Turkey’s national booze under government siege On top of sky-high taxes on liquor, the Turkish government has moved to thwart the home brewing of raki, the much-coveted national booze. By Mehmet Cetingulec
Tailored classes ease Syrian kids' transition to Egypt Supplemental classes and alternative schools are popping up all over Egypt to help smooth the transition of displaced Syrian students. By Ahmed Aleem
Tunisians fear another bread revolution Tunisians took to the streets to protest the government’s state budget and austerity measures, leading to violent clashes that raised concerns about a repeat of the bread riots of the 1980s. By Amel al-Hilali
Netanyahu plays the victim card, again Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has managed to shift the public's focus from his son Yair's nauseating behavior to trying to legislate the ability of workers to make recordings of government ministers. By Mazal Mualem In Tel Aviv, reporting on politics
Israeli settlers use cemeteries to gain foothold on land The decision to bury terror victim Rabbi Raziel Shevach in the unauthorized West Bank outpost where he lived serves the settlers’ agenda of establishing facts on the ground. By Shlomi Eldar
Egypt to switch to cash subsidies instead of bread The Egyptian Ministry of Supply’s plan to shift from in-kind bread subsidies to cash subsidies triggered controversy amid fears of an increase in the rate of inflation. By Ahmed Gomaa
The Palestinian village with only three residents While all of the inhabitants of the town of Shoshahla left under Israeli threats, three people have returned and continue to cling to their land and refuse to leave a second time. By Ibrahim Abdelhadi
Syrian Druze wary of Hezbollah, Iranian presence Since the Syrian war erupted, Iran has been trying to gain a foothold in Syria, most recently in the south, which includes trying to win over the local Druze community. By Mona Alami
Hamas' Meshaal re-emerges with Maghreb tour The former head of Hamas’ political bureau, Khaled Meshaal, paid official visits to Mauritania and Morocco, a sign of the movement’s efforts to shore up support in the region. By Adnan Abu Amer
Border dispute among many straws weighing on Egypt's back Egypt has upped its game in, and its claim to, the Halayeb triangle border area, as Cairo's relationship with Sudan heats up. By Rami Galal
US caught in crossfire amid flaring Jordan-Saudi tensions US Vice President Mike Pence will face flaring tensions between Saudi Arabia and Jordan over Amman’s alleged ouster of royals close to Riyadh during his upcoming trip to the region. By Jack Detsch
Macron slams door on Erdogan's EU ambitions The Turkish public's strong desire for its country to join the EU could eventually have political implications for its president, who just returned from Europe empty-handed — again. By Cengiz Candar
Erdogan: No extradition to US until Turkey gets Gulen Turkey has announced it will suspend extraditions to the United States until Washington produces Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen as US-Turkish relations continue to circle the drain. By Amberin Zaman In London, reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Leaked video reveals new details about election of Iran's supreme leader A leaked video from 1989 shows how Ali Khamenei became supreme leader of Iran. By Al-Monitor Staff
Europe takes center stage as Iran weighs response to Trump Though suspicion and mistrust lingers, Iran maintains hope that Europe will resist US pressure to torpedo the nuclear deal. By Saeid Jafari
Turkey calls on Russia, Iran to get Syrian army under control The Syrian army's attacks against armed groups at Idlib could ignite tensions between Russia and Turkey. By Fehim Tastekin In Paris, reporting on Turkish politics