Gaza Olive Harvest Resumes Despite Israeli Border Threats Palestinian volunteers have resumed the olive harvest on Gaza's border with Israel, despite the continued threat from Israeli border forces. Palestine
Syrian Kurds Win Support In Battle With Al-Qaeda Forces Syrian Kurdish forces are winning local support in Ras al-Ain by beating back jihadist groups. Syria
Jordan Tightens Grip On Opposition Activism Jordan has moved to stifle free speech, targeting Islamist and secular activists alike and reneging on promises of reform. Jordan
Lebanon Gains From Hostage Deal, Regional Trends Qatar and the Palestinian Authority, which are at odds with Hezbollah, seem to have played key roles in releasing Lebanese hostages close to Hezbollah. Lebanon
Chinese Clothing Imports on the Rise In Iraq As with other local markets around the world, availability of cheap Chinese-made clothing in Iraq has largely run the country’s secondhand-clothing merchants out of business. Iraq
Turkish Politics Is Lost At Meeting People's Needs The regularly scheduled speeches by party leaders on Tuesdays are turning people off of politics. Turkey
Sudan’s Lost Generation The story of a young Sudanese student’s journey through despair, fanaticism and transformation. Sudan
Why Palestinians Should Not Recognize Israel as Jewish State A former Palestinian negotiator argues that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's insistence that Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state is an attempt to discourage agreement. Palestine
Turkey’s Kurdish Peace Effort At Crossroads The likelihood of a resumption of violence with the Kurds in Turkey is not a distant possibility. Turkey
Egypt-Qatar Relations Sour Over World Cup Broadcast Rights Qatar’s ties with Egypt have been further strained by a dispute over broadcast rights for soccer matches. Qatar
Mustafa Barghouti Garners Support Among West Bank Youth Palestinian politician Mustafa Barghouti offers an alternative to the veteran Fatah and Hamas movements, preaching against corruption and for democracy and transparency. Palestine
Israel Debates Holocaust Education For First Graders The proposal by Israel's education minister to introduce the Holocaust into the first-grade curriculum has sparked an ethical debate about the role these studies play in shaping Israeli society. Israel
Hasankeyf: Civilization Condemned to Death The countdown has started for unique, 12,000-year-old historical monuments in the Tigris Valley to be submerged by the waters of a dam promising an annual revenue of 300 million Turkish lira. Turkey
In Yemen, Facebook, Qat, and Veil Increasing use of the Internet in Yemen today has managed both to increase people-to-people connections and reinforce some traditional customs. Yemen
Will US, Iran Back Maliki In Iraqi Elections? While the US and Iran both support Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, sectarian violence is nonetheless on the rise. Iraq
Palestinians Again BoycottEast Jerusalem Elections Voter turnout among Palestinians varied drastically among regions for municipal elections in Israel on Oct. 22, amid a near-comprehensive boycott in east Jerusalem. Palestine
