Music for martyrs: AUC highlights songs of 1919 revolution A hundred years after Egypt’s 1919 revolution led to the country's formal independence from Britain, the American University in Cairo paid homage to the artistic legacy of the revolution with the songs of Sayed Darwish. By Jacob Wirtschafter
Russian forces will defend Manbij 'the minute Americans leave' The Manbij Military Council and Russian commanders have made a verbal agreement over who will defend Manbij when the United States leaves, and Turkey is not part of the equation. By Amberin Zaman In London, reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Can joint Turkey-Iran action against PKK be real? Turkey’s wish for a joint operation with Iran against the outlawed Kurdish militants along the Turkish-Iranian border is back on the agenda once again, but how realistic is it? Experts believe it is not. By Mahmut Bozarslan
Parliament bill may not prevent US troops from staying in Iraq Iraq is smack in the middle of a tug of war between the United States and Iran for influence in the Mideast and faces some tough decisions. By Farhad Alaaldin
Why Turkey’s export rise is hard to sustain A heavy reliance on imported inputs to manufacture goods for export casts a shadow on Turkey’s hype about headway in foreign trade. By Mustafa Sonmez In Istanbul, reporting on economics
How Turkey's local elections became 'matter of national survival' The continuing deterioration of Turkey's economy and the fact that the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) has refrained from entering candidates in local elections in the country's west, where the HDP is supporting other opposition parties, could result in the ruling party’s loss of some larger cities, which could lead to early general elections. By Orhan Kemal Cengiz
Iranian human rights lawyer said to receive 38 years in prison According to her husband, Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh has been sentenced to 148 lashes as well as 38 years in prison, an extraordinarily long time even by the Islamic Republic’s standards. By Al-Monitor Staff
Local intelligence key to Anbar anti-IS operations As Islamic State fighters flee eastern Syria, Iraqi forces in the Anbar desert are conducting operations to rout out remaining fighters. By Shelly Kittleson
Why Algerian protesters aren't satisfied with Bouteflika's latest 'concession' After protesters rejected President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s offer to step down after one year should he be re-elected, his latest announcement that he will extend his fourth term is being met with more anger. By Simon Speakman Cordall
Record corruption scandal puts spotlight on Iranians in Iran, US The revelation of perhaps the biggest corruption scandal in Iranian history has exposed domestic political fault lines and is already reverberating as far away as Washington, DC. By Rohollah Faghihi
Kushner's clues to peace deal raise more questions than answers White House senior adviser Jared Kushner recently talked about the administration's long-awaited Mideast peace plan, saying Gaza and the West Bank must be united under one leadership, which raised speculation and doubt in Palestinian circles. By Adnan Abu Amer
Israel’s Central Election Committee, at the service of the right? Members of the Central Election Committee knew that their disqualification of certain candidates was a mere formality, which is why they took the liberty of inflicting a blow on democracy and minority rights By Danny Zaken In Ma'ale HaHamisha, reporting on Israel
Would Israeli unity government advance Trump’s plan? The Likud Party prefers a broad coalition after the election, and only Blue and White could present that potential. By Yossi Beilin
Do clothes make the woman? An Iranian artist's search for identity The works of Mona Hakimi-Schueler, an Iranian artist based in Berlin, depicts Iranian women not as victims but strong individuals whether in a hijab, summer dress or armor. By Zahra Alipour
Russia's plan for IS returnees no better than that of others Moscow criticizes the Europeans for refusing to assume their share of responsibility for their nationals who ended up with the Islamic State, but Russia's own practice is flawed, too. By Anton Mardasov