All Middle East
- Extremist groups battle each other for control of Syria's oil hub
The foreign group ISIS swept into Syria's Deir ez Zor Province to violently wrest control from Al Qaeda-linked Jabhat al-Nusra and force Syrian rebels to join its ranks.
- Syrian war prompts unusual cultural exchange with Israel
At war since 1967, Israelis and Syrians rarely interact. But with wounded Syrians seeking treatment in Israel, a rare opportunity for chatter has emerged.
- Miners say safety declined after Turkey privatized Soma mine
After the government sold the Soma coal mine, production ramped up and costs were cut, paving the way to this week's devastating accident, miners say.
- Iran ends free vasectomies with 'maximum-baby' push
Iran earned international applause for its reproductive policies, but Tehran's concern about a shrinking population has spurred efforts to reverse them. Iranians say 'Not so fast.'
- iNakba reminds Israelis of Palestinian towns erased from the map
An Israeli NGO hopes to crowd-source location-based data about the villages destroyed in the wake of Israel’s independence, which Palestinians refer to as the nakba, or catastrophe.
- Hopes fade of finding more survivors of Turkey mine explosion
Miners, already deeply shaken, are taking the lead in the search because they best know the tunnels. The accident is likely the deadliest ever in Turkey.
- World Cup spotlight forces Qatar to reform despised foreign worker system
By hosting an international sporting event, Qatar opened itself up to criticism of its treatment of laborers. The ceaseless pressure has forced an overhaul of its sponsorship system.
- Turkey coal mine explosion: Did lawmaker's warning go unheeded?
Turkey has one of the worst mining safety records among industrialized nations, and a local politician says that his calls for higher standards have gone ignored.
- Its EU dream thwarted, Turkey rejects 90 million-euro Cyprus fine
The European Court for Human Rights ruled against Turkey for its 1974 invasion of Cyprus. Turkey's refusal to pay damages comes amid waning interest in EU membership.
- A 'nightmare becoming reality'? Iran unveils American drone replica.
Iran captured a US stealth surveillance drone in 2011, and started working to reverse engineer its own. Yesterday it unveiled what it claims is a replica, plus bombing capabilities.
- Iraqi Kurdistan gambles on oil and Baghdad's benevolence
Iraqi Kurdistan is demanding control of its oil, and officials say they're willing to risk losing their share of the federal budget to get that. Problem is they can't afford it.
- Israelis worry that surge in 'price tag' attacks is costing Israel abroad
The uptick in extremist vandalism of non-Jewish property comes ahead of the pope's high-profile visit to Israel, shining an uncomfortable spotlight on a growing problem.
- Harassment illegal? Egypt's women say word hasn't reached the street
Egypt has a new anti-sexual harassment law, but with 99 percent of women reporting they've been harassed, public life still remains out of reach.
- What will an Iranian nuclear deal look like? Here's one option.
Negotiators from Iran and the P5+1 have been mum about ongoing talks, but today's report, written by analysts with intimate knowledge of the negotiations, could give hints.
- Yemen deports Adam Baron, a Monitor and McClatchy correspondent
Adam Baron was expelled Thursday without explanation. His reporting over the past four years regularly challenged the government's official line on events.
- Rebel evacuation of Homs is crowning moment for Syrian regime
The Syrian regime has clawed back substantial rebel-held territory in the last year – with critical help from Iran. Homs, the 'capital of the revolution,' is perhaps the most significant win.
- Egypt's Sisi goes into campaign mode, promises death of Brotherhood
Former military chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has been the presumed next president for months, but the five-hour interview was Egyptians' first in-depth look at the candidate.
- Ultra-Orthodox woman blazes trail for vocational education for Israel's haredim
Rivka Yeruslavsky, born into an Israeli ultra-Orthodox family, studied computer science and has gone on to open a vocational school designed to bring more haredim into the workforce.
- How Saudi aid made a construction worker a top Syrian rebel commander
The Saudis appear to have chosen Jamal Maarouf as leader of the Syrian Revolutionaries' Front by ensuring he remains flush with cash. But money can't command loyalty forever.
- Whose water is it anyways? Resentment pools on Israel-Lebanon border
A Lebanese village well, newly crucial amid water shortages, is on the wrong side of the boundary between Israel and Lebanon, as is an add-on to a riverfront resort.