Turkish home sales to foreigners on the rise Foreigners bought 1,774 homes in Turkey in August, a twofold increase from the same period last year, with Britons, Russians and Germans topping the list of buyers. By Mehmet Cetingulec
Turkey hits jackpot by privatizing gambling Turkey’s government has decided to privatize all games of chance, driven both by religious motives and financial woes. By Tulay Cetingulec
Egypt’s youth 'have had enough' Though many of the youth leaders who participated in the 2011 revolution are in prison, youth-driven political campaigns will continue under President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. By Ahmed Fouad
Netanyahu's rejectionist policies forced Abbas' hand The current Israeli government does not want peace if the price is the evacuation of even a few settlements. By Ephraim Sneh
Jihadists target Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon’s Bekaa Gunmen from the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra have exploited Eid al-Adha to attack Hezbollah in a new location in the center of Lebanon’s border with Syria. By Jean Aziz (Lebanon Pulse)
Lapid could end up paying for the price of pudding The public outcry over the price of chocolate pudding snacks should signal to Finance Minister Yair Lapid and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that socioeconomic issues will dominate the agenda of the next elections. By Mazal Mualem In Tel Aviv, reporting on politics
Biden's apology hides the truth US Vice President Joe Biden’s instant apology to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan may be considered a technical obligation, but not a denial of the merits of what has been said. By Tulin Daloglu
Israel, Hezbollah recalibrate mutual deterrence The deterrence established between Israel and Hezbollah over the past eight years along with Hezbollah joining the fight against IS might open the way to quiet understandings between Israel and Hezbollah. By Daniel Sobelman
Russia's role in the fight against IS Russia's complicated role in Syria means that it supports defeating the Islamic State, but not by tipping the balance against the regime. By Paul J. Saunders
Can PKK transform military might into political power? As regional developments open new military and political arenas to the PKK, it is unlikely that the Turkish peace process will end with the Kurds disarming. By Fehim Tastekin In Paris, reporting on Turkish politics
Rouhani adviser not optimistic about nuclear talks An adviser to President Hassan Rouhani has said that he is not optimistic about the nuclear talks despite the two sides seeming inclined to reach an agreement. By Arash Karami
The facts about buying land in Jerusalem's latest settlement Despite condemnation from the United States and other countries, Israel is forging ahead with its plan to disrupt the Palestinian urban continuum in the Jerusalem area, while preventing the sale of real estate to non-Jews. By Akiva Eldar
Turkish military unhappy with parliament's lack of guidance The approval of the motion for cross-border operations by the Turkish parliament raises more questions than it provides answers. By Metin Gurcan
Erdogan pushes religion in fight against drugs As a solution to a growing drug epidemic in Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is advocating compulsory religious education to improve moral values. By Pinar Tremblay
Ya'alon misses lessons of Yom Kippur War The current Israeli administration, like that of former Prime Minister Golda Meir, prefers to trust in its military superiority and manage the conflict with the Palestinians instead of resolving it. By Mazal Mualem In Tel Aviv, reporting on politics
Iran-Iraq War off-limits to historians in Iran Many questions remain about the era of the Iran-Iraq War, which changed Iran's political and cultural landscape, but independent historians cannot yet research the subject to examine the government's official narrative and untold stories of the war. By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics