All Middle East
- Why Palestinian prisoner release upsets not just Israelis, but some Palestinians
The Monitor looks at which Palestinian prisoners are being released and why, and how that is playing with both publics.
- Yemenis exasperated with US focus on beheading Al Qaeda
With Yemen yet again in the news last week because of the local Al Qaeda group, Yemenis want the US to begin addressing what they consider their real problems.
- Crackdown on Cairo's Morsi supporters stalls
As security forces prepare to break up pro-Muslim Brotherhood protest camps, some in Egypt's interim government may be urging a lighter hand, delaying the showdown.
- Militants dig in as Egypt cracks down on jihadi sandbox in Sinai
At least 16 militants were killed in the Sinai Peninsula this weekend, including some from a group which killed 16 Egyptian soldiers near Rafah last year and has repeatedly targeted Israel.
- New Israeli settlement announcement overshadows peace talks
Days before Israeli and Palestinian officials are expected to return to peace talks, Israel has announced settlement expansion plans in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.
- In Morocco, a royal pardon for a pedophile spurs protests
A Moroccan royal pardon for a convicted pedophile has sparked a rare wave of protests against the country's monarchy.
- An oasis of proud perfection and order amid Cairo tumult
Mohammed Abd El-Zaher's bookshop has been binding books by hand since 1936, building a gilded reputation and withstanding the rise and fall of many a regime.
- Kidnapping of Turkish pilots in Lebanon linked to Turkish support for Syrian rebels
The group that kidnapped two Turkish pilots wants Turkey to pressure Syrian rebels to release a group of Lebanese pilgrims abducted last year.
- Who's to blame for the Islamists' fall?
Islamists who came to power in Egypt and Tunisia on the heels of the 2011 uprisings say the challenges they faced were too immense to fix quickly, but critics say their missteps are to blame.
- Iraqis seek places to 'breathe' amid deadliest summer in years
Baghdad residents are flocking to the city's sparkling new mall and amusement park to take their mind off of the increasing violence in the capital.
- Why new Israeli women's group opposes feminist activists at the Western Wall
Women of the Wall, which challenges Orthodox custom at Judaism's holiest site, were once again crowded out of the women's prayer section today by female opponents.
- With AQAP's strategy unclear, Yemen struggles to respond
Yemen is ground zero of a high alert for a potential terrorist attack on US targets, but what local Al Qaeda franchise AQAP has in mind remains a mystery.
- FocusLibya stumbles as it strives for stability
Two years after Libyans ousted Muammar Qaddafi, law and order remain elusive, stymieing rebuilding efforts.
- FocusLibyan port city's strength rankles rest of Libya
Misurata, a hero of the 2011 uprising, has rebounded quickly. But its ability to support itself – militarily, economically, politically – has strained its relations with the rest of the country.
- FocusLibya's greatest security threat: its porous southern border
Libya's light policing of its southern border aids illegal immigration, trafficking, and militant movements.
- Ergenekon case confronts Turkey's past, but spawns doubts about motives
Turkey's former top military official was sentenced to life imprisonment for plotting to overthrow the government – charges many say were trumped up. Some 250 people were sentenced.
- Rebel-held Aleppo settles into a routine – but one still defined by bombs
In the Syrian city, fighting is down, but residents now face additional danger from rebel factions that have turned to kidnapping and other criminal activity.
- How to succeed in business in chaotic Cairo
Armed with generosity, German cleaning products, and biweekly meetings to discuss politics, Hebba Bakri has trained her staff to run a tight ship.
- Jerusalem theater revives Rachel Corrie's controversial memory
Jerusalem's mayor is citing freedom of expression as he defends public funding for the theater showing a play about pro-Palestinian activist Rachel Corrie.
- In Egypt, mounting tension between Islamists and military
As the US seeks to exert waning influence in Egypt, the standoff between Egypt's military and the Muslim Brotherhood of ousted President Mohamed Morsi veered closer to violence.