All Middle East
In some parts of Yemen, 'the free south lives'Yemen was reunified more than two decades ago, but some parts of the formerly independent south never really accepted rule from Sanaa – and momentum to reverse unification is building.
Anger courses through Nile Delta and Suez Canal, spelling trouble for Egypt's MorsiPresident Mohamed Morsi and his supporters often write off Cairo protests as the work of elites, but that accusation doesn't hold water in the industrial heartland, now rocked by protests.
Israel takes heat for de facto segregation on new West Bank busesIsrael's government inaugurated two new buses in the West Bank that are effectively Palestinian-only. Critics say it's an attempt to separate Israeli settlers from Palestinian neighbors who commute side-by-side.
Aleppo takes first step toward post-Assad governance in SyriaSyria's Aleppo Province elected a local council this weekend, replacing an interim local government and taking a step toward restoring some semblance of order to the war-torn province.
The Cyrus Cylinder, symbol of Persian tolerance, heads to USThe 2,600 year old Cyrus Cylinder, a promise of tolerance from the ancient Persian King, is heading to the US for the first time.
In Egypt, Kerry gets an earful from the oppositionThe rise of the Muslim Brotherhood to power in Egypt was something the US has long feared. But in Cairo today, Secretary of State John Kerry was told that Egypt's secular-leaning opposition sees the US as an ally of the Islamist movement.
Better than expected, but still not enough: Can Hadi hold Yemen together?President Hadi, charged with restoring stability to Yemen after the 2011 uprising, has made some progress in his first year, but disruptive political forces could still tear Yemen apart.
Lebanon erects string of watchtowers on Syrian borderLebanon is struggling to maintain control over its border region as Syrian rebels and the Syrian Army increasingly treat the area as just another battlefield in the civil war.
Winners in Israel's game-changing election unlikely to lead charge for peaceIsrael's recent parliamentary election has reconfigured the political landscape, but domestic issues are nudging the peace process to the bottom of the agenda.
Syrians are receiving US aid - they just don't know itThe widespread perception among Syrians that the US has abandoned them is untrue, but US aid is rarely branded as such and it is still far short of what is needed.
Egypt quietly stifles NGOs by cutting off foreign cash flowCairo is using a law that requires government approval of all foreign funding of domestic nongovernmental organizations to block the delivery of grants, forcing NGOs to curb their work for lack of funds.
Iran hails 'softer' and 'smarter' approach to its nuclear programIranian nuclear negotiators said a revised proposal from six world powers to limit its nuclear work was 'more realistic' than previous proposals and offered to continue talks next month.
Israel wields Bible's soft power as far afield as BrazilIsrael is ramping up its outreach to the growing numbers of evangelical Christians, particularly in the Global South, in order to build popular support for state policies.
Criminals cash in on Syria's chaos with kidnappings and ransomsNot all of the kidnappings in Syria are politically driven. In lawless areas not held by either the government or opposition, kidnappers are increasingly driven by cold cash.
Egypt opposition vows to boycott parliamentary electionsThe National Salvation Front, an umbrella group for political opponents of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, announced the boycott, complaining current rules favor Islamists.
Iran nuclear talks: Will hints of sanctions relief yield progress?Western powers are expected for the first time to offer modest relief from far-ranging sanctions – but only if Iran takes substantial steps to halt the most prized elements of its nuclear program.
Amid mounting pressures, some see potential for new Palestinian uprisingThousands turned out for the funeral today of a Palestinian who died in an Israeli jail. Some see a new intifada as the only way to fight back as tensions rise, but many say that could hurt the Palestinian cause.
A land of militias, Libya struggles to build a militaryThe Libyan government wants a professional standing army, but the many militias still on the streets are too good at their job to be replaced with a fledgling, inexperienced military.
As Iran and Israel trade threats, first Iranian novels appear in HebrewThe rousing success of two Persian novels published in Hebrew this year – the first to ever appear in Hebrew – indicate a thirst among Israelis to better understand Iranian society.
Israeli Oscar contenders force citizens to confront uncomfortable questionsTwo Israeli documentary films nominated for Oscars, 'The Gatekeepers' and '5 Broken Cameras,' raise difficult questions about the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories.
