Are Turkey and Iran reviving a 16th century conflict? Turkey's Iraq policy can be traced back to its rivalry with Iran in Mesopotamia centuries ago. By Cengiz Candar
Will Russia's economic restrictions on Turkey backfire? Some worry Turkey’s losses from an angry Russia could reach $20 billion, but others expect the figure to be much lower and point out that Russia’s losses will be no less painful. By Mehmet Cetingulec
Jerusalem Copts hope new bishop brings renewed support The small Egyptian Christian community in Jerusalem was pleasantly surprised and encouraged by a visit from Pope Tawadros II. By Daoud Kuttab In Amman, reporting on Palestinian politics
With the Islamic State gone from Sinjar, Kurdish groups battle for control After Sinjar was liberated from the Islamic State, a new conflict arose among Kurdish parties as to who should administer the area. By Mohammed A. Salih
Syrian war redraws country's economic map The Syrian war is not only breaking apart the country’s social cohesion, but also its economic unity. By Mona Alami
Is Netanyahu the 'great gas robber'? Appearing before the Knesset’s Economic Affairs Committee, Benjamin Netanyahu avoided answering questions before pulling out the national security card to defend the current natural gas outline. By Mazal Mualem In Tel Aviv, reporting on politics
Food trucks idle in Israeli bureaucracy The Israeli authorities are maintaining barricades on the route of businesses hoping to bring the trendy and profitable food trucks concept to Tel Aviv. By Yuval Avivi
House panel approves peshmerga bill that Baghdad deems 'unwise and unnecessary' The House Foreign Affairs panel voted to directly arm Kurdish forces. By Julian Pecquet
What's the one thing that Arabs, Turks and Iranians can all agree on? Majorities in eight Muslim countries blame “corrupt, repressive and unrepresentative governments” and wrong-headed religious leaders for the rise of extremist groups such as the Islamic State. By Barbara Slavin
Why are Egypt's advanced degree holders protesting? While some believe that there is no need to appoint master’s and doctoral degree holders in Egypt’s state institutions, others argue the state must benefit from their academic education. By Rami Galal
EU, Iran relationship heats up The European Union has created an Iran Task Force to facilitate the implementation of the nuclear deal, develop relations and build a framework for regional cooperation. By Aniseh Bassiri Tabrizi
'Corruption on earth' brings death penalty in Iran Iranian member of parliament Ahmad Tavakoli is skeptical that the removal of sanctions will address economic problems in Iran. By Arash Karami
Bloodshed stokes Kurdish separatist sentiment Ankara’s draconian security crackdowns, marked by dozens of civilian deaths, have left many Kurds wondering whether they should give up their struggle for rights and seek independence. By Irfan Aktan
Ankara's Mosul miscalculation Even Turkmens are unhappy with Turkey’s moves in Mosul, and Ankara may have made a serious misjudgment. By Fehim Tastekin In Paris, reporting on Turkish politics
Who are Israel's hilltop youth? The suspects arrested for the murder of the Dawabsha family members belong to the extremist hilltop youth, who dream of rebuilding the Kingdom of Judea and consider the Israeli state their enemy. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Iraq's war of flags A struggle over flags has emerged in Iraq, where the various forces fighting the Islamic State seek to promote their own identities and are desecrating the symbols of rival groups. By Mustafa al-Kadhimi