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
Najaf's forgotten Christian heritage Historic Christian sites in Najaf are not only neglected like many other ancient sites across Iraq, but face an even steeper uphill battle for recognition and support as non-Islamic sites. Iraq
Putin to Assad: Do svidaniya Russian President Vladimir Putin is saying "do svidaniya" — goodbye — to Syria, announcing the start of a Russian military withdrawal that Putin said he hoped would bolster Syria peace talks underway in Geneva. Syria
How Egyptian 4-year-old faced life sentence Faulty record-keeping in Egypt's military court system could have landed a little boy in jail. Egypt
Will Hamas lose Gaza? Fatah officials have recently threatened to retake Gaza by force, which Hamas leaders see as a step that undermines reconciliation efforts. Palestine
Internal strife heats up in Turkey’s ruling party Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s fury at the release of two prominent journalists could be only the tip of the iceberg in a simmering power struggle. Turkey
The intifada of attrition Unlike the first two intifadas, the current uprising appears unlikely to lead to political breakthroughs or the rise of a new Palestinian leadership. Palestine
Will Egyptians open their wallet to help Cairo get out of debt? Egypt's president seems to think that millions of citizens donating 13 cents a day can boost Egypt’s dire economic situation — or at least boost his image. Egypt
Why Bibi snubbed Obama and is skipping next week's AIPAC conference Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to cancel his US trip so that he could avoid meeting with both President Barack Obama and the US Jewish community. Israel
Political, economic alarm bells ringing in Jordan Former senior government officials in Jordan are concerned about the inability to introduce economic and political reforms and about overreaching by the national intelligence agency. Jordan
How Khomeini lost the battle, but is winning the war Seyyed Hassan Khomeini, who only entered the fray two months ago, appears set to become an influential and effective figure in Iranian politics. Iran
Erdogan intensifies assault on independent media US State Department calls on Turkey to respect "democratic values"; Israel considers Erdogan a "lost cause," sees Putin winning "on all counts." Israel
Is the West Bank cracking down on free speech? MP Najat Abu Bakr, who ended her two-week sit-in at parliament headquarters in Ramallah, spoke to Al-Monitor about corruption and freedoms in the West Bank. Palestine
