Porn-watching Egyptian actress arouses passionate debate The actress Entisar faces trial for allegedly encouraging young men to watch pornographic films to educate themselves before marriage about sex. Egypt
How the AKP dominated yesterday's election in Turkey While the Justice and Development Party was projected to win in Turkey’s Nov. 1 polls, a concurrence of factors led to an unexpected sweeping victory. Turkey
How will relations between Jews and Palestinians in Israel be restored? Israelis can't rely on politicians to help repair fraught relations between Jewish and Arab citizens, because they are in part responsible for the incitement highlighted by the recent wave of stabbing attacks. Israel
The Russian, Iranian, Hezbollah military triangle It seems that Russia, through its military intervention in Syria, is complementing the Iranian-Hezbollah axis there, instead of replacing it, as Hezbollah sources confirm that coordination is ongoing between Moscow, Iran and the party. Lebanon
Lebanese activists raise a stink about trash crisis, government paralysis Lebanese civil movements continue to call for democratic reform, but government officials protest that real change will be decided, as always, outside Lebanon. Lebanon
Turkey’s dispiriting elections Erdogan offers an uncertain democratic future for Turkey; Syria Contact Group avoids divisions over Assad’s fate; Iranian and Russian support pivotal in Syrian military campaign to retake Aleppo. Syria
How to get Iran to improve its human rights The arrest of another Iranian-American dramatizes efforts by Iran’s security establishment to undercut President Hassan Rouhani but also jeopardizes economic gains from the nuclear agreement. Iran
