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
Lapid could end up paying for the price of pudding The public outcry over the price of chocolate pudding snacks should signal to Finance Minister Yair Lapid and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that socioeconomic issues will dominate the agenda of the next elections. Israel
Egypt’s youth 'have had enough' Though many of the youth leaders who participated in the 2011 revolution are in prison, youth-driven political campaigns will continue under President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Egypt
Reformist analyst: Rouhani has no strategy Prominent former Iranian politician Ebrahim Asgharzadeh has said that one of the main issues of President Hassan Rouhani's administration is the lack of a strategy to implement his stated political goals. Iran
Can PKK transform military might into political power? As regional developments open new military and political arenas to the PKK, it is unlikely that the Turkish peace process will end with the Kurds disarming. Iraq
The facts about buying land in Jerusalem's latest settlement Despite condemnation from the United States and other countries, Israel is forging ahead with its plan to disrupt the Palestinian urban continuum in the Jerusalem area, while preventing the sale of real estate to non-Jews. Palestine
Ya'alon misses lessons of Yom Kippur War The current Israeli administration, like that of former Prime Minister Golda Meir, prefers to trust in its military superiority and manage the conflict with the Palestinians instead of resolving it. Israel
Syrian Kurdish refugees struggle to find affordable housing The violence in Iraq has prompted many Syrian Kurdish refugees who took refuge in northern Iraq to return to their homes in Syria. Iraq
Iraqi scholar burns his books to protest Yazidi ethnic cleansing A well-known Iraqi scholar on Yazidis has burned all the books in his personal library to protest the ethnic cleansing of the minority group. Iraq
Erdogan's slow turnaround on foreign fighters in Syria US Vice President Joe Biden says "our biggest problem is our allies" in combating foreign fighters; Aleppo battle lines so far unaffected by airstrikes; Israel considers threat from Islamic State. Israel
Abbas pushes UN statehood plan forward The Palestinian Authority views Benjamin Netanyahu's government as a hopeless case, so it plans to move forward on four tracks to achieve UN recognition of Palestine by 2015. Palestine
AKP base divided on Turkey's vote to join coalition Pro-government commentators have raised questions over Turkey’s participation in a US-led coalition, while the latest polls show Turks are split on what their country's role should be in fighting the Islamic state. Iraq
Baghdad hopes for better film festival Iraqi filmgoers are hoping this year’s Baghdad International Film Festival will be an improvement over last year, when low-quality films marred the event. Iraq
