Released Egyptian journalist denies political deal secured his freedom In an interview with Al-Monitor, Amr Badr, an Egyptian journalist who was recently released after being detained in May for allegedly inciting protests over the Red Sea islands controversy, voices his opinion on his case and the state of freedoms in the country. Egypt
US elections 2016: Clinton wins first debate, but does it matter? Here's what happened on the campaign trail the week of Sept. 26. United States
Where does Israeli defense minister fit in fraud scandal? With several senior Yisrael Beitenu officials being investigated for fraud, it's time for the party's head, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman, to resign. Israel
How will debate performance impact ratings for Clinton, Trump? With post-debate polls giving Hillary Clinton a slight lead, Donald Trump is under pressure to prepare more, focus more and attack Clinton more in the next debate. United States
How did Ankara's spending on Syrian refugees jump to $25 billion? Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently claimed Turkey spent $25 billion on Syrian refugees, although he had cited $10 billion in February and even the number of refugees did not change. Turkey
RedHackers daunt the Erdogan family The alleged hacking of email accounts belonging to Berat Albayrak, the son-in-law of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, validates deep-rooted suspicions of AKP corruption, media censorship and intricate intra-AKP rivalries. Turkey
Will Gaza soon have its own aquatic city? The Gazan government is seeking to attract more tourists to the Gaza Strip through its new project to build a first-of-its-kind aquatic city and fish park at Gaza’s seaport. Palestine
Palestinians and Peres: A love-hate relationship Palestinians insist that while the late Israeli leader Shimon Peres was an Israeli patriot, he bears major responsibility for the plight that Palestinians find themselves in today. Palestine
As Aleppo battle rages, citizens suffer from blockade, shelling Dozens of civilians were killed and wounded in Aleppo after the cease-fire failed and regime forces launched a fierce campaign to recapture the opposition-held neighborhoods in the city. Syria
Palestinian universities try to keep Fatah-Hamas split off campus Hebron University in the West Bank has postponed its student elections after those affiliated with Fatah's and Hamas' student blocs refused to abide by the university's decision to separate university elections from national politics. Palestine
Tunisia’s grand mufti makes unprecedented call The grand mufti’s call to halt labor strikes has angered Tunisian civil society and trade unions and raised controversy over the mufti’s role in a civil state. Tunisia
Unlikely partners join forces to lead by example in Syria An opposition group known as Syria’s Tomorrow and Kurdish self-rule proponents have forged an agreement they hope will bring other opposition factions together and enlist the support of Arab countries to end the war and build a civil democratic pluralist state. Iraq
Iraqi Kurdistan government seized, sold Gulen schools The Kurdistan Regional Government, at Turkey's request, has sold educational institutes affiliated with the cleric Fethullah Gulen and seized other Gulenist-run institutions. Iraq
Why Iran's hard-liners are ripping into Rouhani over NY visit Despite the lack of buzz about potential meetings or phone calls with US officials, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has not been spared from domestic criticism following his latest trip to New York. Iran
Why some ultra-Orthodox are up in arms over state funding for their schools Parents from the anti-Zionist ultra-Orthodox stream are angry at one of their schools for secretly receiving funding from the Israeli Ministry of Education. Israel
As Lehava extremists terrorize Jerusalem, where are the police? Arab restaurant workers are increasingly being attacked by members of the extremist right-wing group Lehava. Israel
