Hamas and Israel Confirm Prisoner Swap

Scenes of celebration in the Gaza Strip and in Jerusalem have greeted the announcement of a landmark Palestinian-Israeli prisoner-swap deal.

TUNISIA: Social Media Lift the Silence

After 23 years of enforced silence, media professionals and artists in Tunisia are enjoying a period in which their freedom of expression is being respected for the first time.

Egypt Army Seeks Probe into Cairo Clashes

Egypt's ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) has called for a speedy investigation into Sunday night's deadly clashes in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, that left at least 26 dead and more than 300 injured, mostly Coptic Christians.

MIDEAST: Prisoners on Hunger Strike Find New Support

Sitting in the shade of a small lemon tree in the German Colony area of Haifa, eight Palestinian activists are on hunger strike since Saturday in solidarity with Palestinian political prisoners who have been striking for nearly two weeks in protest against poor prison conditions and a lack of basic rights.

ISRAEL: Showing Tolerance for Intolerance

"On Saturday, we as a nation atoned for our sins. I as a Jew feel ashamed of myself. I'm asking for forgiveness," declared Ron Hulday, mayor of this mixed city, immediately at the closing of the Day of Atonement.

MIDEAST: Media Throttled From All Sides

As media freedoms throughout the occupied Palestinian territories continue to decline, human rights groups are urging the international community to pressure Israeli and Palestinian security forces to respect and facilitate the ability of journalists to do their work.

EGYPT: Islamists and Secularists Draw Closer

Egypt, routinely the cradle for new Arab and Islamic ideologies, is now witnessing the birth of yet another line of thought - Islamic Liberalism. The term is touted now as a panacea for the eight-month impasse that has locked Islamists and their secularist rivals in bitter bickering over how this Arab nation should be governed after the fall of former dictator Hosni Mubarak earlier this year.

MIDEAST: Israel Builds Settlements, and Wants Talks

Days after his half-hearted conciliatory U.N. appearance, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had already approved the construction of 1,100 flats in occupied East Jerusalem. Yet on Sunday, he threw his support behind the new Mideast Quartet's peace plan with the Palestinians.

Bahrain Medical Staff Sentenced for Treating Protesters

Thirteen doctors and nurses who treated anti-government protesters during demonstrations in Bahrain earlier this year have been jailed for 15 years for crimes against the state.

BAHRAIN: Elections Will Test Shia Resolve

Bahrain’s by-elections on Saturday are a test of will to see if majority Shias will turn out to vote in areas where they are dominant or heed a boycott call by the powerful opposition Al-Wefaq (National Islamic Society) party.

Deadly Fighting Rages in Yemeni Capital

Deadly fighting has spread across Yemen's capital as tribesmen joined battles between rival military units, raising fears among residents the country is descending into civil war.

MIDEAST: As a Street Parliament Views Obama

"Welcome to our 'Palestine State Parliament'!" Nidal Bazbaz calls out to a friend who's passing by in between an assembly of older and younger Palestinians. They're seated on plastic chairs, lined up against opposite walls, in an alleyway of the walled Old City.

MIDEAST: Hamas Turning Away From UN Towards Arabs

In the face of the moves by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas for recognition of an independent Palestinian state, the Hamas-led foreign ministry in Gaza is forming a new diplomatic strategy that looks to Arab countries in the region such as Egypt and Turkey to apply political pressure on Israel.

Street Clashes Resume in Yemeni Capital

At least 21 people have been killed and over 100 injured in fresh clashes on the streets of the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, a day after 26 anti-government protesters were shot dead and hundreds wounded by troops and gunmen loyal to President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

MIDEAST: Palestinians Prepare for Settler Attacks Over UN Vote

Amidst reports that the Israeli military is arming and training Israeli settlers in advance of the Palestinian Authority’s bid to recognise a Palestinian state at the United Nations later this week, Palestinian activists in the West Bank have organised emergency response teams to document settler attacks and prevent more from taking place.

TURKEY: War of Words Lost in Translation

Bellicose dialectic between Turkey and Israel reached a new height last week and has precipitated the deteriorating relationship between the two former allies to new depth. But it is for the moment unclear whether Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's threats to cut the Israeli navy's perceived power and presence to size in Eastern Mediterranean represent a true tactical decision in Ankara's strategy to expand its influence in the Middle East, or a mere coup-de- theatre for domestic and Arab consumption.

MOROCCO: Demands for Autonomy Spread

Morocco's offer of autonomy to Western Sahara to stave off demands for full independence is boomeranging on the kingdom with other regions now demanding similar freedom.

PLO to Seek Full U.N. Recognition

The Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) will go to the United Nations Security Council and seek full membership in the world body next week, despite the looming threat of a U.S. veto, a Palestinian official said.

IRAQ: Fight for Women’s Rights Begins All Over Again

When a middle-aged mother took a taxi alone from Baghdad to Nasiriyah, about 300 kilometres south earlier this year, her 20-year-old driver stopped on the way, pulled her to the side of the road and raped her. And that began a telling legal struggle.

MIDEAST: Anti-Israel Tsunami ‘One Door Away’

"Only one door" separated the vengeful throng of demonstrators from the six Israeli embassy guards. Chief security officer ‘Yonatan’ was on the phone from the besieged representation. On the other side of the line was Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

MIDEAST: Not School Time Yet for Bedouin Girls

For mother of five Shimaa al-Aasam, providing her children with the opportunity to complete their education despite a severe lack of classrooms in their Bedouin community is of prime importance.