An artist's 'explosive' works convey hope amid death in Syria Akram Swedaan, an artist displaced from eastern Gouta, opposes war by transforming ammunition into canvases to create works of art. Syria
Iraqi Kurds actively support Ankara’s fight against the PKK Spurred by the killing of a Turkish Consulate staffer in Erbil last month, the Iraqi Kurdish administration is stepping up its cooperation with Turkey to rein in PKK activities in northern Iraq. Turkey
Egypt's Sisi taking his time picking vice president Egyptians are speculating about why the president has yet to appoint a vice president to fill in for him if necessary. Egypt
Feuding Syrian Kurdish political blocs dance around rapprochement As French and US initiatives for intra-Kurdish rapprochement in Syria stall, it seems that piecemeal defections from the Kurdish National Council to the Kurdish autonomous administration in the north of the country are the rule of the day. Syria
Beats for women: Turkey's star hijabi DJ leads dance revolution Turkey's popular DJ Safir says women love the freedom of her all-female shows regardless of their politics or ideology. Turkey
Egyptian army displaces northern Sinai residents Residents of northern Sinai continue to be forcefully evicted from their homes under the pretext of securing the area, while President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is widening the powers of the army. Egypt
Astana talks show Russia eager to keep plugging away at Idlib The new round of Syria talks in Kazakhstan produced a cease-fire in Idlib and the promise for a constitutional committee due to be announced in September, but will all of this ultimately happen? Syria
Iraq’s ever-increasing enforced disappearances The number of forcibly disappeared persons in Iraq remains significant, amid no serious measures from the Iraqi government to address the issue. Iraq
Division threatens Islamic Dawa after Maliki’s reelection The Islamic Dawa Party could on the verge of division after the reelection of Nouri al Maliki as its secretary-general; however, many party leaders see the party as continuing to be a strong and unified one. Iraq
Tinderbox: Israeli military attacks in Iraq could complicate US strategy in Middle East Washington may need to draw some red lines to protect its larger regional interests. Iraq
Is positive sentiment toward Israel on the rise in Iraq? After an Iraqi ambassador made seemingly friendly comments about Israel, Iraqi politicians have made it known that Iraq will not stand for normalization. Iraq
Why Iran's Reformists are disillusioned with one of their own The political maneuvering of Reformist leader Mohammad Reza Aref has already cost him a bid for the presidency two years before the race begins. Iran
Mediation rejected as Algeria’s protests march on Algeria’s army chief Lt. Gen. Ahmed Gaid Salah rejected conditions put forth by protesters for talks to end the political crisis; the conditions include the release of people arrested during the demonstrations and the removal of checkpoints erected around the capital, Algiers. Algeria
A questionable apology The sincerity of Ehud Barak's public apology to Israel's Arab community for 13 deaths at the hands of the police in 2000 has come under attack given its openly political nature. Palestine
Netanyahu prepares for elections, makes diplomatic push Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu believes that supporting US President Donald Trump’s "deal of the century" by granting Palestinians 715 construction permits could help him ahead of the elections and for the composition of a future government. Saudi Arabia
Egypt flips its wig over cost of imported cosmetics Economists say Egypt's trade balance needs to be reduced, and some see one way of doing this by reducing imports of cosmetics and wigs. Egypt
