Zarif’s defense of Iran's missile program draws praise on social media Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif made a splash on social media with his defense of his country’s missile program and other policies at the Munich Security Conference. Iran
Jordanians see Israel as only winner at Warsaw summit While Jordan doesn't want to align itself too closely with Washington's anti-Iran coalition, the kingdom's reliance on Washington for aid was likely behind its attendance at the Poland summit. Palestine
Qatar pledges to keep money pipeline open to Gaza Strip Qatar seems adamant about continuing its financial support to the Gaza Strip, disregarding the Palestinian Authority’s resentment. Qatar
Egypt’s Pan-African road marks millennial milestone for development Egypt announced the completion of its segment of the Alexandria-Cape Town Road, which it is hoped will boost economies, trade and tourism the length of the African continent. Egypt
Hamas leadership woos Egypt's top imam A Hamas delegation recently met with Al-Azhar officials in Egypt, where the movement received support for the Palestinian cause. Palestine
Turkey’s agricultural decline drags down related industries The alarming decline in Turkey’s agriculture, the core reason behind soaring food prices, is having a spillover effect on agro-industries, especially the food and beverage sector as well as other industries that manufacture inputs for the agricultural sector. Turkey
From refuge to recreation, Kurdish hikers rediscover their mountains In the last decade, Iraqi Kurdistan has experienced a boom in mountaineering and hiking groups who weather challenging conditions including land mines and drone strikes to enjoy and reconnect with their mountainous homeland. Iraqi-Kurdistan
Iraqi Kurdistan still working out kinks in new parliament After several months of stalemate, Iraqi Kurdistan's two ruling parties announced this month a draft agreement on how to share power for the next four years — but the deal is already fraying. Iraqi-Kurdistan
New START withdrawal would ease path for bomber sale to Israel Debate over whether to renew the 2009 nuclear treaty with Russia could have implications for US defense ties with Israel. Israel
Moscow keeps calm with Palestinian reconciliation, undermines Trump's 'deal of the century' Palestinian factions failed to reconcile during the Moscow meeting, but Russia didn't come away empty-handed. Palestine
Why Iran’s service startups scream for workers despite jobs crisis Despite a national jobs crisis, Iran’s online service providers are finding it hard to hire staff on account of a combination of old mentalities toward employment and the novelties of new working conditions. Iran
Patients left without medicine amid Turkey’s economic woes Turkey's economic turmoil, coupled with restrictive government regulations, has led pharmaceutical companies to curb supplies, with 20% of patients returning empty-handed from drugstores, according to sector representatives. Turkey
Cairo metro drillings put heritage buildings at risk Construction work on Cairo's third metro line caused cracks in the heritage building that houses El-Galaa Hospital, and residents wonder if more old buildings are at risk. Egypt
Baghdad defends advantages of Iraq-Jordan agreement from critics Iraq's recent agreement to exchange Iraqi discounted oil with imported goods from Jordan free of customs fees has stirred the outrage of Iraqis. Iraq
Iraq bulks up border presence as IS escapees try to enter Iraqi forces have sent reinforcements to the border area and are engaging in nightly artillery strikes on IS positions in eastern Syria ahead of an expected US pullout in the near future. Iraq
