Who is responsible for the new wave of killings in Aden? It's hard to determine which side or sides are behind the latest wave of killings as a new round of military escalation looms in Yemen’s south, which has seen skirmishes in Abyan province between the two partners of the Saudi-led coalition. By Naseh Shaker
Yemen's shaky power-sharing pact faces uncertain future The agreement between Yemen's government and secessionist forces in the south has shown little progress since it was signed more than a month ago. By A correspondent in Yemen
Lebanon’s real estate sector crumbles along with dreams As Lebanon’s economic crisis devastates the housing sector, homeowners are faced with increasing payments and debt tied to the dollar and rising interest rates. By Sam Brennan
Sex workers fall victim to Israeli government paralysis Due to the paralysis of successive transitional governments in Israel, millions of shekels allocated to the Welfare Ministry to help sex workers get out of the business have gone unused and might therefore be returned to the Finance Ministry. By Danny Zaken In Ma'ale HaHamisha, reporting on Israel
Russia, US headed for new lows over terrorism, Syria Despite claims that the Russian foreign minister's visit to Washington was genial and productive, by the time Sergey Lavrov landed back in Moscow, some of the areas of potential cooperation had already grown more snarled. By Maxim A. Suchkov
Rouhani looks to Japan’s Abe to pick up where Macron left off Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who appears to be seeking a mediator for the US-Iranian relationship, next week will visit Japan, a country where Iran has a lot of frozen assets. By Laura Rozen
Senate recognizes Armenian genocide in latest black eye for Turkey The Senate unanimously recognized the Armenian genocide today, the latest in a string of major blows against Turkey within a week. By Bryant Harris In Washington, reporting on Congress
Pentagon: Saudi military students can still enter US despite shooting The Defense Department plans to establish new vetting policies for all foreign military students who enter the United States as a result of the fatal shooting of US sailors by a Saudi air force member at a US base in Florida. By Jack Detsch
Could Israeli legal system force Netanyahu to resign? Faced with the cases against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit and the Supreme Court justices will be unable to ignore the precedent that booted indicted politicians. By Akiva Eldar
Will Netanyahu go to prison? If convicted, Benjamin Netanyahu would become the second Israeli prime minister to serve jail time. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Intel: How Trump continues to restrict humanitarian trade with Iran The Donald Trump administration on Wednesday sanctioned Tehran’s biggest airline and shipping network, charging them with transporting Iranian weapons in a move that could further restrict the flow of humanitarian goods into Iran. By Bryant Harris In Washington, reporting on Congress
Former Erdogan ally establishes new party in Turkey Following months of speculation, former Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is establishing a new party to challenge President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s hold on center-right voters. By Diego Cupolo
IRGC head blames foreign influence for protest 'sedition' In the aftermath of massive protests that saw hundreds killed in Iran, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is still casting blame for the violence outward and warning Western and "hostile regional countries" against provoking unrest in the nation. By Al-Monitor Staff
Could Turkey bar US military from Incirlik air base? Faced with the resurging threat of sanctions in the US Congress, Ankara has brandished another trump card, warning that the US military could lose access to two key bases in Turkey. By Metin Gurcan
Security situation in Aleppo’s al-Bab still not stable Following angry public protests in Aleppo’s city of al-Bab due to the deteriorating security conditions, police forces are intensifying efforts to prevent terrorist incidents. By Khaled al-Khateb
Iraqis await fallout from NYT expose on Iranian influence Leaked documents from Iranian intelligence seem to back up Iraqi protestors' angry contention that Iran has corrupted top-level Iraqi politicians, though the politicians themselves offer rebuttals. By Adnan Abu Zeed