The road to rebuilding Raqqa The city of Raqqa, newly liberated from the Islamic State by the Kurdish-led and US-supported Syrian Democratic Forces, will now face the challenges of reconstruction and uprooting the jihadi threat once and for all. Iraq
Netanyahu unfaithful to Zionism vision By turning its back on Israeli Arabs and distancing Reform and Conservative Jewish communities, the Netanyahu government denies the fundamentals of Zionism. Israel
Egyptian judges forced into military re-education classes In a lecture series reminiscent of Gamal Abdel Nasser's socialist indoctrination program, the Egyptian government is forcing judges and other members of the judiciary to undergo training in "strategic and national security studies." Egypt
Israel holding Gaza militants' bodies as bargaining chips Israel decided not to return the bodies of Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas members until some progress is made on returning the Israeli civilians and the bodies of IDF soldiers held by Hamas. Palestine
US sticks by Lebanese army despite Hariri resignation State Department and Defense Department officials tell Al-Monitor that US military assistance is unaffected by Beirut’s latest political crisis. Saudi Arabia
IRGC commander denies Trump claim on Saudi missile attack IRGC commander Mohammad Ali Jafari denied that Iran was involved in the Yemeni missile attack on Riyadh. Saudi Arabia
One year into crackdown, Turkey’s pro-Kurdish opposition battered but defiant Nine members of the Peoples’ Democratic Party remain in prison a full year after the detentions on terrorism-related charges began, and joint leader Selahattin Demirtas’ first day in court is scheduled for Dec. 7. Turkey
Photography, opera come together in Tel Aviv A new exhibition invites seven leading Israeli photographers to interpret the Israeli Opera 2017-2018 season through their own perspectives. Israel
Iraq-Turkey border confusion: Who's in charge here? The sight of Turkish soldiers at the Habur border crossing with Iraq for the first time in 26 years raised many questions and a lot of conflicting answers. Iraq
Kurdish rift emerges between Erdogan, Putin A fundamental disagreement over the role of Syria’s Kurds threatens to wreck Turkey’s partnership with Russia, atop already simmering tensions with the United States. Syria
Lebanese artists voice social concerns Yasmine Hamdan, who, along with Mashrou' Leila, is known abroad as one of the most polıticized singers of Lebanon, says her music forms an archive of the changes and challenges that confront her country. Egypt
Israeli police turn up heat on Netanyahu The detention of Yitzhak Molcho, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s personal envoy and closest associate, sends shock waves through Israel’s security and political arenas. Egypt
Egyptian proposal to protect formal Arabic has journalists worried Critics say a draft law intended to preserve traditional, formal Arabic and discourage the use of the modern Egyptian dialect threatens the freedom of the press. Egypt
Egypt takes action to investigate notorious prison The Egyptian government has promised to investigate the conditions at the Tora Maximum Security Prison following complaints by prisoners’ families and nongovernmental organizations. Egypt
Syria's Arab, Kurdish women join forces to fight for future Scores of Arab women are joining the Kurdish Women’s Protection Units in Syria as they see an opportunity to improve their lives and the lives of future generations of women. Syria
Baghdad looks to take control of KRG oil The federal government in Baghdad seeks to extend its full control over all oil wells in the disputed areas between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Region, even those within the region. Iraq
