Why Iraq needs immediate action on climate change Iraq is facing serious environmental challenges that require money, know-how and an attitude of urgency. By Adnan Abu Zeed
Iranian women demand inclusion in Rouhani's Cabinet Despite having appointed three female vice presidents, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani remains under pressure from women's rights activists to appoint more women to his Cabinet. By Zahra Alipour
Why Israel’s Beersheba buses dropped Arabic announcements With Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pointing a finger at Israeli Arabs for wildfires, it's no wonder that the city of Beersheba removed announcements in Arabic from its public buses. By Shlomi Eldar
Russian-rebel talks resume as Erdogan backs down on Assad Talks between Russia and Syrian rebels were reportedly derailed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's contradictory statements on Syria, but they have apparently resumed after he and the Russian president spoke on the phone and Erdogan publicly declared that Turkey is only targeting terrorist organizations in northern Syria. By Amberin Zaman In London, reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Iranian media praises OPEC deal as victory over Saudi Arabia Iranian media welcomes OPEC's agreement to exempt Iran from cutting output, characterizing it as a victory over Saudi Arabia. By Changiz M. Varzi
As risk rises, will Turkey persist in quest for al-Bab? The Turkish army, which so far has avoided actively fighting in Syria, now faces increasing danger as it advances to al-Bab. By Metin Gurcan
How Turkey plans to lure more Arab tourists Scrambling to stop the downturn in its vital tourism sector, Turkey plans to build special holiday villages for Arab tourists. By Tulay Cetingulec
Sisi's support for Syrian regime threatens to harm Cairo-Riyadh ties Egypt's vote in favor of the French and Russian draft resolutions on Syria at the UN Security Council has created a rift in its ties with Saudi Arabia. By Ismael El-Kholy
Will Netanyahu’s collective blame sink Israel? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's collective blame strategy will punish many Israeli Arabs who had no connection to the wildfires and will only aggravate tensions between Jews and Arabs. By Akiva Eldar
Should IRGC be worried by latest Iran army promotion? The appointment of a new deputy head of the army may represent more than a simple promotion for Ahmad Reza Pourdastan. By Arash Azizi
Why did Egypt's ElBaradei decide to reveal new info on Morsi's ouster? Former Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi had already been arrested when the meeting between the armed forces and political forces was held on July 3, 2013, according to what former interim Vice President Mohamed ElBaradei has revealed in a series of statements recently. By George Mikhail
Why this Palestinian university is offering Turkish language courses Al-Quds University is the first Palestinian university to offer Turkish language courses to its students, in an effort to promote cooperation between the two countries. By Ahmed el-Komi
Has Fatah put Dahlan secession to rest? The extent of Arab and international support for Fatah and Mahmoud Abbas was on display at the movement’s seventh congress. By Daoud Kuttab In Amman, reporting on Palestinian politics
Shiite forces advance on Tal Afar in Mosul operation Predominately Shiite Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) have liberated Tal Afar airport to the west of Mosul and now seek to coordinate with Kurdish peshmerga forces on the front. By Shelly Kittleson