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
Israel's 'tribal wars' veer out of control A song by Israeli Yehonatan Geffen about the Palestinian girl who slapped two Israeli soldiers ignited an all-out war between right and left. Palestine
Israel seeks to cut off funds for families of prisoners Israel has long claimed that the money the Palestinian Authority pays to the families of Palestinian "martyrs" killed or imprisoned in Israel amounts to incentives to commit murder, and now the Knesset is considering a bill to prevent such payments. Palestine
Nine Lebanese women murdered by partners in single month As sexual and domestic violence complaints mount, Lebanese women's rights activists fear that violence against women in the country may be rising as women grow emboldened to resist abuse. Lebanon
Local official's insult to Upper Egypt spurs development plans A comment by Local Development Minister Abu Bakr al-Gendy concerning citizens of the Upper Egypt governorates has shone a light on the area's extreme poverty and highlighted the need to pursue economic development. Egypt
Palestinians express despair over Israeli leadership Palestinians are hoping for a Yitzhak Rabin-style Israeli leadership from the security establishment that will distance itself from current settlement annexation policies. Palestine
Baghdad objects to European plans to forcibly repatriate Iraqis Many European countries are trying to send Iraqi refugees whose asylum cases have been rejected back to Iraq, while Baghdad refuses to cooperate with the forcible return of its citizens. Iraq
US military aid to Egypt under scrutiny on uprising’s anniversary The Donald Trump administration has taken a harder line on military assistance to Egypt as President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi moves away from Washington. Egypt
Iran’s Interior Ministry outlines 3 reasons for recent protests Iran’s Interior Ministry has issued a report on both the makeup of the Iran protests and reasons for them. Iran
Yemen’s southern separatists take case to Congress Yemen’s UAE-backed secessionists have hired a US lobby firm to build support for their cause as they threaten to overthrow the UN-backed government in Aden. United Arab Emirates
Saudi Arabia uses aggression abroad to calm clerics at home Saudi Arabia's leaders have become more sectarian and anti-Iran than ever, much to the pleasure of the Wahhabi clerical establishment, which has remained quiet about sweeping social reforms. Saudi Arabia
Turkey says US account of Trump-Erdogan call not 'accurate' A telephone conversation between the Turkish and US leaders has turned into a "he said-he said" affair as the gulf widens between the NATO allies over Syria. Syria
New Iraqi Kurdish alliance emerges as most parties still divided As Iraq's parliamentary elections approach, the rise of a new tripartite Kurdish political alliance has highlighted the level of divide among the rest of the Kurdish parties hoping to contest the election. Iraq
