Congress threatens to withhold arms from Baghdad Allegations that Shiite-majority militias allied with Iraq’s central government have used US military equipment against Kurds in the disputed Kirkuk province has sparked outrage among US lawmakers. Iraq
IRGC's popularity gets 'Trump bump' After US President Donald Trump's speech, Iranians tweeted in support of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. United States
Assessing impact of shifting Iran-KRG relations While Iran’s important trade with Iraqi Kurdistan could temper tensions, Iranian geostrategic concerns in the aftermath of the Kurdish independence referendum are driving government policy. Iran
Turkish deployment may redraw battle lines in Syria's Idlib The Turkish military deployment in Idlib has a direct impact on armed factions in the region, some of which have already accused Turkey of implementing Russia’s plans. Syria
Egyptian doctors, therapists explore healing powers of music Though new and experimental treatments are slow to be adopted in Egypt, some medical professionals see great potential in music therapy. Egypt
Turkey targets 30% hike in military spending next year Turkey expects the public to fund a huge increase in military expenditures through new direct tax hikes and price increases. Turkey
Turkey claims 'no need' for US, EU as Western ties deteriorate After a week of sparring with the United States, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused European allies of undermining Turkey and dared them to walk away from EU membership talks. Turkey
Netanyahu’s strategy of chaos Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mistakenly thought that by appointing his associates to key positions in the police and the judicial system, he could protect himself from investigations. Israel
Hamas, Fatah ignore elephant in the room, for now Egypt believes that building trust between Hamas and Fatah should precede clarifying the remaining difficult issues between them, such as what to do about Hamas’ military wing. Palestine
Palestinian farmers go global to claim their rights Palestine will witness the birth of the first movement of farmers in the Arab world, which will advocate the rights of Palestinian farmers before Arab, regional and international institutions. Palestine
Gazans abroad eager to visit, but unready to move home Although the burgeoning reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah has given hope to thousands of Palestinians, Gazans abroad remain cautious about resettling in the Gaza Strip. Palestine
Tunisian women break taboo saying no to children A women's association in the Tunisian countryside works on breaking the societal taboo of women remaining childless by choice. Tunisia
With evacuations looming, 'de-escalation zone' announced for south Damascus New "de-escalation" initiative presents new status quo for south Damascus suburbs, but how will it work? Egypt
Current crisis could ignite long-smoldering US-Turkey relations Longtime observers of Washington and Ankara's tense relationship won't be surprised by recent escalations. Turkey
Can cinema help Egypt’s overpopulation problem? With the 2017 census raising discussion of overpopulation in Egypt, a debate has ensued on whether movies have and can help create awareness of the need for family planning? Egypt
Egypt holds training camps for imams to uproot terrorism Egypt's imams are trained by Al-Azhar to spread moderate teachings and recognize extremist behavior among youths in order to curb ideologies that encourage terrorism. Egypt
