Erdogan assumes office, vast new powers Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan has become the country's first executive president, and his first order of business seems to be building global legitimacy for himself and his "New Turkey." By Amberin Zaman In London, reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Israel prepares for Assad’s return to the border Israeli security experts claim that the return of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to the Golan Heights is not necessarily bad news for Israel. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Congress rebukes Lebanon over Syrian refugee transfers Congress is asking the State Department to weigh in on Lebanon’s dispute with the UN refugee agency as it seeks to repatriate thousands of Syrian refugees. By Bryant Harris In Washington, reporting on Congress
How Trump is uniting Rouhani and Iran's Revolutionary Guards In a dramatic move, Quds Force commander Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani has publicly praised Iranian President Hassan Rouhani over his toughened rhetoric against the United States and Israel. By Rohollah Faghihi
Iranians outraged by Instagram dancer's forced confession In solidarity with arrested Instagram dancer Maedeh Hojabri, Iranians have begun to post their own videos dancing online. By Al-Monitor Staff
Why many Iraqi Kurds keep tradition of cockfighting alive Cockfighting in Iraq still provides many men with a nightly escape despite the efforts of animal welfare activists to ban blood sports. By Joshua Levkowitz
Iraqi Kurdistan's Movement for Change faces rebellion from within The Gorran movement is facing accusations of nepotism, as the two sons of the movement’s founder have gained ownership of its financial assets. By Fazel Hawramy (Iraq Pulse)
Syrian truce relieves pressure on Jordan's border Jordan pressured Syrian rebels to cede control of the southern province of Daraa and the strategic Nassib border crossing to Syria. By Osama Al Sharif
Egypt to build $11 billion petrochemical complex As Egypt invests in refining crude oil at home, domestic fuel prices continue to rise. By David Awad
Can dry hotels boost Tunisia's ailing tourism sector? In 2014, Tunisia had only one alcohol-free hotel. Now, as their number rises, the government is less than pleased. By Amel al-Hilali
Egyptian banks to forgive interest on certain loans The Central Bank of Egypt is willing to overlook the interest on some customers' loans to recover principal that otherwise might not be repaid. By Hagar Hosny
UNESCO recognizes ancient Stone Age temple in Turkey Southeastern Turkey's epic ruins of Gobeklitepe, possibly the world's first temple, has finally made it to UNESCO'S World Heritage List. By Giuseppe Mancini
Can Russia deliver on Trump’s hope of ousting Iran from Syria? In the run-up to the Putin-Trump summit, Russia weighs a possible deal with the United States on Syria, but can it deliver on Washington's vision of an Iran-free Syria? By Kirill Semenov
Rouhani goes on offense against critics, shady interests and ‘culture of opacity’ Iranian president presses ahead with anti-corruption agenda in response to political dissent and widening protests. By Week in Review
Iranian women's movement pushes for more rights, at its own pace Faced with calls for radical change from abroad, Iran's activists for women’s rights keep pushing their own agenda at home at their own pace. By Saeid Jafari
What's behind nationalist gains in Turkey’s Kurdish regions? As many struggle to explain the rise in the nationalist vote in Turkey’s Kurdish-majority southeast, some observers see the impact of police and military reinforcements in the region and the influence of the security establishment. By Sibel Hurtas