All Middle East
- Syrian army captures highway, clearing path for chemical weapons removal
Syrian government forces claimed victory over rebels along a highway linking Damascus with northern ports. Chemical inspectors hope to load weapons for decommissioning there.
- Egypt's courts going soft on Islamist protesters? Not so fast
A court in Alexandria has ruled in favor of 21 women and girls convicted of joining an anti-coup protest. But other followers of former President Morsi are unlikely to get lenient treatment.
- American singer of Arab tunes has talent – but not enough
Jennifer Grout came second on Saturday in the final show of the Arab world's equivalent of America's Got Talent.
- Poor and vulnerable, Syrian refugee families push girls into early marriage
Some refugees in Jordan are selling daughters into illegal 'protection marriages,' often with much older men. Sexual exploitation and abandonment are key concerns.
- How sewage is bridging the Israeli-Palestinian divide in Jerusalem
One-third of Jerusalem's sewage runs untreated into the West Bank, ruining the historic Kidron Valley. Now an Israeli-Palestinian team is working to rehabilitate it.
- Palestinian mayor recruits global village to clean up sewage
Mayor Sulieman Abdallah Al-Assa and engineer Maher Abu Sarhan are working with international organizations as well as Israeli experts to build a wastewater treatment plant in Ubiedyeh.
- Israelis mourn their Frank Sinatra, whose ballads united a divided country
Arik Einstein's songs became the soundtrack for an adolescent country through its ups and downs. One of his top hits speaks of children leaving the nest – but perhaps also a country growing up.
- Look who's training: Hezbollah prepares for war
Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has expanded its training camps in Lebanon, preparing for a future clash with Israel. The camps are visible to careful observers.
- Battlefield lessons in Syria strengthen Hezbollah's fighting force
Hezbollah fighters battling alongside Syrian government forces have gained valuable experience from the conflict. That may shape its strategy in future battles with Israel.
- Third time lucky? Egypt struggles with another constitution
Egypt has issued a draft constitution, its third attempt since the 2011 revolution. The latest expands protection of some civil rights, but also entrenches the powerful military.
- Cyber Monday deals spike Israeli spending seven-fold
Cyber Monday deals resonate with Israelis used to paying more than Americans for daily goods, spurring a big leap in weekend spending.
- Nuclear deal signed, Iranians await economic rewards
The sanctions relief provided in the nuclear deal reached in Geneva looks good to Iranian businessmen, but ordinary Iranians are wary.
- Donkey carts replace garbage trucks in fuel-starved Gaza
An acute fuel shortage has left much of Gaza's garbage truck fleet idle, one of many ways that Gaza's political crisis is weighing on daily life.
- How did the Bible spread? Jerusalem exhibit traces a remarkable journey.
‘The Book of Books’ displays 200 of the rarest biblical manuscripts in an illuminating tale of how the world’s most-published book came to be.
- Israeli military drills in Jordan Valley stir Palestinian fears of eviction
The Israeli military regularly evacuates Palestinian communities in the Jordan Valley during military drills. The evacuations are temporary, but Palestinians fear a permanent eviction.
- Tweets put a twist on diplomacy at Iran nuclear talks
Iranian officials frequently used Twitter to get out their message during talks, particularly when they disagreed with US claims.
- Back in Tehran, nuclear negotiators get a hero's welcome
Jubilant Iranians swarmed the nuclear negotiating team upon their arrival home, potentially strengthening negotiators' hand in quieting critics.
- For Syrian refugees in Lebanon, mounting piles of debt
A new study from Oxfam estimates that more than 75 percent of Syrian refugees in Lebanon have taken on debt. Some families even rely on remittances from family still in Syria.
- The man behind secret US-Iran talks: Sultan Qaboos
Sultan Qaboos of Oman, an understated renaissance man, is perhaps quietly enjoying news of the Iran nuclear deal he helped bring about over a cup of British tea.
- Why Israel sees ‘historic’ Iran nuclear deal as dangerous appeasement
While the deal freezes growth in Iran’s nuclear capabilities, Israel says it doesn’t curtail Tehran’s ability to create a nuclear bomb in short order.