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
Why law graduates are overwhelming Iraq's job market As public and private universities in Iraq are graduating significantly more lawyers than in the past, many lawyers cannot find jobs and the quality of the legal sector has declined. Iraq
How Army Day highlighted growing repercussions of Turkey's failed coup The forlorn observance of the traditionally joyous Victory Day in Turkey points to further polarization between conservatives and Kemalist secularists since the failed coup. Turkey
Research: No man’s land in Egypt Rather than being appreciated as a way to advance the nation, research — whether political, academic or scientific — is seen as a threat to national security. Egypt
Will Turkey be dragged deeper into Syria? US military support for Kurdish forces pulled Turkey into Syria, but the IS factor will now determine whether or not Turkey gets bogged down. Syria
Upcoming hajj pilgrimage again inflames Saudi-Iran tensions Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued his strongest condemnation of Saudi Arabia yet in response to the stampede during last year’s hajj pilgrimage. Saudi Arabia
Is Islamic Republic embracing Iran’s ancient past? The Islamic Republic has abandoned previously contentious attitudes toward Iran's cultural heritage, but it has much more work to do to protect sites. Iran
Has Israel's secular majority been abandoned by politicians? While Israel argues over train maintenance on the Sabbath, Yesh Atid head Yair Lapid is not leading the battle against religious coercion but avoiding clashes with the ultra-Orthodox for his personal political interests. Israel
Shiite alliance against Saudis grows tighter As the sectarian conflict intensifies, Shiite forces expand their cooperation against Saudi Arabia while Iraq plays a key role in this regard. Saudi Arabia
Netanyahu unruffled by critical UN envoy report Neither criticism by UN Middle East envoy Nikolay Mladenov over settlement expansion nor a ruling by Israel's own Supreme Court against the construction of illegal outposts have ruffled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's insistence on portraying Israel as the victim of international persecution. Palestine
What it would cost Abbas to reconcile with Dahlan Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is being pressured by a group of Arab states to reconcile with former Fatah member Mohammed Dahlan and by Qatar not to do so. Qatar
Hamas looks to Algeria Algeria’s approval to open a Hamas office in the country may prompt regional and international pressure against it. Palestine
Internally displaced Syrians find shelter, but few friends, in Latakia Internally displaced Syrians share their journey from Idlib province, where they suffered under the opposition's siege, to Latakia, where they found refuge but also hostility. Syria
