All Middle East
Pandemic pricing: Are Mideast markets losing the art of the deal?In the Mideast, haggling is a sport: If you’re agile enough, you win. During the pandemic, to stay safe, you can shop remotely. But what fun is that?
First LookIran journalist sentenced to death over 2017 protest workRuhollah Zam, an Iranian journalist whose online work helped inspire the 2017 economic protests, was sentenced to death on June 30. Mr. Zam was convicted of "corruption on Earth," a charge used in cases involving espionage or attempts to overthrow Iran's government.
Netanyahu’s annexation dilemma: Making history, but at what cost?Israel is already paying a price for talk of annexing West Bank lands, with warnings of worse to come, so what is driving Benjamin Netanyahu?
How outrage over killing of Iranian girl is helping women’s rightsAs in America’s grappling with racism, a brutal killing is spurring progress in Iran, upending traditions that devalued women’s and children’s rights.
Voicing ‘solidarity’ against US racism, Arabs expose scourge at homeArab world expressions of solidarity with Black Lives Matter have highlighted a universal truth about racism: how hard it is to see it in ourselves.
Difference MakerWhy a Muslim woman safeguards Jewish history for all MoroccansFor Zhor Rehihil, Muslim curator of the Museum of Moroccan Judaism in Casablanca, the shared past provides a path to a better future.
Young Saudis saw a future; then came a pandemic and an oil crashThe pandemic’s decline in oil revenues has changed how Saudi Arabia balances rights and responsibilities, shifting a heavier burden onto individuals.
First LookHow an unemployed mother is feeding Dubai's jobless migrantsThe pandemic has hit the United Arab Emirates' immigrant communities hard. Feby Dela Peña, Filipina mother of three, is using her cooking skills to keep families fed through the crisis. When people heard what she was doing, they pitched in to help, too.
Horrified by strife in my America, finding hope in my MideastFrom the Middle East, an American’s view of the strife and demands for justice that started in Minneapolis has been both disorienting and familiar.
Digging up forgotten kingdoms, Saudis unearth ancient identityFor centuries Saudis have lived amid evidence of a rich heritage. But only a recent shift in attitude has allowed them to embrace their past.
Cover StoryArt in the forbidden zone: Inside the Saudi cultural awakeningWhy Saudi Arabia, one of the world’s most culturally restrictive societies, is suddenly embracing art, music, and movies.
First LookIn Afghanistan, promises of a peaceful reprieve in honor of EidThe Taliban and the Afghan government agreed to a three-day cease-fire as residents mark the culmination of Ramadan.
Not a hardship, but a blessing: Back-to-basics RamadanRamadan is a soulful time of prayer and charity. But in recent years, it’s also become a time of conspicuous consumption. The pandemic has stripped that away.
First LookWhy five Iranian fuel tankers are bound for VenezuelaFor Iran, the oil tankers going to Venezuela may be a way to bring money into its cash-starved country and put pressure on the Trump administration.
Why this hospital attack is pushing Afghans toward ‘tipping point’An attack on an Afghan maternity hospital horrified a country all too accustomed to violence. Will it prove a tipping point for Afghans?
FocusFor refugees, a plea: You can’t beat a pandemic by leaving people outHow can refugees – the world’s most vulnerable – cope with the coronavirus threat? There is no safety net, no margin for error.
[special project]Facing down jail and wealthy foes, Arab rights defenders soldier onIf support for democratic norms and institutions is eroding in the West, where does that leave rights activists and journalists in the Arab world?
Difference MakerHis Afghan mission: to restore lives and limbsFor decades, a Red Cross physiotherapist has helped those wounded in Afghanistan’s wars walk a path from despair to hope.
Why Lebanese protesters are risking a return to the streetsLebanese protesters already angered by corruption in government are being driven by a new desperation to take risks amid the coronavirus pandemic.
First LookDemocracy judged: Israel high court hears case against NetanyahuIsrael’s Supreme Court heard arguments Sunday about whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu can rule while facing criminal indictments.
