Al-Qaeda benefits from unsettled Yemen politics Yemen’s Gulf Initiative, which gave President Ali Abdullah Saleh and many of his officers immunity in exchange for stepping down, has been followed by a rise in extremism. Yemen
Erdogan accuses TUSIAD chairman of treason Muharrem Yilmaz, chairman of the Turkish Industry and Business Association, had accused the prime minster of imposing tax penalties against political opponents. Turkey
Brahimi saves his energy for Geneva III The Geneva II conference may not achieve even minor agreements, much less peace. Syria
Anniversary of Egypt's revolution: Celebrate or be killed Protesters and journalists are attacked and killed on third anniversary of Egypt's January 25 Revolution. Egypt
Turkey loses cachet as emerging market Top US economic expert says, "Turkey is not an emerging market." Turkey
Iranian TV breaks taboo on music performance Although musicians on a TV show on Jan. 19 were only shown for a few seconds, it has created a stir and rekindled debates about Islam and music. Turkey
Iraq’s imagined conflicts Although Iraqi political forces disagree about many common issues, there are also ideological divides based on exaggerated religious disputes. Iraq
Syrian Kurds not united behind opposition delegation to Geneva talks Abdulhamid Darwish, veteran Kurdish leader of the Kurdish Democratic Progressive Party, is representing the Kurdish National Council in Geneva. Iraq
Russia's Kurdish dilemma Russia seeks to place its Kurdish policies in the broader context of a changing Middle East. Iraq
Turkey deals with terrorist blowback on Syria Turkey may be resetting its regional policies in response to popular discontent and the threat from terrorist groups operating in Syria. Syria
Regional strife destroying historical Arab treasures Constant wars and instability are wreaking havoc on ancient relics across the Arab world, from Syria and Iraq to Egypt and North Africa. Egypt
Anniversary of Egypt's uprising is a chance for renewal The third anniversary of the Egyptian uprising is an opportunity for liberal, democratic and socialist forces to unite in a common cause. Egypt
Oscar-nominated 'The Square' not yet available in Egypt With the recent violence in Egypt, the first Egyptian film nominated for an Academy Award is more relevant than ever, but not yet available for general viewing. Egypt
AKP winning perception war Erdogan has been surprisingly successful in framing the graft probe in his favor, while purging the bureaucracy on an unprecedented scale. Turkey
Israelis debate classroom freedom of speech In the past week, the educational system, the Knesset and the Israeli government have all dealt with an incident in which a 12th-grade student caused a stir around a teacher who expressed left-wing views in the classroom. Israel
