Netanyahu has self to blame for 'extortion' in Israeli politics Having formed a coalition government with only one seat to spare, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will have to devote much of his time to keeping his government intact. By Mazal Mualem In Tel Aviv, reporting on politics
Gazans scavenge for food, recyclables In light of the dire economic conditions generated by the Israeli siege, Gazans search for food to eat and recyclables to sell. By Rasha Abou Jalal In Gaza City, reporting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Congress decides Iraqi Kurds, Sunnis aren't countries after all The annual defense bill gets a new look after backlash from Baghdad. By Julian Pecquet
Iraq’s toxic partisanship continues Iraq is still hashing out its long overdue parties law, which will need ratification by the very parties it's intended to rein in. By Mushreq Abbas
Iran MPs deny signing bill to suspend nuclear talks A bill calling for the suspension of nuclear talks until US officials cease to make threats against Iran has faced a backlash after some members of parliament claim they were misled about the bill. By Arash Karami
The Turkey-Saudi axis against Damascus Will the US support the gains of Islamist opposition in Syria? By Cengiz Candar
Is Turkish Stream a pipe dream? Turkey and Russia appear keen on the Turkish Stream pipeline project, setting aside differences, but analysts suggest there is more political than economic logic involved. By Semih Idiz
Libyan air force attacks Turkish ship Turkey’s foreign policy was the real target when Libyan forces struck a Turkish freighter off the coast of Derne, killing one crew member and wounding five others. By Fehim Tastekin In Paris, reporting on Turkish politics
Egypt outlaws workers’ right to strike A court ruling in Egypt has criminalized the right to strike, which not only violates the Egyptian Constitution, but also the UN’s International Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural rights. By Rami Galal
Halt in passport process restricts Palestinian movement Some students and people seeking treatment in Gaza are unable to travel as they wait for their passports to be issued or renewed, while the Ministry of Interior slowly works on sorting out the procedure. By Mohammed Othman
US willing to 'compensate' Israel on Iran deal The United States doesn’t understand why Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to focus on battling the Iranian deal and rejects two large and strategic “special interest deals” with the US administration. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Jordan takes sides in Islamist rift The Jordanian government is supporting a Muslim Brotherhood breakaway society, thus deepening the divide within the group in Jordan. By Osama Al Sharif
Ultra-Orthodox returning to higher education Over the past few years, young ultra-Orthodox Jews have been entering academia in large numbers, a phenomenon that is transforming the ultra-Orthodox community and its relations with Israeli society at large. By Mordechai Goldman
Hamas, Fatah ignore Carter's reconciliation attempt Hamas and Fatah are focusing on trivial issues instead of taking advantage of former President Jimmy Carter’s efforts to achieve reconciliation between the two Palestinian movements. By Ahmad Melhem In Ramallah, reporting on politics
US works to assure Gulf allies US Secretary of State John Kerry has been in Paris to try and ease tensions with Gulf allies over the prospective Iran nuclear deal ahead of the GCC meeting in Washington. By Laura Rozen
The battle at Qalamoun Hezbollah and the Syrian regime army have been fighting militants for control of the Qalamoun area near the border. By Jean Aziz (Lebanon Pulse)