First Aswan international film festival supports women, boosts tourism A women's international film festival in Aswan put Upper Egypt and ordinary women in the spotlight. Egypt
US should test Russia on Islamic State With the complicated regional dynamics of the Syrian war, the US could benefit from Russian assistance. Syria
Barzani asks Erdogan to free pro-Kurdish detainees In a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Iraqi Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani has called for Turkey to release political leader Selahattin Demirtas and other pro-Kurdish lawmakers. Turkey
Turkey coup defendants deny Gulen affiliation The group trials have begun of soldiers charged in connection with the July coup, and although their defenses have varied, all have so far denied being followers of cleric Fethullah Gulen. Turkey
In Palestine, no job means no health insurance The Palestinian government recently decided to halt health insurance for Palestinian unemployed citizens, sparking angry reactions among civil society organizations in light of the deteriorating economic conditions for hundreds of thousands of Palestinian unemployed citizens. Palestine
Egypt proposes inheritance protections for women Lawmakers are considering a plan that would spell out prison sentences and fines for people who try to keep inheritances from being distributed fairly to rightful heirs, a problem that especially affects women. Egypt
Blind couple displaced by Syria war rebuild life in Egypt A Syrian couple displaced to Egypt decide to stay put and not accept the UNHCR offer for resettlement in France. Egypt
Iranian MPs move to hand control over bond market to Central Bank Iran’s moderate-leaning parliament appears to be pushing for control over the lucrative bond market to be given to the central bank. Iran
Iran's Rouhani warns military not to intervene in elections Just three months before Iran’s presidential election and with conservative figures announcing their candidacy, President Hassan Rouhani warned military institutions against interfering in the vote. Iran
Why is Erdogan rushing into a referendum now? While Turkey's economic and security vulnerabilities increase, Erdogan has run out of enemies to rally his base against for the April referendum. Turkey
Will 'conservative' justices deliver for the Israeli right? Right-wing Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked's declarations of victory in getting conservatives appointed to the Supreme Court might be premature. Israel
How state report on Israel’s Gaza war will impact Netanyahu The Israeli state comptroller's report on the 2014 Gaza War criticizes the decision-making process overseen by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon. Israel
Despite tough talk, US unlikely to take on Iranian forces in Iraq The new US administration has adopted strict stances toward Iran, but any military clash between the United States and the factions Iran supports in Iraq would only increase Iranian influence. Iraq
Are Israel's border police blocking entry of human rights activists? Human rights organizations claim that Israel’s border police prevent the entry of activists who are critical of the government's occupation policy. Israel
A glimmer of hope for Egypt's Syrian refugee children An Egyptian NGO in 6th of October City is making efforts to prevent Syrian children from dropping out of school. Egypt
Rift widens between Egyptian president, Al-Azhar Tensions have emerged in the relationship between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Al-Azhar, with the former promoting reform that the latter finds unacceptable, rejecting governmental influence on religion. Egypt
