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
Pro-Kurdish HDP leader kicked out of Turkish parliament In Turkey’s latest salvo against the pro-Kurdish bloc, the parliament has expelled Peoples’ Democratic Party co-leader Figen Yuksekdag, who remains in jail with fellow leader Selahattin Demirtas and at least nine other HDP deputies while the ruling party continues its legal assaults ahead of the presidential referendum. Turkey
Refugee influx to Turkey sharply rises In the past five months, 551,000 new refugees arrived in Turkey, raising the total number to 3.551 million and the monthly cost to host them to $590 million. Syria
Canal Istanbul: Still hyped, still 'crazy' Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is dusting off plans for the megaproject Canal Istanbul ahead of the constitutional referendum as an example of what a strong president could achieve. Turkey
Who are real losers of US veto at UN against former Palestine PM? The United States' blocking of Salam Fayyad as an envoy to the UN secretary-general has reminded the world of the former Palestinian prime minister's applauded reputation. Palestine
Is Jordan's state security court threat to freedom of expression? As the Jordanian authorities arrested about 20 activists and referred them to the controversial State Security Court, some have been voicing criticism against the use of loose charges to silence peaceful opposition voices. Jordan
Trump's warm embrace of Netanyahu nothing for Jews to celebrate While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revels over his meeting with US President Donald Trump, US and Australian Jews are uncomfortable with his warm relations with a volatile and anti-Muslim leader. Palestine
Why Moscow now sees value in Syrian local councils Russia has come to realize that some opponents of the Syrian regime are actually moderates rather than terrorists and that a move to empower local governments could help resolve the conflict. Syria
Saudi clerics keep mum about concerts in the kingdom The new open-minded tendencies of the Saudi Royal Court are causing controversy with the conservative religious establishment in the kingdom, especially concerning concerts. Saudi Arabia
Sisi’s call to annul verbal divorce sparks controversy Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called for new legislation to limit verbal divorce, raising the ire of Egyptians who believe the president should prioritize economic issues. Egypt
Why Iranian government’s debt problem isn’t going away Despite the Iranian government’s decision to repay billions of dollars owed to local banks, in the broader picture, it will remain saddled with problematic debt until it turns to bonds rather than loans for financing. Iran
Egyptian court contradicts church over Jerusalem pilgrimage ban An Egyptian court issued a ruling whereby Christian employees are allowed a one-month paid vacation to make pilgrimage to Jerusalem, which some see as normalizing relations with Israel. Palestine
Will Turkey get its way in Raqqa? Turkey is trying to balance its precarious relationships with the United States and Russia while still getting what it wants in Syria. Iraq
![CORRECTION - Saudis attend a concert in Jeddah on January 30, 2017.
Saudi Arabia's "Paul McCartney" took to the stage as the kingdom seeks to boost entertainment despite religious warnings of "depravity." The performance was the first major concert in seven years in the kingdom's second city, according to Arab News.
/ AFP / Amer HILABI / The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by AMER HILABI has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [AMER HILABI] instead of [AMEER A](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2017/02/GettyImages-633149294.jpg/GettyImages-633149294.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=xjCT7CvK)
