Egyptian activists on defense in divided Egypt A wave of support for the interim government and Defense Minister Field Marshal Abdel Fattah al-Sisi means that many detained activists, such as Alaa Abd El Fattah, often languish in prison. Egypt
Egypt caught between Russia, Saudi Arabia Egypt is struggling to find a way to leverage its ties with both Russia and Saudi Arabia to its own advantage. Saudi Arabia
Olmert's political comeback crumbles The grand political plans of former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert suffered a mortal blow with the testimony of his former confidante Shula Zaken, leaving the center-left without a leader for the next elections. Palestine
Still banned from Turkey For the second time since 2007, Turkey denied an Al-Monitor contributor entry because of his work as a journalist on Kurdish issues. Iraq
Ultra-Orthodox alliance put to test in municipal election New municipal elections in Beit Shemesh will test the power of a new alliance of ultra-Orthodox factions. Israel
Bitter Maliki-Nujaifi exchanges strain political system With Iraqi parliamentary elections set to take place in less than two months, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's relationships with both Council of Representatives Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi and Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani are going from bad to worse. Iraq
Hamas debates technocrat government in Gaza The loss of financial support from Iran has reportedly contributed to Gaza's current crisis, according to Hamas sources. Palestine
9/11 plotter released in Syria prisoner exchange Islamist rebel group Ahrar al-Sham has secured the release of 9/11 plotter and alleged al-Qaeda core member Mohammed Haydar Zammar, adding to concerns about the composition of the Islamic Front. Syria
Saudi action puts Muslim Brotherhood in Kuwait on spot Saudi Arabia’s designation of the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization has put pressure on Brotherhood organizations in the rest of the Gulf. Saudi Arabia
Iranian weapons shipment no 'tiebreaker' The rollout of Israel's seizure of a ship carrying Iranian arms may have disappointed Israeli leaders looking for a public relations windfall. Palestine
Yemen hit with plague of commissions Yemeni politicians are fond of forming commissions as a means to dealing with problems, but those commissions rarely produce any results. Yemen
Assad sends signals to Russia, US While Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has offered Russian President Vladimir Putin full support in the Ukrainian crisis, he's also signalling a willingness to defuse tensions on the border with Israel. Syria
Julian Pecquet to lead Al-Monitor’s Congress Pulse Al-Monitor has tapped The Hill's global affairs reporter Julian Pecquet to lead its new Congress Pulse. Regional
Israel irked by pro-Palestinian evangelical Christian conference Prominent evangelical Christian leaders are gathering in Bethlehem for the third Christ at the Checkpoint Conference, prompting Israeli concerns of a drop in support from a traditional ally. Palestine
Syrian refugees tell of barrel bombing horror Recent Syrian arrivals in Turkey speak of the horror and impact of barrel bombs on civilian neighborhoods. Syria
Erdogan expects 'new operation' from Gulen movement In an exclusive statement to Al-Monitor, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Gulenists are preparing for a "new operation" against him and his government using the pretext of mutah marriages. Turkey