Iran's nuclear chief promises 'good news' on heavy water reactor As Iran’s third step in reducing its nuclear commitments approaches, the head of its atomic energy agency says that Iran's nuclear program is far from suspended. Iran
What's behind Rouhani's about-face on Trump meeting? While Iran’s president stated that he doesn't want to be part of a photo op for Trump, negotiations for saving the nuclear deal are still making progress. United States
Uighurs no longer feel safe in Turkey Despite the brotherhood accorded to them as kinsmen and coreligionists, Uighurs in Turkey increasingly live in fear of deportation to China. Turkey
US delay reflects fear in Netanyahu losing The Donald Trump administration has yet again delayed the announcement of its long-awaited peace plan for the Middle East, which some say is linked to the Israeli elections next month and fear of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu losing them. Israel
Iraqi decision to remove Shabak PMU from Ninevah Plains stirs conflict A dispute over the presence of Popular Mobilization Units in the Ninevah Plains raises concerns about the recurrence of conflict in the area. Iraq
Palestinian Authority must pay $3.61 million in torture case Israel recently collected several million dollars from Palestinian Authority funds to compensate Arab-Israelis wrongly arrested two decades ago. Palestine
Will Egypt's greenhouse project mark a leap in agricultural sector? The Egyptian army is behind a project to build thousands of greenhouses nationwide, which raised criticism over the army’s role in the agricultural sector. Egypt
Brotherhood detainees feel their leaders abandoned them A group of Muslim Brotherhood detainees have signed a letter from inside prison, asking the authorities to pardon them as they are ready to quit political work after feeling abandoned by the group’s leadership. Egypt
West Bank village courts tourists with eggplant, stone terraces A festival in the West Bank village of Battir celebrates the locally grown eggplant of the village known for its terraced cultivation of vines and olives. Palestine
Houthis tout missiles that down advanced US drones Yemen’s Houthi rebels recently downed a US drone and promised to do the same to any others that leave al-Qaeda areas. Yemen
How Jordan handled fuming crisis over cigarettes Residents of the border city of Ramtha in the north of Jordan have protested recently against new government measures to curb smuggling, which would further add to their economic burdens. Jordan
Can this documentary bring Iran its third Oscar? The documentary "Finding Farideh" has been chosen as Iran's submission in the international feature film category to the Academy Awards, but some argue that the movie does not fit the criteria. Iran
What really matters to Israeli Arab voters The problem that most concerns Israel's Palestinian citizens is personal safety, an issue on which the Blue and White could make significant positive contributions and in doing so attract Arab voters, potentially breaking the prevailing electoral deadlock with the right. Israel
Israel, Egypt, Hamas against global jihad Egypt considers Hamas to be a vital and integral partner in the war that it is waging with Israel against the international jihadist movement, its branches in the Sinai Peninsula and the Salafist cells that started flourishing in the Gaza Strip recently. Palestine
Pentagon may consider Turkey rejoining F-35 if it ditches Russian missile system Defense Secretary Mark Esper said today that the United States would “consider” letting Turkey back into the F-35 program if it got rid of the Russian S-400 system. Turkey
Despite heightened regional tensions, UAE seeks de-escalation with Iran The UAE government has been taking steps toward easing tensions with Iran as a safety precaution in the event of a major military conflict between Tehran and Washington. United Arab Emirates
