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
Iraqi elections will not be decisive While some Iraqi politicians and media outlets tried to portray last month’s elections as “decisive” or “a matter of life and death,” they are merely one part of a long, democratic process. Iraq
Turkish inflation rate rises to record levels Higher-than-expected inflation in April makes it harder for Turkey’s Central Bank to lower interest rates as the government wishes, rekindling a long-standing controversy in the country. Turkey
Former Israeli minister warns of violence by 'godless' settlers In an interview with Al-Monitor, Labor Knesset member Binyamin Ben-Eliezer calls for labeling some violent settler groups as terrorists. Palestine
Ankara at crossroads on Syria policy Developments in Syria have confounded the Turkish government’s efforts to depose President Bashar al-Assad and forced a rethink of its policies. Syria
Lebanon union strike not helping economy The Union Coordinating Body is missing an opportunity to fix the large amount of government waste. Lebanon
Palestinians seek to heal wounds from Hamas-Fatah clashes Initiatives have been launched in conjunction with the political reconciliation to heal the pain suffered by families who lost loved ones during the violence between Hamas and Fatah. Palestine
Iraqi Shiite religious leaders divided on Maliki The Iraqi parliamentary elections are showing a deep division among the Shiite community, with rising tension between the Shiite religious authorities and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Iraq
Honor killings haunt Turkey's gay community Two court cases of "gay honor killings" in Turkey reveal a similar pattern of deep-rooted prejudice and social codes that override even the closest family bonds. Turkey
Egyptian satellite will monitor water security, Renaissance Dam Egypt launched the EgyptSat 2 satellite on April 14 to help with borders, resources and the Renaissance Dam. Egypt
Iraqi voters shift from religious to 'political sectarianism' Iraqi voters appear to be gradually changing their loyalties from religious authorities to political groups. Iraq
Netanyahu stalls on reconciliation with Turkey Israel's premier still does not trust Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Israel
