Is Iran shifting its policy toward Saudi Arabia? The increasingly tough rhetoric by the administration of President Hassan Rouhani toward Saudi Arabia may herald the beginning of a paradigm shift. Gulf
Istanbul says farewell to favorite feline with new statue The global carefree cat meme, Tombili, is honored by a bronze statue as a result of an internet petition by locals after his death in his quiet Istanbul neighborhood. Turkey
Why Egypt's new church law has some activists worried A new law on the construction and restoration of churches is seen as unconstitutional by some civil society movements. Egypt
AKP fingers obscure professor for coup mastermind Many Turks agree that reviled cleric Fethullah Gulen at least inspired the botched July coup, but as the net tightens on his followers, the authorities' focus on a little-known academic seems a bit of a reach. Turkey
Controversy erupts as soccer, religion clash in Iran A prominent cleric is calling for the cancellation of a World Cup qualifier between Iran and South Korea because the match falls on a Shiite day of mourning. Iran
Even SpongeBob can’t escape Turkey’s post-coup crackdown Turkey has shut down the country's first and only Kurdish-language channel for kids, dealing a blow to efforts to keep the children connected to their culture. Turkey
Turks love their language, but also fight over it Turks proudly celebrate their language, but they have always fought over it. Turkey
What Moroccan government’s shortcomings mean for post-election coalitions As Moroccans prepare to head to the polls Oct. 7 to elect members of the lower house of parliament, a current lack of cohesion among government parties may indicate a post-poll realignment. Morocco
What's behind Ankara’s 'deafening silence' on Aleppo? Reconciliation with Russia is preventing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan from blasting away at Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as he once did. Syria
Will Abbas reconcile with Hamas over Dahlan? Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is under Egyptian pressure to achieve reconciliation with dismissed Fatah leader Mohammed Dahlan, but it might push the president to agree on reconciliation talks with Hamas instead in Doha. Palestine
Why renewable energy is booming in Iran Unshackled from crippling nuclear-related sanctions but faced with low oil prices, Iran turns to renewable energy in preparation for the future. Iran
Can new police force halt Egypt's rising divorce rates? A number of parliamentarians have proposed creating a "family police" to address domestic disputes, yet some argue cash-strapped Cairo can't afford such a measure at this time. Egypt
US gives up on working with Russia on Syria The United States announced Oct. 3 it was suspending bilateral engagement with Russia on Syria, saying there was nothing more to talk about as Russia intensified its air attacks on Aleppo. Syria
Furious Zarif defends Iran's foreign policy to critic In his first appearance since the Islamic Republic’s 10th parliament was inaugurated in May, Iran’s foreign minister lashed out at a political opponent for questioning the intentions of the country’s foreign policies. Iran
Will state of emergency become the new normal for Turkey? Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appears to be contemplating extending the state of emergency in Turkey beyond 12 months. Turkey
Turkey-US ties could fray further as Pentagon mulls arming YPG Already rocky relations between Turkey and the United States are likely to worsen if the White House approves an expected Pentagon request to provide more weapons to the People's Protection Units. Syria
