After 27 years, men and women will be able to pray together at Western Wall After a long dispute, the ultra-Orthodox and progressive Judaism movements have reached a historic compromise on a mixed-gender praying space at the Western Wall. Israel
How Palestine's parliament is squandering millions of dollars There are no prospects that a new speaker could be elected or the PLC itself could be activated, as millions of dollars are disbursed to cover the spending of members of parliament. Palestine
Who are Iraq's Kakai? In an interview with Al-Monitor, Ako Shawais, the first political representative of Iraq’s Kakai minority, discusses why this sect is so secretive and its careful struggle for political and religious rights. Iraq
Russia's Syria dilemma Moscow wants a political settlement to the Syrian war, but its military support, which is resulting in regime victories on the battlefield, could threaten that outcome. Syria
Mystery surrounds killing of Italian scholar in Egypt Egypt risks losing Italy as a valuable international ally if the investigation into the murder of Italian graduate student Giulio Regeni is not carried out with full transparency. Egypt
The growing Israeli corruption problem Israelis view corruption as the price for getting things done, but it’s in all layers of the governance, despite the economic, social and moral consequences. Israel
Will he, won't he? Turks ponder whether Erdogan will invade Syria The unhappy Turkish president has many factors to consider if he is contemplating military intervention in Syria. Syria
Rouhani awards medals to nuclear negotiators Iranian President Hassan Rouhani awarded medals to members of his Cabinet and the nuclear negotiation team. Iran
Why Yemen may not be heading for a split Have southern Yemeni rebel leaders forfeited their quest to secede in exchange for positions of power or are they building political strength and biding their time? Yemen
EU leadership divided over settlements According to Israeli Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, the president of the European Parliament opposes labeling settlement products, despite the official EU position. Palestine
Turkey gives mixed signals on Syria Pro-Erdogan media drums support for an invasion of Syria, but military experts say this is not feasible. Syria
Is Turkey doing enough to protect its Protestants? Turkey's small Protestant community feels threatened not only by detractors, but also by the Islamic State, and lacks government protection against either. Turkey
Airbus deal takeoff irks Iranian hard-liners While welcomed by many Iranians, President Hassan Rouhani’s trip to Europe, which involved extensive deal making, has triggered a backlash among hard-liners in Iran. Iran
Is Abbas spinning his wheels by meeting with Israelis? Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has had numerous meetings with various Israeli delegations in hopes of resuming the peace talks stalled since 2014. Palestine
Will Sudan side with Egypt in Renaissance Dam dispute? Ambassador Mohamed Orabi, chairman of the parliamentary Foreign Relations Committee, speaks about the disputed Halayeb and Shalateen regions and the Renaissance Dam. Egypt
Redefining cinema in Egypt Some heavy-hitters in Egypt's cinema world have helped create a home for independent movies. Egypt
