Can new Tunisian bill help counter violence against women? The Tunisian draft law on the elimination of all forms of violence against women has tightened sanctions against abusers, but it remains to be seen whether this law will be passed in parliament with or without amendments. Tunisia
How Gaza's electricity crisis is becoming Israel's water catastrophe The inability to treat wastewater in the Gaza Strip because of a lack of electricity is threatening to contaminate the water supplies of Gaza as well as Israel unless immediately addressed. Palestine
PA upset as 'VIP' travelers breeze over Allenby Bridge The Palestinian Authority is accusing Israel of intentionally stifling the flow of travelers through a border crossing between the West Bank and Jordan to promote a new and expensive VIP service. Palestine
Dam construction going full steam while Egypt-Ethiopia talks stall Ethiopia wooed the press during a recent open house at the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, but declined to answer specific questions that could help assess the risks the dam might pose for Egypt. Egypt
New audio file sheds light on 1980s executions in Iran In a recently released audio file, Ayatollah Hussein Ali Montazeri can be heard disagreeing with the executions that took place in Iran in the late 1980s. Iran
One year on, are 'new' Suez Canal revenues sinking? Although the Suez Canal has not generated the expected revenues after expansion, future development plans in the canal zone could yield great economic benefits for the Egyptian economy. Egypt
Why Rouhani may have Khamenei to thank for avoiding Ahmadinejad Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad appears to be making plans for a comeback in next year’s presidential vote — but will the conservatives forgive him for his disobedience of the supreme leader? Iran
Syrians shifting demographics in Turkey’s Kurdish regions More than a third of the Syrian refugees in Turkey are concentrated in the country’s southeast, an impoverished, conflict-torn region with a predominantly Kurdish population. Turkey
Will Egypt's warming ties with Israel leave Palestinians out in the cold? Egyptian-Palestinian relations are tense after the rapprochement between Egypt and Israel as questions arise about the future of Egypt’s role in the Palestinian cause. Palestine
Iraqi parliament in the dark about $2.7 billion loan deal Iraq's parliament was not involved in the negotiations for a $2.7 billion US loan package and still hasn't been fully briefed on the deal, leaving many Iraqi lawmakers uneasy. Iraq
Israeli centrist leader finds himself alone in battle against UN agency In an interview with Al-Monitor, Yesh Atid Leader Yair Lapid expressed surprise that his government is cooperating with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, while the rest of the Israeli political establishment is reluctant to disrupt the aid that keeps Gaza afloat. Palestine
Can open primaries heal Israeli politics? Israelis are debating the feasibility of open primaries, which would allow all eligible voters to select the leader of the political bloc they support. Israel
How corrupt is Egypt's wheat industry? In an interview with Al-Monitor, Egypt's Minister of Supply Khaled Hanafy rebutted all accusations of importing substandard wheat and explained the government's plan to fight rising grain prices. Egypt
Can Iran go around Turkey to reach Europe? The regional turmoil, and particularly the unstable situation in Turkey, is prompting Iran to speed up plans to establish alternative trade routes to Europe. Turkey