Gaza youths use cellphones to make films about unemployment, disabilities Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are submitting short videos filmed on their cellphones to the Mobile Short Film Festival, which has organized the first such contest in Gaza. By Huda Baroud
Will snowballing scandals bury Netanyahu? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is embroiled in not one but three major scandals that could end his career. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
What the world is telling Palestinians, Israelis and Trump European diplomats believe the international attendance at the second Paris conference reflects broad support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. By Rina Bassist In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs
Losing ground in north, IS targets Iraq's Shiite south As the Islamic State is attacked from all sides in Mosul, it is making a last ditch effort to disrupt military operations by carrying out attacks in Iraq's predominately Shiite province of Najaf. By Wassim Bassem
Will Gaza's electricity crisis escalate Hamas-Israel tension? Gaza residents are furious at Hamas for pouring funds into the tunnel enterprise while they are left without electricity, and Israel is wary of attacks as distraction from their mass demonstrations. By Shlomi Eldar
Tunisia’s top diplomat exhorts Trump not to abandon Palestinian statehood In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Foreign Minister Khemaies Jhinaoui urged the president-elect not to give up on Middle East peace. By Julian Pecquet
Rouhani: Nuclear deal renegotiation 'meaningless' Following the death of Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Iranian hard-liners found a new target to attack: Ali Akbar Nategh-Nuri. Meanwhile, President Rouhani dismisses a renegotiation of the nuclear deal, a point brought up by figures close to President-elect Trump, as “meaningless.” By Rohollah Faghihi
Top suspect in New Year's Eve massacre caught in Istanbul The manhunt is over for the prime suspect in the New Year's Eve Istanbul nightclub shooting, and Abdulgadir Masharipov has reportedly confessed to the murders. By Amberin Zaman In London, reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Erdogan calls dollar and euro holders 'terrorists' Turkey’s president has likened dollar and euro holders to terrorists armed with guns and bombs, deepening further the controversy on how the country will overcome its foreign-exchange crunch. By Zulfikar Dogan
Ordinary citizens in Iran rally to save death-row prisoners An increasing number of ordinary Iranians are campaigning to convince families of crime victims to forgive convicts on death row. By Fazel Hawramy (Iraq Pulse)
Syrian women in Egypt find solidarity in stylist classes Cosmetology classes help displaced Syrian women form bonds and start fashion careers in Egypt. By Jihad Abaza
Will Arab Knesset member be impeached? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has managed to transform the issue of impeaching Arab Knesset member Basel Ghattas into a question of patriotism, thus forcing opposition members to support such a move. By Mazal Mualem In Tel Aviv, reporting on politics
How Netanyahu eroded public trust in free press Revelations of links between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and different media tycoons have eroded Israeli citizens’ trust in democracy and free press. By Akiva Eldar
Egypt grand imam's call for peace in Myanmar sparks backlash at home The speech of Al-Azhar's grand imam, Ahmed al-Tayeb, at a peace conference in Cairo raised the usual controversy with some Salafists, who thought his address was not in line with Islamic teachings. By Rami Galal
How a landfill poses danger to Beirut flights Although the Costa Brava landfill, which is in close proximity to Lebanon’s only airport in Beirut, was closed, seagulls attracted to the waste pose a major threat to planes, while the government has yet to find a final solution to the two-year trash crisis. By Florence Massena (Lebanon Pulse)
New Lebanese president makes Gulf priority With a visit to Saudi Arabia on Jan. 10, new Lebanese President Michel Aoun has signaled that warmer relations with the Gulf is at the top of his priority list. By Haytham Mouzahem
