Closures become norm for Rafah crossing The closing of the Rafah crossing by Egypt following the terrorist attack in Sinai will worsen the humanitarian situation of Gaza residents, for whom the crossing is a lifeline to the outside world. Palestine
Lebanon's Druze fear IS, Hezbollah The Druze in Lebanon are preparing to defend themselves against a possible attack by the Islamic State, in light of their shaky trust in Hezbollah. Lebanon
Some Iran officials point to conspiracy behind acid attacks While Iranian authorities have condemned the acid attacks, some believe that there is a larger conspiracy to connect the acid attacks to parliament's proposed law offering protection to "vice" groups. Iran
Turkish pianist controversy has many facets While world-renowned pianist Fazil Say faces challenges performing in Turkey, there are growing questions about whether he handled this controversy wisely. Turkey
Palestinian widows lose rights Widows in the Gaza Strip, whose numbers keep rising due to the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, are losing their rights because of their husbands’ families and their own lack of legal knowledge. Palestine
Palestinians will wait until January to seek UN recognition Despite reports to the contrary, the Palestinian leadership will most likely wait until January before asking the UN Security Council to vote on Palestinian state recognition. Palestine
Egyptian Health Ministry accused of using unapproved drugs Egyptian pharmacists have accused the ministry of distributing an unapproved drug to hepatitis C patients and violating drug importation, registration and trade regulations. Egypt
Is Syrian army heading for victory in Aleppo? Following battles between Jabhat al-Nusra and the Syrian regime forces, the latter took control of Murak, which might open the road to Aleppo. Syria
The Israeli-Saudi date war Saudi merchants claim that Israel is selling Saudi dates in Europe under an Israeli label, but Israeli growers dismiss the accusations, saying that the products could never be confused. Saudi Arabia
Europeans raise concerns with Hezbollah sanctions bill European officials are worried about crippling Lebanon's economy even as Beirut's bankers say they're OK with the House-passed Hezbollah sanctions bill Lebanon
IRGC construction projects continue while private sector lags Despite hopes that the private sector would prosper under a new administration, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' construction firm Khatam al-Anbia has continued to receive large government projects. Iran
Arab Knesset member threatens to leave parliament In an interview, Arab Knesset member Basel Ghattas warns of a growing trend where Israeli politics is no longer a fair game, which might lead to his faction leaving parliament. Palestine
Islamic banking gains ground in Turkey In a first for Turkey, a state-run bank is poised to enter the Islamic banking sector, and other major state lenders are expected to follow. Turkey
Sinai attack threatens Egypt-Hamas ties Egypt has accused Hamas of being behind the latest attack in Sinai, but Hamas vehemently denied this, saying the security of Egypt is closely related to Gaza’s security. Palestine
Iraq's Christian paramilitaries split in IS fight The small area of Iraq’s Ninevah Plains not occupied by the Islamic State is home to two separate Assyrian Christian paramilitary forces. Iraq
Iraqi battle seen as key victory in Iran The battle in Jurf al-Sakhar was portrayed by a number of conservative Iranian media outlets as key to forcing the Islamic State into retreat and eventually taking back Anbar province. Iraq
