Tunisian president calls for gender equality in inheritance law Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi’s proposal on National Women’s Day to amend the inheritance law so as to secure equal rights for women sparked much controversy in Tunisia. Tunisia
Turkey, Iran step up coordination in Syria Once unthinkable, an emerging consensus is developing between Ankara and Tehran in Syria, as Washington and Moscow try to keep pace; Iraqi Kurdish sources signal that it could be possible to delay a Kurdish independence referendum for a “short time.” Iraq
Iranian Kurdish fighters step up clashes ahead of KRG independence vote The increased attacks against Iranian forces by Iranian Kurdish opposition groups based in Iraq raise questions about the future of relations between Erbil and Tehran. Iraqi-Kurdistan
No justice for trans Turkish woman murdered last year A year after her death, the murder of Hande Kader is still unsolved and the push for LGBTI rights around it has quieted. Turkey
Israel, Hamas, Egypt indirectly cooperating against IS While Egypt and Hamas coordinate efforts against the Islamic State in the Sinai Peninsula, Israel is providing intelligence to Egypt to boost these efforts. Palestine
Saudi gamble on Hamas could pay off, or enrich rival Iran The Saudis are increasing pressure on Hamas, which might win them points with US President Donald Trump and Israel, but drive the Palestinian movement and its allies toward Iran. Saudi Arabia
Egypt acts to preserve Jewish heritage The Ministry of Antiquities has begun preservation and renovation of Eliyahu Hanavi in Alexandria, one of the biggest synagogues in the Middle East. Egypt
Iraq, Saudi Arabia to reopen border crossings after 27 years As Iraq and Saudi are preparing to open land border crossings between them, trade activities are likely to resume in the next few weeks. Saudi Arabia
Why did tribes take up arms in Egypt's Sinai? Sheikh Issa al-Kharafin, the sheikh of the Rumailat tribe and the head of the North Sinai Sheikhdom, speaks to Al-Monitor about the pros and cons of the tribal decision to take up arms to help the army fight extremists. Egypt
PA-Jordan coordination takes shape in wake of Al-Aqsa crisis One of the outcomes of a major meeting between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Jordan’s King Abdullah was an agreement to form a crisis committee to coordinate the positions of both countries regarding incidents at Jerusalem's holy sites. Palestine
Trump’s Mideast envoys moving to next phase With President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu entangled in domestic scandals, a dramatic launching of a peace process might serve them well in terms of media coverage. Palestine
Haley to press IAEA on Iran deal compliance The US ambassador to the United Nations and rising Republican star has been sharply critical of Tehran. United States
Outsiders target Israeli Likud Party’s agenda The organizers of the "New Likud" estimate that some 12,000 people have joined the Likud Party because of them, with the goal of creating a bloc powerful enough to influence the party's direction from the inside. Israel
Proposal to extend Sisi's term sparks controversy in Egypt Signatures are being collected to lift constitutional restrictions on Egypt's presidential term limits and give Sisi more time to "implement the projects he started." Egypt
Iran opposition leader ends hunger strike Iranian opposition leader Mehdi Karroubi ends his hunger strike after authorities meet one demand and reportedly pledge to meet the other. Iran
Iranian labor market on path to gender transformation While Iranian women have made advances in recent years, they still face the major challenge of being excluded from the labor market. Iran
