All Middle East
Amid Iraq violence, journalists struggle about government controlCar-bomb attacks killed dozens in Iraq today, a reminder of the dangers that continue to lurk in the country. Local journalists are struggling with government restrictions on covering their country.
Turkey's culture wars heat up after PM equates abortion with murderTurkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to effectively ban abortions. It's the latest signal his party aims to shape Turkey's secular political system along more religious lines.
A day in the life of a UN observer in SyriaGen. Robert Mood's job is to convince both sides in Syria's civil war that they're not interested in destroying the other.
Iran nuclear talks are on, but both sides frustrated, say diplomatsTwo diplomats close to the Iran nuclear talks – one Iranian and one European – explain the concerns of their respective sides ahead of June 18-19 talks in Moscow.
Iran nuclear talks in Moscow may be delayed, say diplomatsTwo diplomats close to the Iran nuclear talks, one Iranian and one European, each explain to the Monitor the frustrations and concerns that could delay the June 18-19 talks.
Egypt's Islamists give secular parties equal role in constitution writingIslamists and secularists agreed to a 50-50 split on the constituent assembly, tasked with writing a new constitution. The deal came after the military issued a 48-hour ultimatum.
Iran's nuclear program: 4 things you probably didn't know Do the US and Israel believe that Iran has a nuclear weapons program? Did President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad really promise to "wipe Israel off the map"? The answers may surprise you.
Along Syria's volatile border, rebels, rabbits, and ambushesA Lebanese gas smuggler was killed in a Syrian Army ambush this week, snapping the patience of locals in the Lebanese town of Arsal. Another ambush targeted rabbit hunters.
Syria denies UN observers access to alleged massacre siteUN observers were denied access to the Syrian village of Mazraat al-Qubeir, where opposition activists and UN officials say dozens were murdered on Thursday.
Syria conflict: 5 warring factions Syria is at the nexus of some of the Middle East's most central problems, meaning that fallout from its uprising is likely to ripple, in unpredictable ways, through the region. Here's a brief guide to the actors in the conflict.
The new Netanyahu: Not so beholden to Israeli settlersPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, newly aligned with the more centrist Kadima party, moved today to knock down settler houses built on Palestinian property.
Israel moves to improve religious freedom – for JewsFor the first time, Israel will begin funding rabbis from the Reform and Conservative movements, which have long been shut out in a country dominated by Orthodox Judaism.
In Egypt, American NGO workers head to court in civil society trialTwo Americans and a German returned to Egypt to face trial with Egyptian colleagues and draw attention to an NGO case they say has major implications for Egypt's democratic transition.
Turkey takes lead in rebuilding SomaliaTurkish workers have flooded Somalia - a country many have long considered too dangerous to work in - to rebuild it and burnish Ankara's image as a regional player and powerful force in the Islamic world.
In Algeria, no taste for an uprising of their ownThe violence and chaos of Algeria's civil war in the 1990s has left Algerians nervous about echoing the upheavals in other Arab countries – though many would like to strengthen democracy at home.
After Mubarak conviction anger and political maneuversFormer Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's conviction led to large protests by Egyptians worried it will be overturned on appeal, and the Muslim Brotherhood positioning itself to win the presidency.
In Lebanon, a worrying sectarian spillover from SyriaTripoli, Lebanon witnessed some of the worst sectarian fighting in the country since its civil war ended two decades ago, with Alawite and Sunni communities inflamed by the deepening war across the border in Syria.
FocusEgypt presidential elections: Fruit of Tahrir Square tastes bitter to someMany Egyptians feel they can't vote for either candidate in the presidential election run-off.
Egypt presidential candidate: Ahmed Shafiq, former Mubarak manSupporters see in Ahmed Shafiq a former military man who can restore stability after a chaotic 18 months. But others charge their revolution could end with a Mubarak man becoming president.
Egyptian presidential candidate: Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim BrotherhoodMohamed Morsi is one of two candidates to make the runoff of Egypt's presidential election. He won the most votes in the first round – about 25 percent.
