Alessandra Bajec is a freelance journalist specialising in the Middle East and North Africa. Previously living in Palestine, then in Cairo, she is currently based in Tunis.
Analysis: The recent invitations to six countries to join BRICS indicates a will to reshuffle the global order and pursue economic interests as a bloc, with MENA players seeking to extend their influence in a multipolar world.
Analysis: President Abbas' recent decision to sack most Palestinian Authority governors appears to respond to long-standing demands for political upheaval, though it's unlikely to effect real change amid growing frustrations.
In-depth: Iranian authorities are increasingly resorting to more oppressive tactics to force women into covering their hair as more refuse to back down in the face of regressive veiling laws.
In-depth: Europe is embracing a 'money-for-migrants' model that shores up support for autocratic regimes, externalises the EU's borders, and outsources all responsibility for migration to third states – all while abdicating human rights obligations.
In-depth: Families of those missing and forcibly disappeared in Syria hope a new UN investigative body will prompt a long-awaited truth-seeking mission to address the crimes of 12 years of war.
In-depth: In the wake of his re-election, Erdogan is faced with the urgent issue of tackling Turkey's ongoing financial crisis, with no indication of which economic route he will opt for in the near future.
In-depth: Residents have voiced anger at the Armenian Patriarch for alleged land sales to Israeli investors in East Jerusalem, which they say could dramatically impact the historic character of the Armenian Quarter.
Analysis: With much of the Kurdish electorate throwing their support behind Erdogan's rival Kilicdaroglu, Turkey's largest minority group could sway the outcome of the crucial run-off election amid frustration with Erdogan's 21-year-long rule.
Following the twin earthquakes, grassroots feminist organizations in Turkey swiftly provided crucial aid and relief to those impacted by the disaster. Through their tireless efforts, they have been able to provide assistance to the most vulnerable.
In-depth: The run-up to the 14 May elections, which take place in the shadow of February's earthquake, sees the governing AKP pitted against the opposition on issues such as governance and the economy, amid widespread anti-Syrian refugee rhetoric.
