All Middle East
UN pushes for targeted Syrian cease-fires in hopes of delivering aidThe UN is suggesting Aleppo as a starting point to provide much-needed relief to areas hardest hit by the Syrian civil war. But it's a hard sell with warring parties.
Tunisia's first free presidential vote looks headed for a runoffUnofficial exit polls suggest a runoff vote next month between the incumbent Moncef Marzouki and B茅ji Caid Essebsi. The outcome could affect the size of the Islamist participation in the cabinet.
Will extension of Iran nuclear talks give opening to hardliners?Negotiators in Vienna missed today's deadline for a nuclear agreement. Some observers have expressed concern over the length of the extension announced today to reach a deal.
Hezbollah claims 'pinpoint' Iranian missiles added to its arsenalThe Lebanese Shiite militant group and close ally of Iran said it has received more advanced missiles, with greater range, as talks over Iran's nuclear program wind down in Vienna.
Iran nuclear talks, in home stretch, still face obstaclesIran distrusts US intentions 鈥� and fears that it will make irreversible decisions in exchange for only temporary sanctions relief.
Yazidi families reclaim girls seized by Islamic State 鈥� for a priceIn interviews, girls who escaped or were bought back by their families tell of their brutal treatment at the hands of IS militants. Almost 150 girls have returned to Kurdish-controlled areas in recent weeks, according to activists, with families paying as much as a year's income to get them back.
Israeli mayor draws fire with vow to bar Arabs from school-building projectsMany Israeli politicians have condemned the move by聽the mayor of Askhelon to prevent Palestinian laborers from working on kindergarten construction sites. His action comes amid聽heightened tensions after several Arab attacks on Jews.
For many Iranians, nuclear talks aren't about the sanctionsUS officials insist economic sanctions brought Iran to the negotiating table.聽Ordinary Iranians agree they've had an effect 鈥� but say they've only harmed the negotiating process.聽
Jerusalem synagogue attack: Day later, site is symbol of faith, determinationThe synagogue where five Israelis and two Palestinian attackers were killed is once again a center of life and learning for devout Jews who say their response to terror is to improve themselves and grow stronger in their faith.
An Ahmadinejad comeback? Why rumors are a warning shot for Iran's Rouhani.The possibility that Iran's controversial former president could again become a political force may be minimal, but just the idea of it, analysts say, is a tool to keep President Rouhani in check.
Rabbis killed at synagogue: Religious tinge of Jerusalem crisis deepensThe attack by two Palestinian men in West Jerusalem poses a challenge to leaders on both sides. Three of the four rabbis killed were American immigrants to Israel, the fourth was born in Britain.
Was Syria behind Hariri assassination? Special tribunal takes another look.A special tribunal has indicted five members of Hezbollah for the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, seen by Syria then as a threat to its dominance in Lebanon. The prosecution's case has lacked a motive.
Lebanon's Druze, unhappily, are being dragged into Syria's warThe minority Druze are split over whom to support in Syria - with some community leaders backing Assad as the best chance for their own survival. But others, like Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, disagree.
Iranians fly knock-off of US stealth drone. Did they get it right?Iran says its version of the unmanned aerial craft is an improvement on the US-made RQ-170 Sentinel, which it captured three years ago. A Pentagon spokesman says there's 'no way' it matches US technology.
Why Yemen, a shaky US ally against Al Qaeda, is cracking apartThe rivalry between Shiite Houthis and Sunni militants, including Al Qaeda's affiliate, has intensified since a power-sharing deal was reached in September. The US is considering a full evacuation of its embassy in Yemen's capital. 聽
Iran nuclear deal: What's at stake for Rouhani and his agenda of 'moderation'Expectations for change have been high in Iran since President Hassan Rouhani's election. There have been some improvements, analysts say, but his ability to make deeper change may depend on the result of nuclear talks.
Arab-Israeli violence: Is Netanyahu鈥檚 rhetoric fanning the flames?Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, who called Monday for Israeli Arab protesters to move to Gaza and the West Bank, is being pressed hard from the right as he confronts what may be the biggest threat of his political career.- Israeli-Palestinian violence stokes fear Jerusalem crisis is spreadingViolence has afflicted Jerusalem for weeks, and tensions are mounting as a young Arab man was killed by police in northern Israel, sparking a weekend of violent protests. Two Israelis were killed in separate attacks Monday.
Egypt, worried about turmoil in Libya, joins the frayEgypt has been providing support to a renegade general fighting Islamist militias in Libya including, some say, planes to conduct air strikes.
Islamic State seeking to 'delete' entire cultures, UNESCO chief warns in IraqIrina Bokova, the UNESCO chief, says Interpol and antiquities authorities are taking steps to halt a lucrative trade in the smuggled artifacts of ancient civilizations that helps IS fund its operations.
