BATTLE AGAINST AQAP MAKES FOR ODD COUPLES;

HAMAS RAISES STAKES AT EGYPTIAN BORDER...;

AND RESUMES ATTACKS ON ISRAEL ON EVE OF MISSILE SHIELD...;

AMID ACCUSATIONS OF DISLOYALTY;

KAZAKH-CHINA PIPELINE ONLINE

TURKEY LOOKS TO IRAN;

ALL EYES ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH;

SYRIA: A NEW SAFE HAVEN FOR AL-QAEDA?;

ENERGY WARS IN CENTRAL ASIA

Riyadh and Tehran take sides in Yemen civil war;

Hezbollah has a new military strategy...;

...and a new political one

Lebanon gets a new government;

The IMU ascendant;

Saudi joins fray against rebels in Yemen;

Iraq clears hurdle for national election

Iraq reverses course: no referendum on security agreement;

UAE enters nuclear club with a bang...;

...while snubbing Iran;

A Saudi-Syrian rapprochement?;

Turkey continues the hunt for al-Qaeda