All Middle East
- What drove Saudi Arabia to lift driving ban? It's not all about women.
Alleviating the burden on middle-class Saudi families is part of it. So is the boon to the economy from enabling women's employment. But it could also be a distraction as the crown prince consolidates power and cracks down on dissent.
- ISIS attacks Shiites, but Afghans resist push to make conflict religious
Afghanistan's 16-year war has been political, not sectarian. But the Afghan branch of ISIS is trying to drive a different dynamic, related to its view of Shiites as infidels and the participation of some Afghan Shiites in fighting ISIS in Syria.
- First LookPutin hosts Saudi King, signaling development of an unlikely friendship
Despite a history of fighting on opposite sides of countless conflicts, Russia and Saudi Arabia are strengthening ties. Talks between their leaders will address concerns over oil and the Syrian conflict. Some fear that Russia is trying to replace the US, but experts are not worried.
- First LookISIS pushed out from one of the last strongholds in northern Iraq
Iraq has declared another victory against the Islamic State even as the militants still control towns on the far west Syrian border. France has offered diplomatic help between Iraq's government and the autonomous Kurdish region.
- Can Christians rebuild their own homeland in Iraqi Kurdistan?
In ruined Qaraqosh, once home to Iraq's largest Christian community, returning businessmen are beginning to rebuild, hoping to restore a sense of safety and lure back residents to the Christian heartland.
- Facing an even hotter, drier climate, Jordan testing desert agriculture
In a patch of barren land that hasn't yielded crops for centuries, engineers from the Sahara Forest Project say they're designing a sustainable farm that uses solar power to desalinate seawater for crops, then uses the runoff to fend off desertification.
- First LookSyrian soccer team gives a war-torn country something to cheer for
Syria's national soccer team prepares for a round of playoff games determining who will participate in the World Cup, which would be a first for the country.
- First LookPromising signs of reconciliation in the Gaza Strip
The Palestinian prime minister paid a visit to the Gaza Strip where Hamas has held power for the past decade. Last week, Hamas relinquished control of the regions government.
- First LookSaudi government takes on tourism projects to lessen dependence on oil
In an effort to diversify the economy, the Saudi government begins projects to invest in tourism instead of oil. But private real estate developers are concerned the government initiatives won't allow for private investment.
- First LookIran scolds Trump for an 'alternative fact' tweet about a missile launch
After an untruthful tweets about a nonexistent Iranian missile launch posted by President Trump, Iran's foreign minister withdraws diplomatic conversations with the United States.
- First LookSaudi women to be granted driving rights in 2018
After nearly three decades, women will be allowed to drive beginning next summer. The step toward expanded women's rights is seen as another effort by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to modernize the kingdom.
- Defiant, Kurds vote in northern Iraq, seeking path to independence
The nonbinding referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan, whose Peshmerga fighters have been stout allies in the fight against ISIS, nevertheless elicited warnings from Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and the US.
- Cover StoryReluctant champion: How Nadia Murad has become the international face of Yazidi suffering – and resilience
The same courage and determination that helped Murad escape from the Islamic State have driven her to travel to more than two dozen countries to tell her story, forcing the world to hear about the atrocities and demanding that ISIS be held accountable for its crimes against Yazidis.
- How strongly is NATO ally Turkey pivoting to Russia and Iran?
President Erdoğan has taken steps that have alarmed his NATO allies. Until recently, Turkey has pursued policies directly opposed to those of Russia and Iran.
- First LookKurds head to the polls Monday for independence vote
Iraq's Kurdish population is planning a referendum vote for independence and the creation of a Kurdish state. Regional leaders fear the vote will bring more instability to the region and distract from the fight against the Islamic State.
- ISIS has planted a ticking bomb that is hard to defuse: traumatized children
Iraq hasn't enough mental health professionals to handle the legions of traumatized children who, because of ISIS, saw and did things they never should have. But if enough teachers can be found, schools could help put them on a path to healing.
- First LookTurkey to overhaul school curriculum, triggering concerns politics will take precedence over science
A new 'values-based' program will recast more than 170 topics in the educational curriculum, from removing all direct references to evolution from high school biology classes to teachings about jihad or holy war in religion classes as the 'love of homeland.'
- Why plight of Rohingya Muslims has suddenly captivated the Arab world
An Arab world riven with internal conflicts is showing the Rohingya a level of unity and support usually reserved for the Palestinians. One reason: media coverage of the crisis has not been filtered through a partisan or sectarian lens.
- First LookLife for Aleppo residents creeps toward normalcy
Aleppo still struggles under the anguish of more than six years of civil war. But resilient residents are rebuilding lives in a war-torn town they once called home.
- In push for post-ISIS reconciliation, Iraqi leaders still a sticking point
As Iraqi security forces push ISIS out of each village or city, peacemakers establish mechanisms of reconciliation. But they say too few lessons have been learned by politicians about inclusive rule and compromise.