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. By Maxim A. Suchkov
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. By Menna A. Farouk
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. By Osama Al Sharif
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. By Bryant Harris In Washington, reporting on 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. By Amberin Zaman In London, reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
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. By Mustafa Sonmez In Istanbul, reporting on economics
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. By Ali Mamouri
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. By Murat Erdin
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. By Semih Idiz
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. By Mohsen Shariatinia
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. By Al-Monitor Staff
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. By Mazal Mualem In Tel Aviv, reporting on politics
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." By Ahmed Fouad
Hamas focused on ending the blockade Hamas repeats the same strategy of violent demonstrations that it has used before in order to put pressure on Israel and Egypt to ease the Gaza blockade. By Shlomi Eldar
Gaza response shows Israel hasn’t learned from the past The Israeli government’s handling of the demonstrations on the Gaza border this week by using live fire against the protesters illustrates the continued blindness of its decision-makers. By Akiva Eldar
Will new US sanctions affect Iran’s support for Hamas? While some believe new US sanctions will affect Iran’s economy and subsequently its financial support for Palestinian factions, others say this support is atop Iran’s priorities and won't stop. By Ahmad Abu Amer