Newsletter: City Pulse Istanbul Nisantasi beyond the shop windows Also this week: Hopdaddy burgers, Ara Guler’s photographs and Istanbul’s apartment stories. By Nazlan Ertan In Izmir and Istanbul, reporting on culture
Costa Rica's Grynspan extends lead in UNSG poll as Nusseibeh places fourth The Costa Rican candidate received 12 encourage votes in Thursday's UN Security Council straw poll. United Arab Emirates
Turkey’s parliament ratifies Mecca pact in boost to Saudi Arabia Turkey will now decide the scope of military support for Saudi Arabia amid ongoing Iran-backed Houthi attacks on the kingdom. Turkey
Can Erdogan’s Baku visit fix Turkey-Azerbaijan rift? A dispute over religious dress in schools has exposed deeper tensions between the two allies, with energy, arms sales, Israel and financial interests adding to the strain. Turkey
West Aleppo faces unending assault West Aleppo is suffering intense, continuous bombardment as Islamist rebels sustain their largest offensive yet on regime-held areas. Syria
Turkey, Russia tread cautious line over Ukraine As the conflict between Russia and the West heats up, Ankara and Moscow are finding their neighborly relationship ever more challenging to maintain. Turkey
US, Saudi drifting apart despite Obama visit The core pillars that sustained the US-Saudi alliance for decades are crumbling, as changing geopolitical, energy and regional dynamics strain relations. Saudi Arabia
Can Turkey work miracle on current account deficit? Turkey’s battle against its gaping current account deficit appears to be going well, but dependence on foreign energy supplies remains a major stumbling block. Turkey
Lebanon’s new pulse In the shadow of the Syrian war, Lebanon may be discovering a new social contract. Lebanon
Who betrayed Egypt’s revolution? Egyptian activists struggle to determine who is to blame for Egypt’s predicament, and how to set the revolution, and the country, back on track. Egypt
Turkish schools abroad victims of AKP-Gulen conflict The struggle between the AKP and the Gulen movement threatens more than 2,000 Turkish schools abroad, which have been seen as the country's most "valuable export commodity" and a "source of prestige." Turkey
Erdogan’s quixotic battle against social media The Turkish prime minister’s battles with Twitter and YouTube undermine his government’s international credibility. Turkey
Turkey's doctrine of pre-emptive authoritarianism Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s “iron will” is tailor-made for a political culture in which concession is condemned as weakness and authoritarianism is praised as the only way to deal with opponents. Turkey
Kerry's possible failure opens new, dark era in peace talks Even Menachem Begin did not support annexation of West Bank lands. Palestine
Erdogan pushes for interest rate cut Boosted by his party's performance in municipal elections, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has renewed pressure on the Central Bank to cut interest rates, but the bank fears premature cuts amid rising inflation could destabilize the economy. Turkey
'Halal beer' flops in Turkey Turkish consumers reject even nonalcoholic beer for various cultural reasons. Turkey