Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s party looks set to maintain control of the government as results from last month’s elections are counted. In other Middle East news, Russia is on the verge of an agreement to build up to eight nuclear reactors in Iran.Plus, Pope Francis will soon embark on a visit to the Middle East with notable stops in Israel and the West Bank, which the Pope called “Palestine.” Juan Cole is professor of history at the University of Michigan and author of the forthcoming book, The New Arabs: How the Millennial Generation is Changing the Middle East. He’ll share his thoughts on same of the major developments in the Middle East. (Photo: AP)