Why Turkey's rappers can no longer stay silent In a 15-minute-long song aptly titled "#ICannotBeSilent," Turkish rappers take turns expressing their woes on issues such as justice, freedom, environment, abuse and exile. Turkey
Egyptian woman's egg-freeze decision creates debate on taboo subject A woman's public confession that she had her eggs frozen has shocked Egypt and prompted public debate about an issue rarely discussed in the highly conservative society. Egypt
Struggle for water continues in Palestine’s Jordan Valley Israel seems to be trying to drive Palestinians out of the Jordan Valley by denying them access to water. Palestine
Putin can’t save Erdogan from Idlib quagmire The Russian president ultimately sees Bashar al-Assad as the solution to Turkey’s border crisis, but is playing a long game. Syria
Is UFC champion Nurmagomedov 'new face' of Russian soft power in Mideast? Khabib Nurmagomedov is the first Russian to hold a UFC champion title, but there's more to it when it comes to the Middle East. Russia
Will PMU form an air force unit? Iran-backed PMU factions are trying to form a PMU air force unit with Iranian support, but the top PMU leader says no. Iraq
Children even fair game in Israel’s election campaign Right-wing politicians are either silent or support the expulsion of Filipino mothers and their Israel-born children. Israel
The interplay between exchange rates and inflation in Iran While the Iranian rial has strengthened against the dollar, inflation remains high, and the budget deficit is not helping the matter. Iran
Crisis-hit Turkey suffers erosion in investments Turkey’s economic downturn has been marked by a dramatic decline in investments, both private and public, bearing heavily on joblessness. Turkey
Failure to reign in Idlib jihadists makes trouble for Turkey A year after the Sochi agreement, the situation in Syria’s northwest remains as tense as ever. Syria
Saudi-led coalition kills own fighters in prison airstrike Many of those killed by Saudi-backed forces in an assault on a Houthi-run detention facility in Yemen were prisoners loyal to the Saudi-led alliance. Saudi Arabia
Palestinians see Greenblatt resignation as sign of failure for US Mideast vision While most Palestinians believe the resignation of Jason Greenblatt is a sign of failure, some argue the Trump policy will not change. Palestine
Hezbollah, Israel opt for de-escalation Both the Lebanese Hezbollah movement and Israel seemed to be avoiding confrontation despite the latest round of violence. Israel
Jewish heritage in the West Bank, a tool of Israel’s right Education Minister Rafi Peretz announced that he plans to expand school trips to Jewish heritage sites in the West Bank, generating angry reactions from politicians from the center-left. Palestine
Will Greenblatt’s resignation hurt Netanyahu? Seniors in the Netanyahu government regret the resignation of US special envoy Jason Greenblatt, whom Jerusalem considers an ally within the Trump administration. Palestine
US waives human rights rules to send military aid to Egypt The State Department has authorized the release of $1.3 billion in aid to Egypt despite human rights concerns from US lawmakers, Al-Monitor has learned. Egypt
