Turkish prisons struggle to cope with demand At least 50,000 people have been jailed in Turkey since the 2016 coup attempt and there are plans to build 228 new prisons over the next five years to make room for more. By Amberin Zaman In London, reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Sisi performs balancing act in wake of Trump's Jerusalem move Following President Donald Trump’s announcement that the United States would recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has been careful to strike a delicate balance between allowing public condemnation of Trump's decision and not letting protests get out of hand. By Shahira Amin
Can Europe-Netanyahu gap be bridged? Visiting Paris and Brussels, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was confronted with objections to President Donald Trump's Jerusalem proclamation, but he also heard that Europe won't initiate a peace plan of its own. By Rina Bassist In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs
Will Erdogan’s Jerusalem campaign succeed? Erdogan’s supporters are among those who fear his vociferous campaign against the United States and Israel will leave him disappointed and regionally isolated. By Semih Idiz
Liberman intensifies campaign against Israeli Arabs Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman has renewed his struggle against religious coercion and Israeli Arabs as part of a campaign to regain relevancy and strengthen his political standing. By Mazal Mualem In Tel Aviv, reporting on politics
Northern Lebanon struggles to contain backlash against Syrians The murder of a young Lebanese woman by her family's Syrian employee has set off reactions of violence and intimidation that have kept Syrian children out of school. By Sunniva Rose
Jerusalem still trending topic on social media in Mideast Activists around the Arab world have used social media to protest US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. By Daoud Kuttab In Amman, reporting on Palestinian politics
Was Trump's Jerusalem declaration a honey trap? The presentation of a serious US blueprint for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations on a permanent status arrangement is the only hope of saving the peace process. By Akiva Eldar
Syrian Kurds press on with elections despite divisions Kurds supporting self-rule in Syria have two elections down and one to go in their march toward a federalist government, although not everyone in the territory is on board. By Sardar Mullah Darwish
Egyptian women get inheritance rights The Egyptian parliament passed a law guaranteeing women’s rights to inheritance, which was widely welcomed, especially by women in Upper Egypt. By Ayah Aman In Cairo, reporting on politics and culture
Putin's visit to Egypt inspires hope for growth in Cairo Egypt could be seeing the revival of an otherwise lackluster alliance with Russia, a potential relationship that has much to offer both sides. By Sergey Balmasov
Sudan-born model exposes blight of racism in Egypt Sudan-born model Fatima Ali began speaking out four years ago against the daily racism she faces in Egypt and is compiling her writing on the subject into a book. By Menna A. Farouk
Award-winning Palestinian cartoonist takes dig at Trump Mohammad Sabaneeh, Palestine's controversial caricaturist, has published a book with his cartoons that has been collecting awards at home and abroad. By Ahmad Melhem In Ramallah, reporting on politics
Erdogan, Putin strike diplomatic pose in Ankara Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan met today in Ankara, where grandstanding alongside Putin is helping cement Erdogan’s image as a Muslim leader with a real hand in global affairs. By Amberin Zaman In London, reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Ahmadinejad moves to target influential Iranian political family Iran’s former president appears to target the judiciary chief and the parliament speaker in a bid to regain political relevance. By Saeid Jafari
What was on the agenda for British foreign secretary's Iran visit? Boris Johnson becomes the first British foreign secretary to visit Iran since 2015. By Al-Monitor Staff