How post-coup purges depleted Turkey's military New data shows military purges by the Turkish government in the aftermath of the July 15 coup attempt have adversely affected the combat strength of the Turkish Armed Forces. By Metin Gurcan
Why Iran welcomes US-Russian deal on Syria Despite speculation that Russia's dealings with the United States might be at the expense of Iran, it appears that Tehran has plenty of reasons to welcome Moscow and Washington’s agreement on Syria. By Zakiyeh Yazdanshenas
Who will replace sacked Iraqi defense minister? Following the dismissal of Iraq's Defense Minister Khaled al-Obeidi by the parliament, the Sunni blocs are competing over nominating his successor. By Omar Sattar
South Africa renews efforts to help unite Hamas, Fatah Three groups are joining forces in hopes of ending the Palestinian division. By Ahmad Melhem In Ramallah, reporting on politics
Is Tunisia heading toward a 'thirst uprising'? Some analysts say the next revolution in Tunisia could be over water, as several areas in the country have been suffering from very low supplies. By Perrine Massy
Why Israelis don't care about electricity agreement with PA Israeli Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon was disappointed when Israelis showed little interest in and even expressed disapproval for the groundbreaking electricity agreement signed between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. By Mazal Mualem In Tel Aviv, reporting on politics
Gazan personally finances rescue for stray animals A Palestinian citizen has launched the first welfare society in the Gaza Strip for stray dogs and cats, as there is no government funding or official organization for attending to these animals. By Rasha Abou Jalal In Gaza City, reporting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Israeli-Arab MK sticks by statements bashing ailing Peres Talking to Al-Monitor, Arab Knesset member Basel Ghattas explains why he slammed former President Shimon Peres, who is hospitalized and in critical condition. By Shlomi Eldar
Fight over Palestinian electoral lists gets technical Fatah refuses to work with the Gaza courts to resolve the disqualification of some of its electoral lists by the Central Election Commission as officials struggle to find answers in legal texts. By Ahmad Abu Amer
Hajj is 'blessed season' for Gaza shop owners Added expense and problems with transport are leading Gazans to buy hajj gifts from local markets rather than in Saudi Arabia. By Huda Baroud
Repression of Turkish intellectuals elicits global response Nobel laureates, intelligentsia and celebrities around the world unite against the arbitrary detention of Turkish authors. By Cengiz Candar
Turkey demands role in Mosul battle, but coalition unconvinced Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed Turkey’s keenness to be part of the liberation of the two IS strongholds of Raqqa and Mosul, but continuing differences with Washington and Baghdad make this difficult. By Semih Idiz
Khamenei says manipulating numbers on economy is 'major sin' In a meeting with officials responsible for issuing statistical reports, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned against manipulation of statistics. By Arash Karami
What's next for Baghdad-Tehran ties as last MEK members leave Iraq? In a new regional victory for Iran, the last group of the exiled opposition group Mujahedeen-e-Khalq left neighboring Iraq. By Mustafa Saadoun
Why Palestinians aren't holding their breath for Moscow meeting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has agreed to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Russia despite the latter’s rejection of the Palestinian preconditions. By Ahmad Abu Amer
Why the battle for al-Bab is pivotal in Syria As groups fighting in Syria make headway against the Islamic State, each wants to be positioned to reap the spoils of war. By Kamal Sheikho