All Middle East
First LookPreventable flood? Experts in Libya warned of dam collapse for years.Despite Libya’s oil wealth, the country’s infrastructure has largely been ignored because of political chaos and corruption. Experts had warned of the dams near Derna for years, but no action was taken, resulting in the deaths of more than 11,000 residents.
‘Is there any bread left?’ The answer in Tunisia is often no.An economic crisis has left Tunisians scrambling for bread. With the government unable to pay for imported wheat, what is needed, economists say, is for the populist president to find the courage to enact reforms.
At oldest Palestinian camp in Lebanon, violence adds to strugglesAn eruption of violence has brought into sharp focus the plight of Lebanon’s Palestinians, who for decades have lived in crowded camps. Yet individuals strive to maintain dignity and hope.
Floods, fires, failure: North Africa’s climate and governance crisesLibya’s divided government struggles to respond in the aftermath of unprecedented floods that have left thousands dead and even more missing.
Can Saudi-Israel peace talks learn lessons from the past?Thirty years after the ill-fated Oslo Middle East peace deal was signed, a new generation of negotiators should recall that political leadership is key.
Historic struggle over democracy lands in Israel’s Supreme CourtThe balance of power between Israel’s judicial and legislative branches is now before the very Supreme Court whose authority the government is seeking to curtail, with arguments invoking the country’s core democratic values.
First LookCrackdowns rise as Iran braces for anniversary of headscarf protestsIran is trying to prevent further unrest as the anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini who was detained for a loose headscarf nears. Though some women have forgone the hijab, officials are keeping a close watch on dissenters and academics who support them.
First LookHalted Gaza housing keeps displaced families in perpetual uncertaintyThe rivalry between Gaza’s Hamas rulers and the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority has halted an Egyptian-funded housing project in the Gaza Strip. The gridlock leaves roughly 2,000 displaced Palestinian families without safe shelter.
First LookBorder closures threaten to sink Palestinian fishing industryFishermen in the Gaza Strip feel caught in the net of Israel’s border closings this week, stemming from the alleged discovery of explosives being shipped to the occupied Palestinian West Bank. Thousands of Gazan fishermen depend on exports to survive.
Lebanon: What are the intentions of a bolder, stronger Hezbollah?Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon speak with confidence about a war with their foe, Israel. But even as tensions rise, a strategy of restraint is holding.
The ExplainerToo big to fail? The consequences of Egypt’s economic troubles.From rising migration to daring expressions of political discontent, what it means that Egypt, a country of nearly 113 million people, is nearing economic collapse.
First LookIn Syria, new economic protests take an anti-government turnIn the government-controlled province of Sweida, the heartland of Syria’s Druze, protests that were initially driven by surging inflation quickly shifted focus, with marchers calling for the fall of the Assad government.
Ambitious Saudi prince plays China card for global entreeSaudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has shaken off his pariah status by spending billions of dollars and forging ties with Beijing.
FocusWhy Palestinian self-government is unraveling under President AbbasMahmoud Abbas, the Palestinians’ aging and autocratic president, has been holding together the Palestinian Authority. But with no succession plan in place, predictions of chaos are proliferating.
First LookDeal reached: Iran transfers American prisoners to house arrestIran transferred five Iranian-Americans from prison to house arrest on Thursday, according to U.S. and Iranian officials along with a U.S.-based lawyer. The move comes after Tehran spent months suggesting a prisoner swap with Washington.
Cover StoryAmid quake’s destruction, spirit of unity lives on in this Turkish cityAntakya, Turkey, was leveled by earthquakes in February. But residents want reconstruction to prioritize not just buildings but the city’s culture of unity, too.
Is an Israel in crisis weaker? Tensions rise on Lebanon border.One measure of a nation’s strength is social cohesion. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has been closely watching the Israeli protests over judicial reform, in which military reservists play a prominent role.
Israel’s deepening tug of war over identityThe move to reform Israel’s judiciary speaks to a contest between two broadly competing visions of society that won’t be easily resolved.
Law curbing internet speech shocks Jordanians. Will king step in?Draft “fake news” legislation is threatening Jordan’s King Abdullah’s promised democratic reforms and placing him at the center of his people’s struggle for rights and freer speech.
In Israel’s democracy battle, a pivotal role for military pilotsIn democracy, ideally, the military stays out of politics, and vice versa. But with many Israelis seeing their democracy as wobbling, a refined sense of duty is compelling veteran pilots and other military reservists to act.
