As Iran's election nears, cracks appear in conservative camp Despite the Principlist JAMNA coalition holding a preliminary vote to find a consensus candidate, Iranian conservatives remain divided a month before the country’s presidential elections. Iran
How Palestinian hunger strike leader rattled Israeli politicians Israeli politicians concentrated on The New York Times and the op-ed published by Fatah senior Marwan Barghouti, instead of focusing on Barghouti’s accusations against Israel. Palestine
Is Tehran's mayor lobbying to be only conservative candidate? While Iranian conservatives claim to have forged unity, a closer look indicates the opposite as Ebrahim Raisi’s supporters believe Tehran Mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf is maneuvering to sideline him. Iran
Egypt reforms food subsidy system by first kicking out the rich Almost 78% of Egypt's 92 million citizens receive government subsidies, but officials hope to pare down those swollen ranks by weeding out those who do not actually qualify. Egypt
Giza animal shelter offers hope for Egypt's stray dogs An Egyptian engineer set up a rescue facility in Giza to care for Egypt's many homeless dogs and find them new homes, and his new one under construction in Alexandria will take in cats, too. Egypt
Is it 'business as usual' for Israel's tourism? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is going to great lengths to promote a strong Israeli tourism industry, but not everything is as it seems. Israel
Abbas kicks off reconciliation talks by cutting Gaza salaries Ten years after the Palestinian Authority was overthrown in Gaza, President Mahmoud Abbas has made it clear that he is tired of using PA money to keep Hamas afloat. Palestine
Have Egypt’s Salafists had a change of heart on female leaders? The controversy over the appointment of Nadia Abdou as Egypt's first female governor continues within the Salafi Call and may lead to internal divisions in the movement. Egypt
Ankara not backing down from Iraq intervention A week after announcing an end to operations in Syria, Turkey announced that it plans to launch a military operation in Iraq against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in Sinjar, a move guaranteed to outrage the Baghdad government. Near East
Abbas ready for visit to Washington While there has not been a firm date set for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' visit to Trump's White House, Palestinian officials are busy preparing for an opportunity to restart the peace process. Palestine
Erdogan's referendum win no clean sweep Turkey’s historic referendum has passed, yet the "yes" camp’s slim margin of victory and the opposition’s accusations of foul play mean Turkish politics will remain volatile. Turkey
Turkey’s security sector becomes latest arena of Islamism debate Increasingly divisive Islamic and ultra-nationalist arguments in Turkey have started to plague the country's security sector following last summer's coup attempt. Turkey
How Iran's military strategy against IS may backfire While Iran’s security services have managed to thwart Islamic State attacks on the domestic front, Salafi jihadi ideology appears to be spreading in the country’s Sunni regions. Iraq
Where does Erdogan's referendum win leave Turkey? The result of Turkey's referendum was far from the mandate the country's president was seeking and leaves much of the population — and outside world — questioning the legitimacy of the process. Turkey
Egypt's haute couture looks for foothold in international market The fashion industry in Egypt is getting a boost from local designers who aim to reflect Egyptian culture in their products. Egypt
Will outstanding legal case prevent Ahmadinejad’s third term? While Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s registration for the Iranian presidential election surprised many, an open legal case concerning him may prevent his running for a third term. Iran
