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. Iraq
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. Palestine
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. Israel
Assad in surprise Sochi visit as Russia continues Iran-Israel mediation Following a meeting between Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Sochi, Putin's comments that "foreign armed forces" will withdraw from Syria have left those involved guessing what it means. Syria
Egypt’s animal-drawn cart owners struggle as government crackdown intensifies Some animal-drawn cart owners are finding it hard to make ends meet as the Egyptian government intensifies its crackdown against them as part of its campaign to fight traffic congestion in Cairo. Egypt
Jordan's political parties see uncertain future The loss incurred by Islamists in Jordan’s second largest union, the Engineers Association, suggests a general loss in confidence by Jordanian voters in Islamist political parties. Jordan
Iran war concerns complicate use of force debate on Capitol Hill Congressional efforts to update the president’s powers to fight terrorists are running into resistance from Democrats worried about the administration’s hawkish turn. Congress
Armenian-Turkish lawmaker targeted as Erdogan courts far-right Ethnic Armenian lawmaker Garo Paylan is facing charges of "insulting the Turkish nation" and its president as Turkish prosecutors work to revoke his parliamentary immunity from prosecution. Turkey
Turkey welcomes back foreign cash, no questions asked Scrambling to ease a bruising hard currency crunch, the Turkish government has enacted a wealth amnesty bill that opens the door to the repatriation of shadowy money from abroad. Turkey
Iraqi election results leave Iran scrambling to preserve influence Iran is pushing its allies in Iraq, particularly the State of Law Coalition and the Fatah coalition, to form the largest bloc in the parliament in order to prevent Muqtada al-Sadr from leading the formation of the new government, which would affect Tehran's influence in the country. Iraq
Syrian family finds shelter, job in Mardin church In the multicultural city of Mardin, a Syrian refugee made her life taking care of a church. Turkey
Turkish-Israeli gap widens with bitter exchanges Turkey’s ties with Israel could be heading for a historic breakdown as tensions with the United States groan under ever greater weight. Palestine
Why China may not come to Iran’s rescue While China remains committed to the implementation of the nuclear deal with Iran, the extent of its economic interaction with the Islamic Republic may be limited by US sanctions. United States
Iran’s communication minister decries blocking of Telegram app Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has remained publicly optimistic despite the minor crises piling up for his administration. Iran
Israeli art students protest Gaza killing Israeli Science Minister Ofir Akunis, displeased with artwork by students at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design commemorating the 62 Palestinians recently killed by the IDF in Gaza, is denying all students from the school the opportunity to present artworks at an upcoming conference. Palestine
French group's manifesto against Quran draws rebuttals in Egypt A French group's call for removing some Quranic verses prompted responses ranging from "Ignore it and it'll go away" to "Go to hell." Egypt
