Bibi's rivals suffer scandals Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is surrounded by rivals trying to topple him, yet two of them, Shas Party leader Aryeh Deri and Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman, must concentrate on their own political survival. Israel
Syrian charities battle corruption Roughly 2,000 Damascenes participated in a marathon to raise funds for Syrian cancer patients, to make up for a significant drop in available medication due to corruption in the Syrian Health Ministry. Syria
Basra moving toward independence It has become clear that Iraq is moving further toward division and disassociation, but how this federalism process would play out remains unclear. Iraq
Saudis work together to head off sectarian violence The November attack against Saudi Shiites in al-Ahsa governorate drew unanimous condemnation from conservative Sunnis and Shiites alike, who are determined to prevent sectarian strife. Gulf
Iraq's 2 million IDPs struggling The Islamic State’s offensive this year, and the subsequent conflict that has followed, has spawned nearly 2 million internally displaced persons, many of whom live in run-down, squalid refugee camps and are desperate for aid. Iraq
Corruption lets Iraqi criminals off the hook Weak institutions and corruption mean that major crimes in Iraq are not being investigated or prosecuted. Iraq
Who is benefiting from the Erdogan-Gulen split? The Turkish government’s onslaught against the Gulen community has opened the door to public jobs and economic benefits for other religious groups. Turkey
Obama: Iran nuclear deal 'possible' President Barack Obama has said in an interview with NPR that a “possible” nuclear deal could lead to a rapprochement between United States and Iran, a goal he said some Iranian constituencies favor. Iran
Iraqis bicker over liberating Mosul Arab disputes over leadership and relations with Baghdad and the Kurds, as well as Kurdish disinterest in defending Sunni Arab territories, are complicating efforts to defeat the Islamic State in a highly fragmented Iraq. Iraq
Ongoing instability hurts Yemeni businesses The Yemeni economy continues its downward spiral, with Yemeni entrepreneurs finding it difficult to get financing for projects while the country’s political instability worsens. Yemen
Where have Israeli intellectuals gone? Israeli society has lost its past esteem for intellectuals and writers, with celebrities, actors, singers and media figures serving as its moral compass. Israel
Village by village, Iraq pushes back against Islamic State After the Islamic State took control of 45% of the country, Iraq's army, police and volunteer forces have been fighting hard to retake areas alongside their international allies. Many have died in the fighting, which was inching forward one small village at time. Iraq
Will oil price drop weaken Qaboos? It will be a challenge for the government to keep its commitments to Omanis while sliding oil prices hinder its ability to increase government services in times of unrest, a crucial lifeline for the monarchy since the Arab Spring. Oman
Belly dancing men make comeback in Turkey The impact of Ottoman cultural revival is seen in the increasing popularity of male belly dancers in Turkey. Turkey
Turkey registers Syrian refugees Turkey has collected the biometric data of at least 1.4 million Syrians as the refugees move closer to citizenship. Syria
Algeria's winter of discontent Algeria is facing economic challenges that largely depend on the price of oil, and therefore President Abdelaziz Bouteflika is pushing Saudi Arabia to cut its oil production to force up prices, which would benefit Algeria. Saudi Arabia
