Is Kim Kardashian leading the evil eye jewelry craze? Evil eye beads, which have become a celebrity craze in the United States, are the one red line that Islamists in Turkey have not crossed so far. Turkey
Will opening of Israeli crossing help Gaza’s economy? Israel recently announced plans to reopen the Erez/Beit Hanoun crossing into Gaza, but many say it is not enough to relieve Gaza’s devastated economy. Palestine
Iraq's parliament helpless to halt political crisis Iraq's political crisis has worsened, and the parliament cannot even meet to discuss proposals for resolving it. Iraq
Will unity deal deepen rivalries in Iraqi Kurdistan? Long-time Kurdish rivals Gorran and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan recently reached an agreement that might further entrench Kurdish division in Iraqi Kurdistan. Iraq
Jordan, Turkey compete to woo Jerusalem As Turkey and Jordan vie for influence in Jerusalem, the ever-growing presence in the city of the Turkish flag, Turkish restaurants and photos of Turkey’s president reflect Turkey might be winning. Palestine
Syria's first Kurdish university attracts controversy as well as students Syrian Kurds have big plans to expand the first university based in Rojava, which they launched just last year. Syria
The real reason Israel’s economy is slipping toward recession While recent figures indicate that the Israeli economy is heading toward a recession, are politicians suppressing the connection between the economy and the diplomatic stalemate? Israel
Arms sales to Libya draw congressional skepticism The United Nations is ready to lift the arms embargo on Libya. Congress, not so much. Libya
Syria contact group urges air drops, expanded cease-fire The International Syria Support Group, meeting in Vienna May 17, appeared to lower emphasis on Syria political talks as it urged shoring up a partial cease-fire and using air drops if needed to get aid to towns subjected to a type of "medieval" siege. Syria
Who will be Iran's next speaker of parliament? The competition for the position of parliament speaker is heating up in Iran. Iran
Will Turkey let UN officials snoop in the southeast? The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights is demanding that Turkey allow UN officials to investigate alleged human rights abuses in the war-ravaged southeast of the country. Turkey
Is Egypt's state of emergency in Sinai unconstitutional? Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is drawing the wrath of advocates of the constitution once again, this time for extending the state of emergency in north Sinai for another three months. Egypt
Is Israel's opposition leader siding with Bibi against French initiative? It seems that Zionist Camp leader Isaac Herzog is more interested in entering the coalition and becoming foreign minister than he is at promoting the French initiative to advance the two-state solution. Palestine
Israeli, Palestinian teens open back channel via Facebook What started as verbal hostilities between Israeli and Gazan teenagers turned into meaningful online dialogue when mutual accusations gave way to curiosity about each other's lives. Palestine
How schizophrenia patients in Turkey are finding relief on stage In a small Turkish city, a pioneering psychiatrist has achieved remarkable success in treating schizophrenia patients with theatrical improvisation. Turkey
EU-Turkey refugee deal gives Erdogan case of 'political amnesia' Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would like to forget that part of the refugee deal with the European Union involves amending the country's Anti-Terror Law. Turkey
