Demolition contractors defy unemployment in Upper Egypt Since the 1950s, the majority of the residents of the Egyptian village of Naza Qarar have been working in the demolition of buildings and sale of rubble, but the government’s recent decisions of liberalizing the dollar exchange rate and raising fuel prices has deteriorated their financial situation. Egypt
How Palestinians in this Egyptian village are holding on to customs Palestinians who forcibly left Palestine in 1948 settled in Gezira Fadel, a small village in Egypt, where they have adapted to their surroundings while preserving their customs and traditions. Palestine
Netanyahu's diplomatic world war Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's diplomatic world war against countries that voted for the UN Security Council Resolution 2334 has left Israeli ministers and diplomats panicked, tongue-tied and anonymously expressing dissatisfaction. Palestine
Ballerinas perform in Cairo streets Two Egyptian directors launched a project to photograph ballerinas dancing in the streets of Cairo to highlight the capital’s beauty and art scene. Egypt
Why breakfast is Turkey's most important meal of the new year While New Year's celebrations have become a contentious issue in Turkey, everyone joins in on the festivity of the country's first-day breakfasts in fancy restaurants and hotels. Turkey
Foreign volunteer unit fights to save lives in Syria In northern Syria, a group of volunteer Western combat medics assists the wounded in battles against the Islamic State. Syria
What challenges await Lebanon’s new government? The newly approved Lebanese government faces many difficult issues, including adoption of an electoral law ahead of the country’s parliamentary elections in May, as the political blocs are divided over the matter. Lebanon
How will Tunisia handle Hamas engineer assassination? The assassination in southern Tunisia of Mohammed Alzoari, a Tunisian engineer and member of Hamas, stirred calls for the Tunisian government to investigate Israel, which was accused of being behind the death. Israel
The EU giveth, Israel taketh away in West Bank The European Union keeps funding projects in the West Bank's Area C, and Israel keeps demolishing them. Palestine
Why Hamas, Fatah finally agreed to convene The Palestinian Legislative Council held an emergency meeting in December, apparently the first to include Fatah members since 2007, but analysts are not optimistic that it will affect the political stalemate. Palestine
Why does Iraq want to bring back dismissed security forces? The Iraqi parliament wants to implement a decision to repatriate Iraqi soldiers who abandoned their posts during the rise of the Islamic State in 2014, but some are worried about the motives behind the decision. Iraq
How Hamas is looking to boost foreign ties In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Hamas' foreign relations chief Osama Hamdan revealed that the movement's leadership met a delegation of European diplomats and expressed optimism toward Hamas' future standing in Europe. Palestine
Kerry defends US vote on Israeli settlements US Secretary of State John Kerry, in an impassioned speech Dec. 28, defended the US decision to abstain on a UN Security Council resolution criticizing Israeli settlements. Palestine
Egypt's first female bodyguard smashes gender barriers Hind Wajih has broken stereotypes to become Egypt's first certified female bodyguard. Egypt
Turkey cuts Syria deal with Russia, confronts Western allies As Turkey and Russia reach agreement on a comprehensive cease-fire in Syria, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is accusing his Western partners in the anti-IS coalition of tacitly supporting the fanatical group. Syria
Why is Turkey so focused on Syria's al-Bab? From a military point of view, al-Bab is a strategically unimportant town in the Syrian conflict, but that hasn't stopped Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan from obsessing over the town's liberation from the Islamic State. Syria
