Women fill leading roles in Egypt’s Ramadan TV series Egyptian cinema was considered a pioneer in featuring strong female characters 50 years ago; is this trend making a comeback in Ramadan TV series now? By N.A. Hussein
Turkey’s de-escalation efforts around Idlib come with risks Turkey has erected its final observation post in the Idlib region, but many unknowns and potential hazards remain. By Metin Gurcan
Tunisian women win at polls but long road remains Although a significant number of women won in the May 6 municipal elections in Tunisia, female politicians still have a long way to go to make it to the presidency. By Mohamed Ali Ltifi
After calls to change the Quran, Turkey moves to ban all things French President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s anger over a French manifesto on changing the Quran failed to generate outrage among the Turkish public, but did result in decisions on education policy harmful to Turkish students. By Pinar Tremblay
Fatah accuses Hamas of manipulating border crossings Since Palestinian protesters set the Kerem Shalom border crossing on fire, there's been speculation that Hamas is trying to replace that Israeli-controlled passage with the Rafah crossing in Egypt. By Rasha Abou Jalal In Gaza City, reporting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Egyptian director's debut film honored at Cannes The touching low-budget Egyptian film "Yomeddine" took the Francois Chalais Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. By Ahmed Fouad
The growing power of Tunisia's labor union As the Tunisian General Labor Union works to achieve the demands of Tunisian employees, it faces accusations of overpowering the government. By Hanen Jebli
Can YouTube series compete with Egypt TV dramas during Ramadan? A group of Egyptian actors known for their award-winning play "1980 and Above" try their hand at a Ramadan series on YouTube. By Youssra el-Sharkawy
What did Putin mean by withdrawing 'foreign armed forces' from Syria? Netanyahu leaves his troubles behind. By Week in Review
Nuclear weapons treaty exit on table as Iran gauges EU action on deal Prior to the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal, Iran had hinted that it may leave the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in response. That threat now seems closer to becoming a reality. By Saeid Jafari
Syria talks involve many cooks — and many kitchens As would-be peacemakers wrapped up another round of talks in Kazakhstan, organizers announced the next negotiations on Syria will be held in Russia. By Anton Mardasov
Israel uses Facebook to reach out to Iraqis The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs has launched a Facebook page to strengthen the Iraqi-Israeli relationship. By Adnan Abu Zeed
Turkey and Israel: Barking, biting, but still doing business The ties between Israel and Turkey are being strained and stretched, but they aren't likely to snap as long as both sides benefit from the relationship. By Cengiz Candar
Sadr alliance's win spurs hope among Baghdad poor Baghdad's poor, many of whom voted for Muqtada al-Sadr’s Sairoon Alliance, hope that the election result will lead to an improvement of their daily lives. By Shelly Kittleson
Israel’s policies threaten to spark religious war Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s settlement policies and President Donald Trump’s decisions on the nuclear deal and the American Embassy play into the hands of religious zealots in Iran and in the Gaza Strip. By Uri Savir
Israel’s finance minister ready for early elections For Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, data showing housing prices falling represents a personal and public accomplishment and a political victory. By Mazal Mualem In Tel Aviv, reporting on politics