After Jordan, Emirates also furious with Netanyahu Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not only managed to get into a diplomatic row with Jordan, he also succeeded in angering the Emiratis. Israel
Iran operating new advanced centrifuges, nuclear watchdog finds According to an International Atomic Energy Agency report, Iran is now using IR-4 centrifuges to enrich uranium in violation of the nuclear accord. Iran
Lawsuit filed to close pro-Kurdish party after lawmaker stripped of parliamentary seat Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu, a pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party deputy known to focus on human rights abuses, was stripped of his parliament seat and a lawsuit was filed to close the party March 17. Turkey
Netanyahu courts Arab voters as 'Abu Yair' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has adopted a new strategy for the Arab public: cynically rebranding himself as "Abu Yair." Israel
Can open primaries heal Israeli politics? Israelis are debating the feasibility of open primaries, which would allow all eligible voters to select the leader of the political bloc they support. Israel
How corrupt is Egypt's wheat industry? In an interview with Al-Monitor, Egypt's Minister of Supply Khaled Hanafy rebutted all accusations of importing substandard wheat and explained the government's plan to fight rising grain prices. Egypt
Will Rouhani sue critics who insult him? Iranian Vice President for Legal Affairs Hojjat al-Islam Majid Ansari said that the judiciary will pursue cases against critics who insult the president. Iran
Why Egyptians are angry about this supermodel's wedding Egyptian citizens are wondering if they helped pay for a supermodel's wedding with money her new father-in-law is accused of looting. Egypt
Turkish deputy PM: Coup's economic wounds 'easy to manage' In an interview with Al-Monitor, Mehmet Simsek, Turkey’s deputy prime minister for economic affairs, expresses optimism on the recent coup attempt's economic effects, saying the only real damage was to Turkey's image in the West. Turkey
How ambitions of 'Islamist cult' united Islamists, secularists in Turkey The ambitions of the Gulenists have been able to bring Turkey’s Islamists and secularists together for the first time in the country's political history. Turkey
Turkey-EU relations in tailspin after coup attempt Turkey’s ties with Europe have taken a turn for the worse as Turks accuse the European Union of deserting them after last month's coup attempt. Turkey
13 years later, Iraq passes de-Baathification law The Iraqi parliament passed a de-Baathification law to ban any political activity by the Baath Party, but its consequences are still unknown as warnings continue about potential destabilizing effects. Iraq
Palestinians fight back against currency counterfeiters Gaza officials say counterfeiting there is mostly limited to small-time operators, though sometimes high-quality foreign forgeries slip in. Palestine
Will Netanyahu dare to engage in regional settlement? According to a New Wave Institute poll, most Israelis support the regional guidelines proposed by the Israeli Initiative group — namely the two-state solution, normalization of economic ties with Arab states and international security guarantees. Palestine
UN report: West Bank house demolitions up 25% The number of Palestinian homes demolished by Israel has sharply increased this year, leading experts to question Israel's agenda. Palestine
Why some Egyptians yearn for return to monarchy Nostalgia for the period of King Farouk's monarchy has Egyptian youth focusing on that period's positives, without addressing its mistakes. Egypt
