Jabhat al-Nusra deals Syrian regime major blow in Idlib Jabhat al-Nusra’s seizure of the two camps of al-Hamidiyya and Wadi al-Daif in Idlib province from the Syrian army’s control is an important victory for the al-Qaeda branch, as it continues to consolidate its control over Idlib. Syria
Hamas scores diplomatic victory in Europe Senior Hamas officials run a department in Gaza whose sole mission is to have the movement removed from terror lists. Palestine
Syrian authorities halt ferries to Turkey It’s become even harder for Syrians to flee the war-ravaged country after Syrian authorities stopped the ferry service between Tartus and the Turkish port city of Mersin. Syria
Why won't Hamas label Islamic State as terrorists? Hamas officials say the word “terrorism” is a politicized Western term and there is no international consensus, which is why it won’t label the Islamic State a terrorist group. Palestine
Sisi amends traffic laws to curb fatal road accidents Dangerous drivers face harsher sanctions with amendments to Egypt's traffic law in light of increasing road accidents. Egypt
Why should Iran accept US presence in Afghanistan? Iran has an interest in keeping a military presence in Afghanistan to keep its enemy the Taliban in check, and should drop its rhetoric against US troops being stationed there for much of the same objectives. Iran
Iraqis wage new battle for freedoms A controversial draft law that curbs freedoms of expression and assembly has been resubmitted to the Iraqi parliament, sparking a wave of criticism from activists and civil society organizations. Iraq
Tamarod’s arrogance might lead to its division The request by Egypt’s Tamarod movement to form a political party was rejected due to missing information that the movement did not provide, thinking its position in the political scene before June 30 was enough to get its demands met. Egypt
Lebanon signs agreement with Mercosur Lebanon has signed a memorandum of understanding with the South American free trade organization Mercosur, whose member states host three times the number of Lebanese living in Lebanon. Lebanon
US, Europe try to preserve Israeli-Palestinian security cooperation While Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas promotes his UN bid, the US and Europe stick to the well-known old formula: Anti-terror cooperation in the region depends on progress on the Palestinian statehood issue. Palestine
Palestinians take the lead with UN Security Council resolution The Palestinians have shown with the UN Security Council resolution that they no longer want to sit and wait for others to come up with peace proposals for them. Palestine
Gaza imposes new taxes Gaza’s Ministry of Finance has imposed new taxes on imported goods without approval from the unity government, drawing criticism from industry and citizens. Palestine
Nepotism flourishes under AKP Turkey’s main opposition party has revealed a list of government workers who got public jobs through corrupt channels and created a website for citizens to report other cases. Turkey
Israel exiles nonviolent Palestinian activists Five Palestinian community activists in Jerusalem were surprised to learn they had been temporarily exiled from their city by Israeli authorities without being provided a reason. Palestine
Iran conference panelists criticize nuclear program Panelists at a conference about Iran's nuclear program have spoken out publicly about its steep costs to the country. Iran
Egypt universities outsource security Falcon Group International, a private contractor, is responsible for security in 12 Egyptian universities, but its presence has sparked controversy among students and administrators alike. Egypt
