Iran, India eye closer cooperation amid tensions with Pakistan Rising tensions between Iran and Pakistan is pushing decision-makers in Tehran and New Delhi closer to each other, with potentially far-reaching consequences for the region. By Mahmoud Pargoo
Inside the prison holding IS detainees in northeast Syria Al-Monitor was the first Western media outlet to be granted access to the maximum security detention center in Derik, Syria, where many foreigners caught fighting for the Islamic State await their fate. By Amberin Zaman In London, reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Turkey’s incredible algorithm designed to root out Gulenists Turkey is expanding its use of software that analyzes an exhaustive array of aspects of people's lives to determine whether they might be members of the Gulenist movement. By Metin Gurcan
Could Egypt turn into police state with new law proposal? In a move described by human rights activists as further restriction on people’s freedom, the Egyptian government agreed to a proposal to force landlords to report their tenants' information to the police. By Mohammed Magdy In Berlin, reporting on Egyptian politics
Brexit teaches Israel, Palestinians lesson on interim agreements With Brexit complicating the 1998 Northern Ireland Good Friday agreement, Israel and the Palestinians must beware of holding onto an interim agreement and not reaching a final one. By Yossi Beilin
Al-Azhar sheikh labels polygamy as unjust, stirs controversy Egypt’s grand imam of Al-Azhar, Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, provoked controversy in Egypt by saying that polygamy can do “injustice to women and children.” By Ahmed Aleem
Palestinian elections could prove promising or impossible It's hard to tell whether Palestinian elections will help heal the Hamas-Fatah divide, as some people hope, or if the divide will prevent elections from even happening. By Ahmad Abu Amer
The social toll of Turkey’s emergency rule Turkey’s state of emergency ended last year, but its victims continue to suffer, with many entertaining suicidal thoughts or aspiring to leave the country, according to a recent survey. By Sibel Hurtas
How dominant is Netanyahu’s son in his father’s campaign? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s son Yair seems to be extremely involved in his father’s election campaign, stirring it in his aggressive and insulting style. By Shlomi Eldar
Israel's Blue and White revamps campaign as numbers drop The Blue and White Party is marketed to the public as a kind of joint leadership of the left and right, but it undermines Benny Gantz' image as the one candidate strong enough to challenge Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. By Mazal Mualem In Tel Aviv, reporting on politics
Gaza rockets shake Tel Aviv, Netanyahu It seems that the Hamas leadership did not order rocket fire on Tel Aviv, but this does not diminish the embarrassment and stress caused to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right before the elections. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Trump officials warn more Iran sanctions are coming State and Treasury department experts today warned a roomful of businesspeople that trade that is legal now may not be in the near future. By Barbara Slavin
Iraqi Kurds urge their Syrian cousins to make peace with Damascus Al-Monitor speaks with Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani about Iraqi Kurdistan's relationship with Baghdad, trade with Iran and why Turkey must negotiate with the PKK. By Amberin Zaman In London, reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Iranian media: Sistani's meeting with Rouhani endorsement of ‘moderation’ President Hassan Rouhani’s audience with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani signaled an approval of the president’s moderate positions both at home and abroad, according to Iranian media. By Al-Monitor Staff