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
Is Yemen headed for partition? An open-ended cease-fire is needed for Yemen, but a de facto partition of the country is more likely. Saudi Arabia
Iranian hard-liner hints Ahmadinejad not completely out of the game An Iranian hard-line former MP reveals that Tehran Mayor and two-time presidential candidate Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf was barred from running in the 2009 presidential election — and that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad may not be completely out of the game. Russia
How Iraqi real estate became the subject of corrupt dealings Real estate in Baghdad and other Iraqi areas has been subject to corrupt deals and law violations for some time, sparking governmental and popular concern about a growing phenomenon involving criminal gangs and corrupt public employees. Iraq
How Turkey’s AKP undid its legacy on 'Kurdish question' President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has ended up reverting back to the "Old Turkey" concepts that he had criticized for years. Turkey
Is Israeli Zionist Camp facing its last chance? The Zionist Camp might be facing its very last chance to save itself from oblivion by reinventing its image and uniting the center-left electorate. Israel
How Netanyahu is keeping secret his move to help Palestinians Israel's failure to publicize a decision that benefits the Palestinians shows just how preoccupied Israel’s right-wing government is about a settler backlash. Palestine
The man behind potential breakthrough in Hamas-Egypt ties Hamas and Egypt appear to be adjusting their attitudes toward each other, and Fatah’s dismissed leader Mohammed Dahlan probably has a role in this regard. Palestine
Hamas’ release of Fatah military wing leader raises speculation of deal Hamas has released Zaki al-Sakani from prison, raising questions of whether it was part of a deal between Hamas and Mohammed Dahlan, with whom it just restored relations. Palestine
Why OPEC still can’t get Iran to cut oil production Despite the agreement in principle on output cuts at its September meeting in Algeria, OPEC still has a long way to go in getting Iran to stop its drive to regain market share. Saudi Arabia
Hariri reverses political slide by backing Aoun presidency Saad Hariri’s success as prime minister will depend on new compact with Michel Aoun and Hezbollah, less so on Saudi Arabia; Al-Monitor breaks news of Russian draft plan for Syrian Kurdish autonomy; United States seeks ground force to isolate Raqqa. Saudi Arabia
Execution of Saudi prisoners widens gap between Baghdad, Riyadh Iraq has executed three Saudi prisoners and nine others are on death row, raising the objections of Saudi Arabia that wants Baghdad to transfer the prisoners to the kingdom. Saudi Arabia
New initiative helps Egyptians fight back against sexual harassment The Aman Initiative, launched in September, aims to educate Egyptians about sexual harassment, encourage women to report assault and train women to defend themselves in threatening situations. Egypt
