All Middle East
- Why Hezbollah leader chose Shiites' Ashura to reach out to Lebanese Sunnis
Hundreds of thousands of Lebanese Shiites commemorated Ashura Tuesday under heavy security, a day after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah gave rare warm praise to the country's Sunni leaders.
- Islamic State: Is the US-led war really helping Syria's Assad? Maybe.
Activists point to increased Syrian airstrikes against the opposition since the US-led campaign began. But rebel groups are also fighting Islamic State, analysts note.
- That joke isn't funny anymore: Cairo's snarky cartoonists get the message
Egypt's media have swung decisively behind President Sisi and promised to support government policy on national security. Hundreds of journalists have warned of a 'new fascism' under the guise of fighting terrorism.
- Jerusalem lurches towards open conflict over Temple Mount
An assassination attempt of a rabbi, a provocative visit by an Israeli MP, and a Palestinian leader saying Israeli moves are tantamount to a "declaration of war" have Jerusalem at its most perilous moment since the end of the second intifada.
- New purge in Turkey? Government's former ally branded a security threat.
By labeling the rival Gulen Movement a 'threat to national security,' Turkey has armed itself with the tools necessary to eradicate the group's extensive business, education, and media empire.
- Why Jerusalem is seething
A disputed holy site was the immediate focus of the Jerusalem tensions, which spiked after the attack on a Jewish activist and the killing of his suspected assailant. But a new generation of Palestinian protesters has been in the streets for weeks.
- Facing its own Islamic State-inspired militants, Iran wields a smaller stick
With the help of local Sunnis on its southeastern border with Pakistan, Iran is using a blend of force, dialogue, and money to counter Jaish al-Adl, a radical group that claims to fight for Sunni rights.
- On isolated Gaza's southern flank, an Egyptian buffer zone takes shape
Egypt's president has accused foreign powers of abetting a deadly attack last week on security forces near the Rafah crossing to Gaza. A militant group in Sinai is suspected of involvement.
- In Syria refugee crisis, Palestinian legacy weighs on Lebanon
Even as a conference in Germany seeks to support nations hosting Syria refugees, Lebanon fears the Syrians will follow the path of Palestinians, whose refugee communities became entrenched, and radicalized, over time.
- Dozens die in Lebanon as Army clashes with Sunni supporters of Islamic State
The fighting in northern Lebanon follows a series of unprecedented Sunni attacks against Lebanese troops in recent weeks. Sunnis in Lebanon accuse the army of being under the control of Hezbollah, a Shiite organization.
- As Iraqi Kurds advance against Islamic State, villagers return to looted homes
Kurdish officials are urging villagers to return to their homes in land recaptured from the Islamic State, alleviating the strain on Kurdish cities while asserting their hold on oil-rich land also claimed by Baghdad.
- Cover StoryFortress Israel: Can people make peace when they don’t talk?
As Israelis grow skeptical about achieving peace, they have walled themselves off from their Arab neighbors.
- In Arab-Jewish relations, there are humane acts amid hostility
Various stories show that the relations between Arabs and Jews aren't all negative.
- FocusIn Turkey, Syrian women and girls increasingly vulnerable to exploitation
Dubious matchmakers and criminal gangs are preying on the Syrian women and girls who have sought shelter in Turkey. The sexual exploitation ranges from illicit marriages to prostitution.
- Tunisia elections: at source of Arab Spring, a focus on jobs, not jihad
Voters in Tunisia, where an uprising in 2011 triggered the Arab Spring, are heading to the polls today. The country's tough economy, including high unemployment, is the dominant issue.
- In Israel, priest draws fire for preaching Christians are not Arabs
Father Gabriel Naddaf, a Greek Orthodox priest who urges Christians to serve in the Israeli army, has been branded a 'traitor' and a serious threat to the cohesion of Israel's Arab minority.
- Islamic State siege of Kobane: Did Turkey shoot itself in the foot?
The Iraqi Kurds have agreed to send fighters to help Kobane fend off the Islamic State. Critics say Turkey’s foot-dragging on the siege alienated its allies.
- Egypt's Christians, attacked for supporting Sisi, patiently await payback
Egypt's Coptic Church threw its support to President Sisi after the overthrow of Mohamed Morsi. But the military has been slow to deliver on its pledge to repair churches damaged in Islamist reprisals.
- Palestinian man attacks Jerusalem crowd with car, killing one
An infant died and eight others were injured in the attack at a light rail station on Wednesday, the latest in a string of violent incidents in East Jerusalem.
- On Jordan-Syria border, a forced coexistence spurs bullying among children
As Syrian refugees and their Jordanian hosts struggle to make ends meet in a stressed economy, tensions are boiling over into their kids’ worlds.