The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told Reuters on Tuesday that it possessed what it believed was “confirmed information” that Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi, leader of the Islamic State (IS) terror militia, is dead. The news was the latest dramatic development in the fight against IS, which has seen the group lose the last areas under its control in the Iraqi city of Mosul and pressed on all sides in and around Raqqa, the Syrian city it claims as its “capital” and the center of its nascent caliphate.

In an unusual development, US President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he was asking Ambassador David Friedman to join the Administration’s effort at working out a comprehensive Middle East peace process, an area the US Ambassador to Israel is traditionally given some distance from. The move will likely face stiff resistance from the Palestinian Authority, which declared on Monday that Friedman is not welcome in Ramallah.

The UK-based budget airline easyJet announced on Tuesday that it will soon initiate two new routes linking Israel and the Italian cities of Venice and Naples. The routes will fly between Venice and Israel three times a week while the Naples route will run twice a week, starting on 31 October and 4 November respectively.

Israelis were enjoying the 20th Maccabiah Games this week, with Jewish athletes from Israel and around the world competing at various venues. Monday evening saw thousands of ordinary citizens participating in a marathon-style “night run” in Jerusalem while the more specialized sporting events have drawn large crowds of appreciative spectators.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday where he signed an agreement with Qatari officials aimed at combating the financial and material support for terrorism which private citizens and even the government of the tiny Emirate are suspected of being heavily involved in. The agreement was part of intensive efforts Tillerson has been engaged in this week as Washington seeks to calm the tensions between its regional allies.

With Washington’s blessing, Russia has turned into a kingmaker in Syria. The Russians need Iranian forces in Syria to ensure Assad’s continued rule. As a result, it is difficult to imagine how anyone could attempt to keep the Iranians out of Syria.