at the start of Ramadan. It had over 2 million views when I saw it; in case you missed it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U49nOBFv508 As per BBC on Wed. morning, this video has generated some controversy because iconic image of boy injured by Syrian govt. airstrikes and not by terrorism is shown. There doesn't seem to be anything controversial about the video being an advert!

Lebanon Bans Wonder Woman (Ynet News)The ban is in accordance with a decades-old law that boycotts Israeli products and bars Lebanese citizens from traveling to Israel or having contacts with Israelis.  Some in Lebanon criticized the call for the ban, but their voices were faint compared to the boycott campaign that featured in primetime television in Lebanon.

Unacceptable Glorification of Terrorist Attacks (Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs) Norway Demands PA Return Funds for Women's Center Named after Terrorist

Palestinians Paid Terrorists $1 Billion in Past 4 Years  (Times of Israel)

Russia Arrests Four ISIS Terrorists Preparing Attack in Moscow  (RT-Russia) Four members of an ISIS terrorist network managed from Syria, who were preparing attacks on the Moscow public transport system, were detained on (last) Thursday, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) reported. "An explosives production laboratory, a ready-to-use improvised explosive device with shrapnel and components for its production have been found during searches," the FSB said, adding that they also found "automatic firearms, ammunition, grenades, as well as literature and videos of extremist and terrorist orientation." 

Turkey Builds a Military-Industrial Complex to Match Its Ambitions (Stratfor) The rise of Ankara's homegrown defense industry is impressive, but its reliance on critical foreign components means that true autonomy remains a pipe dream for now

Oil Tanker Targeted with RPGs near Yemen (Asharq Al-Awsat-UK)

John Brennan, Former CIA Director -Typically people who go along a treasonous path do not even realize they're along that path until it gets a bit too late -