Why Abbas risks an economic collapse of the PA Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to soon implement the law on deducting terrorists’ salaries, yet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas knows that on the day he stops payments, the Palestinians themselves will bring him down. By Shlomi Eldar
Are Metro suicides sign that Egyptians are losing hope? A spate of metro suicides in Egypt has been a wake-up call for the authorities, alerting them to the growing discontent in the country. By Shahira Amin
Erdogan: 'Nothing will stop us' if Syrian Kurds do not leave Manbij Turkish president intensifies warnings as US exits Syria; Islamic Jihad bends Hamas to its will; Amberin Zaman reports on Tunisia’s returning jihadis. By Week in Review
Revolution at 40: Qom seminary at crossroads over clergy’s future in Iran On the 40th anniversary of the Iranian Revolution, the Qom seminary is torn in a struggle that may very well once again decide the future of Iran. By Rohollah Faghihi
Revolution at 40: Have Iranian regional policies come full circle? Forty years after the Islamic Revolution, the shah’s view of Iran and its role in the region is paradoxically echoed in the foreign policy debate by those with a more revolutionary perspective. By Nasser Hadian
Russia is 'clear eyed' about its Mideast policy Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin discusses the results of his latest tour around the Middle East and Russia’s vision for key regional issues, including Israeli-Iranian frictions, Idlib and the buffer zone in Syria. By Marianna Belenkaya
Revolution at 40: Same old structural problems still plague Iran While the Islamic Republic can pride itself on improvement on literacy and poverty, 40 years after its Islamic Revolution, Iran is still struggling with many of the structural deficiencies that plagued the country under the shah. By Bijan Khajehpour In Vienna, reporting on Iranian politics
Revolution at 40: IRGC turns to new nationalism to win over Iranian millennials The rise of the Islamic State has provided the IRGC with an opportunity and platform to project a new form of nationalism that portrays it as the defender of Iran. By Mahsa Rouhi
What fate awaits Tunisia's returning jihadis? As one of the top countries of origin for foreign IS recruits, Tunisia has struggled to address domestic threats of returning jihadis and how to de-radicalize these youths. By Amberin Zaman In London, reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Al-Azhar considers opening Fine Arts Faculty Al-Azhar is reported to be researching the possibility of adding a fine arts faculty to its string of institutions. By Salwa Samir In Giza, reporting on politics
Why residents of Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah face eviction Eleven families are about to be thrown out of their home in Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood to make room for settlers. By Ahmad Melhem In Ramallah, reporting on politics
Will Warsaw summit unite US, EU against Iran? Despite a likely Western European snub in terms of level of representation, the Warsaw summit holds the possibility of being a starting point for a European-American consensus against Iran down the line, potentially depriving Tehran of even the minimum benefits of the nuclear deal. By Heidarali Masoudi
Egypt moves against synthetic narcotics The Egyptian Cabinet approved new amendments to a drug law in light of a surge in the use of new kinds of drugs. By Menna A. Farouk
Children no longer need to leave Gaza for cancer treatment Cancer patients welcome a new cancer ward in Gaza and hope it will ease the travel pains of hundreds of Palestinian child patients and their families. By Daoud Kuttab In Amman, reporting on Palestinian politics
Increase in Egyptian pound's value surprises Cairo currency traders A recent strengthening of the Egyptian pound against the US dollar is likely to be followed by a weakening of the pound in the coming months, experts say. By Ahmed Youness
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham driving out activists from areas it controls in Syria Since defeating its military opponents in parts of Syria, extremist organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has been forcing influential individuals to leave as well. By Khaled al-Khateb