Hamas leaders opt for gradual cease-fire Hamas leaders refuse to stop the campaign against Israel of incendiary kites and balloons all at once, lest it be perceived as admitting to failure. Palestine
Is Iran’s youngest minister biting off more than he can chew? Iran's minister of communications and information technology is advancing the agenda of his transparency initiative, but Iranian officials are pushing back. Iran
Homemade beauty remedies mean ugly business in Gaza Desperate for income, many Gaza women are selling homemade beauty products without letting obstacles like testing or permits get in their way. Palestine
Turkey wary of US-Russia deal on Syria Ankara is increasingly concerned that Washington is working with Moscow to secure an accord for northern Syria between the Bashar al-Assad regime and the Kurds. Syria
Erdogan makes major security changes as he starts new term Turkey is redesigning its security structure to be compatible with the newly established executive presidency, but some questions have yet to be answered. Turkey
Palestinians pin hopes on Irish efforts against Israeli imports Palestinians are hoping an Irish bill that would ban imports of products from occupied territories will help launch a unified European stance against Israeli settlements. Palestine
Why Irish sanctions on settlement products don't scare Israel An Irish parliament decision to advance sanctions legislation against imported settlement products has minimal economic consequences, but one would not know that based on the response of the Israeli government. Palestine
Iraq struggles to provide war orphans with identities The living victims of the war in Iraq against the Islamic State include children whose parents were killed or can't be identified. Iraq
Play challenges deadly Egyptian wedding night tradition A daring new play called "Wedding Night" casts a critical eye on Egypt's archaic traditions that make some young couples' wedding nights a nightmare. Egypt
Trade unions unify in Syria's rebel-held north A group of opposition-affiliated trade unions in Aleppo’s countryside announce the formation of the Federation of Free Syndicates to enhance the role of syndicates in supporting local councils. Syria
What’s next for Syria after Helsinki summit? The meeting between the Russian and US presidents did as little for the Middle East as it possibly could, though the two leaders seemed to identify Syria as a good place to rebuild US-Russian cooperation. Israel
Iraqi protests escalate with no new government in sight Cities throughout southern Iraq are witnessing violent demonstrations, and the government has failed thus far to address citizens' demands and stop the protests. Iraq
Israel frees Turkish woman accused of terror-related smuggling The release of a Turkish woman charged with smuggling in Israel marks an upturn in Turkey’s volatile relations with Israel, but analysts warn that the two countries' motivations for friendship — cynical business interests — can only do so much to keep the tension at bay. Israel
Turkmens see chance to expand influence in Kirkuk With Kurdish peshmerga gone, and Kirkuk back under Baghdad's authority, Turkmens in the province feel their time might have arrived. Turkey
Child tragedies reignite death penalty calls in Turkey A string of cases in which missing children were found dead has reignited calls to reinstate the death penalty in Turkey, but some see political motives behind the outcry. Turkey
Khamenei: Iran must expand ties with East as well as West In a meeting with members of the Cabinet, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei emphasized the need for Iran to expand ties with both Eastern and Western nations. United States
