Egypt MP stirs controversy with call for virginity tests Two members of parliament have caused an uproar for suggesting virginity tests be given to female students. Egypt
Erdogan claims Turkey prepping for Mosul action Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to keep troops near Mosul and says preparations for Turkish role "in the field" are underway. Iraq
Why US-educated Turkish officers could soon be out of their jobs Turkey's purges since the failed coup are now targeting armed forces officers with advanced degrees from the United States, threatening to devastate the military's brain trust. Turkey
Turkey hasn't given up on role in Mosul battle While Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan fumes at Baghdad for excluding Turkey from the operation to liberate Mosul, Ankara has sent a team to the Iraqi capital to continue negotiating a role for Turkey. Iraq
Iranian actor calls for famous actress in exile to be welcomed back A well-respected actor has shocked Iran by saying in a TV interview that Golshifteh Farahani, the renowned Iranian actress living in exile in France, should be respected for her choices and allowed back in Iran. Iran
Netanyahu faces off against UNESCO over Jerusalem resolution Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prefers to ignore the fact that from a diplomatic-international standpoint, the Jewish holy sites in the Old City are under occupation. Palestine
New initiative aims to protect Palestinian working women In a bid to help women overcome the bitter situation plaguing the work environment, the Palestinian Ministry of Labor, in cooperation with the International Labor Organization, recently issued a guideline for the rights of working women in Palestine. Palestine
Will Palestine amend its local council electoral law, again? Following the postponement of local elections, the Palestinian government has started making contacts with the Palestinian factions to agree on a new formula for the elections, and one of the proposed ideas is amending electoral law No. 10 of 2005 to establish a court competent to settle local elections issues. Palestine
Why Israeli NGO’s UN testimony against occupation backfired The decision by Israeli human rights group B’Tselem to testify to the UN Security Council against the occupation has weakened its own camp and played into the hands of the Israeli right. Palestine
Police overwhelmed as drugs from Iran flood Basra Iraqi police are unable to keep up with increasing drug smuggling from Iran, and Basra, the hardest-hit province, has neither a rehabilitation center for drug addiction nor the resources to prosecute drug-trafficking gangs. Iraq
How Syria is pushing Egypt and Iran closer Converging views on Syria appear to be leading to real mutual support between regional powers Iran and Egypt. Egypt
US, Europe mull sanctions on Russia over Aleppo The United States and Europe are considering additional economic sanctions on Russia over its role in the Syrian regime's assault on Aleppo. Syria
Festival feeds growing success of Sahrawi filmmakers The world’s most remote film festival featured a number of Sahrawi-made movies, encouraging young artists there and drawing attention to the Sahrawis' plight. Algeria
US shifts Egypt aid to other countries The Barack Obama administration has reallocated $108 million in obstructed assistance. Egypt
Public schools are latest victim of Libyan infighting Amid the lack of school buildings, the shortage of textbooks and the fighting, thousands of Libyan children will not be able to attend classes this year. Libya
Video surfaces of detained US businessman in Iran A year after the arrest of Iranian-American businessman Siamak Namazi, a video has appeared on social media with new footage of him. United States
