Delay looks likely for Iraq elections, currently set for May Iraq may wind up postponing its elections, currently set for the spring, because the legislature's lengthy struggle to pass a new elections law has extended beyond a constitutional deadline. Not everyone would be upset by a delay. By Omar Sattar
Is corruption in Turkey so commonplace even journalists are inured? Despite strict rules and regulations, freebies and moonlighting have become the norm in Turkish media, and offenders go without any sort of legal or punitive action. By Pinar Tremblay
The stench of garbage crisis returns to Lebanon In a recent report, Human Rights Watch warns of the dire consequences of decades of open-air trash burning. By Sunniva Rose
Can Saudis tempt Moscow into pushing Iran from Syria? Saudi Arabia has given up on ousting President Bashar al-Assad and is now hoping to convince Russia to deny Iran a presence in Syria. By Ali Bakeer
Netanyahu on damage control after right-hand man interrogated Now that coalition chair David Bitan has been grilled by the police in the course of their investigation into the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu will have to find another strongman to rein in his coalition. By Mazal Mualem In Tel Aviv, reporting on politics
Could settlers stay in a future Palestinian state? The violence by settlers against Palestinian farmers indicates why settlers cannot stay and live inside a future Palestinian state. By Akiva Eldar
Turkey pays homage to 'ceramicist for the people' The "Fureya Koral Retrospective" in Istanbul shows how a pioneering artist reinterpreted ceramics, a traditional Turkish craft, to create murals in the new republic. By Nazlan Ertan In Izmir, reporting on culture
Russia investigation casts shadow over Kushner's Mideast peace push In a rare public appearance, the president's senior adviser Jared Kushner discussed the Trump administration's "ultimate deal" for Palestinian and Israeli peace. By Laura Rozen
US weapons pour into Lebanon amid turmoil The Pentagon is sending armed helicopters to help Lebanon fend off terrorists despite budgetary and political uncertainty. By Jack Detsch
Saleh killed in Yemen following peace overture; UAE denies Houthi missile claim Iranian media report, but the UAE denies, that the Houthis fired a missile toward Abu Dhabi over the weekend in response to a Saudi-brokered deal to return former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh to power; Saleh was killed Dec. 4. By Al-Monitor Staff
The real reason Iranian media is fixated on Zarrab case Reza Zarrab’s testimony in a US court is attracting the attention of Iranian media because he has been linked to an Iranian billionaire who siphoned off Iranian oil money in Iran's sanctions evasion scheme. By Rohollah Faghihi
SDF commander's claims of Turkish allegiance raise eyebrows Talal Silo, the former spokesman of the Syrian Democratic Forces, claims to have defected to Turkey and continues to offer contradictory accusations that the US-backed group was established as a cover for US support for Kurdish terror groups. By Amberin Zaman In London, reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Will Trump recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital? The Palestinians rushed to send Intelligence Chief Majid Faraj to Washington for fear that President Trump would declare Jerusalem to be Israel’s capital city. By Shlomi Eldar
Nightclubs, cafes still risky business for Iraqi women Young women working in Iraq's nightclubs, casinos and even cafes often find themselves at the mercy of unscrupulous business owners and even mafiosos, in addition to suffering from public condemnation and little government protection. By Adnan Abu Zeed
Israel, Iran duel on Syrian soil The growing presence of Iran in Syria, combined with attacks against a missile plant and a base for Iranian forces, indicate that Israel and Iran are practically already at war. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Ankara pressed to explain $30 billion refugee bill Turkey’s opposition is piling up pressure on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his government to provide a transparent account of the $30 billion that Ankara says it has been spent on Syrian refugees. By Zulfikar Dogan