All Middle East
After Foley murder, more jihadi threats to murder hostagesLebanese hostages held by Al Qaeda's affiliate in Syria and the so-called Islamic State were threatened with death in a video yesterday unless Lebanon's Hezbollah withdraws its support for Bashar al-Assad.
Terrorist or ally? A Kurdish militia joins the fight against the Islamic StateThe PKK is fighting to defend Iraqi Kurdistan from the so-called Islamic State. The group, focused on Kurdish rights in Turkey, is categorized by the US as a terrorist organization.
How the Founding Fathers grappled with hostage ransom demandsThe debate over the US government refusal to pay ransoms to kidnappers, including the captors of James Foley, has a long history. In the late 1700s, the US fought Barbary pirates who demanded ransoms and tributes.
Israeli airstrike kills 3 commanders but Hamas seems unbowedIsrael killed 3 senior Hamas commanders in Gaza today. But the movement's demand for an end to Israel's blockade as the price of peace still stands.聽
James Foley's murder puts spotlight on journalists in conflict zonesRegions like Syria pose high risk for journalists, especially freelancers like Foley 鈥� and media outlets face difficult decisions over when and how to use their reports.
After James Foley murder, an effort to stamp out jihadi Twitter accountsThe jihad group IS videotaped its murder of American journalist James Foley as a propaganda exercise, fueling a debate over when and how often such groups should be censored on social media sites.
Lebanon to US: We need military aid, tooLebanon's Army is seeking more US military equipment, including anti-tank missiles, after a tough fight earlier this month against Sunni jihadis that exposed its shortcomings.
Three things to know about Iraq's Mosul DamThe Islamic State has targeted key energy infrastructure in Iraq, including Mosul Dam, which was recaptured yesterday by Kurdish and Iraqi forces backed by US airstrikes.
As US steps up air campaign in Iraq, Kurdish forces seize strategic damThe dam had been in the hands of Islamic State militants. The role of US warplanes in the offensive raises questions over mission creep in Iraq.
Hezbollah lowers fighting age as it takes on Islamic StateThe traditional enemy of Hezbollah has been Israel. But the Shiite group is now also defending the Syrian regime and Lebanon's borders from the Sunni Islamic State, stretching its resources.
With Islamic State threatening region, can Iraq's peshmerga turn the tide?The fighters of autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan have struggled to contain the spread of the so-called Islamic State. But infighting, a lack of training, and political divisions have hampered them so far.
As ethnic refugees flood Iraqi Kurdistan, a strain on hospitalityMembers of Iraq's Yazidi minority and other groups have flooded into Iraqi Kurdistan for safety. But their needs are vast, and the region is coming under strain.
Presidential praise for Iranian math prize winner (with and without head scarf)Mathematics has long had a pervasive gender imbalance, but Iranian Maryam Mirzakhani's win may show a shifting balance.
A sanctuary for Iraqi Yazidis 鈥撀燼nd a plea for Obama's interventionIn recent days, tens of thousands of Yazidis have crossed into Kurdish-controlled territory, fleeing Islamic militants. US air strikes and Kurdish forces have checked the advance of the Islamic State.
Yazidi refugees huddle along Turkish-Iraq borderSome members of Iraqi's Yazidi minority have made their way to safety in Turkey. But many more remain under threat at home from the jihadis rampaging across northern Iraq.
Kurdish fighters in Iraq take fight to jihadis. Can it last?Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq, thanks to help from US airstrikes, appear to have fought off an assault on Erbil by the jihadis of the Islamic State. The US is moving towards providing the Kurds more than air support.
As Gaza cease-fire holds, ousted settlers call for Israel to hit harderIsraelis evacuated from Gaza settlements nine years ago say the government has been far too compassionate in its military offensive. Peace talks are under way in Cairo.聽
As Erdogan makes presidential bid, Turkish media airs 'Truman Show'Erdogan is scoring lightning fast in charity soccer games, reviving fainting women, and dominating the airwaves. Is there anything Turkish prime minister and presidential front-runner Erdogan can't do?
As US bombs militants in Kurdistan, Maliki clings to power in BaghdadThe Iraqi parliament is poised to miss a Friday night constitutional deadline for selecting a new prime minister. Despite tumbling support, Prime Minister Maliki is refusing to give up his bid for another term.聽
Islamic State persecution of Yazidi minority amounts to genocide, UN saysTens of thousands of Yazidis have taken refuge on a mountain in Sinjar province after Islamic State fighters overran their town and other areas, pushing out Kurdish paramilitary forces.聽
